Pir Mehr Ali Shah

Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi

Office of the controller of Examinations
Mid Exam Spring 2021 (Paper Duration 12 hours)
To be filled by Teacher

Course No.: ENG-325 Course Title: Communication and Presentation Skills

Total Marks: 18 Date of Exam: 29th April, 2021
Degree: BSIT Semester: 2nd Section: B
Marks
Q. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Obtained/
TotalMarks
Marks
Obtained /18
Total Marks in Words:
Name of the teacher: Ms. Asma Masood
Who taught the course: Signature of teacher / Examiner:

To be filled by Student

Registration No.: ………20-ARID-4152….……… Name:…………Shaheryar Hashmi……………………..

Answer the following questions.

Question#1:- Describe the broad scope of communication and what the

specific areas of knowledge it covers?
Answer:- The word communication is derived from the Latin noun communis and
the Latin verb communicare that means to make common. This word is much
known to the contemporary world. It is an all encompassing word which includes
the multitude of experiences, actions and events. Individuals and non business
organisations can also indulge in mass communication to build an image in the
masses. According to Kelly, Communication is a field of knowledge dealing with
the systematic application of symbols to acquire common information regarding
an object or event According to Luther, It is the transmission of commonly
meaningful information. It is a process that involves the exchange of behaviours.
The following points show the different purposes for a communication, and
describe the way in which the communication differs based on its purpose.
 To inform the public regarding the affairs concerned to them.
 To convey the messages to the people those are required.
 To persuade the human beings for certain activities.
 To request the people to get something done.
 To warn the public regarding some nuisance that has got consequences.
Scope of communication
Communication is important both for an individual and also for the society. A
person’s need for communication is as strong as the basic needs of human
beings. A communication should always clearly identify the subject scope of the
communication. The subject scope is a specification of the information covered
by the communication. It has become a basic for the social existence and the
feeling of commonality and togetherness. So the existence of human being can
be clearly elaborated in the development of the communicative system. The
scope of communication can be evaluated and analyzed from different point of
views.

1. Communication in personal life: Communication is closely related to every

part of human life. We depend on communication for doing various
activities from dawn to dusk. Nobody can pass his daily life without the
application.it is an important part and parcel of our personal life.
Everybody needs to communicate with different people and organizations
daily.
2. Communication in social life: Humans are social beings and everybody in
the society are related to each other. Business communication has played
the vital role in this social freedom of human beings. The presence of
communication helps the people to share their sorrows, happiness etc. We
are living in an integrated society because we are on the human
civilization. In social life, people need to develop social bondage.
Communication helps us in creating and strengthening this social
bondage.
3. Communication in the state affairs: the life of state cannot run without the
flow of communication. Business communication plays a vital role for
different ministries departments, divisions and offices of the state in
different modes of communication. Without communication, the state
nether can administer its various wings nor can maintain relationships
with the other part of the world. The whole world has turned into a global
village due to revolutionary change in communication.
4. Communication in business: in this modern age, we cannot think of
business without communication. Communication is the lifeblood of
business.it provides necessary information in formulating business plans
and policies. Communication is directly related to the production of goods
and services, purchasing and selling, warehousing, distribution and other
business activities.
5. Communication in management: management is the means of achieving
organizational goals. The effective communication with the various
internal and external parties leads to efficiency and effectiveness of
management. The level of management like planning, organizing,
recruiting, leading, motivation coordination and control depend on sound
communication method. Every function of management depends on
communication.

Question No 2: Explain why good communication skills are necessary pre-

requisites for problem solving and decision making in an organization?

Answer:-
Introduction
Problem-solving skills are an important part of our lives. Be it a mundane daily
activity or at work, most of the time our work is centred around problems and how to
solve them. In a managerial set up, most of the work is problem-centric. Be it solving
a problem for a client, supporting someone who is solving a problem or searching for
new problems to be solved, problems define our activities. Problem-solving skills are,
thus, important in the workplace.

Skills for Problem Solving

Different problems require different set of skills to be solved. For example, solving a
problem for a client requires not just knowledge but also good verbal, listening and
persuasion skills. Solving a problem within the organization with other employees
require teamwork, coordination and effective communication among them. Hence,
to improve problem-solving skills there needs to be effective communication and
understanding of the situation.

