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    This document provides an overview of business communication skills and concepts. It is divided into three parts that cover communication skills, business communication, and structured applications. The first part defines communication skills like reading, speaking, listening, writing and non-verbal communication. It provides guidelines to improve these skills. The second part examines the nature and process of communication in organizations. It discusses topics such as organizational communication, cross-cultural communication, business correspondence and presentations. The third part focuses on applying communication skills to areas like conflict management, negotiations, interviews and report writing. The book aims to help readers enhance their business communication abilities.

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    49 views340 pages

    P D Chaturvedi Mukesh Chaturvedi Business Communication Skills Concepts Cases Amp Applications 2018 Pearson Education Libgenlcpdf

    Uploaded by

    Aka Radhika
    This document provides an overview of business communication skills and concepts. It is divided into three parts that cover communication skills, business communication, and structured applications. The first part defines communication skills like reading, speaking, listening, writing and non-verbal communication. It provides guidelines to improve these skills. The second part examines the nature and process of communication in organizations. It discusses topics such as organizational communication, cross-cultural communication, business correspondence and presentations. The third part focuses on applying communication skills to areas like conflict management, negotiations, interviews and report writing. The book aims to help readers enhance their business communication abilities.

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    of 340

    Business

    Communication
    Skills, Concepts, and Applications

    Third Edition

    P. D. CHATURVEDI
    Former Professor and Head
    Department of Languages
    Birla Institute of Technology and Science
    Pilani

    MUKESH CHATURVEDI
    Professor
    Birla Institute of Management Technology
    Technology
    Greater Noida
    Copyright © 2013 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd.
    Licensees of Pearson Education in South Asia

    No part of this
    this eBook may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever
    whatsoever without
    without the publisher’s
    publisher’s
    prior written consent.

    This eBook may or may not include all assets that were part of the print version. The publisher
    reserves the right to remove any material in this eBook at any time.

    ISBN 9788131775585
    eISBN 9789332517592

    Head Office: A-8(A), Sector 62, Knowledge Boulevard, 7th Floor, NOIDA 201 309, India
    Registered Office: 11 Local Shopping Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi 110 017, India
    To the ever-loving memory of

    Mrs Pramilla Chaturvedi


    Brief Contents

    Preface xvii
    About
    Abo ut the Author
    Authorss xxiii

    PART I COMMUNICATION SKILLS


    1. Case Study: Pro󿬁le o an Effective Communicator
    Communicator 1
    2. Reading Skills 7
    3. Speaking Skills 17
    4. Conversation
    Conversation Skills 39
    5. Listening Skills 61
    6. Writing Skills 77
    7. Non-verbal
    Non-verbal Skills 95
    PART II BUSINESS COMMUNICA
    C OMMUNICATION
    TION
    8. Nature and Process o Communication 111
    9. Organizational Communication 133
    10. Cross-cultural
    Cross-cultural Communication
    Communication 149
    11. Business Letters, Memos, and E-mails 167
    12. Social Media 193
    13. Business Reports 203
    14. Effective Presentations
    Presentations 229
    15. Business Etiquette
    Etiquette 243
    PART III STRUCTURED APPLICA
    APPLICATIONS
    TIONS
    16. Communication or Con󿬂ict Management 257
    17. Communication or Effective Negotiations 269
    18. CVs, Personal Interviews,
    Interview s, and Group Discussions
    Discussi ons 281
    19. Summer Project Report 299
    20. Written Analysis o Cases 309

    Appendix 1: Grammar
    Appendix Grammar,, Usage, aand
    nd Style 317
    Appendix
    Appendix 2: Te Process
    Process of Research
    Research 357
    Appendix
    Appendix 3: A Sample
    Sample Report 367

    Index 397
    Contents

    Preface xvii
    About
    Abo ut the A
    Author
    uthorss xxiii

    PART I COMMUNICATION SKILLS

    1. Case Study: Pro󿬁le of an Effective Communicator 1


    An Analysis o the Case 3
    Review Your learning 6
    Endnote 6

    2. Reading Skills 7
    What is Reading? 7
    Elements
    How Do W oeReading:
    Read? 7Seeing and Instantaneous Understanding 7
    How Do Our Eyes Move and P Pause
    ause and Move? 8
    Know Your Reading Speed 8
    Enhancementt o Reading Ability/Purpose
    Enhancemen Ability/Purpose o Reading 8
    Te Nature o Reading Material/Te
    Material/Te Reading Style 8
    Styles o Reading 9
    Slow Reading Style 9
    Normal Reading Style 9
    Rapid Reading Style—Skimming 9
    Surveying—Process
    Surveyin g—Process of Reading a Book, Long Article, or
    or Report 9
    Scanning 10
    Know the ext Organization 11
    r
    raining
    aining of Eyes 11
    Guidelines
    Do’s 11or Effective Reading 11
    Don’ts 13
    Reading Efficiency 13
    Watch the Eye Movement 13
    Summary 13
    Case: Chorus Reading 13
    Review Your Learning 14
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 14
    Applyy Your
    Appl Your Learning
    Learning 14
    Self-check Your Learning 14
    Reading Exercises 15
    Endnote 16
    vi CONTENTS

    3. Speaking Skills 17
    Speaking 17
    Te Art of Speaking 17
    Goals of Speaking 17
    Speaking Styles 17
    Te Speaking Process 19
    Guidelines for Developing Speaking Skills 21
    What is Oral Communication? 29
    Importance of Oral Communication Skills 29
    Choosing the Form of Communication 30
    Principles of Successful Oral Communication 30
    Guidelines for Effective Oral Communication 31
    Barriers to Effective Oral Communication 32
    Tree Aspects o Oral Communication—Conversing, Listening,
    and Body Language 32
    Intercultural Oral Communication 32
    ■ INTERCULTURAL
    INTERC ULTURAL COMMUNIC
    COMMUNICATION
    ATION 33
    Oral Communication
    Communication and Electronic Media 34
    Phones 34
    Voice Mail 35
    Conference Calls 35
    Conference
    Cell Phones 35
    Video Conferencing 36
    Summary 36
    Case: Dealing with Outsourcing Backlash 36
    Review Your Learning 37
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 37
    Applyy Your
    Appl Your Learning
    Learning 37
    Self-check Your Learning 38
    Endnotes 38

    4. Conversation
    Conversation Skills 39
    What is Conversation? 39
    Social Conversation
    Conversation 40
    Effective Conversation 42
    ■ EFFECTIVE CONVERSA
    CONVERSATION:
    TION: AN EXAMPLE 43
    Conversation Control 43
    Controlling the Direction of Conversation 44
    Managing
    Mana ging Negative
    Negative Responses
    Responses 44
    Noticing and Recognizing Cues and Clues 45
    Interpreting Signs and Signals 47
    A
    Avoidin
    voidingg Parallel
    Parallel Con
    Conversatio
    versation
    n 48
    Practising Sequential Conversation 48
    Using Re󿬂ection and Empathy 48
    Cultivating a Sense of iming 49
    Summarizing 49
    ransactional Analysis (A) 50

    Psychological
    Applications Characteristics
    Characteristic
    o Conversation s of Ego States
    Control 54 50
    Meetings
    Meeti ngs 54
    Being Assertive Without Being Aggressive 55
    CONTENTS vii

    Controlled Response to Conversational Attacks 56


    Negotiating Trough Conversation Control 56
    Summary 56
    Case: Discussing Vandalism 57
    Review Your Learning 58
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 58

    Applyy Your
    Appl YourYour
    Self-check Learning
    Learn ing 58 59
    Learning
    Endnotes 60

    5. Listening Skills 61
    What is Listening? 61
    How Do We Listen? 62
    Listening as a Management ool 62
    Te Process o Listening 63
    Factors that Adversely Affect Listening 64
    Lack of Concentration 64
    Unequal Statuses 64
    Te Halo Effect 65
    Complexes 65
    A Closed Mind
    Mind 65
    Poor Retention 65
    Premature Evaluation and Hurried Conclusions 65
    Abstractin
    Abs tractingg 65
    Slant 66
    Cognitive
    Cogniti ve Dissonance 66
    Language Barrier 66
    Characteristics o Effective and Ineffective
    Ineffective Listeners 66
    Guidelines or Improving Listening Skills 68
    Responsive Listening 69
    Basic Re󿬂ective Response 69
    Basic Clari󿬁cation Response 71
    Summary 74
    Case: oo Busy to Listen? 74
    Review Your Learning 74
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 75
    Applyy Your
    Appl Your Learning
    Learning 75
    Self-check Your Learning 75
    Endnotes 76

    6. Writing Skills 77
    Te Art o Writing 77
    Te Skills Required in Written Communication 77
    Te Purpos
    Purposee o Writing 78
    Writing to Inform 78
    Writing to Persuade 78
    ■ INFORMATORY WRITING
    WRITIN G 78
    ■ PERSUASIVE WRITING 79
    Clarity in Writing 80
    ■ EXAMPLES OF CLEAR AND UNCLEAR WRITING 81
    viii CONTENTS

    Principles o Effective Writing 81


    Accuracy
    Accu racy 81
    Brevity 83
    ■ REWRITING A LETTER 85
    Language, one, and Level of Formality 85
    Summary 92
    Case: On Writing Well 92
    Review Your Learning 92
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 93
    Applyy Your
    Appl Your Learning
    Learning 93
    Self-check Your Learning 93
    Endnotes 94

    7. Non-verbal Skills 95
    What is Non-verbal Communication? 95
    Meta-commu
    Meta-c ommunicatio
    nication
    n 96
    Kinesic Communication 96
    Characteristics
    Character istics o Non-verbal Communication 97
    Classi󿬁cation
    Classi󿬁cati on o Non-verbal Communication 97
    Ekman’’s Classi󿬁cation of Communicative Movements 98
    Ekman
    Face Facts 98
    Positive Gestures 99
    Negative Gestures 99
    Lateral Gestures 99
    Responding to Power Posturing 102
    Guideliness or Developing Non-verbal Communication Skills
    Guideline 103
    Communication
    Communica tion Breakdown 105
    Summary 107
    Case: Everest extile mills 107
    Review Your Learning 108
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 109
    Applyy Your
    Appl Your Learning
    Learning 109
    Self-check Your Learning 109
    Endnote 110

    PART II BUSINESS COMMUNICATIO


    C OMMUNICATION
    N

    8. Nature and Process of Communication 111


    Te Role o Communication
    Communication 111
    ■ AN INSTANCE OF UNCLEAR COMMUNI
    COMMUNICATION
    CATION 112
    De󿬁ning Communica
    Communication
    tion 112
    Classi󿬁cation
    Classi󿬁cati on o Communication 113
    Te Purpose o Communication
    Communication 113
    Communication to Inform 114
    Communication to Persuade 114
    Te Process o Communication 115
    Te Linear Concept of Communication 115
    Te Shannon–Weaver Model 116
    Te wo-way Communication Process 117
    CONTENTS ix

    Te Elements o Communication 118


    Te Major Difficulties in Communication 119
    Barriers to Communication
    Communication 120
    Incorrect Assumptions 121
    Psychosocial
    Psycho social Barriers 121
    Conditionss or Successul Communication
    Condition Communication 122
    Te Seven Elements
    Universal C’s o Communication 123 125
    in Communication
    ■ HOW SENTENCE STRUCTURE AFFECTS MEANING 126
    Communication and Electronic Media 128
    Communication
    Communica tion and Social Media 129
    Summary 129
    Case: Communication Failure 130
    Review Your Learning 130
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 130
    Applyy Your
    Appl Your Learning
    Learning 130
    Self-check Your Learning 131
    Endnotes 132

    9. Organizational Communication 133


    Te Importance o Communication in Management 133
    Some Important Functions of Management 133
    How Communication is Used by Managers 134
    Communication Concerns o the Manager 136
    Human Needs 137
    Teory X and Teory Y 137
    Communication raining or Managers 138
    Communication Structures
    Structu res in Organizations 139
    Vertical Communication 139
    Horizontal Communication 140
    Line and Staff Management 141
    Formal Communication 141
    Informal Communication 142
    Inormation to be Communicated at the Workplace 144
    Summary 145
    Case: Communication
    Communication Breakdown at City Hospital 145
    Review Your Learning 146
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 147
    Applyy Your
    Appl Your Learning
    Learning 147
    Self-check Your Learning 147
    Endnotes 148

    10. Cross-cultural Communication 149


    Globalization
    Globalizati on and Intercultural Communication 149
    Te New Global Mantra:
    Mantra: Go Local 150
    Cultural Sensitivity 151
    Meetings
    Meeti ngs and Social
    Social Visits
    Visits 152
    Group Behaviour 153
    Paying a Visit 153
    Addressin
    Add ressingg Others 153
    Developing Cultural Intelligence 154
    x CONTENTS

    High-context Cultures 155


    Low-context Cultures 155
    ime As a Cultural Factor 155
    Space As a Cultural Factor 156
    Some Examples o Cultural Diversity 157
    Japan 157
    France
    Germany158158
    Brazil 159
    Guideliness or Intercultural Communication 160
    Guideline
    E-mail and Intercultural Communication 161
    Language 161
    Culture 161
    ■ SAMPLE E󰀭MAILS 162
    Summary 164
    Case: Intercultural Lessons from Crash 165
    Review Your Learning 165
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 166
    Applyy Your
    Appl Your Learning
    Learning 166
    Self-check Your Learning 166
    Endnotes 166

    11. Business Letters, Memos, and E-mails 167


    Introduction 167
    Writing Routine and Good-news
    Good-ne ws Letters 168
    Routine Claim Letters and “Y“Yes”
    es” Replies 168
    Routine Request Letters and
    and “Y
    “Yes”
    es” Replies 170
    Routine Orders and Teir “Y “Yes”
    es” Replies 170
    Guidelines for a “Y
    “Yes”
    es” Reply 173
    Guidelines for a “No
    “No”” Reply 173
    Writing Persuasive Letters 174
    ■ WRITING A PERSUASIVE LETTER 176
    Writing Memos 176
    How to Write a Memo 177
    Uses of a Memo 178
    Essentials o Good B Business
    usiness Letters and Memos 178
    Simplicity 178
    Clarity 180
    Conciseness 180
    Standard and Neutral Language 180
    You-Attitude 180
    Sincerity and one 180
    Emphasis 181
    Planning, Writing, and Revising: Te Tree Steps
    of Successful Writing 181
    ■ REDRAFTING A MEMO 182
    Form and Layout o Business Letters 183

    Business-letter
    Business-
    Layout andletter Styles 183
    Formatting Guidelines 184
    Writing E-mails 187
    Receiver’s E-mail Account 187
    CONTENTS xi

    Subject Line 188


    Sending Copies 188
    ■ A SERIES OF E󰀭MAILS 189
    Summary 191
    Case: A Reply Sent to an Erring Customer 191
    Review Your Learning 191
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 192
    Apply Your
    Apply Your Learning
    Learning 192
    Self-check your Learning 192

    12. Social Media 193


    Introduction 193
    Let the First “Social Media Games” Begin! 194
    Te Age o Internet Communication ools 194
    What does Social Media Mean? 194
    Open Diary 195
    Weblog 195
    Characteristics o Social Media 195
    Classi󿬁cation
    Classi󿬁catio n o Social Media 196
    Social Presence 196
    Te Concept of Self-presentation 196
    Naturee and Scope o Six ypes
    Natur ypes o
    o Social Media 197
    Collaborative Projects 197
    Blogs 197
    Content Communities 197
    Social Networking Sites 198
    Virtual Game Worlds 198
    Virtual Social Worlds 198
    Purpose/Choosing the Most Suitable Social Media 198
    arget Group 198
    Revisiting the Communication
    Communication Teory 199
    Summary 199
    Case: Was London Olympics 2012 the “Social-Olympics”?
    “Social-O lympics”? 199
    Review Your Learning 200
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 200
    Applyy Your
    Appl Your Learning
    Learning 200
    Self-check Your Learning 200
    Endnotes 201

    13. Business Reports 203


    What is a Report? 203
    Te Purpose o a Report 204
    Kinds o Reports 204
    Te erms o Reerence 205
    Te Objectives o a Report 205
    Planning and Organizing Inormation 206
    Sequencing Information 206
    Outline As a Structuring
    Structuring Device 207
    Writing Reports 210
    Structure of a Report 210
    Basic and Subsidiary
    Subsidiary Parts of a R
    Report
    eport 211
    xii CONTENTS

    Short Management Reports 211


    Memos 211
    Letters 211
    Long Formal Reports 212
    Te itle Page 212
    Acknowledgem
    Ack nowledgements
    ents 212
    Cover Letter 214
    Letter of ransmittal
    ransmittal 214
    able of Contents 215
    Abstract
    Abs tract and
    and Executive
    Executive Summary
    Summary 216
    Discussion
    Discussi on and Analysis of Findings 218
    Glossary 219
    Appendix
    Append ix 220
    Bibliography and References 220
    Index 221
    Using Diagrams and Visual Aids in Reports 221
    Use of ables 221
    Index 222
    Use of Graphics in Reports 222
    How to Use Figures and Diagrams in Reports 225
    Summary
    Sur vey226
    Case: Survey Report
    Repor t for India Representative Office
    of HRC Business School, France 226
    Review Your Learning 227
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 228
    Applyy Your
    Appl Your Learning
    Learning 228
    Self-check Your Learning 228
    Endnotes 228

    14. Effective Presentations 229


    Introduction 229
    What is a Presentation? 230
    Essential Characteristics of a Good Presentation 230
    Te Difference Between a Presentation and a Lecture 230
    Te Difference Between a Presentation and and a Written Report 230
    Preparing a Presentation 231
    Identify the Purpose of the Presentation 231
    Analyse the
    the Audience
    Audience and Identify
    Identify Teir
    Teir Needs 231
    Design and Organize the Information 232
    Decide on the Medium of Presentation and Visual Aids 234
    ime the Presentation 236
    Become Familiar with the Location of the Presentation 236
    Delivering the Presentation
    Presentation 237
    Rehearsal 238
    Body Language 239
    Handling Questions and Debate 239
    ips to Fight Stage Fright 240
    Summary 240
    Case: Te Presentation Effect 240
    Review Your Learning 241
    CONTENTS xiii

    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 241


    Applyy Your
    Appl Your Learning
    Learning 241
    Self-check Your Learning 241

    15. Business Etiquette 243


    What is Business Etiquette? 243
    Introductions 244
    Self-introductions 244
    Introducing Others 246
    Handshakes and Non-verbal Gestures 246
    elephone/Ce
    elephone/Cell ll Phone Etiquette 247
    Making
    Mak ing a Call 247
    Common elephone Courtesies 248
    elephone Etiquette Observed by Administrative
    Assistants
    Assistan ts 248
    elephone Precautions 249
    Business Dining 249
    Te Host 249
    Te Guest 249
    able Manners 250
    Interaction with Foreign Visitors 251
    Business Manners in Different Countries 251
    Americans
    America ns 251
    Europeans 251
    Te Japanese 252
    Arabs
    Ara bs 252
    Indians 252
    Inter-organizational Etiquette 253
    Summary 254
    Case: Cultural
    Cultural Sensitivity 254
    Review Your Learning 254
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 255
    Applyy Your
    Appl Your Learning
    Learning 255
    Self-check Your Learning 255

    PART III STRUCTURED APPLICA


    APP LICATIONS
    TIONS

    16. Communication for Con󿬂ict Management 257


    What is Con󿬂ict? 258
    Armed Con󿬂ict
    Con󿬂ict 258
    Characteristics o Con󿬂ict 259
    Dynamic Nature of Con󿬂icts 259
    State of ension 259
    Emotional Residue of Con󿬂ict 259
    Management o Con󿬂ict 259
    Negative Con󿬂icts and Positive Con󿬂icts 259
    Characteristics of Negative Con󿬂icts 260
    Characteristics of Positive Con󿬂icts 260
    Interpersonal Con󿬂ict as a General State in Modern Life 260
    xiv CONTENTS

    Communication as a Bridge of Interpersonal Understanding 260


    Con󿬂ict Management through Communication 261
    Management
    Mana gement Skills 261
    Communication Skills 261
    Managing the Process o Communication in Con󿬂ict 263
    Te S-LC Strategy Con󿬂ict Management 263
    Purposive Communication
    Communication in Con󿬂ict 264
    Verbal Skills or Communicating in Con󿬂ict 264
    Use of Personalised Language 264
    Con󿬂ict Over Intangible Issues 264
    angible Issues and Con󿬂icts 265
    rust Building 265
    Summary 265
    Case: MHAI 265
    Review Your Learning 266
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 266
    Applyy Your
    Appl Your Learning
    Learning 266
    Self-check Your Learning 267

    17. Communication for Effective Negotiations 269

    What is Negotiation? 269


    Te Nature o Negotiation 270
    Te Need or Negotiation 271
    Situations Requiring Negotiation 271
    Situations Not Requiring Negotiation 271
    Factors Affecting Negotiation 272
    Location 272
    iming 272
    Subjective Factors 272
    Persuasive Skills and the Use of You-attitude 273
    Stages in the Negotiation Process 273
    Te Preparation Phase 274
    Te Negotiation Phase 274
    Te Implementation Phase 275
    Negotiation Strategies 275
    Initial Strategies 275
    During the Discussion 275
    Reaching an Agreement 276
    Summarizing 277
    Deadlocks 277
    Summary 277
    Case: Farsighted Negotiation 278
    Review Your Learning 279
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 279
    Applyy Your
    Appl Your Learning
    Learning 279
    Self-check Your Learning 280
    Endnotes 280

    18. CVs, Personal Interviews, and Group Discussions 281


    Applying or Jobs 281
    Writing a CV 281
    Te Relationship
    Relationship Between a Résumé and
    and an Application
    Application Letter 282
    CONTENTS xv

    Te Résumé o a Recent Graduate 282


    Heading 283
    Objective 284
    Education 284
    Work Experience
    Experie nce 284
    A
    Awards
    wards and
    and Honours
    Honours 285
    Activities 285
    Activities
    References 285
    Summary 285
    Guidelines or Preparing a Good CV 285
    Suitable Organization 286
    Appropriat
    Appr opriatee Length 286
    Drafing an Application Letter 287
    Te First Paragraph 287
    Te Second Paragraph 287
    Te Tird Paragraph 287
    General ips 287
    Interviews 289
    ypes of Interviews 289
    What Does a Job Interview Assess? 289
    Focus of Job Interviews 290
    Strategies for Success at Interviews 291
    Answers toto Some Common
    Common Interview
    Interview Questions 292
    Participating in a Group Discussion
    Discussi on 293
    Leadership 294
    GD Protocol 294
    Discussion
    Discussi on echniques 294
    Listening 295
    Summary 296
    Case: An Employment Interview 297
    Review Your Learning 297
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 297
    Applyy Your
    Appl Your Learning
    Learning 298
    Self-check Your Learning 298

    19. Summer Project Report 299


    Introduction 299
    Te Difference Between Summer Project Reports and
    Business/echnical Reports 299
    General Guidelines
    Guideline s or Writing Summer Project Reports 300
    Objective 300
    Selection of a Problem 301
    Te Role of Summer Project Mentors 301
    Writing the Project Proposal 301
    Components o the Summer Project Report 302
    Cover and itle Page 302
    Approval
    Appr oval of Organizat
    Organization
    ion and Faculty
    Faculty Guides
    Guides 302
    Abstract
    Abs tract 304
    Acknowledgements
    Acknowledgem ents 304
    able of Contents 304
    List of ables, Figures, Appendices, and Abbreviations 304
    Chapter I: Introduction 304
    xvi CONTENTS

    Chapter II: Research Design 306


    Chapter III: Results and Conclusions 306
    Chapter IV: Recommendations 306
    References 306
    Appendices
    Append ices 306
    Project Presentation 306
    Summary 307
    Case: Executive Summary of a Consumer Behaviour Study 307
    Review Your Learning 307
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 308
    Applyy Your
    Appl Your Learning
    Learning 308
    Self-check Your Learning 308

    20. Written Analysis of Cases 309


    What is a Case? 309
    Characterstics o a Case and
    and Its Analysis 310
    Te Process o Case Analysis 310
    Step 1: Study the Case 310
    Step 2: Identify the Problem 310
    Step 3: De󿬁ne the Problem 310
    Step 4: Identify the Causes of the Problem 310
    Step 5: Develop Alternative Solutions 311
    Step 6: Evaluate the Alternatives 311
    Step 7: Develop a Plan of Actio
    Actionn 311
    Requirements
    Requiremen ts or a Case Analysis 311
    Analysis
    Analys is of Communica
    Communication
    tion Breakdo
    Breakdown
    wn at City H
    Hospita
    ospitall 312
    Te Structure o a Written Case Analysis 314
    Summary 315
    Case: Accepting a Contract 315
    Review Your Learning 315
    Re󿬂ect on Your Learning 316
    Applyy Your
    Appl Your Learning
    Learning 316
    Self-check Your Learning 316

    Appendix
    Appendix 1: Grammar
    Grammar,, Usage,
    Usage, and Style 317
    Appendix 2: Te Process
    Appendix Process of Research
    Research 357
    Appendix
    Appendix 3: A Sample Report 367
    Index 397
    Preface

    Tere are two types o text book—one that ollows a given syllabus; the other that de󿬁nes
    syllabus. Tis edition is an attempt to do the latter.
    Afer having tested the 󿬁rst edition or over 󿬁ve years, and the second or over two,
    we were convinced that the book had established very well the pedagogy—teaching
    o Business Communication by case method, but the question, “What exactly to teach in
    Business Communication to make students corporate-ready?” still remained incom-
    pletely answered. Tus, this edition has taken a very different approach to the content o
    a Business Communication course.

    PREAMBLE
    What is communication? Communication
    Communication is what it does—bringing people together.
    How does it do that? By establishing a commonness among people. Te message (the
    verbally/non-verbally
    verbally/non-verbally developed idea), the medium
    medium (the carrier
    carrier o the message),
    message), and the
    environment (the surroundings in which communication takes place) bring about this
    commonness, a situational relationship or a (common) purpose. Tis is how we would
    like to explain communis
    communis,, the Latin origin o the word communication.
    I communication
    communication is a social need or an individual, it is the lieblood o an organiza-
    tion. I we, as individuals, communicate 70 per cent o our waking time, an organization
    communicates 90 per cent o its working time. I individuals communicate or their per-
    sonal purpose, communication in an organization is or business purposes. Tus, com-
    munication plays a crucial role in an organization, bringing all aspects o the business
    together—employees, customers, suppliers, intermediaries, the public, and so on.
    Working people communicate at three levels—personal, social, and proessional. We
    could also call these the three spheres o communication. We have a natural ability to
    adapt to the communication requirements o each o these spheres. However, with time,
    some o us become more and more 󿬁xed in our style o communication and tend to use
    the same style across the three spheres. What does our tendency to be 󿬂exible or rigid
    across the three spheres o communication depend on? Does it depend on how con-
    scious we are at a particular level, and or how long? For example, i someone commu-
    nicates more consciously or most o the time at the workplace, would they not become
    more ormal in their style or the rest o the day and spheres as well?
    Flexibility in our communication helps us adapt to the situational requirements aster,
    which results
    re sults in efficient communication,
    communi cation, and efficient communication
    commun ication translates
    tr anslates into
    less time and effort in getting ready to communicate appropriately at a particular level.
    So, consciousness gives control, which, in turn, helps develop 󿬂exibility and makes our
    communication effective
    e ffective and
    a nd effi cient.
    Our contention is that 90 per cent o us are not conscious o our communication
    90 per cent o the time. And those o us who are conscious about our communica-
    tion, are more conscious o what we communicate than how we communicate. Business
    Communication prepares students or effective communication at the workplace by
    ocusing on how to communicate in business situations—how to recognize the tech-
    niques that help in communicating a message accurately, how to handle intercultural
    situations that require thoughtul communication, how to use appropriate words and an
    effective tone or writing effectively, and so on. Te book helps students master the art o
    communication be learning to be more conscious o their communication and develop-
    ing a 󿬂exible and effective communication style.
    xviii PREFACE

    NEW TO THE THIRD EDITION


    1. Tis edition incorporates our new chapters—Chapter 2, “Reading Skills”, Chapter 3,
    “Speaking Skills”, Chapter 12, “Social Media”, and Chapter 16, “Communication or
    Con󿬂ict Management”. Tese chapters have been included to keep pace with the
    evolving nature o business communication. oday’s proessionals need to work with

    clients and need


    skills, they colleagues rom
    to hone different
    their readingspheres. In communication
    skills and addition to developing
    skills tospeaking
    manage
    con󿬂ict situations effectively. Te our new chapters discuss these issues in detail.
    2. Te ocus on techno
    technology
    logy and upcoming areas
    areas is a crucial eature o this edition.
    edition.
    Sections on topics such as the use o e-mails, video conerencing, cellular phones,
    phone conerencing, PowerPoint presentations, and social media (Facebook, witter,
    Flickr, etc.) have been updated and enriched to empower employees in contemporary
    contemporary
    organizations.
    3. Te third edi
    edition
    tion also carries many new
    new cases included in the last edition,
    edition, such as the
    ones on report writing, non-verbal communication, and negotiation skills.
    4. Continuin
    Continuingg rom the second
    second edition, the third
    third edition also ol
    ollows
    lows a new learning
    design. Te text’s more interactive presentation includes many new pedagogical
    eatures:

    2 Reading Skills

    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    Ravi, a first year MBA student, is along the line. Thus, he keeps on
    Te art of reading is to skip learning silent reading in his com- reading the text. Though he is silent,
    “
    judiciously.

    ”
    — P.
    P. G. Hamerton
    munication class. He is attempting
    to read what is in the text. He looks
    at every individual
    indi vidual word intently.
    His head constantly moves from
    side to side. His eyes slowly move
    his lips keep moving. It seems Ravi
    is reading each word internally. He
    has taken ten minutes to read 350
    words. But, other students took five
    to six minutes to complete their
    1
    forward and sometimes backward reading. Each chapter opens with a
    vignette called Communication
    WHAT IS READING?
    at Work, which provides an
    Reading is one o the our basics o communication—reading, writing,
    speaking, and listening. Unlike speaking, reading has to be learnt as an ability overview o the key issues and
    to look at words written and understand what they mean.
    Reading, according to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English is questions the chapter addresses.
    “the activity or skill o understanding written words.”
    As an activity, reading involves the physical act o looki ng at words written
    Upon completion of this chapter, you or printed in a book, magazine, letter, or other written administrative com-
    should be able to: munication and the mental act o understanding them simultaneously. Our
    eyes look at words and our mind interprets them at the same time.
    1 Learn what is reading and how
    we do it. ELEMENTS OF READING: SEEING AND INSTANTANEOUS
    2 Know your reading speed and UNDERSTANDING
    style.
    Reading consists o two activities:
    3 Understand the styles of slow
    study reading, normal reading 1. Seeing words printed or written on a page.
    and rapid reading. 2. Understanding them at the same time as we see them.
    4 Learn the skills of skimming
    and surveying.
    5 Learn how to develop effective HOW DO WE READ?
    reading. Some people think we read one word at a time and then move on to the
    6 Improve your reading compre- next. Some think that our eyes rhythmically move rom lef to right along
    hension. the whole line and then move down to the next line beginning and repeat-
    7 Learn the art of silent reading. ing the same action o seeing and understanding the meaning o whatever
    is read. But our eyes, inact do not act in this way. How ast or how slow we
    cover with comprehension our reading material shows our skill and ability
    as a reader.
    PREFACE xix

    30 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILLS

    Choosing the Form of Communication


    5 he choice between using oral and written communication is guided by considering the

    2 Know when to choose suitability o oral or written orm or the purpose and nature o the subject o commu-
    oral communication nication. Both written and oral orms have advantages and limitations, which are listed
    instead o written in Exhibit 3.1.
    communication. Principles of Successful Oral Communication
    here are three communication situations in which oral communication takes place:

    1. Face-to-ace
    Communication Snapshots 2. Intercultural
    and exhibits inside the chapters 3. Via eleectronic
    ctronic media
    Oral communication is indispensable in any group or business activity. Here are some o
    provide a wide variety o sam- the characteristics and principles o eective oral communication
    communication::

    ple letters, e-mails and other • Purpose: Te purpose o talking effectively is to be heard and understood by the listener.
    • Lively rhythm: Oral communication should, 󿬁rst o all, have a lively rhythm and tone.
    documents; illustrations; and • Simple words: It is important to use language that is ree rom long-winded sen-
    tences, clichés, and old-ashioned words and phrases. It is best to employ com-
    examples to prepare students or monly used words and short and simple sentences.

    communication at the workplace. Exhibit 3.1 O ra l C o


    om
    m mu
    mu ni
    ni ca ttii o
    on
    n W ri
    ri tt
    tt en
    en C o
    om
    m mu
    mu ni
    ni ca ttii o
    on
    n
    ComparativeAdvantages
    and Limitations of Advantages
    Oral and Written M or
    or e p er
    er so
    so na
    na l a nd
    nd in fo
    fo rm
    rm a
    all Beett te
    te r f or
    or cco
    o mp
    mp lle
    e xa n
    nd
    d d
    dii ffic u
    ull t s ub
    ub je
    je cctt s,
    s,
    Communication facts, and opinions
    Ma
    akk e
    ess im
    imm e
    ed
    d ia te
    te iim
    mppa
    a cctt Ca n b er e
    ea
    a d a t t he
    he rre
    e cce
    e ive rr’’s cco
    on ve ni
    ni en
    en cce
    eoorr
    pleasure
    Provides opportunity for interaction and Can be circulated
    feedback
    Helps the speaker correct himself or herself Provides opportunity to refer back to a more
    (and his or her message) according to the permanent record
    feedback and non-verbal cues received from
    the receiver
    Better for
    for conveyin
    conveying
    g feelin
    ngs
    gs an
    and
    d emotions
    o ns Better for
    for keepin
    ngg rec
    records
    ords ofmessages
    messages
    exchanged
    Can be revised before transmitting

    Limitations
    Demands ability to think coherently while Immediate feedback is not available for cor-
    speaking rection on the spot
    A word once u
    uttered
    ttered cannot be taken
    taken ba
    back
    ck Many people do do not like
    i ke reading,
    reading, e
    especia
    specially
    lly
    offi cial or business messages
    Hard to control voice pitch and tone, More impersonal and remote
    especially when stressed, excited, or angry
    Very diffi cult to be conscious of body The reader is not helped by non-verbal cues
    language that contribute to the total message
    Do not know if the message has been read
    Is more time consuming2

    SPEAKING SKILLS 29

    WHAT IS ORAL COMMUNICATION?


    Oral communication, also known as verbal c ommunication, is the interchange o verbal
    4
    messages between a sender and receiver. It is more immediate than written communica- Understand the nature
    tion. It is also more natural and inormal. and importance o oral
    In human development, speech precedes writing. Children irst learn to speak, and communication in
    then, much later, develop the ability to read and write. he ability to speak/articulate business transaction
    transactionss
    single words and later speak groups o words in meaningul sequence comes to chil- and personal
    dren in the course o their growth. his ability develops rom listening to verbal sounds interactions.
    (words). As compared to written communication, thereore, the ability to c ommunicate
    through the spoken word (speech) is a naturally developing ability (barring medical
    abnormalities).
    In business, oral communication is used more t han written communication. A study A manager should be
    o executive working hours showed that 70 per cent o an executive’s time is spent on able to converse or
    communicating. Forty-ive per cent o this time is spent listening, 30 per cent is spent discuss persuasively,
    on speaking, 16 per cent on reading, and 9 per cent on writing. As 75 per cent execu- effectively,and

    3
    tive communication is oral, it is advisable that executives develop their listening and convincingly.
    speaking (oral communication) skills.1

    Importance of Oral Communication Skills


    A manager’s maximum time is devoted to oral communication. He or she is oten
    engaged in one o the ollowing tasks: meetings, discussions, negotiations, seminars,
    presentations, interviews, peer conversations, providing instructions, and telephone
    Te margin notes highlight
    conversations. All these business activities, except telephone conversations, involve
    face-to-face verbal communication. A telephone conversation is one-to-one oral
    important de󿬁nitions and acts,
    communication that requires skillul control o tone, voice, and pitch, and precise use
    o words.
    in addition to drawing atten-
    In business transactions that involve ace-to-ace interaction between individuals or
    groups o individuals, it is not enough to be able to talk, discuss, converse, argue, or
    tion to the learning objectives
    negotiate an issue. A manager should be able to do all these persuasively, eectively,
    and convincingly. But to b e convincing, he or she must know and apply the skills o oral
    addressed in key sections.
    communication.
    Managers ace diiculties in resolving the problems o workers and inluencing oth-
    ers through dialogue and personal discussions. hey need oral communication skills
    that include being able to:
    • Solve problems
    • Resolve con󿬂icts
    • In󿬂uence people
    people to wor
    work
    k together
    • Persuade others to be involved
    involved in organizationa
    organizationall goals
    • Be assertive without being aggressive
    • Listen thoughtully
    • Negotiate effectively
    • Make proposals
    hese skills include developing the necessary tact to work eectively or mutual satis-
    action in complex situations. Broadly speaking, one has to know when to talk; when not
    to talk but to listen; how to t alk (the tone, pitch, and modulation); how to interpret
    interpret the
    listener’s acial expressions, physical gestures, movements, and attitude; and how to be
    It is said that it does not
    aware o one’s own body talk (leakage), which consciously or unconsciously sends signals
    matter what you say, but
    to the listener. It is said that it does not matter what you say, but rather
    rather,, how you say it.
    rather, how you say it.
    his includes one’s choice o words, level o conidence, and sincerity.
    xx PREFACE

    Watch the Eye Movement


    Get your riend to hold the book and keep below his eye level. So that you can watch the
    movement o his eyes as he reads the p age. His eyes do not make a continuous orward

    4 swell.
    Record the movement o your riend’s eyes.

    Each chapter ends with a SUMMARY

    summary o the key issues • Reading involves two activities,


    activities, one o seeing wo
    words
    rds • You need
    need to train your eyes to improve
    improve your reading
    beore our eyes and the other understanding their speed rom slow to ast.
    meanings.
    discussed in the chapter. • Reading styles depend onon your purpose and nature o
    • o improve
    improve your reading comprehens
    comprehension,
    ion, you should
    learn to know the meaning o every word and the main
    the reading material. Normal, skimming, and scanning idea o every paragraph and the subject and topic o the
    styles o reading. whole text.

    • Reading involves two activities,


    activities, one o seeing wo
    words
    rds • You need
    need to train your eyes to improve
    improve your reading
    beore our eyes and the other understanding their speed rom slow to ast.
    meanings. • o improve
    improve your reading comprehens
    comprehension,
    ion, you should
    • Reading styles depend onon your purpose and nature o learn to know the meaning o every word and the main
    the reading material. Normal, skimming, and scanning idea o every paragraph and the subject and topic o the
    styles o reading. whole text.

    5
    CASE: CHORUS READING

    It was a large group o thirty oreign learners o English in when she beheld her new-born baby/that he was destined to
    an Indian college learning to read with proper stress, into- explain many matters/which had been a mystery/ever since
    nation and rhythm. Tey had been given 󿬁rst ten minutes the creation o the world.
    to read the passage silently by themselves, understand every
    Case studies at the end o rele- word, i needed with the help o the lecturer. Ten the lec-
    Not the whole class read aloud at the same time. Only
    three students together read and rest o the class listened
    vant chapters present comm
    commu-u- turer broke up the sentences into the groups o words which
    go together, and read them aloud to the class by groups o
    to them. Other groups o three students ollowed the
    activity and in this manner the whole class read the pas-
    nication challenges and require words, and then asked the students to repeat the passage sage aloud. Te teacher stood near each reading group to
    group by group the way he had read. Te suggested groups 󿬁nd out individual mistakes in pronunciation and stress
    students to apply their learning. were separated by bars as given below: Te sentences were and corrected them then and there. Te students learnt
    written on the board as shown here: On Christmas Day, in through imitation and observation the aspects o stress,
    the year 1642, Isaac Newton was born/at the small village intonation and rhythm in English language through a sys-
    o Wools Torpe, in England./Little did his mother think/ tematic method.

    14 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILLS

    1. What is reading?
    ng? Discuss.
    2. Explain the purpose o different re
    reading
    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    ading speeds. Why


    do we need to know them as adult readers?
    6. Discuss the method o surveying
    surveying a chapter in a book.
    7. How do senior executives
    executives read a long report?
    8. Discuss some steps to improve someone’s reading speed.
    6
    3. Discuss the way w
    wee read light 󿬁ction.
    4. Explain and illustrat
    illustratee the skimming style o reading.
    9. Discuss the ways o improvin
    ngg one’s rreading
    eading speed. Review Your Learning ques-
    5. Why do we do survey reading o a text
    text or volume? tions are meant to help students
    Discuss.
    revisit the key concepts discussed
    in a chapter, Re󿬂ect on Your
    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING Learning questions require
    1. In what sense is reading both a ph
    activity.
    physical
    ysical and mental 4. Tink o the wayso training a younglearner to impr
    his/her reading comprehension.
    improve
    ove them to critically analyse and
    2. Have you thought o knowing how you read a text? 5. Comment on the useulness o surveying
    surveying as a reading discuss various issues in com-
    How would you do it? skill.
    3. What are the three reading sp
    speeds
    eeds in general? munication, and Apply Your
    Learning questions test the
    students’ ability to apply their
    APPLY YOUR LEARNING

    1. It is said that beore we sstart


    tart reading a book or arti- 3. “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed,
    learning to real-lie situations.
    cle, it is useul to ask ourselves why we want to read it,
    and what do I hope to learn rom it. Comment on the
    and some ew to be chewed and digested”, says Bacon.
    Discuss the light it throws on the art o reading
    In addition, each chapter ends
    statement with some speci󿬁c examples o reading some
    books.
    books.
    with a section called Self-check
    4. Why study readin
    ngg speed is the slowest spe
    speed?
    ed?
    2. While reading a text, we are advised to develop the
    habit o not reading back. Why? 5. How do you
    you do skimming reading?
    Your Learning, which is a series
    o multiple-choice questions that
    can be used as a quick test o the
    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING students’ overall retention and
    Follow the steps given below to self-check your reading skills: understanding. Te answers to
    1. Set a time limit or reading a text according to the 4. Note the time taken
    taken to read and complete the text
    text.. ry
    number o words it has. You can 󿬁x different time lim- to do it in less time next, until you achieve a speed o multiple-choice
    multiple-cho ice questions are
    its or the same passage or practising different reading 200–225 words per minute at least.
    speeds. For example, you can begin with 60–80 words
    per minute, then increase it to 120–150 and 󿬁nally to
    5. Always answer the ollowing or any other set o ques-
    tions to test your reading comprehension.
    provided at the end o the book.
    200–250 words per minute or more.
    (a) What is its main ide
    idea?
    a?
    2. Do not allow your head to move.
    (b) What is its purpose?
    3. Check that your eye
    eyess jump back and orth rom word
    word
    (c) Have you got the relationship between different
    group to word group, not rom single word to a single
    ideas read by you?
    word.
    PREFACE xxi

    5. In a nutshell, the third edition builds on the strengths o the 󿬁rst and the second edi-
    tions, and provides a more comprehensive coverage with rich illustrations, practical
    guidelines, and a more user-riendly design.

    ORGANIZATION
    Te third edition o Business Communication is a result o our experience in teaching,
    training, and consulting with the help o the 󿬁rst two editions over the last eight years.
    Tis includes areas such as language skills, report writing, technical writing, communica-
    tion skills, presentation skills, negotiation skills, personality development, and marketing
    communication. Most o the skills, concepts, and applications presented in this edition
    are thoroughly examined and tested with groups o students, executives, and academics.
    Te book is divided into three parts/courses. Part/Course I, Communication Skills,
    introduces the Case Study: Pro󿬁le o an Effective Communicator (Chapter 1), and goes
    on to deal with Reading Skills (Chapter 2), Speaking Skills (Chapter 3), Conversation
    Skills (Chapter 4), Listening Skills (Chapter 5), Writing Skills (Chapter 6), and Non-
    verbal Skills
    Skills (Chapter
    (Chapter 7).
    Part/Course II, Business Communication, discusses the main aspects o commu-
    nication in a business context, like Nature and Process o Communication (Chapter 8),
    Organizational Communication (Chapter 9), Cross-cultural Communication (Chapter 10),
    Business Letters, Memos and E-mails (Chapter 11), Social Media (Chapter 12), Business
    Reports (Chapter 13), Effective Presentations (Chapter 14), and Business Etiquette
    (Chapter 15).
    Part/Course III, Structured Applications, brings together most o the relevant areas
    o application in business communication—Communication or Con󿬂ict Management
    (Chapter 16), Communication or Effective Negotiations (Chapter 17), CVs, Personal
    Interviews, and Group Discussions (Chapter 18), Summer Project Report (Chapter 19),
    and Written Analysis o Cases (Chapter 20). Tese chapters cover topics that are becom-
    ing an essential component o business curricula in leading business schools the world
    over and are also important or job aspirants, like Chapter 18.
    Te appendix on grammar, English usage, and style addresses some important aspects
    o business communication, such as the rules o grammar, common errors in English,
    and documentation styles. By practicing the exercises in this appendix and spending time
    on the rules and styles, students can produce impeccable written reports and documents.

    THE TEACHING AND LEARNING


    LEA RNING PACKAGE
    A ull range or resources that support teaching and learning are available on the com-
    panion Web site o this book, www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi. Tese include:
    • PowerPoint
    PowerPoint lecture slides that provide an overview o the key concepts, 󿬁gures, and
    guidelines in each chapter.
    • An instructors’ manual that provides a chapter summary, teaching notes, and hints
    to the end-o-chapter questions in each chapter.
    • Bonus material, including a sample report and a chapter on research methods,
    which can be downloaded by students or additional reading.

    ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
    We express our sincere gratitude to our students, colleagues, and the executive partici-
    pants o numerous management development programmes, who have helped us clariy
    our concepts o business communication. We are also thankul to the distinguished
    xxii PREFACE

    scholars and authors whose works we have used over the years in our teaching, research,
    and training. Teir works have become an unconscious part o the ideas and thoughts
    discussed in this book. We appreciate the assistance o those, without whose help, this
    book could never have been possible—Manisha Chaturvedi and the editorial/produc-
    tion team at Pearson—Raza, Rahul, Vipin and Abhinav.
    We thank our prospective readers in advance, or they would be a source o improve-
    ment and urther development o this book.
    Finally, we would ail in our duty i we did not acknowledge the most loving care and
    support enjoyed by us, all through the work on this book, rom our dear amily—Roli,
    Akbar, Ritushree, and Milky.
    P. D. Chaturvedi
    Mukesh Chaturvedi
    About the Authors

    Dr P. D. Chaturvedi, ormer Proessor o English and Head o the Department o


    Languages at Birla Institute o echnology and Science (BIS), Pilani is an advisor at
    DAV Institute o Management, Faridabad. He was the head o the English department
    at NAS College, Meerut,
    Meerut, rom 1952 to 1965. Between January 1981 and August 1982, he
    was on Government o India’s Foreign Assignment Service Deputation at the University
    o Al-Mustansiriyah, Baghdad.
    A specialist in modern literary criticism, Dr Chaturvedi has been researching the
    nature and process o communication as an expression o personality or a long time. His
    books—University
    books— University Essays (1949), Principles of Applied Grammar (1954), and Language
    Trough Reading (1989)—and his numerous other contributions to national and inter- P. D. CHATURVEDI
    national journals are known or their lucidity o thought and expression.
    Dr Chaturvedi’s name appears as Piyush Dhar Chaturvedi (1928), an academic, in
    Marquis
    Mar quis Wh
    Whoo’s Who in the
    the World
    World (5th edition, 1980, and 6th edition, 1981).

    Dr Mukesh Chaturvedi, Proessor, Birla Institute o Management echnology


    (BIMECH), Greater Noida, has been with MDI Gurgaon; XLRI Jamshedpur; and BIS,
    Pilani. He has been Founder Director o the Amity Centre or CRM, Amity Business
    School, Noida; Director, Asia-Paci󿬁c Institute o Management, Delhi; and Acting
    Director, IM Ghaziabad. Dr Chaturvedi has also been a visiting aculty at Rouen
    Business School, France, IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Ranchi.
    Dr Chaturvedi received his MMS degree and Ph.D. rom BIS, Pilani. He is also an
    alumnus o the prestigious International Visitor Program o USIA, Washington, D.C.
    Dr Chaturvedi received MDI’s coveted A Award
    ward for
    for Excellenc
    Excellencee in eachin
    eachingg in 2005.
    Dr Chaturvedi’s areas o interest include business communication, case writing and MUKESH CHAT
    CHATURVEDI
    URVEDI
    teaching, integrated marketing communications, customer relationship, direct market-
    ing, corporate reputation, sales management, presentation skills, and negotiation skills.
    He has rendered training and consulting services to a large number o multinational,
    private-, and public-sector companies.
    His publications include Fundamentals of Business Communication,
    Communication, Managi
    Managing
    ng
    Innovation and New Product Development, Business Communication oday, Managi Managing
    ng
    Global Business: A Strategic Perspective,
    Perspective, Buying Research,
    Research, New Product Development, and
    Welcome Back!? Coca-Cola.
    Coca-Cola. He has contributed more than 100 papers, articles, and cases
    to leading books, journals, periodicals and newspapers, and has presented papers at
    several international/national seminars and conerences.
    This page is intentionally left blank.
    Part I COMMUNICATION
    SKILLS

    1
    Case Study: Profile of an
    Effective Communicator
    It’s not what you say; it’s how you say it—because get a couple
    couple o pairs o the same shoes, and
    personalityy always wins the
    personalit the day.
    day. moves on to attend to other customers.
    –Arthur Miller When he returns afer about six minutes, he
    󿬁nds Mr Oberoi trying on a different
    different pair.)
    pair.)
    [Sunday, 11:40 a.m. Te showroom o Devox Sports See, I said that they were all made the same
    Shoes & Sportswear in a posh market o a metro. Mr and way. It is the design, not a manuacturing
    Mrs Oberoi walk towards the showroom
    showroom rom the park- deect.
    ing lot holding a box o Devox shoes. Mr Oberoi is an HR
    Mr Oberoi: Ten I have a eeling that this showroom is
    executive with a multinational company. He is dressed
    selling deective pieces. Tey are not rom
    in a red t-shirt, a pair o long khaki shorts, and sandals.
    resh stock.
    Mrs Oberoi is wearing a plain, light blue salwar kameez.
    She is holding a shopping bag and a small purse. Mr Oberoi Rahul: Sir, as I have inormed you, we do not
    enters the shop 󿬁rst as Mrs Oberoi
    O beroi decides to linger outside keep any seconds in this showroom as a
    to look at the display windows. On entering the shop, he is policy. In act, we don’t have much seconds
    greeted by Rahul,
    Rahul, a young
    young sales executive trainee who is on
    on stock because our production line is most
    a visit to the showroom rom the company’s headquarters.] modern.
    Rahul: Good morning, sir! May I help you? Mr Oberoi: (Picking up his pair o shoes)
    shoes) Anyway,
    Mr Oberoi:
    Oberoi: Oh, yes. Well, I bought this pair o shoes rom I want to return them. I don’t want to wear
    this shop last Sunday. I have just worn them a deective pair
    pair..
    twice. I have a eeling that they are rom a Rahul: I am sorry, sir. We can’t take these back.
    (ries to hand over the box, but
    seconds lot. (ries Our policy is not to take back goods that
    Rahul has his hands behind his back.)
    back.) have been sold.
    Rahul: Sir, we don’t stock seconds in this show- Mr Oberoi: What! (Raising
    (Raising his voice)
    voice) First you do not
    room. accept that this is a deective pair. And then
    Mr Oberoi: (Opening the box o shoes)
    shoes) It did strike me you tell me that I can’t return it. What kind
    while I was buying the shoes but I was o shop is this?
    more keen on the colour; maybe that’s why Rahul: (Looking grim but speaking steadily) Sir,
    I overlooked it. (He
    (He points to the toes o the they are not deective. Secondly, you have
    shoes.)) Tere is a difference between the
    shoes. already used them. How can I take them
    two shoes here. Te stripes are not aligned back?
    the same way. It seems to be a manuactur-
    ing deect. [At this moment, Mr Sharma, the manager
    o the showroom, comes out rom his office,
    Rahul: (Looking at the shoes but with his hands still notices them, and walks up to Mr Oberoi.]
    behind his back)
    back) Sir, this is the way they are
    designed. It is not a manuacturing deect. Mr Sharma: May I help you, sir?
    Mr Oberoi: (Getting closer to Rahul and trying to hand Rahul: Tis is Mr… (trying
    (trying to introduce Mr Oberoi)
    Oberoi)
    over the shoes so he could take a look)
    look ) Tis Mr Oberoi: (Interrupting Rahul) I’m Sunil Oberoi.
    can’t be the design. It is an alignment deect I bought this pair o shoes (showing
    (showing him
    and it looks like a seconds pair. the shoes)
    shoes) last week rom your showroom.
    Rahul: (Still not taking the shoes)
    shoes ) Sir, I can show I 󿬁nd that there is something wrong with
    you other pairs. Tey are all made the same the design (points to the toes).
    toes). In act, a
    (He asks one o the shop assistants to
    way. (He couple o my riends pointed it out.
    2 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILLS

    Mr Sharma: Did you notice this when you made the Rahul: Ten you can 󿬁nd out over the phone.
    purchase? (Rahul gets him a card with the showroom’s
    phone number
    number..)
    Mr Oberoi: I noticed it but didn’t bother about it then.
    Mr Sharma: May I know why? Mr Ober oi: (Instead o taking the card, he takes out
    his own business card rom his wallet and
    Mr Oberoi: Perhaps because I was concentrating on the
    colour. gives it to
    inorm me?Rahul.)
    Rahul.) Why don’t you call and
    Mr Sharma: Well, Mr Oberoi, this
    t his is no design or manu-
    m anu- Rahul: (aking the card) Sure, we will do that. But
    acturing deect. On the contrary, this is the in case we are not able to get through to
    way these shoes are made to look. You can you, you could also try calling us.
    see that all o them (pointi
    pointing
    ng at the pairs
    lying on the 󿬂oor) have the same pattern. Mr Oberoi: (Reluctantly) Okay (takes
    (takes the card and turns
    to exit).
    Mr Oberoi: But they look old. And I don’t want to wear
    something that looks like seconds. Rahul: (Picking up the pair rom the 󿬂oor) You may
    keep the shoes with you in the meanwhile.
    Mr Sharma: Mr Oberoi, the company doesn’t have a
    policy o… Mr Oberoi: (Moving back towards
    towards him)
    him) What will I do
    Mr Oberoi: (Interrupting him)
    him) Ten I am leaving them with them?
    here (drops
    (drops the pair on the 󿬂oor). Please do Rahul: Sir, until I have heard rom our head
    whatever you want to do with them. office, I can’t keep
    kee p them
    the m here.
    he re. Secon
    S econdly,
    dly,
    Mr Sharma: (Looking down at the shoes or a while)
    while) Do in the absence o a receipt, they might get
    you have a receipt? misplaced.
    Mr Oberoi: (Searches or a while in his wallet and checks Mr Oberoi: (Looking hard at Rahul and thinking or a
    the box o shoes)
    shoes) Let me check with my while)) Okay.
    while
    wie. (He
    (He turns to look or her; she is coming But do let me know soon.
    towards them.)
    them.) Do you have the receipt or
    these shoes? Rahul: (Packing the shoes back in the box and
    handing it over to him)
    him ) Sure.
    Mrs Oberoi: No, I don’t think you gave it to me. (She
    (She
    checks her purse.)
    purse.) No, I don’t have it. [On the advice o Mr Sharma, the next day
    Rahul speaks to Mr Khare, the general man-
    Mr Oberoi: I don’t know. I may have lef it at home.
    ager o sales at the company headquarters.
    Mr Sharma: Please give us a moment. (He
    (He asks Rahul to Mr Khare
    Khare asks him to ax the details. Rahul
    accompa ny him to his
    accompany hi s office.
    ce.)) sends him the ollowing communication:]
    Mrs Oberoi: What did they say?
    Dear Mr Khare, 12 June 2009
    Mr Oberoi: Tey don’t have a policy o taking back sold
    goods. A customer, Mr Sunil Oberoi, wants to return a pair o
    shoes he bought rom this showroom a week ago. He
    Mrs Oberoi: I told you; they won’t take them back. claims that there is a manuacturing deect in the design.
    Mr Oberoi: Is that so? Tey will have to take them back; In act, he is accusing us o selling seconds rom this
    you wait and see. shop. Mr Sharma and I tried to convince him about our
    policies, but all in vain. Finally, to prevent him rom cre-
    [In the meanwhile, Rahul emerges rom ating a scene, we promised that we would let him know
    Mr Sharma
    Sharma’’s office and appro
    approach
    aches
    es Mr Obe
    Obero
    roi.]
    i.] our decision
    decisi on afer consulti
    consulting
    ng the head
    hea d office. I have also
    al so
    Rahul: Sir, we will have to reer the matter to our been successul in convincing him to take the shoes back
    with him. But he will certainly want an answer rom us
    head office. You can check back with us
    within a couple o days.
    afer two days.
    Mr Oberoi: I can’t come back on a weekday. Please advise us as to what course o action we should
    take.
    Rahul: Next Sunday, then? Regards,
    Rahul
    Mr Oberoi: But I have other things to do on Sunday.
    CASE STUDY: PROFILE OF AN EFFECTI VE COMMUNICATOR 3

    [Te ollowing day (uesday), Rahul leaves town on an a well-dressed, relaxed executive, but he is not able to
    official tour.
    tour. On Wednesday morning, Mr Sharma 󿬁nds keep his cool while pressing his point. He 󿬂ares up. He is
    the ollowing message rom Mr Khare on the ax machine]: impatient. Instead o being a persuasive communicator,
    he tries to orce the issue in a way that is not in good taste.
    “I he is a ` 4,500 customer, don’t ask any questions, take o some extent, Mr Oberoi’s attitude is re󿬂ected in his
    the shoes back, give him a new pair, and salute him. But dress and choice o colours (brick red and khaki), and the
    i he is a ` 1,250 customer, then tell him clearly that it is style o shorts (long) and sandals (casual). He is casual in
    not possible. Please remember that the customer is king,
    his argument, which is not well-planned. He jumps rom
    but kings are also big and small and rich and poor.”
    one argument to another. First he brings up the manuac-
    turing deect, then the seconds issue, and, 󿬁nally, his own
    AN ANALYSIS OF THE CASE desire to not wear something that looks old. Mr Oberoi’s
    Who is the most effective communicator in this situation, argument that he had noticed the “deect” at the time o
    and why? Tis question was taken up and answered by making the purchase, but did not “bother about it much”
    over 1,500 participants in various communication work- is not very convincing.
    shops. Seventy per cent o participants considered Rahul Mr Oberoi’s approach and attitude are marked by his
    to be the most effective communicator. Why? sense o being a customer, a buyer who always enjoys the
    Rahul is convincing, polite, calm, 󿬂exible, and clever. He upper hand in a deal. However, he lacks the most impor-
    uses proper gestures, gives options, and behaves as a pro- tant dimensions o communication—coherence,
    communication—coherence, logic,
    essional salesperson—his communication is audience- and a tone o persuasive reasoning. He is not persuasive
    conscious. He knows what, when, and how much to say.
    An important dimension o business communication is enough; he assumes
    His conversation thatMrs
    with as aOberoi,
    customer he claims
    who is always
    to right.
    have
    the you-att
    you-attitude
    itude o the speaker. Te interest o the listener/ predicted that “they won’t take them back”, shows that
    receiver must be the inorming principle o the message. he believes that things can be orced. First, he questions
    Rahul observes this principle by eventually convincing the validity o the real situation; then he challenges the
    the reluctant Mr Oberoi to keep the shoes till they hear predicted end: “Is that so? Tey will have to take them
    rom the
    t he head
    he ad offi ce. back; you will see”. Tese are words that suggest claims
    Mr Oberoi would not have appreciated Rahul’
    R ahul’ss 󿬁rst reason instead o negotiations.
    or not taking back the shoes—“We can’t take these back. Troughout the conversation, Mr Oberoi exhibits a sense
    Our policy is not to take back goods that have been sold”. o arrogance, which acts to hide his helplessness in the
    But the other reason given by Rahul
    Ra hul concerns Mr Oberoi’s given situation. He says, almost like a helpless child,
    interest and hence motivates him effectively—“In the “Anyway, I want to return them!”
    the m!”.. Similarly, when he ears
    ears
    absence o a receipt, they
    the y might just get misplaced”
    misplaced”.. I they ailure, he raises his voice and exclaims “What!”, ques-
    did get misplaced, it would be Mr Oberoi’s own ault or tioning the absurdity o the whole situation. Mr Oberoi
    not producing the receipt. Rahul is successul in manipu- becomes emotional and betrays his weaknesses. In sheer
    lating the whole situation effectively through his ability disgust, he gives up the argument
    argu ment and his goal o exchang-
    to communicate not just rom his own point o view but ing the shoes, simply dropping them on the 󿬂oor and
    rom his listener’s point o view too. saying, “Please do whatever you want to do with them”.
    Rahul’s audience-directed communication is also seen in his At this point, Mr Oberoi has completely ailed as an effec-
    assurance that he would get back to Mr Oberoi over the tive communicator. Communication is successul only
    phone. He also insists, “in case we are not able to get through when its goal is ul󿬁lled; the purpose o communication
    to you, you could also try calling us”. Te phrase, “not able is to inorm, persuade, or motivate the listener towards a
    to get through to you” conveys that not being able to con- desired action. In each situation/case, there is a positive
    tact Mr Oberoi would be an unintended circumstance. change intended to be brought about in the audience or
    Reluctantly,, Mr Oberoi accepts Rahul’
    Reluctantly R ahul’s suggestion, as it is the receiver o the communication—a change o attitude,
    in his own interest. An important requirement or commu- perception,, or belie. So, in the
    perception
    nication to be convincing is a tone o sincerity. Te message ultimate analysis, all business Te purpose o
    must be perceived by the audience as a true and reliable communication is purposive communicatio
    communication n is to
    statement o the speaker’s intentions. We 󿬁nd this ring o and goal-directed. Tereore, inorm, persuade, or
    reassuring sincerity in Rahul’s 󿬁nal “Sure” to Mr Oberoi. the measure o effectiveness motivate the listener
    towards a desired
    Te other central player in this case is Mr Oberoi. depends on the extent to which
    action.
    Mr Oberoi is con󿬁dent and persisting. He has the air o the 󿬁nal goal is achieved.
    4 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILLS

