INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY

CENTRE FOR DISTANCE LEARNING

GHAZIABAD

End-Term Examinations December 2009

Subject Code : IMT-10 Subject Name: Business Communication
Time Allowed : 3 Hours Max. Marks : 70

Notes: (a) Answer any FOUR questions from SECTION-A and CASE STUDY as given in SECTION-B. Each Question (SECTION-A) carries 14 MARKS and (SECTION-B) Case Study carries 14 MARKS. (b) For students enrolled before January 2008, the Question Paper would be treated for 50 marks instead of 70 marks. (c) No doubts/clarifications shall be entertained. In case of doubts/clarifications, make reasonable assumptions and proceed.

SECTION-A Q1.

MARKS : 56

What is a group discussion? Explain the different types of GD formats in vogue? Why are 2GDs used as a selection tool by companies and Bschools? Describe some the important requirements for an effective GD to happen. Write Short Notes on: a. Negative impact of IT in business interactions b. Email Etiquette c. Visual aids for effective presentations

Q2.

d. Body Language Q3. What are the advantages of letters as a means of official communication? Write a letter to the Manager of your bank, asking for the waiver of charges mistakenly levied due to malfunction in the ATM machine at the premises of the bank in Connaught Place. Q4. What are the benefits of using CVs as a tool for identifying potential candidates? Prepare your Cover Letter and CV for applying for the post of a Senior Sales Team Leader in the Home Loans division of India Finance Corp. Ltd, Delhi. Q5. Answer all parts in about 50100 words: a. Types of written communication b. Technical writing c. Importance of the cover letter of a CV

d. Horizontal flow of communication e. Types of reading styles f. Advantages of using case studies as a teaching tool

g. Disadvantages of written communication Q6. Q7. Describe the requirements for a well conducted meeting. Describe the role of the chairperson in regulating the meeting. Describe the impact a badly conducted meeting can have on the topic under discussion. Define Communication. Describe its various components. Describe a Communication model with the help of diagrams. Give an example of communicating.

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SECTION-B

(Case Study)

MARKS : 14

To get a job at Microsoft the worlds largest software company you have to be able to think on your feet explains college recruiting manager Jodi DeLeon. You can expect technical questions even in the 30-minute screening interviews, where youll be asked problem solving questions designed to help you demonstrate whatever your resume says you do best. We are not trying to intimidate or scare people at all, DeLeon explains. We just want to be able to find out as much as we can. For example DeLeon might ask students applying for a marketing position how they would penetrate their school with more Microsoft products, both at the student and administration levels. However, shes not looking for a particular answer. I look at how they focus their thoughts. I look at the steps they take from the beginning to the end. I look at all the resource they pull in, the implications they think about. Do they ask me questions? Do they need to? Shes been most impressed by candidates who have walked her through an idea using pen and paper or who have jumped up to sketch on a chalkboard. Such responses cant be faked. Good interviewers know when you are being genuine or just faffing about. Dont try to impress anyone by saying, Excel? Oh, I know everything about Excel. You could be in big trouble if your claim isnt true. DeLeon says, Its fine if you know Excel and admit, I think Excel is great, but it would be a lot easier if it had X, Y or Z. Thats the kind of thing that the Microsoft person has to think about every day. Students shouldnt be afraid to say things like that. When evaluating candidates, Deleon asks how they set priorities for all the various projects theyre currently working on. Thats where demonstrating an ability to juggle school with extra-curricular activities can help. She also looks at a students drive and ambition, resourcefulness, and analytical ability. Good grades help, of course, but shes more interested in how well a person listens and thinks through what she says. Although companies differ, Microsoft doesnt consider it cool to dress like the interviewer who may be in jeans and T-shirt. Dress professionally, DeLeon advises. She adds that thank-you notes help, and follow-up phone calls (made after, and not before a promised answer date) are essential to demonstrating your continued interest in the job. However, avoid attention-getting gimmicks. The best way to prepare for an interview, suggests DeLeon, is to think about the job itself. Ask yourself, what have I done in my life that is related to some aspect of this job? That question may never actually be asked during the interview, but your understanding of the answer will shine through every statement you make. Most important, she adds, be yourself. Questions Q1. Q2. Q3. What actions of the interviewee can lead to a negative verdict? What do you think Microsoft are looking for in a prospective candidate? How useful do you think is the advice given by Jodi DeLeon? Explain your answer. (5) (4) (5)

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