Efficient Methods of Problem Solving

Problem-solving skills can be improved in many ways. There are four basic steps to
efficient problem solving in any situation. They are:

 Defining and understanding the problem

 Searching for alternatives
 Evaluating and selecting alternatives
 Executing the solution
Defining and understanding the problem is the first step to problem-solving.
It is important to look deeper into the problem beyond what might seem like the
obvious.
For example: The substandard performance of the employees might be seen as a
result of laziness or an unwillingness to work and improve oneself. However, the real
reason could be that the employees are untrained and unskilled at their jobs.
Understanding the roots of the problem makes way for efficient search for solutions.
Now that the core of the problem has been identified, we need to search for
alternative solutions to fix the problem. The aim is to find the most efficient and
rational solution that is agreeable to all the parties involved.
Thus, if there is a difference in opinion regarding the implementation of a certain
standard or protocol, the manager can either take a survey to understand the
opinions of the employees or call a meeting to discuss and, if necessary, bring
changes to the proposal.

Once all the alternatives are considered, we need to evaluate each and every
single alternative so that we can come to a conclusion by selecting the most
rational solution. Selecting the solution also requires the opinion of the employees
and staff, what they consider to be the best option and how the executives in higher
positions would react to it.
For example: Choosing between cheaper alternatives or low production due to a
reduced budget depends on the situation of the firm. The cheaper alternatives for
production will ensure the same number of units are produced, albeit low quality and
hence, lower prices. Reduction in production, however, will ensure that the quality is
good and the price of the product will be maintained or even raised.
Executing the solution requires the leadership of the manager and good and
efficient coordination and communication with all the employees and entities. The
problem will be directly handled at this stage and efforts will be made to change it.
For example: If the decision to use cheaper alternatives for production is made,
then changes are made in the manner of production, networks are set up to get
access to the cheaper alternative, bargaining and networking is made etc.
Thus, improving problem-solving skills require a basic knowledge of the situation as
well as having the creativity and resources to solve it.

Question No: 3

Describe the principles of conciseness, correctness, concreteness and clarity and

explain the differences by citing suitable examples.
Answer:- The concept of »7 C’s of Effective Communication« first appeared in business,
where time is precious and there is no room for mistakes done out of misinformation. The »7
C’s« stand for seven essential principles of communication starting with the letter C. Each
one represents a requirement that the message should meet to be effective. Applying these
principles to your communication ensures that your message will be in sync with the
recipient’s understanding and free from ballast.

Modern science is not much different from business in the sense that scientists face
information overload. Oral presentations are the biggest problem in this respect: how many
conferences or seminars have you attended where no speaker talked too fast or extended their
talk over the allocated length because they wanted to squeeze too much information in too
little time? When dealing with written communication, for example when reading research
papers, scientists adapt to time shortage by skimming for key information, and read in depth
only the most interesting parts. In both cases, if the communication is ineffective, the main
message of your work will be obscured or lost. You risk missing opportunities to be cited or
invited for collaboration.

In this post, we reinterpreted the »7 C’s« of effective business communication to fit scientific
purposes. They are applicable to both oral and written communication.

1. Clarity: Simplicity & Organization

Clarity is best achieved through short, simple and fluent sentences and paragraphs. Each
paragraph should describe only one idea, and paragraphs should be organized from »the big
picture« at the beginning to greater detail towards the end. The last sentence in a paragraph
should indicate the information in the next paragraph. Appropriate idea flow ensures that the
readers are exposed to right information at the right time, especially if they are not from your
immediate scientific field.

Clarity is interconnected with the principle of completeness and concreteness.

2. Conciseness: Get to the Point

Conciseness means forming your message with minimum number of words possible without
invalidating the other 6 C’s. Avoid wordiness, repetition, and filler words or phrases, such as
»in short«, »as stated before«, »due to the fact that«, »this is the first study«, etc. This is
particularly important in project proposals or research papers with strict word limits. Concise
message is also more appealing and comprehensible, and will save time both to you and your
audience.

Conciseness is interconnected with the principles of concreteness and consideration.

3. Concreteness: Specifics Instead of Generalizations
Concrete message is like a factsheet put to words. For example, it is much better to say »In
the review of the period from 2010 to 2015, A & B (2016) found that 75 % of publications
from the research area of X reported on the phenomenon of Y« than »The phenomenon of Y
has become increasingly recognized in the recent years«. Avoid also vague words and words
with multiple meanings, such as »in the future«, »several«, »quickly«, etc. Concreteness
diminishes the need to guess the meaning and the possibility of misinterpretation.

Concreteness is interconnected with the principles of clarity, conciseness and consideration.

4. Completeness: No Necessary Information is Missing

A complete message should convey all facts required by the audience. In interdisciplinary
research, for example, your reviewers might be from another scientific field. It is therefore
wise to include more general information than you normally would if you wrote a paper
within your narrow expertise. On the other hand, there is no possibility for corrections or
follow-up in the revision process of project proposals. You thus need to ensure that reviewers
have all the facts at hand if you wish that your project is convincing.

Completeness is interconnected with the principles of clarity and courtesy.