    Does Mr Oberoi succeed in his purpose? Is he able to spell Te difference is obvious and it lies in the nature o the
    out what exactly he wants? Does he want to return the language used by the two speakers. Hence, one o the very
    shoes and get his money back? Or does he want to get the basic dimensions o effective communication is the knowl-
    shoes replaced by a different pair o the same quality and edge and use o proper language or a speci󿬁c purpose. Just
    price? He is not exactly precise in his communication. He as communication is always purposive, language is also
    allows the issue o “seconds”
    “seconds” to develop into the main con- purposive. Te purpose can be to inorm, persuade, create,
    cern, without getting to his real point. From his talk with or argue. One can use language by also combining some o
    Mrs Oberoi, it is possible to conclude that his purpose was these purposes.
    to see that “they (the shop) take them (the shoes) back”. In Later, we shall examine the role o appropriate language
    other words, he intended to return the shoes, as suggested in communication. Here, we should note that Rahul’s use
    by his exclamation to Rahul, “And then you tell me that o spoken and written English is characterized by a cer-
    I can’t return it (the shoes)”. tain style, which is simple, brie, exact, and proessional
    Mr Oberoi is also not consist- in tone. His purpose is to convince Mr Oberoi that the
    In the ultimate analysis,
    ent in his reasoning. He 󿬁rst company showroom was not dealing in seconds and that
    all business communi-
    cation is purposive and
    points at the possible manu- he would check
    chec k with their head
    h ead office regarding the pos-
    p os-
    goal-directed. Tere- acturing deect, “Te stripes sibility o taking back Mr Oberoi’s used shoes. When
    ore, the measure o e- are not aligned identically”. speaking with Mr Khare, his purpose is to inorm him
    ectiveness depends on Later, he shifs to another line about the incident and seek advice on the matter.
    the extent to which the o reasoning: “Tey look old”. Some 20 per cent o participants in various commu-
    󿬁nal goal is achieved. Mr Oberoi’s arguments are
    not ocused and range rom nication
    Mr Sharma workshops thought that
    is more successul thanasothers.
    a communicator,
    He is clear,
    the shoes having a manuacturing deect to being seconds both about his role and his purpose. He is polite, 󿬁rm,
    stock to being old. He is not convincing in his argument. and a good listener. Listening is also an essential aspect
    o convince, one has to state acts. Facts are objective and o communicating. Not communicating deliberately
    certain. Tey are not based on the eelings or wishes o the is, as in Mr Sharma’s case, also purposive. He is strate-
    speaker or listener. Unortunately, rom the very begin- gic in his intervention, helping out rather than joining
    ning, Mr Oberoi gives subjective reasons. His reasons are in the argument. He is the manager and is conscious o
    always preceded by a qualiying, subjective statement. his role in helping resolve the problem. As a strategy, he
    “I have a eeling…” or “It seems to be…”. Now, “eeling” is does not directly contradict Mr Oberoi’s complaint.He
    not “thinking”, just as “seems” is not “reality”. Tey lack the does not begin by telling Mr Oberoi that he (Mr Oberoi)
    logical orce o an argument based on objective acts that was wrong and that there was no manuacturing deect
    are veri󿬁able and demonstrable. Te use o such modi󿬁ers in the shoes bought by him. Instead, in a sof manner, he
    may help the speaker sound polite, but it certainly weak- asks Mr Oberoi, “Did you notice this when you made the
    ens the logic and actual strength o the statement.
    In contrast to Mr Oberoi’s expressions, we see that Rahul purchase?”. Tis Mr
    afer 󿬁rst giving question
    Oberoiputs orth ato“why?”
    a chance butpoint.
    make his only
    makes categorical statements that are assertive in nature. Tis shows Mr Sharma’s ability to communicate by ask-
    “Sir, we don’t have ‘seconds’ stock
    stoc k in this
    t his showroom”,
    showroom”, “Sir, ing intelligent questions.
    this is the way they are designed. It is not a manuac-
    Generally, the interrogative
    turing deect”. Troughout the exchange, Rahul is cate-
    tone tends to make the One o the very basic
    gorical and brie. We can appreciate the difference in the
    speaker sound rude or offen- dimensions o effective
    orce o these two kinds o statements by looking at the
    sive. Had Mr Sharma directly communication is the
    ollowing conversation
    conversation between Rahul and Mr Oberoi:
    asked, “Why had you not knowledge and use o
    noticed this at the time o proper language or a
    Mr Oberoi: Ten I have a eeling that this showroom buying the shoes?”, his tone speci󿬁c purpose. Just
    is selling deective pieces. Tey are not would appear to be more as communication
    rom resh stock. accusing and conrontational, is always purposive,
    Rahul: Sir, as I have inormed you, we do not language is also
    changing its very nature and
    purposive.
    keep
    policy.any
    In seconds
    act, we in this have
    don’t showroom
    much as
    sec-a tone. Instead, Mr Sharma
    uses an indirect approach and
    onds stock because our production line asks Mr Oberoi, “Did you notice this when you made the
    is most modern. purchase?” Tis does not question Mr Oberoi’s skill as an
    CASE STUDY: PROFILE OF AN EFFECTI VE COMMUNICATOR 5

    observant, careul buyer. Such an implication would have What about the other characters in this case? en per
    hurt Mr Oberoi, who thought there was something wrong cent o participants considered Mr Khare to be the most
    with the design o the shoes, even though he only realized effective communicator. He is brie, has clarity, and is
    this when his riends pointed it out. Mr Sharma questions humourous, decisive, and 󿬁rm. Above all, he is prompt
    Mr Oberoi’s concerns and not his powers o observa- and unimposing in his role as the 󿬁nal adviser in the case.
    tion. He does not embarrass Mr Oberoi as a customer He offers speci󿬁c guidelines to be ollowed by Rahul.
    and allows him to explain his distraction over the choice Mr Khare is also proessional in his advice. He commu-
    o colour. nicates as a senior communicating with a junior and uses
    Here, it looks like Mr Sharma knows the strategies o assertive sentences. His response to Rahul appears to be
    effective communication. He does not contradict the an order rather than simple advice. He uses an idiom to
    customer. Nor does he go about convincing Mr Oberoi justiy his discrimination between rich and poor cus-
    that there was no design or manuacturing deect. On tomers (“the customer is king” is a common saying in
    the contrary, he points out that the shoes had a deliberate retail services). Mr Khare’s shrewdness is communicated
    pattern and shape. As a result, Mr Oberoi gives in and through his application o common sense to this policy.
    shifs to his next argument (that the shoes looked old). Te 󿬁nal character in the case
    It is essential in such a situation to understand the psy- is Mrs Oberoi. She shares Verbal communication
    chology o the customer, who possibly rejects the shoes only a brie verbal commu- is given its ull orce
    because he does not want to wear something that can be nication with her husband, and meaning by the
    passed off as seconds. but we receive many details personality o the
    about her through her non- communicator, who
    Again,
    noted. HeMrdoes
    Sharma’s communication
    not directly strategy
    tell Mr Oberoi is to
    that it was notbea communication. For also communicates
    verbal communication.
    non-verbally.
    seconds pair. Instead, he responds impersonally. He does example, Mrs Oberoi chooses
    not say “we do not keep…” or “our policy…”. Instead, he to stay away rom the scene o
    politely inorms Mr Oberoi about the company’s policy. dialogue. Her silence is deliberate. It communicates her
    Tis impersonal communication is best suited to nega- belie that the store would not take back the shoes (or
    tive situations. that her husband’s claim was not justi󿬁ed). “I told you;
    they won’t take them back”, she tells Mr Oberoi later in
    Another strategy used by Mr Sharma is diverting the
    the negotiations. Her clothes and purse communicate her
    topic o discussion or contention at a crucial juncture.
    purpose in coming out with her husband—she had come
    When Mr Oberoi dumps the shoes on the 󿬂oor and
    with him to do her own shopping. Her decision to stay
    says, “Please do whatever you want to do with them”, he
    out initially appeared to be out o a desire to do some
    is obviously rustrated and eeling helpless in the given
    window-shopping. But in the context o the total situa-
    situation. Here, Mr Sharma moves rom the shoes to the
    tion, her staying away seems to be a deliberate decision
    question o the receipt. Tis is a psychological move. It
    to allow Mr Oberoi to speak or himsel. It is signi󿬁cant
    heartens Mr Oberoi as a possible condition or returning that she joins Mr Oberoi only when he is lef alone, and
    the shoes. But as Mr Oberoi does not have the receipt
    her opening words to her husband, “What are they say-
    with him, Mr Sharma withdraws rom the scene and
    ing?” show her inquisitive mind and cool understand-
    takes Rahul
    R ahul to his office. By doing so,
    s o, he gives Mr Oberoi
    O beroi
    ing o the acts as they are. Perhaps she does not share
    the impression that he is going to urther discuss a pos-
    Mr Oberoi’s belie that “Tey will have to take them
    sible way o helping him.
    back; you will see”.
    By creating a break in the conversation, Mr Sharma ena-
    bles Rahul to return to Mr Oberoi with the 󿬁nal resolu- Mrs Oberoi uses short, assertive sentences. Her words,
    tion. Here, Rahul involves Mr Oberoi a participant whose “I told you” and “they won’t take them back” have a tone
    interest is being considered by the communicator—“Sir, o certainty. She is actual. She thinks and speaks more
    we will have to reer
    re er the matter to our head
    hea d offi ce. You
    You like Rahul than Mr Oberoi.
    may check back afer two days”. Te use o “Sir” directly Rahul’s ability to communicate in writing is seen in his ax
    a x
    involves Mr Oberoi. It acknowledges him as an under- toMr Khare. In this ax, the details o the incident, which
    standing participant who is being persuaded that, i it was entirely oral, are put into written orm. Te message
    were up to Rahul, he would have taken the shoes back, gives an accurate account o the incident. It is brie and
    but because o the
    t he company’s
    company’s policy, he is unable to do
    d o so. to the point. Its language is simple and conversational. Its
    However, he is ready to help him by reerring the matter short sentences allow or the smooth
    smoot h 󿬂ow o ideas. Te use
    to the head
    hea d office. o connectives,
    connec tives, such
    su ch as “in act”
     act”,, “󿬁nally”,
    “󿬁nally”, and “but”
    “but”,, gives
    6 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILLS

    his writing coherence and logic. Tus, Rahul’s written humour, assertiveness, and aggressiveness all combine to
    humour,
    communication is a factual reporting of the incident. In a constitute his or her personality and establish his or her
    single chronologically organized paragraph, Rahul is able relationship with the audience, determining the overall
    to convey the entire situation accurately. message communicated.
    communicated.
    What is important in Rahul’s
    Rahul’s language, both spoken and Further, the effectiveness of communication depends
    written, is his use of assertive sentences and the choice
    of words. Tese characteristics show him to be a rational upon
    whether thethey
    kind of personalities
    are “I” personalities orthat arepersonalities
    “you” involved—
    and cool-headed person. His professional training as a or “it” personalities. Accordingly, the communication
    salesperson informs his communication with Mr Oberoi will be, in the words of Walker Gibson, “tough”, “sweet”,
    and Mr Khare. He remains conscious of his relation- or “stuffy”.1 Gibson believes that when a communicator
    ship with his customer. Tis is why he uses a courteous chooses certain words over others and chooses a certain
    “sir” when addressing Mr Oberoi. He is impressive as organization or pattern of words over others, he or she
    an effective communicator because he is able to project projects a personality “with a particular centre of con-
    his personality through language and comes across as a cern and a particular relation to the person he or she is
    well-organized, clear-headed,
    clear-headed, smart sa
    sales
    les executive. addressing”. Such dramatizations in language are known
    All the characters in this case communicate both ver- as style. Te speaker or writer chooses a style of verbal
    bally and non-verbally. Tere are spoken and written and non-verbal communication
    communication to establish a particular
    forms of communication used to exchange thoughts, centre of interest and relationship with the audience. In
    inform, argue, convince, advise, and instruct. Te ver- other words, the entire act of communication is the index

    bal communication
    by the personality ofisthe
    given its full forcewho
    communicator, andalso
    meaning
    com- of his or the
    towards heraudience,
    mind, thoughts,
    himselfand concerns,
    or herself, andand
    theattitudes
    subject.
    municates non-verbally. Te speaker’s dress, gestures, Tat is, a speaker’s entire personality is at work when he
    body language, tone, clarity of approach, silence, or she seeks to communicate effectively.

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    1. Describe the im
    important
    portant cha
    characteristics
    racteristics of a successful 4. Discuss the importance of tone iin
    n oral communicatio
    communication.
    n.
    communicatorr with examples.
    communicato 5. Brie󿬂y discuss the p
    part
    art you think personality plays in
    2. How do language skills cont
    contribute
    ribute to the effectiveness communication.
    of communication? Discuss.
    3. Based on your study of the case, discuss the stro
    strong
    ng 6. Discuss whatcase
    ters in the youthrough
    have perceived about themode
    their non-verbal charac-
    of
    points of Rahul and Mr Sharma as communicators. communication.

    ENDNOTE

    1. Walker Gibson, Tough, Sweet and Stuffy: An Essay on Modern American Prose Style (Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana
    University Press, 1966).
    2 Reading Skills

    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    Ravi, a first year MBA student, is along the line. Thus, he keeps on
    Te art of reading is to skip learning silent reading in his com- reading the text. Though he is silent,
    “ usly..
    judiciously
    judicio munication class. He is attempting his lips keep moving. It seems Ravi
    to read what is in the text. He looks is reading each word internally. He
    — P. G. Hamer ton at every individual
    individual word intently. has taken ten minutes to read 350
    His head constantly moves from words. But, other students took five
    ” side to side. His eyes slowly move to six minutes to complete their
    forward and sometimes backward reading.

    WHAT IS READING?
    Reading is one o the our basics o communication—reading, writing,
    speaking, and listening. Unlike speaking, reading has to be learnt as an ability
    to look at words written and understand what they mean.
    Reading, according to Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English is
    “the activity or skill o understanding written words.”
    As an activity, reading involves the physical act o looking at words written
    Upon completion of this chapter, you or printed in a book, magazine, letter, or other written administrative com-
    should be able to: munication and the mental act o understanding them simultaneously. Our
    eyes look at words and our mind interprets them at the same time.
    1 Learn what is reading and how
    we do it. ELEMENTS OF READING:
    REA DING: SEEING AND
    A ND INSTANT
    INSTANTANEOUS
    ANEOUS
    2 Know your reading speed and
    style.
    UNDERSTANDING
    Reading consists o two activities:
    3 Understand the styles of slow
    study reading, normal reading 1. Seeing words printed or written on a page.
    and rapid reading. 2. Understanding them at the same time as we see them.
    4 Learn the skills of skimming
    and surveying.
    5 Learn how to develop effective HOW DO WE READ?
    reading. Some people think we read one word at a time and then move on to the
    6 Improve your reading compre- next. Some think that our eyes rhythmically move rom lef to right along
    hension. the whole line and then move down to the next line beginning and repeat-
    7 Learn the art of silent reading. ing the same action o seeing and understanding the meaning o whatever
    is read. But our eyes, inact do not act in this way. How ast or how slow we

    cover
    as with comprehension our reading material shows our skill and ability
    a reader.
    8 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    1 Some people think they read by moving their eyes rom word to word. Others believe
    be lieve
    they smoothly and continuously move their eyes along the line rom lef to right and
    then go to the next line, and keep on doing so. But in act our eyes do not act in this
    Learn what is reading
    and how we do it. manner.

    How Do Our Eyes Move and Pause and Move?


    It is difficult to notice the movement o your own eyes. So video record your reading or
    you can see the movement o your riend’s eyes while they read and notice it. You will
    see their eyes do not keep moving orward without breaks. Tey move orward along
    the line, pause and then again move ahead. It is a rhythmic movement o the eye. Tere
    is a pause between the two startings. Te eye sees only when it is motionless. It cannot
    see while it is in motion. Every time, it pauses, it sees a group o words or even a sen-
    tence, and then leaps orward to another phrase or part o the sentence along the line
    and thus keeps moving orward-pausing-moving orward and so on. Te start-pause-
    start is so
    s o instantaneous and continuous that we are not aware o its happening. We eel
    we see and read continuously,
    continuously, without breaks. o realize how we actually see and read,
    once again read the above para o HOW DO WE READ noticing how you have read the
    sentences. You have read them something like this:
    Some people think/they read by/moving their eyes/from word to word./
    Others believe/they smoothly and continuously move their eyes along the
    line/from left to right/and then go to the next line/and keep doing so./But in
    fact our eyes/do not act in this manner./
    Note the number o times your eyes pause and start. A good reader makes about three
    stops per line, a poor reader six or seven pauses per line.

    2 Know Your Reading Speed


    Have you ever tried to know your reading ability? It is simple to do it. Read your mate-
    Know your reading rial or 󿬁ve minutes. Count the number o words you cover. Divide the total number o
    speed and style. words by 5. You get the number o words that you are able to read per minute. You must
    actor in the amount o understanding with which you have read the thing. Your reading
    speed will be something between 175 and 250 words per minute. You can improve it with
    training in reading skills.

    3 ENHANCEMENT OF READING ABILITY/PURPOSE OF READING


    As a manager, executive or a scholar, i you wish to improve your reading skills, the
    Understand the styles 󿬁rst thing is to know your purpose o reading—to have ull details o the matter or just
    o slow study reading, an overview o the whole thing. Accordingly you will choose your style. Te reading
    normal reading, and style depends
    depe nds also on the nature o the material—seriou
    materi al—seriouss or light, simple or difficult and
    rapid reading. complex.
    Tus, broadly speaking there are three reading styles or speeds.
    1. Slow study reading style
    2. Normal reading style
    3. Rapid reading style

    THE NATURE OF READING MATERIAL/THE


    MATERIAL/THE READING STYLE
    Te nature o reading material determines the way the material is to be read. Francis
    Bacon, the amous Elizabethan essayist, says “Some books are to be tasted, others to
    be swallowed, and some ew to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to
    READING SKILLS 9

    be read only in parts; others to be read but not curiously; and some ew to be read
    wholly and with diligence and attention. Some books may also be read by deputy, and
    extracts made o them by others; but that would be only in the less important argu-
    ments, and the meaner sort o books; else distilled books are like common distilled,
    󿬂ashy things”1.

    STYLES OF READING

    Normal
    Reading Surveying
    Skimming

    Scanning

    Slow Reading Style


    Te slow style is also called the study reading style. It is the reading style that is slow and
    used or the careul reading o important material which is “to be chewed and digested”,
    and thoroughly understood. We use this style or understanding important text books,
    or complex written matter, or intricate arguments, or any serious content demanding
    careul attention.
    As already pointed out, the study reading style/speed depends on the complexity o
    the written text and the subject knowledge o the reader. Te study reading speed is
    slower than normal reading speed o educated adults or reading daily newspapers, and
    other light material such as magazines and 󿬁ction etc. Te study reading differs rom
    skimming which is a quick reading o something to 󿬁nd its main ideas and acts, not
    details, whereas the study reading style leaves out no portions o the text.

    Normal Reading Style


    When you read everything without leaving out any words, it will be normal reading style.
    You read important subjects only in this way. O course you may 󿬁nd it time consuming,
    but you can increase your reading speed by widening the span o your vision. By practice
    you can train your eyes to include more words in one glance.

    Rapid Reading Style—Skimming


    Tis is the quick reading style. Skimming is called surveying
    sur veying when it is used to have gen-
    4
    Learn the skills
    eral inormation or overview o the text book or written content. Tis orm o skimming o skimming and
    is distinct rom its other style known as scanning, used to get speci󿬁c inormati
    inormation
    on in the surveying.
    written content.

    Surveying—Process of Reading a Book, Long Article, or Repor


    Surveying—Process Reportt
    o do survey reading you need to be clear about your purpose o reading the book
    or the written text. Once you know your purpose o reading a text, you naturally
    ind some parts o your reading to be more relevant than other parts. You naturally
    skim or leave out the less relevant portions. But you read the other parts in detail.
    his orm o skimming reading is possible only when you know why w hy you are reading
    something. his selective reading is active reading that means reading what is related
    to your purpose o reading something. hereore, to ensure that nothing important
    or relevant is being missed in skimming have questions in your mind that your
    reading answers.
    10 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    Use of Title and Heading


    In rapid reading, we tend to skip portions that do not interest us. Tis is helped by the
    titles/headlines or subheadings used in the text. For example, every morning we all go
    through the newspapers. Our reading o the dailies is quite ast. We
    We glance all the ront
    ront
    page headlines, and move to other pages o the paper and in no time with the help o
    the titles/subheadings we decide to read them or just turn on to the next columns. In
    many cases we know the nature o the inormation contained in the columns by the
    page number and its titles such as IMES CIY SPECIAL REPOR.
    REPOR. Page titles and sub
    headings given below guide the rapid reading.
    Times NATION,
    NATION,
    Business By Bids, Deep Focus, Times Global, All That Matters, Inter Sections
    Open Space Africarnival Times Sport
    Tese page titles help present the newspaper content in an organized and structured
    orm. And they help its readers to skim read it by surveying or scanning the entire
    newspaper.
    itles o books/reports etc., heading o chapters, sub-headings used in the books,
    report or other long documents acilitate quick reading. Some
    S ome senior executives read the
    business letters received
    rece ived or sent by looking at them or hardly a minute or two. Tey actu-

    ally
    and 󿬁rst
    knowseewhat
    the opening
    the lettersentence, thenparts
    says. Other middle sentence
    o the and date,
    letter like the concluding sentence
    address, salutation/
    greetings,, subscription and other minor details are lef out as amiliar rills.
    greetings
    Surveying Long Business Reports
    Senior executives read a report they have asked or on a subject or problem in parts
    only. Most business reports are 󿬁rst read or the recommendations and then 󿬁ndings.
    Te reader turns to those two sections o the report. Te executive already knows the
    problem, the background and to some extent the method o investigation. O keeping in
    mind this reading approach o the senior executive the writer o such reports structures
    them by changing the normal order o the sequence o elements o the report as discuss
    in the chapter on Business Reports.
    Reports.
    Surveying a Chapter in a Book
    Ofen we are able to survey the chapter in a book by reading its opening paragraph and

    the concluding
    opening paragraph.
    paragraph, Te writer
    and summarizes allusually presents
    the major pointshis purpose
    in his and theme
    concluding in the
    paragraph.

    Scanning
    Tis process means read something quickly or skim something or a particular some-
    thing. For example “I scanned the book or that reerence” or “My riend scanned
    through the result sheet or her name.”
    Both surveying and scanning are as already said, orms o skimming, which means we
    do not read every word o a text. We survey a written material or getting a general idea
    o what it is all about. But we scan book/chapter/report/ or text or a speci󿬁c inorma-
    tion which we think is there in that text. In the case o longer materials such as books,
    long ormal reports, index and table o contents help us in scanning them. Here is a
    simple and short scanning exercise. You have 10 lines o words. In each line one word
    appears on the lef hand side o the vertical dividing line, and the same word is repeated

    somewhere on the
    have 20 seconds right
    to the hand side.
    exercise, 󿬁rst You scan
    is done orthe repeated word and underline it. You
    you.
    1. Horse/mare, m
    mule,
    ule, ass, camel, elephant, horse.
    2. Algebra/geomet
    Algebra/geometry,
    ry, trigonometry,
    trigonometr y, physics, chemistry, biology, history, algebra.
    READING SKILLS 11

    3. Abstract/ex
    Abstract/executive
    ecutive summary
    summary precise glossary
    glossary substance overview
    overview abstract contents.
    contents.
    4. De󿬁nition/r
    De󿬁nition/role
    ole classi󿬁cation
    classi󿬁cation purpose process
    process barriers
    barriers universal elements
    elements de󿬁nition
    de󿬁nition
    major diffi
    di fficulties common problems.
    5. Manager/h
    Manager/human
    uman needs management
    management ormal comm
    communication
    unication inormed
    inormed communi-
    cation manager structure corporate communication.
    communication.
    6. Concept development/analysis investigation problem statement conceptualisa-
    tion bibliography appendix concept development narrowing down the problem
    conclusions.
    7. Participles/gerunds/verbal nouns adjectives prepositions adverbs participle pro-
    nouns in󿬁nitive verbs.
    8. Negotia
    Negotiation
    tion strategies/stages o the negotiation process need to negotiate third
    party role negotiating strategies part is affecting negotiation.
    9. Business dinning/manners oreign language customer care business dinning
    business etiquette intercultural differences in social manners.
    10. Te art o writing/purpose o writin
    writingg the audience clarity in writin
    writingg principles o
    effective writing the art o writing written business communications.
    communications.

    KNOW THE TEXT ORGANIZA


    ORGANIZ ATION
    I you know the way the text is organized, you can read the signi󿬁cant parts without
    spending time to read the less important section. In all expository texts, usually one
    reads the opening paragraph or knowing the basic approach and point view o the
    author. He then moves to the concluding para that sums up giving the whole argument.
    You read or the meaning o the text; note the words o the text. For aster reading along
    with the training o the mind, you need training o your eyes.

    Training of Eyes
    Eye training involves three things:
    1. Increase the span o your eyes. Ta
    Tatt is to say, the number o words you can see at one
    glance. Practice to widen your span o vision.
    22.. Instead o moving in a linear way, train your eye not to jump rom one word to
    another. Develop a regular and rhythmic way o moving the eyes while reading.
    3. Do not read back. Develop the habit o instant comprehension.

    GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE READING


    o be able to use your reading time more effectively, you can ocus on the ollowing
    5
    things and practice them whenever you read. Learn how to develop
    effective reading.
    Do’s
    • Know your purpose o reading clearly,
    clearly, this will determine
    determin e your reading style.
    Te style suitable or your purpose and nature o reading material will help your
    concentration.
    • Read by assimila
    assimilating
    ting and understanding
    understanding whatever
    whatever you read. Do not
    not read to memo-
    rize the content.
    • Read by comprehending the content. Follow the thought o the writer. Follow the
    argument o the content and anticipate what the writer is going to say next. I you
    read actively in this manner, it will increase your understanding o the text.
    12 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    • Know the organization o the text. Tis will help you read ast by ocusing on the
    essential parts o the text. You will not miss signi󿬁cant points i you know how the
    content has been organized.
    • Widen your visual span. Look at groups o words, not single words. o do this look
    at the middle o the sentence, and then try to glance sideways. First move your eyes

    on thetolef
    begin side
    read o 4the
    3 to centre
    words at aotime
    the line, thenlef
    on both toside
    the right
    o theside. Byopractice,
    centre the line you
    and will
    the
    right side. Ten move the eyes downward and do the same lef and right glancing.
    Learn to read the printed lines in a pyramidal shape. From top to bottom. Vertically,
    not horizontally. By continuous practice you can learn to look at the centre o the
    page and then move your eyes upward and downward by ocusing in the middle o
    each line and grasping maximum number o words at each glance. Tis will increase
    your speed signi󿬁cantly.
    • o practice rapid reading take up simple story books, novels or short stories, airy
    tales, detective novels or any thriller. Read something that is engrossing and atten-
    tion holding. You would like to move to the end o the story ast. So you will read
    it rapidly by skimming it and trying to know what happens next, and so go up to
    the end. Reading simple and interesting stories and 󿬁ctions can help you learn and
    practice the skill o skimming the text. Your reading speed depends on your sense
    o haste
    needs caus ed reading
    caused
    attentive by your which
    keenness
    keenn ess to know
    is slow “who did it? or what
    reading. w hat next?” Diffi
    D ifficult stuff
    • Improve your reading comprehension.
    comprehension. Remember that reading ast is not your aim
    o reading by itsel. You should also comprehend and understand what is read. o
    improve your comprehension you should ollow the ollowing suggestions while
    reading something.
    • Keep a dictionary with you when yyou ou read. Whenever you 󿬁 󿬁nd
    nd a word you do
    6 not know or understand, do not read urther. First check its meaning and then
    read urther. By continuously doing so, you will increase your vocabulary, and
    Improve your reading
    gradually begin to read different words o texts, books, articles, newspapers with
    comprehension.
    understanding. In the beginning this practice will be boring, but gradually you will
    develop the habit o consulting a dictionary or every new word you do not know
    and understand.
    • You may need to understand the meaning o the whole sentence. You You should analyse
    its parts by identiying the subject and predicate.
    predicate. In other words, try to understand
    what is said about whom. Ten, ollow the organization o sentences into a para.
    Identiy the topic sentence o the paragraph. It will tell you the central idea o the
    para. Te topic sentence is placed usually at the beginning o the paragraph. It can
    be placed in the middle or even towards the end o the para. All sentences in the
    paragraph relate to the topic substance as a sub set o the main idea expressed in the
    paragraph.
    • Do a wide range o o reading. Tis will improve your knowledge o variety o subjects,
    and widen your understanding o new ideas.
    • Afer reading a ull chapter, describe
    describ e the author’
    author’ss view point. Analyse the inerence
    that you have made about what the author has said about the subject you have read.
    Get the substance o what you have read.
    • Summarise the entire reading in a ew words in the orm o a gist o what you have
    read.
    • Ask yoursel some questions about what, and how things happened? What was it all
    about?
    READING SKILLS 13

    Don’ts
    • Do not allow yo your
    ur glance to regress, or go back to what you have already covered
    7
    and read. Learn the art o silent
    • Te regressing o eyes hinders the reading speed. Hence, it is considered a negative reading.
    eature in reading.
    readi ng. O course diffi cult texts do need
    nee d going back to what has already
    been read. It is considered help to improve comprehension.
    • Do not read aloud by mouthing words to help memorizing. It intereres with
    comprehension.
    • Do not allow subjective reading o the text. Do not let yyour
    our own bias a point o
    view prejudice the
    t he interpretation o the message.

    READING EFFICIENCY

    Good reader, poor reader


    A good reader makes about three stops per line, a poor reader, six or seven.

    Watch the Eye Movement

    Get your riend


    movement o histoeyes
    holdasthe
    hebook
    readsand
    the keep
    page.below his eye
    His eyes level.
    do not So that
    make you can watch
    a continuous the
    orward
    swell.
    Record the movement o your riend’s eyes.

    SUMMARY

    • Reading involves two activities, one o seeing words • You need to ttrain
    rain your eyes to impro
    improve
    ve your reading
    beore our eyes and the other understanding their speed rom slow to ast.
    meanings. • o improve yoyour
    ur reading comprehension, you should
    • Reading styles depend on your purpose and nat
    nature
    ure o learn to know the meaning o every word and the main
    the reading material. Normal, skimming, and scanning idea o every paragraph and the subject and topic o the
    styles o reading. whole text.

    CASE:: CHORUS READING


    CASE

    It was a large group o thirty oreign learners o English in when she beheld her new-born
    n ew-born baby/that he was destined to
    an Indian college learning to read with proper stress, into- explain many matters/which had been a mystery/ever since
    nation and rhythm. Tey had been given 󿬁rst ten minutes the creation o the world.
    to read the passage silently by themselves, understand every Not the whole class read aloud at the same time. Only
    word, i needed with the help o the lecturer. Ten the lec- three students together read and rest o the class listened
    turer broke up the sentences into the groups o words which to them. Other groups o three students ollowed the
    go together, and read them aloud to the class by groups o activity and in this manner the whole class read the pas-
    words, and then asked the students to repeat the passage sage aloud. Te teacher stood near each reading group to
    group by group the way he had read. Te suggested groups 󿬁nd out individual mistakes in pronunciation and stress
    were separated by bars as given below: Te sentences were and corrected them then and there. Te students learnt
    written on the board as shown here: On Christmas Day, in through imitation and observation the aspects o stress,
    the year 1642, Isaac Newton was born/at the small village intonation and rhythm in English language through a sys-
    o Wools Torpe, in England./Little did his mother think/ tematic method.
    14 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    1. What is reading? Discuss. 6. Discuss the m


    method
    ethod o surveying a cha
    chapter
    pter in a book.
    2. Explain the p
    purpose
    urpose o different reading speeds. Wh
    Whyy 7. How do senior executives rread
    ead a long report?
    do we need to know them as adult readers? 8. Discuss some steps to improve someone’s reading speed.
    3. Discuss the way we read ligh
    lightt 󿬁ction. 9. Discu
    Discuss
    ss the ways o
    o improving one
    one’’s readin
    readingg speed.
    4. Explain and illustrate the skimmin
    skimmingg style o reading.
    5. Why do we do survey reading o a text or vol
    volume?
    ume?
    Discuss.

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

    1. In what sense is reading bo


    both
    th a physical and men
    mental
    tal 4. Tink o the ways o trai
    training
    ning a young learner to im
    improve
    prove
    activity. his/her reading comprehensio
    comprehension. n.
    2. Have yo
    you
    u thought o kno
    knowing
    wing how yo
    you
    u read a text? 5. Comment on the useulness o surveying as a reading
    How would you do it? skill.
    3. What are the three reading speeds in general?

    APPLY YOUR LEARNING

    1. It is said tha
    thatt beore we start reading a book or arti- 3. “Some books are to be tasted, o
    others
    thers to be swallowed,
    cle, it is useul to ask ourselves why we want to read it, and some ew to be chewed an
    andd digested”
    digested”,, says Bac
    Bacon.
    on.
    and what do I hope to learn rom it. Comment on the Discuss the light it throws on the art o reading
    statement with some speci󿬁c examples o reading some books.
    books.
    4. Why study reading speed is the slowest speed?
    2. While reading a text, w
    wee are advised to develop the
    habit o not reading back. Why? 5. How do yo
    you
    u do skimming reading?

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    Follow the steps given below to self-check your reading skills:


    1. Set a time limit or reading a text according to the 4. Note the time taken
    taken to read and com
    complete
    plete the ttext.
    ext. 
    ry
    ry
    number o words it has. You can 󿬁x different time lim- to do it in less time next, until you achieve a speed o
    its or the same passage or practising different reading 200–225 words per minute at least.
    speeds. For example, you can begin with 60–80 words 5. Always answ
    answerer the ollo
    ollowing
    wing or any other set o q
    ques-
    ues-
    per minute, then increase it to 120–150 and 󿬁nally to tions to test your reading comprehensio
    comprehension.
    n.
    200–250 words per minute or more.
    2. Do not allow your head to move. (a) What is iits
    ts main idea?
    (b) What is its ppurpose?
    urpose?
    3. Check that yo
    your
    ur eyes jump back and o
    orth
    rth rom wo
    word
    rd
    (c) Have you got the relationship between different
    group to word group, not rom single word to a single
    ideas read by you?
    word.
    READING SKILLS 15

    READING EXERCISES

    Now read the following passages and answer the questions that follow.
    Read the text in 1 minute and 45 seconds. In India today,
    today, trials have shown that there is a hybrid maize
    (a) Interpreting Observation which will yield twice as much dry grain as the old varieties
    Usually observations become important to us only when o maize. In Ceylon, our new varieties o rice which give
    bigger yields have been produced. A rice rom China has
    we can attach some signi󿬁cance to them. A ootprint on
    been ound to give better yields in Uttar Pradesh, in India.
    a crowded beach would not normally arouse strong emo-
    Improved varieties o rice, maize, and jute are now ready
    tions, but to Robinson Crusoe on his desert sand, a naked
    in Pakistan. With the new variety o jute, two crops a year
    ootprintt became tremendously important, because it meant
    ootprin
    maybe possible. (220 words)
    (that is, he interpreted to mean) that there is someone else
    on the island, someone who could be a source o danger. Questions
    Basic to interpretation is inerence making. An inerence 1. What things are important or p
    producing
    roducing more ood?
    is a conclusion or judgement which expresses some
    2. What is a hybrid variety o p
    plants
    lants aand
    nd grains?
    signi󿬁cance or attitude suggested by what is seen, heard,
    or read. We see the sky clouding up and iner that rain
    coming, or we hear a noise outside the kitchen door and Source: Navin Sullivan, Growing more food.
    iner that some animal is at the garbage can. Sometimes a
    single observation may trigger a chain o inerences.
    Tus Robinson Crusoe saw a ootprint and inerred Read the text in 1 minute.
    (c) Interpreting Reading
    • that somebody else was on the iisland,
    sland,
    Although all reading requires interpretation o printed
    • that there was a possibility o danger rom that person, and symbols; some
    s ome kinds o reading are diffi cult to iinterpret
    nterpret
    • that he should take precautions against tha
    thatt danger
    danger.. than others.
    oth ers. Poetr y is usually
    u sually more difficult tha
    than
    n non-
    In all such instances the thing observed become a sign o 󿬁ction prose, partly because a poet is less interested than
    something and the inerences interpret the sign. a prose writer in conveying one speci󿬁c meaning. Te
    (160 words) essayist tries to convey inormation or control the reader’s
    responses, thus limiting him to one clear interpretation.
    Questions Te poet ofen invites a variety o responses to the same
    1. What is a sign? symbols. For this reason the interpretation o a poem is not
    an unquestionable decision about what the poem means, it
    2. How do we iner or make a conclusion rom o
    our
    ur obser- is a revelation o how the reader reads the poem. Te same
    vation o something?
    something? is true or much 󿬁ction. (110 words)

    Source: M.C. Crimmon, Writing with a purpose,


    purpose, Hougton
    Ho ugton Miffin Questions
    Company, 1957, USA, p. 25. 1. Poin
    Pointt out the difference between the reading o an essay
    and a poem.
    Read the text in 1 minute and 45 seconds. 2. “Te meaning o a poem is a revelatio
    revelation
    n o how the
    (b) Growing More Food reader reads the poem”. Explain what you understand
    It is very important to give crops the right amount o er- rom this statement about interpreting reading.
    tilizer and water but we can have even better crops i we
    choose the best variety o plant or each. At present many Source: M.C. Crimmon, Writing with a purpose.
    purpose .
    armers are using different varieties o plant or each ood
    crop. Some o these varieties are good, some are not. One
    Read the text in 1 minute and 20 seconds.
    way to improve our crops is by selecting the best variety
    that we know o a plant, and growing only rom that way (d) Kunwar Singh by Jim Corbett
    is to breed a new and better variety o plant rom existing Har Singh and I went out to shoot one day, last April, and

    varieties. oparent
    o
    qualities as do this, we cchoose
    plants, hoose varieties
    and then romwith
    thesedifferent good
    we can grow all would
    our path ashave been leaving
    we were well i athe
    oxvillage.
    wouldHar
    haveSingh,
    not crossed
    as you
    new plants which combine the good qualities o the parents. know, is a poor shikari with little knowledge o the jungle
    Tis means that we get even better plants. Such specially olk, and when afer seeing
    se eing the ox, I suggested we should
    bred plants are called hybrids. turn around and go home; he laughed at me and said it was
    16 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    child’s talk to say that a ox would bring us bad luck. So Questions
    we continued on our way. We had started when the stars 1. When did Har Sin
    Singh
    gh and JJim
    im Corbett go out to shoot?
    were paling; and nearer a ruppa I 󿬁red at a chital stag and 2. Was Har Singh a good shooter?
    unortunately missed it. Later, Har Singh broke the wing
    3. Did H
    Har
    ar Si
    Singh
    ngh believe in su
    superstition?
    perstition?
    o a pea owl but though we chased the wounded bird as
    hard as we could; it got away in the long grass, where we 4. Why di
    did
    d Jim suggest to go back without shooting?
    lost it. Tereore, though we combed the jungles we saw 5. Was Jim able to 󿬁re at a chital stag?
    nothing to shoot and towards the evening we turned our 6. What was the other uno
    unortunate
    rtunate thing that hap
    happened
    pened in
    aces towards home. (160 words) the case o pea owl wounded by Har Singh?

    ENDNOTE

    1. Francis Bacon, Bacon’s Essays (London: MacMillan, 1951), p. 129.


    Speaking Skills

    3
    Mend your
    “
    your spee
    speech
    ch a little
    little,,
    Lest you may mar your fortunes.

    ”
    — Will
    William
    iam Sha kesp ear e
    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    In the 󿬁nal year of their B.Com., Rakesh
    and Suresh decided to appear for the
    GMAT. One afternoon, they planned
    to go to the American Center to col-
    lect some information on the exam.
    But one of their seniors advised Rakesh
    that it would be better to go to the
    Rakesh reached the AEC at the
    appointed
    appoin ted time, but did not see
    Suresh and waited for him till 4 p.m.
    at Hailey Road. Meanwhile, Suresh
    was waiting for him at the American
    Center on Kasturba Gandhi Marg.
    Incidentally, there was no way they
    American Education Center on Hai- could have checked with each other
    ley Road instead. Accordingly, Rakesh as Rakesh did not have his mobile
    asked Suresh to meet him at “AEC” at phone with him that day and he
    3 p.m. As they were talking over the didn’t want to leave the spot lest
    phone, Suresh heard him say “AC” (for Suresh miss him. It was only late at
    American Center), which is on Kasturba night in the hostel that they realized
    Gandhi Marg. When Suresh tried to what actually caused the misunder-
    con󿬁rm, Rakesh,
    R akesh, repeated, “Yes, AEC.”
    AEC.” standing.

    Upon completion of this chapter, you SPEAKING


    should be able to:
    The Art of Speaking
    1 Learn the different goals and styles
    st yles Speaking, like writing, is a mode o communication. In the sense o making
    of speaking. a speech or giving a talk beore an audience, speaking is considered to be an

    2 Know the process of speaking. art worthindeveloping. Peopleideas


    consider this orm oother
    communication to be most
    eective spreading one’s and inluencing people. Consider how
    3 Learn how to develop speaking
    skills. great thinkers, political leaders
    le aders and social workers, such as Swami Vivekanand,
    Martin Luther king Jr., Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, made a
    4 Understand the nature and impor-
    dierence in the lie o the people and the destiny o nations by spreading
    tance of oral communication in
    business transactions and personal their ideas and inluencing people with the power o their spoken words.
    interactions.
    Goals of Speaking
    5 Know when to choose oral com-
    here are three main goals o speaking: to persuade, to inorm, and to delight.
    munication instead of written
    communication. hese are the very goals o communication as such. As a speaker you want to
    persuade people to accept to do or believe what you think is right, or you wish
    6 Learn key skills of oral communi-
    to make them eel better placed by inorming them o things you consider
    cation.
    important to know. And inally you seek to entertain people with your wit and
    7 Appreciate how intercultural
    interesting anecdotes.
    situations require thoughtful oral
    communication. Speaking Styles
    8 Apply oral communication skills to Speaking has various styles. Some o these are ormal, inormal, polite, normal,
    new communication technologies
    technologies..
    blunt, tentative, and direct.
    It is important to choose appropriate ways o saying things according
    accordi ng to the
    situation you are in. In many situations it will be appropriate to use normal

    18 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    or neutral language. In other situations, it is necessary to use language orms that are
    1 appropriate to special situations.
    Learn the different • We use tentative language when we are sincerely unsure o our acts or o how we
    goals and styles o eel. E.g. It’s very kind o you to invite me, but I’m not sure i I can come.
    speaking. We also use tentative language when we want to give thet he impression o being unsure in
    order to be tactul and diplomatic. For example, i we want to disagree with a superior, it
    would probably be too strong to say “ I can’t agree with you” and it would be more appro-
    priate to be tentative and say I’m not sure if I’d agree with you .”
    • Direct language is the opposite o tentative language; it gives the impression that
    the speaker is very sure. Tis impression is appropriate i, or example, we want to
    agree with someone. But, it can sound rude and inappropriate in many situations
    like inviting a superior to a party.
    For Example i. No. You are mistaken the statistics just cannot be this high.
    high .
    ii. I see your point. But, we’ll have to go ahead with our previous plan.
    plan .
    • We use polite language when we want to sound particularly polite without being
    tentative.
    For Example i. I’m sorry. But, I feel there is a mistake somewhere. According to my

    ii. calculations,
    You de󿬁nitely thehave
    statistics should
    a point. But,notI’m
    be afraid
    so high.this time we’ll have
    to go ahead. Next time onwards, we’ll de󿬁nitely consider these
    points..
    points
    • Formal language creates the impression o social distance between people. It occurs
    mostly in official situations
    situ ations e.g. business meetings, official receptions.
    re ceptions.
    For Example i. I’d be delighted if you could make it to the party. We’ll
    I’d We’ll all look for-
    ward to it.
    ii. Forgive me if I sound
    sound curious. But, isn’t
    isn’t this the same girl we saw him
    him
    with yesterday?
    • Informal language is used basically between riends. It is generally inappropriate to
    use it with anyone else.
    For Example i. Cut it out’
    out’ Will you? I’ve had enough of this.
    ii. You‘re coming to the party tonight, aren’
    aren’tt you? I just wont take
    take “no”
    “no”
    for an answer
    answer..
    • Strong language carries with it a strong sense o conviction. It usually sounds
    sound s very direct.
    For Example i. Tis is impossible! How
    How co
    could
    uld you ever promise
    promise withou
    withoutt consulting
    consulting me?
    ii. I’m gone without this project.
    project. I must get it, come what may.
    may.
    • Blunt language is extremely rank. It should be used with extreme care, as in most
    cases it will simply sound rude.
    For Example i. I know you’re lying. You
    You can’t
    can’t fool me!
    ii. I must tell you. Your
    Your work was not up to the mark and we’ll have to
    review your extension.
    In most cases we use normal and neutral language,
    language, but sometimes, depending on the
    situations
    situations we are in and also on the basis o our co-speakers, we use special language. he
    type o language we use shows our attitude.

    Style o Speaking: Speaking requires ormal language, jargon, slang and incorrect
    language have no place in speaking. he speakers have to raise the level o their language
    and polish their expressions or creating a avorable impression on the audience. Speak-
    ing requires a orceul and passionate delivery.

    SPEAKING SKILLS 19

    The Speaking Process


    I you are speaking to inorm or to persuade a group o people (regardless o whether in
    a stand-up presentation, a seated deck-presentation, a videoconerence, or a webcast),
    2
    Know the process o
    use these techniques to structure what you say. Since, unlike readers, your listeners speaking.
    can’t glance back or skip ahead, you’ll need to be repetitive and exceptionally clear by

    including
    points, and(1)(4)ana opening,
    closing. (2) a preview o the main points, (3) clearly demarcated main

    Use an Effective Opening


    Openings are important in all orms o communication, when you make an oral presen-
    tation, however, your opening is even more crucial than it is when you write. hereore,
    always use the irst minute or so o your presentation or your opening, what many
    experts call a “grabber” or a “hook.”
    o decide what to say during your opening, think about the audience: Are they inter-
    ested? Do they
    the y know how the topic relates to them? Do tthey
    hey know you well or not? Given
    your audience, choose rom among the ollowing techniques:
    • ell them why you’re speaking. What they will learn in a tell presentation or what
    you hope they will do as a result o a sell presentation—so they can listen with these
    ideas in mind.
    • Grab their attention. Why should they listen? Ofen, your audience
    audience will have other
    things on their minds or will not be especially interested in your topic, so you may
    need to open with a provocative question, a problem de󿬁nition, a promise o what
    your presentation will deliver, a personal story that makes a business point, a vivid
    image, or a striking example or statistics.
    • Show them “what’s in it or them (WIIF).” Why should they care? Why should
    they bother?
    • Build your credibility, i necessary. I your audience doesn’t know about you,
    introduce yoursel and use any o the persuasion techniques to enhance your cred-
    ibility by establishing a “common ground.”
    • Use humor with caution. Humor can be an effective grabber; however, use it only only
    i it 󿬁ts your personality and style, i it is appropriate and inoffensive or every
    member o the audience, and i it relates to the topic or occasion. Never use humor
    that might make anyone eel, put down, or trivialized.
    triviali zed.
    Give a Preview
    Without a doubt, the most important part o your presentation is a preview (also known
    as an agenda, an outline, or a table o contents) o what you will be covering. Always give
    an explicit preview at the beginning o your presentation.
    Previews help your audience understand and remember what you say. hink again
    about the contrast between listeners and readers. Your readers can skim a document and
    read your headings and subheadings beore they start reading. Your listeners, in contrast,
    have no idea what you will be covering unless you tell them.
    ypical previews include a list o key points (such as reasons, examples, or recom-
    mendations), key questions, or a problem ollowed by a solution.
    Examples of Previews

    Longer and more formal: I will discuss sales in each of our four European regions:
    the Northern, Southern, Western, and Central.

    Shorter and less formal: Let’s take a look at the sales figures in our four European
    regions.

    20 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    State Your Points Clearly


    Your main points need
    nee d to be organized
    organize d and easy to ollow,
    ol low, much
    much more so than in
    i n writing.
    Readers can look over, slow down, and reread when they wish; listeners, o course,
    cannot. hereore,
    hereore, remember these three guidelines when you’reyou’re speaking.
    Limit Your Main Points Experiments in cognitive psychology show that people can-
    not easily comprehend more than ive to seven main points, so do not exceed that
    number when you’re speaking. hat means grouping all o your points in any section
    or subsection into no more than seven major areas.
    Use Strong Transitions When you are speaking, you need longer,
    longer, more explicit tran-
    sitions between major sections and subsections than you do when you are writing.
    Listeners do not stay oriented as easily as readers do; they may not even remember what
    w hat
    it is that you are listing unless you use these longer transitions.
    Ineffective short transition
    Second, . . .
    Effective longer transitions
    The second recommendation
    recommendation is . . .
    Let’s move on to the second recommendation.

    Use
    needRepetitive Tra
    Transitions
    to use more In additionwhen
    nsitions transitions
    repetitive to stronger, more explicit
    you’re speaking, transitions,
    because you also
    listeners may not
    remember inormation they hear only once. Although you may eel as i you’re being too
    repetitive, your listeners will appreciate detailed reminders that reinorce your structure.
    hereore, between each major section and subsection, use a backward look/orward
    look transition. he backward look reers to recapping what you just covered, and the-
    orward look provides a smooth transition to the upcoming part o your talk.
    Effective backward look/forward look transition
    Example: Now that we have looked at the three elements of the marketing
    plan (backward look), let’s turn to the financial implications of the
    plan (forward look).

    Keep the Audience’s Interest High Remember that your listeners’ attention will decrease
    in the middle o your speech. Hence, consider
    consider the ollowing techniques to keep up their
    interest, involve them, add variety, and wake them up:
    • Include stories,
    stories, case illustrations, analogies, and examples—not just numbers.
    • Incorporate their names (e.g., “Pat in accounting and Wahid in human resources”
    instead o “people rom different departments”).
    • Change your personal energy (e.g., your tone, pauses, or nonverbal dynamism),
    • Ask rhetorical
    rhetorical questions
    questions that relate to audience bene󿬁ts (e.g., “So what does this
    mean or your business?”).
    • Ask for a sshow
    how of hands
    hands (e.g., “How many o you think our current policy is effective?”).
    • ell them you’ll be asking or their input afer the presentation.
    Close Effectively
    he Audience Memory Curve also shows that your listeners are likely to remember your

    last words. hereore,


    too-common “dribble”your closing
    closing like “Ishould
    guess be more
    that’s than
    about it.”a mere “thank you” or the all-
    Instead, use a strong, obvious transitional phrase—such as “to summarize” or “in
    conclusion”—to introduce your closing remarks. Here are some options or eective
    closings:
    SPEAKING SKILLS 21

    • Give a summary. Summarize your main points. Y


    Your
    our audience will appreciate the
    wrap up.
    • End with the action steps. Based on your communication objective. You You might
    remind the audience “what’s in it or them”, i they take these action steps.
    • Reer to the opening. A third kind o closing is to reer to the rhetorical question,
    promise, image, or story you used in your opening.
    • I you end with Q and A, add a second closing, similar to your 󿬁rst one,
    one, so you get
    the last word.

    Guidelines for Developing Speaking Skills


    Nervousness and stage right is natural or all beginners beore a large audience. How- 3
    ever, this eeling is gradually overcome by knowing that everyone who stands beore Learn how to develop
    an audiance eels like you. Remember the techniques discussed by Stephen E Lucas speaking skills.
    in his book, he Art of Public Speaking, (1989) to develop sel conidence and skills o
    speaking.
    1. Te importance o developing courage and sel-con󿬁dence.
    Courage to speak is the 󿬁rst requisite or a speaker. One who has stage-right
    cannot ace the public. He cannot have con󿬁dence
    con󿬁dence in himsel/hersel. And one who

    has no con󿬁dence
    renowned speaker is
    hadbound to umble.
    stage-right. BornBut, the actare
    speakers is that
    rare.atGeorge
    the beginning
    Bernard every
    Shaw
    was a spell-binder. But, at the beginning his legs trembled and his voice altered
    when he rose to speak. Stage-right can be conquered. One can acquire perect sel
    con󿬁dence.
    con󿬁 dence. Only one must do certain things.
    (i) Desire: One who wants to become a good speaker must must have a stron
    strongg desire to
    speak well and must have enthusiasm or speaking. And he can get desire and
    enthusiasm only i he remembers the bene󿬁ts he can reap by becoming a good
    speaker.. A good speaker can do well in interviews, selling his goods, in󿬂uence-
    speaker
    ing the people and their leader. I one remembers all this, their desire will be
    whetted, their ear will gradually vanish, and they will acquire con󿬁dence.
    (ii) Mastery o the subject: One cannot have con󿬁dence unless one knows one’ one’s
    subject well. Hence, one must prepare the topic thoroughly, one must read
    some books, analyse the ideas, and take down points.
    (iii) Act con󿬁dently: A speaker must put on the appearance
    appearance o boldness. He/she
    must dress well. He/she must not have any eelings o ineriority. He/she must
    always think that they are masters o their subject. And this will surely be able
    to impress the audience. Tis auto-suggestion will remove their nervousness
    and give them sel-con󿬁dence.
    (iv) Practice: Practice is most important in overcoming
    overcoming stage-right and getting
    sel-con󿬁dence.
    sel-con󿬁dence. A speaker must prepare his speech beorehand. He must read
    it several times. Ten he must stand beore a mirror and speak, as i beore an
    audience.
    2. Develop sel-con󿬁dence through preparation.
    Tere are very ew who can speak extempore. Most o the amous speakers o o the
    world prepared their speeches in advance. Unless you go prepared, you can’t have
    con󿬁dence in yousel. And without sel-con󿬁dence you are sure to eel nervous.
    And ultimately you may cut a sorry 󿬁gure. Hence, one must prepare one’s speech
    thoroughly. But, how to prepare a speech? A ew points or preparing a speech are
    brie󿬂y given below.
    (i) Tinking over the speech: In pr preparing
    eparing a speech external help is not enough.
    Te speaker must think over the topic day and night. He must even dream o

    22 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    the speech. Gradually many points will evolve automatically. Gradually the
    logical order o speech will emerge. At this stage the speaker should make
    necessary changes in the rough draf. Ten he should prepare a 󿬁nal draf.
    (ii) Discussion with riends: Reading the speech again and again helps to
    memorize it. But, a quicker method to memorize the speech is to discuss

    it with riends.
    opportunity. So discuss
    Make the apoints
    the speech topic o
    o your speech whenever
    conversation youAll
    with riends. getthis
    an
    will help you to remember what you are going to speak.
    (iii) aking down points: A speaker must take down the important points o his
    speech on a piece o paper. He can carry it in his pocket. I need be, he may
    consultt it w
    consul while
    hile speaking.
    (iv) Rehearsal: Beore going to speak, one must con󿬁ne himsel in a room and
    deliver this speech, as i beore an audience. He must practise it until all the
    alterings disappear.
    3. Improvement o memory.
    o deliver a speech one has to remember a lot o things. Hence, or a speaker, good
    memory is an asset. But, very ew possess good memory. And even those who
    have good memory cannot always depend on it. Memory is treacherous. It ofen
    plays tricks on its possessors. But, memory can be cultivated. By ollowing certain
    methods, memory can be improved. Tere are three natural laws o remembering-
    impression, repetition, and association.
    (i) Impression: You must have a deep impression o the thing you want to
    remember. And you can have a deep impression by concentrating on the
    thing, by observing it closely, and by associating
    associa ting it with something similar.
    Also, i possible get the impression through more than one sensory organ. For
    example, you can see and picture and hear about it.
    (ii) Repetition: Repetiti
    Repetitionon o a thing helps to remember it. It engraves the thing
    on the memory. But, do not repeat the thing continuously or hours together.
    Repeat at intervals. And beore leaving home or delivering the speech go
    through it.
    (iii) Association: Associate the thing you want to remember with something
    similar.. Create a picture o the thing in your mind. For example,
    similar e xample, i you want
    to remember the name o a person, assoassociate
    ciate it with the special eatures o his
    ace or associate the name with his business or proession.
    One more thing, besides these three natural laws, is to be done. Arrange the points
    o the address in the logical order so that one point naturally
    naturally leads to the next.
    4. Hold the audience attention.
    Te aim o the speaker is to leave a deep impression on the minds o the audience.
    Te audience must go deeply impressed
    i mpressed and highly satis󿬁ed, but it is very
    ver y diffi cult
    to achieve this end. Te speaker must be able to captivate the atten
    attention
    tion o the audi-
    ence. But, very ew
    e w are born with this capacity
    capacity.. It has to be developed by ollowing
    certain methods. Some o the methods are pointed out here.
    (i) Enthusiasm: Te response o the audience largely depends on the enthusi-
    asm with which the speaker speaks. I the speaker is lukewarm, the response
    o the audience will be lukewarm. I he is mild and dull, the audience will

    remain unaffected.
    On the other hand, A
    angloomy speech
    enthusiastic
    enthusiastic can never
    speaker get the
    catches en enthusiastic applause.
    attention o the audi-
    ence at once. Enthusiasm
    Enthusiasm is one o the most important actors in delivery.
    A speaker must speak rom conviction. Every word must have the warmth
    o the heart. He must be sincere in what he says. He must say what he really

    SPEAKING SKILLS 23

    wants to say. No beating about the bush. Say earnestly what you believe to be
    right. Be rank, honest, and straightorward, and the audience is captivated
    by you. Whatever you say, must be said with intensity. Enthusiasm, sincerity,
    rankness, conviction, and intensity go together. I you possess these qualities,
    you are sure to exercise a magnetic in󿬂uence over the audience.

    (ii) Physical movements: Te speaker must be at ease. He must be calm and


    quiet and appear undisturbed. He must stand erect and look the audience in
    the ace. Occasionally, he must use emphatic gestures. He must speak vigor-
    ously. His voice must be loud enough to reach the Iast row o audience. All
    this will deeply in󿬂uence the audience. Tey will eel that the speaker has a
    good command o the subject. And they will listen to him attentively.
    (iii) Avoidance o “weasel” word: A speaker must speak with conviction. He
    must use emphatic words. And he must avoid using “weasal words”, such as “I
    think”, “it seems to me”, “in my humble opinion”, “perhaps”. For such expres-
    sions give the impression
    impression that the speaker lacks conviction.
    conviction. And the audience
    pays no attention to a man with no convictions.
    (iv) Love o the audience: Te speaker must have keen keen interest in the audience
    He must love them. He must have sympathy or them. Ten only the audi-
    ence will take interest in what he says. Abraham Lincoln won the heart o the
    audience by his sympathy and goodness to a great extent. One amous actress
    rightly said, “Te secret o my success is absolute devotion to the audience. I
    love my audience.
    au dience.””
    5. Essential elements o speaking.
    Speaking is an art. But, very ew are born with this art. Like other arts, it has to
    be acquired by ollowing certain essentials. Tere are many methods to acquire it.
    A ew o them are pointed out here,
    (i) Patience and perseverance: Almost every speaker has stage-ear at the
    beginning. He ofen cuts a sorry 󿬁gure. He eels that he can never become a
    speaker. And he wants to give up speaking in public. Tis attitude is wrong.
    He must have patience. However great his ailure, he must not lose heart. He
    must try again and again. And he is sure to win at last. Indeed, ailures are
    the pillars o success. Success does not come at once. It has many obstacles
    to overcome. Nervousness, ear, shock are some o the obstacles. But, do not
    give up hope. Have patience and Perseverance. Keep on practising. And you
    are sure to progress. And at last you are sure to become a good speaker. John
    Brig at Gladstone, Wilier-orce had such experiences o ailure. But, they had
    patience. Tey persevered. And they became world amous speakers. Do not
    give up even i you cut a sorry 󿬁gure a hundred times.
    (ii) Will and determination: Will and determination
    determi nation play a very important role
    in making one a good speaker. You must will, and will strongly to become a
    speaker. You must have determination to become a speaker. A man becomes
    what he wills to become, i you are resolutely determined you are sure to
    become a good speaker.
    sp eaker. Will and determination can overcome all diffi di fficulties.
    Nepoleon rightly said. “Victory is will.” An army’s will enables it to win a war.
    A speaker’s will and determination are sure to crown him with success. Fight
    and 󿬁ght even when hope is out o sight.
    It is easy to give up, but the glory is in keeping on. You need dogged deter-
    mination. Tose who keep on arrive at destination.
    (iii) Picturing success: I you want to become a good speaker, you must pic-
    ture yoursel to be one. You must visualize that you are on the platorm. You

    24 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    must visualize that you are applauded by the audience. Tis visualization will
    work miracle psychologically. It will give you con󿬁dence and 󿬁ll your mind
    with hope.
    (iv) Enthusiasm: Deliver your speech with enthusiasm. Te applause o the
    audience will be in proportion to the enthusiasm with which you speak. You
    You
    must speak with con󿬁dence. Every word you utter must have the spark o
    enthusiasm.
    (v) Four Gs: In art o speaking and in󿬂uencing in business, Dale Carnegie says
    that essentials or success in speaking are our Gs. He means our words
    beginning with “G”—grace, gumption,
    gumption, grit, and guts. Grace is the quality o
    being pleasing and attractive in your appearance, movement, and delivery.
    Gumption means common sense and initiative.initiative. Grit is the quality o courage
    and endurance. And guts is courage and determination.
    6. Te element o delivery.
    deliver y.
    In speaking delivery matters most. A speaker, thereore, must take care o his
    delivery. He must know the qualities o a good delivery
    deliver y. Some o these qualities are:
    Tree things matter in a speech—the
    speech—t he speaker,
    speake r, manner o delivery,
    deliver y, and matter. O
    these, the manner o delivery is the most important. Edmund Burke’s speeches
    contained admirable logic and reasoning. But, as an orator he was wa s a ailure, because
    he did not know how to deliver his gems.
    (i) A sense o communication: When you you speak the audi
    audience
    ence must eel that you
    are delivering a message to them. Tat is the 󿬁rst essential o good talking. o
    give the audience a sense o communication, you must speak to them inti-
    mately. You must look at the audience and talk as i they are amiliar to you.
    You must not look over them at the wall and utter the words mechanically.
    Tat is soliloquy, not talk. alk to the audience directly as i you are engaged
    in a conversation with them. Your tone must be natural, enlarged a bit. You
    must not imitate others. You must be your natural sel. You must have indi-
    vidualityy. A
    vidualit Ass a speaker that is yyour
    our most precious
    precious possession.
    possession. Tus onlyonly,, a sense
    o communication can be established. And once the sense o communication
    is established, you gain the con󿬁dence o the audience and you make a deep
    impression on them.