5. Correctness: Facts & Proofreading

Correctness refers to both factual and linguistic accuracy. All the information you provide
needs to stem from valid, reliable, and credible sources that can be located. This is the reason
why Wikipedia is not accepted as an information source for scientific publications.
Correctness is fundamental in research paper discussions, where your claims need to be
supported with facts and figures from your results. Finally, you should always check your
writing for typing, spelling, and grammatical errors. If English is not your mother tongue, it is
wise to consult professional language editing services.

Correctness is interconnected with the principle of consideration.

6. Courtesy: Stepping Into Audience’s Shoes

Courteous message is written from the viewpoint of the audience. If you prepare a seminar
about your latest discovery, you will need to provide background information for your
students, but you can skip those and get right to the details for your coworkers. Messages for
general public should always highlight the societal benefits of your research. Courtesy
requires some thinking about what the audience knows or doesn’t know and forming the
message accordingly. However, it is also a way of showing respect.

Courtesy is interconnected with the principle of completeness.

7. Consideration: Scientists are People, Too

Just because scientists are able to deal with complex ideas and tons of information, it doesn’t
mean that they are able to deal with a flood of unformatted text. Whatever document you are
preparing, be considerate and use visual design to make the main messages stand out.
Figures, paragraphs, headings, bulleted lists, and highlights are tools you can use to make
your paper, poster, or project proposal more appealing and comprehensible. Consideration
also entails good language. Visually or linguistically, your message shouldn’t look as if it was
prepared in a hurry!

Consideration is interconnected with the principle of correctness.

Conclusion
Use the »7 C’s of Effective Communication« as a checklist when you make your
next research paper, project proposal, conference presentation, or lecture. The better you
communicate, the more credibility you’ll have with your colleagues, students, readers,
reviewers, and general public.

Question 4: Describe the group barriers to communication and suggest

strategies to overcome them.

Answer:- Some basic skills can help you to be a more effective communicator in the
classroom. This Teaching Tip explores:

 barriers to listening and strategies for effective listening;

 barriers to accurate perception and strategies for accurate perception; and,
  Barriers to effective verbal communication and strategies for effective verbal
communication.

Barriers to listening

 Focusing on a personal agenda. When we spend our listening time formulating our
next response, we cannot be fully attentive to what the speaker is saying.
 Experiencing information overload. Too much stimulation or information can make
it very difficult to listen with full attention. Try to focus on the relevant information,
and the central points that are being conveyed.
 Criticizing the speaker. Do not be distracted by critical evaluations of the speaker.
Focus on what they are saying - the message - rather than the messenger.
 Getting distracted by emotional noise. We react emotionally to certain words,
concepts and ideas, and to a myriad of other cues from speakers (appearance, non-
verbal cues such as gestures, etc.). Make a conscious effort to quiet your own
emotional reactions so that you can listen properly.
 Getting distracted by external “noise”. Audible noise may be extremely distracting.
Some things can be minimized – e.g., turn down the ringer on your phone, and
notifications on your phone or computer while meeting with someone. Other noises
may be unavoidable – e.g., construction, other people. Also, there may be figurative
“noise” from the external environment, such as distracting or inappropriate decor in a
room, or environmental conditions such as the room being too hot or cold.
 Experiencing physical difficulty. Feeling physically unwell, or experiencing pain
can make it very difficult to listen effectively. You may wish to communicate that this
is not a good time, and reschedule the discussion.

Strategies for active listening

The following strategies are intended to promote active listening, or a type of listening with
the goal to “develop a clear understanding of the speaker’s concern and also to clearly
communicate the listener’s interest in the speaker’s message” (McNaughton, Hamlin,
McCarthy, Head-Reeves, & Schreiner, 2008, p. 224).

 Stop. Focus on the other person, their thoughts and feelings. Consciously focus on
quieting your own internal commentary, and step away from your own concerns to
think about those of the speaker. Give your full attention to the speaker.
 Look. Pay attention to non-verbal messages, without letting yourself be distracted.
Notice body language and non-verbal cues to allow for a richer understanding of the
speaker’s point. Remember that “active listeners need to communicate to the speaker
that they are involved and giving the person unconditional attention” (Weger, Castle,
& Emmett, 2010, p. 35).
 Listen. Listen for the essence of the speaker’s thoughts: details, major ideas and their
meanings. Seek an overall understanding of what the speaker is trying to
communicate, rather than reacting to the individual words or terms that they use to
express themselves.
 Be empathetic. Imagine how you would feel in their circumstances. Be empathetic to
the feelings of the speaker, while maintaining a calm centre within yourself. You need
 not be drawn into all of their problems or issues, as long as you acknowledge what
they are experiencing.
 Ask questions. Use questions to clarify your understanding, as well as to demonstrate
interest in what is being said.
 Paraphrase. If you don’t have any specific questions to ask, you may choose to
repeat back to the speaker, in your own words, what you have taken away, in order to
allow the speaker to clarify any points (Weger et al., 2010).