    Sincerity
    (ii) o and enthusiasm:
    good delivery. Te speaker Enthusiasm is one osincere,
    must be honest, the most important
    and eatures
    straightorward.
    He must speak with conviction. In other words, he must put his heart in his
    talks. Every word must have the warmth o the heart. I his heart is in his
    work, his delivery is sure to be effective. A thing said with conviction and said
    enthusiastically is sure to deeply impress one and all.
    (iii) Stressing important words: Te speaker must put more stress on on some sig-
    ni󿬁cant words and hurry over the others. Tis is what we do in our daily
    conversation. Emphasis on the important words will convey your ideas
    vividly to the audience.
    (iv) Change o pitch: Te speaker’
    speaker’ss voice must not be monotonous.
    monotonous. Te pitch
    o his voice should 󿬂ow up and down, Ten only the effect will be pleasing.
    On the other hand, i the speaker’s voice is always on the same level, it
    will become monotonous. And monotony will bore and even disgust the
    audience.
    (v) Variation o the rate o speaking: Te speaker must
    must vary his rate
    rate o speak-
    ing Tis is a good method o driving a point home. Speak several words with
    great rapidity, and when you come to the words you wish to emphasize, let
    SPEAKING SKILLS 25

    the voice linger. And then again rush to the end o the sentence like lightning.
    Tis method arrests the attention. It is natural. It is emphatic. Above all, it is
    pleasing.
    (vi) Pause beore and afer important ideas: Pausing beore and afer an impor- impor-
    tant idea attracts the attention o the audience.
    Tis was Lincoln’s method. He ofen paused in his speaking. Tis suddesudden n silence
    has the same effect as a sudden noise. But, the speaker must practise this method.
    He must pause naturally.
    naturally. I pauses are judiciously used,
    us ed, they produce a tremen-
    dous effect on the audience. Silence becomes more eloquent than eloquence
    itsel.
    7. Te importance o personality.
    personality.
    Personality o the speaker has a lot to do with his success. But, personality is an
    intangible and elusive
    elus ive thing. It cannot be clearly
    clear ly de󿬁ned. And it is diffi
    d ifficult to say
    how it can be developed. But, by ollowing some suggestions the speaker can appear
    at his best. His dress and his behaviour on the platorm etc count. By paying proper
    attention to this, one can avourably impress the audience.
    (i) Rest and ood: Beore going to talk, you must take t ake sufficient rest. ake light
    ood. For, a heavy meal makes one uneasy. Do not do anything that dulls your
    energy. You must look resh and energetic. Vitality has a magnetic power. It
    impresses the people around.
    (ii) Dress: Dress neatly and attractively. Y You
    ou must appear cheerul. Never look
    gloomy. Good dress has a great psychological effect on the mind. It height-
    ens one’s, sel-respect and increases sel-con󿬁dence. Such is the effect o dress
    on the wearer. It also leaves a good impression on the audience. Shabby dress,
    on the other hand, makes one eel ill at ease. And the audience generally orms
    an unavourable impression about a shabbily dressed person.
    (iii) Arrangements in the hall: Surroundings count. Te hall where you are going
    to speak should be spacious, well ventilated and well lighted. Te audience
    should sit together,
    toge ther, it is diffi cult to in󿬂uence
    in 󿬂uence an audience
    aud ience that is scattered.
    Empty chairs between the audience dampen and have a chilling effect on the
    enthusiasm o the speaker.
    (iv) How to stand: Stand erect. Do not hide yoursel behind behind a table. Let the light

    all on your ace.


    no attractive Letbehind
    things there or
    be on
    no either
    uselessside
    things on Tere
    o you. the table. Let be
    should there be
    as ew
    people on the stage as possible. Te speaker’s hands should not play with his
    clothes. Nor should they make any nervous movements. For, all these dis-
    tract the attention
    attention o the audience. Te speaker should stand still and control
    himsel physically.
    (v) Gestures: For gestures, no 󿬁xed rules can be laid down. For For,, i you ollow
    rules or making gestures, the gestures become mechanical and repulsive.
    Gestures must be born on the spur o the moment. Tey must be the spon-
    taneous results o your enthusiasm and impulses. Imitated gestures are like
    imitated smiles, which are not smites but grimaces. Gestures should be as
    pleasing as a spontaneous smile. In short, make only those gestures that come
    natural.
    8. How to open
    open a talk to capture the audience?
    audience?
    Te manner o opening a talk is o great importance. Te audience audience orms the 󿬁rst
    impression rom it. And the 󿬁rst impression counts very much. But, the opening o
    a talk is diffi
    d ifficult. It has to be careully
    ca reully worked out in
    i n advance. Some
    S ome hints as to how
    to open a talk are given here:
    26 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    (i) Introduction: Te introduction should be sho short


    rt and precise—a sentence
    or two. Go straight to the heart o the subject. Do not waste much time on
    introduction.
    (ii) Apology: It is unwise to begin a talk with apologies. Do not be too modest.
    Do not emphasize that you are unprepared or that you are not a 󿬁t person
    to speak on the subject. Do not praise the chairman and other dignitaries
    too much.
    (iii) Humorous story: It is bad to begin a talk with a humorous
    humorous story. Very ew
    can tell a humorous story interestingly. Such a story at the beginning o a
    talk embarrasses
    embarra sses instead o entertaining
    enter taining the audience.
    audien ce. It is difficult to excite
    laughter. I your story ails to generate laughter, the effect is tragic rather than
    comic.
    (iv) Curiosity: You should begin your talk in such a manner manne r that it can arouse
    curiosity. You can begin with a personal experience, a spec󿬁c illustration, or
    by asking a question.
    (v) Exhibit: Te easiest way to arouse curiosity is to show an exhibit. By holding
    up an exhibit you can at once draw the attention o the audience towards it.
    (vi) Question: You can begin your talk by asking a question. By a question you make
    the audience co-operate with you. You take them into con󿬁dence. And they orm
    a good impression about you.
    (vii) Quotation: You can begin with a quotation rom a amous man. It draws the
    attention o the audience at once to you. For, everybody is interested in what
    amous people say.
    (viii) Shocking acts: Shocking acts easily capture the attenattention
    tion o the audience.
    Hence, it is good to open a talk with them. But, you must telI them the sources
    o these secrets. Otherwise they may not believe your statement.
    (ix) On-the-spot remark: One can open a talk with an on-the-spot remark. Tat
    is to say, begin with a casual remark that is relevant in the circumstances. For
    example, you may reer to what the earlier speaker said. Or, you may reer to
    an incident that happened in the course o the unction.
    (x) Capture the audience: You aim is to capture the audience. Hence, open ope n a
    talk with a statement with which everyone will agree. I you can do so, you get
    the audience on your side at the very outset.
    9. How should one close a talk?
    Te manner o closing a speech is as important as the manner o opening a speech.
    Perhaps the close is more important. For, it is likely to be remembered longer!
    Hence, it must be planned, prepared, and careully mastered in advance. Rehearse
    it, learn it by heart so that you can deliver it enthusiastically and convincingly.
    Famous orators like Webster, Bright, and Gladstone did it.
    (i) No sudden ending: Do not end your talk abruptly. It should be natural. It
    should be closely connected with what you have discussed. You can end by
    summarizing the points you have talked about.
    (ii) Appeal or action: I you want the aaudience
    udience to do something,
    something, end your talk
    with an appeal. Te appeal should be emotional. You must touch the very
    depth o their eelings.
    (iii) Compliments to the audience: You must pay sincere compliments to the
    audience. You want the audience to admire you. Naturally, you should please
    them. But, you must guard yoursel against 󿬂attery and extravagance. Your
    compliment must be sincere. Ten only they will be effective. I the audience
    think that you are alse, the effect will be just the reverse.

    SPEAKING SKILLS 27

    (iv) Quotation: You can close your talk with a quotation rom some authority.
    Quotations rom religious books or poets have great appeal.
    (v) Climax: A popular way o closing a ttalk
    alk is the clima
    climax.
    x. It is difficult to con-
    struct a climax, But, when well done, it produces a tremendous effect on the
    audience.
    10. How to make your meaning clear?
    Whatever you say must be clearly understood by the audience. Every word, every
    sentence must convey what you intend to say. Otherwise your talks will all 󿬂at on
    the ears o the audience. Your efforts to win their hearts will be utile. Tereore,
    take care o the language you use. Also take care o the ideas you want to convey to
    the audience. Some hints as to how you can make the meaning clear are given here
    (i) Simple language: Te audience is ggenerally
    enerally composed o o all kinds o people.
    ake care that your talk does not go over their heads. Always use simple
    language. In speech simple and direct language has great impact on the audi-
    ence. Te language o the Bible is simple, emotional and emphatic. Read the t he
    Bible as ofen as you can. Famous creators like, John Bright ofen read the
    Bible. Avoid technical language when you are addressing a lay audience.
    Abraham Lincoln always put his ideas into a language which could be under-
    stood even by a boy,
    (ii) Appeal to the sense o sight: One can understand a thing more clearly by
    seeing it than by hearing about it. Eyes are better carriers o ideas than ears.
    Hence, you can use charts, maps, diagrams, etc.
    (iii) Repetition: Important
    Important ideas can be repeated. But, But, do not repeat the ideas in
    the same language. Vary the sentences. Repetition in different language will
    make the ideas clear.
    (iv) Illustrations: It is very diffi cult or the common people to grasp gra sp abstract
    abstrac t
    ideas. So, whenever you deal with abstract ideas, give illustrations.
    illustrations. Better reer
    to speci󿬁c instances and concrete cases.
    Limited points: Do not try to cover many points. Reer to only a ew points.
    But, develop each point ully.
    (vi) Summary: Give a brie summa summaryry o what you have dealt
    dealt with.
    11. How can the speaker create
    create interest
    interest in the audience?
    o impress and convince the audience is your aim. But, how to do it? It is an uphill
    task. But, i you cannot do
    d o it, you are a ailure as a speaker. Follow the suggestions
    given here. You
    You are sure to succeed.
    (i) Convince yoursel: I you want to convince others, you yoursel must be
    convinced 󿬁rst. You must have a mastery o the ideas you are dealing with.
    And then deliver them with enthusiasm. Te audience is bound to be con-
    vinced o what
    what you say.
    say. And they will be interested
    interested in your talk.
    (ii) Common ground: I you have something new to say, do not attack the
    belies and ideas o the audience. I you attack, the audience will become
    antagonistic. On the contrary, you should say that your ideas are similar to
    something they already believe. Tis will disarm their opposition. Tey will
    be impressed. And they will be interested
    interested in the talk.
    (iii) Restatement: I the audience is not impressed by your ideas, repeat them
    several times. Daniel O’Conneil said that a political truth is taken up and
    adopted by the audience only i it is repeated again and again. Incessant rep-
    etition is required to impress truths upon the minds o the people. But, or
    repetition o the same thing one must have a command o the language. Lan-
    guage o restatement must vary.

    28 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    (iv) General illustrations and concrete instances: General illustrations and


    concrete instances can impress the audience. Tey help to prevent the audi-
    ence rom putting orth opposite ideas. General illustrations and concrete
    instances make the ideas clear. Hence, they impress the people.
    (v) Quote authorities: I you quote rom any author, you must quote the exact
    words. Also you must tell rom whom you are quoting. Te sources should
    be authoritative. Quote a popular man. Quote a local man. Quote one who is
    accepted as authority by all.
    (vi) Extraordinary acts: People are always interested
    interested in extraordinary acts
    about ordinary things. So consult as many books as you can and dig out
    some unusual acts about the things you are dealing with. Te audience will
    at once be impressed and take interest
    interest in your talk.
    (vii) Audience’s interests: alk about things in which the audience are are inter-
    ested. Reer to the local people and local incidents. he audience will be
    keenly interested in such a talk.
    (viii) Mental pictures: Use words which conjure
    conjure pictures beore your mind’s eye. Such
    pictures are deeply impressed on the mind. Sprinkle them through your talks.
    (ix) Contrast: Use o balanced contrasts creates interest. Good contrasts are the
    brick and mortar o a good speech. Macaulay used them ofen. One example—
    “Te rules are meant to be observed in the spirit, not in the letter-or the com-
    ort, not the discomort o the passengers”.
    12. How can the speaker improve
    improve their
    their diction?
    Language is the medium through which we express our ideas. As the vehicle o
    ideas, it is the most Important element in speaking. Withou
    Withoutt having a good degree
    o command o the language, one cannot hope to have success as a speaker. On the
    other hand, one who is master o the language can command the audience.
    audience. Te
    manner is more important than the matter. But, how to acquire command over
    the language. Tere are several methods.
    (i) Company o great masters: Your language will be largely a re󿬂ection o the
    company you keep. Tereore, keep company with the masters o literature.
    Devote several hours every day to reading Shakespeare and other poets and
    prose-writes. Gradually and unconsciously your mind will be enriched and
    your diction will have the stamp o these masters. Tis is what Lincoln did.
    Tis is what Jefferson did. Read the newspapers hurriedly. And devote the
    time thus saved to reading enduring books the Holy Bible is an excellent
    book. John Bright read it daily. Read it whenever you get time.
    (ii) Dictionary: Make a dictionary
    dictionar y your constant companion. Look up the amil-
    iar word: Find out its real signi󿬁cance. Find out how it is used.
    (iii) Derivation: Study the derivation o the words you use. Te histories and
    developments o words are not at all dull and dry; they are very interesting.
    Indeed, they are replete with romance. Enjoy the romance o words.
    (iv) Worn out words: Do not use threadbare words. ake care to use words which
    express the meaning precisely. Do not beat about the bush. Say 󿬁rmly what
    you want to say by using the appropriate
    appropriate words. I need be consult a dictionary
    or Roger’s “reasury o Words’’
    Words’’. Do not use the words that have become hack-
    ha ck-

    neyed by constant
    sparingly use. For example,
    and appropriately. use ‘elegant’
    An adjective or ‘beautiul’.
    is the enemy o a noun.Use adjectives
    (v) rite comparisons: Do not use trite comparisons, such as “cool as cucum-
    ber’’. Use resh comparisons. Use the language boldly. Have the courage to
    create similes o your own.

    SPEAKING SKILLS 29

    WHAT IS ORAL COMMUNICATION?


    Oral communication, also known as verbal communication, is the interchange
    interchange o verbal
    4
    messages between a sender and receiver. It is more immediate than written communica- Understand the
    Understand t he nature
    tion. It is also more natural and inormal. and importance o oral
    In human development, speech precedes writing. Children irst learn to speak, and communication in
    then, much later, develop the ability to read and write. he ability to speak/articulate business transactions
    single words and later speak groups o words in meaningul sequence comes to chil- and personal
    dren in the course o their growth. his ability develops rom listening to verbal sounds interactions.
    (words). As compared to written communication, thereore, the ability to communicate
    through the spoken word (speech) is a naturally developing ability (barring medical
    abnormalities).
    In business, oral communication is used more than written communication. A study A manager should be
    o executive working hours showed that 70 per cent o an executive’s time is spent on able to converse or
    communicating. Forty-ive per cent o this time is spent listening, 30 per cent is spent discuss persuasively,
    on speaking, 16 per cent on reading, and 9 per cent on writing. As 75 per cent execu- effectively, and
    tive communication is oral, it is advisable that executives develop their listening and convincingly.
    speaking (oral communication) skills.1

    Importance of Oral Communication Skills


    A manager’s maximum time is devoted to oral communication. He or she is oten
    engaged in one o the ollowing tasks: meetings, discussions, negotiations, seminars,
    presentations, interviews, peer conversations, providing instructions, and telephone
    conversations. All these business activities, except telephone conversations, involve
    face-to-face verbal communication. A telephone conversation is one-to-one oral
    communication that requires skillul control o tone, voice, and pitch, and precise use
    o words.
    In business transactions that involve ace-to-ace interactio
    interaction
    n between individuals or
    groups o individuals, it is not enough to be able to talk, discuss, converse, argue, or
    negotiate an issue. A manager should be able to do all these persuasively, eectively,
    and convincingly. But to be convincing, he or she must know and apply the skills o oral
    communication.
    Managers ace diiculties in resolving the problems o workers and inluencing oth-
    ers through dialogue and personal discussions. hey need oral communication skills
    that include being able to:
    • Solve problems
    • Resolve con󿬂icts
    • In󿬂uence people to work together
    • Persuade others to be involved in organizational goals
    • Be assertive without being aggressive
    aggressive
    • Listen thoughtull
    thoughtullyy
    • Negotiate effectively
    • Make proposals
    hese skills include developing the necessary tact to work eectively or mutual satis-
    action in complex situations. Broadly speaking, one has to know when to talk; when not
    to talk but to listen; how to talk (the tone, pitch, and modulation); how to interpret the
    listener’s acial expressions, physical gestures, movements, and attitude; and how to be
    It is said that it does not
    aware o one’s own body talk (leakage), which consciously or unconsciously sends signals
    matter what you say, but
    to the listener. It is said that it does not matter what you say, but rather, how you say it.
    rather, how you say it.
    his includes one’s choice o words, level o conidence, and sincerity.

    30 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    Choosing the Form of Communication


    5 he choice between using oral and written communication is guided by considering the
    suitability o oral or written orm or the purpose and nature o the subject o commu-
    Know when to choose
    oral communication nication. Both written and oral orms have advantages and limitations, which are listed
    instead o written in Exhibit 3.1.
    communication. Principles of Successful Oral Communica
    Communication tion
    here are three communication situations in which oral communication takes place:
    1. Face-to-ace
    2. Intercultural
    3. Via electronic media
    Oral communication is indispensable in any group or business activity. Here are some o
    the characteristics and principles o eective oral communication:
    • Purpose: Te purpose o talking effectively
    effe ctively is to be heard and unde
    understood
    rstood by the listener.
    • Lively rhythm: Oral communication should, 󿬁rst o all, have a lively rhythm and tone.
    • Simple words: It is important to use language that is ree rom long-winded sen-
    tences, clichés, and old-ashioned words and phrases. It is best to employ com-
    monly used words and short and simple sentences.

    Exhibit 3.1 Oral Communication Written Communication


    Comparative Advantages
    and Limitations of Advantages
    Oral and Written More personal and informal Better for complex and difficult subjects,
    Communication facts, and opinions
    Makes immediate impact Can be read at the receiver’s convenience or
    pleasure
    Provides opportunity for interaction and
    Provides Can be circulated
    feedback
    Helps the speaker correct himself or herself Providess opportunity to refer back to a more
    Provide
    (and his or her message) according to the permanent record
    feedback and non-verbal cues received from
    the receiver
    Bet
    Bette
    terr fo
    forr conve
    conveyin
    ying
    g fe
    feeli
    elings
    ngs and
    and e
    emot
    motion
    ionss Better
    Better for
    for ke
    keepi
    eping
    ng rrec
    ecord
    ordss of m
    mess
    essage
    agess
    exchanged
    Can be revised before transmitting

    Limitations
    Demands ability to think coherently while Immediate feedback
    feedback is not available for cor-
    speaking rection on the spot
    A word
    word onc
    once
    euutte
    ttere
    red
    d ca
    canno
    nnott be taken
    taken back
    back Man
    Manyy pe
    peopl
    oplee do not lik
    like
    e rread
    eading
    ing,, es
    espec
    pecial
    ially
    ly
    official or bus
    business
    iness mes
    messages
    sages
    Hard to control voice pitch and tone, More impersonal and remote
    especially when stressed, excited, or angry

    Very diffi cult to be co


    language conscious
    nscious o
    off body The
    that reader is nottohelped
    is
    contribute bymessage
    the total non-
    non-verbal
    verbal cues

    Do not know if the message has been read


    Is more time consuming2

    SPEAKING SKILLS 31

    • Pitch: Te pitch o the speaker’s voice should take into consideration the distance
    between the listener and the speaker.
    • one and body language: Te speaker’s tone should be marked by sincerity and con-
    󿬁dence. Te listener, unlike the reader o a written communica
    communication,
    tion, has the advan-
    tage o watching the speaker in the act o verbalizing his or her ideas and eelings,
    and is able to note subconscious body language that may contradict the intent o
    the spoken words. Tereore, in ace-to-ace communication, the message is both
    heard and seen. A speaker has to be very careul, both about his or her choice o
    words and the manner o speaking them. Te manner o speaking is, at times, more
    important than the actual words, which communicate only 7 per cent o the total
    meaning o the message. Albert Mehrabian’s research reveals astonishing acts about
    how exactly different actors contribute to a speaker’s total message: 2
    ■ Verbal actors (words): 7%
    ■ one o voice and modulation: 38%
    ■ Visual actors (acial expressions, body movements, and gestures): 55%
    Effective speakers learn to control and use their tone and body language to sup-
    port their words. Te role o tone and visual expressions and body language as con-
    tributory actors in oral communication
    communication will be discussed in detail in Chapter 7.
    • Pace of speaking: Unlike the written word, the spoken word is ephemeral and short-
    Research has
    lived. Listeners cannot reer back to the spoken word as readers can in case they missed
    established that an
    something. Tis is an inherent limitation o speech. o overcome this limitation, the individual speaks nearly
    listener has to listen closely and attentively and the speaker should converse slowly, 125 words a minute, but
    with proper semantic pauses, to enable the listener to receive and register what is said. the listener can process
    Tere should be a correlation between the pace o speaking and the rate o listening. the inormation nearly
    Research has established that an individual speaks nearly 125
    1 25 words a minute, but the 4–5 times more rapidly
    listener can process the inormation nearly 4–5 times more rapidly than this. I the than this.
    gap between hearing and registering is too wide or too narrow based on the pace o
    speaking, comprehension will to be adversely affected. Hence, an important principle
    o oral communication is to speak 󿬂uently,
    󿬂uently, without long pauses or without rushing.
    • Fluency: Fluency is described in the Oxford English Dictionary as “the quality o
    Listening is activated
    being able to speak or write a language easily and well.” A 󿬂uent speaker is one who and helped when the
    is heard with
    register, ease. Te the
    and interpret listener does not
    message. have toisstrain
    Listening his orand
    activated herhelped
    mind to receive,
    when the speaker delivers his or
    her words in an ordered
    speaker delivers his or her words in an ordered manner. Each word is distinctly manner.
    heard and easily connected with other words to orm the structure o the message.

    Guidelines for Effective Oral Communication


    Oral communication should provide a platorm or air and candid exchange o ideas. 6
    he communicator should keep in mind the ollowing tips and guidelines: Learn key skills o oral
    • Consider the objective. communication.
    • Tink about the interest level o the receiver.
    • Be sincere.
    • Use simple language and amiliar words.
    • Be brie and precise.
    • Avoid vagueness
    vaguenes s and generalitie
    generalities.
    s.
    • Give ull acts.
    • Assume nothing.
    • Use polite wor
    words
    ds and tone.

    32 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    • Eliminate insulting implications.


    • Include some inormation that is interesting and pleasing to the recipient.
    • Allow time to respond.

    Barriers to Effective Oral Communication


    Managers have to communicate individually with people at dierent levels—superiors,
    subordinates, peers, customers, and public igures. he oral mode o communication
    is easy, eicient, and unctionally helpul in resolving issues. But oral communication
    demands great control and communicative competence to be successul. he oremost
    barrier to oral communication
    communication is poor listening. Listening is a psychological act aected
    by several actors, such as the speaker’s status, the listener’s receptivity and retention,
    language barriers, and so on. hese are discussed in detail in Chapter 5.

    THREE ASPECTS OF ORAL COMMUNICATION󲀔CONVERSING,


    LISTENING, AND BODY LANGUAGE
    he ability to present and articulate one’s viewpoint in a conversation is one o the most
    important components o oral communication. Eective conversationalists try to present
    acts, not opinions; they stick to the point; keep the listener’s interest in mind; support
    their arguments with suitable examples; and ask or eedback and answer questions
    honestly. It is also important to know how to negotiate between opposing viewpoints
    and control the direction o conversation without being aggressive. hese conversation
    skills are discussed in detail in Chapter 4.
    he other side o oral communication involves careul listening. o be able to under-
    stand and appreciate others, one should allow them to express themselves reely, without
    being interrupted, and listen careully. o improve your oral communication skills, you
    should know whether you are an eective or ineective listener. By knowing your own
    characteristics, you can improve your listening skills as an important element o eec-
    tive oral communication. Inconsiderate listeners may annoy and disturb the speaker by
    interrupting or showing little interest in what is being discussed. Eective listeners on
    the other hand try to encourage the other person via positive body language and expres-
    sions. hey indicate that they eel interested and understand what is being discussed.
    Chapter
    Body 5language
    discussesislistening
    the thirdinmajor
    greater detail.
    aspect o oral communication, as it oten relects
    unspoken thoughts and emotions. he speaker should not be vague or unocused, but
    instead, should make eye contact with the audience, encourage questions and interac-
    tion, show conidence, and get to the point without unnecessary talking. he nuances o
    non-verbal communication and body language are discussed in Chapter 7.
    By practicing the basic skills o good listening, eective conversation, and positive
    body language one can become an eective communicator
    communicator and be successul as a man-
    ager or negotiator, or in any situation involving conversation or discussion.

    INTERCULTURAL
    INTERCULTURAL ORAL COMMUNICATION
    COMMUNICATION

    7 oday, interaction with oreigners or business, education, and social purposes has
    become very requent. he cultural dierences in social behaviour, values, language,
    Appreciate how inter- and articulation pose diiculties or both sides. Communication Snapshot
    Snapshot 3.1 illustrates
    illustrates
    some such diiculties. Intercultural interactions take place not only when people go
    cultural situations
    abroad or receive visitors rom another country, but even in the home country. his is
    require thoughtul
    because we live in a multi cultural society and interact with people who speak a variety
    oral communication.
    o languages and belong to dierent subcultures.

    SPEAKING SKILLS 33

    Besides language barriers, intercultural interaction is deeply affected by the lack of familiarity Communication
    with business and social norms and conventions of the respective cultural groups. The advice Snapshot 3.1
    that Sunil gives to his cousin Gopal, who has just arrived in the United States as a student from
    India, in Anurag Mathur’s novel,
    novel, The Inscrutable Americans,
    Americans, is valuable in this context.
    Intercultural
    Communication
    “Ah Gopal, that may not be the most accurate account of life here. Y You
    ou know
    I suggest that before you actually start socializing with people maybe you
    should first settle down a bit, get to figure out what’s what, you know, check
    out the whole scene.”

    Sunil’s advice is to view things as they are, and to not assume anything or pass judgment hastily
    Sunil’s
    in an unfamiliar culture. An example of Gopal’s bafflement in his early days in the United States
    occurs in a grocery store and reveals how necessary it is to be familiar with the manner in which
    business is conducted in a different culture.

    “At the mall, Gopal felt totally helpless at the gentility all around and the
    effortless ease with which shopping could be conducted. However, he knew
    shopkeepers well and he felt he had no reasons to believe that their basic
    attitude to customers here [America] would be any different from what it was
    in India. So when the girl at the counter totalled his purchases for pots, sheets
    and plates and announced, “That’ll be $37 and 52 cents, sir”,
    sir”, Gopal was ready

    for her.
    “25 dollars,” he replied firmly.
    “Sorry, sir”, she replied, “that’s 37 dollars and 52 cents”.
    “27 dollars”, Gopal suggested.
    “Er, no sir”,
    sir”, she replied ner
    nervously,
    vously, “if you’ve run short of cash we’ll gladly accept
    all the major credit cards, cheques or traveller’s cheques”.
    “29 dollars”, said Gopal firmly, “no more, or I am going to other nice shop. They
    are saying they are having sale but I am giving you chance first”
    first ”.
    The girl began to look around wildly. “Excuse me, sir”,
    sir”, she pleaded, “I’ll have to
    get the manager.” She fled.

    The girl felt e


    exasperated.
    xasperated. Gopal’
    Gopal’ss conve
    conversation
    rsation with her failed to conv
    convey
    ey what exactly he wanted.
    The parallel conversation made little sense to the American salesgirl, who was unfamiliar with
    the practice of bargaining, which is common in India. Even her manager could not follow Gopal’
    Gopal’ss
    conversation correctly. Gopal was trying to bargain because he did not want to pay 37 dollars
    and 52 cents for his total purchase. This was not because he was short of money as the counter
    girl and her manager thought, but because he was used to bargaining when shopping. In that
    pleasant atmosphere, bargaining was unheard of, so when Gopal went on quoting different
    amounts in response to the fixed amount repeated by the counter girl, it made no sense to her.
    When his friend Randy asked Gopal what was going on, Gopal replied that he was bargaining.
    Randy who knew about American business culture was amused at the prospect of the great fun
    to be caused by Gopal’
    Gopal’ss bargaining.

    The manager arrived.


    “What seems to be the problem, sir?” as
    asked
    ked the manager suavely. “Could I be
    of some help?”
    “Prices are too high,” said Gopal firmly.
    “Ha, ha, ha,” chuckled the manager, “isn’t that the truth. I often say the same
    to the wife myself. Now I’ll tell you what,” he leaned forward conspiratorially,
    “if you’ve run out of cash, leave behind any one of these items, I’ll reduce $5
    and throw in free this packet of fine chewing gum. How about that? Is that
    fair or is that fair?”
    “Chewing gum rots teeth,” said Gopal firmly.

    34 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    “All right”, said the manager through clenched teeth, “what’s the real problem
    here? Come on, spit it out. You broke or something?”
    “No,” said Gopal, “but this only worth $25.”
    “Oh, yeah”, said the manager, “says who?”

    “Who is setting these prices?” demanded Gopal coldly.


    “How the hell do I know? Hey buddy, look, I just work here. I don’t want no
    trouble, all right?”
    “27 dollars.”
    “Hey jerko, what are you? Ralph Nader send you, hunh? He is an Arab too, isn’t he?”
    “I am Indian. 29 dollars.”
    “I don’t believe this. What are you, nuts? Why don’t you just take the whole
    damn thing free?”
    “Thank you”,
    you”, said Gopal, gathering the package.
    pack age.
    “Hey, hang on, wait up. Jesus, I get all the freaks. All right,
    r ight, 30 dollars, and that
    that’s
    ’s it”
    it”..
    To facilitate
    facilitate intercultural inte
    interaction,
    raction, it is necessary to ensure that the language, context, social
    and business practices, and values and norms are shared across different groups. Native speak-
    ers of English should remember what they themselves experience when they interact in a for-
    eign language. To enable a foreign language speaker to follow them, native speakers should
    speak their first language (English) slowly and articulate each word as distinctly as possible. In
    addition, they should avoid the use of colloquial expressions that can cause difficulty for the
    other person.

    Source: Based on extracts from Anurag Mathur, The Inscrutable Americans (New Delhi: Rupa Publications,
    Source:
    1991) pp. 23, 49–50. Reproduced with permission.

    Indian speakers o English oten ace diiculty in conversing with Americans, the
    British, or other English-speaking Europeans. he oreign accent and speed o speaking
    sometimes make it diicult to ollow what is being said. Even though the conversation
    takes place in English, two persons rom dierent cultural backgrounds rarely speak
    English in the same way or understand it to the same extent.

    8 ORAL COMMUNICATION AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA


    In business, the use o telephone, voice mail, phone conerencing, video conerencing,
    Apply oral cell phones, and e-mail occurs in accordance with the need and purpose o the commu-
    communication skills nicator. Since the communicators in these situations are not ace-to-ace, one has to have
    to new communica-
    communica- a high level o oral communication skills to be able to communicate eectively through
    tion technologies. these methods.

    Phones
    In business, or immediate inormation and response, the handiest mode o commu-
    nication is the telephone. hough convenient or the caller, it is oten viewed by top
    managers or very senior executives as a source o interruption. Hence, the phone is oten
    received by an administrative assistant. Ater the caller explains the purpose o the call,
    he or she is put through to the concerned person.
    Most organizations have a standard way o answering phone calls. he normal prac-
    tice is or the receiver to greet the caller and then state his or her name and department.
    On picking up the phone, one should never say, Yes—who is it—what do you want?
    Instead, the receiver should sound polite by saying something like “May I know who is
    calling?” or “May I know in what regard you are calling?”

    SPEAKING SKILLS 35

    Nowadays, organizations have automatic exchanges that acilitate direct connections


    with the desired extension; alternatively, the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) may guide
    callers to the extension or ask them to wait or the operator. he operator usually begins
    by stating the organization’s name, or by a greeting such as, “Good morning, IM.”
    In business, courtesy counts. One doesn’t automatically know how important the
    caller is or the company’s business. So, every phone should be received with a standard
    sequence o phrases. I the intended receiver is not available, courtesy demands that a
    message be taken. But or that one has to be ready and equipped with a pen or pencil and
    paper. I the call reaches the receiver directly, generally, the response is just the name o
    the person, or instance, “Vinod”.
    Business telephone conversations should be only as long as is essential. I the other
    person starts going o-topic, the receiver may indicate that he or she wants to close the
    conversation by summarizing and repeating the intended/decided-upon action. he call
    should end with some expression o goodwill, such as “hanks or calling”, “Pleasure
    talking with you”, or “I will get back to you.”

    Voice Mail
    Voice mail acility is a common eature o an organization’s phone system. It is a means
    o digitally recording voice messages that can be saved and orwarded, or skipped and
    deleted. It allows executives to attend to calls when they are ree. When they are busy
    with meetings or work outside the oice, they can transer their calls to voice mail and
    check messages rom any location at any time.
    he voice mail message should sound as natural as possible and should be courteous.
    he caller should be able to recognize it as the intended receiver’s voice. he recorded
    message may be something like “his is Pallavi Mehta in the R&D department. Please
    leave me a message. I shall call you back. hank you.”
    Conference Calls
    elephones and cell phones have a conerencing system that allows several persons
    to talk with each other at the same time. his technology is now commonly used by
    companies across the globe.
    here can be two types o business calls. he irst is a one-way closed circuit com-
    munication that allows employees to tune in and hear an announcement; or example,
    daily/early morning progress reports, plant production reports, or other brieings are
    simultaneously heard by dozens o widely spread out persons via the phone and/or a
    public announcement system.
    he second type o call is interactive. A number o persons can be on the same con-
    erence call. In this system, each participant can listen as well as talk. hrough a coner-
    ence call, dierent members o a team working on a project together are able to update
    themselves on the progress made by the team without conducting meetings ace-to-ace.
    hrough the interactive conerence call system, each team member can interact with
    others rom their own work location. his saves companies time and transportation
    costs. Moreover, the interaction is real-time and can happen as and when required.
    Conerence calls are used by most organizations as a routine communication chan-
    nel or planning, updating, coordinating, and monitoring activities without requiring
    employees to travel long distances or a meeting o a ew hours.
    Cell Phones
    Cellular phones are a popular instrument o communication worldwide. heir utility
    or business executives has been greatly enhanced by the introduction o General Packet
    Radio Services (GPRS) technology. GPRS technology allows the radio transmission o
    small packets o data, especially
    especi ally between mobile phones and the Internet. Mobile handsets
    enabled with GPRS technology do the work o laptops/computers and voice recorders.
    hey are more convenient than laptops, as they are smaller and easier to transport.

    36 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    Video Conferencing
    Internet-enabled video conerencing is an electronic version o ace-to-ace com-
    munication. Business meetings, interviews, and other urgent interactions among
    several distantly located individuals can be eectively conducted without requiring
    participants to move rom their respective places o work. Video conerencing is more
    complex than talking on the phone. It involves the use o cameras or images and
    phones or speech and sound communicated back and orth over the Internet. As with
    ace-to-ace communication,
    communication, video conerencing calls or a whole range o oral skills,
    such as clear and natural speaking, attentive listening, and positive body language.
    For successul video conerencing, the ollowing points may be kept in mind:
    • Choose a qui
    quiet
    et place as this will eliminate
    eliminate backgroun
    background
    d noise.
    • Set sound/volume to an appropriate level.
    • Ensure that th
    thee aces o the speakers are
    are visible by
    by checking the
    the lighting in
    in the room.
    • Sit comortably acing the camera. Do not move unnecessarily.
    unnecessar ily.
    • Wait or the image o the other person and your own image to appear on the screen
    beore beginning the discussion.
    • At the beginnin
    beginningg o the conversation,
    conversation, introduce
    introduce yoursel and your
    your team to the o
    other
    ther party.
    party.

    • Wait or the transmission to complete beore responding. Due to technical issues,
    there may be pauses between the two speakers.
    • Always dir
    direct
    ect your message
    message or question
    question by speciying
    speciying the person you are addressing.
    addressing.
    • r
    reat
    eat video conerencing as an audio–visual medium o o relaxed business and social
    communication connecting people in different locations.

    SUMMARY

    • Speaking is a m
    mode
    ode o
    o communica
    communication.
    tion. controlling one’s body language, and the inability to
    • Effective speaking ski
    skills
    lls ar
    aree learnt and d
    developed
    eveloped thr
    through
    ough circulate the communication to a large group o peo-
    patience and perseverance. ple at a later time.
    • Tere are advantages o ooral
    ral comm
    communication
    unication over wri
    written
    tten • Te princip
    principles
    les o effective oral communication
    communication include
    communication, such as its immediacy and directness, paying attention to tone and body language, modulat-
    the scope or immediate eedback and interaction, and ing one’s pitch, speaking naturally, listening thought-
    the inclusion o non-verbal communication such as body ully, using simple language, and pacing one’s speed
    language and gestures. when speaking.
    • Tere are also some disadvantages o oral commu- • It is impo
    important
    rtant to be careul and thoughtul when com-
    nication when compared to written communication. municating in an unamiliar culture.
    Tese include the lack o a record that can be reerred • New electro
    electronic
    nic technologies call or
    or skillul oral com
    com--
    to later, the inability to rephrase or revise ideas and munication and should be thoroughly understood by
    words once they have been expressed, th thee diffi culty in business executives.

    CASE:: DEALING WITH OUTSOURCING BACKLASH


    CASE

    “I don’t want to speak to you. Connect me to your boss in are a common occurrence, say call-centre executives and
    the US,”
    US,” hissed the American on the phone. he young girl industry experts. According to them, many callers rom the
    at a Bangalore call centre tried to be as polite as she could. West reuse to spea
    speakk to an Indian. When callers are unhappy
    With the increasing resentment over jobs lost to coun- with the act that jobs are being outsourced to low-cost o-
    tries like India and the Philippines, hate calls and mails shore destinations, their rustration oten turns racist or

    SPEAKING SKILLS 37

    sexist. A young girl at a call centre recalls how a Londoner Questions to Answer
    unleashed himsel, “Young lady, do you know that because 1. Assume yoyou
    u are wworking
    orking as an operato
    operatorr at a call cen
    centre
    tre
    o you Indians we are losing jobs?” in India and are receiving irate calls rom Americans
    Call-centre employees are advised to “be cool” in such situ- and Western Europeans. How would you handle such
    ations. hey are oten taught how to use neutral accents calls? Imagine a situation and state what your response
    and say “zee” instead o “zed”, and some call centres even would be.
    try to educate their employ
    e mployees
    ees about American liestyle and 2. “Keep your cool.” What does this mean in terms of
    culture. Some call centres provide gyms and pool tables to business courtesy?
    help their employees counter
    counter the stress they experience as a
    3. Do you agree with the view
    view that such
    such abusive conver-
    conver-
    result o irate or racist calls.
    sations on the telephone do not have any impact on
    he uror raised by the Western media over job losses business? Give reasons
    reasons for your answer
    answer..
    because o outsourcing has made many citizens resent the
    act that their calls are answered by people in oreign loca-
    tions. Angry outbursts are a reality that call centre execu- Sources: Based on “Outsourcing Backlash Gets Abusive, Ugly,”
    tives are trained to deal with. “It’s happening oten enough, Hindustan imes,
    imes, December 21, 2003, New Delhi; and Rama
    so let’s ace it,” says a senior executive o a Gurgaon call Lakshmi, “India Call Ce
    Centres
    ntres Suer Sturm o 4-letter Words,” he
    centre, adding, “ his doesn’t have any impact on business.
    business.”” Washington Post, February 27, 2005.

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    1. Discuss ive essenti


    essential
    al elements o speaking. 4. Discuss some o the principles o eective oral com
    commu-
    mu-
    2. Give ive reasons or choosing the oral mode o
    o com- nication.
    munication instead o the written
    wr itten orm. 5. In intercult
    intercultural
    ural conversation,
    conversation, both how yyou
    ou talk and
    3. What skills does a speaker need to be successul in what you say is equally important or building good
    communicating with others? Give an example o di- proessional relations. Give examples and explain.
    iculty or ailure in oral communication.

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING


    1. What determines your speaking style? 4. How does a marked slowdo
    slowdown
    wn in the pace o speaking
    2. How would you improve a persperson’
    on’s courage and sel- aect interpersonal communicatio
    communication?
    n?
    conidence or public speaking? 5. What is the eect o electronic media on oral commu-
    3. What are the ways o holding your audienc
    audience’
    e’s attention? nication?

    APPLY YOUR LEARNING

    Romil and Sandeep had to go to Khan Market to run some urther conversation. heir riend was surprised. He won-
    errands. hey decide to borrow a bike rom one o their dered why they did not take the bike they had wanted to
    riends in college. When they asked him or the bike, he borrow.
    responded, “Normally, I do not lend my bike to anyone.
    A ew days ago, I lent it to Arpan and the bike developed Analyse the riend’s response to Romil and Sandeep’s
    some problem—there was an overlow o petrol.” Romil request. What did he really intend to convey when he gave
    and Sandeep thanked their riend curtly and let without Arpan’s example?

    38 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    From the given options, please choose the most appropriate answer:*
    1. Speaking is 6. he o
    oremost
    remost barrier to oral co
    communication
    mmunication is:
    (a) a silence (a) poor listening
    (b) a mode o communicati
    communication
    on (b) humility
    (c) an art (c) interestedness
    (d) a skill (d) concentration
    2. Goals o speaking are 7. he eectiveness o oral comm
    communication
    unication depends o
    on
    n
    (a) to inorm and persuade the speaker’s ability to use:
    (b) to persuade and delight (a) complex words
    (c) to inorm, remind, and delight (b) long sentences
    (d) the very goals o communicatio
    communicationn (c) simple language
    (d) oreign words
    3. Oral comm
    communication
    unication is better than written co
    communi-
    mmuni-
    cation or: 8. In oral communicati
    communication,
    on, what matters most is:
    (a) providing opportunity to reer back (a) what you say
    (b) conveying acts and opinions (b) how you say it
    (c) conveying eelings and emotions (c) when you say it
    (d) saving time (d) where you say it
    4. he limita
    limitation
    tion o
    o oral communicatio
    communication
    n is that: 9. Oral co
    communication
    mmunication is also known as:
    (a) it is irreversible—what is said cannot be taken back (a) verbal communicatio
    communication
    n
    (b) it is not aected by the speaker’
    speaker’ss eelings or stress (b) non-verbal communicatio
    communication
    n
    or excitement levels. (c) impersonal communicatio
    communicationn
    (c) it is easy to be aware o our body language (d) ace-to-ace communicatio
    communication
    n
    (d) it does not require on-the-spot thinking
    10. In business, oral communica
    communication
    tion is suitable or:
    5. In business, oral communicatio
    communication
    n is ace-to-ace: (a) recording things
    (a) in all situations (b) discussing things
    (b) in some situations (c) delaying the decision-making process
    (c) in no situation (d) conusing workers
    (d) in all but one situation

    ENDNOTES

    1. Ranki
    Rankin,
    n, P
    P.. .,
    ., “Te Import
    Importance
    ance o Listeni
    Listening
    ng Ability”
    Ability”,, 2. Alber
    Albertt M
    Mehrabia
    ehrabian,
    n, “Communication Without Words”
    ords”,,
    English Journal 17 (October 1928), pp. 623–630. Psychology oday (September 1968), 53–55.
    *For answers and sel-evaluation, visit www.pearsoned.co
    www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi
    .in/PDChaturvedi

    4 Conversation Skills

    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    Communication researchers suggest Each participant had one “female”
    A gossip is one
    one who tal
    talks
    ks to that our communication style has and one “male” pal (these “net pals”
    “
    you about
    about othe
    others;
    rs; a bore is more to do with whom we are talking were actually one of the experi-
    to than who we are. Language experts menters using female-preferential
    one who talks to you about
    say men and women have gender- or male-preferential language). They
    himself; and a brilliant speci󿬁c communication styles. Stud- found these patterns to hold true in
    conversationalist is one who ies suggest that men speak in a more the study. The research team found
    talks to you about yourself. “male” way when they are interacting that, regardless of their own gender,
    with other men, and women tend to the students used “male” language
    — Lisa Kirk speak in a more “female” way when while communicating with the “male
    they talk with other women. But net pal” and “female” language with
    ” when men and women converse with the “female net pal”. The authors of
    each other, these differences are less the study, Rob Thomson, and his col-
    pronounced as each person adapts leagues from the University of Otago,
    to the other’s style. Studies also Dunedin, concluded that it is errone-
    show that women refer to emotions, ous to assume that the language a
    use personal information, and make person uses in a conversation with
    self-derogatory comments more someone of the same gender is the
    Upon completion of this chapter, you frequently than men. Men do these “natural” style for that person. Each
    should be able to: less frequently and are more likely to person is capable of using a range of
    express opinions and use insults.
    i nsults. styles, depending on whom they are
    1 Know the meaning and social T
    To
    o study if such conversation pat- talking to.
    purpose of conversation
    conversation..
    2 Learn how to break the ice and terns extend to e-mails, researchers
    from the University of Otago in New Source: Based on Rob Thomson, Tamar
    start conversatio
    conversations.
    ns.
    Zealand recruited 22 psychology stu- Murachver and James Green, “Where Is the
    3 Comprehend conversation control dents and had them correspond by Gender in Gendered Language?” Psychologi-
    and its applications. e-mail with a “net pal” for two weeks. cal Science 12, no. 2.
    4 Identify and avoid parallel
    conversations,, while developing
    conversations
    sequential ones.
    WHAT IS CONVERSATION?
    5 Appreciate the role of Transactional
    Analysis (TA) in interpersonal he art o conversation is an essential interpersonal skill that helps build
    communication and the resultant a pleasing personality. Eective conversation helps in getting riendly
    behaviour. cooperation in social and proessional situations. Conversation involves
    6 Know how to control the direction speaking and listening in a sequence. It is an oral exchange o sentiments,
    of conversation in meetings, oral observations, opinions, and ideas. he Longman Dictionary of Contemporary
    Contemporary
    presentations, and negotiations, English deines conversation in the social context, which is the ordinary
    and how to in󿬂uence or motivate context o everyday lie, as “an inormal talk in which people exchange
    the listener or audience.
    views, eelings and thoughts”
    thoughts”. he Merriam-
    Merriam-Webster
    Webster Dictionary deines
    conversation in the proessional context as an inormal discussion o an
    issue by representatives o governments, institutions or groups”.

    40 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    1 What distinguishes ordinary conversation rom other orms o oral communication


    such as debates, public speaking, negotiations, or business discussions, is its inormal-
    ity, in the sense that it is relaxed and riendly without being restricted by the rules o
    Know the meaning
    and social purpose o ormal behaviour. Conversation, in general, is spontaneous, riendly, and casual. he
    conversation. use o direct, inormal, and commonly used phrases constitutes the conversational
    style.

    2 SOCIAL CONVERSA
    CONVERSATION
    TION
    Learn how to break Social conversation, also known as chit-chat or small talk,
    talk, attempts to establish a socia-
    the ice and start ble atmosphere. At a tea-party or social gathering, the conversation reveals eelings o
    conversations. togetherness, rather than communicating ideas or any speciic meaning. Words are used
    in symbolic ways, as verbal social gestures. his social use o words is known as phatic
    communion..
    communion
    he words and phrases used in phatic communion such as “It was a pleasure meeting
    you”, “Do come again”, or “How is your amily?” can be best described as expressions o
    togetherness and camaraderie and an indication o the speaker’s culture and sensibility
    as a social being. Hayakawa
    Hayakawa points out that it is regarded as a social error not to say these
    things, even i the speaker does not mean them, and that it is completely impossib
    impossiblele or
    us in society to talk only when we “have something to say” 1. According to Hayakawa,
    “the togetherness o the talking is the most important element in social conversation; the
    subject matter is only secondary”.
    Greetings and arewells, such as “Good morning”, used to greet someone in the morn-
    ing; “ake care”, used to wish good luck while parting; or “How do you do?”, used when
    being introduced to someone, do not carry literal meaning and are phatic in nature.
    According to Bronislaw Malinowski2, phatic communion is a type o speech in which
    ties o union are created by a mere exchange o words. he words
    words ulil a social unction
    and “that is their principal aim, but they are neither the result o intellectual relection,
    nor do they necessarily arouse relection in the listener”. he Oxford English Dictionary
    explains phatic communion by saying, “they [the words] are used to convey general
    sociability rather than to communicate a speciic meaning; or example, Nice morning
    isn’t it?” Similarly, the phrase “How are you?” is not a question about the listener’s state
    o health, and “ake care” is not a warning against danger. Phatic utterances are used to
    break silence. heir purpose is to initiate conversation. his type o conversation does
    not aim at discussing an idea that may provoke disagreement. Instead, the conversation
    is usually about some common, shared eeling that can be instantly appreciated, such
    Fuller communication
    communication as appreciation o ine weather or natural beauty. Fuller communication can grow rom
    can grow rom small, ice-breaking remarks made upon making someone’s acquaintance.
    small, ice-breaking Exhibit 4.1 illustrates how small talk and inormal, riendly conversation about
    remarks made upon unimportant subjects creates a relaxed atmosphere or discussing business.
    making someone’s Social conversation in the orm o chit-chat, small talk, or phatic communion is not
    acquaintance. bound by any rigid order or sequence o subject matter. Its order and nature depends
    on the extent o both parties’ desire to establish a relationship. People who are drawn
    to each other talk with the goal o reaching a stage where they have a better under-
    standing and exchange o ideas. his is achieved by avoiding subjects that would lead to
    disagreements. With each point o agreement, no matter how commonplace or obvious,
    doubt and suspicion o the new acquaintance wear away and the possibility o riend-
    ship increases. And inally, when more intimate conversation reveals common tastes,
    opinions, and views, riendship replaces misgivings and communication in the real sense
    is made possible. hus, social conver
    conversation
    sation is psychologically structured, beginning in
    casual chit-chat and developing into genuine communication expressive o riendship
    and cooperation. Exhibit 4.2 shows how one can make small talk and break the ice.

    CONVERSATION
    CONVERSATION SKILLS 41

    Exhibit 4.1
    Divya Mehra, an architect and the owner of her 󿬁rm, Interiors,
    I nteriors, has commissioned an How Small Talk Facilitates
    advertising agency to create an ad brief for her new business plan. The plan involves creating Business Conversatio
    Conversationsns
    modern office spaces for corporations and busines
    businesses.
    ses. Daniel, who has been given the task
    of crating the brief and presenting it to Mrs Mehra, visits her to show her the draft and get

    her feedback.
    Daniel: Good morning, Mrs Mehra. How have you been?
    Mrs Mehra: Good morning, Daniel. Very well, thank you. Did you have a nice weekend?
    Daniel: Yes, indeed. I met a couple of old friends, so we had a good time. How was your
    weekend?
    Mrs Mehra: Not bad at all, thank you. A friend took me to see some of the beaches close to
    Mumbai. It all looks so lush green during the rains!
    Daniel: Yes, some of the beaches in Maharashtra are very pretty, aren’t they?
    Mrs Mehra: You don’t come from this part of the country, do you?
    Daniel: No, I’m from Delhi. But I like it here very much.
    Mrs Mehra: I’m glad to hear that. Well now, back to work! How’s the brief coming along?
    Daniel: I thought I’d show you the draft I’ve created. Would you please take a look at it and
    let me know what you think?
    Mrs Mehra: Sure, I’ve been waiting to see the draft. Let’s see the text 󿬁rst:

    “Interiors creates spacious and comfortable workspaces for you…easy-


    you… easy-
    to-install fittings, employee-friendly workspaces, all at an affordable
    price…cut your costs by half…
    half…””
    That last one’s a bit of a tall claim, isn
    isn’t
    ’t it? Should we retain something so ffar-fetched
    ar-fetched??
    Daniel: You’r
    You’re
    e right, Mrs Mehra. I shall delete that part, go over the whole thing once more
    and show it to you in a couple of days.

    Exhibit 4.2
    The ability to connect with others through small talk can lead to big things, according to Tips for Successful
    Successful
    Debra Fine, author of The Fine Art of Small Talk (Hyperion 2005). A former engineer, Fine Small Talk
    recalls being so ill at ease at networking events and even the 10 minute coffee break during
    a meeting that she would hide in the restroom. Now a motivational speaker, Fine believes
    the ability to develop relationships with people through small talk is an acquired skill.

    Fine offers the following tips for starting—and ending conversations:


    • Come up with
    with three things to talk when p
    preparing
    reparing o
    orr a unction alo
    along
    ng with a couple generic
    questions that will get others talking.
    • Be the irst to say
    say “hello.” Smile irs
    irstt and always shake hands wh
    when
    en you meet som
    someone.
    eone.
    • ake your time during introductions
    introductions.. Make an extra eort to rem
    remember
    ember names aand
    nd use them
    requently.. Exhibit host behaviour by introducing others that join the group to each other.
    requently
    • Get another person
    person talking by leading with a common gr
    ground
    ound statement regarding the occa-
    sion or location and then asking a related open-ended question. For example, you can also
    ask them about their trip in or how they know the bride or groom.
    • Show interest
    interest in yyour
    our conver
    conversational
    sational partner b
    byy actively llistening
    istening and giving verbal eedback.
    Maintain eye contact.
    • Listen more than you talk.
    • Be prepared to have something interesting to co
    contribute.
    ntribute. Sta
    Staying
    ying on top o
    o current events will
    provide you with great conversation builders, leading with “What do you think o?” Have
    you heard?”

    42 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    Exhibit 4.2
    (Contd.) • Be aware o
    o your body language. P
    People
    eople who look or act ill-a
    ill-at-ease
    t-ease make others uncomortable.
    • Have a ew
    ew exit lines ready
    ready,, so that you can graceully move on. Fo
    Forr example, “I need to check
    in with a client over there,” or “Who do you know at this meeting that could help me with …?

    Source: Extracts from Debra Fine, “Tips for Making Small Talk Success”, available at http://www.debra󿬁ne.
    com/art_tipsForSmallTalkSuccess.html, accessed 15 September 2010.
    Debra Fine is the author of The Fine Art of Small Talk (Hyperion). She presents keynotes and seminars on
    conversational
    conversational skills and networking techniques internationally.
    internationally. Contact Debra at 303-721-8266
    303-721-8266 or visit
    her Web site at www.DebraFine.com.

    In their daily interactions, people are constantly involved in the exchange o acts
    and opinions. In these conversations, it is important to avoid what is known as the
    binary mode and adopt a multi-valued approach. Sometimes, people tend to present
    acts and opinions in a binary manner, in which they try to prove that what they are
    saying is correct and what the other person
    p erson has to say is totally wrong. his view tends
    to antagonize both participants and can lead
    le ad to arguments. In some conversations,
    conversations, there
    may be a visible attempt at what Stephen Potter calls “one-upmanship”—an attempt to
    make onesel seem better than other people. A valuable part o a conversation is wasted
    when the participants want to prove that they are correct; instead, they should use the
    opportunity more proitably to exchange acts and opinions.
    Rational human beings should ollow what Karl R. Popper says, “Faith in reason is
    not only a aith in our own reason but also and even more in that o others. Rationalism
    is thereore bound up with the idea that the other ellow has a right to be heard and to
    deend his arguments”. According to this view, no person is wholly wrong even i we do
    not accept him or her as correct. Rationally speaking, reality cannot be truly categorized
    into an “either–or” system o thinking. Reality is not simply right or wrong, or good or
    bad. his perception is urther reined when truth is viewed in terms o a scale o values,
    such as 0 to 5 or 0 to 100. o value reality as 0 and 1 is to miss the vast design o real-
    ity that consists o numerous shades, not just black and white. Conversation should be
    inspired by the multiple possibilities o truth/reality and be characterized by tolerance
    and positivity.

    EFFECTIVE CONVERSATION
    CONVERSATION
    Humans begin conversing rom the time we begin to prattle as children. From inancy,
    we develop the basic tool o conversation that is language. Gradually we become amil-
    iar with complex uses o language suited to our purpose: to inorm and to persuade.
    However, even though we naturally pick up the ability to converse, we may lack the
    skills o a good conversationalist, which include knowing how to speak as well listen.
    Conversation is not Conversation is not a monologue, it’s a dialogue. Good conversation is characterized by
    a monologue; it’s a the ollowing eatures:
    dialogue.
    1. It has natural
    natural directness and spontaneity.
    2. It is li
    live
    ve in the sense tha
    thatt it takes place ace-to-ace,
    ace-to-ace, and the
    the participants
    participants can see and
    hear each other at the same time. he live presentation o conversation is enriched
    and made eective with the added power o body language—a great source o com-

    municativee eectiveness.
    municativ
    3. It is sensitive and lexible in that it can change quickly according to the participants’
    participa nts’
    reactions.
    hese characteristics are clearly illustrated in Communication Snapshot 4.1, which is
    a conversation between Catherine and Linton in Emily Bronte’s WuWuthering
    thering Heights.

    CONVERSATION
    CONVERSATION SKILLS 43

    Linton sat in the great arm-chair half asleep. Walking upto him, Catherine began in a Communication
    serious tone: “As you don’t like me, Linton, I’ll not come any more. Let us say good-bye and Snapshot 4.1
    tell Mr Heathcliff that you have no wish to see me and that he mustn’t invent any more
    falsehoods on the subject.” “Sit down and take your hat off Catherine”, he answered. “You are Effective Conversation:
    so much happier than I am. Believe me, if I could be as happy, I would also be like you; but An Example

    Papa talks of my defects so much and shows such scorn for me that I believe I am worthless,
    bad tempered, bad in spirit and I cannot help showing my nature to you, though I regret it
    and repent it till I die!”
    Catherine is strong-willed and passionate. She talks to Linton in an impulsive, vehement way.
    “As you don’t like me… let us say good bye.” Linton on the other hand is cool, sad, and bares
    his heart, which is filled with remorse. He changes Catherine’s negative thoughts and feelings
    by his moving self-expression. This is seen when Catherine tells Ellen, “I felt he spoke the truth;
    and I felt I must forgive him, and though we should quarrel the next moment, I must forgive
    him again.”
    Linton’s words are full of genuine feelings of love and remorse for Catherine. When he narrates
    how scorn and bad temper were driven into his nature by his father’
    father’ss constant treatment of him
    as a worthless fellow, he sounds very earnest and convincing. Catherine is persuaded to change
    her opinion by the touching facts of Linton’
    Linton’ss helplessness, everlasting regret, and repentance.

    CONVERSATION CONTROL
    Conversation control reers to the skills o listening and talking in a positive and mean-
    ingul way at an appropriate time. It calls upon the ability to listen with concentration Comprehend
    3
    and respond well. It includes: conversation control
    and its applications.
    • the techniques o changing the direction o conversation smoothly,
    smoothly, and
    • the ability to allow a discussion to develop along key issues in an uninterrupted
    uninterrupte d way
    towards the desired end. Conversation control
    reers to the skills o
    Broadly speaking, conversation control helps the participants conclude and con- listening and talking
    clude their conversation
    conversation (dialogue/discussion)
    (dialogue/discussion) e
    eectively
    ectively and satisactorily with mutual in a positive and
    understanding and agreement. meaningul way at an
    In business, the ollowing situations require the application o conversation control appropriate time.
    skills:

    • Selling and buying


    • Negotiating
    • Interviewing
    • Participa
    Participating
    ting in meetings
    • Disagreeing without being rude
    • Protesting without offending
    • Complimenting/praising
    • Responding to personal criticism
    How an individual listens and talks in such situations shows the extent to which
    he or she is able to exercise conversation control. Charles J. Margerison in he Art of
    Effective Communication points out, “Conversation control does not mean that you can
    control someone’s conversation. What it does mean is that with practice you can control
    your own conversation, and in time be able to inluence others and encourage them to
    respond in a positive and relevant way.”3
    he ollowing are situations where eective conversation skills are useul:
    • Interacting with people in meetings in a convincing
    convincing way
    • Handling objections to a proposal

    44 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    • Being able to react to criticism in a con󿬁dent


    con󿬁dent manner
    manner
    • Developing
    Developing skills in interviewing
    • Learni
    Learning
    ng how to get correct inormation quickly

    Controlling
    All conversationsthe Direction of and
    contain acts Conversation
    opinions. he real purpose o conversation is to
    exchange eelings and acts. In positive situations, where the acts and opinions being
    discussed converge, the conversation is smooth and both the parties are in relative accord
    with each other. In such situations, agreement is not diicult to reach because there is not
    much divergence o opinion between the two parties involved. he real problem is when
    one participant inds that the conversation is directed against him or her and there is a
    distortion o acts. his distortion could be deliberate or it could be a misunderstanding
    in which a act is unknowingly
    u nknowingly changed into an adverse opinion. he skill o the conversa-
    tionalist lies in realizing the reasons or divergence, tensions, and complications. Empathy
    and real understanding help disentangle the conlict between opinion and act. A skillul
    conversationalist is always able to separate acts rom opinions to his or her advantage.
    here are three possible directions a conversation can take. It can move against you,
    towards you, or away rom you. he other person could disagree with you and wholly

    reject yourand
    with you viewpoint
    support(i.e.,
    yourthe conversation
    statement moves
    (i.e., the against you)
    conversation or he
    moves or she you).
    towards could He
    agree
    or
    she could also, without rejecting what you say, suggest changes beore accepting your
    statement (i.e., the conversation moves away rom you). A skilled conversationalist
    knows in which direction the conversation is moving. In he Art of Effective Commu-
    nication,, Charles J. Margerison suggests assessing the other person’s reactions on the
    nication
    conversation direction chart shown in Exhibit 4.3.

    Managing Negative Responses


    Disagreement and rejection tend to disturb a person’s cool. When this happens, it is
    important to be patient and try to persuade the other party o your argument by show-
    ing an understanding o their viewpoint and by responding to the speciic reasons or
    disagreement or rejection. o some extent, a negative response shows a ailure to con-
    vince the
    the other
    other person o the
    the validity
    validity,, soundness,
    soundness, or correctness
    correctness o one’
    one’s idea or p
    proposal.
    roposal.
    Do not attribute rejection or disagreement to deliberate or personal reasons on the part
    o the disagreeing person. With a positive mind, tackle negative responses as ollows:

    • Show that you do not doubt the positive intentions o the other person.
    • Use expressions such as “Y
    “You
    ou are right about that, but…”
    but…”. Avoid
    Avoid completely rejecting
    the other person’s arguments.
    • Do not use negative expressions. Instead o saying “Perhaps you do not know…know…” try
    “Perhaps, you know…”. Using “perhaps” suggests
    s uggests possibility
    p ossibility but not certainty.
    • When the signs and cues o doubt, disagreement,
    disagreem ent, or rejection become obvious,
    pause and summarize whatever has been discussed so ar and ask the other person
    whether the summary is correct. Teir acceptance o the summary is the 󿬁rst act o
    agreement.
    • Use this psychological breakthrough or urther
    urthe r agreement by asking what should
    be done next. Tis changes the response into a potential agreement.
    • Assure the other person that you share their concerns and would keep their con-
    cerns in mind. Also elaborate on how you would meet their concerns.
    • Finally, never get desperate,
    desper ate, rustrated,
    rustr ated, or
    or angry when conronted with rejection and
    disagreement. Emotional reactions affect your ability to convince logically.

    CONVERSATION
    CONVERSATION SKILLS 45

    Exhibit 4.3
    The Direction of
    Conversation
    Rejection Disagreement Consideration Agreement Commitment

    The conversation could


    c ould move either towards the left, in which case it is moving away
    from you and against you, or towards the right, from consideration to agreement and
    commitment. Conversation on the left tends to be parallel or sometimes divergent,
    whereas conversation on the right is sequential. Understanding what these reactions
    imply in the course of the conversation helps in knowing how to manage rejection and
    disagreement.
    1. Rejection: If your point is completely turned
    turned down, it means that there is no possibility
    of further discussion on the issue. Hence the conversation has to end. For example, if a
    candidate asks an invigilator for more time to 󿬁nish an examination, the request would be
    rejected summarily.
    2. Disagreement: One should understand the subtle distinction between rejection and
    disagreement. Consider a discussion on whether children below fourteen years of
    age, who are legally disallowed from being hired as labour, should be permitted to
    work under special conditions of family hardship. Assume you hold the view that no
    speci󿬁c circumstances should be considered for allowing child labour in our society.
    In other words, you reject thet he idea of allowing children to work, even under diffi cult
    circumstances. But suppose instead of rejecting the proposition, you disagree with it
    and say that perhaps on human grounds such situations should be decided on a case-
    by-case basis for each child. This indicates a willingness to continue with the discussion.
    (It is important to note that, in discussion, one should not say, “I disagree with you”;
    instead, it is better to say, “I disagree with what you are saying” or “I am not sure what
    you’re saying is true”. In this way, one does not disagree with the person, but with their
    point of view.)
    3. Consideration: The point of consideration is when the other person does not reject your
    proposal and wants to further discuss or examine it in order to be convinced of its validity.
    At this point, you should offer more information to enable the other person accept your
    point or proposal.
    4. Agreement: This is the positive expression of acceptance of the idea or proposal by both
    parties. It can lead to further action.
    5. Commitment: This is the conclusion of a successful conversation. The opinions or propos-
    als discussed are accepted and decisions are also made on how to implement them. This
    stage is the goal of all conversations.

    Noticing and Recognizing Cues and Clues


    Conversation consists o words as well as non-verbal gestures, and it communicates both
    stated and implied messages. Words communicate the stated message, while non-verbal
    signs and signals communicate the implied message. Cues and clues together with signs
    and signals point out what is important and what is not. A cue is a keyword or phrase a A cue is a keyword or
    speaker uses when he or she wants to indicate that something is important to him or her. phrase a speaker uses
    A clue is a word or a set o words that someone else says to us. Persons skilled in the art when he or she wants to
    o conversation quickly recognize cues and clues and know what is o importance to the indicate that something
    is important to him
    other
    In party andmessages,
    written could be the
    the direction anddraw
    writer can basisthe
    o urther
    reader’sconversation
    conv ersationby
    attention or highlighting
    discussion. or her.
    important words, phrases, and sentences by underlining, italicizing, or marking with a
    coloured lighter or by using qualiiers or modiiers—words such as very, too
    too,, essential,
    and so on, which indicate importance. In oral communication, the listener’s attention

    46 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    is ocused by not only the choice o words but also by the tone o voice or other signals
    In oral communication,
    such as acial expressions, eye contact, body movements, and gestures. hese signals
    the listener’s attention
    is ocused by not only constitutee cues and clues that emphasize ideas.
    constitut
    the choice o words but Cues and clues low to and rom the speaker consciously or subconsciously. hey
    also by the tone o voice highlight the parts o the message that the speaker emphasizes. here are always
    or other signals such as some key words in any conversation. hese key words act as cues to others, drawing
    acial expressions, eye their attention to what is important. For instance, i someone says, “Let us discuss the
    contact, body move- teaching–learning unction o the case-study method in management studies”, the key
    ments, and gestures. words are “teaching–learning unction” and “case-study method.” hese words direct
    others to ocus on the case-study method as a tool o teaching and learning.
    Generally, people give the most important clues unconsciously, through what is
    called “leakage”, body talk that involves non-verbal signals comprising expressions, ges-
    Te success o meetings, tures, and postures. he success o meetings, discussions, lectures, or oral presentations
    discussions, lectures, depends on the participants picking up verbal cues and clues.
    or oral presentations Unortunately, it is common or one side to ail to pick up the cues given by the other
    depends on the party. Here is an example. he director o a college went to the university’s registrar to
    participants picking up
    ask or permission to add a certain course to his college’s curriculum. o support his pro-
    verbal cues and
    and clues.
    posal, the director spoke at length highlighting the overall achievements o the college
    in terms o its inrastructure, growing student population, and consistently excellent
    results. He said to the registrar, “I want you to send a team to inspect our college and to
    recommend the opening o the new course.” he registrar replied, “But the university
    wants all colleges to improve their acilities and results, not just one college.” he direc-
    tor went on to deend the existing acilities and academic results o his college. However,
    the meeting ailed because the registrar ignored the key words that the director had used
    to support his request. he director, meanwhile, got the clue that the registrar was not
    interested in his proposal or the new course. When the conversation ended, the director
    let the registrar’s oice disappointed.
    In this example, the key words used by the director were “to inspect”, “recommend”,
    and “the new course”. he registrar did not pay attention to these key words. he clues
    in the registrar’s response were the words “but”, “all colleges”, “improve”, “acilities and
    results”. hese words indicate his priorities. What the registrar implied was that the uni-
    versity was not interested
    interested in adding urther courses and
    and its priority was an impro
    improvement
    vement
    in the quality o teaching and learning. But he communicated the priority o the univer-
    sity obliquely. he director’s proposal or starting a new course was, in act, intended to
    increase the intake o students. However, the communication ailed because he ailed to
    provide cues about this or state the purpose directly.
    In real lie, people ofen In real lie, people oten ail to express their thoughts directly and completely. It
    do not express their is or others to look or cues or clues to draw more inormation. Otherwise, the real
    thoughts directly and intent may remain unstated. For example, consider a case where in a welare meeting
    completely. It is or with workers, a manager was told by an employee: “I have been working under a lot o
    others to look or cues tension.” he manager replied, “Yes, we all have to work under tension. argets have
    or clues to draw more to be met.” his response suggests that the manager missed the clue underlying the
    inormation.
    inormati on. Otherwise,
    word “tension”. he employee may not have been talking about tension at work. He
    the real intent may
    remain unstated.
    may have been acing some serious personal problems, such as his spouse’s health or
    his child’s education. he manager should have instead asked him, “What kind o ten-
    sion are you under?” his would have encouraged the employee to talk urther about
    the nature o his problem. Instead o a skillul, controlled conversation, we have here
    a worker’s general statement about his tension, met with another general statement
    made by the manager in response. here is no attempt to draw out more inormation
    about the problem.
    Let us see a case o skillul control o conversation. Film actor Dev Anand, a recipi-
    ent o the Dada Saheb Phalke award, had a long V interview. One o the questions the

    CONVERSATION
    CONVERSATION SKILLS 47

    anchor asked Dev Anand was: “It is said that as a ilm director you always insisted on
    working with new aces.” Dev Anand at once shot back, “It is not a question o insist-
    ing. You should think deeply. It is a very dierent pleasure to encourage young talent to
    develop, to help them [new people] express themselves, to get established as celebrities.
    It is a creative joy. And I have always been creative in my choice o characters and my
    themes. I have always experimented, I have always enjoyed that.” You should think deeply.
    dee ply.
    hese words o Dev Anand’s are signiicant. he message lies in these words. In this
    case, the word “insisted”, used by the anchor, was important. Dev Anand caught the clue.
    He tackled the hidden meaning o the general statement (the allegation that he always
    “insisted” on working with new aces) by bringing out his pursuit o creative joy as a ilm
    director and actor in moulding talented newcomers into accomplished actors.
    We can identiy clues during a conversation by taking note when people use the ol-
    lowing types o expressions:
    • When people us
    usee the 󿬁rst-person
    󿬁rst-pe rson pronouns, “I”,
    “I”, “me”, and “my”,
    “my”, they are talking
    ta lking
    about themselves, the person o greatest importance to them.
    • When people st strongly
    rongly qualiy
    qualiy their statements
    statements with adjectives indicative
    indicative o deep
    emotions or great enthusiasm, they give clues as to their state o mind. Watch out
    or words such as “pressured”, “concerned”, “angry”, “worried”, “annoyed”, “unhappy”,
    “disappointed”,
    a person says heoris“enthusiastic”,
    under pressure “keen”, “excited”,
    to 󿬁nish a task,and
    he “inspired”.
    is giving aFor example,
    strong when
    clue about
    action that needs to be taken within the shortest possib
    possiblele time.
    • We should listen careully when people use words that indicate that they are under
    pressure to act in a certain way. For example, when somebody makes a statement
    like the ones given here, it indicates that they are under pressure:
    ■ “Te whole plan went wrong! Tere was so much conusion and such little
    time. I think I ailed in my responsibility to organize the event.”
    ■ “I should have changed my strategy and approach, as I had planned to.
    to. Te whole
    thing was
    wa s a disaster.”
    ■ “I am determined
    determine d not to let it happen again.”
    again.”
    Here, the words “there was such little time”, “as I had planned to” and “not to let
    it happen” act as key words. he sentences show that the speaker is under pressure
    to act in a certain way.
    • When someone uses wor words
    ds that suggest doubt and concern, it is a clue to the
    speaker’s personal problems. You You can help the
    t he other person i you 󿬁nd out exactly
    what these issues are. By asking what he or she proposes to do or whom he or she
    is planning to consult, you can 󿬁nd out different ways o helping with the problem.
    • Finally, listen and notice the natural pauses that people use afer saying something
    important. It is at this point that you show the speaker that you have understood the
    key issues raised by him or her, by accurately and sympathetically talking on those
    issues. You can thus continue the conversation in a controlled way and convince the
    other person o your understanding o the real issues.

    Interpreting Signs and Signals


    Conversation is composed o verbal and visual indicators. Verbal indicators involve cues
    given and clues received. Visual indicators consist o signs given and signals received. Conversation is
    Non-verbal messages low through signs and signals. While in conversation, people composed o verbal and
    unconsciously move their hands, eyes, head, legs, and other parts o the body or engage visual indicators.
    indicators. Verbal
    indicators involve
    in other non-verbal behaviour, such as the requent gulping o water. hese non-verbal
    cues given and clues
    acts relect the state o their minds. Body movements, gestures, and actions communi-
    received.
    cate in a visible manner what lies concealed in the mind.

    48 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    Signs consist o visual indicators such as rowns, smiles, eye movements, and so on.
    Signals are behavioural indicators others give us. For example, drinking water every 10 to
    15 minutes during a speech is a sign o thirst. However, to the audience it may also signal
    the speaker’s nervousness.
    We will analyse gestures and expressions as modes o non-verbal communication in
    Chapter 7. Here, you should be able to identiy rom your own experiences those signals
    that encourage or discourage you during the course o communication. Also try to know
    which signs you habitually give to others when emphasizing important points.

    4 Avoiding Parallel Conversation


    People engage in conversations to explore something—such as acts, ideas, opinions, or
    Identiy and avoid solutions.
    solution s. his aim can be ulilled by taking in an interest in what the other party says,
    parallel conversations, especially at the beginning when the goal o the discussion is clearest. Both sides must
    while developing seek urther inormation on what is originally stated by asking questions and explor-
    sequential ones. ing the meaning o clues and non-verbal signals. But i both parties do not do so and
    just counter the original statement with another statement parallel to it, the conver
    conversa-
    sa-
    tion will not reach a satisying resolution. wo parallel statements cannot meet and,
    thereore, cannot be linked together to resolve the issue or add more inormation on the
    original statement. In a situation o a series o parallel statements, there is no dialogue,
    but, instead, just statements shot at each other. here is no attempt to get to the meaning
    behind the words used by the other person.
    Consider the ollowing example o a meeting at a garment export company.
    X: It is necessary that we increase our exports.
    Y: I think it is most important for us tto
    o reduce our manpowe
    manpowerr immediately.
    X: By increasing our exports we can build our brand image.
    Y: By reducing the number of w
    workers
    orkers we can cut down our costs.
    X: I always look to build our company image in a positive way by promoting
    its sales abroad.
    Y: Cost reduction is the only wa
    wayy we can manage our ccompany.
    ompany. And that can
    be done only by reducing the number of workers.
    Here, X and Y are engaged in parallel conversation, where in each is trying to prove
    himsel right and the other wrong. Neither is interested in exploring the true meaning o
    what is being said by the other person.

    Practising Sequential Conv Conversation


    ersation
    When two people converse in a skillully controlled way, they do by making statements
    that are in sequence with each other’s statements. here is a logical link between the
    statements
    statemen ts made by the two sides. he listener careully receives what is being said and
    waits or the appropriate time to join in and state his or her position clearly. he listener
    carries orward the conversation in a connected and sequential manner. In this way,
    within a short time, ideas and thoughts are developed in a structured pattern.
    Sequential conversation between two persons is always ruitul. But it is possible only
    when the other person attaches some value to what is said by the speaker. he listener
    can then relect on what is said, know more about the important ideas in the speaker’s
    In verbal initial statement, and contribute to urther exploration o the issue.
    communication, the
    most important skill Using Reflection and Empathy
    is to demonstrate a In verbal communication, the most important skill is to demonstrate a genuine interest
    genuine interest in the
    in the other person. o do so, both participants should be able to pick up cues and relect
    other person.
    upon their meaning. For instance, suppose Anuj says to Bharat, “I am not sure i I am

    CONVERSATION
    CONVERSATION SKILLS 49

    required here any longer.” I Bharat relects on this initial statement, he would note an
    underlying rustration and a sense o rejection in Anuj’s words. o give Anuj a chance
    to express himsel urther, Bharat could say to Anuj, “You eel your contribution is not
    being recognized. What can be done to change this?” his would allow Anuj to explore
    his own eelings with greater clarity and understanding.
    Relecting on someone’s statement needs to be done most careully. One must irst
    understand the other person’s underlying eelings exactly and accurately. hen, one must
    demonstrate empathy and understanding when responding to the person. his includes
    the use o positive body language to support one’s words.
    he purpose o relecting on something is to help the other person understand his
    or her eelings with greater clarity and precision. hereore, one may repeat the eel- Te purpose o
    ings expressed by the other person—this should be done objectively, without chang- re󿬂ecting on something
    ing, adding, or altering their statements. One should not criticize or question their is to help the other per-
    words. son understand his or
    One’s body language should show real interest in the other person. hus, it is impor- her eelings with greater
    tant to make eye contact, lean orward, and speak with genuine concern or the other clarity and precision.
    person.

    Cultivating a Sense of Timing


    In oral communication, the speaker should always keep in mind the time taken to
    communicate. o be able to observe the time limit, the speaker should plan out his or
    her words judiciously to reach a properly evolved end. he listeners should not eel
    rushed through any part o the conversation or presentation. One’s pace o conversation
    or presentation should generally not exceed 110–120 words per minute. he speaker
    should not speak too quickly or gloss over explanations in order to reach the discussion
    o the solution. he analysis o the problem is equally important, and the speaker should
    not assume that the listeners are ully aware o the problem. Such an assumption aects
    both the pace and direction o the discussion. he other persons may eel uncomortable
    and rushed, and may begin to lose interest and concentration. o be meaningul,
    conversation has to be lively and participative.
    he speaker should have a sense o time while discussing something even in less In one-to-one
    ormal situations. In dierent business situations, the speaker should remember the conversations/
    purpose o communicating with the listener. he listener should never be made to eel discussions, the
    like a passive, captive audience. Meetings should be interactive and should have control- desire should not
    led transitions rom issue to issue. In one-to-one conversations/discussions,
    conversations/discussions, the desire be to monopolize
    should not be to monopolize the conversation. On the other hand, passive listening conversation. On the
    generates disinterest and boredom. In the case o lectures, seminars, and presentations,
    presentations, other hand, passive
    the audience can be saved rom boredom and monotony by introducing humourous listening generates
    disinterest and
    anecdotes or illustrative cases.
    boredom.

    Summarizing
    In oral communication, especially conversation, it is necessary to convey an understand-
    ing o the other person’s point. You may agree or disagree, but the irst requirement o
    skillul communication is that the other person has the assurance that you have under-
    stood the acts as presented.
    Beore expressing an opinion or responding to others’ opinions, you should be able
    to recognize, analyse, and evaluate
    evaluate what the other person has said. his will help you in Beore expressing an
    comprehending acts in terms o their signiicance and importance or the other person. opinion or responding
    his understanding
    understanding is a critical summary o the ideas expressed by the other person. to others’ opinions,
    Summarizing is the best orm o expressing comprehension. It is not just the repeti- you should be able to
    tion o what someone has said. o summarize is to pick out the central thought—the recognize, analyse, and
    evaluate what the other
    main theme or the essential idea—at the core o the whole argument. It is a most diicult
    person has said.
    exercise to do successully, and it needs a lot o practice.

    50 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    In written communication, we have the ull text beore us and can re-read it when
    required. First, we try to understand what
    w hat the document is about. Next, we re-read closely
    to understand the logical relationship between ideas. Finally, we can see the central idea
    to which all other ideas are related as cause, eect, or illustration. he summary is the
    statement o understanding o the central idea and its relationship with other ideas.
    In oral communication, summarizing involves recognizing the leading cues and
    clues during the course o communication and making them the basis o a considered
    response ater appreciating and understanding the underlying sentiments. It is a process
    o mental abstraction o the most central idea in the argument. Summarizing is, thus, o
    great value and is the skill most needed or negotiating or solving a problem.
    We have requent examples o crises
    cris es aced by people when they are ordered to com-
    plete an assigned task within too short a period o time. he worker may eel that it is
    impossible to complete
    complete the given task by the deadline.
    dea dline. hey have to then convince their
    supervisor that the deadline
    dea dline is unrealistic. I the super
    supervisor
    visor remains adamant and insists
    that in business orders and deadlines must be respected, the communication would
    end on a note o rustration. he supervisor
    super visor would have ailed to exercise conversation
    All the skills o oral
    control in such a case.
    communication, However, the situation would be dierent i the supervisor did understand the
    whether they relate employee’s point o view and attempted to understand his or her problems and con-
    to the ability to speak straints. his would allow the supervisor to motivate the employee by helping him or
    personally,, ace-to-ace,
    personally her express their concerns. his may also give the supervisor the chance to state why the
    or at meetings, depend deadline must be met. One way to sum up the conversation is by telling the employee
    basically on the key skill that his or her personal conditions are understandable, but the project in question is a
    o conversation control, top priority. hus, by recognizing, appreciating, and understanding the concerns o the
    which enables one to employee, the supervisor could successully summarize the problem and resolve it.
    receive and understand All the skills o oral communication, whether
    whethe r they relate to the ability to speak pe
    person-
    rson-
    the true meaning o the
    ally, ace-to-ace, or at meetings, depend
    depe nd basically on the key skill o cconversation
    onversation control,
    other person.
    which enables one to receive and understand the true meaning o the other person.

    5 TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS 󰀨TA󰀩


    ransactional analysis has o late become important or analysing, interpersonal commu-
    c ommu-
    Appreciate the role nication and social behaviour.
    behaviour. he tool o transactional analysis belongs to psychiatry.
    o the ransactional
    Analysis (A) It was created by a Canadian psychiatrist Eric Berne Stein in 11950s.
    950s. Berne relates inter-
    personal relationships and social behaviour o individuals to three ego states o the
    in interpersonal individuals involved in the act o communication. hese three ego states are parent
    communication and state, adult state, and child state. Berne believes that individuals act as victims o their
    resultant behaviour. dominant ego state present at the time o interaction. By investigating the interpersonal
    transactions, (communication) Berne seeks to help individuals to interact reely, and
    not act as victims o their ego states. hey can contribute to pleasant, conlict-ree social
    interactions when they are no more victims
    vi ctims o unconscious, uncontrolled compulsions
    to exploit, that is to treat someone unairly or be exploited.
    Ego states are the states o mind. hey direct and control psychic unctioning and
    social behaviour o all human beings. According to Eric Berne, an ego state is “a coher-
    ent system o eelings”, and “a set o coherent behaviour patterns.” And in actual practice
    an ego state is “a system o eelings which motivates a related set o behaviour patterns.” 4

    Psychological Characteristics of Ego States


    • Te Parent: he parent ego state is an exact copy o the body movements, acial
    expressions and emotional attitudes and social behaviour o parental igures. he
    parent igure represents authority, control, desire to direct and the sense o concern
    and anxiety. Parent uses the language o command.

    CONVERSATION
    CONVERSATION SKILLS 51

    • Te Adult: he adult ego state is maniested by a sense o objectivity and under-
    standing o the outside world o reality and awareness o the thoughts and eelings
    o other people. Objectivity sense and reality characterize the maturity o adults.
    • Te Child: he child ego states are relected as revival o ixated ego states rom ear-
    liest years o one’s lie. A child has its own organized view o the world and its own
    will and innocence.
    The Three Aspects of Human Personality
    hese above discussed ego states compose the personality o all human beings. According
    to Berne, these ego states are real and well organized patterns o eelings, attitudes, and
    behavioural patterns o actual child, adult, and parent (present in every individual).
    hey represent real people who live and interact with us in social organizations and
    at work places. hese ego states are “phenomenological social realities.” hey constitute
    the three aspects o human personality.
    The Structure of Human Personality
    he three aspects o human personality are diagrammaticall
    diagrammaticallyy shown in Exhibit 4.4.

    Exhibit 4.4
    Parent Human Personality

    Adult

    Child

    It is observed that the same individual speaks dierently at dierent occasions


    while discussing about dierent things with dierent persons. As a therapist Eric
    Berne records one o his signiicant observations illustrative o the interplay o three
    ego states in an individual. He narrates the behaviour o Matthew, a new member in a
    group o well-educated psychos. “he group soon noticed that Matthew, a new member,
    exhibited three characteristic o ego states at the meetings. When he was discussing his
    wie, he spoke in loud deep, dogmatic tones, leaning back in his chair, with a stern gaze
    and counting o the accusations against her on his upraised ingers. At other times, he
    talked with another patient about carpentry problems in a manner o act tone, leaning
    orward in a companionable way, on still other occasions, he taunted the other group
    members with a scornul smile about their apparent loyalty to the therapist, his head
    slightly bowed and his back ostentatiously
    ostentatiously turned towards the leader. he other patients
    correctly diagnosed these three ego states as parent, adult, and child respectively”. 5
    How to Identify the Ego States of Interacting Individual
    I ndividualss
    We can identiy each ego state by noticing the acial expressions, language, and behav-
    iour o a person. hese characteristics are usually as ollows:
    • Parent: Te parent ego state is a replica o parent attitudes behaviours. It is mani-
    ested by the language marked by expressions such as it, this, never do this, always
    right, must, should, raised voice and dominating tone. It could also be characterized
    by
    thewords
    other o anxiety,
    person i heconcern, ear andto
    or she happens wishes or good luck
    be emotionally into
    close situations o threat to
    the person.
    • Body movements: Raised 󿬁nger or pointing 󿬁ngers, gestures like stern expression
    and rarely smiling, showing a sense o reserve and alooness.
    • Eyes
    Eyes:: Usually looking at you.

    52 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    All these are clues to the structured mental state o a person in the parent ego rame o
    mind.
    • Adult
    Adult ego state: It is re󿬂ected rom the logical and sel controlled language o the
    individual. Te choice o words such as “possibly”, “may be”, “perhaps’, “may”, can
    indicate that the person is objective and realistic. Tere is a good scope or mutual
    understanding between both the persons.
    Gestures are related movements o hands and eyes.
    • Child ego state: Tis state is essentially characterized by the sulkiness o a child,
    impatience to get things done, and desire to be stroked through endearing behaviour
    o the other.

    Need to identify the ego states of each other


    By recognizing these ego states, we promote eective interpersonal communication and
    create properly structured relations.
    Conlicts and misunderstanding arise between individuals in society and work
    organizations when they interact with cross mental states. In such situations o
    communication i one person’s attitude is parent (ego state) and the other is an adult
    (ego state), the interaction is bound to be unpleasant. he parent will speak in an

    authoritative
    person o adult and domineering
    mental state, whomanner
    loves towhich would and
    be objective be resented
    mature intobeing
    by the other
    aware o
    the psychological reality o the other person. hereore, to improve our interpersonal
    transactions (communications) we should know the ollowing transactional scheme.
    In the act o communication,
    communication, which is transaction between two persons, one speaks
    irst and provides a stimulus rom one o the three ego states, and the other responds
    rom her/ his ego state as shown below. here are three schemes o transactions (com-
    munication)—complementary, crossed and ulterior.
    Complementary Tr Transaction
    ansaction
    As shown in Exhibit 4.5, in this situation, stimulus and response lines are parallel. he
    transaction is harmonious. Both A and B speak rom the same parent attitude and state
    o mind. For example:
    A asks his wife: Where have I kep
    keptt my glasses? I am sorry, not remember it.

    B replies: Here they are. At our age, we just tend to forget.


    he question and response, both are direct; hence, no conlict.
    Second example o direct complementary transaction is when two persons commu-
    nicate with the parent and child attitudes. Let us remember that when we speak o an
    ego state, we talk about the attitude and the rame o mind o the speakers, and not their
    actual age or relationship. As shown in Exhibit 4.6, the transactional stimulus is parent
    to child (in terms o ego states and not o actual relationship).
    X: “Never give up. It is Cowardice.”
    Y: “Yes, Sir. I will try.”

    Exhibit 4.5 Person X Person Y


    Direct Transaction
    Type 1
    Parent Parent
    Stimulus
    Adult Adult
    Child Response Child

    CONVERSATION
    CONVERSATION SKILLS 53

    Exhibit 4.6
    Stimu
    lus Direct/Complementary
    X Parent Transaction
    Y

    Resp Child
    o
    ns e

    Here, both the stimulus ego state and response state are o the complementary nature
    o parent and child. hereore, the transaction is smooth and psychologically properly
    structured.
    Crossed Ego State Tra
    Transaction
    nsaction
    But suppose in the same situation X patronisingly speaks to Y as parent and Y reacts as
    an adult, or example:
    X says: “Never give up; it is Cowardice”
    Y replies: “It is easy said than done”
    done”..
    Here X speaks as parent but Y treats him as adult and responds accordingly.

    In this are
    response situation, the transaction
    not parallel. is crossed.
    hey cross hethe
    each other; twotransaction
    ego states, is
    o not
    the smooth.
    stimulus he
    and
    communication may grow into a conlict between the two persons. his crossed ego
    states’ scheme o transaction is diagrammatically shown in Exhibit 4.7.

    Exhibit 4.7
    X Parent Crossed Ego State
    Response Adult Transaction

    Adult
    Y
    Sti
    m
    ulu
    s Child

    he response represents adult state.


    From A → A
    In this example X speaks with parents’ eelings and attitude to encourage Y, treat-
    ing him as a child but Y responds with the actual attitude o an adult who knows the
    diiculties o lie and its challenges. Y responds with a sense o reality and objectivity.
    hereore the stimulus and response cross each other. he transaction is thereore not
    well structured and would ail.
    In lie, this orm o crossed transaction is the most common cause o bickering and
    misunderstanding in personal relationship between riends, couples, and other social
    and work situations. he stimulus rom parent to child is not properly perceived by the
    receiver and is responded as one adult to another adult with a sense o resentment.
    Ulterior Tran
    Transactions
    sactions
    Ulterior transactions are “those which take place at two levels simultaneously. At the
    supericial social level they usually appear to be adult to adult while at the deeper psy-
    6
    chological level they involve parent to child.
    Himstreet and Baty call it “Stroking” aspect o human communication. “Just as a
    baby requires coddling, patting, and loving (stroking); an adult requires communica-
    tion. A simple “Good Morning is a stroke”, the reply “Same to you” is another stroke”. 7

    54 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    Himstreet and Baty point out the great psychological signiicance o this commonplace
    adult exchange o greetings between two persons. As transaction it may not seem very
    important, but imagine the eelings o two riends i they met and no exchange took
    place. “A pat on the back rom the boss, a congratulating phone call, and taking the
    time to listen to another’s problems are examples o everyday stroking that occur in
    business.” 8
    “We all require stroking or our mental health, and attention to strokes can greatly
    improve communication and people’s eelings about their work.”9

    6 APPLICATIONS OF CONVERSATION CONTROL


    Conversation control is particularly applicable in certain business situations. Note that
    Know how to control
    detailed discussions on interviews and negotiations are given in Chapters 18 and 17,
    the direction o
    respectively.
    conversation in
    meetings, oral Meetings
    presentations, and One oten hears the chairperson o a meeting saying, “We are driting away rom the
    negotiations, and point” or “Let us keep to our agenda”. Sometimes at the end o a meeting, it seems that
    how to in󿬂uence or nothing has been gained and everyone’s time has been wasted. Such eelings arise when
    motivate the listener there is no conversation control. According to Charles J. Margerison, “Conversation con-
    or audience. trol is concerned with ensuring that people communicate clearly to resolve problems and
    make the best o opportunities.”
    The Agenda As a Control
    For ormal meetings, the irst requirement is to prepare a complete agenda o the issues
    to be discussed in the order o the sequence o discussion. he agenda indicates which
    issues will be taken up when and how much time will be devoted to them. o enable
    attendees to understand the issues and present their viewpoints, it is desirable to circu-
    late the necessary agenda in advance, so that participants
    participants can read the supporting papers
    beore the meeting.
    Agendas create the necessary ramework or holding discussions. hey also provide
    Agendas create the
    cues to keep the discussion to the point. A careully prepared agenda is the irst step
    necessary ramework
     ramework
    or holding discussions. to control the proceedings. he chairperson can always use it to draw the attention o
    Tey also provide cues speakers who drit
    An agenda also rom
    helps the relevant
    in ixing thepoints.
    duration o the meeting by allotting appropriate
    to keep the discussion
    to the point. time or discussing each item at the outset. As a precaution, the agenda should include a
    provision or raising/discussing any other matter with the permission o the chair. he
    agenda is usually sent along with the notice/invitation or the meeting with the proposed
    date, place, and time.
    The Chairperson
    A meeting is chaired by a person whose role is to direct and conduct the proceedings
    Te chairperson in an orderly manner. During the meeting, the ruling o the chair is to be taken as
    should be able to the inal word to be ollowed and respected by all those attending. he chairperson
    control the direction o should be ully conversant with the rules o conducting meetings. He or she should
    conversation by ocusing know the rights and privileges o members, non-members, invitees, and observers at
    on important issues and the meeting. He or she should also know the voting rights o members and also how
    creating conditions or voting is conducted, i required.
    requ ired. Above all, the
    t he chair
    chairperson
    person should be able to control
    sequential, linked, and the direction o conversation by ocusing on important issues and creating conditions
    meaninguldiscussions
    meaningul discussions or sequential, linked, and meaningul discussions with the aim o inding solutions
    aimed at 󿬁nding and not conrontations.
    solutions and not
    he chairperson begins the meeting on schedule and conducts business by irst
    conrontations.
    reading out the complete agenda or, in case o a long agenda, the irst item on the

    CONVERSATION
    CONVERSATION SKILLS 55

    agenda, which is invariably the conirmation o the minutes o the earlier meeting. I
    no objections are received, the minutes are taken as approved and are signed by the
    chairperson.
    It is customary to assume that all papers have been read i they have been circulated
    among the members beore the meeting. he meeting then takes up issues that
    require discussion. It is at this point that communication skills are required to make
    the discussion meaningul and controlled. During the meeting, members may enter
    into irrelevant conversations in which all kinds o non-issues or o-topic matters
    are raised. he discussion may degenerate into personal criticism too. Sometimes,
    objectivity may be lost, which can result in the meeting slipping into conusion and
    unproductive argument. his can be avoided by observing clues and cues and by
    exercising conversation control.
    he chairperson has a signiicant role regulating the discussion by drawing attention
    to the main issue being discussed. He or she can summarize what is being said and then
    ask how it relates to the point under discussion. In a meeting, each person should ollow Te skills o avoiding
    the cues or the important topics being discussed. parallel conversation,
    he chairperson can also bring the discussion rom the past to the present, by asking ensuring linked,
    or the implications o all that has been said about the past in relation to the present sequential conversation,
    situation. He or she should have the skill o changing the direction o conversation by disagreeing without
    providing transitions, such as rom the past to the present and to the uture or rom offending, and asserting
    offending,
    problem-centered to solution-centered themes. Above all, the skills o avoiding parallel without being aggres-
    conversation, ensuring linked, sequential conversation, disagreeing without oending, sive are basic or the
    smooth conduct o
    and asserting without being aggressive are basic or the smooth conduct o business in a
    business in a meeting.
    meeting.

    Being Assertive Without Being Aggress Aggressiveive


    At the workplace, hierarchy may make some individuals submissive. Sometimes, assert-
    ing one’s point o view runs the risk o being perceived as rude. In such a situation, the
    skills o assertive conversation
    conversation become useul.
    o be assertive is to be conident. An assertive person does not say “yes” when he or
    she means “no”. Assertive individuals can say “no” in a positive and irm manner; being
    irm requires stating one’s point o view clearly and without hesitation. his is the key
    to being assertive. It is important not to umble or be indirect when conveying one’s
    concerns.
    An assertive and irm person should be able to analyse the situation as he or she
    sees it, and should indicate relevant concerns by drawing the attention o seniors to the
    consequences.
    consequen ces. Firm communication
    communication with seniors or supervisors compels them to evalu-
    ate their assumptions, even i there is to be no change in the line o action to be taken.
    In business, you have to be assertive when you strongly believe that someone’s course
    o action involves risk and danger and may have undesirable consequences that you
    might be held responsible or. In such situations, say what you must say.
    Negative thinking results rom a negative attitude or negative perception, which, Negative thinking
    at times, is part o a person’s personality. Some persons always ocus only on the dark results rom a negative
    side o a situation. hey say things such as “his is impossible”, “It is too diicult”, or attitude or negative
    “his is uuseless”
    seless”.. perception, which,
    When negative consequences are oreseen as a result o an expert’s critical think- at times, is part o a
    person’ss personality.
    person’ personalit y.
    ing, their assertion is valuable to discussion. Sometimes, even pointing out loopholes in
    assumptions is necessary. For example, take the case o the Bhopal gas tragedy that took
    place on 2 December 1984. he internal reports o the U.S.-based undertaking, Union
    Carbide, show that the oicials were aware o the growing saety and maintenance prob-
    lems since 1982 when managemen
    managementt cut sta at the methyl isocyanate (MIC) acility rom
    twelve to six operators and reduced the number o maintenance workers. Faulty saety

    56 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    devices remained unattended or weeks. In act, a 1982 report by a group o Carbide’s
    U.S. engineers had listed the problems, but the parent corporation made no eort to ask
    the Indian executives responsible or running the plant to correct them.
    Obviously, the U.S.
    U.S. engineers
    enginee rs ailed to assert
    asser t the need or saety. he Indian executives,
    also responsible or day-to-day operation o the plant, ailed to p point
    oint out the loopholes
    in the management’s extensive cost-cutting plans. he management was attempting to
    reduce losses by cutting maintenance costs. he ailure o engineers and executives to
    be assertive on the subject o saety measures led to one o the worst disasters o the
    twentieth century.

    Controlled Response to Conversational Attacks


    When an individual is charged with negative eelings, it is natural or him or her to
    attack and say unpleasant things. I the other person happens to be a client, customer,
    or supervisor, a controlled response is necessary because larger business interests and
    long-term personal career interests are at stake.
    In such situations, it is best to answer emotion with cool acts and to try to change the
    direction o conversation i possible; strong, abusive language that will complicate the
    situation should be avoided. One way to respond is to listen thoughtully to the other
    person so that they know that their words are being heard. When responding, speak in
    a level tone and avoid harsh, strong, or abusive words. Do not react emotionally because
    by being calm, understanding, and rational, one can draw the other person’s attention to
    objective acts and ocus on constructive solutions.
    solutions.
    Remember that in business, rudeness and discourtesy should never be allowed to
    creep into your communication. Neither a client nor a supervisor should use rude
    words, whatever be the provocation; nor should you respond without courtesy. Con-
    versation control teaches us sel discipline.
    disciplin e. It trains us to convey to others that we
    really believe, understand, and appreciate their eelings, views, and grievances. Listen
    with ull attention to grievances so that the t he other person eels that you are genuinely
    interested in his or her eelings. Conversation control will help manage situations o
    aggressive communication successully.

    Negotiating Through Conversation Control


    Negotiation is an important activity in communication and will be discussed in detail
    Te entire verbal in Chapter 17. Eective negotiation requires the skills o managing and controlling the
    exercise o give interaction between two sides. Both sides try to present a case tactully and achieve their
    and take to reach goals. he strategy o using conversation control or negotiation basically involves show-
    a win–win end is
    ing an understanding o the other party’s position without necessarily agreeing with it.
    skillully managed by
    he entire verbal exercise o give and take to reach a win–win end is skillully managed
    conversation control.
    by conversation control.

    SUMMARY

    • Conversation is the li


    lieblood
    eblood o social lie. It crea
    creates
    tes a • Effective conversati
    conversation
    on needs conversati
    conversation
    on control
    control to
    sense o togetherness. It is the primary orm o ace-to- make it a ruitul dialogue.
    ace communication and is live, as it is done in person. • Speakers skilled in conversa
    conversation
    tion con
    control
    trol are able to link
    their conversations by avoiding parallel conversation.
    • ralness,
    Te chie characteristics
    simplicity, o goodsensitivity,
    spontaneity, co
    conversation
    nversationandare nat
    natu-
    u-
    respon- • Smooth ttransaction
    ransaction requires identi󿬁cation o the ego
    siveness to the listener’
    listener’ss reactions. states o each other.
    • Conversation shares element
    elementss o
    o visual communicatio
    communicationn
    such as body language, acial expressions, and gestures.

    CONVERSATION
    CONVERSATION SKILLS 57

    CASE: DISCUSSING VANDALISM

    Meera was the group leader o a discussion that included We might consider this question in two parts:
    Ritu, Amit, Chawla, Priti, Hema, and Reema. he group had what can the school board
    bo ard do about it and what

    been requested
    mendations on byhow thevandalism
    school board
    couldto be
    make some in
    reduced recom-
    their can
    whatthe
    thestudents do about
    school board can it?
    do.First, let’s discuss
    school. Here is a transcript o their discussion:
    dis cussion: Amit: I talked to the security oicer in the neighbour-
    Meera: We’re trying to ormulate some recommenda- ing district, and she said security guards had been
    tions on what can be done to help reduce van- hired to patrol the schools with the highest van-
    dalism in our school. So ar, our group seems dalism rate in her district. What do the rest o you
    to have dierent opinions on whether vandal- think o recommending this to our school board?
    ism is a serious enough problem that merits Meera: I’ve always hated the idea o guards patrolling
    really strong action. Some o us eel the prob- the school! School should be a place to learn,
    lem is large and growing. Others say that a ew not a prison!
    childish pranks have been exaggerated out o all Chawla: I don’t like the idea o security guards either.
    proportion by the school board. Can we, as a Most o the students aren’t vandals, and they
    group, reach some agreement on whether van- are naturally going to resent being patrolled.
    dalism is really a serious problem? Besides, having security guards during the day
    Ritu: Frankly, I eel that any amount o vandalism is may not help the problem at all, since all the
    too much. Vandalism not only destroys school vandalism this year has occurred at night.
    acilities and property, it also lowers the quality Amit:
    Amit: Chawla, you’ve always got something bad to say
    o our education. At the high school I attended about every suggestion! All you ever do is criticize!
    last year, some students who were mad at the Meera: Wait a minute! I think Chawla ha hass just contrib-
    librarian set ire to the library
    library.. he entire sen
    senior
    ior uted something really very constructive. He’s
    class, who were working on their term papers reminded us that most vandalism occurs at
    or English, had to go across town to use the night. Maybe the best action the school board
    public library or the rest o the semester.
    s emester. could take would be to hire a security guard to
    Amit: And i you’ve… patrol the school grounds at night.
    Chawla: Ritu’s experience really opens my eyes about Hema: hat sounds like a good idea to me. Let’s make
    vandalism. I never thought o o it that way beore. it one o our recommendations.
    We’re losing out on educational resources, Meera: Does everyone agree that asking the school
    which will hurt us all in the long term. board to hire a security guard to patrol the
    Meera: Amit, were you going to say something?
    s omething? school grounds at night is a worthwhile recom-
    Amit: I just wanted to add that this incident
    inc ident shows that mendation? Since there’s no disagreement, go
    vandalism has spread
    spread beyond the stage o child- ahead and add that to our list, Priti.
    ish pranks. here’
    he re’s big dierence between soap- Priti: Okay, I have got it down.
    ing windows and burning libraries. he dam- Meera: Are there any more ideas about what the school
    age done to the library cost the school ` 1,000 board can do? Since there don’t seem be any at
    per student. I’m sorry to say that vandalism has the moment, let’s move on. What ideas can we
    become a real economic problem in our school come up with or how the students can control
    as well. In 2000, the cost to replace school prop- vandalism in our school?
    erty destroyed by students was ` 30,000. Chawla: One school solved its problems when the school
    Priti: You know, it really makes me sad to think about board agreed to give the student council the
    kids who are vandals. Psychologists say these money that had been budgeted or vandalism but
    kids cause all this destruction just to get some ended up not being used because students ound
    attention, even i it’s negative. ways to reduce the damage done to the school.
    s chool.
    Meera: You’re right, Priti, it is sad but let’s get back Priti: hat sounds like the students were holding up
    to
    eel,our original
    then, question. Do
    that vandalism is a the rest enough
    serious o you the board to
    necessary orpay
    protection money.
    o students It them
    to get shouldn’t be
    to stop
    problem in our school to require serious action?
    ac tion? tearing apart their school.
    Since no one seems to disa
    disagree,
    gree, let’
    let’ss move on to Meera: Chawla, you say the students ound ways to
    consider what can be done to reduce vandalism. reduce the damage done to the school, but you

    58 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    don’t say how. Who has some concrete ideas Questions to Answer
    about what students can do to reduce vandalism?
    1. How does Meera guide the group
    group’s
    ’s conversati
    conversation?
    on?
    Reema: I belong to the senior class service club, the
    Olympians. Our group could be divided into 2. During the discussion, one o the group members
    teams that could take turns monitoring the becomes more concerned with expressing ideas about
    empty halls and classrooms during lunch. Even the causes o vandalism than with helping the group
    though we haven’t had any daytime vandalism think o ways to control it. What does Meera do to get
    yet, this would be a good deterrent. the group back on the right track?
    Priti: hat’s a great idea, Reema! And economical— 3. Why is it im
    important
    portant o
    orr the gro
    group
    up leader to rerain rom
    the board will like that. imposing his or her views on the group? Why do you
    Hema: I’d like to expand on Reema’s idea. I the Olym- suppose that in parliamentary procedure the chair-
    pians patrol the grounds during school hours, person is not allowed to participate in the discussion
    there will be money or regular security guards o a motion? Discuss why such requirements or group
    rom when school lets out at 3:00 until the time discussions in small and large groups are important or
    the night security comes in. We have had some maintaining an atmosphere in which participants eel
    vandalism during those hours. ree to express themselves.

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    1. Explain the nature and purpos


    purposee o “phatic communion”. 6. What is parallel conversation? Illustrate with an exam-
    Describe an example o such a conversation in your ple you have encountered.
    personal lie. 7. What is “one-upmanship” in conversation?
    conversation ?
    2. What is con
    conversation
    versation control? Discuss with examples.
    8. Explain and contrast the nature o the binary and multi-
    3. “A key conversation skill is to know the dierence between valued approaches to conversation.
    opinion and act and to use it to your advantage”. Discuss.
    9. What are keywords in the context o conversation
    4. Discuss the important characteristics o
    o co
    conversation
    nversation as
    control?
    a spontaneous orm o communication?
    10. What are the beneits o identiying the ego states o
    o the
    5. Discuss the structure o social conversatio
    conversation.
    n. Give som
    somee
    interacting persons?
    examples.

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

    1. What is the role o


    o conversatio
    conversation
    n in our business and i your suggestion as a manager is turned down by
    personal lives? the vice-president o your company in a high-level
    2. How important is inormali
    inormality
    ty in conversatio
    conversations?
    ns? meeting?
    3. According to Hayakawa, “he togetherness is not 6. Relect on the impo
    importance
    rtance o noticing clues and cues in
    merely in the talking itsel, but in the opinions negotiations.
    expressed.” Do you agree with this assessment? 7. Do you believe one can be assertive without being
    4. As ratio
    rational
    nal human beings, what should be o
    our
    ur attit
    attitude
    ude aggressive at the workplace? Give reasons or your
    towards others’ opinions and belies? answers.
    5. Relect on the dierence between rejection and “Wee all require stroking or our mental health.” Do you
    8. “W
    agreement in conversation. How would you behave agree?

    APPLY
    APPLY YOUR LEARNING

    Analyse the ollowing conversation10 with respect to the “You think that is good of them?” Selvan said, his
    psychological structure o conversation and the element o voice hard and sharp like crystals. He lifted his
    empathy. eyes to mine. I saw they were black and smoul-
    dering, as if some deep flame of anger or hatred
    “We have two weeks before we leave,” I said.
    burned in him. Nathan replied for me.
    “They have agreed to let us stay till then.”

    CONVERSATION
    CONVERSATION SKILLS 59

    “It is better than being sent out at once as others “What options have I, my son! Naturally, I have
    have been.
    bee n.” protested but it has availed me nothing.”
    Selvan turned on his father. “It is not just,” Selvan said. “It is not right.”
    “You have accepted it? You have made no “Yet there is no law against it,” said Nathan
    protest?” wearily. “We may grieve, but there is no redress.”

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    From the given options, please choose the most appropriate


    appropriate answer:*
    1. Conversation, in general, diers rom other orms o
    o 8. At the workplace, to be a successul conversatio
    conversationalist,
    nalist,
    oral communication with respect to its: you should be:
    (a) structure (a) submissive (b) aggressive
    (b) inormality (c) rude (d) assertive
    (c) purpose 9. An emo
    emotional
    tional o
    outburst
    utburst should be answer
    answered
    ed wit
    with:
    h:
    (d) technique
    (a) acts
    2. Social con
    conversation
    versation is also known as: (b) strong language
    (a) gossip (c) tolerance
    (b) idle talk (d) humour
    (c) chit-chat 10. Conversation control means that,
    th at, through practice,
    (d) meaningless communicatio
    communication
    n you can control the conversation o:
    3. Phatic co
    communication
    mmunication uses wor
    words
    ds to express and share: (a) someone else (b) your own sel
    (a) togetherness (c) the whole group (d) your opponent
    (b) meaning 11. A “cue
    “cue”” is a key word or phrase used by a person to:
    (c) belies (a) show that what is said is not important
    (d) ear (b) hide his or her real intentions
    4. he structure o social con
    conversation
    versation is basically: (c) mislead the listener
    (a) psychological (d) indicate to the listener that something is important
    (b) emotional or the speaker
    (c) logical 12. Summarizing given acts is an act o
    o:
    :
    (d) moral (a) comprehensio
    comprehension
    n (b) repetition
    5. he underlying assumption o bi
    binary
    nary communicatio
    communication
    n (c) shortening (d) hiding
    is that reality is: 13. o be assertive is to be:
    (a) multi-valued (a) irm (b) loud
    (b) black and white (c) indirect (d) aggressive
    (c) personal
    14. Conversation co
    control
    ntrol teaches us:
    (d) based on sel-assertion
    (a) sel-co
    sel-control
    ntrol as speakers
    6. A con
    conversation
    versation is successul when its direction is: (b) control o listeners’ responses
    (a) divergent (c) how to prevent others rom speaking
    (b) parallel (d) the use o strong, authoritati
    authoritative
    ve language
    (c) sequential
    15. Complementary transaction takes p
    place
    lace when the stim-
    (d) opposite
    ulus and response lines are:
    7. Our endeavour in eective business conversation (a) cross each other
    should be to arrive at: (b) run parallel to each other
    (a) consideration (b) agreement (c) part rom each other
    (c) commitmen
    commitmentt (d) acceptance (d) stand vertical to each other

    *For answers and sel-evaluation, visit www.pearsoned.co


    www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi
    .in/PDChaturvedi

    60 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    ENDNOTES

    1. S. I. Hayakawa, Language in Tought and Action (New 5. Ibid., p. 155.


    York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., 1964), 72. 6. Ibid., p. 157.
    2. As cited by S. I. Ha
    Hayakawa,
    yakawa, Language in Tought and 7. William C. Himstreet and Wayne Murlion Baty,
    Action (New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc.,
    Business Communication,
    Communication, Fifh Edition. (Wadsworth
    1964), 69.
    Publishing Co. Inc., Belmont, Caliornia, 1977), p. 13.
    3. Charles Margerison, Te Art of Effective Communica-
    8. Ibid.
    tion (New Delhi: Excel Books,
    B ooks, 1996).
    4. Eric Berne, “Principles o ransactional Analysis”, 9. Ibid.
    Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 1996. 38 (3), 154–159 (First 10. Kamala Markandaya, Nectar in a Sieve (Mumbai: Jaico
    published in Indian Jounal of Psychiatry, Vol. 1, 1959). Publishing House, 1955) 136.
    Listening Skills

    “
    5
    Are you liste
    Are listening?
    ning?

    — R.G. Nichols and


    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    Picture yourself teaching a class on
    business research methods—not
    an equally interesting subject for all
    students. During the course of the
    students about the causal relation-
    ship between variables A and B. The
    last-row girl, the silent reader, and
    the dozing boy have no idea what
    lecture, you see that a girl in the last your question is about. The front row
    ” L. A. Stevens
    row is busy writing in her notebook, students are ready with answers and
    not even once looking towards you. answer you correctly.
    Next to the wall, a student is reading Why is this so? They all have attended
    silently from a book. In the middle the same lecture. You were loud
    row, a half-asleep boy struggles to enough to reach everyone, clear
    keep his eyes open. Only in the front enough to be understood, and logi-
    two rows do you 󿬁nd students pay- cally ordered in your discourse. Then
    ing attention to what you have been how did some students miss your
    discussing. They have been looking point so completely? It seems as if
    towards you and have been also tak- they were not even present in the
    ing notes from time to time. lecture.
    You have explained the causal rela- The fact is that those who failed to
    tionship between two variables, A answer you heard you, but did not lis-
    Upon completion of this chapter, you
    and B. You
    You have given a few examples ten to your exposition of the variables
    should be able to:
    of this relationship from actual life. and their relationships. They heard
    Now, to ascertain how much of what you, for they could not fail to hear
    1 Understand how listening
    you have been discussing has been you. They were not deaf. But their
    is an essential component followed by the class, you ask some minds did not absorb what you said.
    of communication and
    management.
    2 Know the internal and external
    causes of poor listening. WHAT
    WHAT IS LISTENING?
    LI STENING?
    3 Know some guidelines for o listen is to pay thoughtul attention to what someone is saying. It is a
    improving listening skills. deliberate act o attentively hearing a person speak. It is the mental process o
    4 Understand how to craft paying undivided attention to what is heard. Listening is more than hearing,
    re󿬂ective and clarifying which is just the physical act o senses receiving sounds. Hearing involves
    responses that demonstrate the ears, but listening involves the ears, eyes, heart, and mind. It is rightly
    good listening skills. said that listening is an essential component o communication. Without this
    element, ruitul communication is not possible. Listening occurs when the
    receiver o the message wishes to learn, or be inluence or changed by the
    message. When someone is interested in actively hearing, they are listening.
    Exhibit 5.1 shows the importance o listening in our daily lives.
    62 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    Exhibit 5.1
    The Importance of Studies conducted since the 1930s reveal that 70 per cent of our waking
    wak ing time goes into
    Listening communication. The pie chart below illustrates the activities that take up various portions
    of this 70 per cent:
    Writing
    7%
    Reading 9% Speaking
    32% 52%

    Hearing
    Note that this break-up re󿬂ects the norms. The 󿬁gures would differ from group to group.
    For example, for a group of young students, “speaking” would be lower than “hearing” (or
    listening), and their “reading” and “writing” 󿬁gures will also be higher. For a group of teachers,
    “speaking” would be high.

    Listening is more than


    How Do We Listen?
    hearing, which is just Listening is not passive. It is a deliberate act o concentrating on sound waves that the
    the physical act o our auditory nerve sends to the brain. As a irst step in the listening process, the listener
    senses receiving sounds.
    Hearing involves our
    ocuses
    he or shehistries
    or her
    to attention on what
    understand, is essential
    interpret, in the communication.
    and register what is received.AtItthe same
    is not time,
    easy to
    ears, but listening pay undivided attention to a speaker, and without giving proper attention to developing
    involves our ears, eyes, listening skills, many people remain poor listeners.
    heart, and mind. An Indian saying draws attention to the natural act that we have two ears but one
    tongue. Hence, we should listen twice as much as we speak.
    Listening, like speaking, reading, and writing, is a skill that can be dramatically
    improved through training. In this chapter thereore, we will discuss some basic things
    about listening such as the complete process rom hearing to conceptualizing, causes or
    poor listening, and some techniques o improving listening as a voluntary behaviour.

    Listening As a Management Tool


    1 he Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English deines listening “considering what
    someone says and accepting their advice”
    advice”.. In this sense, ar-sighted business heads and
    Understand how
    listening is an senior executivesouse
    and experiences careul
    junior andlistening
    middle to beneit
    level romothe
    workers thevaluable
    company.views, perceptions,
    hey oten owe
    essential component
    many an initiative or cost-cutting measure to suggestions given by juniors in inormal
    o communication
    sessions. By listening to what others say about a speciic situation, that is by considering
    and management.
    and accepting the advice o others, the company succeeds in taking the best possible
    decision and eectively implementing it.
    An example o successul “Management by Listening” is the case o Maruti Udyog,
    which has lourished using ormer Managing Director Jagdish Khattar’s innovative
    methods o seeking suggestions rom employees.1 Maruti’
    Maruti’ss decision to showcase a con-
    cept car at Delhi’s annual Auto Expo was born out o an event called “ea with the MD”.
    Almost every ortnight, Khattar used to get together with a group o young Maruti engi-
    neers and managers in an inormal meeting that encouraged them to articulate their
    ideas or the
    t he company’s growth. Khattar’s
    Khattar’s purpose was to eelicit
    licit valuable suggestions or
    Maruti’s growth by holding inormal tea-sessions with his engineers and managers or
    by walking around at dealers’ conventions, urging his dealers to make suggestions or
    improving sales and distribution. his was how he hit upon a ormula that saved the
    company nearly INR 4 million.
    Realizing that dealers hesitated to express themselves in an open orum, Khattar urged
    each o them to put down three o their suggestions on a piece o paper. He said, “On
    the ive-hour light back rom Bangkok to Delhi, I went through each and every sheet.

    LISTENING SKILLS 63

    Our dealers had made several suggestions on how we could de-bottleneck distribut
    distribution.
    ion.
    I realized that increasing the sales orce and opening small dealership extension
    extensionss in rural
    ru ral
    and semi-urban areas could easily cut down on investments.”
    Khattar would routinely talk with and listen to youngsters beore walking into his
    oice. His example demonstrates how providing opportunities to others to express
    valuable suggestions
    suggestions holds the key
    key to the successul
    successul management
    management o problems
    problems..

    THE PROCESS OF LISTENING


    Listening is an integrated process, which consists o the ollowing phases: undivided
    attention, hearing, understanding, interpreting, evaluating, empathizing and concep-
    tualizing.
    An explanation o these aspects o the process o listening would be helpul beore
    proceeding. hese phases do not occur in succession, but instead operate concurrently
    and in tandem. All aspects o oral verbal communication require one to ocus on what
    is being said, understand it, and register it as part o one’s body o knowledge and
    experience.
    • Undivided attention: Effective listening requires a certain rame o mind. Te process
    o listening is rooted in attentively hearing the message. Undivided attention admits
    no distractions and no intrusive thoughts or ideas that are unrelated to the message.
    o concentrate on what is being said, an earnest listener would ocus on the message
    and not let other things compete or his or her attention. Te listener in this phase
    discriminates between thoughts, ideas, or images that belong in his or her ocus o
    attention and those that 󿬂oat on its margin and must be kept rom entering into
    conscious consideration.
    • Hearing: Listening involves hearing distinct sounds and perceiving 󿬁ne modulations
    in tone. Te receiver recognizes the shape o words and intonation patterns. Famili-
    arity with the sound o words and the spoken rhythm o speech contributes to the
    attentiveness o the listener. Pitch, voice modulations, and the quality o sound are
    equally important or hearing with the right attention.
    • Understanding: A listener can hear words but must listen to know their intended
    meaning. Perect communication is when the ull meaning o what is said has been
    understood. Tis includes words, tone, and body talk. A good listener hears words,
    observes body movements, gestures, acial expressions, and eye movements, and
    notices variations in tone and pitch o voice. I the listener attends only to words
    without paying close attention to how they are said, he or she may be missing the
    real, intended meaning o those words.
    • Interpreting: Understanding and interpretation ollow the phase o hearing. Te lis-
    tener attempts to comprehend what is heard. Understanding the language may not
    be enough or ully comprehending the message and successully participating in
    the act o communication. It should be accompanied by the ability to interpret what
    is communicated, which occurs when the listener takes account o his or her own
    knowledge and experience.
    • Evaluating: Communication requires that the listener have the critical ability to see
    or himsel or hersel the value o what is being discussed or heard. It is only then
    that the listener can closely ollow the argument. Te evaluation o content is closely
    that the listener can closely ollow the argument. Te evaluation o content is closely
    related to the listener’s own interest in what is being communicated.
    • Empathizing: A sympathetic listener sees the speaker’s point o view. He or she may
    not agree with what is said, yet such a listener allows the other person to say what
    he or she wants to say.

    64 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    • Conceptualizing: Conceptualization occurs when the listener 󿬁nally assimilates what


    has been heard in the context o his or her own knowledge and experiences. Tis is
    why listening is not only important but also indispensable or perect communication.
    communication.

    FACTORS THAT ADVERSELY AFFECT LISTENING


    2
    Know the internal
    Listening is a voluntary behaviour that can be easily aected by internal or external ac-
    tors that can act as barriers to good listening.
    and external causes o
    poor listening. Lack of Concentration
    Many times listeners are not able to concentrate on what is being heard. here may be
    several reasons or this. here could be external actors responsible or the inability to
    listen properly. For example, there may be noise inside the room or loud music being
    played nearby. his external noise can be shut o in several ways. But the internal ac-
    tors within the listener’s mind that intererence with concentration are more serious and
    diicult to avoid or manage. hese can be overcome through practice once the listener
    is made aware that they are problematic.

    Reasons or not concentrating include:


    • Hearing faster than speaking: Humans normally talk at nearly 120 to 125 words per
    minute, but the brain is capable o receiving 500
    50 0 to 600 words per minute. Te listener’s
    brain, thereore, must deal with gaps between words, and this gap tends to be 󿬁lled
    by other thoughts and images. Tis phenomenon intereres with concentration. For
    example, some political leaders or religious preachers deliver t heir speeches with
    prolonged pauses every ew words or sentences. Tey may be using the pauses as
    a rhetorical device to emphasize their point. However, these pauses may instead
    break the listener’s attentiveness by letting him or her mentally wander away rom
    the topic to thoughts about the speaker’s 󿬂uency or halting speech, or altogether
    unrelated issues such as what he or she ate or breakast. In such situations, there
    may not be much a listener can do to remain attentive. However, i he or she keeps
    looking at the speaker with steadast eyes, the mind’s tendency to wander could be
    signi󿬁cantly controlled.

    • properly
    Paying attention
    becausetothey
    the speaker and notby
    are distracted thethe
    speech: Manyace
    speaker’s times
    or listeners
    dress or ail to listen
    manner o
    delivery, just as i a dancer is very beautiul, we may be distracted by his or her
    beauty and miss the beauty o the dance. Tus, it is important to pay attention
    to the speech and its contents rather than ocus on external actors that are not
    relevant.
    • Listening too closely: Te purpose o listening is to get the ull meaning o what is
    said. Te speaker’s point is understood by looking or the central idea underlying
    individual words and non-verbal signs and signals. So when the listener tries not to
    miss a single word or detail o what the speaker is saying, he or she may get lost in
    the details and may miss the point.

    Unequal Statuses
    In organizations, there are ormal and inormal status levels that aect the eective-
    ness
    speakoless
    acewhile
    to ace oral communication.
    interacting A subordinate
    with his or her would
    superior. he generally
    exchange listen ismore
    o ideas and
    blocked
    by diidence on the part o the subordinate because o the superior position o the
    speaker. Upward oral communication is not very requent in organizations. Fear o the
    speaker’s superior status prevents ree upward low o inormation. his limits ree and
    air exchange o ideas.

    LISTENING SKILLS 65

    The Halo Effect


    Oral communication
    he awe in which a speaker is held by the listener aects the act o listening. I the is conditioned by
    speaker is greatly trusted and held in high esteem as an honest person, his or her the impressions o
    statements are readily taken as true. Oral communication is thus conditioned by the the listener about

    impressions
    sions and notothe
    theintrinsic
    listener about
    worth the eminence
    o the messageodetermine
    the speaker.
    thehe listener’s impres-
    eectiveness o such the eminence
    speaker. o the
    Te listener’s
    communication. For instance, due to the halo eect,
    ee ct, buyers may go by a trusted selle
    seller’
    r’ss impressions and not the
    view rather than by their
    thei r own judgment o a product’s quality.
    quality. intrinsic worth o the
    message determine the
    Complexes effectiveness o such
    communication.
    Lack o conidence or a sense o superiority may prevent proper interaction between
    persons in dierent positions. Sometimes an individual may suer rom a sense o ine-
    riority and thereore ail to take the initiative or involve himsel or hersel in conversa-
    tion, dialogue, or other orms o oral communication. Similarly, some persons consider
    themselves too important
    important to condescend to talk with others. Oten, these are misplaced
    notions o sel-worth, but they do block oral communication.

    A Closed Mind

    Listening,
    als believe to a large
    that extent,everything
    they know depends onin one’s
    a ieldcuriosity to know
    or subject. things. reuse
    heir minds Some to
    individu-
    receive Listening, to a large
    extent, depends on
    inormation rom other sources. In addition, some persons eel too satisied with their one’s curiosity to know
    way o doing things to change or even discuss new ideas. A closed state o mind acts as a things.
    barrier to oral communication, which demands a readiness and willingness on the part
    o the listener to enter into dialogue.

    Poor Retention
    In dialogue or two-way oral communic
    communication,
    ation, a logical sequence
    se quence o thoughts is essential Te cues that signal
    or successul communication. o speak coherently and comprehend completely, one the transition rom one
    has to understand the sequence o ideas. he structure o thoughts must be received set o ideas to another
    and retained by the listener to understand arguments. he cues that signal the transition must be retained by
    rom one set o ideas to another must be retained by the listener to be able to grasp the the listener to be able
    ull sense o the message. In case o poor retention, the listener ails to relate what he or to grasp the ull sense
    o the message. In case
    she hears with
    ber previous what he orthe
    discussions, shewhole
    had heard earlier. Moreover,
    conversation is likely toibe
    the listener
    lost in theails to remem-
    absence o any o poor retention, the
    listener ails to relate
    written record.
    what he or he hears
    with what he or she had
    Premature Evaluation and Hurried Conclusions
    heard earlier.
    Listening patiently until the speaker completes his or her argument is necessary
    or correct interpretation o an oral message. he listener can distort the intended
    meaning by pre-judging the intentions o the speaker, inerring the inal meaning
    o the message, or giving a dierent twist to the argument according to his or her
    own assumptions or by just picking out a ew select shreds o inormation. hese
    mental processes may act as a block to listening, aecting accurate exchange o
    inormation.

    Abstracting
    Abstracti
    Abs tracting
    tance o ng is the
    ideas mental
    in the process
    context o total
    o the evaluating thoughts
    message. his isinpossible
    terms oonly
    the relative impor-
    by listening to
    the whole message. Abstracting acts as a barrier when a listener approaches a message
    rom a particular point o view and ocuses his or her attention on selected aspects o
    the conversation.
    conversation. his acts as a barrier to a ull understanding o whatever is exchanged
    between two persons.