Barriers to accurate perception

 Stereotyping and generalizing. Be careful not to hold on to preconceptions about

people or things. We often have a tendency to see what we want to see, forming an
impression from a small amount of information or one experience, and assuming that
to be highly representative of the whole person or situation.
 Not investing time. Making assumptions and ignoring details or circumstances can
lead to misconceptions. When we fail to look in-depth for causes or circumstances,
we miss important details, and do not allow for the complexity of the situation.
 Having a distorted focus. Focusing on the negative aspects of a conversation or a
situation is a habit common to many people. Even though we may recognize the
positive things, we often give more weight to the negative, allowing one negative
comment to overshadow numerous positive ones.
 Assuming similar interpretations. Not everyone will draw the same conclusions
from a given situation or set of information. Everybody interprets things differently.
Make sure to check for other people’s interpretations, and be explicit about your own.
 Experiencing incongruent cues. As speakers, and as listeners, we are constantly and
simultaneously sending cues and receiving them from other people. Try to be
consistent with your verbal cues and your body language. Do not say one thing and
express something else through your body language. Be aware of how your non-
verbal communication relates to your spoken words. If someone else seems to be
sending a double message — by saying one thing and expressing something else in
their body language — ask for clarification.

Strategies for accurate perception

 Analyze your own perceptions. Question your perceptions, and think about how
they are formed. Check in with others around you regularly, and be aware of
assumptions that you are making. Seek additional information and observations. You
may just need to ask people if your perceptions are accurate.
 Work on improving your perception. Increase your awareness of barriers to
perception, and which ones you tend towards. Check in with yourself regularly. Seek
honest, constructive feedback from others regarding their perceptions of you as a
means of increasing your selfawareness.
 Focus on others. Develop your ability to focus on other people, and understand them
better by trying to gather knowledge about them, listening to them actively, and
imagining how you would feel in their situation.
Barriers to effective verbal communication

 Lacking clarity. Avoid abstract, overly-formal language, colloquialisms, and jargon,

which obscure your message more than they serve to impress people.
 Using stereotypes and generalizations. Speakers who make unqualified
generalizations undermine their own clarity and credibility. Be careful not to get stuck
in the habit of using stereotypes, or making generalizations about complex systems or
situations. Another form of generalization is “polarization” or creating extremes. Try
to be sensitive to the complexities of situations, rather than viewing the world in black
and white.
 Jumping to conclusions. Confusing facts with inferences is a common tendency. Do
not assume you know the reasons behind events, or that certain facts necessarily have
certain implications. Make sure you have all the information you can get, and then
speak clearly about the facts versus the meanings or interpretations you attach to
those.
 Dysfunctional responses. Ignoring or not responding to a comment or question
quickly undermines effective communication. Likewise, responding with an irrelevant
comment -- one that isn't connected to the topic at hand -- will quash genuine
communication. Interrupting others while they are speaking also creates a poor
environment for communication.
 Lacking confidence. Lacking confidence can be a major barrier to effective
communication. Shyness, difficulty being assertive, or low self-worth can hinder your
ability to make your needs and opinions known. Also, a lack of awareness of your
own rights and opportunities in a given situation can prevent you from expressing
your needs openly. See Eison (1990)’s “Confidence in the Classroom: Ten Maxims
for New Teachers” for a set of maxims to think about when reflecting on your own
confidence as a communicator.

Strategies for effective verbal communication

 Focus on the issue, not the person. Try not to take everything personally, and
similarly, express your own needs and opinions in terms of the job at hand. Solve
problems rather than attempt to control others. For example, rather than ignoring a
student who routinely answers questions in class with inappropriate tangents, speak
with the student outside of class about how this might disrupt the class and distract
other students.
 Be genuine rather than manipulative. Be yourself, honestly and openly. Be honest
with yourself, and focus on working well with the people around you, and acting with
integrity.
 Empathize rather than remain detached. Although professional relationships entail
some boundaries when it comes to interaction with colleagues, it is important to
demonstrate sensitivity, and to really care about the people you work with. If you
don’t care about them, it will be difficult for them to care about you when it comes to
working together.
 Be flexible towards others. Allow for other points of view, and be open to other
ways of doing things. Diversity brings creativity and innovation.
 Value yourself and your own experiences. Be firm about your own rights and
needs. Undervaluing yourself encourages others to undervalue you, too. Offer your
ideas and expect to be treated well.
 Use affirming responses. Respond to other in ways that acknowledge their
experiences. Thank them for their input. Affirm their right to their feelings, even if
you disagree. Ask questions, express positive feeling; and provide positive feedback
when you can.