    66 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    Slant
    Slant is the biased presentation o a matter by the speaker. Instead o straight and honest
    communication, the speaker may adopt an oblique manner that could verge on telling a
    lie. When a matter is expressed with a particular slant, importan
    importantt aspects o the message

    are suppressed,
    suspect let out, or only
    the cover-up/slant. indirectly hinted
    But uninormed at. Well-inormed
    listeners may accept the listeners usually do
    slanted message.

    Cognitive Dissonance
    At times listeners ail to accept or respond to assumptions deriving rom new inorma-
    tion as they may be unprepared to change the basis o their belies and knowledge. In
    such a discrepancy between a listener’s existing assumptions and the position communi-
    cated by the speaker, some listeners try to escape rom the dissonance by reinterpreting,
    restructuring, or mentally ignoring the oral interchange. Cognitive dissonance intereres
    Cognitive dissonance with the acceptance o new inormation. It may also lead to several interpretations o
    intereres with the
    a new message or view. In the absence o cognitive dissonance, a listener has the skill,
    acceptance o new
    inormation.
    ability, and lexibility o rational thinking, promoting eective oral communication. For
    business executives, the skill to move rom one mental rame to another is essential or
    eicient oral exchange o ideas, belies, and eelings.

    Language Barrier
    he language o communication should be shared by the speaker and the listener. In
    business, English is widely used in most parts o the world. he ability to converse in
    English is essential or executives in a multi-lingual country like India. English is now
    the global medium or conducting business, and the lack o knowledge and practice o
    spoken English acts as a barrier to verbal communication.
    communication.
    he listener should also be amiliar with the accent o the language in use, as a new
    accent can oten be diicult to ollow or those unamiliar with it. For instance, in India,
    even those who speak English luently need special training to work in call centres so
    that they can understand what overseas callers say over the phone. Workers involved in
    outsourced businesses tend to overcome their initial language barrier.
    he eects o most o these barriers that interere with the proper response to oral
    messages can be reduced or even
    e ven removed through eective listening. In order to develop
    good listening skills, we must irst identiy and understand the characteristics o eective
    listening.
    Besides the barriers in listening discussed in this section, there may be other actors
    that aect listening, as shown in Exhibit 5.2. For instance, many studies show that men
    listen mostly with the let side o the brain while
    w hile women tend to use both sides. Further,
    studies also suggest that let-handed people may use a part o the brain to process
    language that diers rom their right-handed counterparts. Such dierences in brain
    dominance and lateralization could aect
    a ect listening, either positively or negatively
    negatively..

    CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE AND INEFFECTIVE LISTENERS


    o improve our listening skills, we must know the characteristics o eective as well as
    ineective listeners and identiy our own weaknesses as listeners. Exhibit 5.3 contrasts
    the characteristics o eective and ineective listeners.
    Good listeners try to encourage the speaker by their body language and expression.
    hey indicate
    listeners, on theinterest and understanding
    other hand, regarding
    annoy and disturb the subject
    the speaker. hey o discussion.
    may Poor
    have the habit
    o interrupting or showing little interest
    interest in what
    w hat is being discussed. Unnecessary
    Unnecessary inter-
    jections such as “yes”
    “yes”, “but”, and “is”
    “is” should be avoided
    avoided when they disturb the speaker.
    speaker.
    Ater knowing how eective and ineective listeners dier in their listening behav-
    iour, try to recognize your own behaviour and attitude.

    LISTENING SKILLS 67

    Exhibit 5.2
    Left-sided Listening in Men Differences in the
    Our brains are divided into four parts, and each part performs different functions and has Listening Process
    different abilities. The right frontal part is best at creative tasks and ideas; the right basal
    part is responsible for feelings, intuition, compassion and interest for others. Logic and
    reasoning are governed by the left frontal part, which is responsible for abilities such as
    problem solving, strategic vision, leadership, and decision-making skills. The left basal
    part is best at organizing the world; sorting, arranging and 󿬁ling; and keeping order and
    maintaining routine.
    Each of us possesses the abilities governed by the four parts of the brain to some extent,
    but there are differences in how much we use each part. About 95 percent of us use some
    part of the brain more than others (only 5 percent of us use all the parts equally). Studies
    show that men tend to use more of the left part of their brain while women usually use
    more of the right.
    Studies also suggest differences in listening in men and women. According to some research
    studies, men listen with only one side of their brains while women use both. Researchers
    have compared the brain scans of men and women and found that men mostly use the left
    side of their brains, the part long believed to control listening and understanding.
    The question is: which
    which is normal? Maybe the normal for men
    men is different fr
    from
    om the normal ffor
    or
    women. Could this be the reason why men don’t like to listen to what doesn’t interest them,
    and listen repeatedly to something they like?
    Listening in Left-handed People
    Right-handed people are many more in number than left-handed people on earth. But,
    when it comes to processing language, a higher proportion of left-handed people process
    language effectively,
    effectively, as compared to right-handed people.
    Normally, people use both sides of the brain to process language. The dominant hemisphere
    Normally,
    deals with articulation and calculation, and the non-dominant part is used for abstract
    thinking. According to the 󿬁ndings of the American Academy of Neurology in Philadelphia,
    the United States, left-handed people may use a (dominant) part of the brain to process
    language which differs from their right-handed counterparts. As a result, left-handed people
    could have different types of intelligence. For example, a person could be the CEO of an
    organization and yet not have good road sense.

    Sources: Information from “Men Do Hear—But Differently Than Women, Brain Images Show,” ScienceDaily,
    29 November 2000, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/11/001129075326.htm, accessed
    October 2010; and Steve Smith (ed.), “Be Your Best! Readymade Tools for Personal Development”,
    1st South Asian edition (Cogan-Page India Ltd, 1999).

    Exhibit 5.3
    Effective Listeners Ineffective Listeners
    Characteristics of
    Do not interrupt Take a “Yes, but…” approach Effective and Ineffective
    Remain patient Do not give their full attention to the speaker Listeners
    Make eye contact Look away from the speaker
    Show interest Display impatience to talk
    Look attentive Are very critical
    Concentrate Have poor concentration
    Ask open questions Are over-talkative

    68 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    GUIDELINES FOR IMPROVING LISTENING SKILLS


    3 Eective communication is associated with the power o speaking well, but without
    Know some guidelines good listening, successul communication is not possible. he spoken word ulils its
    or improving purpose only when it is careully heard, understood, interpreted, and registered in the
    listening skills. listener’s memory.
    he eectiveness o communication is the unction o both eective speaking and
    eective listening. o communicate successully, the speaker’s words should be well
    articulated and, at the same time, they must be well received. he guidelines given here
    should be helpul in improving one’s listening skills.
    When two people are talking simultaneously, neither can listen to the other. o have
    a successul dialogue, it is necessary that when one person wants to speak, the other per-
    son keeps quiet and listens. No one can talk and listen at the same time. In classrooms,
    it is common or teachers to ask students to stop talking to ensure that they are able to
    listen to the lecture. Similarly, the teacher stops talking when a student wants to say
    something.

    1. Speak less, listen more: he purpose o listening is to know what the speaker wants to
    say or to learn rom the speaker. Listening is an act o cooperation in the sense that
    it takes advantage o others’ knowledge and experience. hereore, devoting time to
    listening rather than speaking is in our sel-interest.
    2. Do not be a sponge: It is not necessary to concentrate on every word o the speaker’s.
    Instead, it is more important to get the main point, theme, or central idea and con-
    centrate on it. Minor details are not as important.
    3. Observe body language: Eective listeners do not pay attention only to what is being
    said, but also notice how it is said. hey observe the eelings, attitudes, and emo-
    tional reactions o the speaker based on his or her body language.
    4. Focus on the speaker: Facing the speaker and making eye contact make the speaker
    eel that the listener is interested in what he or she is saying.
    5. Separate the ideas from the speaker: Good listeners do not allow themselves to be
    overly awed by the speaker’s status, ame, charm, or other physical and personal

    attribut
    attributes.
    are not es. hey separate
    conditioned the person
    by their rom
    personal his or her ideas.
    impressions Eective communicator
    and prejudices, communicators
    but are able tos
    ocus on the content o what is being spoken.
    6. Listen for what is left unsaid: Careul attention to what is not said, in addition to what
    is said, can tell the listener a lot about the speaker’s eelings and attitude towards the
    subject o discussion.
    7. A
    Avoid
    void becoming
    becoming emotiona
    emotional:l: Good listeners remain calm and do not become emotion-
    ally charged or excited by the speaker’s words. Becoming too angry or excited makes
    it diicult or the listener to respond or express himsel or hersel objectively and
    rationally.
    8. Do not jump to hasty conclusions: Listeners should allow the speaker to conclude his
    or her point. Only then should they try to interpret and respond to it. Hasty iner-
    ences may not represent what the speaker intended to communicate.
    9. Empathize with the speaker: Eective listeners keep in mind the speaker s point o
    view by ocusing o
    on
    n the big picture,
    picture, background
    background constraints/limita
    constraints/limitations,
    tions, and special
    needs and the emotional state o the speaker.
    10. Respect the speaker as a person: It is important to listen with respect or the other
    person. Do not allow the speaker to eel hurt, ignored, or insulted.
    insulted.

    LISTENING SKILLS 69

    Exhibit 5.4
    Step1: Keep quiet—as much as possible. Effective Listening—
    Step 2: Don’t lead—unless you want to hear the opposite of what is being said. Six Steps Away
    Step 3: Don’t react defensively—if what you hear bothers you.

    Step 4: Avoid clichés—to


    clichés—to make meaningful statements.
    s tatements.
    Step 5: Remain neutral—no matter what you think of others.
    Step 6: Resist giving advice—until
    advice—until asked for directly.

    Source: Based on Michael Purdy and Deborah Borisoff (eds), Listening in Everyday Life: A personal and
    Professional Approach (University Press of America, 1997).

    here may be nothing new in these guidelines. However, a reminder o the ways o
    improving listening, as illustrated in Exhibit 5.4, can be o great value or improving the
    eectiveness o communication.
    communication.

    RESPONSIVE LISTENING
    Distortions in communication take place because o the nature o its three elements: the
    4
    sender, the receiver, and the message. In earlier chapters, we have seen how messages Understand how to
    craf re󿬂ective and
    get iltered and mixed with the thoughts, eelings, and experiences o both the sender
    clariying responses
    and the receiver. Moreover, the message itsel is subject to distortions resulting rom the
    that demonstrate
    limitations o language as an adequate vehicle or communication.
    good listening skills.
    Lynette Long, in her book Listening/Responding: Human Relations raining for
    eachers2, questions the possibility o appropriate communication
    communication between the speaker
    spe aker
    and listener. She deines the communication process as one in which:
    1. What the speaker eels and what s/he means to say are not the same,
    2. What s/he means to say and what she/he actually says are dierent, and
    3. What s/he says and what the listener hears are also dierent. It’s
    It’s a wonder,
    wonder, then, that
    3
    what the speaker thinks is ever what the listener hears.
    However, Long suggests a course o training to enable a listener to respond to what
    the speaker thinks and not what the listener hears.
    In light o their value or teachers, managers, and interpersonal communicators,
    Long’s two basic concepts o responses, basic reflective response and basic clarification
    response,, are briely discussed here.
    response

    Basic Reflective Response


    Listening should be acilitative. he speaker should eel encouraged to speak out. He or
    Listening should be
    she should eel that he or she has been heard and rightly understood. According to Long,
    acilitative.
    acilitative. Te speaker
    the easiest way to show acilitative listening is relection, “which requires that the listener
    should eel encouraged
    accurately paraphrase the essence o the speaker’s message. his paraphrasing lets the to speak out.
    speaker know that you have accurately heard him/her.” A relective response should not,
    however, have any new inormation based on the listener’s own thoughts or views.
    As an example o a relective response, consider the ollowing example in which
    Manisha accurately paraphrases Abhinav’s thought:
    Abhinav: I’m feeling so stupid. I expected it to be a most entertaining movie.
    The way you described it, I though
    thoughtt it would be a fun
    fun.. But the whole thing
    makes no sense. Like most Indian movies, it’s just so lousy.
    Manisha: The movie does not meet the expectations I had raised on the day
    of its release.

    70 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    Manisha’s response rephrases the essential disappointment Abhinav expresses about


    the movie, and thus it makes him eel that he has been correctly heard and understood
    by her.
    But suppose, Manisha responded as ollows:

    “Yes, most Indian movies turn out to be boring”


    boring”..
    Abhinav would have elt that Manisha missed what he wanted to convey—his disap-
    pointment. He was led to believe the movie was highly entertaining, but it turned out to
    be quite boring.
    In crating a relective response, the listener responds only to what is presented by
    the speaker. For example, i only eelings are presented, the listener must respond to
    those eelings; i a cognitive matter is presented, he or she must respond to those compo-
    nents o the thought alone. he listener just repeats (mirrors/relects
    (mirrors/relects)) what the speaker
    communicates. He or she adds no new material while responding relectively.
    A message can have three component elements. he irst is the experiential com-
    ponent, which answers the question, “What happened?” he second is the cognitive
    component, describing what the speaker thinks about what happened. hese two
    components orm the content o the message. he third component is the aective
    element o the message, which reveals how the speaker eels about what happened—
    this is more emotional than analytical. Most messages contain
    contain at least two o these three
    components. he listener must identiy experiential, cognitive, and aective compo-
    nents and then decide which o these components to respond to. He or she also has to
    decide whether to respond with relection or with some other listening technique.
    As an example, let us break the ollowing statement into its three component parts.
    Ankit: Sometimes only luck saves us. Today, while driving to my office,
    I happened to get delayed, and, therefore, I reached the office parking lot just
    after the blast.
    1. he experiential component: What happened? While driving to his oice, Ankit hap-
    pened to get delayed and reached the parking place ater the blast.
    2. Cognitive component: What is Ankit’s cognitive reaction to this happening? He
    explains what happened by attributing it to luck (“Sometimes, only luck saves us.”).
    3. Affecti
    Affective
    ve component:
    component: How does Ankit eel about what happened? No eelings are
    explicitly expressed in his statement, but it is implied that Ankit eels lucky to have
    been delayed while driving to this oice.
    Here, I may point out that many o you may not agree with Ankit’s sentiment “some-
    times, only luck saves us”.
    us”. It is indeed hard to dierentiate
    dierenti ate between thoug
    thoughts
    hts and eelings.
    Many times, we use the expression “I eel” to convey what we think about someone. For
    example, we might say “I eel he is a good person”. In act, this is a thought, not a eeling
    that we are talking about.
    We can now see that the listener should respond to all the components o the mes-
    sage: the experiential, the cognitive, and the aective. O course, all the three parts may
    not always be present in a message. But whenever the aective component is present,
    the listener must respond relectively to it because this part communicates the speaker’s
    eelings and is thereore most important rom the speaker’s point o view.
    Now, assuming yoursel to be a listener, analyse the ollowing conversation and try to
    respond relectively to the speaker’s message.
    Abhishekh: I mostly go out for an evening walk with Juhi, but this evening
    when I reached her house, she had already left. She knew that I was on my
    way to her place. She is really so inconsiderate.

    LISTENING SKILLS 71

    o respond to Abhishekh, irst break the statement into the ollowing three
    components:
    1. What happened to Abhishekh?
    2. What does Abhishekh think about what happened?
    3. How does Abhishekh
    Abhishekh eel about what happened?
    In your response, you may repeat the gist o the event, but you should relect on
    the aective part by restating it completely. You can thereore respond by saying: “You
    were delayed on your way to her place, but Juhi should have waited or you.” Another
    possible response is: “You were late. But Juhi’s going out without you must really be so
    irritating”.

    Basic Clarification Response


    Te clariying listener
    A clariying response is more reined than a relective response. he clariying listener
    tries to understand the
    tries to understand the thoughts and eelings o the speaker by placing/projecting
    placing/projecting him- thoughts and eelings o
    sel or hersel in the speaker’s situation. Such a listener “assumes the internal rame the speaker by placing/
    o reerence o the speaker” according to Long. It is important to note that clariying projecting himsel or
    listeners do not identiy their own experiences with the speaker’s. Instead, they ocus hersel in the speaker’s
    and elaborate on the speaker’s thoughts and eelings. situation. Such a
    he relective listener repeats the content o the message, whereas the clariying listener “assumes the
    listener “ampliies the stimulus statement” by elaborating on the unstated thoughts and internal rame o reer-
    eelings underlying the speaker’s expression. Both what is said as well as what is let ence o the speaker”.
    unsaid (but is implied by non-verbal body language) are together analysed to under-
    stand the iner workings o the speaker’s mind.
    According to Long, clariying listeners integrate verbal and non-verbal messages to
    gain a ull understanding o the message and bring into ocus and “attend to details o
    the communication that might otherwise go unnoticed.” In clariying what the speaker
    has told them, they expand on both the eeling and content expressed by the speaker.
    Manyy times speakers may not be aware o the ull meaning o their statements.
    Man statements. Clariy-
    ing listeners help speakers better understand themselves.
    A clariying response responds to what is not said as well as what is said. Clariying
    listeners ampliy and elaborate on the comments o the speaker. hey add deeper eeling
    and meaning to the expressions o the speaker by responding to his or her underlying
    thoughts and eelings.
    Some o the words in this elaboration may need to be explained. Let us see how
    Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English deines these terms. Ampliy means “to
    explain something that you have said by giving more inormation about it”. Elaborate
    means “to give more details or new inormation about something”. Clariy means “to
    make something clearer or easier to understand.”

    Difference Between Clarifying Listeners and Interpretative Listeners


    he ocus o clariication is on the speaker. he listener is engaged in interpreting
    the speaker’s eelings and thoughts, which may remain incomplete or unexpressed. It
    should be noted that the clariying listener adds no new inormation to the speaker’s
    statement. he listener’s comments expand—but do not interpret—what has been said.
    Clariication is done in terms o the speaker’s thoughts and eelings. It starts by reer-
    ring to the speaker. For example, it could begin with phrases such as “It seems you…” or
    “Perhaps you eel…”. he exercise o clariication is done with the purpose o helping the
    speaker understand his or her own eelings more ully.
    According to Long, an interpretative listener on the other hand adds “new content and
    eelings to the expressions o the speaker—content and eelings that are not contained
    in the previous expressions o the speaker but are based on the listener’s projections

    72 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    concerning the speaker as a person”4. Interpretations are based on the listener’s


    knowledge o the speaker, on the ways human beings act in similar situations, or on the
    listener’s personal biases and opinions, with which the speaker may or may not agree.
    Incorrect interpretation shows lack o understanding on the part o the listener. o be

    helpul as a should
    he listener listener,develop
    one should irst listen
    the ability to what
    to clariy ratheris than
    said interpret
    and not ask
    whatwhy it issay
    others said.
    to
    be able to respond successully.
    Consider the ollowing example:
    Divya: I do not like oral reports. May I submit a written report, instead?
    Mr Chakrapani: I know speaking before the whole class is difficult. You feel
    nervous. It seems everyone is looking at you and you become self-conscious.
    Mr Chakrapani responds to Divya in a clariying way. He ocuses on her and her
    eelings. He gives his response in terms o Divya. He projects himsel in the situation
    and eels what she eels. He uses the phrase “You eel…”, which communicates empathy.
    Finally, he ampliies her dislike o oral reports by bringing in her eeling o nervous-
    ness in standing beore the whole class. O course, this ampliication is based on what
    Mr Chakrapani assumes about Divya’s preerence or a written report. And it may not
    be absolutely true. She may also be thinking that a written report could result in a bet-
    ter grade. One can be certain about the correctness o his clariication only when Divya
    nods “yes” in response to Mr Chakrapani.
    Now, here is an example o interpretive listening:
    Divya: “I do not like oral reports. May I submit a written report, instead?”
    Mr Chakrapani: “I know it’s easy to get a report written by a senior and
    submit it.”
    Mr Chakrapani responds to Divya’s statement not in not in terms o what is said,
    but in terms o what he believes or knows about the practice o submitting reports. His
    listening is conditioned by his knowledge/inormation about student practices that
    Divya may not be aware o. In this case, the listener responds to what he assumes, not
    what he hears.

    Recognizing
    Recognizi ng Unexpressed Feelings and Thoughts
    It is most important to understand the eelings in a message. Even the speaker may
    ind it diicult to express his or her eelings properly and ully. he listener should help
    the speaker express his or her eelings more reely. his can be done by ampliying the
    speaker’s eelings, which may be implied and not openly expressed. By listening to verbal
    expressions and non-verbal clues, the clariying listener can get an idea o the problem
    that is bothering the speaker. he listener puts together the clues provided by the speak-
    er’s tone, choice o words, pace o speaking, and intonation pattern to sense the underly-
    ing eelings o the message. Non-verbal clues such as gestures, acial expressions, body
    movement, and eye contact and movement, in combination with verbal clues, airm the
    unsaid eelings and thoughts o the speaker. he clariying listener then conveys to the
    speaker that he or she has recognized the eelings and thoughts he or she has not openly
    shared. his encourages the speaker to open up and talk about suppressed eelings and
    thoughts.
    o understand clariication urther, let us analyse the expressed and implied eelings
    in the ollowing statement:
    Monica: Of late, I have started feeling very distant
    distan t from my family. I am unable
    to talk with anyone. I do not know what has gone wrong. Even when I talk to
    my brother or sister, I feel as if I am talking to some unknown person.

    LISTENING SKILLS 73

    Expressed eeling: Feeling o distance


    Implied eelings: Loneliness, worry, and anxiety about the loss o amily ties and
    closeness
    Now analyse the ollowing statement or the speaker’
    spea ker’ss expressed and implied thoughts:
    thoug hts:

    Surbhi: I tried hard to become the Indian Idol. I thought as a singer I was as
    good as anyone else. But, in the finals when I heard the other contestants, I
    realized I could not make it.
    Expressed thought: I thought as a singer I was as good as anyone else
    Implied thought: I did not estimate my singing ability correctly
    We have now discussed some o the characteristics that help a speaker express his or
    her thoughts and eelings reely. Broadly speaking, a good clariication response has the
    ollowing characteristics:
    1. Encourages disclosures by the speaker
    2. Pays close attention to the speaker’s eelings
    3. Communicates understanding o expressed as well implied eelings and thoughts
    4. Helps the speaker understand his or her problem
    o test your understanding, choose which o Meera’s responses to Nidhi is a clariying
    response and give reasons or rejecting the other three responses.
    Nidhi: I have lot of problems with my finance professor. She does not like me.
    Can you do something about this?
    Meera:
    A. I do not know your finance prof
    professor.
    essor.
    B. You believe yyour
    our finance professor dislikes you and you want me to do
    something to help.
    C. When I was getting my MB
    MBA,A, my mark
    marketing
    eting teacher h
    hated
    ated me. I was
    always scared about my grade in marketing because of our personal
    relationship.

    D. You are worried about your relationship with your finance professor. You
    believe she does not like you. You fear you may not get a good grade in
    her course.
    I you chose D as the clariying response, you are correct. Here are the reasons or
    rejecting statements A, B, and C as clariying responses. Response A does not relect a
    deeper understanding o the problem o personal relationships in proessional settings.
    Nor does it identiy Nidhi’s ear o not getting a good grade. Instead, it seeks to know
    more about her proessor.
    proessor. Response B just relects
    re lects the eelings o tthe
    he original statement;
    it does not ampliy them or help Meera understand
    u nderstand her eelings better. Response C is an
    example o the listener identiying with the
    t he speaker’s experience. A clariying response,
    however, should ocus on Nidhi’s experience and her eelings about it. Response D,
    on the other hand, is a correct clariying response. In this response, Meera ocuses on
    Nidhi’s worries and concerns about her relationship with her proessor and her grade
    in the course.
    as ears hiddenNidhi did not
    in Nidhi’s directly
    mind. state these
    he original concerns,
    statement but
    talks Meera
    only perceives
    o the teacher’sthem
    dis-
    like o Nidhi and asks or some help in this regard. Meera elaborates on this and helps
    Nidhi understand her worry more clearly. he speaker can get a lot o satisaction and
    ulillment rom knowing that he or she has been heard, understood, and accepted by
    someone.

    74 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    SUMMARY

    • Tis chapter expl


    explains
    ains how listening means paying biases or slant, cognitive dissonance, and language
    thoughtul attention
    attention to what someone is saying. barriers.
    • Listening careully is animportant skill or managers, and • Some guidelines or
    or iimproving
    mproving listening include speak-
    the skills o thoughtul listening should be cultivated by ing less and listening more, observing body language,
    managers. and ocusing on and empathizing with the speaker.
    spea ker.
    • Te list
    listening
    ening pr
    process
    ocess includes giving undivided aatten-
    tten- • Tere are two basic concepts o responses: the basic
    tion to the speaker, hearing, understanding, and inter- re󿬂ective response and the basic clari󿬁cation response.
    preting the words, evaluating non-verbal expressions, A re󿬂ective response paraphrases the speaker’s words
    empathizing with the speaker, and conceptualizing. and lets the speaker know that the listener has accu-
    • Tere are various actors that adversely affect listening: rately heard him or her. A clariying
    clari ying response “assumes
    lack o concentration, unequal statuses o the speaker the internal rame o reerence o the speaker” and
    and listener, a halo effect or complex, a closed mind, elaborates on the speaker’s thoughts to draw out the
    poor retention, premature evaluation, abstracting, speaker’ss unsaid thoughts and emotions.
    speaker’

    CASE: TOO BUSY TO LISTEN?

    here are times when teachers are too busy to listen to their I also have to enter these marks in the grades sheet. oday,
    students’’ diiculties. Students ind them preparing the next
    students I am too busy. Why don’t you go to Rita madam?
    day’s lecture, correcting scripts, or discussing college prob- Geeta: Madam, I had actually irst
     irst gone to Rita madam. She
    lems with other teachers. also told me she was not ree. She was very busy with the
    Geeta, a BBA student, inds hersel approaching her pro- college’’s Annual Day unc
    college unction
    tion preparations.
    gram coordinator, who seldom encourages students to dis- Ms Srivastava:
    Srivastava: Yes, Geeta, we all are very busy till the end
    cuss their personal problems or any course-related questions o this month.
    or concerns. he teacher brushes her o saying she is too
    busy.
    Geeta: Madam?
    Questions to Answer
    1. Discuss the barriers to sympathetic listening as shown
    Srivastava: Yes?
    Ms Srivastava:
    by the responses o the teacher to Geeta.
    Geeta: Can I talk
    to you just or a minute? I need your he
    help.
    lp. 2. What, according tto o you, is the real reason or
    or the teach-
    Srivastava: Not now, Geeta. I am marking papers.
    Ms Srivastava: er’
    er’ss inability to listen to Geeta? Are they really too busy
    Geeta: Can I see you ater my class, please? to listen to students’ problems?
    Srivastava: Not today.
    Ms Srivastava: today. I have
    to attend the aculty meet- 3. “I am too busy.” What does this statement show about
    ing and then I have to prepare tomorrow’s lecture. And the nature o the responses o some teachers?
    teache rs?

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    1. “Listening is hearing with thoughtul attention.” Discuss. 6. Describe some methods o improving the listening
    2. What is the advantag
    advantagee o being a good listener
    listener or a ability o a person.
    business executive? 7. Explain how a relective response acilitates
    acilitates listening.
    3. Describe in detail the p
    process
    rocess o
    o listening. 8. Bring out the dierence betwbetween
    een ““clariying’
    clariying’ listeners
    listeners””
    4. Describe some internal acto
    actors
    rs that act as barriers to and “interpretative
    “ interpretative”” listeners.
    proper listening. 9. What do you understand by the term “responsive
    5. “Prematur
    “Prematuree evaluati
    evaluations
    ons and h
    hurried
    urried concl
    conclusions
    usions distort listening”?
    listening.” Discuss.

    LISTENING SKILLS 75

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

    1. Consider the reasons or one’s occasional lack o con- 4. Do you believe
    belie ve that proper training can improve one’s
    centration on what is said. listening skills?
    2. How would yyou ou evaluat
    evaluatee yoursel as a listener on the basis 5. Do you agree with the view that it is not possible to
    o the listening characteristics described in this chapter? have appropriate communication between a speaker
    3. In this chapter
    chapter,, there are some guidelines given or and a listener?
    improving listening. Which o these would you ind
    suitable or improving your listening?

    APPLY YOUR
    YOUR LEARNING
    LEARN ING

    Identiy the nature o listening/responding given in the Prasant’s response is:


    example below and give reasons or your choice: (a) Interpretativ
    Interpretativee
    Gaurav: I don’t believe I can complete this project report. (b) Relective
    I’m so rustrated. I have
    h ave no background inormation.
    Prasant: You eel discouraged because you eel you do not (c) Clariying
    (d) Responsive
    have the skills to write the project report.

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    From among the given options, choose the most appropriate


    appropriate answer:*
    1. Most o our waki
    waking
    ng tim
    timee goes in: 5. When a listener abst
    abstracts
    racts partially
    partially,, list
    listening
    ening is:
    (a) hearing (a) helped
    (b) speaking (b) distorted
    (c) writing (c) obstructed
    (d) reading (d) slanted
    2. Listening, like speaking, reading, and writi
    writing,
    ng, is: 6. Good listeners concentrate on:
    (a) a skill (a) the speaker’s mmain
    ain thought
    (b) a git o nature (b) the speaker’
    speaker’ss every word
    (c) an art (c) important words
    (d) a habit (d) minor details
    3. A serious listener concentrates on: 7. A relective listener:
    (a) the speaker’
    speaker’ss physical appearance (a) thinks about the speaker’
    speaker’ss message
    (b) the speaker’
    speaker’ss body language (b) apprecia
    appreciates
    tes the message
    (c) the message (c) ignor
    ignores
    es the details
    (d) other thoughts (d) repeats the message’s essential parts
    4. As a sympathetic listener, you sho
    should
    uld consider the mes- 8. A clariying listener:
    sage rom the point o view o: (a) expl
    explains
    ains the message
    (a) the audience (b) repeats what is said
    (b) yoursel (c) illustrates the message with examples
    (c) the speaker (d) elaborates the speaker’
    speaker’ss underlying thoughts and
    (d) others eelings

    *For answers and sel-evaluation, visit www.pearsoned.co


    www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi
    .in/PDChaturvedi

    76 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    9. Listening and hearing reer to: 10. Listening, to a large extent, depends on a person
    person’’s:
    (a) the same thing (a) desire to know
    (b) dierent things (b) interest in others
    (c) a speciic act versus a general act (c) taste or gossip
    (d) mental and physical acts, respectively (d) closed mind

    ENDNOTES

    1. . R. Vivek, “Strat 
    alk”
    alk”,, Te Economic imes,
    imes, April 20, 3. Ibid., p. 18.
    2007. 4. Ibid., p. 88.
    2. Lynette Long, Listening/Responding: Human Relations
    raining for eachers (Caliornia: Tomson Brooks,
    1978), p. 16.
    Writing Skills

    6
    True ease in writing comes from
    “
    art, not chance, as those move
    easiest who have learned to
    dance.
    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    Shalini is an MBA student. She is
    required to write a paper on decision-
    making. After jotting down her ideas
    on the decision-making process in a
    notebook, she settles down to write
    her paper. She stares blankly at the
    by her father and how he had never
    allowed her to choose anything or do
    anything freely on her own, she slumps
    back in her chair. She stops writing and
    re-reads what she has written. She
    decides that she does not quite like the
    white sheet of paper in front of her beginning.
    — Alexander
    Alexander Pope for a couple of minutes. Then she
    picks up her pen and starts by writing After taking a short break, she begins
    to write afresh. The initial lines are
    at the heading on top of the sheet:
    struck off the white sheet of paper.
    “decision-making”.
    ” She wonders how to begin correctly.
    Once again, she pauses, questioning At that moment, her elder brother
    the wording of the heading. Should it be enters the room. He tells her that the
    decision-making or decision-taking? Do only way to write is for her to 󿬁rst put
    we make decisions or take decisions? down whatever thoughts she has.
    T
    Too resolve
    resolve the issue,
    issue, she
    she consults
    consults a dic- Only after writing down her ideas,
    tionary. The white sheet continues to should she re-read, revise, and polish
    lie before her, blank. The dictionary tells the language. He explains to Shalini
    Upon completion of this chapter, you her that making is correct, not taking. that every creative act, whether of
    should be able to:
    She resumes writing. After writing a few writing or speaking, has a painful
    sentences describing her upbringing beginning.
    1 Understand the basic
    difficulties in writi
    writing
    ng clearly,
    simply, and correctly.
    2 Identity the different purposes
    THE ART OF WRITING
    of writing.
    Writing is a mode o communicating a message or a speci󿬁c purpose.
    3 Learn to plan written It reveals one’s ability to think clearly and to use language effectively.
    communication by paying A manager is responsible or a variety o written communications such as
    special attention to the replies to clients, enquires, memos recording agreements, proposals or
    needs and expectations of
    contracts, ormal or inormal reports to initiate action, and so on. A manager
    prospective readers.
    should be able to convey inormation, ideas, instructions, decisions, and
    4 Know the essential principles welare proposals in written orm, in keeping with the level o the people
    of effective written who receive and read them. However, a manager’s objective in writing a
    communication. particular document is only met when readers understand exactly what is
    5 Develop an effective tone in intended to be communicated to them. A manger, thereore, should be able
    written communication.
    6 Use appropriate words and
    to write down his or her thoughts simply and concisely.
    concisely.
    language for writing correctly THE SKILLS REQUIRED IN
    I N WRITTEN COMMUNICA
    COMMUNICATION
    TION
    and effectively.
    Effective writing does not come by chance. It does not just happen. Tere is a
    set o skills required to write simply, clearly, accurately, and concisely.

    78 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    1 Writing skills are as essential


    e ssential as the other knowledge and skills that orm an executive’s
    proessional quali󿬁cations and requirements. Te skills required or business writing
    are essentially the same as those
    thos e required or general written communication. Business
    Understand the basic
    writers should careully check the grammar, punctuation, and spellings; ensure that
    difficulties in writing
    writ ing
    clearly, simply, and sentences and paragraphs
    organization—clarity,
    organization—clarity are structured
    , simplicity, logically; and ollow the principles o sound
    and directness.
    correctly.
    THE PURPOSE OF WRITING
    2 Te 󿬁rst task or writing effectively is to identiy the purpose o the communication.
    Tere are mainly two goals o communication in business situations—to inorm and to
    Identity the different
    persuade.
    purposes o writing.
    Writing to Inform
    When the writer seeks to provide and explain inormation, the writing is called informa-
    Informative writing tive writing. It is also called expository writing because it expounds on or expresses ideas
    presents inormation, and acts. Te ocus o inormative writing is the subject or the matter under discussion.
    not opinions. Its Inormative writing is ound in accounts o acts, scienti󿬁c data, statistics, and technical
    purpose is to educate and business reports.
    and not persuade. It is Inormative writing presents inormation not opinions. Its purpose is to educate and
    written with maximum
    not persuade. It is, thereore, written with maximum objectivity. For example, consider
    objectivity.
    the passage in Communication Snapshot 6.1.
    Exhibit 6.1 presents
    pres ents a list o questions
    quest ions that must be answered in
    i n the affirmative to
    determine i a piece o writing is effective.

    Writing to Persuade
    Persuasive writing aims at convincing the reader about a matter that is debatable;
    it expresses opinion rather than acts. Tis writing is also called argumentative, as it
    supports and argues or a certain viewpoint or position. Te matter at hand generally has

    Communication The passage in


    in Exhibit 6A is a p
    piece
    iece of informative or exposit
    expository
    ory writing. It successfully transmits
    Snapshot 6.1 a message about ants to readers. In the passage, the writer’s opening sentence expresses the
    main idea. The subsequent sentences give information that supports the main idea, namely
    Informatory Writing unusual facts about the social lives of ants.
    As indicated, the purpose of the writer is to inform a reader objectively, with little bias. The infor-
    mation is logically arranged and clearly written.
    Exhibit 6A Ants have strange social lives. Like mediaeval feudal lords, some ants keep slaves to do their
    Ants work. They attack other ants’ nests and capture them. The victorious ants bring back the defeated
    groups of ants to their own nests and force them to work as slaves. Surprisingly, ants do not live
    alone in their nests. Hundreds of other small
    s mall creatures, like beetles and crickets, dwell with the
    ants in their houses as inmates. Some of these small creatures do useful work for the ants. They
    serve the ants by keeping the nests clean and performing other duties. However, others seem to
    live without doing anything in return. Why the ants allow them to stay in their nests is a puzzling
    question. Is it just benevolence or is it the feudal spirit of keeping a large retinue of servants?

    Exhibit 6.1
    Informative Writing: 1. Does the wr
    write-up
    ite-up focus o
    on
    n the subject unde
    underr discussion?
    A Checklist 2. Does it primarily inform rather th
    than
    an persuade the read
    reader?
    er?
    3. Does it off
    offer
    er comple
    complete
    te and prec
    precise
    ise informat
    information?
    ion?
    4. Can the information be pr
    proven?
    oven?
    5. Does it pr
    present
    esent inform
    information
    ation logically and clearly?
    6. Does it 󿬂
    󿬂ow
    ow smoothly?

    WRITING SKILLS 79

    two or more sides to it. Te writer seeks to in󿬂uence and convince the reader to accept
    Persuasive writing is
    the position he or she has put orth.
    ound in opinion essays,
    Persuasive writing ocuses on the reader. Te writer attempts to change the reader’s editorials, letters to
    thinking and bring it closer to his or her own way o thinking. Persuasive writing is editors, business and
    ound in opinion essays, editorials, letters to editors, business and research proposals, research proposals,
    religious books, reviews, or literature belonging to a certain political party. religious books, reviews,
    Persuasive writing does
    do es more than just state an opinion—that is not enough. Te opin- or literature belonging
    ion must be convincing. Tere must be supporting evidence or acts to back the writer’s to a certain political
    opinion or point o view. Moreover, the writer’s point o view should be well argued, party.
    meaning his or her reasoning should be logical and clearly arranged. Let us consider the
    example o “Alternative Sources o Fuel” shown in Communication Snapshot 6.2.
    Exhibit 6.2 presents
    pres ents a list o questions
    qu estions that must be answered in the affirmative or a
    passage to be considered persuasive.

    The case built in Exhibit 6B for considering alternative sources of fuel is well argued. The 󿬁nal Communication
    paragraph clinches the argument for 󿬁nding substitutes for fuel oil by convincing readers that, Snapshot 6.2
    although it is not easy to solve the energy problem, the real need is “to 󿬁nd substitutes for fuel
    Persuasive Writing
    oil” and “replacement energy forms are available to 󿬁ll that need”.
    Faced with today’s high energy costs and tremendous consumer demand, we need to 󿬁nd alter- Exhibit 6B
    native energy forms. During the past 󿬁ve years, consumers have tried conservation as a means of Alternative Sources of
    defence against high fuel (petrol and home-heating) prices. They purchased smaller, more fuel- Fuel
    efficient cars and insulated
    insula ted their homes with storm windows and doors. While these conser
    conservation
    vation
    measures improved the effi ciency of oil consumption,
    consu mption, they had no effec
    effectt on continually increas-
    inc reas-
    ing oil prices. Since conservation alone is not the answer, what alternatives are available now?
    One readily accessible substitute energy form is solar energy, produced by the sun. Solar col-
    lectors—made of insulation, serpentine tubing 󿬁lled with water, and glass—absorb heat from
    the sun and distribute it to radiators or baseboard heaters. Hot water for bathing is available
    through this same process.
    Gasohol is another alternate fuel. Gasohol is a mixture of 10 per cent alcohol and 90 per cent
    gasoline. Cars
    Car s travel more efficiently on this fuel due to its hi
    high
    gh octane conte
    content.
    nt. In fact, Henr y
    Ford designed the Ford Model-T to run on pure alcohol. Gasohol should be carefully considered
    as an alternate fuel, because the alcohol needed is easily derived from just about anything, such
    as corn, wood, or organic garbage.
    We could also look to another natural resource: the wind. Some experimentation is being con-
    ducted in the Midwest using windmills to generate electricity. As a matter of fact, at least one
    major store sells windmills across the country.
    Coal and wood should also be considered as substitute fuels. People heated their homes with
    wood stoves and coal furnaces long before oil was available as a home-heating fuel.
    Although there are no easy or comfortable ways to get around our energy problems, comfort
    has to be placed after our real need, which is to 󿬁nd substitutes for fuel oil. Replacement energy
    forms are available to 󿬁ll that need.”

    Source: Based on Diana Hacker and Betty Renshaw, “Alternative Source of Fuel”, A Practical Guide for Writers
    Writers,,
    2nd ed. (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1982) 183–184.

    Exhibit 6.2
    1. Does it focus on the reade
    reader?r? Persuasive Writing:
    2. Does it basic
    basically
    ally seek to convince rather than inf
    inform?
    orm? A Checklist
    3. Does it support it
    itss argument by providing facts or valid re
    reasons?
    asons?
    4. Does it follo
    follow
    w a logical arrangemen
    arrangementt of thought and reasoni
    reasoning?
    ng?
    5. Does it evoke the intended rresponse
    esponse from the rreader?
    eader?

    80 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    3 CLARITY IN WRITING

    An important requirement or effective writing is to recognize the needs, expectations,


    Learn to plan written
    communication ears, and attitudes o the audience or receiver and the reader o the written message.
    by paying special Written communication
    not immediately is one-way—rom
    clariy doubts or conusionthe sender
    i the to theisreceiver.
    message unclear.Te receivercom-
    Tereore, can-
    attention to the needs
    and expectations o municating clearly is especially important when it comes to written communication.
    prospective readers. A manager works out schemes and projects, a scientist or engineer solves a technical
    problem. As the “doer”,
    “doer”, he or she is clear
    cle ar about what is in
    i n his or her mind. But the moment
    someone takes up a pen and starts writing to communicate ideas, he or she must keep in
    When the transorma-
    mind that the structure o his or her thoughts has to ollow the structure o language, that
    tion o thought into
    language is not effected
    is, the ormat o sentences, paragraphs, and the composition as a whole. Writers must
    under the guiding ollow the principles o unity and coherence that bind words into sentences, sentences
    principles o language, into units or paragraphs, and paragraphs into essays (the ull composition). When this
    the muddy clutter hides transormation o thought into language is not effected under the guiding principles o
    the meaning and makes language, the muddy clutter hides
    hid es the meaning and makes it diffi cult to underst
    understand
    and the
    it diffi cult to understand writer’s thoughts.
    the writer’s thoughts. Although the letter has remained the most common means o written communication
    or a very
    write downlong period,
    a ew its importance
    scattered sentences is
    inrequently overlooked.
    the hope that Authors
    the reader ofen
    will get the dictate
    message.or
    Although the letter, or a
    long time, remained the However, the message may be buried under a mountain o unnecessary words, or an
    most common means o unnatural style may conceal the writer’s true intentions. Instead o letting business letters
    written communication, be riendly, interesting, and persuasive, such writing makes them overly ormal and dull.
    its importance is Exhibit 6.3 shows a well-written sample letter that has the 󿬂avour o easy conversa-
    requently overlooked. tion. Notice the use o everyday words such as “hope”, “remember”, “regret”, “send”, “says”,
    Authors ofen dictate “provide”, “charge”, “believe”, “make”, and so on that give the letter the simplicity o the
    or write down a ew spoken word.
    scattered sentences in
    Te written word ofen gets cluttered with complex construction o sentences.
    the hope that the reader
    will get the message.
    Communication Snapshot 6.3 presents an example o a paragraph whose meaning is

    Exhibit 6.3
    A Well-written Sample 12 August, 2009
    Letter The Service Manager
    Customer Satisfaction Division
    Samsung India Limited
    Nehru Place
    New Delhi

    Dear Sir,
    I hope you remember our discussion last Monday about the servicing of the washing
    machine supplied to us three months ago. I regret to say the machine is no longer working.
    Please send a service engineer as soon as possible to repair it.
    The pr
    product
    oduct warranty says that you p provide
    rovide spare parts and matematerials
    rials fr
    free,
    ee, bu
    butt charge for
    the engineer’s labour. This sounds unfair. I believe the machine’s failure is caused by a manu-
    facturing defect. Initially, it made a lot of noise, and, later, it stopped operating entirely. As it
    is wholly the company’s responsibility
    responsibility to rectify the defect, I hope you will not make us pay
    is wholly the company s responsibility
    responsibility to rectify the defect, I hope you will not make us pay
    for the labour component of its repair.
    Thanking you,

    Yours faithfully,

    Mrs Roli Chaturvedi

    WRITING SKILLS 81

    After reading Exhibit 6C, the only facts that a reader can be sure about are that the owners Communication
    of the land were contacted on July 25 and that the president will be returning on August 25. Snapshot 6.3
    The important information about about the possible sale of the block is completely concealed
    concealed by the
    Examples of Clear and
    excess of words. It is likely that the writer wanted to say something along the lines of Exhibit 6D.
    Unclear Writing
    When the owners were contacted on July 25, the assistant manager, Mr Rathi, informed the Exhibit 6C
    chief engineer that they were considering ordering advertising Block 25 for sale. He, however,
    The Original Paragraph
    Paragraph
    expressed his inability to make a 󿬁rm decision by requesting this company to con󿬁rm their
    intentions with regard to buying the land within one month, when Mr Jain, the president of the
    company, will have come back from a business tour. “This will be August 25.”

    Exhibit 6D
    The chief engineer
    engineer cont
    contacted
    acted the owne
    ownerr on July 25 to enquire if Bloc
    Blockk 25 was on sale. He was
    informed by the assistant manager, Mr Rathi, that the company was thinking of selling the block. The Revised Paragraph
    Paragraph
    He was further told that decision would not be made until the president, Mr Jain, returned from a
    business tour on August 25. Mr Rathi asked the chief engineer to submit a written proposal for sale.

    lost because o complex sentences. It also shows how this paragraph can be rewritten to
    bring clarity.
    Te purpose o business writing is to achieve the understanding
    understanding and reaction needed
    in the quickest and most economical way. o do this one must ollow the principles and
    structure o effective writing.

    PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE WRITING


    Effective written communication is achieved by ollowing the principles o (a) accuracy,
    4
    (b) brevity and (c) clarity, in addition to others. As we have already discussed clarity, let Know the essential
    us ocus on the other important principles o effective writing here. principles o
    effective written
    Accuracy communication.
    o achieve accuracy, the writer should check and double-check:
    • All acts and 󿬁gures

    • Te choice o words
    • Te language and tone
    For example, whether a communication is ormal or inormal, one should always
    write “between you and me”, not “between you and I”. In this case, the choice is simple as
    it is guided by the objective rules o grammar. But in other cases, word choice may not be
    as clearly indicated. Te correct choice o words is determined by the appropriateness o
    the word or the subject, audience, and purpose o a particular piece o writing.
    A message should be communicated correctly in terms o grammar, punctuation, and A message should
    spelling. O course, it is not always easy to be accurate in expression; however, some be communicated
    obvious pitalls can be avoided by being alert to the ollowing: correctly in terms o
    grammar, punctuation,
    • Follow the rules o grammar.
    and spelling.
    • Pay attention to punctuation marks.
    • Check words or spelling and usage.
    Only a ew samples are given here to indicate the danger o overlooking the
    technical aspects o writing. Detailed study o the grammatical rules will be discussed
    in Appendix 1.
    o avoid incorrect usage, it is important to check the suitability o the words used.
    Exhibit 6.4 presents a list o words that are ofen conused or used incorrectly.

    82 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    Exhibit 6.4
    Some Commonly Accept, Except. Accept, a verb, means to agree to something, to believe, or to receive. Except
    Confused Words means “not including”
    in cluding” or “other than”
    than”..
    Advice, Advise. Advice is a noun, and advise is a verb.

    Affect, Effect. Most frequently, affect, which means to in󿬂uence, is used as a verb, and effect,
    which means a result is used as a noun.
    Ain’t. This is a non-standard way of saying “am not”, “has not”
    not”,, “have not”, and so on.
    All Right, Alright. The phrase all right has two words, not one. Alright is an incorrect form.
    All Together, Altogether. All together means in a group, and altogether means entirely or totally.
    together
    Alot, A lot. Alot is an incorrect form of a lot.
    Among, Between. Among is used to refer to three or more nouns and between is used for
    two nouns.
    Amount, Number. Amount is used for things or ideas that are general or abstract and cannot
    be counted. Number is used for things that can be counted.
    Anyone, Any One. Anyone means any person at all. Any one refers to a speci󿬁c person or
    things in a group.
    As, As If, Like. As is used in a comparison when there is an equality intended; as if is used
    when a supposed situation is there; and like is used when similarity
    s imilarity is intended.
    Assure, Ensure, Insure. Assure means to declare or promise; ensure means to make safe or
    certain; and insure means to protect with a contract of insurance.
    Awful, Awfully. Awful is an adjective meaning “extremely unpleasant”. Awfully is an adverb
    used in informal writing to say “very”. It should be avoided in formal writing.
    Beside, Besides. Beside is a preposition meaning “at the side of”, “compared with”, or “having
    nothing to do with”. Besides is a preposition meaning “in addition to” or “other than”.
    Breath, Breathe. Breath is a noun, and breathe is a verb.
    Choose, Chose. Choose is the present tense of the verb, and chose is the past tense.
    Compared to, Compared with. Use compared to to point out similarities between dissimilar
    items. Use compared with to show
    s how similarities and differences between similar items.
    Data. This is the plural form
    form of datum
    datum.. In informal usage, data is used as a singular noun.
    Different from, Different than. Different from is always correct, but some writers also use dif-
    ferent than when a clause following this phrase. (For example, “This book is different from the
    others.” and “That is a different outcome than they expected.”)
    Farther, Further. While some writers use these words interchangeably
    interchangeably,, dictionary de󿬁nitions
    differentiate
    differentiate between them. Farther is used when actual
    ac tual distance is involved, and further is
    used to mean “to a greater extent” or “more”.
    Fewer, Less. Fewer is used for things that are countable (for example: fewer trains, fewer
    trees, fewer students). Less is used for ideas, abstractions, or things that are thought of col-
    lectively,, not separately (for example: less gain, less furniture), and things that are measured
    lectively
    by amount not number (for example: less tea, less money).
    Good, Well. Good is an adjective and therefore describes only nouns. Well is an adverb and
    describes adjectives, other adverbs, and verbs.
    Got, Have. Got is the past tense of “get”
    “get” and should not be used in place of have
    have.. Similarly,
    “got to” should not be used as a substitute for “must”. “Have got to” is an informal substitute
    got to should not be used as a substitute for must . Have got to is an informal substitute

    for must.
    Imply, Infer. Sometimes these two words are used interchangeably. However, imply means
    to suggest without stating directly. Infer means to reach an opinion from facts or reasoning.
    It ’s. Its is a personal pronoun in the possessive case. It’s is a contraction for “it is”.
    Its, It’
    Kind, Sort. These two forms are are singular and should be used with the word
    wordss ““this”
    this” or “that”
    “that”..
    Their plurals, kinds and sorts should be used with the words “these” or “those”.

    WRITING SKILLS 83

    Exhibit 6.4
    Lay, Lie. Lay is a verb that needs an object and should not be used in place of lie,
    lie, a verb that (Contd.)
    takes no direct object.
    OK, Okay. These can be used interchangeably
    interchangeably in iinformal
    nformal writing
    writing,, but should not be used in

    formal or academic writing.


    Such. This is an often overused
    overused word in pl
    place
    ace of “very” o
    orr “extr
    “extremely”
    emely”.. It should be avoide
    avoided.
    d.
    Sure. The use of sure as an adverb is informal. In formal writing, the adverb ““surely”
    surely” is used.
    That, Which. Use that for essential clauses and which for non-essential clauses.
    Their, There, They’re. Their is a possessive pronoun; there means “in”,
    “in”, “at”
    “at”,, or “at tthat
    hat place”;
    they’re is the contraction for “they are”.
    Theirself, Theirselves. These are incorrect
    incorrect forms that are sometimes used in place of
    “themselves”.
    Use to. This is incorrect; “used to
    to”” should be used inste
    instead.
    ad.
    Who, Whom. Who is used for the subject case; whom is used for the object case.
    Who’s, Whose. Who’s is a contraction for “who is”; whose is a possessive pronoun.
    Your, You’re. Your is a possessive pronoun; you’re is a contraction for “you are”. (Your feet are
    cold. You’re a great writer.)
    Yours, Your’s. Yours is the correct possessive form; your’s is an incorrect version of “yours”.

    Brevity
    Brevity lies in saying
    Brevity lies in saying only what needs to be said and leaving out unnecessary words or only what needs to be
    details. Being brie does not mean saying less that what the occasion demands. Brevity is said and leaving out
    not to be achieved at the cost o clarity. Nor is brevity to be gained by sacri󿬁cing proper unnecessary words or
    English. details.
    o achieve brevity, avoid wordiness. Tis can be done in the ollowing ways:
    1. Do not use our or six words
    words when one or two will do do.. It is not neces
    necessary
    sary to qualiy
    one word with another word that basically means the same thing. For instance, in
    the phrase,
    phras e, “worldwide
    “worldwid e recognition
    recogniti on by all”,
    all”, it would suffice to say ju just
    st “worldwid
    “worldwide”e”
    or “by all”. Exhibit 6.5 lists phrases that are examples o wordiness; they can each be
    reduced to one or two words.

    Wordy
    ordy Const
    onstru
    ruct
    ctiions
    ons Conci
    oncise
    se Co
    Cons
    nstr
    truc
    ucti
    tion
    onss Exhibit 6.5
    Examples of Wordy and
    Along the lines of Like
    Concise Constructions
    In the event of If
    For the purpose of For
    In th
    the
    e ne
    neig
    ighb
    hbou
    ourh
    rho
    ood of Abou
    Aboutt
    For the reason th
    that Since/Because
    With a view to To
    In the event that If
    Inasmuch as Because
    With reference to About
    In the case of If
    With regard to About
    With the result that So that

    84 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    2. Wordiness can also be avoided by changing long clauses into phrases. Here are a ew
    examples:

    Wordy: The vast majority of farmers in India are poor in a gre


    greater
    ater or lesser

    degree.
    Concise: Most Indian farmers ar
    are
    e quite poor.
    Wordy: The special difficulty in my case arises in relation to the fact that
    I live so far from my institute.
    Concise: I am specially handicapped by living so far from my institute.
    Wordy: In this connection, it is not without inter
    interest
    est to observe that, in the
    case of many states, no serious measures have been taken with a
    view to putting the recommendations of the HRD minister into
    practice.
    Concise: Most states have done little to implement the HRD minister’s
    recommendations.
    Wordy: Mr Singh, who was a new
    newcomer
    comer to the city mentioned earlier in this
    report, proved to be a very able administrator.
    Concise: Mr Singh, a newcomer to the above-mentioned city, proved to
    be a very able administrator. (Here a clause has been reduced to a
    phrase and a phrase reduced to a single word.)
    Wordy: She is so honest that she will not tell a lie.
    Concise: She is too honest to tell a lie.
    Wordy: The wind is so cold that we ccannot
    annot go out at present.
    Concise: The wind is too cold for us to go out at present.
    present.
    3. Drop “which
    “which”” and “that” clauses when possible. For example:

    Wordy: I need cards that are of formal type.

    Concise: I need formal cards


    cards..
    Wordy: She received a shirt that was torn.
    Concise: She rec
    received
    eived a torn shirt.
    Wordy: She cleared the debts that he
    herr husband had taken on.
    Concise: She cleared her husband’s debts.
    Wordy: I am sure that I shall be able to help yyou.
    ou.
    Concise: I am sure I can help yyou.
    ou.
    4. Do not overuse the passive voice. For example:

    Wordy: Tec
    Technology
    hnology ccan
    an be used by children also.
    Concise: Children also can use technology
    technology..
    Wordy: The post of P
    Prime
    rime Minister of India is held by Dr Manmohan Singh.
    Concise: Dr Manmohan Singh holds the Prime Ministership of India.
    Wordy: Many great lands had been seen by Ulysses.
    Concise: Ulysses saw many great lands.

    WRITING SKILLS 85

    Dear Sir, Communication


    We are in receipt of your letter dated June 25 and have pleasure in informing you that the
    Snapshot 6.4
    order you have placed with us will receive our best and immediate attention and that the Rewriting a Letter
    󿬁fteen ACs you require will be provided
    provided to you as soon as we are able to arrange for and supply
    them to you. Exhibit 6E
    A Wordy Letter
    We are, however, very sorry to say that our stock of these ACs is, at this moment of time,
    quite short. Owing to the extremely hot summer and the consequent increase in demand, we
    have been informed by the manufacturers
    manufacturers that they are not likely to be in a position to supply
    us with further stock for another three weeks or so.
    We are extremely sorry not to be in a position to satisfy your requirements immediately, but
    we wish to assure you that we will always try
    tr y to do everything we possibly can to see
    s ee that your
    order for 󿬁fteen ACs is met as soon as possible. If you are not able to obtain the ACs you need
    from elsewhere, or if you are able to wait for them until the end of the next of month, you are
    requested to inform us in a timely manner.
    Once again expressing our sincerest regr
    regret
    et at our inability to ful󿬁l your e
    esteemed
    steemed order
    order on
    this occasion with our usual promptness and trusting you will continue to favour us in the future,
    Yours truly,

    PAhuja
    Prem Ahuja

    Dear Sir,
    Exhibit 6F
    The Rewritten Letter
    Letter
    We thank you for your order of 25th June, but regret that due to the exceptional demand for
    ACs thanks to the prolonged hot spell, we are currently out of stock of the brand you ordered.
    The manufacturers
    manufacturers,, howev
    however,
    er, have pr
    promised
    omised u
    uss further supp
    supply
    ly by the end of th
    this
    is month, an
    and
    d if
    you could wait until then, we would ensure the prompt delivery of the 󿬁fteen ACs you require.
    We are sorry that we cannot meet your present order immediately.
    Yours truly,
    PAhuja
    Prem Ahuja

    Communication Snapshot 6.4 illustrates a wordy and tedious business letter and one
    way to make it more concise.
    Te letter in Exhibit 6E can be rewritten in a brie and concise orm, as shown in
    Exhibit 6F.
    6F.

    Language, Tone, and Level of Formality


    o ensure that a piece o writing is understood by the target audience, it is essential to use 5
    language that is commonly understood. Te tone used should also re󿬂ect the appropriate Develop an effective
    level o ormality or a particular context. tone in written
    Standard English communication.
    Standard English includes the most commonly used and accepted words. It is con-
    sidered “standard” because it ollows the norms laid down by the rules o grammar,
    sentence construction, punctuation, spelling, paragraph construction, and so on. It is
    the language used in ormal writing, such as books, magazines, newspapers, letters,
    memos, reports, and other orms o academic writing. For example, ain’t, a contraction
    o “I am not”,
    not”, “is not” or “has not”, is usually considered
    consi dered unaccept
    una cceptable
    able in written (and
    also spoken) English. It can, however, appear as slang or in inormal writing.

    86 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    Tone
    one reers to eelings
    created by words used Afer determining the purpose and audience o a piece o writing, one has to then
    to communicate a choose the appropriate tone in terms o ormality. one reers to eelings created by
    message. words used to communicate a message. Te tone o a piece o writing basically depends
    on the relationship
    relationship between the writer and those who receive the message. As discussed
    earlier, communications in an organization can be classi󿬁ed as upward, downward, or
    horizontal. It
    It requires skill and competence on the part o the writer to use the appro
    appropri-
    pri-
    ate tone based on the status o the reader or receiver. It is obvious that something written
    or one’s superiors will have a ormal tone, whereas something written or one’s peers
    will be more inormal.
    According to Muriel Harris, “Te level o ormality is the tone in writing and re󿬂ects
    the attitude o the writer toward the subject and audience”. 1
    Te tone can be:
    • Inormal
    • Semi-ormal
    • Strictly ormal

    Informal Tonean inormal tone or social or personal communication and or inormal
    6
    Use appropriate words
    and language or
    A writer uses
    writing. Deviations rom standard English change the tone o writing rom ormal to
    inormal or very ormal. Te inormal tone includes the use o slang, colloquialisms, and
    writing correctly and regional words. Te writer may also include contractions and incomplete sentences. An
    effectively. example o inormal tone is: “Te guy was damn annoyed because he couldn’t get a hang
    o the mumbo-jumbo.”
    mumbo-jumbo.”
    • Colloquialisms: Colloquialisms are casual words or phrases used in inormal
    writing. Some examples o colloquialisms are “guy” or a person; “ain’t” or am not,
    is not, or are not; “kids” or children
    children;; “hubby” or husband; “󿬂unk” instead o fail;
    “wannnabe” or an avid an who tries to emulate the person he or she admires;
    “whopping” or huge (or example, “a whopping success”).
    • Slang: Slang consists o inormal words, phrases, or meanings that are not regarded
    Slang consists o
    as standard and are ofen used by a speci󿬁c proession, class, and so on. Slang words,
    inormal words,
    phrases, or meanings like colloquial words, are non-conventional. Tey are used in some special sense,
    that are not regarded but they exclude jargon and dialect-speci󿬁c words. I a slang word acquires greater
    as standard and are respectability, it moves into the category o colloquialism and may even reach the
    ofen used by a speci󿬁c acceptability o standard English. For instance, “whodunit” is a colloquial word that
    proession, class, and appears in the critical writing o Northrop Frye, an eminent contemporary critic. It
    so on. is gradually acquiring acceptability and is used to reer to modern murder mysteries.
    mysteries.
    Some slang words and phrases are shown in Exhibit 6.6.
    • Regional words: Regional words, as the term suggests, are used primarily in a
    Te richness o English particular geographic area. Te richness o English lies in its openness to words rom
    lies in its openness to other areas and countries. Words such as “porch”, “verandah”, “portico”, “gherao”,
    words rom other areas “hartal”, “bazaar”, “bag”, “sack”, “tote”, or “phone” orm part o spoken and written
    and countries.
    English, sometimes as standard usage.
    Words such as hype and ad are gaining wider acceptability among proessionals and
    writers.
    Slang and regional words constitute the texture o language and give colour and tone
    to communication. In the world o business, the main concern is to communicate with
    sincerity, courtesy, and a sense o mutual respect. Te aim is to write or speak in simple
    and clear English using the language o everyday speech. Te aim o business writing is
    to earn the goodwill o the reader. Te writing should sound riendly and cooperative.

    WRITING SKILLS 87

    Slang Meaning Exhibit 6.6


    Examples of Slang
    Pot Marijuana
    Ge
    Gett one’
    one’s ac
    actt to
    toge
    geth
    ther
    er Pr
    Prep
    epar
    are/
    e/pr
    prop
    oper
    erly
    ly org
    organ
    aniz
    ize
    e
    Hip Trendy/stylish
    Pie-eyed Drunk
    Pig Derogatory use for a police officer
    Pig out Eat (food) greedily
    Brass Money
    Brass tacks Essential details
    Hype Extravagant or intensive promotion of a product
    Ad Advertisement (contraction)

    For this purpose special care should be taken to create a riendly and pleasant tone in
    business writing (letters/memos) by avoiding harsh and rude words.
    Semi-formal Tone

    Te semi-ormal
    mostly through tone lies somewhere
    standard English andbetween inormal
    is written and academic.
    according It is expressed
    to the accepted rules o
    grammar, punctuation, sentence construction, and spelling, with a ew contractions that
    add a sense o inormality. Te ollowing sentence also has a semi-ormal tone: “Much to
    their embarrassment and Mammachi’s dismay, Chacko orced the pretty women to sit at
    the table with him and drink tea.”
    Strictly Formal Tone Te strictly ormal tone
    Te strictly ormal tone is scholarly and uses words that are long and not requently is scholarly and uses
    spoken in everyday conversation. Te construction o the sentence and paragraph is also words that are long
    academic and literary in its tone. and not requently
    spoken in everyday
    Positive Language conversation.
    Business letters and memos should accentuate positive thoughts and expressions while
    stemming negative ones. Some tips to do so are:
    • Avoid using words that underline the negative aspects o the situation.
    • Write with a cool rame o mind. Do not write out o anger o
    o excitement.
    • Do not allow anger or harshness to creep into the writing.
    • Focus o
    on
    n the positive when possible.
    possible.
    Te ollowing are examples o how, by substituting positive-sounding words and
    phrases or negative ones, the general tone (effect/impact) o each sentence can be
    changed without changing the message.
    Negative: We have received your complaint.
    Positive: We have received your letter.
    (We receive letters. No one can mail a complaint.)
    Negative: Your
    Your faulty ffan
    an motor will be replaced.
    Positive: We are sending you a new fan motor with a one-year guarantee.
    Negative: The delay in dispatching your order because of our oversight will
    not be longer than a week.
    Positive: Your
    Your complete order will reach you by July 24.

    88 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    o eliminate the accusing and insulting tone o the original sentence, substitute neutral
    words or words that are insulting or make the reader eel dishonest or unintelligent.
    Insulting: Don’t allow your carelessness to cause accidents in the blast
    furnace.
    Neutral: Be careful when you are working in the blast furnace.
    Insulting: Because you failed to inform the members of the board about the
    agenda in time, the meeting had to be postponed.
    Neutral: The meeting had to be postponed as the board members did not
    receive the agenda in time.
    Remember that negative language regarding the situation is bound to distance the
    reader. o win the reader’s cooperation, one must emphasize solutions instead o criticiz-
    ing the situation.

    You-Attitude
    In all writing, the author has a point o view. You-attitude is the reader’s point o view. In
    In all writing, the
    author has a point o
    good business writing, especially letters, the author should write rom the reader’s point
    view.. You-atti
    view You-attitude
    tude reers o view, by viewing things as readers would. He or she should be able to see and present
    to the reader’s point o the situation as the reader would see it. Writers should try to convey an understanding
    view..
    view o the reader’s position and present the inormation by visualizing how it will affect the
    eelings o readers.
    In the ollowing examples, the ocus is shifed rom the author’
    author’ss point o view to the
    t he
    reader’s point o view by emphasizing the bene󿬁ts and interests o the reader in the
    given situation.
    Author’s emphasis: I congratulate you on successfully completing the task.
    Reader’s emphasis: Congratulations on successfully completing the task.
    Author’s emphasis: To reduce offi ce work and save time, we are introducing a
    new system of registration for you.
    Reader’s emphasis: To facilitate the registration process, we are changing our
    system of registration.
    Author’s emphasis: We are sending out interview calls next Monday.
    Receiver’s emphasis: You should receive the interview letter by Thursday,
    August 12.
    Te change o emphasis in these examples is psychological. By giving importance
    to the reader’s concerns (his or her point o view) and bene󿬁ts, one can develop a
    riendly tone.
    Some guidelines or re󿬂ecting the “you” point o view in business correspondence are:
    1. Empathize with the reader. Place yoursel in his or her position.
    2. Highlight the bene󿬁ts to the reader in the situation.
    3. Adopt a pleasant tone as ar as possible.
    4. Avoid nega
    negative
    tive words and images. Do not use words that insult or accuse the
    reader.
    5. Offer helpul suggestions i possible.
    6. Use words that are amiliar, clear, and natural. Avoid old-ashione
    old-ashionedd expressions or
    jargon.

    WRITING SKILLS 89

    Hackneyed Language Natural Language Exhibit 6.7


    Old-fashioned
    The undersigned I/We
    Expressions
    We beg to advise We can say

    Prior to receipt of Before we/I received


    As per your request As you requested
    Attached herewith Attached is
    Pursuant to In accordance with
    Hoping
    Hoping ffor
    or tthe
    he favou
    favourr of your kind repl
    reply
    y We
    We/I
    /I hope
    hope tto
    o
    Yours to hand of 20th Received your letter of July 20

    Natural Language
    Letters and memos should be written in the language o everyday speech. Tey should
    avoid using clichés and hackneyed expressions. Archaic expressions will make the mes-
    sage dull and uninteresting or the reader. Exhibit 6.7 lists some examples o phrases that
    should be rewritten.
    Consider the naturalness o the ollowing sentence. Do we normally talk like this?
    As per your request, we beg to inform you that we have booked a single
    room for you at our lodge for 4 days from 18 July to 21 July, 2003.
    Tis sentence lacks the spontaneity and liveliness o a natural response. It should be
    revised as:
    As you desired, we have booked a room for you from 18 July to 21 July, 2003.
    Te message should be brie. Te speci󿬁cation o the room, single or double, need not
    be given here.
    he re. Simply con󿬁rming the dates is sufficient.
    Active Voice
    Voice
    Tere are two parts o a sentence—the subject and the predicate. Te subject is that about
    which something is said; the predicate is whatever is said about the subject. In a sentence

    the
    ing subject is the main ocus, the doer o an action. It is requently positioned at the open-
    o the sentence.
    Choose the active voice to help the reader understand the main message at the very
    Choose the active
    beginning o the sentence. Passive voice is long-drawn because the “to be” orm o verb is voice to help
    help the
    used with the preposition
    preposition “by” and is then ollowed by the doer o the action. In passive reader understand the
    voice, the main ocus o the sentence,
    sentence, the subject (in the writer’s mind), is mentioned
    mentioned at main message at the
    the end o the sentence—by then the reader may become impatient and lose ocus. For very beginning o the
    the
    example, read the ollowing sentences closely: sentence.
    Active: Packaging often describes the product’s look and feel to the buyer.
    Passive: The product’s look and feel are often described to the buyer by its pack-
    aging.
    Read both the orms o the sentence together. You will 󿬁nd that the passive sentence
    reads slowly and moves heavily. It tells you about “packaging” only at the end o the sen-
    tence. It 󿬁rst speaks about the product’s look and eel. echnically, the two sentences are
    talking about two different things. Te passive-voice sentence tells the reader about a prod-
    uct’s look and eel and how they are described or the buyer through packaging. It indi-
    rectly talks about packaging. Te active-voice sentence speaks more directly about packag-
    ing and its unctions o describing a product’s look and eel to the buyer. Te sentence is

    90 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    short and it grips the reader’


    reade r’ss attention. Readers thereore usually preer active voice or its
    directness, aster pace, and clarity.
    Here are a ew problems readers ofen ace because o the use o passive voice:
    • Passive voice in issuing instructions: Instructions should be clear, direct, and com-
    plete because passive voice may conuse the reader. Te instruction may omit the
    “by” preposition phrase and thereby leave the question “who should do it” unclear.
    Te doer o the action is lef implied and is not clearly stated.

    Unclear: The strike should be called off. [By whom? Not stated]
    Clear: The strike should be called off by the union.
    • Dropping the “by” phrase: Ofen, the writer attempts to shorten the length o the
    passive-voice sentence by leaving out the “by” phrase afer the verb. Tis makes it
    difficult or the reader
    read er to understand the ull process
    proce ss o the action as the sentence
    s entence
    does not offer complete inormation.

    Incomplete: To make ththese


    ese allocations, marketing managers use sales
    response functions that show how sales and profits would be
    affected.
    Complete: To make these allocations, marketing managers use sales response
    functions that show how sales and profits would be affected by
    the amount of money spent in each application.
    • Confusing use of dangling modi󿬁ers:
    modi󿬁ers: Te reader is ofen conused by the misplaced
    modi󿬁er in the passive construction. Tereore, avoid this orm o passive construc-
    tion and write in active orm.
    Unclear: Besides saving on mailing expenses, a double-digit response will be
    achieved by a customer database system.
    Clear: Besides saving on mailing expenses, a customer database system will
    achieve a double-digit response.

    Sexist Language
    Sexist expressions and ideas should be avoided in business communication. Sexist lan-
    guage consists o words or phrases that show bias against the competence or importance
    o women. In today’s gender-sensitive age, business writing should scrupulously leave
    out all words that question women’s dignity, competence, or status.
    Ofen the use o Ofen the use o sexist language is unconscious—one
    unconscious—one may ail to realize that a certain
    sexist language is phrase or word is an unavourable reerence to the abilities o women. However, such
    unconscious—one may expressions are not acceptable to modern readers.
    ail to realize that a Consider the ollowing guidelines to avoid sexist words and phrases:
    certain phrase or word
    is an unavourable
    1. Do not use “he
    “he”” as a generic pronoun. In the past, it has been customar
    customaryy to reer
    reer to
    reerence to the abilities people in general, or a group o persons, as male. “He” is grammatically correct, but
    o women. should be avoided in generic situations,
    situations, especially job descriptions.
    Sexist: A manager writes to his peers in an informal or semi-formal tone.
    Revised: Managers write to their peers in an informal or semi-formal tone.
    In this example, the number o the subject has been changed rom singular to plural,
    and “their” has been used as the pronoun, thus avoiding any hint o sexism.

    WRITING SKILLS 91

    22.. In job descripti


    descriptions,
    ons, do not use words which suggest that all employees are o the
    same gender.
    Sexist: An experienced professor is needed. He should…

    Revised: An experienced professor is needed. He or she should…


    Or
    An experienced professor is needed. The person should
    sh ould be…
    Sexist: The policeman should listen to the common man’s complaints.
    Revised: The police offi
    o fficer should llisten
    isten to the common man’s complaints.
    Sexist: The stewardess explained the safety measures before take-off.
    Revised: The flight attendant explained the safety measures before take-off.
    3. Do not use words that lower the dignity and status o women. Also never use slang
    words to reer to women. Do not use words that
    lower the dignity and
    Sexist: The girls in the central offi ce will endo
    endorse
    rse these papers. status o women. Also
    never use slang words
    Revised:
    Revise d: The office assist
    assistants
    ants in tthe
    he centra
    centrall office will en
    endorse
    dorse th
    these
    ese papers. to reer to women.
    Sexist: Do bring the little woman ( slang for one’s wife) to the party.
    Revised: Do bring your spouse to the party.
    4. Always reer to women and men in the same way.
    way.
    Sexist: Denise Samrat, Dr Ian Campbell, and Dr Philip Kotler were members
    of the CRM panel.
    Revised: Ms Denise Samrat, Dr Ian Campbell, and Dr Philip Kotler were mem-
    bers of the CRM panel.
    Sexist: Women of this sector were represented by two doctors and one lady
    lawyer.
    Revised: Women of this sector were represented by two doctors and one
    lawyer.
    Finally, writing business letters clearly and accurately requires that the ollowing
    points be kept in mind:
    • A sentence is the smallest unit o a complete thought.
    • Each sentence should have only one thought.
    • Sentences and paragraphs should be constructed
    constructe d according to the principles o unity
    and coherence.
    For instance, consider this sentence: “Tis activity makes no attempt to be a com-
    prehensive test o accurate writing, but offers a valuable chance or you to test your own
    skill and identiy areas o weakness.” Tis sentence talks about only one topic—“a test o
    accurate writing”. Other ideas are related to the main subject.
    In contrast, examine the ollowing sentence: “I hasten to inorm you that your com-

    plete order hasisbeen


    Tis sentence shipped on
    not correctly April 10, the
    constructed. invoice
    It has will reach
    two separate you withwhich
    thoughts, the goods.”
    should
    be expressed in separate sentences. A better version would be: “I hasten to inorm you
    that your complete order has been shipped on 10 April. Te invoice will reach you with
    the goods.”

    92 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    SUMMARY

    • Tis chapter shows that the ability to communica


    communicate
    te • Tis chapt
    chapter
    er also p
    provides
    rovides ti
    tips
    ps and guidelines
    guidelines to help

    inormation
    orm re󿬂ects in a simple, concise,
    a manager’s proessioand
    proessional accurate written
    nal competence. readers develop
    words, and a good grasp
    the construction o o grammar,
    sentences, thethe
    with usegoal
    o
    • It discusses in detail the essentials o effective written o strengthening their written communicatio
    communication n skills.
    communication—planning, identi󿬁cation o purpose,
    consideration o audience, choice o appropriate lan-
    guage, and use o effective
    effec tive tone.

    CASE:: ON WRITING
    CASE WRITI NG WELL

    In his amous book, On Writing Well, William Zinsser Tey should re-read the piece and ask themselves: “Will
    cautions potential writers about some common pitalls it be clear to a person who reads it or the 󿬁rst time?” I
    o writing. Zinsser maintains that i the reader is unable the answer to this question is “no”, it means that some
    to keep pace with the writer’s train o thought, it is not “uzz” has crept into the writing.

    because the rea


    reader
    can be attributeddertoisthe
    la
    lazy
    zy or dumb.
    author, who,Rathe
    Rather,
    r, this
    because diffimany
    o the culty Says Zinsser, “Te clear writer is a person who is clear-headed
    enough to see this stuff or what it is: uzz.” 2 He urther adds
    orms o carelessness, has ailed to keep the reader on the that thinking clearly is an entirely conscious act. It’s not as i
    right track. some people are clear thinkers and, thereore, clear writers,
    Te “carelessness”
    “carelessness” Zinsser alludes to may be o many kinds: and others are born uzzy and can’t hope to write well. Te
    • Writers ofen write lolong-winding
    ng-winding sent
    sentences
    ences and sw
    switch
    itch ability to write well comes rom clear thinking and logic,
    tenses mid-sentence. Also, a sentence may not logically which a writer should constantly aim to inculcate.
    󿬂ow rom the previous sentence, although the writer Unless Zinsser’s list o potential obstacles to clear writing
    knows the connection in his or her head. Tis makes it is kept in mind, a writer runs the risk o turning in a piece
    hard or the reader to make sense o what is being said, where the reader is lef wondering who or what is being
    and they lose track. talked about.
    • Sometimes, writers do
    don
    n’t take the ttrouble
    rouble o looking
    up a key word, and end up using the wrong word. For
    Questions to Answer
    example, the word “sanguine” (con󿬁dently optimis- 1. What is uzz? Explain Zins
    Zinsser’
    ser’ss notion o uzz wi
    with
    th a
    ew examples.
    tic and cheerul) may be conused with “sanguinary” 2. Do you believe that some people are born writers? G
    Give
    ive
    (accompanied by bloodshed), which changes the mean-
    ing o a piece drastically. reasons or your answer.
    • Surprisingly ofen, writers do not know what they are
    trying to say. So, they should always question themselves Source: Based on William Zinsser, On Writing Well (New York:
    about what they are trying to say, and i they have said it. Harper,, 1998).
    Harper

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    1. Give at least three reasons or


    or knowing and ollowing 7. De󿬁ne the role o the rreader
    eader in determining the orm
    the conventions o grammar, punctuation, and spelling. and style o business letters.
    2. What is the difference between unity and coherence? 8. How do we make our writ
    writing
    ing natural?
    natural?

    3. What is the rel


    relationship
    ationship between brevity and clarity? 9. o what
    clarity o extent does clarit
    thinking? clarityy o writing depend on the
    4. Give some important characteristics o effective wri
    writing
    ting
    in business. 10. Why should we avoid using jargon and clichés in busi-
    5. What is “yo
    “you–attitude
    u–attitude”” in business wri
    writing?
    ting? ness letters or memos?
    6. Explain the unction o tone in making co
    communication
    mmunication
    truly effective.

    WRITING SKILLS 93

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

    1. Why do most o us 󿬁nd it difficult to cconvey


    onvey our 3. “It is simple to be difficult, but very difficult to be simple

    thoughts
    diffi cul
    cultie in
    s? written orm? How can we overcome these
    ties? whiledoes
    4. How writing.” Elucidate.
    extensive reading help in writing effectively?
    2. Do pre-writing thinking and post-writing revising help 5. Re󿬂ect on the value o short and simple sentsentences
    ences in
    the writer? Please discuss. creating a lucid style.

    APPLY YOUR LEARNING

    1. Change the ollowing expr expressions


    essions into more nat
    natural
    ural 3. Change the ollowing
    ollowing sentences rom passive to active
    language: voice:
    (i) Pursuant to (i) I am sorry to 󿬁nd that you were not promoted
    promoted this
    (ii) Prior to the receipt o year.
    (iii) It has come to my attention (ii) Tis is a suitable time or the new project to be
    (iv) Te undersigned will started.
    (v) Hoping or the avour o a reply (iii) I am extremely astonished at your behaviour.
    behaviour.
    2. Rewrite each oo the ollowing
    ollowing sentences to re󿬂ect more (iv) It is now time or the applicatio
    applications
    ns to be invited.
    positive thoughts: (v) Te idle candidates were selected.
    (i) 
    oo avoid urth
    urther
    er conus
    conusion
    ion and delay, our Assistant 4. Write the correct orm
    orm o the verb given in b
    brackets
    rackets in
    Engineer will visit your place and try to rectiy the the blank space.
    problem. (i) On _______ the news, the meeting was postponed.
    (ii) I was not invited to the party, so I did not come. (receive)
    (iii) Te company will not hold the wages you have (ii) W
    Wee were surprised to ______ our boss there. (󿬁nd)
    earned. (iii) By _______ early, they avoided traffic jams. (leave)
    (iv) He lef no plan untried. (iv) Do not let me prevent you rom _______ what is
    (v) Do not let carelessness cause an accident when right. (do)
    working on the machines. (v) He was charged with _______ into a house. (break)

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    From the given options please choose the most appropriate answer:*
    1. o com
    complete
    plete the unction o the written word, we require: 3. Inormativ
    Inormativee writ
    writing
    ing ocuses p
    primarily
    rimarily on the:
    (a) three persons (a) reader
    (b) one person (b) subject under discussion
    (c) two persons (c) latest news
    (d) our persons (d) writer
    2. In busi
    business,
    ness, the p
    purpose
    urpose o writing iiss mainly to: 4. In w
    writing
    riting business let
    letters,
    ters, one has to be:
    (a) entertain (a) ormal
    (b) inorm (b) dull
    (c) persuade (c) conventional
    (d) Both (b) and (c) (d) riendly

    *For answers and sel-evaluation, visit www.pearsoned.co


    www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi
    .in/PDChaturvedi

    94 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    5. echnical accuracy o language means: 8. How many kinds o articles are there in English?
    (a) direct narrative (a) Tree: a, an
    an,, and the
    (b) active voice (b) wo: de󿬁nitive and inde󿬁nitive
    (c) correctness o grammar
    grammar,, spelling, and punctuation (c) One: a
    (d) simplicity (d) Both a) and b)
    6. Te p
    principles
    rinciples o effective w
    writing
    riting include: 9. “Ter
    “Tere”
    e”, as an introductor
    introductoryy subject:
    subjec t:
    (a) brevity (a) requires the verb to agree with its unreal subject
    (b) clarity (b) requires the verb to agree with the real subject that
    (c) accuracy comes afer it
    (d) all o the above (c) requires the verb to agree with the object
    (d) is always singular
    7. In a sentence, the verb agrees in number and person
    with its: 10. In issuing instructions, one should avo
    avoid
    id the:
    (a) object (a) passive voice
    (b) subject (b) active voice
    (c) adverb (c) imperative orm
    (d) preposition (d) subjunctive orm

    ENDNOTES

    1. Muriel Harris, Guide to Grammar and Usage (New 2. William Zinsse r, On Writing Well, New York: Harper,
    Zinsser,
    Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2002). 1998.
    Non-verbal Skills

    7
    Heard melodies are sweet, but
    “
    those unheard
    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    In his 󿬁rst week at the Indian Institute
    of Management, Ravindra had a
    misunderstanding with one of his
    some reason Rishi thought he could
    not read or understand the book.
    He was hurt. Still, he gave Rishi the
    classmates. One 󿬁ne evening, Rishi book as he was not studying from it
    Aree sweete
    Ar sweeter;
    r; thereo
    thereore,
    re, ye sof
    stormed into Ravindra’s room when at that time.
    pipes, play
    play on; he was studying. He asked Ravindra Though Ravindra
    Ravindra did not tell Rishi that
    Not to the sensual ear, but more for a book, the work of a Nobel he did not like his language and tone,

    endear’d,
    Pipe to the spirit ditties laureate, that Rishi had borrowed
    from the library. Giving Rishi the book
    Rishi could tell something was wrong
    from Ravindra’s face. Before leaving,
    o no tone was not an issue, but the way Rishi he told Ravindra that that was the
    asked for it surprised Ravindra. Rishi usual way he spoke with his friends
    —John Keats came into the room and said rather and he should not be offended. Ini-
    abruptly: “What the hell are you going tially, Ravindra was not satis󿬁ed by
    ” to do with the book? Why not hand this explanation, but after interact-
    it over to me?” This sounded a bit ing with Rishi for a few weeks, he no
    insulting to Ravindra; he felt that for longer minded his brusque style.

    Upon completion of this chapter, you WHAT IS NON󰀭VERBAL COMMUNICA


    COMMUNICATION?
    TION?
    should be able to:
    Non-verbal means not involving words or speech. hus, non-verbal
    Know the meaning and communication reers to the wordless messages received through gestures,
    1 characteristics of non-verbal signs, body movements, acial expressions, tone o voice, colour, time, space
    communication. and style o writing, and choice o words.
    2 Understand the function of Animals communicate their deepest eelings o love, anger, joy, hunger,
    body talk in fully interpreting and desire or mating through gestures, cries, whistling, body movements,
    the underlying message of and many other signals known through instinct. O course, the exact inter-
    words. pretation o such signs and gestures does vary, but they are mutually under-
    stood within their species.
    3 Learn positive gestures,
    It is human beings alone who have evolved
    e volved the language o words to ccon-
    on-
    body movements, and facial
    expressions.
    vey our thoughts in a structured manner. Still, in moments o excitement,
    we tend to convey our eelings and emotions o joy, love, anger, and hatred
    4 Recognize different cues
    by smiling, shouting, rowning, or using other wordless clues. Such non-
    and clues indicated by facial
    verbal expressions o eelings come spontaneously.
    spontaneously. However,
    However, at times, we
    expressions, gestures, postures,
    can deliberately lace our words with expressive tones, gestures, and acial
    body movements, and eye
    expressions to heighten and modiy the meaning o our words.
    contact. Some non-verbal message usually accompanies a verbal message. he
    5 Understand silence as a mode verbal and the non-verbal together orm the total meaning o the message
    of communication.
    communicated. In addition to the words uttered by the speaker, there is also
    6 Learn how to build rapport. usually something unsaid and implied, so to ully understand the message,
    the listener should pay attention
    attention to body language and non-verbal signals.

    96 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    1 Unspoken messages are transmitted by non-verbal clues


    clue s and signs (body movements
    and gestures). hey exist in the orm o meta-communication and kinesic commu-
    nication (body talk). he receiver’s response to them inluences the interpretation
    Know the meaning
    and characteristics o messages received through words. Body language is not mind-reading. Rather, it
    o non-verbal involves instant revelations—lashes that are communicated rom one subconscious
    communication. to another. here is no deliberate attempt to give or receive non-verbal messages. he
    exchange happens spontaneously.
    spontane ously.

    Meta-communication
    Meta-communicat
    Meta-commu nication
    ion
    Meta-communic
    Meta-co mmunication
    ation is an implied meaning conveyed by the choice o words, tone
    is an implied meaning
    conveyed by the choice
    o voice, umbling, silence, or omission. It is a message communicated not by words,
    o words, tone o voice, but along with words. Meta-communication can be intentional or unintentional. For
    umbling, silence, or example, consider the ollowing statement: “ry to reach the airport well on time.” he
    omission. It is a message remark oers sound advice. But the sentence, without stating it explicitly, implies that
    communicated not by the listener is not punctual or is habitually late. Similarly, when someone wishes another
    words, but along with person “best o luck”, it generally conveys good wishes, but also implies a sense o anxiety
    words. or ear that something untoward may happen.
    Meta-communication also occurs through the use o paralanguage. Paralanguage
    Paralanguage includes includes pitch, loudness o voice, and speech breakers such as “er”, “ah”, and “uh”, which
    pitch, loudness o voice, show hesitation or caution. Just as a normal or low pitch o speaking shows calm and
    and speech breakers control, a loud voice communicates displeasure or anger. Prolonged gaps, pauses, or
    such as “er”, “ah”, and silence are also orms o paralanguage. When a leader speaks slowly with many uses o
    “uh”, which can show “er” and “uh”, he or she is usually being very careul and suspicious.
    hesitation.
    Kinesic Communication
    Communication
    Kinesic communication is the message conveyed through non-verbal acts in the orm o
    Kinesic communication
    body movements such as gestures, winking, smiling, posture, or style o dressing and
    is the message conveyed
    through non-verbal
    grooming,
    groomin g, which send out a message that supports or contradicts the verbal message.
    acts in the orm o Kinesic communication is also known as body language or body talk. It includes the
    body movements such entire non-verbal behaviour o the communicator. A non-verbal act is oten subcon-
    as gestures, winking, scious. It transmits unstated eelings and attitudes and hidden intentions. Non-verbal
    smiling, posture, or signs oer clues to the receiver, and help the receiver understand and correctly perceive
    style o dressing
    grooming, whichand
    send theAtotal meaning message
    non-verbal o the message.
    conveyed through body movements is known as leakage
    leakage..
    out a message that A successul receiver is able to observe and interpret the leakage. hough it is not
    supports or contradicts possible to have an exhaustive account o all leakages and what they signiy, a ew
    the verbal message. examples that illustrate the modiying eect o body movements on communication are
    given in Exhibit 7.1.

    Exhibit 7.1
    Non-verbal Acts Possible Unspoken Idea
    Some Examples of Kinesic
    Communication A senior looks at his watch while you are “Your time is over, go away.”
    talking
    A pers
    person
    on win
    winks
    ks a
    afte
    fterr sa
    sayin
    ying
    g so
    some
    methi
    thing
    ng “Do
    “Do no
    nott be
    belie
    lieve
    ve what
    what I just
    just sa
    said.
    id.”

    An exe
    execut
    cutive
    ive is al
    alway
    wayss lat
    late
    e fo
    forr me
    meeti
    etings
    ngs “I a
    am
    m al
    alway
    wayss ve
    very
    ry bu
    busy
    sy..”
    “I am not bothered about your time.”

    A speaker prefers to speak from the 󿬂oor “I want to show my sense of equality with
    rather than the dais. you (the audience).”

    NON󰀭VERBAL SKILLS 97

    CHARACTERISTICS OF NON󰀭VERBAL COMMUNICATION


    A writer’s style or a speaker’s tone o voice and acial expressions indicate his or her
    2
    attitude and eelings beyond what is being expressed through words. Understand the

    • Non-verbal commcommunication
    unication occurs via instrumental body movements. W When
    hen unction o body talk
    in ully interpreting
    someone moves their hands to perorm some unction, such as wash their ace, the underlying
    it is an instrumental movement and not a symbolic clue. Most body movements, message o words.
    with the exception o instrumental movements, have meaning and communicate
    something. Communicative movements act as non-verbal clues. For example,
    wiping one’s mouth when conronted by an authority 󿬁gure communicates
    nervousness and using the hand gesture to wave goodbye communicates courtesy
    and riendship.
    • Non-verbal cues may be conscious or unconscious. Tey reveal the speaker’s state
    o mind and inner eelings and emotions, which may be real or affected. rained
    actors and orators intentionally use gestures, acial expressions, body movements,
    and postures to create the intended impact on their audience. Effective writers use
    stylistic devices to convey hidden eelings and attitudes.
    attitudes.

    However,
    through in real-lie,
    unconscious most
    signs. Te people
    speakerbetray their
    may not inner
    realize thatthoughts and
    he or she eelings
    is convey-
    ing these eelings. For example, consider the ollowing statement on bilateral talks
    between two unriendly countries made by the representatives with tense acial
    expression or without a smile: “Te meeting has made history.”
    • Te interpretation o non-verbal clues differs rom person to person. For example,
    i a listener maintains continuous eye contact, the speaker may take it as a sign o
    perect attention and ull acceptance, but to someone else it could be a sign that the
    listener eels helpless or trapped.
    Te visible is usually more convincing than what is heard as it may support
    or contradict the verbal message. Non-verbal clues are ofen taken as indicators Dress or language
    o reality. For example, the pale ace o a person in danger contradicts his or can also reveal the
    her claim o earlessness. Te trembling o a speaker indicates nervousness even communicator’s status
    though the speaker may saysay,, “I eel encouraged and inspired to stand
    st and beore such a or education.
    learned audience.” Dress or language can also reveal the communicator’s status or
    education.
    • Te same gestures may also be interpreted differently in different circumstances. For
    example, consider two colleagues, A and B, who are good riends. When A pats B
    on the back endearingly to congratulate her on a successul project, the pat is taken
    as a riendly gesture. Now, suppose A is the chairperson o a promotions committee
    and B is a candidate or promotion. o create a misunderstanding between A and B,
    someone tells B that A, as chairperson, opposed her promotion. When, on meeting
    her the next evening, A congratulates B and as usual pats her on the back, she recoils.
    Tis example shows that the relationship between two people also determines how
    they interpret each other’s gestures.
    Te symbolic
    meaning associated
    CLASSIFICA
    CLASSIFIC ATION OF NON󰀭VERBAL COMMUNICA
    COMMUNIC ATION with different body
    Non-verbal orms o communication include the ollowing modes—paralanguage, movements, gestures,
    and expressions is only
    meta-communication, kinesics, grooming, proxemics, and time language. he symbolic
    suggestive and not
    meaning associated with dierent body movements, gestures, and expressions is only
    speci󿬁c in its import.
    suggestivee and not speciic in its import.
    suggestiv

    98 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    Ekman’s Classification of Communicative Movements


    Let us consider Ekman’s classiication 1 o communicative movements into ive types:
    • Emblems: When the movement o body parts represents ideas visually, the commu-
    nicative act is emblematic,
    emblematic, meaning it re󿬂ects the meaning non-verbally through a
    physical image. For instance, a circle made with the thumb and index 󿬁nger, with
    the rest o the 󿬁ngers stretched out straight, acts as an emblem or the “okay” sign
    in America. Tis sign is meaningul or those cultures
    cu ltures that use the English alphabet.
    Te circle is an image o the letter “O”. But in a different culture, the same circle “O”
    can represent a coin, just as it does in Japan. Another instance is that o the arbitrary
    gesture o holding up the thumb, which in Japan reers to a “boss”, and in India,
    means “perect.”
    “perect.”
    • Illustrators: Illustrators are movements o hands and arms or representing the size,
    shape, requency, or speed o something. For instance, widely stretched arms show
    enormity o size. According to Ekman, a speaker uses illustrators when he or she
    is enthusiastic or ully involved in the subject being discussed. In such a state, the
    speaker involuntarily dramatizes ideas by using the movements o arms to ocus on
    an idea or an event.
    • Body manipulators: Tese are acts o touching one’s own body or an object or no
    reason. Examples include 󿬁dgeting with jewellery or touching one’s buttons. Tese
    are unintentional acts. However, some consider them to be clues o nervousness,
    anxiety, or boredom.
    • Facial expressions: Te most expressive part o our bodies are our aces. Our aces
    re󿬂ect our thoughts and eelings. Smiling, rowning, blushing, paleness, and so on
    reveal positive and negative eelings. Tese are emotional expressions that show
    on the ace. Te most undamental emotions o happiness, sadness, anger, disgust,
    surprise, and ear are involuntarily marked on our aces.
    • Regulators—eye movements: Eye movements such as squinting, winking, and staring
    are called regulators. Eye contact, a smile, or a rown is a strong message o interest,
    involvement, acceptance, rejection, or annoyance. Other people notice these and
    orm impressions about the person communicating based on these. While commu-

    nicating,
    the heart.remember the eye
    For example, popular saying:
    contact showsthe ace re󿬂ectsand
    attentiveness the interest.
    mind; theOneyes
    thereveal
    other
    hand, rolling one’s eyes is associated with restlessness and contempt. Staring can
    communicate threat. Wide open eyes show wonder or shock. A wink ollowing a
    statement negates the seriousness o the statement made. Similarly, raised eyebrows
    or a wrinkled orehead symbolizes objection and questioning. Avoiding eye contact
    shows nervousness or evasiveness.
    A avourable impact can be created by using eye contact, natural acial expressions
    and eye movements, and a smile that relects a pleasant state o mind.

    Face Facts
    3 A smile shows that an interaction has been pleasant or the participant in a conversation
    conversation..
    Perhaps, it would not be wrong to say that in most ace-to-ace communications, the
    Learn positive gestures,
    most positive impression is made by a smiling ace. he situation may be an interview,
    body
    acial movements,
    expressions. and a negotiation, or a one-on-one meeting. Even in telephone conversations, one is able
    to eel the impact o a smiling voice. Unlike smiling, rowning is uninviting. It might
    suggest to other people that the person wants to be let alone.
    By practising positive body language, one can gradually develop positive eelings.
    Body language can induce a state o mind that can act as a positive
    p ositive shield against nega-
    tive eelings. One can learn to communicate sincerity and concern in business dealings

    NON󰀭VERBAL SKILLS 99

    by using positive body language to support words o greetings, courtesy


    courtesy,, and customer
    Most people are not
    care. Avoid negative leakage. Learn to look conident, assertive, and positive. Avoid
    aware o the non-verbal
    appearing nervous, aggressive, rude, pompous, indierent or overbearing, and superior messages they give out
    to others. to others. Tereore, it
    As discussed earlier, most people are not aware o the non-verbal messages they give is important to develop
    out to others. hereore, it is important to develop awareness about various body move- awareness about various
    ments and gestures and their possible interpretations by others. he associated messages body movements and
    o some signiicant body movements and gestures are discussed in this section. gestures and their
    possible interpretations
    Positive Gestures by others.
    When a person speaks, his or her hands move reely to indicate the meaning o his or
    her words. Such gestures are natural. hey cannot be avoided. hey give strength to the
    speaker’s words. But gestures should be seen in terms o whether they have a positive or
    negative message. Although gestures are spontaneous, we can learn to monitor and use
    positive gestures and minimize, i not avoid, the negative ones.
    Positive gestures are body signals that make the communicator look relaxed, Positive gestures are
    conident, and polite. Positive listening gestures include leaning a little towards the other body signals that make
    person, tilting the head, making eye contact, and gently nodding as a sign o agree- the communicator look
    ment or understanding. Such gestures encourage the speaker to a great extent. Positive relaxed, con󿬁dent, and
    speaking gestures include keeping the hands open and avoiding clutching or olding polite.
    them across the chest.
    When walking, keep your head upright. Hands should swing reely by the sides. Eyes
    should look straight in ront. Steps should be well measured and steady. Many people
    carry books, iles, and documents held against the chest. his makes the person look
    nervous and deensive. o avoid being perceived as a nervous person, one could carry 4
    them on one side. We can use our gestures to politely communicate what we want when Recognize different
    we are unable to speak or are interrupting someone. For example, during a serious, or- cues and clues given
    mal conversation, i you are oered water or tea, you may politely hold up your palm by acial expressions,
    to ask the other person to wait or to decline i you do not want to interrupt the con- gestures, postures,
    versation.. Similarly,
    versation Similarly, i you are on the phone and someone
    someone asks you something, yo you
    u can body movements, and
    politely request him or her to wait a minute by holding up one inger or some other eye contact.
    symbolic gesture. his ensures that you do not ignore the visitor.
    Gestures can be adequate substitutes or words. We should develop the skill o using
    them eectively. Equally importantly, we should recognize our negative gestures and
    learn to hide them.

    Negative Gestures
    Negative gestures involve certain body movements, postures, gestures, or non-verbal
    activities such as shaking, tapping one’s eet, looking at the watch, and so on. Putting
    one’s hands in the pockets is also a negative gesture. I you put one hand in your pocket,
    it usually suggests arrogance. I you put both, it might show nervousness. However, i
    you want to look conident, but not nervous or arrogant, thrust your hands in your Besides the non-verbal
    pockets, then keep the thumb out, so that you do not ully insert your hands inside the gestures that convey
    pockets. wordless messages
    ake note o the clues in Exhibit 7.2. through body language
    and acial expression
    expressions, s,
    Lateral Gestures there are lateral wordless
    Besides non-verbal gestures that convey wordless messages through body language and signs o power, position,
    acial expressions, there are other wordless signs o power, position, taste, and culture taste, and culture such
    as decoration and size
    such as decoration and size o one’s oice, dress, grooming, and so on. hese are called
    o one’s office, dress,
    dres s,
    lateral gestures and include the ollowing broad categories: (a) physical setting, (b) grooming, and so on.
    dress—clothes and shoes, and (c) personal space.

    100 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    Exhibit 7.2
    Non-verbal Clues Signs of nervousness include the following:
    putting hands in one’s pockets, covering the mouth with the hand while speaking,
    scratching, nail biting, sideways glances, 󿬁nger-drumming, clearing the throat too often,
    foot tapping, hand-wringing, crossing arms or legs, a slumped posture, sitting on the
    edge of the chair, rocking one’s legs, looking at the ceiling, straightening one’s tie, 󿬁xing
    one’s hair, speaking too fast or too haltingly
    The following are the loudest gestures of nervousness:
    adjusting one’s glasses; blinking excessively; 󿬁dgeting with jewellery
    jewellery,, watches, or cuf-
    󿬂inks; clicking a pen; frequently sipping water; playing with a paperweight; smoking
    Gestures showing aggression are as follows:
    staring, pointing at someone, showing one’s 󿬁
    󿬁st,
    st, folding both arms, bending over someone
    Gestures showing rudeness include the following:
    shaking hands too 󿬁rmly or too limply; standing too close; whispering at a social gather-
    ing; talking, checking e-mail, or sending text messages on one’s
    one’s cell phone or BlackBerry
    in meetings or social situations; working while someone is talking; yawning; smirking;
    glancing at the clock frequently during a conversation; making “tut-tut” sounds; groom-
    ing, specially 󿬁xing one’s
    one’s hair, when listening or speaking; gathering and folding papers
    before the meeting is over
    Gestures that show self-importance and should be carefully avoided in situations that
    demand solutions and negotiated settlements are:
    keeping one’s eyes closed while talkin
    talking,
    g, tilting one’s head backw
    backwards
    ards while talki
    talking,
    ng,
    looking at the tip of one’s nose while talking, pursing the mouth, steepling the 󿬁ngers,
    peering over the top of one’s spectacles, waving a glass or key while talking
    Gestures showing lack of good sense include:
    banging the table instead of laughing at a joke, chewing on the end of a pen,
    pen, using
    air quotes and making a “T” in the air when asking
    ask ing for tea, waving one’s
    one’s hands around
    excessively
    excessively while talking, wringing one’s hands, opening or closing buttons or 󿬁dgeting
    with one’s
    one’s watch strap while talking, wiping one’s hands on the face, touching the nose
    time and again

    Some authority 󿬁gures, without saying anything, can make one feel subordinate by
    behaving in the following ways, which display a sense of superiority:
    not responding to or acknowledging the other’s greeting, staring, shouting orders,
    standing too close, leaning or sitting on someone’s
    someone’s desk, standing behind someone’s
    seat and watching over his or her shoulder
    s houlder as he or she works, smoking in someone’s
    space, attending to one’s
    one’s cell phone during meetings, making any unwanted or unwar-
    ranted physical contact, continuing to work when others address you, having a crushing
    Creating a eeling o handshake or holding the other person’s hand for too long, reclining in the chair with
    subordination and hands folded behind the head
    hierarchy adversely
    affects good working Creating a feeling of subordination and hierarchy adversely affects good working relation-
    relationships and makes ships and makes others uncomfortable. Therefor
    Therefore,
    e, executives should avoid such power
    others uncomortable. posturing.
    Physical Setting
    An executive’s position o power may be gauged rom the size and urnishings o his or
    her oice. he quality o urniture adds to the impression created by the setting o the
    room.
    In an oice, the executive’s table is usually placed a ew steps away rom the door. his
    compels visitors or subordinates to walk up to him or her and eel his or her presence.
    Space is one o the actors involved in indicating the proximity o a relationship.

    NON󰀭VERBAL SKILLS 101

    Dress
    Clothes can deine
    de ine a person. It is one o the irst thi
    things
    ngs people notice. A pe
    person’
    rson’s clothes—
    their texture, colour, design, style, and stitching—reveal their taste and aesthetic sense.
    In business, it is important to pay attention to one’s clothes, especially at an interview
    or presentation. While one should look impressive, it is important not to be overdressed. In business, it is
    Instead o highly ashionable and trendy designs and styles o suits, business executives important to pay
    attention to one’s
    should avour elegant, conventional styles. Clothes should not distract rom the conver-
    clothes, especially
    sation.
    at an interview or
    In addition, one’s clothes should be neither too loose nor too tight. It is important to presentation. While one
    eel comortable in one’s clothes, particularly in a high-stress situation such as an inter- should look impressive,
    view or presentation.
    presentation. Never
    Never try a new set o clothes
    clothes or
    or such occasions. New clothes
    clothes may
    may it is important not to be
    not sit comortably, and they may distract the wearer rom time to time. So, the irst rule overdressed.
    to ollow is the principle o comort.
    Shoes should also be ormal and in keeping with the colour o the clothes. Business
    bags, briecases, handbags, or portolios also indicate one’s status as a proessional. An
    overstued handbag is not as impressive as a sleek briecase or a smart handbag.

    Personal Space
    he personal space between two interacting persons indicates the level o ormality,
    inormality, intimacy, or distance between them. Business executives should observe the
    personal territory that each individual wishes to enjoy. Breaking into someone’s personal
    territory is likely to make him or her eel uncomortable. When placed under such an
    intrusion, an important person is bound to show displeasure and signs o withdrawal
    rom the interaction. hus it is also important to understand the non-verbal message o
    displeasure and correct the space-relatio
    space-relationship
    nship to have a ruitul interaction.
    wo interacting parties have a zone o invisible space between them, which is deline- wo interacting parties
    ated by the nature o their relationship. A public igure or instance, would be used to have a zone o invisible
    more space around him or her, whereas one would maintain a smaller distance with a space between them,
    riend or relative.
    relative. which is delineated
    According to the nature o relationships, there are our distinct zones: (i) the public by the nature o their
    relationship.
    zone, (ii) the social zone, (iii) the riendly
    r iendly zone and (iv) the intimate zone.
    he public zone is the widest territory between the speaker and audience. A public
    speaker addresses a large gathering o persons. He or she needs to speak rom a raised
    platorm at a distance o 10 to 15 eet rom the audience. he distance and elevation o
    the speaker provide visibility and a sense o isolation and superiority or the speaker. An
    example o the public zone
    zone is seen in the armed services, where it is normal practice or
    army oicers to issue commands rom a distance o 8 to 10 steps rom the troops.
    A social zone is the space maintained between people who are known to each other
    in a ormal way. All business transactions are to be treated as social interactions. An
    executive should keep a distance o 4 to 10 eet rom his or her audience. his space will
    ensure the comort o the listeners, especially i they happen to be seniors, customers, or
    clients. At this distance, one can observe the body language and acial expressions o the
    other party closely. he social zone will be applicable or new colleagues at work, new
    acquaintances, and small group training situations. Te intimate zone is the
    Te intimate zone is the
    he riendly zone is the distance observed at business parties, seminars, and other inor- distance between an
    mal business gatherings and get-togethers. In such situations, people remain close to each individual and those
    other, but not close enough to jostle against
    agai nst each other. he gap maintained is near
    nearly
    ly 1½ to he or she loves, such
    4 eet. At this distance, people can comortably chat, laugh, and joke with each other as close relatives and
    without invading each other’s space. amily members. Tis
    he intimate zone is the distance between an individual and those he or she loves, zone is not appropriate
    in a proessional
    such as close relatives and amily members. his zone is not appropriate in a proes-
    environment.
    sional environment. In this zone, people tend to be near enough to whisper, about 6 to

    102 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    18 inches. his nearness signals closeness among those involved in the conversation.
    However, this close distance is possible only when one is sure o the relationship because
    it is a zone in which one can touch the other person. In all other zones, including the
    riendly zone, one should not risk touching the other person. ouching can be strongly
    oensive.
    Within the intimate zone, there are, according to the level o intimacy, urther zones/
    bands. hey are:
    • Near intimate sphere (up to 6 inches): Te zone or lovers, partners, children, amily
    members
    • Distant intimate sphere (6 inches to 18 inches): Te zone or close riends, close col-
    leagues and relatives
    relatives
    Both these spheres are sensitive. he diiculty lies in knowing how close is too close.
    When our intimate zone is intruded upon, we may eel embarrassed and, at times,
    threatened by the unwanted approach. We may have a “light or ight” response, either
    conronting the intruder or removing ourselves rom the situation. I our riendly zone
    is violated, we hide our discomort by smiling or raising questions.
    here are times when one cannot help having personal and intimate spaces violated,
    such as when travelling in a crowded compartment or entering a packed lit. In such
    situations, people are not usually resentul o others because body language indicates
    their helplessness.
    helplessne ss. Moreover, to avoid discomort to anyone, it is best to avoid eeye
    ye contact
    with others in such situations and to try to stand straight to avoid physical contact with
    anyone.

    RESPONDING TO POWER POSTURING


    Knowledge o non-verbal skills strengthens the communicative competence o proes-
    Knowledge o non- sionals. However, these skills do not give one the power to control others. Understanding
    verbal skills strengthens
    strengthens
    others’ body language does not mean having control over their responses or actions. It
    the communicative
    competence o
    only means understanding them and their meaning better, which is helpul in ulilling
    proessionals. But these one’s pur
    purpose.
    pose.
    skills do not give one One situation where understanding non-verbal communication can help a business
    the power to control executive is i he or she encounters power posturing by superiors or colleagues, which
    others. may lead to a sense o being subordinated or dominated. Consider a situation in which
    your boss, known or his arrogance and strictness, quietly enters your room rom his
    side oice and stands behind you. He keeps watching what you are working on or a ew
    minutes. here is silence. You eel deeply nervous and upset. Finally, he says, “So, what’s
    on?” in a stern voice. In such a state o nervousness, your body talk should not reveal
    nervousness. Nervousness can indicate that you were doing something wrong. Blurting
    out “Nothing” in a shaky voice could imply that you were wasting
    wa sting your time. Instead, you
    should reply with conidence by standing up and acing him, greeting him, and calmly
    saying exactly what you have been doing.
    • Power pos
    posturing
    turing makes its
    its victim eel upset and nervous.
    nervous. It is the
    the deliberate use o
    Power posturing
    posturing makes its
    its victim eel upset and nervous.
    nervous. It is the
    the deliberate use o
    body language and behaviour to make the target eel inerior. Te person responsi-
    Power posturing makes ble or it may shout, bully, not respond, interrupt, or pretend not to notice the target
    its victim eel upset by continuing
    continuing to work. Some interviewers choose to make interviewees nervous by
    and nervous. It is the using some o these gestures. For instance, when the interviewee asks permission
    deliberate use o body to enter the room, they give a loud response, “Come in!” Upon entering, the inter-
    language and behaviour
    viewee stands beore the interviewer,
    interviewer, but he or she continues to work, completely
    completely
    to make the target eel
    ignoring the interviewee. Afer a ew minutes, the interviewer asks the interviewee
    inerior.
    his or her name, but by this time the interviewee’s con󿬁dence is already drained.

    NON󰀭VERBAL SKILLS 103

    • When encountering power posturing, it is best to remain calm and not eel hurt. Te
    power posturer’s goal is to bully the victim into such a state o mind. It is important
    to remember that the rude behaviour is not personal, but is directed by the particu-
    lar proessional situation at hand. Te victim should not begin questioning his or
    her worth and should avoid nervous gestures such as wiping the mouth, biting one’s
    nails, or looking lost in thought. Instead, the victim should analyse the technique
    used by the other person.
    pers on. It is difficult but possible
    po ssible to conront power
    p ower posturi
    posturing
    ng
    skillully and allow yoursel to remain comortable.
    • I the victim is sitting when conronted by power posturing, he or she should not
    sit at the edge o the seat. Tis will make him or her look nervous and ready to run
    away. Instead, or comort’s sake, he or she could cross his or her legs, but not the
    arms at the same time. Te “double cross” looks very deensive.
    • Te victim should use comorting gestures, such as touching the earlobes or the
    back o the neck or stroking the hair, skillully. Tese acts restore con󿬁dence. But
    they should be done sparingly so that the bully does not take them as signs o
    nervousness or anxiety.
    • Te victim should maintain a reassuring
    reassuri ng standing posture. He
    He or she can keep
    nervousness away by standing in a relaxed manner, with the arms down by his
    or her sides and eet apart by 9 to 10 inches. Tis posture gives a 󿬁rm, balanced
    ooting.
    • Te victim should be assertive.
    assert ive. Most people tend to respond to an adverse situation
    by either 󿬁ghting or 󿬂eeing. An alternative way o responding to unpleasant behav-
    iour or negative situations is by being assertive. Assertiveness should not be taken to Assertiveness should
    mean imposing one’s own will on others. It means understanding others’ points o not be taken to mean
    imposing one’s own will
    view while putting one’
    one’s own point orward objectively.
    objectively. Te victim sh
    should
    ould sstate
    tate what
    what
    on others.
    he or she thinks is right without being in󿬂uenced by emotional considerations. In
    both 󿬁ght and 󿬂ight responses, one is affected by emotions. In being assertive, one
    should express acts as they are and say what should be said. Te ultimate goal is to
    convince the other person that the assertion is correct.
    o be assertive, one has to learn the skills o discussing and negotiating. However,

    negotiation
    react is a time-consuming
    aggressively and ight or runprocess and requires
    away (light). patience.
    Both these Impatience makes and
    reactions—aggression one
    passivity—have negative eects. Aggression negatively aects the other party by hurting
    their eelings and provoking them to react with similar behaviour (anger). Passivity, on
    the other hand, is rustrating. It results in the eeling o ailure and suggests that others
    take you or granted. Hence, the proper way to respond is to say what you want to say,
    with the irm conviction o being right.

    GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING NON󰀭VERBAL


    COMMUNICATION SKILLS
    Most verbal communication is laced with emotional overtones expressed through body
    movements, gestures, acial expressions, and modulations o voice. hese non-verbal
    elements indicate what is intended but not verbalized by the speaker. hose who pay
    attention to these non-verbal gestures can ind something additional in their under-
    standing o the message; the ability to do so can be improved.
    1. Watch and read non-verbal clues:
    • Interpret non-verbal clues in relation to the situation and culture accurately.
    • Be careul about alse non-verbal
    non-verbal clues deliberately
    deliberately given
    given to deceive you.
    you.

    104 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    • Consider the non-verbal message, along with what the speaker’s words say,
    say, to
    know the total message.
    • Respond with sel-control, but do not react to non-verbal signals.

    2. Know your body language:


    • Develop sel-awareness by visualizing
    visualiz ing yoursel as others see you and interpreting
    your body movements and gestures.
    • ry to develop positive gestures and expressions to present yoursel as you wish to
    be seen by others—as a con󿬁dent, pleasing, well-meaning team worker.
    • Do not
    not give
    give con󿬂icting
    con󿬂icting non-verbal cues.
    • Convey sincerity through your tone o o voice
    voice and acial expression.
    • Use symbols, non-verbal cues (gestures, posture, and so on), intonation (volume,
    pace o delivery, and enunciation), expressions, and so on to reinorce and clariy
    the meaning o the message.
    • Maintain
    Maintain eye contact with the
    the audience.
    audience.
    • Smile genuinely.

    • Avoid power posturing.


    • Remember that the 󿬁rst impression
    impression is the most important and lasting impression.
    Hence, present yoursel well to make a positive and lasting impression.
    3. Know about
    about culture-speciic body language: hough body language is a universal
    Culture, like language,
    phenomenon, its meaning diers across cultures. Culture, like language, lays down
    lays down rules
    rules or accepted social behaviour o people sharing a set o knowledge, belies,
    or accepted social
    behaviour o people practices, and ideas. In present day multi-cultural workplaces, communication
    sharing a set o between persons o dierent nations and backgrounds requires an understanding
    knowledge, belies, o non-verbal acts such as eye contact, touch, and the sense o time in dierent
    practices, and ideas. cultures. People attach great signiicance to what they learn rom non-verbal clues
    in addition to what they hear through words. Non-verbal clues are taken as true
    indicators o the speaker’s subconscious mind. hey are, thereore, considered more
    reliable than words. Be careul not to use non-verbal clues that violate the cultural
    norms o other countries. Persons who travel and work abroad or in multi-cultural
    environments must realize that gestures may not mean the same thing they do in
    their own country. Some o those gestures might even be unwelcome or oensive.
    4. Know about
    about touching and its context: ouching has limited communicative symbol-
    ouching has limited
    ism. It primarily conveys intimacy and closeness and also love. But its meaning is
    communicative
    very closely linked to its
    its context.
    context. ake
    ake the case o a doctor
    doctor,, who can touch a patient
    patient
    symbolism. It primarily
    conveys intimacy and o the opposite sex when medically necessary, without oending the patient. In this
    closeness and also love. context, the doctor’s body movements, touching, and so on are instrumental acts,
    But the act o touching perorming certain tasks. hey are not communicative body movements that relect
    has its meaning in the doctor’s state o mind, emotions, or attitude. he context characterizes the nature
    relation to its context. o a body movement and determines whether it is a communicative or instrumental
    message.
    Among lovers, parents, amily members, and very close riends, touching is a nor-
    5 mal gesture and goes unnoticed, but between strangers it is at once marked and may be
    objectionable. Even among those who share the zone o intimacy, only some parts o the
    Understand silence body can be touched while communicating.
    communicating.
    as a mode o ouch usually communicates intimacy. However, which part o the body can be
    communication. touched by whom and when depends upon the culture o the people involved. In west-
    ern countries, men and women can walk reely holding each others’ hands in public. But
    in India, Pakistan, and other conservative countries, men and women generally do not
    do so in public.

    NON󰀭VERBAL SKILLS 105

    o reer to themselves when speaking to someone, Americans may place one hand on
    their chest, whereas the Japanese may place a inger on their noses. But some psycholo-
    gists consider nose touching to be a Freudian symbol o sexuality.
    Like other emblematic body movements, eye contact is also culturally decoded in
    dierent ways. Eye contact is an important clue o attentive listening. In most western
    countries, it is considered polite to maintain eye contact when speaking to someone. On
    the other hand, in Japan and India, subordinates oten do not make eye contact when
    speaking and listening to their supervisors. It is possible that an American may consider
    a Japanese person to be impolite i he or she keeps his or her eyes lowered during a con-
    versation.
    versatio n. In India,
    India, this may
    may speak o humility
    humility,, not shame.
    shame.
    Similarly, silence is communicative, but it may say dierent things to people o dier-
    Silence is
    ent cultures. For instance, in Japan, one may preer to remain silent when one does not
    communicative, but it
    know much about the matter being discussed. In India, silence may indicate agreement. may say different things
    In the United States, silence may be seen as a sign o withdrawal and non-participation. to people o different
    An American usually looks or involvement and participation through raising questions cultures.
    or doubts.
    No one can make an exhaustive study o all possible cultural variations o every body
    movement. However, this is an attempt to highlight the importance o context and cul-
    tural dierences in the interpretation o body movements and gestures.

    COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
    In lie and in business dealings, communication can sometimes break down. his can
    6
    happen when one party is too keen to talk about its own point o view without regard Learn how to build
    or the other’s interest or understanding. Sometimes, discussions become heated and rapport.
    argumentative and reach no satisactory conclusion. Or a meeting might become bor-
    ing because the same point is being repeated by the speaker without involving other
    members in the discussion. Such communication breakdowns do happen. No one
    wants the discussion to ail, but communication oten does ail, mainly, because o two
    reasons:
    1. here is no rapport between the speaker and the listener.
    2. here is no balance
    balance between speaking and
    and listening.
    listening.
    he purpose o all communication is to be useul and harmonious. Harmony is the
    key word in personal and business communication. Harmony between the ideas o the Te purpose o all
    speaker and the listener is the inal aim o communication. he irst step in achieving communication is to be
    useul and harmonious.
    this is establishing a rapport between the non-verbal languages o the speaker and lis-
    tener, which is relected in the pace o the conversation.
    For a ruitul discussion or dialogue, both the speaker and the listener should be on Harmony is the key
    the same wavelength. his means that the two persons should use similar body lan- word in personal
    guage, particularly speed, tone o voice, pitch, words, gestures, eye contact, and timing. and business
    he non-verbal language used by the speaker should relect the body language o the communication.
    other person. You may notice that the word listener is being avoided in this context.
    his is because communication usually ails when the speaker treats the other person
    only as a listener. he speaker should not spend most o the time speaking and orcing

    the
    howother person be
    time should to split
    listenbetween
    withoutspeaking
    an opportunity to respond.
    and listening A guideline
    is a 30/70 regarding
    ratio, which means
    that one should spend approximately 30 per cent o the time speaking and 70 per cent
    listening.
    When one devotes 70 per cent o conversation time to listening, it gives one the time
    to study the body language o the other person and observe his or her state o mind and
    true eelings. o help the other person know how we perceive his or her response, our

    106 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    own body language should hold a mirror to his or her non-verbal language. his does
    not mean our body language should imitate the other person’s. It means that our behav-
    iour, verbal and non-verbal, should relect an understanding o the ideas and eelings o
    the other person. he two behaviours should be complementary.
    I two people speak at dierent speeds, pitch, and volume, neither would be able to
    keep pace with the other. Consider the ollowing example:
    Sonali, a senior HR executive, sat slumped in her chair, disappointed. She had come
    to oice very happy. She had prepared a long document on how to reduce the com-
    pany’s costs without cutting the number o employees working in core departments o
    the organization. She had approached the general manager to discuss her proposed plan
    beore ormally submitting it or the management’s consideration.
    When Sonali stood at the door o the general manager’s oice and asked him, “Can
    I discuss something with you? I have a very exciting plan to show you regarding how
    to cut costs without reducing the number o employees. I think you will like it”, the
    general manager did not look at her. Instead, he kept on typing. Ater a ew minutes o
    silence, without turning his gaze rom the screen, he said, “I have to inish this report
    irst. Maybe later.”
    Communication in this case deinitely broke down. here was no rapport or under-
    standing between Sonali and the general manager. Understandably, Sonali was rus-
    trated.
    Now, suppose the general manager had responded to Sonali dierently. I he had
    stopped writing, turned to Sonali, made eye contact, and said, “Wonderul! Let me irst
    inish this report. We can meet in an hour. I will call you as soon as I am ree. Will that
    be ine?” Sonali would have elt satisied. Such a response would have matchmatched
    ed her own
    enthusiasm and she would have elt valued or her ideas and validated as a colleague.
    his exchange would have satisied both parties, as the general manager would have had
    time to complete his report undisturbed, and Sonali would know her proposal would be
    given attention. What is signiicant in this second response is that the GM shows appre-
    ciation or Sonali’s enthusiasm and her keenness to discuss her plan. He thereore uses
    the word “wonderul” to communicate his own excitement about the plan. He ixes a
    time to discuss it. He also lets Sonali know that the plan would be discussed without any
    disturbance when both parties were ree. his exchange demonsdemonstrates
    trates a rapport between
    Sonali and the GM.
    A simple non-verbal act in everyday lie may make someone eel unhappy. For
    instance, i someone calls their supervisor’s cell phone to ask an urgent question twice,
    but does not get a response either time, he or she will be disappointed. he person may
    eel belittled because their supervisor knows their mobile number but choses to ignore it.
    he lack o rapport can be rustrating
     rustrating until the next time they communicate.
    Some steps to establish rapport include:

    • Develop the hab


    habit
    it o talking
    talking less and listening and observing oth
    others
    ers more.
    more.
    • Do not dominate the discussion.
    discussi on.
    • Maintain a natural pace o conversation.
    • Recognize the pace o
    o others and match it as closely as possible.
    • ry to establish rapport during the 󿬁rst ew minutes o the conversation.
    • Do not introduce any controversial issues beore creating this rapport.
    • Avoid harsh criticism. ry
    ry to see reasons or
    or differences o opinion and be tolerant
    o them.
    • Focus on similarities o ideas.

    NON󰀭VERBAL SKILLS 107

    hese steps will help gradually overcome dierences. Conlicting opinions will ind
    resolution in the common understanding gained by both parties. In lie, as in business,
    it is necessary to ocus on those aspects o communication,
    communication, verbal and non-verbal, that
    are shared.

    SUMMARY

    • Non-verbal comm
    communication
    unication invo
    involves
    lves the sending o say something, listeners should pay attention to the
    messages through body movements, gestures, acial communicative meaning o the speaker’s body move-
    expressions, and other wordless channels such as space, ments, acial expressions, eye contact, space, distance,
    time, and personal appearance. It works in tandem with and other non-verbal clues such as dress, hair style, and
    the messages communicat
    communicateded by words. sense o time.
    • Non-verbal communication basically includes two • o act and respond correctly in an in
    intercultural
    tercultural co
    context,
    ntext,
    types o communicatio
    communication:
    n: (i) meta-communicatio
    meta-communication
    n and one should know that different cultures interpret body
    (ii) kinesic communicatio
    communication.
    n. language differently.
    • Meta-communica
    Meta-communication
    tion is effected through cchanges
    hanges in • Non-verbal communicatio
    communication
    n is natural and spontane-
    pitch, tone o voice, and choice o words. Kinesic com- ous. One cannot control it, but it is possible to have
    munication is via movement o body parts in certain good relationships with others by paying close atten-
    ways, not to perorm certain tasks but to involuntarily tion to cues and clues that accompany words.
    words.
    communicate subconscious eelings along with what- • Finally
    Finally,, it is also essential to develo
    develop
    p skills o mutual
    ever is expressed by the spoken words. understanding by creating rapport with the other
    • Communicat
    Communicative ive movements symbolize meaning
    meanings.
    s. o person.
    be successul in knowing what others mean when they

    CASE: EVEREST TEXTILE MILLS

    During the days o recession and growing unemploym


    unemployment,ent, a he committee members were all undoubtedly highly
    job is considered a God-sent op
    opportunity
    portunity.. here is not much experienced persons with practical knowledge o construc-

    choice
    very in reaction
    irst terms oisplace o work,toposition,
    the decision or is
    a job oer salary. he
    to accept tion work,
    he design,supervisor
    chie estate material quality, soil searching,
    asked very integrity, and so on.
    technical
    the opportunity o being employed.
    employed. questions on structure and load, but in Rajasthani. When
    Soon ater completing his our-year program o B.E. (Civil) Sohan answered in English, the interviewer kept nod-
    with a high irst division, Sohan applied or the position ding and looked towards the other panelists when Sohan
    o Assistant Engineer in response to an advertisement by inished talking. he behaviour o the chie engineer was
    the Building & Construction department o Everest ex- similar. He ramed a project in broken Hindi, with a Bengali
    Benga li
    tile Mills. he mill was owned by the Kashiramkas, a well- accent, and kept on saying “yes yes”, and “thank you”,
    known business amily o Rajasthan. It was situated in ipli, when Sohan discussed the answer; he too turned towards
    a semi-modernized village on the border o Haryana and Mr Kashiramka when Sohan inished talking. Finally,
    Rajasthan. he village was connected only by roadways. Mr Kashiramka asked Sohan i he would be able to live in a
    village and adjust to the rural lie o the countryside. Sohan
    Nothing could dampen Sohan’s enthusiasm to attend the
    told him that he was a person o simple living and would
    interview and, i selected, accept the oer. At the inter-
    have little diiculty in adapting. Mr Kashiramka appreci-
    view,, Sohan was a bit surprised to se
    view seee the members o the
    ated Sohan’s positive attitude and asked the chie engineer
    selection committee. hey all looked old, conservative, and
    semi-literate. he chie estate supervisor,
    super visor, the chie engineer, to show him the construction site.
    the project manager, and the mill owner himsel were all Sohan toured the mill, which was spread out over a large
    either diploma-holders or non-matriculates. Sohan was able distance, with hundreds o workers engaged in various sec-
    to sense their uneasiness whenever he answered their ques- tions. He was also taken to the Building & Construction
    tions in English. department, which was located in a big, open area o the

    108 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    mill. It included the oices o the estate supervisor, the chie increasingly realizing that it was never easy to be accepted
    engineer, and our supervisors, the materials room, the ire into a well-knit clan o people having their own idea on
    brigade station, the power house, and the generator room. modern, technical education.
    One day, in a meeting with contractors, supervisors, and
    he size o the mill and, especially, its Building & Con- senior workers rom dierent sections, when Sohan wanted
    struction department let Sohan highly impressed, and
    he decided to join the mill i oered the position. Beore to support the plan o the chie engineer, the workers and
    Sohan let, Mr Kashiramka told him about the close-knit the supervisor did not allow him to speak. When he tried
    relations o the workers. he mill was nearly 30 years old, to speak, they would interrupt and make distracting back-
    and most o its employees were men who had been work- ground noises. At the end o the meeting, the supervisor sit-
    ing there since its beginning. he workers had grown up ting next to Sohan deliberately stood up in such a way that
    together in the mill and had become amily to each other. Sohan’s cup o tea ell onto his lap and hot tea spilled all over
    hey had learnt their work through experience and looked him. he casual way in which the supervisor swung around
    down upon modern technical education and engineering and let the room gave the impression that he had not even
    degrees. hey believed in practical knowledge and val- seen what he had done.
    ued the expertise o their chie engineer, who was just a
    diploma-holder. hey especially admired the insights and Questions to Answer
    management skills o their estate supervisor,
    superv isor, who could not 1. What conclusions do you think Sohan, the new assist-
    even sign his name in English, but knew how to plan and ant engineer, and the mill’s employees reached about
    get things done and helped the workers in times o need. each other on the basis o non-verbal clues?
    During the conversation, Mr Kashiramka was intently
    2. It seems tha
    thatt Mr Kashiramka, the owner o the mill,
    studying Sohan, a newly graduated engineer hailing rom
    was not sure at the interview that Sohan, an urban,
    an urban background. In act, he would be the irst univer-
    university-educated
    university- educated engineer, would be able to adjust
    sity-educated engineer to join the homogeneous group o
    to the rural mill work environment and culture.
    sel-taught workers with no ormal qualiications. On his
    Was he right? What could be the reason or this
    irst day, the workers looked at Sohan indierently as he
    skepticism?
    went around introducing himsel as the new assistant engi-
    neer. Later, whenever he approached any group o workers 3. Sohan does not respond or react to the w workers’
    orkers’ non-
    and tried to start a conversation, they would remain tight- verbal expressions
    expressions o their atti
    attitude
    tude towards
    towards him. Would
    lipped. Gradually, he ound that the supervisors would his approach have been more eective i it were sup-
    just shrug their shoulders whenever he suggested any ported by some verbal communicatio
    communication? n?
    change in their way o doing a particular job. Sohan was 4. Could this si
    situation
    tuation be avoided? I no
    no,, why? I yes, how?

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    1. “When you lack conidence in a situatio


    situation,
    n, your bod
    bodyy 6. Explain the process o meta-communication as an
    language will shout out to others that you are unsure intentional orm o communicatio
    communication.
    n.
    o yoursel.” Discuss some o the ways in which body 7. Discuss the main classiications o non-verbal com-
    language can betray lack o conidence. munication.
    2. Discuss the dierence between communicative and
    8. Besides non-verbal gestures and acial expressions,
    instrumental body movements. Give some examples o
    there are lateral gestures, which communicate without
    communicative
    communicati ve gestures.
    using words. Discuss some o these lateral non-verbal
    3. What is “leakage
    “leakage”” in non-verbal communicatio
    communication?
    n? gestures with examples.
    4. How w would
    ould you act when a power-posturing su superior
    perior 9. What does personal space signiy in interpersonal
    conronts you? communication at dierent levels? Discuss with
    5. Does our culture inluence our interpreta
    interpretation
    tion o the examples.
    behaviour o those rom other cultures?
    c ultures? Give examples
    to support your answer.

    NON󰀭VERBAL SKILLS 109

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

    1. Relect on the guidelines or developing communica- (b) I a worker requests his supervisor or an increase
    tion skills and the extent to which you are able to inter- in his salary and the supervisor remains silent,
    pret non-verbal clues accurately
    accurately.. what should the worker gauge rom his silence?
    2. How would yo you
    u know i your communication wi
    with
    th 5. Consider the modiying inluence o cul
    culture
    ture on non-
    your colleagues is breaking down? Why do communi- verbal modes o communicating eelings and relation-
    cation breakdowns happen? ships in similar social contexts.
    3. What is “rapport”? How would you establis
    establish
    h rapport
    between yoursel and your audience?
    4. (a) Ho
    Howw would you interpret silence during a
    discussion between a Japanese businessman and
    your Indian colleague?

    APPLY YOUR LEARNING

    1. Interpret the ollo


    ollowing
    wing post
    postures.
    ures. Wha
    Whatt do they signiy? • Poin
    Pointing
    ting aatt so
    someone
    meone w
    with
    ith the index 󿬁ng
    󿬁nger
    er
    • Arms olded across the chest w
    while
    hile discussing a • Leaning o
    over
    ver the desk o a subordi
    subordinate
    nate while talking
    problem with a riend to him
    • Staring with hal-closed eyes • Looking at the clock while someone
    someone is talking

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    From among the given options, choose the most appropriate


    appropriate answer:*
    1. Non-verbal communicatio
    communication
    n does not involve: 4. Positi
    Positive
    ve gestures are body signals that make you look:

    (a) silence (a) arrogant


    (b) gestures (b) hurtul
    (c) space (c) nervous
    (d) words (d) relaxed
    2. Meta-communica
    Meta-communication
    tion conveys a meaning that iis:
    s: 5. Between a speaker and a llistener,
    istener, the closest zone o
    (a) implied personal space possible is:
    (b) directly stated (a) riendly
    (c) incompletel
    incompletelyy conveyed (b) social
    (d) graphically communicated (c) intimate
    3. Grooming is a orm o non-ver
    non-verbal
    bal communication that is: (d) public
    (a) conscious 6. he percentage o w
    working
    orking time b
    business
    usiness executives
    (b) subconscious spend in listening is:
    (c) arbitrary (a) 3300 to 70 per cent (b) 40 to 50 per cent
    (d) hierarchical
    (c) 4400 to 60 per cent (d) 20 to 80 per cent

    *For answers and sel-evaluation, visit www.pearsoned.co


    www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi
    .in/PDChaturvedi

    110 PART I COMMUNICATION SKILL S

    7. By choosing to speak rom the loor instead o the dais, 9. Paralanguage is a k


    kind
    ind o action language
    language that reers to:
    a speaker can show the audience a sense o: (a) actual words
    (a) respect (b) body language
    (b) closeness (c) personal space
    (c) equality (d) the tone o voice, speed o speech, and hesitation
    (d) inormality
    10. Giving non-verbal messages iis:
    s:
    8. I a speaker winks ater saying something, iitt suggests to (a) deliberate
    the audience that the subject is: (b) spontaneous
    (a) serious (b) non-serious (c) tutored
    (c) true (d) incredible (d) a dramatic skill

    ENDNOTE

    1. Paul Ekman, Emotions Revealed (New York: imes Books, 2003).


    Part II BUSINESS
    COMMUNICATION

    Nature and Process of


    Communication

    8
    For communication to be
    “
    effective, there has to be both
    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    Mr Dutta’s supervisor assigned him
    the task of meeting two of the com-
    pany’s most important clients on a
    informed that Mr Dutta had not
    reached there.
    At the end of the day, when Mr Dutta
    given day. One of the meetings was reported
    report ed back to the offi
    o ffice, his super-
    information and meaning.
    more urgent, so Mr Dutta decided visor was furious with him. He tried
    And meaning
    meaning rrequir
    equires
    es to see that client 󿬁rst. However, the his best to explain why he had been
    communication. meeting took much longer than delayed, but the supervisor refused
    expected and, as a result, he was to listen. Mr Dutta thus failed to con-
    — Peter F. Dr ucker quite late for his meeting with the vince him that it was not his fault at
    second client.
    ” all. He felt frustrated by the close-
    As soon as the meeting with the mindedness of his supervisor. He
    󿬁rst client ended, Mr Dutta had realized that one
    o ne of the most
    mo st diffi -
    tried to contact the second client, cult aspects of communication is to
    but was not able to speak with him explain and convince, especially if the
    or leave a message. In the mean- other person is already conditioned
    while, Mr Dutta’s supervisor had spo- by some negative or contradictory
    ken with the second client and was communication from another source.

    Upon completion of this chapter, you


    should be able to:
    THE ROLE OF COMMUNICATION
    1 Know the principal concepts of
    communication.
    he skills o eective communication do not come automatically to most
    people. As a result, human beings are oten poor communicators. Many
    2 Understand the communica- people rarely realize that ailure to achieve one’s objectives in relationships,
    tion process and its elements. negotiations, or decision-making processes, is, to quite a large extent, owing
    3 Know why communication to a ailure in communicating one’s purpose and ideas accurately to others.
    succeeds or fails. his may be a ailure to communicate the content o the message, the orm
    4 Recognize the techniques that o the message, or both. Instances o such ailures in communication are
    help in communicating a common in personal and organizational communications. It is common to
    message accurately. hear colleagues or riends say something like, “Sorry, I did not realize that
    5 Understand the universal you wanted me to…”, “I would have changed the arrangement, but nobody
    elements in communication. told me...”, or even, “Well, I did not know you were to leave so soon…” and
    “But what was the point o this discussion?” Each o these remarks indicates
    the regret and disappointment elt by the speaker or having ailed to live up
    to what was expected o him or her. Such remarks indicate a ailure in com-
    munication. And when communication ails, the intended result is adversely
    aected. For instance, consider a situation in which the vice-president o
    a company asks his secretary to call an urgent meeting o all the manag-
    ers, but, to his surprise, learns that the meeting has been scheduled or the
    next morning instead o the same day as he had expected. he secretary
    thought the “urgent” meant “serious” and not “immediate”. In this instance,

    112 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Communication Ritushree is a regional sales manager with Titan in Chennai. She reads about an upcoming
    Snapshot 8.1 B2B international trade conference in Mumbai. She is interested in attending it and
    immediately writes to the national sales manager, Sumit Chakraborti, at the head office in
    An Instance of Unclear Bangalore, describing the conference and its relevance to their work. Her note is given in
    Communication Exhibit 8.1.

    Exhibit 8.1
    Sumit Chakraborti
    Ritushree’s Note
    National Sales Manager
    Titan India Limited
    Limited
    Bangalore 560001
    Dear Mr Chakraborti,
    An international conference on B2B trade, which would be of great importance for us, is being
    held in Mumbai. The enclosed brochure shows that the business information to be shared at
    the conference would be of great value in expanding our corporate sales business. The regis-
    tration fee is only ` 5,000, and the cost of travel and stay is about ` 8,000. Hence, ` 13,000 will
    be required per person. I am informing you about the conference now so that you can take a
    decision in time for me to make the necessary arrangements for train/flight bookings and hotel
    accommodations.
    Ritushree

    The national sales manager was thrilled to receive the memo and wrote back immediately to
    Ritushree. His response is given in Exhibit 8.2.

    Exhibit 8.2
    Dear Ritushree,
    The Response to Thanks for informing me about the B2B conferen
    conference
    ce in Mumbai. I will certainly attend it. Please
    Ritushree’s Note make all the necessary arrangements for me as suggested in your memo.
    Sumit Chakraborti

    This response left Ritushree feeling quite frustrated. She was perplexed about her supervisor’s
    decision to exclude her and instead attend the conference himself. Unfortunately, she did not
    realize that her message to him was not precise and clear. It was ambiguously worded, using
    phrases such as “importance for us” and “expanding our business”. She was looking for permis-
    sion to attend the conference herself, but she had failed to clearly say so in her memo. She
    started her communication by praising the conference, but instead, she should have begun by
    directly asking for permission to attend the conference.

    the receiver missed the purpose o communication because the vice-president did not
    clearly and precisely speciy the time o the meeting. he secretary must have regret-
    ted that the vice-president’s intended purpose was not accomplished because o this
    Te word communication
    miscommunication. Sometimes, the ailure to communicate successully can be very
    is derived rom the Latin
    disappointing, as can be seen in Communication Snapshot 8.1.
    communis , meaning
    communis,
    “common”. It reers to DEFINING COMMUNICATION
    a natural activity o
    all humans, which is
    to convey opinions, he word
    It reers tocommunication is derived
    a natural activity rom the
    o all humans, Latiniscommunis
    which communis,
    to convey, opinions,
    which means “common”.
    “common”.
    eelings, inor-
    eelings, inormation, mation, and ideas to others through words (written or spoken), body language, or
    and ideas to others signs. George Vardman deines eective communication as “purposive symbolic inter-
    through words (written
    change resulting in workable understanding and agreement between the sender and the
    or spoken), body
    receiver”. 1his interchange o inormation, ideas, and thoughts may occur via dierent
    language, or signs.
    modes: words (oral and written), signs, and gestures.

    NATURE AND PROCES S OF COMMUNICATION 113

    Emphasizing the processes o telling, listening, and understanding involved in the


    act o communicating with other people, Keith Davis 2 says that communication is “the
    transer o inormation and understanding rom one person to another person. It is a
    way o reaching others with acts, ideas, thoughts and values. It is a bridge o meaning
    among people so that they can share what they eel and know. By using this bridge, a
    person can cross saely the river o misunderstanding that sometimes separates people.”

    CLASSIFICA
    CLASSIFIC ATION OF COMMUNICATION
    COMMUNICATION
    One way to classiy communication is according to the number o persons who receive
    1
    the message. Know the principal
    concepts o
    • Intrapersonal communication is talking to onesel in one’s own mind. Examples are communication.
    soliloquies or asides in dramatic works.
    • Interpersonal communication is the exchange o messages between two people.
    Examples are conversations, dialogues, or interviews in which two persons interact
    (others may also be present as audience). An author communicates interpersonally
    with his or her reader, who is always present as a silent audience in the author’s mind
    while
    the writing.
    writer and A
    theletter is also
    person an example
    to whom o interpersonal communica
    it is addressed. communication
    tion between
    • Group communication can be among small or large groups, such as an organization,
    club, or classroom, in which all individuals retain their individual identities. Any communication
    • Mass communic
    communicatio
    ationn is when a message is sent to large groups o people, or example that involves the use
    by newspaper, radio, or television. In this process, each receiver is a aceless indi- o words—whether it
    consists o speaking,
    vidual with
    with almost
    almost no opportun
    opportunity
    ity or
    or respo
    response
    nse or eedback.
    eedback.
    listening, writing,
    Communication
    Communication can also be classiied on the basis o the medium employed. reading, or thinking—
    can be classi󿬁ed as
    • Verbal communication means communicating with words, written or spoken. Verbal verbal communication.
    communication consists o speaking, listening, writing, reading, and thinking.
    • Non-verbal communication includes the use o pictures, signs, gestures, and acial
    expressions or exchanging inormation between persons. It is done through sign Non-verbal communica-
    tion includes the use o
    language, action language, or object language.
    Non-verbal communication accompanies the the acts o
    o speaking and writing. It is sign language,
    language, action
    or object
    a wordless message conveyed through gestures (signs), movements (action lan- language. It is present in
    guage), and pictures/clothes (object language). Further, non-verbal communica- all acts o speaking and
    tion is characterized by personal space (proxemics), body language (kinesics), writing.
    touch (haptics), eyes (oculesics), sense o smell (olactics), and time (chronemics).
    All these aspects o non-verbal communication
    communication need to be understood as they affect
    and, at times, contradict verbal communication. We shall discuss them in detail in
    Chapter 7.
    • Meta-co
    Meta-communi
    mmunication
    cation is when the speaker’s choice o words unintentionally com-
    municates something more than what the words themselves state. For example, the
    remark, I ve never seen you so smartly dressed could be a compliment, but could
    also mean that the regular attire o the listener needs improvement.

    THE PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATION


    COMMUNICATION
    Broadly speaking, in business, we communicate
    communicate to: (a) inorm and (b) persuade. hese
    two goals are usually present in the mind o the person initiating the communication, as
    is seen in sales letters and advertisements. However, he or she may at times seek only to
    inorm—as scientiic writings do. Conversely, the person initiating the communication
    may aim more to persuade the reader, as journalistic writings and opinion editorials do.

    114 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Communication to Inform
    Communication
    Communication to inorm (expository communication) is directed by the desire to
    expose, develop, and explain the subject. Its ocus is the subject o the communication.

    For example, consider these short, expository pieces o writing:


    1. Farming provides most of the food we eat. Our chief food crcrops
    ops are cereals
    or grains. Cereals include maize, rice, and wheat. We also grow barley and
    gram.
    2. Flies are our de
    deadly
    adly enemies because they fefeed
    ed on dirt and rubbish. When
    they crawl over meat, sweetmeats, and cakes with their dirty legs, they
    leave all kinds of germs behind and, thus, poison our food.
    Clearly, in these two passages, the ocus is on the subjects “our ood” and “lies, our
    deadly enemy”. he logical presentation o acts inorms us about the topics being dis-
    cussed, and the danger associated with lies in the second passage is clearly conveyed.
    conveyed.

    Communication to Persuade
    Communication
    A communicator may seek primarily to persuade the reader ore receiver o the message.
    Essentially, all commu- In such a orm o communication, the ocus is on the receiver. Essentially, all commu-
    nication is a deliberate and intentional act o persuasion. A persuasive communicator
    nication is a deliberate
    wants the reader to understand the message and to be inluenced by it.
    and intentional act o
    persuasion. A persuasive
    Consider HDFC’s “Savings/Current Account” advertisement in Exhibit 8.3, which
    communicator wants says: “Now opening a Savings/Current Account with HDFC Bank is extremely reward-
    the reader or receiver to ing.” his handbill is reader-centric. he purpose o the message is not just to inorm
    understand the message readers about a new savings and current account, but to persuade them to open such
    and to be in󿬂uenced an account with HDFC Bank. Note how dierent adverbs and adjectives are chosen to
    by it. draw the reader’s attention. he adverb “now” is placed at the head (beginning) o the
    advertisement. his is the most important position in the structure o the sentence or
    paragraph. In the subject position, the adverb “now” seeks to persuade readers that until
    now no bank oered the convenience, beneit, and satisaction o HDFC Bank’s savings/
    current account. Similarly, the phrase, “extremely rewarding” aims at impressing the
    reader with the extraordinary
    extraordinary operational convenience, monetary beneit, and personal
    satisaction HDFC Bank oered its savings and current account holders.

    Exhibit 8.3
    The HDFC Advertisement
    NATURE AND PROCES S OF COMMUNICATION 115

    Exhibit 8.4
    Journal of Indian Literature A Persuasive Business
    Established in 1954 Letter
    Editorial Office: Centre for Language and Learning
    University of Delhi
    Delhi 110007
    Uses style and typical
    ormat o ormal
    letter: no date, no Dear JIL contributor:
    personal salutation Opens with a
    (by name) Attached is a set of reprints of your contribution to the most statement o
    recent issue of JIL. the main point
    Expresses
    gratitude and We are grateful to you for your contribution and look forward to Persuades or the
    appreciation more such submissions from you. next contribution

    Urges to If you need additional reprints or information regarding the full


    subscribe to issue in which your contribution appeared, or subscription prices,
    JIL please contact Ms Agatha Luiz, Managing Editor, at the editorial Includes contact
    office, whose address is given above. details or action

    Closes
    personalon a Again, let me reiterate my thanks to you for your contribution.
    note o
    appreciation Best wishes,

    SChatterjee
    Somnath Chatterjee
    Editor

    As one can gather rom the HDFC advertisement, business communication oten
    needs to be persuasive. Exhibit 8.4 analyses an example o a persuasive business letter.

    THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION


    he process o communication begins with a person’s desire to share or exchange an
    idea, thought, or eeling with another person or persons. It basically involves a sender, a
    message, a medium, and a receiver.
    The Linear Concept of Communication
    he earliest conceptualization o communication by Harold Lasswell involved the ol-
    lowing ive basic questions:
    1. Who?
    2. Says what?
    3. o whom?
    4. In which channel?
    5. With what eect?

    116 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 8.5 Sender Message Media Message Receiver Action


    The Linear Model of
    of
    Communication
    Early ideas o communication considered it a one-way (linear) process marked by the
    Communication was
    low o inormation rom a sender to a receiver (see Exhibit 8.5).
    considered a one-way
    According to this linear view, the receiver passively receives the message and acts as
    as
    process marked by the directed or desired by the sender. Communication is intended to control/manipulate
    󿬂ow o inormation rom the receiver. It is assumed that the message, while passing through the medium chosen
    a sender to a receiver. by the sender, reaches the receiver without any distortion or change.

    The Shannon–Weaver Model


    2 C. E. Shannon and W. Weaver3 were the irst to point out that in actual practice, messages
    can be changed or blocked. Shannon’s model o communication was irst published in
    Understand the com-
    munication process the Bell System echnical Journal. It was based on the mathematical or mechanistic view
    and its elements. o the communication process, in which the basic problem is that the message received
    is not the same as the message sent. He attributed the loss to noise. he Shannon model,
    co-authored with Weaver, was brought out later in he Mathematical heory of Commu-

    nication
    However,inin1949. Weaver introducedmodel,
    the Shannon–Weaver the idea o eedback
    eedback as aconsidered
    was not corrective counter
    to be antointegral
    noise.
    component because the model conceived the communication process as a linear act and
    eedback as a new act o communication. his is why in the Shannon–Weaver model
    shown in Exhibit 8.6, eedback is represented by dotted lines.
    he model is based on the idea that communication occurs only when the message
    has been received and that it should be received unchanged, as ar as possible. his is, o
    course, a theoretical concept o perect communication. In real lie, ilters in the minds o
    both the sender and the receiver aect the content o the message. o an extent, eedback
    corrects the distortions and helps complete the cycle o communication (see Exhibit 8.7).
    he Shannon–Weaver model comprises the ollowing basic elements:
    • Information source (ideation): Te communication process begins with the inorma-
    Te communication tion source. Te sender has some raw inormation in the orm o outside experience.
    process begins with the His or her intent changes that inormation into a message to be communicated.
    inormation source. Te source o a message, thereore, is the inormation source o the communication
    process.
    Exhibit 8.6
    A Diagram Based on the Noise
    Shannon–Weaver Model Information Encoding Decoding
    Source: Based on C. Shannon Channel Destination
    source process process
    and W. Weaver, The Mathemati-
    cal Theory of Communication
    (Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Feedback
    Press, 1949), 5.
    Exhibit 8.7
    How Communication
    Takes
    Takes Place
    1. Source creates messages 2. Selects channel 3. Sends message

    Feedback Noise

    5. Filters—
    • Experience
    6. Interprets message 4. Receiver gets message
    • Knowledge
    • Feelings

    NATURE AND PROCES S OF COMMUNICATION 117

    • Encoding (transmitter): Afer having thought about the message, the sender puts it
    into words (verbal symbols or any other symbolic orm o expression). Tis process
    is called encoding.

    • Channel (transmission): An appropriate medium—oral, written, or electronic, in


    code, or a signalling system—chosen to send the message is known as the channel.
    • Receiver (decoding): Te receiver gets the message through decoding—by receiving,
    understanding, and interpreting the message.
    • Actin
    Acting:
    g: Te communication process ends with the receiver putting the interpreted
    message into action, as intended by the sender.
    We see that communication completes a ull circle, bringing together the sender and
    the receiver to become two aspects o a single purpose. It is this uniying process and
    role o communication that has made modern management organizations consider
    communication as an essential skill or successul managers. According to Davis4, “he
    only way that management can be achieved in an organization is through the process o
    communication.”
    • Noise: Te process o communication is, however, open to “noise”, which prevents
    or distorts communication. Noise may be described as any distortion or hindrance
    that prevents the transmission
    transmission o the message rom the (mind o)
    o ) the sender to the
    (mind o) the receiver.
    receiver.
    For some communication theorists, noise basically reers to any external distur-
    bance in the physical environment surrounding the act o communication, or noise
    in the machine used or communicating the message, such as telephone distur-
    bances, poor print, or bad handwriting.
    Communication distortions caused by subjective actors, such as the mindset o
    the sender or the receiver, are attributed to 󿬁lters.
    • Filters: Filters are mental in nature. Tey include attitudes,
    attitudes, belies, experiences, con-
    sciousness o personal status, and the ability to think clearly. Misunderstandings and
    different problems may arise as the message is transmitted through the 󿬁lters o both
    parties, such as low interest or involvement in the message or distraction and atigue
    causing loss o concentration.
    A group o people are
    The Two-way Communication Process involved in completing
    More recent conceptualizations o the communication process look at communication the cycle o commu-
    as a two-way process. A group o people are involved in completing the cycle o com- nication, in which the
    munication, in which the receiver also acts as the sender o eedback to the original receiver also acts as the
    sender o the eedback
    transmitter (sender). hus, both the sender and receiver play reciprocal and reversible
    to the transmitter
    roles, as in telemarketing or call-centre communications. Consider the two-way low o
    (sender).
    communication illustrated in Exhibit 8.8.
    Exhibit 8.8
    Message Transmitter
    Two-way
    Two-w ay Flow of
    Communication

    Receiver

    Communication Communication
    channel symbols

    118 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 8.9 Commun


    Communica
    icatio
    tion
    n so
    sourc
    urce
    e An org
    organi
    anizat
    zation
    ion’’s new
    newss bull
    bulleti
    etin
    n cont
    contain
    aining
    ing a p
    poli
    olicy
    cy to be
    Transactionall
    Transactiona circulated among all employe
    employees es
    Communication
    Encoder The editor/person who writes the policy
    Message The content (policy details) and the words/pictures used to
    convey the policy to employees
    Channel The medium—in this case the news bulletin
    De
    Deccode
    oder/r
    r/recei
    eiv
    ver The
    The au
    aud
    dien
    ence
    ce of the
    the messa
    essage
    ge—t
    —th hose
    ose for who
    whom the
    the po
    pollicy
    icy is
    intended and who read the bulletin
    Feedback Impact/effectiveness of the communication in achieving its
    objectives

    he two-way concept o communication is more contemporary. It considers


    Te two-way concept
    communication essentially to be a reciprocal process and a mutual exchange o
    o communication is
    more contemporary. It messages. It makes no sharp distinction between the roles o the sender (source) and
    considers communica- the receiver, because the same person plays both roles, oten simultaneously
    simultaneously..
    tion essentially to be a he earlier
    meaning. linear view
    he two-way treated
    concept the sender
    involves as the determiner
    the receiver as an activeoagent
    the message and its
    in constructing
    reciprocal process and
    a mutual exchange o the meaning o the message. he meaning o the message is perceived in the context o
    messages. the receiver’s experiences, belies, and eelings. he intended and received meanings may
    result in common interpretations o situations, ideas, schemes, and events to the extent
    that people live and work together and develop common attitudes and viewpoints with
    Te two-way commu- regards to their organization or society. he two-way communication process is also
    nication process is also
    known as transactional communication, which has been explained in Exhibit 8.9.
    known as transactional
    Communication is purposive in nature. It achieves success by manipulating the target
    communication..
    communication
    audience through inormation
    inormation and persuasion to eect the intended action.

    Te most important THE ELEMENTS OF COMMUNICATION


    characteristic o a he various elements o communication are briely described to explain the process o
    message as an element
    o communication is communication.
    that it is organized, • Message: Te message is the inormation, written or spoken, which is to be sent
    structured, shaped, and rom one person to another. Here, the word person represents the two ends o a
    selective—a product o system and may represent an individual, a group o individuals, or even electronic
    the pre-writing or machines.
    pre-speaking stage.
    Te most important characteristic
    character istic o a message as an element o communication
    is that it is organized, structured, shaped, and selective—a product o the pre-writ-
    ing or pre-speaking stage. It exists in the mind o the sender (communicator).
    • Sender: Te person who transmits, spreads, or communicates a message or operates
    an electronic device is the one who conceives and initiates the message with the
    purpose o inorming, persuading, in󿬂uencing, or changing the attitude, opinion, or
    behaviour o the receiver (audience/listener). He or she decides the communication
    symbols, the channel, and the time or sending the message afer careully consider-
    ing the total context in which communication takes place.
    • Encoding: Encoding is the process o changing the message (rom its mental orm)
    into symbols, that is, patterns o words, gestures, or pictorial orms or signs. In
    short, it means putting ideas, acts, eelings, and opinions into symbols, which can
    be words, actions, signs, and pictures. Te communication symbols are selected by
    the sender keeping in mind the receiver’s ability to understand and interpret them
    correctly.

    NATURE AND PROCES S OF COMMUNICATION 119

    • Channel: Tis is the vehicle or medium that acilitates the sending o the message
    Te written medium
    to the receiver. Te medium o communication can be written, oral, audio-visual,
    can be in the orm o
    or live. Again, the written medium can be in the orm o letters, memos, reports, letters, memos, reports,
    manuals, notices,
    larly, the oral circulars,
    medium questionnaires,
    can be in the orm ominutes o meetings,
    a dialogue, and so
    a ace-to-ace on. Simi-a
    interview, manuals, notices,
    circulars, question-
    telephone conversation, a conerence recording, and so on. Te channel (medium) naires, minutes o
    can also be visual, such as hoardings, posters, slides, documentary 󿬁lms, television meetings, and so on.
    programmes, and advertisements.
    • Receiver: A receiver is the targeted audience o the message. Te receiver understands, Te channel (medium)
    interprets, and tries to perceive the total meaning o the message as transmitted by the can also be visual, such
    sender. as hoardings, posters,
    • Decoding: Tis is the act o translating symbols into their ordinary meanings. How- slides, documentary
    ever, the total meaning lies in the meanings o the words (symbols) together with the 󿬁lms, television
    tone and attitude o the sender as re󿬂ected by the structure o the message and the programmes, and
    advertisements.
    choice o words used by him or her (the sender).
    • Acting:
    Acting: Communication manipulates the receiver to act in a desired manner.
    A receiver’s response action shows that he or she has understood
    understo od the message. Finally,
    F inally,
    the receiver completes the chain o communication by responding to the message.
    • Feedback: Tis is the loop that connects the receiver with the sender, who, in turn,
    acts as a eedback receiver and, thus, learns that communication has been accom-
    plished. Feedback plays an important role in communication. It helps the commu-
    In management, the
    nicator know i there are any corrections or changes to be made in the proposed
    decision-makingg proc-
    decision-makin
    action. It also ensures that the receiver has received the message and understood it ess is greatly helped by
    as intended by the sender. receiving eedback rom
    In management, the decision-making process is greatly helped by receiving eedback those who are directly
    rom those who are directly concerned with the changes proposed in the communica- concerned with the
    changes proposed in the
    tion. he process o eedback assures the initiator o the action o its correctness and
    communication.
    impact.

    THE MAJOR DIFFICULTIES


    DIFFICULTIES IN COMMUNICATION
    he ollowing are the main diiculties
    di iculties usually experienced by communicators:
    communicators:
    • Ensuring that the interpreted meaning affects behaviour in the desired way
    • Achievin
    Achievingg accuracy in
    in communicating
    communicating the message
    message
    • Ensuring that the message conveys the desired meaning
    he purpose o two-way communication is to establish understanding and rapport
    between the sender (speaker) and receiver (audience). However, the communicators
    (sender/receiver)
    (sender/receiver) generally experience the ollowing diiculties:
    • No perceived bene󿬁t to the audience: Te receiver (listener) 󿬁nds the message o no
    relevance or interest and, thereore, remains unresponsive.
    • Noise, outside disturbance: o receive the message correctly, the receiver needs to
    remain attentive without being disturbed by any kind o physical, environmental, or
    psychological
    psycholo gical disturbance.
    • Variations in listening skills: Te ability to listen with comprehension is not equally
    developed in all persons. Some individuals, thereore, respond to communication by
    missing parts o the complete message.
    • Cultural differences: Te word culture reers to the entire system o an individual’s
    belies, social customs, and personal values. It includes the individual’s educational

    120 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    background and amily nurturing. Te problem o proper understanding arises in


    situations o intercultural communication because o the differences in cultures
    across the world.

    • Complexity of subject matter/message: A diffi cult and involved m


    message
    essage act
    actss as a bar-
    rier to a smooth understanding o the message.
    • ime restraints, real or perceived: Both the sender and receiver lose organized
    organized exposi-
    tion and reception o the message i they are pressured by a lack o time.
    • Personal biases or hostility: Prejudice and resentment towards the speaker condition
    the understanding o the message.
    • Difficult questions: Questions regarding personal behaviour and management
    policies and practices may not be easy to answer. hey are to be responded to
    with careully considered honesty and rankness i the questioner is to be satis-
    ied with the answer.
    • Sensitive issues: A situation or subject that involves the other person’s eelings and
    problems needs to be dealt
    de alt with sensitively and careully, because the matter may upset
    people. However,
    Howeve r, it may sometimes be diffi cult to avoid suc suchh sensitive is
    issues
    sues entirely.

    BARRIERS TO COMMUNICA
    COMMUNIC ATION
    In communication, a psycho-semantic process, the word barrier implies, mainly, some-
    In communication,
    thing non-physical that keeps people apart or prevents activity, movement, and so on;
    a psycho-semantic
    process, the word examples are social, ethnic, and language barriers or lack o conidence. hese nega-
    barrier implies, mainly, tive orces may aect the eectiveness o communication by acting upon any or all
    something non-physical o the basic elements o the communication process and the sender/receiver/channel.
    that keeps people apart he more commonly experienced communication
    communication barriers are lack o planning, incor-
    or prevents activity, rect assumptions, semantic diiculties, and cultural dierences. Some
    S ome other barriers o
    movement, and so on. communication
    communicatio n are:
    • Socio-psychological
    Socio-psychological barriers
    • Emotions

    • Selective perception
    • Inormation overload
    • Loss by transmission
    • Poor retention
    • Goal con󿬂icts
    • Offensive style
    • Abstracting
    • Slanting
    • Inerring
    Broadly speaking, some o these barriers can be attributed to the sender and some to the
    receiver. Barriers attributable to the sender are:

    • Lack o planning
    • Vagueness about the purpose o communication and objectives to be achieved
    • Poor choice o words, resulting in a badly encoded message
    • Unshared or incorrect assumptions
    • Different perceptions o reality
    • Wrong choice o channel

    NATURE AND PROCES S OF COMMUNICATION 121

    Barriers attributable to the receiver are:


    • Poor listening skills
    • Inattention
    • Mistrust
    • Lack o interest
    • Premature evaluation
    evaluati on
    • Semantic difficulties
    • Bias
    • Different perceptions o reality
    • Lack o trust
    • Atti
    Attitudinal
    tudinal clash with the sender
    sender
    • Un󿬁t physical state
    A common barrier or the sender and the receiver can be created by the absence o a A common barrier
    common rame o reerence aecting the smooth interpretation o thoughts, eelings, or the sender and
    and attitudes rom the sender to the receiver in a speciic social situation. the receiver can be
    Identiication o a well-deined social context in which communication takes place created by the absence
    helps both the sender and the receiver perceive the content o the communication in a o a common rame o
    reerence affecting the
    similar way, with similar implications and meaning.
    smooth interpretation
    he physical noise and other aults in the surroundings and the instruments o trans-
    o thoughts, eelings,
    mission o the message relate mainly to the channel, but they may not necessarily distort and attitudes rom the
    the overall meaning o the total message. sender to the receiver
    Many o the barriers listed here are easy to understand. But a ew o them may still in a speci󿬁c social
    need urther explanation.
    explanation. situation.

    Incorrect Assumptions
    All communications rom one person to another are made under some assumptions,
    which are not necessarily communicated to the other party. hey may turn out to be incor-
    rect and thus result in communication ailure. For instance, we oten assume that others:
    • see the situation as we do.
    • should eel about the situation as we do.
    • think about the matter as we do.
    • understand the message
    message as we understand
    understand it.
    it.
    All such assumptions may be incorrect; thereore,
    thereore, one should try to veriy them when-
    ever possible. hat would help the communication to be more eective.

    Psychosocial Barriers
    here can be many types o psychosocial barriers to communication. he key barriers
    are discussed here.
    Status
    Consciousness o one’s status aects the two-way low o communication. It gives rise to Consciousness o

    personal barriers caused by the superior–subordinate relationship. A two-way vertical one’s status affects
    the two-way 󿬂ow o
    channel is present in most organizations, yet ew subordinates choose to communicate with
    their superiors. communication. It
    Similarly, superiors may be unwilling to directly listen or write to their subordinates and gives rise to personal
    barriers caused by the
    seldom accept hearing that they are wrong. hough organizations are culturally changing
    superior–subordinate
    and adopting lat structures, the psychological distance between superiors and
    relationship.
    subordinates persists.

    122 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Perception and Reality


    3 he most important aspect o human communication
    communication is the act that it takes place in the
    world o reality that surrounds us. his world acts as our sensory environment. While
    Know why communi-
    cation succeeds we the
    by aredierent
    engaged sensations
    in the process o communicating,
    o smell, our and
    taste, sound, orms sensecolours
    organsaround
    remainus.
    stimulated
    All these
    or ails.
    sense perceptions received by our brain through our senses recreate within each one o
    us the world that exists within our mind as its content. hus, there are two aspects o the
    Te most important same reality—one that actually surrounds the communica
    communicatortor rom outside and another
    aspect o human com- that is its mental representation (in his or her mind) as he or she sees it.
    munication is the act he objects that excite our ive sense organs/perceptions—eyes, ears, nose, tongue
    that it takes place in the (taste), lesh (touch)—are called signs
    signs.. Our senses respond to these signs and we receive
    world o reality that sur- sensations that pass into the brain through a network o sensory nerves. Our percep-
    rounds us.
    tions—the mental images o the external world—are stored in our brains and orm our
    viewpoints, experiences, knowledge, eelings, and emotions. hey constitute
    constitute what
    w hat we
    Te objects that excite really are, how we think o something, or how we eel or respond to something. hese
    our 󿬁ve sense organs/ stored perceptions colour and modiy whatever our brain receives rom any signs, data,
    perceptions—eyes,
    perception s—eyes, ears, thoughts, or messages. hat is why these conditioning perceptions existing in the brain
    nose, tongue (taste),
    󿬂esh (touch)—are are called
    ing, filters.to
    filters
    according . he mind ilters
    individual the message received rom the signs and gives it mean-
    perception.
    called signs
    signs..
    It is obvious that each individual’s ilter would be unique. No two individuals have
    the same or similar experiences, emotional make-up, knowledge, or ways o thinking.
    Our perceptions—the
    perceptions—the Because ilters dier, dierent individuals respond to signs with dierent understand-
    mental images o the ings. he sign may be a word, gesture, or any other object o nature; each individual will
    external world—are respond to it in his or her own way and assign the total meaning to that sign according
    stored in our brains and to his or her ilter.
    orm our viewpoints, he presence o a unique ilter in each sender and receiver o a communication causes
    experiences, knowledge,
    a communication gap (distortion) in the message.
    eelings, and emotions.
    In ace-to-ace communication, this gap can be more easily removed. In most cases,
    the speaker does realize that he or she has not been correctly understood through the
    listener’s acial expressions, gestures, or other orms o body language. Alternatively, the
    No two individuals have
    the same or similar listener might say, “Sorry, I didn’t get you”. O course, much depends on how ormally/

    experiences, emotional inormally the two are


    But in situations in related to each
    which the otherisininvisible,
    audience the oice,
    asworkplace,
    in written or lie.
    communications—
    make-up, or ways o
    thinking. letters, memos, notices, proposals, reports, and so on—the semantic gap between the
    intended meaning and the interpreted meaning remains unknown to the communicator
    and also to the unsuspecting receiver who misses the total meaning in terms o the tone,
    eelings, and seriousness o purpose o the sender. he eedback does help the sender,
    but it may be too late.

    CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATION


    Essentially, to communicate is to share inormation in its widest sense with others, in an
    intelligible, participative orm through the medium o words (spoken or written), ges-
    tures, or other signs.
    wo basic things stand out here. One, the message is to be both “known” and “under-
    stood” by
    verbal. others.
    hese two wo, communication
    aspects—the purpose is a symbolic
    and nature o act, whethertion—act
    it is verbal
    communication—act
    communica as or
    thenon-
    two
    determining inluences in the practice o communication in all contexts o speaking or
    writing.
    Herein lies the crucial dierence between eective and ineective communication.
    I something is communicated and is not ully understood by the receiver, then com-
    munication has been ineective, not ully serving the condition o being understood.

    NATURE AND PROCES S OF COMMUNICATION 123

    Exhibit 8.10
    Sender Message Receiver
    Successful Communication

    Feedback

    I the message has been understood, the response o the receiver—the eedback—
    indicates this.
    Keith Davis5 lays down the Rule of Five to guide the receiver to be an eective element
    o the communication process. “In the communication process, the role o the receiver
    is, I believe, as important as that o the sender. here are ive receiver steps in the process
    o communication—receive, understand, accept, use, and give eedback. Without these
    steps being ollowed by the receiver, no communication process would be complete and
    successul.”
    hus, communication
    communication can be considered
    considered successul when:
    • the message is properly understood.
    • the p
    purpose
    urpose o
    o the sender is ul󿬁lled.
    • the sender and the receiver o
    o the message remain linked through eedback (see
    Exhibit 8.10).

    THE SEVEN C’S OF COMMUNICA


    COMMUNIC ATION
    Francis J. Bergin6 advocates that there are seven C’s to remember in verbal communica-
    4
    tion. hese are also applicable to written communication. hey are: Recognize the tech-
    niques that help in
    1. Candidness: In all business transactions, one’s view o a matter should be honest and communicating a
    sincere and should reject prejudice or bias. he guiding principle should be airness message accurately.
    to sel and to others involved
    involved in the situation.
    situation. Phrases that qualiy observations
    obser vations with
    the words “my honest opinion” or “rankly speaking” indicate an attempt to be can-
    did, open-hearted, and sincere. Honesty implies consideration o the other person’s
    (listener’s) interest and his or her (the listener’s) need to know objective acts. hus,
    sharing o thoughts should be characterized by the “you” attitude.
    Candid talk also exhibits the speaker’s sel-conidence. In oral communication,
    conidence is a key element in creating an impact. When something is said without
    hesitation, it expresses a conident manner.
    In everyday
    ever yday lie and in business, we may see persons in power doing things such
    as appointing relatives to important positions, neglecting merit in assigning jobs/
    unctions, or becoming inappropriately close to an individual or a group o indi-

    viduals. Such actions


    o consideration are bound
    and concern ortothat
    emotionally alienate others
    person’s long-term imagerom
    andthat person. Out
    relationships in It is not always easy
    to verbalize ideas
    the organization, it is important to communicate one’s view o such administrative accurately on the spot
    unairness in an unbiased manner. during conversations,
    2. Clarity: he principle o clarity is most important in all communications, especially presentations, or other
    oral orms o interac-
    in ace-to-ace interactions. It is not always easy to verbalize ideas accurately on the
    tion.
    spot during conversations, presentations, or other oral orms o interaction.

    124 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Clarity requires the use o accurate and amiliar words with proper intonation,
    stresses, and pauses. Spoken language should consist o simple words and short
    sentences. houghts should be clear and well-organized. he speaker should know
    what to say and why. It is a clear mind that can talk clearly and eectively.
    However, in case o doubt or uncertainty
    uncerta inty due to lack o clarity o thought or
    expression, the listener can, in a one-to-one oral communication, seek immediate
    clariication rom the speaker.
    3. Completeness: Clarity is ensured also by completeness o message. In conversations
    or oral presentations, one can easily miss some parts o the communication. It is,
    thereore, essential that oral presentations, discussions, or dialogues should be, as
    ar as possible, planned and structured. hereore, when the speaker begins the
    presentation, dialogue, or address, he or she should ensure that all the necessary
    inormation that listeners need or expect has been
    be en provided.
    In a situation where he principle o completeness requires that speakers
    speaker s communicate whatever is
    the interviewee has necessary, provide answers to all possible questions that could be raised, and add
    no inormation or additional inormation, i necessary, as ootnotes. For example, in an interview, i
    answer or is unwilling an interviewee ails to answer a question completely, it could imply that he or she is
    to discuss a particular deliberately sidestepping
    sidestepping a particular issue. It could also raise doubts in the audience
    question, they should that there is something to hide regarding that matter. In a situation where the inter-
    rankly express their viewee has no inormatio
    inormationn or answer or is unwilling to discuss a particular question,
    inability to answer. he or she should rankly express their inability to answer.
    4. Conciseness: In business and proessional communication, brevity is important. One
    should avoid being repetitive. It is a common but erroneous assumption that repeat-
    ing whatever has been said in multiple ways adds emphasis to the message.
    he examples in Exhibit 8.11 are show that spoken language tends to become
    wordy. Fewer words should not mean less meaning. Rather, it is possible to achieve
    intensity and concentration without sacriicing essential meaning.
    5. Concreteness: Concreteness means being speciic and deinite in describing events
    and things. Avoid using vague
    vagu e words that don’t mean much. In oral communication,
    one cannot draw igures, tables, or diagrams to illustrate one’s point. But one can
    choose precise words and speak with proper modulation and orce to make sounds
    relect the meaning. For example, in oral communication passive voice is avoided
    because active voice relects orce and action. It also sounds more natural and direct.
    For example, no one says, “you are requested by me to visit us”. A more vivid way to
    express the same sentiment is, “I request you to visit us”.
    6. Correctness: In the spoken orm o communication, grammatical errors are not
    uncommon. he speaker can orget the number and person o the subject o the
    verb i the sentence
    sentence is too long.
    long. Sometimes even
    even the sequence o tenses is incorrect.
    incorrect.
    And most requently, the use o the pronoun is incorrect, especially in indirect nar-
    ration or reported speech (see Exhibit 8.12).
    Exhibit 8.11 Super 󿬂uous Statements Concise Statements
    Examples of Super󿬂uous
    and Concise Statements At this point of time . . . Now . . . , or at present . . .
    As regards the fact that… Considering . . .
    Because of the fact that… As . . ., or because . . .
    Are in need of . . . Need . . .
    In due course of time . . . Soon…
    Not very far from here . . . Nearby . . . , or close by . . .

    NATURE AND PROCES S OF COMMUNICATION 125

    Incorrect Statement Correct Statement Exhibit 8.12


    The Necessity of
    He sa
    said
    id to me th
    that
    at I w
    wil
    illl sur
    surel
    elyy g
    go
    o the
    there
    re.. He told
    told me that
    that he woul
    would
    d ssur
    urel
    elyy g
    go
    o the
    there
    re..
    Grammatical Accuracy
    Kind
    Kindly
    ly ex
    expl
    plai
    ain
    n tto
    omme
    e tthi
    hiss p
    poe
    oem
    mooff K
    Kea
    eats
    ts.. Ki
    Kind
    ndly
    ly ex
    expl
    plai
    ain
    n tthi
    hiss p
    poe
    oem
    mooff K
    Kea
    eats
    ts to me
    me..
    I consider her as my sister. I consider her my sister. for Effective
    Communication
    She shut the TV and then opened the taps for She turned off the TV and then turned on the
    her bath. taps for her bath.
    The stars walk as if the whole world
    world belongs The stars walk as if the whole world
    world belonged
    to them. to them.
    Shahzad has also claimed that a Bihar- Shahzad has also claimed that a Bihar-based
    based former junior minister and former junior minister and a prominent
    prominent Mumbai politician helped Mumbai politician helped him evade
    him evade arrest. arrest.
    The dealer agreed
    agreed to eithe
    eitherr exchange the shirt The dealer agreed
    agreed either to e
    exchange
    xchange the shirt
    or to refund the money. or to refund the money.
    How long has it been since you had your last How long is it since you had your last promo-
    promotion? tion?
    The crowd cheered
    cheered him making do
    double
    uble The crowd cheered
    cheered his making a doub
    double
    le
    century. century.
    Being an experienced manager, we are sure As you are an experienced manager, we are
    you can resolve the conflict. sure you can resolve the conflict.
    Sohan an
    and h
    he
    er a
    arre eq
    equally b
    brrilliant. Sohan an
    and sh
    she ar
    are eq
    equally br
    brilliant.
    His wife is taller than him. His wife is taller than he (is tall).
    She is looking for who? Whom is she looking for?

    7. Courtesy: In conversational situations, meetings, and group discussions, an eective


    Courtesy demands not
    speaker maintains the proper decorum o speaking. One should say things asser-
    using words that are
    tively, but to
    or hurtul without being rude. Courtesy demands not using words that are insulting
    the listener. insulting or hurtul to
    the listener.
    In business discussions, it is necessary to respect the other person by listening to him or
    her patiently and without interruption.
    he speaker’s tone should relect respect or their listener or audience. he pitch and
    tone should be level and measured rather than aggressive; they should not suggest that
    the speaker is talking at the listener.

    UNIVERSAL ELEMENTS IN
    I N COMMUNICATION
    5
    here are some universal elements in all human communication: Understand the
    • Te communication environment: All communicators act within the sensory envi- universal elements in
    ronment around them, rom which their senses receive competing stimuli imping- communication.
    ing upon the content o communication.
    • Use of symbols: All communicators use verbal symbols and signs such as words,
    body movements, acial expressions, and so on, to encode (and to decode)
    messages.
    • Te mental 󿬁lter: All communicators/receivers o a message have to register, organ-
    ize, transmit, receive, and interpret through their uniquely structured minds that
    have varying “󿬁lters”, which consist o their experiences, thoughts, and eelings.

    126 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 8.13
    An Example of Mr Balakrishnan, a heart patient, was considering two medical procedures: bypass sur-
    Miscommunication gery and angioplasty. His surgeon had told him that the angioplasty would cost slightly
    more than the bypass surgery. The bypass cost ` 2.5 lakh. Mr Balakrishnan did not mind
    spending slightly more for the angioplasty, so he opted for it. But he was shocked to later
    get a bill for ` 6.5 lakh. He was left wondering what exactly his surgeon’s “slightly more”
    meant.

    o understand communication better, we should know the ollowing basic acts


    regarding its process:
    • Perfect communication is impossible: Human communication is essentially imper-
    ect. All our communication encoding and decoding acts are conditioned by the act
    that a common mental 󿬁lter is not possible. Meanings differ because 󿬁lters differ.
    Tereore, no two persons involved in an interaction will perceive the exact same
    meaning rom a message. What they tend to have is a “workable understanding”, as
    Vardman puts it in his de󿬁nition o communication discussed earlier.
    Te act that the Besides the 󿬁l
    󿬁lters,
    ters, the act that the symbols
    symbols used or
    or communicating
    communicating are
    are im
    imprecise
    precise in
    symbols used or their associative meanings urther
    urt her contributes to the imperection o communication.
    communication.
    communicating are Choosing correct symbols to encode an idea, thought, or eeling is not an easy task.
    imprecise in their We tend to ofen pick up imprecise symbols or encoding. Tis tendency increases
    associative meanings the chances o misinterpretation or miscommunication between the sender and the
    urther contributes to receiver (see Exhibit 8.13).
    the imperection o
    communication. Even the same symbols put in a different order or sequence may change the overall
    meaning o the message (see Communication Snapshot 8.2). Tereore, both parties,

    Communication Consider the following sentences:


    s entences:

    Snapshot 8.2 1. The letter has been dispatched by me.


    2. I have dispatched the letter
    letter..
    How Sentence Structure
    3. The police chased the crowd.
    Affects Meaning
    4. The crowd was chased by the police.
    5. What are you doing here?
    6. Here, what are you doing?
    7. The dog wagging the tail.
    8. The tail wagging the dog.
    9. Only you have to be there.
    10. You have only to be there.
    11. You have to be only there.
    12. Also, Abhin
    Abhinav
    av is going to Paris.
    13. Abhinav is going to Paris al
    also.
    so.
    14. Manisha to
    too
    o is tired.
    15. Manisha is too tired.
    The first sentence answers the question “Has the letter been dispatched?”, whereas the second
    is an answer to “Who has dispatched the letter?”. There is a change in the emphasis: the first
    sentences emphasizes the act (of dispatching), while the second emphasizes the doer of the ac actt
    (the dispatcher). To
    To understand this subtle shift in the overall meaning of the statement, equal
    levels of linguistic competence are required by both the questioner and the respondent.
    Similarly, in the third sentence, we are talking about the police, whereas if we change the
    sequence of the symbols, as we have done in the fourth sentence, the crowd becomes the
    subject of communication.

    NATURE AND PROCES S OF COMMUNICATION 127

    This can furthe


    furtherr be understo
    understood
    od by consi
    consideri
    dering
    ng the fifth and the sixth sente
    sentences
    nces.. Though these
    sentences sound alike, they convey different meanings. The fifth sentence communicates the
    speaker’s surprise about a person’s presence, whereas the sixth is about the place where the person
    person’
    is present.
    The seventh
    seventh se
    sentence
    ntence indicat
    indicates
    es that tthe
    he per
    person
    son is qu
    quiet,
    iet, d
    docile
    ocile,, and e
    easily
    asily ccontrol
    ontrolled.
    led. A
    Ass oppose
    opposed
    d
    to this, the eighth sentence says that an unimportant thing/person is wrongly controlling a
    situation.
    The ninth, tenth, and eleventh se
    sentences
    ntences sho
    show
    w how me
    meaning
    aning changes by changing the position
    of the word only. In the ninth sentence, the speaker talks about the person (you) who alone is
    required—meaning nobody else is required. In the tenth sentence, the speaker says that the
    person (you) would “do nothing” but simply be present; and, finally, in the eleventh sentence,
    the speaker wants the person (you) to be “there” only and nowhere else. The shift in significance
    relates to who
    who,, what, and where
    where.. (It may be noted that only modifies the word that immediately
    follows it.)
    Similarly, the word also modifies the word that follows it or is placed next to it. In sentence 12,
    also is used to indicate that in addition to some other persons going to Paris, Abhinav too will
    go to Paris. In sentence 13, the change in position of also changes the meaning of the sentence.
    Here, also is used to indicate that Abhinav is going to Paris in addition to other places. In sen-

    tence 12, it signifies “in addition to the other persons”; in sentence 13, it means “in addition to
    other places”
    places”..
    In sentences 14 and 15, the shift in the position of the word too changes the meaning com-
    pletely. Sentence 14 implies that Manisha is tired, like other people. But, sentence 15 implies
    that Manisha is overtired, or that she
    s he is so tired that she cannot do any work now.
    Try to imagine real-life situations in which you would communicate a feeling of surprise or
    delight on unexpectedly meeting a friend when you did not expect to see them.

    the sender and the receiver, should possess the same ability to interpret the meaning
    o symbols (words)
    (words) and their structure (the order in which they are used).
    • Meani
    Meaning
    ng is not out there:
    there: By now, it must be obvious that the meaning o a sentence
    or paragraph is in the mind and not in the symbols. Symbols (except onomatopoeic
    words) are arbitrary. Tey have no intrinsic meaning. Tey stand or things, but are
    not the things themselves. Teir meaning is conventional, commonly shared by the
    people belonging to a linguistic community. But the literal meaning is something
    that is printed in the pages o a dictionary.
    Communication is a living act, perormed in speci󿬁c contexts,
    contexts, in particular situa-
    tions, and with a de󿬁nite goal. Tus, an effective communicator creates new mean- An effective communi-
    ings o symbols (words) by structuring them in strings o images o his or her mind cator creates new mean-
    or mental landscape. ings o symbols (words)
    by structuring them in
    Understanding this undamental
    undamenta l aspect o communication can help all receivers strings o images o his
    look or the meaning o the words (the message) that the sender thought o when or her mind or mental
    choosing them. A receiver should not be satis󿬁ed with, “I think it means . . . ”. landscape.
    Instead, he or she should search or what the words must have meant to the sender.
    • Personality communicates: Walt Whitman7, in his amous Song of Myself, poetically
    brings out the dimension o communication. O his poetic process, which is an act
    o communication, he says,
    I celebrate myself,
    And what I assume you shall assume,
    For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

    128 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    In act, communication
    communication in its 󿬁nal analysis can be seen as a projectio
    projection
    n o “mysel
    “mysel ”—
    how I think, eel, believe, perceive, and respond to reality. I communication is any-
    thing, it is indeed a mental representation o reality. Te symbols o communication
    represent the perceptions o the communicator.
    In this regard, the complexity o communication urther arises rom a truth so aptly
    W. Holmes 8 in his collection o essays, Te Autocrat of the Breakfast-
    projected by O. W.
    able::
    able
    There are three Johns:
    1. The real John; known only to his Maker
    Maker..
    2. John’s ideal John; never the rreal
    eal one and often very unlike him.
    3. Thomas’s ideal John; never the real John, nor John’s John, but often very
    unlike either.
    Te real problem in communication is caused by Tomas’s ideal John.
    In act, it is difficult or people to communicate effectively unless they have a cor-
    rect knowledge o themselves. Understanding how we see ourselves is the 󿬁rst step
    in improving our ability to communicate; we can improve this understanding by
    closely examining our own sel-concept.
    According to psychologists, there are three aspects o sel-concept:
    sel-concept :
    1. The me that I know.
    2. The me that I wish I w
    were.
    ere.
    3. The me that I want others tto
    o see.
    Some people are so Some peopl
    peoplee are so perect in projecting
    projecting images o themse
    themselves
    lves to others that
    that the real
    perect in projecting person is never displayed. Tis art can be advantageous to a manager and his or her
    images o themselves personal communication
    communication skills, but i practised to the extreme can prevent effective
    to others that the real communication and understanding.
    person is never
    displayed.
    o be effective as the audience (receiver), one should ollow Whitman’s wisdom and
    practise “what I assume you shall assume”. Tis process is also known as “empa-
    thy”—the power or the state o imagining onesel to be another person and sharing
    his or her ideas and eelings. Empathy
    Empathy is needed or listening and is also a necessary
    state o mind while encoding. It allows the communicator to realize the audience’s
    (receiver’s) expectations, ears, emotions, needs, level o learning/knowledge, and,
    above all, state o mind. It is only through reciprocal empathy that people can com-
    municate effectively in different contexts o lie and business.

    COMMUNICATION
    COMMUNICATION AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA
    MED IA
    he electronic media have made communication instantaneous and immediate across
    the world. he use
    u se o telephones, voice mail, phone conerencing, video conerencing, cell
    phones, and e-mail as preerred modes (channels) o communication has greatly acceler-
    ated the decision-making process at all levels. heir use connects the sender and receiver
    in a timeless and spaceless web o communication. In a way, the online message and its
    immediate eedback give distant communication the orce and advantages o ace-to-ace
    communication.
    In business, all these electronic modes o communication are used according to the
    need and purpose o the communicators. E-mail, however, is the most commonly used
    global medium o interaction today. Even within the same organization, managers and
    executives preer to communicate via e-mail instead o phone calls. hese modes o
    communication
    communic ation will be discussed in detail in Chapter 11.

    NATURE AND PROCES S OF COMMUNICATION 129

    COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL MEDIA


    Social media, according to Dave Evans9, “involves a natural, genuine conversation
    conversation between
    people about something o mutual interest, a conversation
    conversation built on the thoughts
    t houghts and expe-
    rience o the participants. It is about sharing and arriving at a collective point, oten or
    the purpose o making a better or inormed choice.” hese emerging online social
    so cial media,
    according to Susan Bratton, richly reward10 “our innate desire to connect with each other
    at a human level.”
    Internet orums, weblogs, witter, message boards, Wikis, podcasts, picture-sharing
    sites, and other online media connect and share inormation in a collaborative manner.
    Examples o social media applications are Google (reerence, social networking),
    Wikipedia (reerence), MySpace (social networking), Facebook (social networking),
    Last.m (music), Youube (video sharing), Second Lie (virtual reality), and Flickr
    (photo sharing).
    As a social web participant,
    participant, the channels one is likely to use today are SMS (texting),
    blogs and microblogs, video sharing, photo sharing, personal social networks, event
    services, e-mail, white label social networks, Wikis, podcasts (audio) and collaborative
    tools.
    Social media are popular because they allow collaboration and creativity. he audi-
    ence o social media can participate by adding comments or changing the stories them-
    selves. he empowerment and reedom o the audience to add or create new content
    makes social media a process and not a static medium. Unlike direct mail or televi-
    sion advertising, social media are “a collaborative process through which inormation is
    created, shared, altered, and destroyed.” 11 In business, politics, and personal lie, social
    media act as a “eedback loop”. As the audience, we listen to it, learn rom it, and ollow
    it. For example, in the purchase unnel o “awareness—consideration—purchase”, social
    media inluence the customer’s consideration to quite an extent by oering the experi-
    ences o other customers o that product. Participants believe the social message because
    it is based on natural, genuine conversation inormed by the experience and wisdom o
    the multitude.

    SUMMARY

    • Tis chapt
    chapter
    er deals wi
    with
    th the k
    key
    ey elements o the nature • Both the sender and the receiver play a role in mak-
    and process o communication. ing communication effective. Te sender should
    • Human beings are poor comm
    communicators
    unicators b
    but
    ut our com- encode the message accurately afer considering the
    municative competence can be improved by learning level, expectations, and needs o the target audience
    and practising effective communication skills. (receiver); the receiver should listen or read
    rea d careully to
    try to understand the intended meaning o the sender.
    • Communication has a symbolic nature and is an act
    o sharing one’s ideas, emotions, attitudes, or percep- • Te universal, cocommon
    mmon element
    elementss o cocommunication
    mmunication
    tions with another person or group o persons through are the communication environment, the use o sym-
    words (written or spoken), gestures, signals, signs, or bols, and the presence o mental 󿬁lters.

    other modes o transmitting images. Te transmis- • Some basic acts about communication are that
    sion o ideas always encounters barriers that reduce its perect communication is impossible; the meaning
    effectiveness. o a message is in the mind/perception o the
    • Te essential elements o o the process o
    o comm
    communication
    unication receiver; and personality affects the effectiveness o
    are the message, the sender, encoding, the channel, the communication.
    receiver, decoding, acting on the message, the eedback, • o communicate effectively, one should develop not
    and the communicatio
    communication n environment. only skills, but also a sense o empathy with others.

    130 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    CASE: COMMUNICATION FAILURE

    Mr and Mrs
    a pullover.
    pullover Basu
    . Mr went
    Basu did to Woodland’s
    not apparel
    read the price section
    tag on to buy
    the piece he memo or payment,
    pay ` 1,900 and not `he was astonished
    1,290 to ind that he had to
    as he had expected.
    had selected. While making the payment, he asked or the Mr Basu could hardly reconcile himsel to the act that the
    price at the counter. he answer was “` 950950””. salesperson had irst quoted the discounted price, that is
    Meanwhile, Mrs Basu, who was still shopping, came back ` 950. But the original price printed on the price tag was
    and joined her husband. She was glad that he had selected ` 1,225.
    a nice black pullover or himsel. She pointed out that there
    was a 25 per cent discount on that item. he person at the Questions to Answer
    billing counter nodded in agreement. Mr Basu was thrilled 1. Identiy the three sources o Mr Basu’s inormat
    inormation
    ion
    to hear that. “hat means the price o this pullover is just about the price o the pullover.
    ` 645. hat’s antastic,” said Mr BBasu.
    asu. He de
    decided
    cided to buy 2. Discuss the main ilter in
    involved
    volved in this case.
    another pullover in green. 3. What should Mr Basu have do
    done
    ne to avoid the misunder-
    In no time, he returned with the second pullover and asked standing?
    the salesperson to pack both. When he received the cash 4. Who is to bla
    blame
    me or this comm
    communication
    unication ga
    gap?
    p? Why
    Why??

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    1. Why is comm
    communication
    unication important or
    or good relation- 7. What iiss noise? Elaborate the elements o noise encoun-
    ships and eective management? tered by the receiver. How can they be minimized?
    2. Why do we communicate
    communicate?? 8. Do you agr
    agree
    ee that, in iits
    ts inal orm, communicatio
    communication
    n is
    a maniestation o the personalities o both the sender
    3. Discuss communication as a two-way process o
    and the receiver? Discuss.
    exchange o inormation.
    9. How does group communication dier rom mass
    4. Indicate the critical dierence between successul and
    communication? Does this dierence between these
    ineective communicatio
    communication. n.
    two orms o communication demand greater care on
    5. Discuss the im
    important
    portant b
    barriers
    arriers in the communicatio
    communication
    n the part o the communicat
    c ommunicator
    or (sender)? Discuss.
    process.
    6. What is empathy? How does it con
    contribute
    tribute to the eec- 10. Do you accept
    assumption andthat
    notperect communication
    a practical is justrea-
    possibility? Give an
    tiveness o communication? sons or your argument.

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

    1. Why have cocommunication


    mmunication skills become an essential 4. “he principle o completeness in communication
    requirement or a successul career in any proession? requires that we answer all questions that may be put
    Discuss with examples. to us.” Elaborate.
    2. How does an interview/discussion co
    conducted
    nducted oon
    n ttelevi-
    elevi- 5. “All communication is manipulative in nature.
    nature.”” Disc
    Discuss.
    uss.
    sion become an act o communicatio
    communication?
    n? Explain.
    3. Show ho
    how
    w eedback acts as an essential element in the
    communication
    communication process.

    APPLY YOUR
    YOUR LEARNING
    LEARN ING

    Analyse the communication situation given here and com- way that the message causes no disappointment to the am-
    pose a letter on behal o the Ministry o Deence in such a ily o the late Prem Kumar.

    NATURE AND PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION 131

    Shopkeeper Gives Life to Save People, No Medal in Sight


    22 September 2010, NewsLin
    NewsLinee
    Prem Kumar—a shopkeeper in Gaar Market—lost his lie while trying to save the lives o ellow
    shopkeepers and shoppers who were trapped in a ire. Almost a year ater the incident, he has been
    awarded the prestigious Shaurya Chakra. His amily was inormed about the award through a letter
    rom the Ministry o Deence.
    Prem Kumar’s amily, however, claims it has not received any urther inormation about the award
    and all eorts
    e orts to contact the government have proved utile. His aging
    a ging mother recollects the amily’s
    sense o joy and pride when they received the letter. However
    However,, there was no more news ollowing the
    letter,, she laments. She adds that the amily has been trying to contact the government at the phone
    letter
    numbers provided in the letter, but the call keeps getting transerred rom one person to another all
    the time. In the end, they assumed that her son’s name would be announced during the Republic
    Day parade. Much to their disappointmen
    disappointment,
    t, they watched the entire programme on television, only
    to realize that Prem Kumar’
    Kumar’ss name was not mentioned during the event. Prem Kumar’
    Kumar’ss amily is still
    holding on to the letter, wondering what their next step should be.

    An oicial rom the Deence Ministry later clariied that only Ashok Chakra awardees are called to
    the R-day parade. All recipients o the Shaurya Chakra will be intimated about the investiture cer-
    emony to be held at Rashtrapati
    Ra shtrapati Bhawan. A medal and scroll will be handed over to the amily
    amily,, along
    with the compensation, i any, during that event.

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    From the given options please choose the most appropriate


    appropriate answer:*
    1. In general, human beings are: 5. Eective communicatio
    communication
    n is essentially a:
    (a) perect communicato
    communicators
    rs (a) three-way process
    (b) poor communicat
    communicators
    ors (b) one-way process
    (c) indierent communicat
    communicators
    ors (c) two-way process
    (d) good communicato
    communicators
    rs (d) both a one-way and a two-way process
    2. he word communication is derived rom communis 6. Filters tha
    thatt aect the content o a message are in:
    (Latin) which means: (a) the medium o communicatio
    communication n
    (a) common (b) the mind o the speaker
    (b) community (c) the mind o the listener
    (c) message (d) the minds o both the speaker and the listener
    (d) oral speech 7. Speakers usually experience diiculty in ensuring that
    the message is:
    3. Meta-communica
    Meta-communication
    tion rrelates
    elates to the speaker’s:
    s:
    (a) conveyed precisely
    (a) intentional choice o dress (b) understood correctly
    (b) intentional choice o words (c) acted upon promp
    promptly
    tly and as desired
    (c) unintentional choice o words (d) all o the above
    (d) unintentional choice o both words and dress
    4. Generally speaking, in b
    business
    usiness w
    wee co
    communicate:
    mmunicate: 8. cation
    As a pprocess
    rocess
    suerso sharing
    mainly thoughts and ideas, co
    rom: communi-
    mmuni-
    (a) only to persuade (a) physical barriers
    (b) only to inorm (b) non-physical barriers
    (c) only to entertain (c) gender dierences
    (d) to both persuade and inorm (d) both physical and non-physical barriers
    *For answers and sel-evaluation, visit www.pearsoned.co
    www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi
    .in/PDChaturvedi

    132 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    9. ____ is not one o the 7 C’s o communication: 10. Human com


    communication
    munication is essentially:
    (a) conciseness (a) perect
    (b) clarity (b) imperect
    (c) correctness (c) short-lived
    (d) character (d) emotional

    ENDNOTES

    1. George 
    .. V
    Vardman.
    ardman. Effective Communication of Ideas 6. Francis J. Bergin, Practical Communication (New Jersey:
    (New York:
    York: Van Nostrand Rein
    Reinhold
    hold Company, 1973), p. 3. Financial imes Prentice Hall, 1981).
    2. Keith Davis and John Newstrom. Organizational Behav- 7. Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass (New Delhi: Allied Pub-
    ior: Human Behavior at Work,
    Work, 9th ed. (New Delhi: ata lishers, 1959), p. 25.
    McGraw-Hill, 1993), p. 399. 8. O. WW.. Holmes, ““Autocrat
    Autocrat o th
    thee Brea
    Breakast
    kast-able”
    -able”, Te
    3. C. Shannon and W. W Weaver,
    eaver, Te Mathematical Teory Atlanti
    Atlanticc Mo
    Monthl
    nthlyy (1857).
    of Communication (Urbana, IL: University o Illinois
    Press, 1949), p. 5. 9. Dave Evans,
    Business SocialWiley
    Services, MediaIndia,
    Marketi
    Marketing
    ng (New
    2008), p. 31.Delhi: imes
    4. Keith Davis and John Newstrom, Organizational Behav- 10. Susan Bratton, oreword to Social Media Marketing, by
    ior: Human Behavior at Work,
    Work, 9th ed. (New Delhi: ata Dave Evans (New Delhi: imes Business Services, Wiley
    McGraw-Hill, 1993), p. 399. India, 2008), x, iii.
    5. Ibid., pp. 402–403. 11. Ibid., p. 34.
    Organizational
    Communication

    9
    Te most important audience
    “a company
    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    Apex Business Solutions had prom-
    ised to deliver a report to one of its
    customers
    customers by a certain date, but was
    when no solution was found, it was
    dispersed.
    for company’’s comm
    communica-
    unica- Later, while re󿬂ecting on the pro-
    unable to meet this deadline. Since ceedings, Mr Mahadevan, the head
    tions is not the customer, as
    the customer was very important to of the department, realized that
    is commonly believed, but the the company, there was an internal what Stephen had suggested at the
    employee. meeting in the concerned depart-
    ment to resolve the issue. beginning was in fact the most sen-
    sible course of action, but because
    — Pratt & Whitney
    During the discussion, Stephen, one everyone was predisposed to take
    ” of the youngest members of the him lightly, they never considered his
    department, came up with a sugges- suggestion seriously. In fact, they had
    tion to solve the problem. However, completely neglected his ideas dur-
    because Stephen was known for his ing the discussion. Mr Mahadevan felt
    non-serious, jokey comments and that if they had heard Stephen with an
    was relatively new in the department, open mind, they would have reached
    nobody took him seriously. The
    The meet- a solution in the 󿬁rst 󿬁fteen minutes
    ing continued for two hours, and of the meeting.

    Upon completion of this chapter, you


    should be able to: THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION IN MANAGEMENT
    1 Understand the functional rela- Communication skills constitute an important aspect o effective management.
    tionship between communica- Management is a complex process. In simple terms, it can be described as the
    tion and management. organization o capital, labour, and material to achieve production and distri-
    2 Identify new trends in organi- bution o particular goods or services.
    zational communication due First, the management determines its objectives—what it must do and
    to technological changes and how it must do it. Ten, there has to be a system through which the produc-
    developments. tion and distribution processes can be guided, coordinated, and controlled to
    3 Know why managers need ensure that the management objectives are achieved. Communication is the
    strong communication skills. system by which production and distribution operations are controlled and
    4 Understand the elements coordinated and the results correlated to the objectives.
    that form the structure of an
    organization’s communication Some Important Functions of Management
    network. Exhibit 9.1 shows some important unctions o management. Te unction o
    Understand the formal and communication
    communica tion is to de󿬁ne and support the action involved in each o these
    5 informal lines of organizational unctions.
    communication. • Forecasting and planning: Each unction o management depends on
    6 Know what and how much effective communication or its success. For example, i the management
    should be communicated to ails to communicate its objectives, policies, programmes, procedures,
    employees at the workplace. and budgetary provisions to the concerned people at the proper time,
    an organization would ail to run in an organized and targeted manner.

    134 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 9.1
    Forecasting Determiness organizational objectives and policies
    Determine
    Functions of Management
    Planning Prepares programmes, procedures, and budgets
    Organizing Sets the organizational structure
    Instructing Providess the bedrock of organizational performance
    Provide
    Coordinating Ensures all efforts are directed towards the organization
    organization’s
    ’s goals
    Controlling Checks the results and receives
    receives feedback

    • Organizing: Organizing, as a management unction, determines the ormal and


    1 inormal relationships within the organization and outside it. Tese relationships
    are developed and maintained through interpersonal communication.
    Understand the unc-
    tional relationship • Instructing: Te unction o instructing depends entirely upon effective exchange o
    between communica- inormation regarding products, processes, and targets.
    tion and management. • Coordinating: Coordinating is perhaps the most demanding o all management
    unctions. It requires excellent communication skills to ensure that all efforts are
    directed towards the achievement o a single organizational goal. o ensure that
    Communication is
    the system by which diverse activities both
    people involved, are complementary, a manager should be able to relate with all the
    ormally and inormally.
    production and
    distribution operations • Controlling: Finally, in order to control processes, a manager should be able to
    are controlled and receive and interpret inormation and respond quickly.
    coordinated and the
    results correlated to the How Communication Is Used by Managers
    objectives. Management is a uni󿬁ed, organized, and cooperative system committed to the achieve-
    ment o common goals. Unity o purpose and commitment to a single organizational
    goal can be developed only through the persuasive power o communication. o do this,
    Unity o purpose and a manager needs to have excellent communication skills, including the ability to struc-
    commitment to a single
    ture inormation according to its negative/affi rmative nature aand
    nd use words aand
    nd tones
    organizational
    organizational goal can be
    according to the purpose o the communication. A manager should be able to create the
    developed only through
    the persuasive power o desired relationship with the audience or employees to produce the needed response.
    communication. Tus, diverse strategies, verbal and non-verbal, o effective communication orm an
    important part obusiness
    From a small management as a discipline.
    to a multinational enterp
    enterprise,
    rise, every organization
    organization today needs
    an effective communication system to enable it to unction and 󿬂ourish. Communication
    is a means o:
    • Increasing employees’ job perormance and effectiveness
    effectivene ss by updating their knowl-
    edge
    • Promoting employees’ sense o belonging and commitment
    • Effecting changes smoothly
    • Motivating employees and creating a sense o identi󿬁cation with the organization’s
    goals
    • Inorming and convincing employees about decisions and the reasons behind them
    • Helping emplo
    employees
    yees develop a clear understanding
    understandi ng o their roles and growth oppor-
    When decision-making tunities within the organization
    is transparent, employ- • Empowering employees with inormation on development and activities
    activitie s
    ees understand the
    reasons behind deci- Hence, an active communication system is vital or the good health o an organ-
    sions and accept and ization. I there is continual sharing o ideas and interactive meetings between the
    implement them, even
    management and employees, an overall atmosphere o understanding and goodwill
    i those decisions affect
    would prevail in the workplace. When decision-making is transparent, employees
    them adversely.
    understand the reasons behind decisions and accept and implement them, even i

    ORGANI ZATIONAL COMMUNICATION 135

    those decisions affect them adversely. Tus, communication can help in management
    in the ollowing ways:
    • Creating a sense of belonging: An understanding o their roles and career paths in the
    organization makes employees eel a part o the whole setup.
    • Resolving disputes: All disputes in organizations, which lead to huge losses o time,
    money, and good human relations, are caused by communication ailures.
    • Providing a holistic view of the situation: A great value o effective communication
    lies in making people not only know, but also perceive and understand the meaning
    o things happening around them. Trough clear communication, employees not
    2
    Identiy new trends in
    Identiy
    only “see” the realities o the business, but also develop a “eel” or it. organizational com-
    In the changing business environment o multinational competition and globaliza- munication due to
    tion, communication has become an important component o an organization. Like the technological changes
    unctional areas o production, marketing, and 󿬁nance, communication too is evolving and developments.
    into a distinct discipline in the orm o corporate communication.
    Teoretically, corporate communication brings under a single umbrella all commu-
    nication activities undertaken by different areas such as marketing and public relations,
    which are directed at image-building and developing human capital. In this integrated
    orm, communication speaks to the world outside the organization and within it in a
    single voice that builds the corporate image.
    Several changes in the modern technological age o inormation have made people
    pay more attention to communication as an important tool in successul management.
    Tese changes are:
    • Bigger organizations: Organizations are getting bigger and bigger, either due to
    increased levels o production or through multinational collaborations. Te large Te large size o
    size o organizations today poses problems in communication. organizations today
    poses problems in
    • New developments in information technology: Te modern age, the age o inorma-
    communication.
    tion, is not just an era o new media—telephone, radio, television, communication
    satellites, computers, and so on; it is also an era o a new attitude towards knowledge
    and the value o sharing it with others. In act, communication is now looked upon
    as a source o empowerment
    empowerment o people. But the success o these new media depends Te success o new
    on the skills o those who use them. It involves a new attitude towards the value and media depends on the
    use o good communication. skills o the people who
    use them.
    • Te concept of human capital: Employees and workers are now considered to be the
    human component o business and not just the source o labour. Teir attitudes, inter-
    ests, and welare constitute an important aspect o management. Hence, there has to
    be a live channel o communication between the employees and the management.
    • Need to learn corporate etiquette: op corporate executives are increasingly being
    sensitized to the importance o conducting meetings, seminars, presentations, and
    negotiations effectively. Tey realize that management executives should learn the
    rules o etiquette i they are not already amiliar with them. Tis includes knowing
    how to greet others, shake hands, dress or success, exchange business cards, listen,
    and converse with a diverse variety o clients.

    Corporate etiquette training,


    training, which is a part o communication skills, ocuses on the
    rules to be observed and practised or success in international and national business
    ventures.
    ventur es. Good business manners speak o the culture o the organization, not just o
    the individual.
    Tese contemporary changes suggest that organizations now need not only an effec-
    tive communication system, but also executives and managers who are well equipped
    with effective communication skills.

    136 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    COMMUNICATION
    COMMUNICATION CONCERNS OF THE MANAGER
    In business, a manager spends most o his or her time either speaking or writing to

    colleagues,
    on his or hersupervisors, subordinates,what
    ability to communicate or clients. A done
    has to be manager’s success
    and why depends largely
    to colleagues.
    o be able to do this, the manager has to devote his or her time to:
    • Receiving and interpreting inormation rom other managers and departme
    departments
    nts
    • Sending inormation to other department
    departme nt managers
    • Passing on inormation and suggestions on new plans o
    orr projects to senior/top
    management
    • ransmitting inormation to subordinates
    • Developing a positive attitude
    Te success o an o a large extent, the success o an organization requires an atmosph
    atmosphere
    ere in which there
    organization requires is a ree 󿬂ow o inormation—upward, downward, and horizontally. At the workplace,
    an atmosphere in the primary goal is getting things done. For this, instructions, guidelines, supervision,
    which there is a ree
    󿬂ow o inormation— monitoring, and periodic
    wishes to achieve more thanreporting
    the set are
    task,usually
    a real considered
    involvementenough. But i the company
    o all employees, rom the
    upward, downward, and
    highest to the lowest levels, is required. Tis cooperation can only be secured by allowing
    horizontally.
    every level o employee to suggest ideas, express their views, and share their experiences.
    Such a system o communication can only be established within the organization by the
    One o the most impor- manager. In act, the manager unctions as the point o intersection or all communica-
    tant concerns o the tion channels. One o the most important concerns o the manager is to organize and
    manager is to organize ensure an effective inormation system across the organization.
    and ensure an effective As analysed by Henry Mintzberg1 o the Massachusetts Institute o echnology,
    inormation system
    managers need effective communication skills to perorm in the ollowing interrelated
    across the organization.
    situations:

    3 • Interpersonal
    • Inormational
    Know why managers
    need strong commu- • Decisional
    nication skills. Tese situations, with their descriptions and examples, are clearly described in
    Mintzberg’ss book,
    Mintzberg’ bo ok, Te Nature of Managerial Work.
    Work.
    Te interpersonal role reers to situations in which the manager acts as a 󿬁gurehead,
    leader, and liaison
    lia ison officer. Te inormational role is when
    wh en the manager
    mana ger is a monitor, dis-
    seminator, and spokesperson. In the decisional role, the manager unctions as an entre-
    preneur, troubleshooter, resource allocator, and negotiator.

    I interpersonal • Interpersonal role: It is necessary to ensure the effective operation o the organiza-
    communication is tion s systems and to maintain proper relationships within the organization and
    effective, internal with clients, suppliers, and other unctionaries. I interpersonal communication is
    systems run smoothly. effective, internal systems run smoothly. For example, personnel unctions within
    the organization require managers to inspire con󿬁dence, win support, and guide
    workers. Managers are role models or others and must develop the skill o listening
    patiently and perceptively in order to understand the needs o their subordinates.
    Tis is essential or creating an atmosphere o mutual understanding and good-
    will within the
    t he organization and transparent sharing o its objectives, mission, and
    problems.
    • Informational role:
    role: I the internal inormation-sharing system o a company is effec-
    tive, other systems such as stock control, personnel unctions, 󿬁nancial systems,
    and quality control operate smoothly. Shortcomings and problems can be quickly

    ORGANI ZATIONAL COMMUNICATION 137

    identi󿬁ed and remedial action taken immediately. Proper maintenance o product


    and service standards can be ensured through timely monitoring and instructing.
    Trough effective, interactive communication and a strong eedback system, high
    morale and satisaction o workers can be secured.
    • Decisional role: Decision-making is based upon receiving and interpreting all rel- Decisions that are based
    evant and necessary inormation. Decisions that are based on guesswork and are on guesswork and are
    made without access to all relevant inormation may turn out to be unrealistic and made without access
    harmul. Managers need to possess the skill o receiving relevant and up-to-date to all relevant inorma-
    inormation correctly and accurately to be able to take decisions and act rationally, tion may turn out to be
    airly, and to the satisaction o all concerned. unrealistic and harmul.
    All these unctions require the manager to handle people and situations with a good
    knowledge o human needs.

    Human Needs
    Maslow’s hierarchy o human needs 2, shown in Exhibit 9.2, suggests a succession o
    needs through which people move as they ul󿬁l their wants and desires.

    1. Physiological
    Physiological needs: Tese are the most basic needs o ood, shelter, and protection
    rom the elements.
    2. Security and safety needs: Next come the need to be ree rom physical danger and
    the need o knowing that one’s physiological needs are being met.
    3. Social needs: Tis is the desire to be loved, to be accepted, and to belong.
    4. Ego needs: Moving to a higher level o the pyramid, people eel the need to be heard,
    appreciated, and wanted. Tese needs o the ego are related to the status o the indi-
    vidual. Generally,
    Generally, the ul󿬁lment o economic
    economic needs comes beore
    beore the social expres-
    sion o one’s ego.
    5. Self-actualizing
    Self-actualizing needs: Tis is the desire to reach one’s
    one’s highest and complete potential
    p otential
    through different orms o proessional, social, intellectual, and cultural and artistic
    activities. It is the highest level o needs in the pyramid.
    From the diagrammatic description o human needs shown in Exhibit 9.2, one should
    not conclude that any o these needs is absent rom the human mind. Te pyramid struc-
    ture indicates that as the lower-level needs are satis󿬁ed, one eels the urge to satisy other,
    higher needs. In such a situation the pressure o the lower-level needs is reduced, but
    they are always present.
    Hence, a manager should be able to identiy the needs o different individuals thro through
    ugh
    close interaction with employees. By doing this, he or she can create a business envi-
    ronment in which individual needs are largely recognized and satis󿬁ed. It is common
    knowledge that a satis󿬁ed employee is more productive than a dissatis󿬁ed one.
    Theory X and Theory Y
    In highly developed countries like the United States, even those with an average income
    eel that their basic needs are satis󿬁ed. Hence, most people can pursue the satisaction
    o their social and sel-actualization needs: the need to be recognized and respected and,
    above all, to belong and be a part o a community.

    Self-actualization Exhibit 9.2


    Maslow’ss Hi
    Maslow’ Hierarchy
    erarchy of
    Self-esteem needs
    Human Needs
    Social needs
    Security and safety needs
    Physiological needs

    138 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    In developing countries such as India, more people


    p eople are primarily motivated to satisy
    lower-level needs. Accordingly,
    Accordingly, this has been
    be en the ocus o traditional management. Te
    management usually assumed that employees were mainly working to collect their pay, pay,
    to ul󿬁l their primary
    primar y needs o ood, shelter,
    shelter, and security. Hence the management could
    simply tell people what to do, how to do it, and by when
    w hen to do it. It was not considered
    necessary to explain why things had to be done a certain way. Workers were viewed
    as a source o labour that was not interested in the organization’s general welare. Tis
    view is no longer acceptable in most organizations,
    organizations, though in practice
    practice it still prevails at
    many places.
    Douglas McGregor, in Te Human Side of Enterprise,3 discusses two styles o
    management: the traditional view o human capital and the emerging modern view
    that management increases productivity when it helps people satisy their higher-level
    needs. McGregor calls these two styles o management Teory X (conventional) and
    Teory Y (modern). Teory X postulates that, traditionally, management unctions
    through close control and concern or the job to be done and not concern or the doer
    o the job—workers’ motivation was assumed to be imposed rom outside through
    supervision, promise o reward, or ear o punishment.
    Teory Y is the emerging style o management. It promotes a balance between con-
    trol and individual reedom to actualize the individual’s potential and help him or her
    evolve as a mature and responsible being. McGregor bases his concept on the maxim that
    reedom accompanies responsibility.
    Hence, the new management style views people as humans and addresses the ul󿬁l-
    Te new management
    ment o their higher-level needs. Managers should consider their audience/receivers as
    style views people as
    humans and addresses adults capable o change and o controlling their own destinies. Te communication
    the ul󿬁lment o their ocus in this context shifs rom the language o control and inormation to that o moti-
    higher-level needs. vation and persuasion.
    persuasion.

    COMMUNICATION
    COMMUNICATION TRAINING FOR
    FO R MANAGERS
    In an organization, In an organization, communication counts. It provides the network o sustenance essen-
    communication counts. tial or the growth and smooth unctioning o the organization. But how should it be
    It provides the network implemented? What are the strategies o communicating effectively? How can one learn
    o sustenance essential them? Can communication be taught?
    or the growth and oday, communication has become a buzzword. Accordingly, a great deal o eemphasis
    mphasis
    smooth unctioning o is being given to training aimed at developing the skills o writing letters, memos, and
    the organization. reports, participating in seminars and group discussions, interviewing, making presen-
    tations, and so on. In the world o business, managerial success depends largely on the
    ability to present one’s ideas beore others. In act, verbal (written/oral) and non-verbal
    (body language) communicative competence is an important aspect o one’s personality.
    In act, many advanced institutions have incorporated communication in specialized
    personality development programmes as an additional input or management gradu-
    ates at all levels o undergraduate and postgraduate education. Tere are ormal courses
    in business communication, human communication, or organizational communication
    almost in all universities. In addition, there are training courses and workshops specially
    designed or executives and bureaucrats at all levels.
    Tese communication courses and training programmes are offered because it is
    possible to learn and develop interpersonal skills. O course, there are individuals who
    are “born communicators”, able to think clearly and express themselves effectively with
    little training. However, others can become successul communicators by learning
    and practising the strategies o effective communication. All communications courses
    and programmes are based on simulating real situations in the workplace as well as
    social situations. Teir basic objectives include written and oral/verbal competence

    ORGANI ZATIONAL COMMUNICATION 139

    and understanding o non-verbal communication/body language. At the end o these


    courses, students can effectively write letters, memos, reports, proposals, and so on,
    deliver oral presentations and seminars, and participate in meetings, group discussions,
    and negotiations.
    In business, it is crucial to create and maintain relationships. Effective communicators
    weigh relationships and develop desirable, long-term ones. One’s communication skills
    help nurture cherished relationships within the organization and outside it.

    COMMUNICATION STRUCTURES IN ORGANIZA


    ORGANIZ ATIONS
    In business organizations, the effectiveness o a communication system depends upon
    4
    the extent to which the necessary inormation (required or decision-making) reaches Understand the
    the concerned person (the person who needs that inormation)
    inormation) at the right time (when elements that orm
    the inormation is needed). Te network o inormation should support the overall unc- the structure o an
    tioning o management by integrating and coordinating the workorce or achieving organization’s com-
    organizational objectives. munication network.
    Hence, every organization creates a network (channel) or inormation to pass
    through different levels o authority and unctional heads and units. Te 󿬂ow o com-
    munication ollows the structure o the organization. In actual practice, the inormation
    passes through the organizational pyramid such as the one shown in Exhibit 9.3.

    Vertical Communication
    In organizations, there are well-de󿬁ned lines or routes or passing on communication.
    Policy decisions are taken at the boardroom level. From there, inormation is sent down-
    wards to senior managers or a group o senior managers. Tey ensure that the policy
    decisions are easily understood, implemented, sustained, monitored, reviewed, and
    reported. Feedback (perormance data or employee experiences or suggestions) is, in
    turn, sent upwards.

    Board of directors Exhibit 9.3


    Organizational Pyramid

    Managing
    director

    Senior management
    Middle-level management

    Senior supervisors

    First-line supervisors

    Employees/shop-floor employees

    140 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    In this system o communication, the key links are the managers and supervisors.
    Tey transmit inormation both upwards and downwards. Tey are also responsi-
    ble or ollowing up on ideas and instructions. In all large organizations, the human
    resource or personnel department manages the circulation o inormation among
    employees. Personnel
    Personnel managers are in constant touch with all employees. Tey are able
    to identiy needs, provide guidance on policy matters, and supervise inrastructural
    rearrangements.
    When an organization However, when an organization has too many levels o hierarchy, managers may 󿬁nd
    has too many levels o it difficult to reach ground-level
    groun d-level and shop-󿬂oor
    shop -󿬂oor employees. In such situations,
    situ ations, commu-
    hierarchy, managers nication tends to be slow in reaching and delayed in being absorbed and acted upon.
    may 󿬁nd it
    i t diffi cult to
    to Te cost o this delay, caused by the sheer size o the organization, may sometimes be
    reach ground-level and too high.
    shop-󿬂oor employees. Hence, as Peter Drucker4 holds, large organizations have more recently moved
    towards a “󿬂atter structure” o inormation-based management and executives “walk
    down” the jobs. Tis is obviously to acilitate inormation 󿬂ow downwards and to pre-
    vent employees
    employees rom
    rom getting rustrated
    rustrated by their sense
    sense o isolation.
    isolation.

    Horizontal Communica
    Communicationtion
    Also known as peer communication, horizontal communication is usually needed
    within the organization due to:

    • Te geographical location o divisions


    • Te unctional basis o division

    Geographical Organization
    In a large setup, divisions may be based on geographical areas. Such divisions may be
    known just by numbers or single letters.
    l etters. For example, at ata Steel (Jamshedpur), the “G”
    blast urnace has its own division with a ull-󿬂edged hierarchy o employees and execu-
    tives. Tere are other urnaces known by numbers, with their own divisions. Tey are
    all located on the vast ata Steel site. Tere are also other divisions such as research and

    development, total
    contact with the quality
    others control,
    through and sopresentations,
    seminars, on. Each o these divisions meetings.
    and executive maintainsTese
    close
    divisions communicate among themselves to share inormation and help each other as
    equal members o the same organization. Tus, communication helps sustain a sense o
    unity among the various divisions in the organization.

    Functional Organization
    Normally, business and industrial organizations are divided on the basis o different
    unctions such as production, marketing, 󿬁nance, personnel, and training and devel-
    opment. All divisions unction independently and yet remain linked with each other
    through peer-group communication and work󿬂ow inormation. With the growth
    o technology and the increasing size o organizations, the widespread production o
    goods and services needs to be coordinated through the channel o horizontal comm
    commu- u-
    nication. From the stage o selection o raw material to the 󿬁nished product, numerous
    processes are involved in completing the given task o production. At each stage o the
    production process, the job o a workgroup depends upon the timing and orm o work
    received rom the preceding workgroup. Any interruption in the work󿬂ow adversely
    affects perormance at successive stages o production. Te work󿬂ow in a compan
    companyy can
    be steadily managed only through horizontal communication
    communication between the sections
    sec tions that
    are directly linked.

    ORGANI ZATIONAL COMMUNICATION 141

    LINE AND STAFF MANAGEMENT


    Line and staff management (LSM) is a system o management in large organizations
    consisting o line managers and staff managers. Line managers are responsible or the A network o relation-
    main activities o the company, such as manuacturing and sales, while staff managers ships between those
    control the support and service areas, such as accounting, distribution, and personnel. in line (unctional)
    A network o relationships between those in line (unctional) management and staff management and staff
    (support) management is created by means o an effective internal communications (support) management
    system. Without this, an organization can neither unction properly nor thrive in the is created by means o
    an effective internal
    business world. As shown in Exhibit 9.4, the internal communication system can be
    communications
    communicatio ns system.
    divided into two categories—ormal lines o communication and inormal lines o
    communication.

    Formal Communicat
    Communication ion
    Formal lines o organizational communication include: 5
    Understand the
    1. Line relationships
    ormal and inormal
    2. Functional relationships lines o organizational
    3. Staff relationships communication.

    Line Relationships
    Line relationships reer to the line o authority that sets down the path o communication
    rom supervisors
    super visors to subordinates
    subordi nates and vice versa.
    versa . All official communications,
    communicati ons, orders, Usually, all organiza-
    and instructions move rom seniors to subordinates. Similarly, all ollow-up actions and tions insist on ollow-
    compliance and execution inormation and reports move upwards, rom subordinates ing the normal chain
    to supervisors and executives. Usually, all organizations insist on ollowing the normal o authority rom one
    chain o authority rom one position to the next. I the communication is in the orm o position to the next.
    a letter, this respect or the chain o authority is indicated by writing the phrase “through
    the proper channels” in the beginning o the letter.
    I the communication is oral, the message is conveyed to one’s immediate supervisor.

    Management
    Exhibit 9.4
    Internal Communication
    System in Organizations

    Line/Functional Staff Grapevine

    Marketing department Finance Across all levels


    and departments

    Marketing manager Personnel

    Product
    Administration
    manager
    Sales
    manager
    Market
    research Public relations
    manager
    Area sales manager

    142 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Functional Relationships
    Functional relationships are those between departments within an organization.
    Communication that occurs when departments share inormation regarding work
    and related organizational matters with each other is a ormal line o organizational
    communication.
    Staff Relationships
    Staff relationships include the communication that supports line management, mar-
    keting, and production. Tey do not carry the executive authority o line relationships.
    Communications relating to personnel, public relations, administration, or 󿬁nance are
    part o staff relationships.

    Informal Communication
    Inormal communication in an organization usually 󿬂ows through chat and the
    grapevine.
    Chat
    Horizontal or lateral communication is between managers rom different departments
    or within the same peer group. Managers o the same level enjoy the same level o
    authority. Ofen, inormal communication, which is usually in the orm o a “chat”, has
    to be con󿬁rmed in writing beore
    b eore it goes through
    throug h the official channel.
    The Grapevine
    Teoretically, the network o ormal communication may be adequate to meet the needs
    Teoretically, nee ds
    o exchanging inormation within an organization. But, in real lie, this is seldom true.
    Ofen, employees eel inadequately inormed in a ormal system. Tey may suspectsuspe ct that
    the management uses ormal channels to conceal rather than reveal the true message.
    Tey may thus accuse the system o lacking transparency. As a result, employees mod-
    iy the ormal methods o communication by bringing in an inormal communication
    system, the grapevine.
    Inormation obtained via the grapevine is always attributed to “a reliable source”.
    “Learnt through a reliable source”, is a common phrase used by the communicator to
    make the news sound authentic.
    However, the grapevine may create complications or the inormation system o
    Te grapevine may
    create complications or organizations.
    the inormation system • Te unofficial version o news, irrespective o its basis, is more easily believed
    believe d by
    o organizations. people.
    • News through the grapevine spreads like wild󿬁re, quickly and uncontrollably.
    • Usually this version o inormation is somewhat distorted and exaggerated
    exaggerated—a
    —a result
    o the vast chain o “󿬁lters” used in the process.
    Te grapevine exists in all workplaces. It is an inormal adjunct or extension o the
    Te grapevine exists
    ormal system o organizational communication. In a way, it is a corrective to the man-
    in all workplaces. It is
    agement’s system o inormation as it is timely and has a wide reach. It poses a challenge
    an inormal adjunct or
    extension o the ormal
    to management’s MIS (Management Inormation System).
    system o organizational Te presence o the grapevine shows that the management has missed an opportunity
    communication. to shareby
    is 󿬁lled inormation o interest
    inormal gossip with their
    circulated amongemployees. Tewho
    employees, gap orm
    in ormal communication
    relationships on the
    basis o their work or common social actors such as neighbourhood, language, culture,
    state, club memberships, and so on Tese relationships are ormed on the basis o riend-
    ship and not
    no t official status
    s tatus..
    Participants in the grapevine
    grap evine are non-offi cial leaders
    lead ers who generally
    general ly initiate and spread
    the gossip across the organization. As with ormal communication, there is a sender and
    a receiver.

    ORGANI ZATIONAL COMMUNICATION 143

    Normally, the management views the grapevine negatively as it undercuts


    con󿬁dentiality, secrecy, and guarded sharing o inormation with employees. However,
    sometimes the management itsel may take advantage o the grapevine, or instance
    to learn in advance the reaction and response o employees to a proposed scheme or
    change. In such a situation,
    situat ion, beore offi cially announcing
    annou ncing the change, thet he managers may
    deliberately eed the leaders o the grapevine with the concerned message and note
    employees’ eedback and responses.
    Tis managerial practice is not always on the sly. Some management scholars approve
    o this practice o supplementing ormal communication with inormal communica-
    tion. Koontz and O’Donnell5 observe, “Te most effective communication results when
    managers utilize the inormal organization to supplement the communication channels
    o the ormal organization”.
    When using inormal channels o communication, managers have to be very care-
    ul about the orm o inormal communication. For example, it could be very effective
    to “walk down the
    t he job”—move around the office, chat, and in inormally
    ormally discuss
    dis cuss ormal
    matters. But, the effectiveness o this depends on the personal relationship between the
    executive and his or her subordinate and the image created by the executive by his or
    her official behaviour
    behavi our and personal
    persona l attributes such as rankness,
     rankness, attitud
    attitude,
    e, and sense o
    airness. As Leland Brown says, “In using the grapevine, management must be able to
    pinpoint the leaders and work through them. It must eed in actual inormation, listen
    to the eedback response, and be discerning in not overloading the system and using
    it inappropriately. It is important that management be sure to ollow up the grapevine
    message with offi cial written messages
    m essages and statements
    st atements that will veriy
    ve riy the accuracy
    accurac y o
    data obtained rom the grapevine. Tis helps in building a mutual trust based on open
    communication ollowed throughout the organization or business.” 6

    Merits of Informal Communication


    Te chie advantages o inormal communication lines are:
    • Uniting force: Te grapevine brings together employees in matters o common
    interest.

    • Speed: Inormal channels o communication pass on messages speedily.


    • Creation of ideas: Inormal communication, through sharing o ideas and views
    or by spreading unofficial “grapevine”,
    “grapevine”, generates ideas and
    a nd expectations
    expec tations that ofen
    prove o value to decision-makers and planners.
    • Good personal relations: Public relations ail in organizations because o the lack o
    Public relations ail in
    good personal relationships. Inormal communication that promotes personal rela-
    organizations because
    tions is, thereore, important or the success o public relations. o the lack o good per-
    Emphasizing the value o inormal communication in management, especially via sonal relationships.
    the grapevine, Myers and Myers7 assert that 󿬁eld research and laboratory experiments
    indicate that “grapevine communication is ast; predictable in its course, directions,
    and membership; and also ar more accurate than a casual observer might imagine.
    Grapevine communication is less heavily loaded with task inormation—how to do the
    job—than with inormation
    inormation about people, attitudes,
    attitudes, relationships,
    relationships, interpretation, pre-
    diction, values, norms, and needs”

    Limitations of Informal Communication


    Te limitations o inormal communication channels are:
    • Rumours: Sometimes inormal communication, especially grapevine, can prove
    very provocative
    provocative and disastrous or the relationship
    relationship between employees
    employees and man-
    agement. By its very nature, grapevine is inormation that lacks solid evidence.

    144 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Moreover, there is little accountability in spreading it. By exciting hopes or ears in


    By exciting hopes or
    employees, rumour mongering may result in a negative or misleading situation in
    ears in employees,
    rumour mongering may the workplace. As a consequence, the management may be conronted with a wave
    result in a negative or o prejudice, emotions, biases, hal-truths, and ambiguity.
    misleading situation in • Inadequacy: Inormal communication can only pertain to certain kinds o
    the workplace. organizational inormation—that is, non-unctional issues and matters. Second-
    ary issues regarding sta and management relations are generally the subject o
    grapevine.
    • Changing interpretations: When inormation is allowed to be spread through the
    grapevine, it tends to result in distortion and dilution o the main issue. Te key
    person, the individual who starts spreading the news, is sometimes surprised by the
    󿬁nal orm in which that news gets back to him or her. Just as in the game o Chinese
    Changes in interpreta- Whispers, the distortions are unintentional. Changes in interpretations happen
    tions happen owing to owing to the different perceptions o the persons involved in the chain. Te unlim-
    the different perceptions ited circulation o a statement can make it lose its original meaning and character.
    o the persons involved Great caution is, thereore, needed in using inormal communication channels as a
    in the whispering chain.
    supplement to ormal communication.
    Finally, it is the responsibility o the ormal communication system to ensure that
    opportunities or misinterpretation o inormation through the grapevine do not occur,
    by giving ull and necessary inormation to employees in a timely manner. Tereore,
    besides interactions
    interactions at the unctional level, people should be able to talk to one another
    about ormal matters inormally on different occasions.

    6 INFORMATION TO BE COMMUNICATED AT THE WORKPLACE


    o reduce the chances o misinterpretation or disinormation being spread by the
    Know what and how grapevine, an organization should keep all its employees inormed about certain acts
    much should be com- regarding it. Te content o the inormation is generally a mixture o acts, opinion,
    municated to employ- attitudes and interpretation. Te purpose is to instruct, persuade, and ensure a routine
    ees at the workplace. 󿬁rst one-way transmission o inormation.
    Broadly, all business communication can be divided into 󿬁ve types o inormation:
    1. Statutory information: Inormation regarding terms and conditions o service should
    be communicated to all employees as a statutory requirement.
    2. Regular work-related information: Inormation regarding normal work situations has
    to be regularly communicated through routine ormal brie󿬁ng sessions or through
    inormal chat sessions between the manager and group members.
    3. Major
    Major policy or operational
    operational changes: Any major changes in the organization s poli
    cies, which affect everyone or a large number o employees, have to be communi-
    cated to all by calling special meetings or by issuing notices.
    4. Information bulletin: o keep people inormed about events and happenings in
    the organization, periodic inormation in the orm o a newsletter is disseminated
    to all employees. Tis helps create a sense o involvement in the working o the
    organization.
    5. Communication by expectancy: Inormation regarding critical changes should be
    careully and gradually communicated
    communicated to those whow ho are going to be directly affected
    by the decision. Beore the decision is implemented, the people concerned must be
    prepared or it. Tis process aims at creating expectancy in the receivers, so that they
    are prepared or upcoming changes.

    ORGANI ZATIONAL COMMUNICATION 145

    SUMMARY

    • Effective co
    communicatio
    mmunication
    ing the success n plays a keyunctions
    o management rrole
    ole in enhanc-
    in an • Inormal co
    communicatio
    mmunication
    be taken advantage o byn the
    andmanagement
    ““the
    the grapevine
    grapevine”
    ” should
    when there
    organization. is a ree and open system o communication in the
    organization.
    • Communication helps management in planning,
    directing, coordinating, and controlling employees, • Te momotivation
    tivation and in
    involvement
    volvement o em
    employees
    ployees increases
    materials, and production. when they are given the maximum possible inormation
    regarding the organization. Essential inormation
    • Effective comm
    communication
    unication creat
    creates
    es a healthy organiza-
    includes statutory inormation, work-related inor-
    tional environment in which all employees eel moti-
    mation, inormation on operational and major policy
    vated towards
    towards the ul󿬁lment o organizational
    organizational goals.
    changes, periodic bulletins regarding organizational
    • Both ormal and inormal communicatio
    communication
    n channels events, and inormation that sets expectations regard-
    exist together in all organizations. ing uture changes.

    CASE: COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN AT CITY HOSPITAL

    City Hospital was losing money, and the hospital’s executive A series o management meetings took place to plan the
    director knew action had to be taken to reduce expenditure. closing o the 󿬁fh 󿬂oor. Te meetings were conducted by
    Since a major portion o the costs were labour-related, the the assistant head o nursing and attended by the hospital’s
    choice was clear—reduce staff. nurse managers, as well as the director o personnel, director
    A natural target or staff reduction was the 󿬁fh 󿬂oor. Tis o public relations, and a communications/labour relations
    unit generally served “observation” patients but had been consultant. Initially, management had considered keeping
    less than hal-ull or some time. Fifh-󿬂oor patients could Lily out o these meetings, but later decided that it would
    be easily reassigned to other units, and closing that 󿬂oor “look better” i she were included in the planning process.
    would save a signi󿬁cant amount o money. During every meeting, Lily cried openly, much to the dis-
    comort o the others present.
    Approximately orty employees worked on the 󿬁fh 󿬂oor, all
    o them reporting to Lily Joe, the nurse manager. Hospital Everyone who participated in the meetings was sworn to
    secrecy; no one was to mention the closing o the 󿬁fh 󿬂oor
    management decided that since her 󿬂oor was being closed
    until the plan was completely developed and announced.
    entirely,, Lily’s services would no longer be needed.
    entirely
    Nevertheless, rumours quickly began to circulate that some-
    Tere were, however, some complicating actors. First, the thing was “in the works” and that the 󿬁fh 󿬂oor speci󿬁cally
    hospital had a policy o “reassignment” rather than “layoff” had been targeted by the management.
    and thus had a commitment to place the 󿬁fh-󿬂oor staff in Eventually, a plan was developed. On the ollowing
    other open positions or which they were quali󿬁ed within Wednesday morning, the deputy head o nursing and the
    the hospital. While it was unclear how many o the 40 dis- director in charge o personnel would meet with the 󿬁fh-
    placed staff could be moved to other areas, management 󿬂oor staff to tell them the news and provide them with
    knew that many could be accommodated. details either about their move to other units (or those or
    Second, most o the employ
    e mployees
    ees on the 󿬁fh 󿬂oor were long- whom other positions had been ound) or (or those who
    term staff who had become somewhat “set in their ways”, would be laid off) about the strikingly generous severance
    compared to the employees in other departments. Indeed, package the hospital was providing. Immediately
    Immediately aferward,

    the 󿬁fh 󿬂oor


    operative had that
    group developed a reputation
    consistently or even
    resisted beingthe
    an unco-
    most this sameoinormation
    meeting wouldsimultaneously,
    all management; be announcedthe at ahospital’s
    general
    minor changes, and most managers elt that the quality o chie medical
    me dical offi cer (CMO
    (CMO)) would conduc
    conductt a meeting o
    care provided by the 󿬁fh-󿬂oor nurses was marginal at best. the medical staff. Individual letters, signed by the director
    Similarly, Lily was generally regarded as the least effective general, would be couriered to all employees on Monday (so
    o the hospital’s
    hospital’s nursing managers. As a result o all o these that most would reach by Wednesday), and departmental
    actors, managers in other units were extremely reluctant to meetings or employees would be conducted on Wednesday
    accept displaced 󿬁fh-󿬂oor workers. afernoon to discuss the situation in detail with all the staff.

    146 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Finally, the news media would be contacted late Wednesday


    Finally, On Wednesday,
    Wednesday, 󿬁fh-󿬂oor employees came to work dress
    dressed
    ed
    afernoon and provided with statements, which would in black and wearing black armbands. Tey covered the
    appear on Tursday. curtains in patient rooms with black sheets, much to the
    On Monday, two days beore the layoffs were to occur, dismay and conusion o the patients in those
    thos e rooms. When
    the group met with the CMO o the hospital, Dr Manoj no one came to tell them their 󿬂oor was being closed, they
    Mehta, and the chie administrat
    adm inistrative
    ive officer (CAO), Gene
    General
    ral became all the more upset.
    Khurana, to review their plan. Much to their dismay, On Tursday, tension mounted. While senior
    se nior management
    Dr Mehta and General Khurana both reacted extremely continued to debate the numbers involved in the layoff and
    negatively to the plan. Both wanted to know exactly how the appropriateness o the communication plan, the 󿬁fh-
    many people would be laid off. Te group was unable to pro- 󿬂oor employees waited or someone to tell them to go home.
    duce exact numbers, since the number o vacant positions Eventually, the situation became unbearable. One nurse
    󿬂uctuated almost daily due to resignations and new hires. began to cry, and soon all were sobbing and hugging each
    “Nursing never gets its numbers right!” Dr Mehta roared other. Te personnel director was called, and when she went
    in rustration. In addition, General Khurana strenuously to the 󿬁fh 󿬂oor and saw
    s aw what was happening, she told all o
    objected to having the letter to employees come rom the the employees to just go home. With the help o the deputy
    director general. “We’ve got to stop passing the buck and head o nursing, she oversaw the hurried transer o 󿬁fh-
    shoving the blame upward”,
    upward”, he argued. Both de
    demanded
    manded spe- 󿬂oor patients to other 󿬂oors.
    ci󿬁c
    letternumbers and
    drafed by thesigni󿬁cant changes
    group beore theyin the announcement
    would allow the plan On Friday, the hospital announced that the 󿬁fh 󿬂oor had
    been closed.
    to move orward.
    At the same time, however, the organization’s grapevine was
    Questions to Answer
    unctioning at ull throttle. Te 󿬁fh 󿬂oor was going to be
    1. Analyse the reasons or the spreading o rumours
    closed, probably this week, the rumour mill held. Indeed,
    regarding the layoffs o the observation ward staff.
    the 󿬁fh-󿬂oor employees themselves had apparently gotten
    wind o the plan. On the hospital’s computer system, one 2. Was it co
    correct
    rrect to include Lily Joe in the initial discus-
    󿬁fh-󿬂oor employee typed an announcement that was com- sion meeting?
    municated throughout the hospital—“We’re long-service, 3. Ideally
    Ideally,, how should this situation have been handled?
    ormerly loyal employees who are about to be kicked out
    onto the street by the hospital. I you would like to help,
    he lp, we
    are starting a und to help support those who will be hurt Source: Based on Andrews and Herschel, Organizational
    by this. Please send your contribution to (name, address o Communication, “Case 2: Employee Layoffs,” pp. 125–127, ©1996.
    󿬁fh-󿬂oor employee).” Reproduced with permission o Pearson Education, Inc.

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    1. Discuss how comm


    communication
    unication is the lieline o
    o an organi- 6. What is the grapevine? Wha
    Whatt gives rise to this comm
    commu-
    u-
    zation’s health. nication phenomenon in organizations? How can the
    management prevent it rom spreading?
    2. Indicate the new trends in organizational communica
    tion due to technological changes and developments. 7. Discuss the advantag
    advantages
    es o inormal lines o com
    communi-
    muni-
    cation in the workplace.
    3. What are the main concerns o a manager? HHow
    ow sho
    should
    uld
    he or she ul󿬁l them through effective
    effec tive communicatio
    communication?
    n? 8. What kinds o ino
    inormation
    rmation need to
    to be com
    communicated
    municated
    Discuss. to an employee by the organization?
    organization?
    9. Discuss how staff relationships affect communica
    communication
    tion
    4. Analyse the corresponding relationship bebetween
    tween
    channels o communication and the structure o an in the case o City Hospital
    Hospital..
    organization. 10. Discuss the responsibilit
    responsibilityy o senior management or
    establishing and promoting a sound communication
    5. Discuss the ormal and ino
    inormal
    rmal lines o o
    organizational
    rganizational system.
    communication.

    ORGANI ZATIONAL COMMUNICATION 147

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

    1. What are the ways in which organiza


    organizations
    tions encourage or 4. In an organiza
    organization,
    tion, one learns new at
    attitudes
    titudes towards
    towards
    discourage “upward” communication? working with others. How does communication help
    2. “A 󿬂at organizati
    organization
    on is a myth”. o
    o what extent can an an individual’s
    individual’s learning behaviour?
    organization unction without a structure with levels o 5. Identiy the advantages and disadvantages o having
    authority? a clearly de󿬁ned communication policy rom a man-
    3. How does training promote effective interpersonal ager’ss point o view, especially in relation to employees’
    ager’
    behaviour? needs.

    APPLY YOUR LEARNING

    Choose an organization you are amiliar with and prepare works. Analyse and evaluate the strengths and limitations
    a diagrammatic presentation o its communications net- o the company’s Management Inormation System (MIS).

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    From among the given options, choose the most appropriate


    appropriate answer:*
    1. Managing as a process d
    does
    oes not organize: 5. In b
    business,
    usiness, a manager spends most o his or her time in:
    (a) labour (a) speaking
    (b) capital (b) writing
    (c) goods (c) meetings
    (d) material (d) planning
    2. Forecasting determines organizational: 6. Managers need effective communica
    communication
    tion skills to per-
    (a) budget orm the ollowing roles:
    (b) perormance (a) personal
    (c) eedback (b) interpersonal
    (d) objectives and policies (c) impersonal
    (d) decisional
    3. o create a cooperative, understanding, and pleasant
    pleasant
    work environment in an organization, decision-making 7. Tere are ____ levels in Maslow’s pyramid o needs.
    should be: (a) our
    (a) transparent (b) three
    (b) strong (c) 󿬁ve
    (c) 󿬂exible (d) six
    (d) quick
    8. In organizations, the 󿬂ow o communication some-
    4. In an organization, the unctional areas are: times slows down because there are too many:
    (a) communicatio
    communications,
    ns, production, and marketing (a) managers
    (b) marketing, communicatio
    communications,
    ns, and 󿬁nance (b) channels
    (c) production, marketing, and 󿬁nance (c) hierarchical levels
    (d) 󿬁nance, production, and communicatio
    communications
    ns (d) departments

    *For answers and sel-evaluation, visit www.pearsoned.co


    www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi
    .in/PDChaturvedi

    148 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    9. Grapevine, as an inormation system, is: 10. A limitatio


    limitation
    n o inormal com
    communication
    munication is that it is:
    (a) inormal (a) inadequate
    (b) ormal (b) personal
    (c) predictable (c) unwarranted
    (d) personal (d) alse

    ENDNOTES

    1. Henry Mintzberg, Te Nature of Managerial Work 5. Koontz and O’Donnell, Managem


    Management—A
    ent—A System and
    (New York:
    York: Harper C
    Collins
    ollins College Division, 1973). Contingency Analysis of Management Function (New
    2. Abraham H. Maslow, Moti
    Motivation
    vation and Perso
    Personality
    nality (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1976), p. 623.
    York: Harper and Row, 1954). 6. Leland Brown, Communicating Facts and Ideas in
    3. Dougla
    Douglass McGregor, “Te Human Side o Enterprise”
    Enterprise”,, Business (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1982), pp. 428–429.
    Adventure
    Adventure in Tought and Action (Proceedings o the 7. M. .. Myers and G. M. Myers, Managi
    Managing
    ng by Commu-
    Fifh Anniversary Convocation o the MI School o nication—An Organisational Approach (McGraw Hill,
    Industrial Management, June 1957), pp. 22–30. International, Book Company, 1982), p. 138.
    4. Peter F
    F.. Drucke
    Drucker,
    r, Te New Realities (New Delhi: Asian
    Books Pvt. Ltd., 1991), p. 210.
    Cross-cultural
    Communication

    10
    In some ways, all people are like
    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    A group of French students, newly
    arrived in India on an exchange
    To adapt, we quickly understood that
    it was better for us to speak in English
    “
    all other people; in some ways, programme at Bajaj Institute of without British or American accents
    Management (BIM), Pune, faced some that we learned at school. Indeed, it
    like some other people; and in
    communication problems that they was better to adapt our accent to the
    some ways, like no one else. described: Indian pronunciation, especially with

    — Clyde Kl uckhohn “First of all, the difference in accents the letter r. Moreover, we use very
    between French and Indian people simple English and easy sentences
    is important. That is why it is some- such as ‘You, okay?’ instead of ‘Do
    ” times hard for us to understand each you agree with that?’ to be correctly
    other. We took time to adapt to this understood.
    new accent, and it was sometimes We, every day, face the diffi
    di fficulties
    cultie s gen-
    difficult to be understood by Indians, erated by the difference in accents,
    who are unfamiliar with our French but the major issue is communicating
    accent. with non-English-speaking people.
    At the beginning, we often had to Not everyone in India speaks English
    ask people to repeat themselves and, unfortunately, we do not speak
    two or three times. Eventually, this Hindi. We have faced many situations
    Upon completion of this chapter, you
    would become embarrassing, so where it
    i t was diffi cult to be clear and
    should be able to:
    we would just say ‘okay’, even if we to converse with the other side. For
    didn’t understand that they had said. instance, when we want to bargain
    1 Understand the increasing
    Likewise, in restaurants, it happened with rickshaws, it takes a long time
    need for clear and cordial
    communication with people that after ordering a speci󿬁c dish, we and we often have to show numbers
    from different cultures. would get a different one because with our hands or by writing them
    of pronunciation problems with the on the 󿬂oor or typing them on our
    2 Understand how cultural
    waiter. mobile phones.”
    context affects personal
    behaviour and business
    communication.
    3 Know the main characteristics
    GLOBALIZATION
    GLOBALIZATION AND IINTERCUL
    NTERCULTURAL
    TURAL COMMUNICATION
    COMMUNI CATION
    of low-context and high- With increasing globalization, interaction between people rom different
    context cultures. societies and cultures has become unavoidable. More than just travelling as
    4 Learn how to communicate tourists, people now stay in oreign countries or business, higher studies,
    across cultures with different and employment. Te new trend in international business is to “go local”.
    concepts of formal and social Tis creates a work situation in which “locals” and oreign experts perorm
    behaviour,, time, and space.
    behaviour together as a team. Tis necessitates cultural orientation on the part o the
    5 Understand e-mail etiquette visitors so that they are amiliar with the host culture, specially the use o
    for intercultural business habitual expressions and expected behaviour in different situations. Te
    communication. process o acculturation is made possible by organizing specialized training
    o visiting teams in the language and work culture o host organizations. It is

    150 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 10.1
    Will Indian English According to Professor
    Professor David Crystal, one of the world’s foremost experts and author of the
    Conquer the Globe? L anguage, English will fragment into “global dialects”,
    Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language,
    forcing speakers routinely to learn two varieties of the language—one spoken in their home
    country and a new kind
    k ind of Standard English. The latter kind of English will have pronounced
    Indian characteristics, says Professor
    Professor Crystal.
    The new Standard English
    English could signify tthe
    he end of the prim
    primacy
    acy of American English. “Future
    users of global Standard English might routinely say, ‘I am thinking it is going to rain’ rather
    than the British/American ‘I think it is going to rain’”, says Crystal. Because Indians tend to
    use the “present continuous”—I
    continuous”—I am thinking,
    thinking, I am feeling,
    feeling, I am seeing—where
    seeing—where the British/
    Americans would use the “prese
    “present
    nt simple”—
    simple”—II think, I feel, I see—the
    see—the present continuous form
    may become part of global Standard English. A second factor in this change in the nature of
    English could be the fact that India has a bigger English-speaking population than the rest
    of the native English-speaking world. It will be interesting to see the form English takes if the
    new Standard English gains popularity
    popularity..

    Source: Based on Rashmee Roshan Lall, “Indian English Will Conquer Globe: Expert”
    Expert”,, The Times of India,
    India,
    New Delhi, March 7, 2008.

    also necessary or those in the host country to be respectul and welcoming o their
    1 visitors’’ cultures, so that the interaction can
    visitors can be productive and cor
    cordial.
    dial.
    A prerequisite to setting up a business in a oreign land is being able to maintain
    Understand the
    cordial relations with the local people. One o the important ways to achieve this is
    increasing need or
    to speak the language o the oreign land. For example, the representatives o ata
    clear and cordial
    Consultancy Services (CS) in Latin America converse in Spanish and Portuguese.
    communication with
    Similarly, the executives o Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) working in China undergo
    people rom different
    training in Chinese language, culture, and social customs in addition to picking up
    cultures.
    Chinese business etiquette in the course o their stay in China. Likewise, the local
    Chinese employees o M&M are given training in English so that they can ollow and
    implement the company’s new business processes.
    Smooth cross-cultural presence in business, industry, or education is possible
    Te new trend in internationally or intra-nationally only by 󿬁rst developing knowledge and sensi-
    international business tivity o the other culture. Indian corporations seeking to establish businesses in
    is to “go local”. oreign countries such as China, South Arica, Malaysia, Korea, and so on are pre-
    paring themselves by teaching executives oreign languages. Tis can acilitate easy
    intermingling with the people in these countries and help develop cultur cultural
    al sensitiv-
    ity . According to a report published in Te Economic imes, imes, cultural sensitivity is
    increasingly becoming India Inc.’s “most important deal drill.” 1 Tis is discussed in
    more detail later in the chapter
    chapter..
    Exhibit 10.1 provides an insight into some o the transormations the English lan-
    guage may undergo in an increasingly global world.

    THE NEW GLOBAL MANTRA: GO LOCAL


    o manage the cultural diversity they encountered in other countries, Indian multi-
    national companies such as ata, HCL, and M&M decided to go local in a big way.
    Consider the example o ata Motor’s Daewoo enterprise in Korea, wherein Koreans are
    employed to do most o the work and the small number o Indians who work with them
    speak Korean. Likewise, CS in Latin America has in place a senior management team
    consisting mostly o locals, while a ew Indians provide the support system. Bilt also
    believes in the “go local” mantra o globalization. Its decision to acquire Sabah Forest,

    CROSS󰀭 CULTURAL COMMUNICATION 151

    Malaysia’s largest paper and pulp company, without displacing people rom their present
    jobs in the company
    company isis inspired by this philosophy
    philosophy..
    Te practice o absorbing locals into the workorce is ethically sound. It creates a
    cordial relationship between the hosts and the oreign employer and employees. But the
    visiting organization
    organization aces a number
    number o o challenges.
    challenges. For
    For ins
    instance,
    tance, consider
    consider the
    the experience
    o SBI in China. .C.A. Ranganathan had a great deal o experience managing bank
    branches across North India. But in Shanghai, he realized that he still needed to learn
    certain things about managing bank branches. Understanding and handling the Chinese
    staff was one o the major challenges.
    ch allenges. Another
    Anothe r difficulty was codiyi
    c odiying
    ng the local law in
    a manner that could be understood back in India. Tere was also the issue o building a
    brand or a bank that ew in China had heard o. 2

    CULTURAL
    CULTURAL SENSITIVITY
    SENSIT IVITY
    Executives seeking global
    globa l business shores ofen join ormal classes to get a eel or local
    cultures. Sensitivity to local cultures is necessary to stay in business. For instance, din-
    ner diplomacy in China is ofen more effective than boardroom meetings or securing
    business. Tose who understand this, like M&M, ofen manage to clinch deals over
    less-sensitive rivals.
    Awareness about a client’s cultural sensitivities ofen results in a positive advantage
    in business relationships. Te phrase “cultural sensitivity” was 󿬁rst used in the Harvard 2
    Businesss Review in 2004, in the context o the cultural intelligence quotient (CQ). Shital
    Busines Understand how
    Kakker Mehra, ounder o Sof Skills International, de󿬁nes cultural sensitivity as “an cultural context
    ability to interpret unamiliar and ambiguous gestures in the way compatriots o the affects personal
    same culture would.” Here, the term gestur
    gestures
    es stands or the whole range o non-verbal behaviour and busi-
    cues that accompany verbal communication between persons rom two different cul- ness communication.
    tures. In interpreting gestures, one can consider the human body to be part o the code
    or communication o symbolic messages that reveal an individual’s thoughts and eel-
    ings. Gestures are ofen expressive o cultural context.
    Here, it is important to understand that culture is not just behaviour. Culture is the
    received and accepted set o rules guiding human behaviour. Tese rules are absorbed
    and eventually become engrained in each individual’s mind to the point where they are
    second nature. Persons
    Persons with similar sets o social rules tend to behave in the same man-
    ner, which then becomes the normal behaviour expected in different situations. It is
    interesting to know that an individual’s behaviour is noticed only when it deviates rom
    the norm and becomes a noticeable behaviour in a particular culture. Tus, cultural sen-
    sitivity, which is measured by the cultural intelligence quotient, helps us to understand
    cultural differences. It enables us to interpret different gestures according to the rules o
    normal behaviour in that culture.
    For example, here is a scenario illustrative
    i llustrative o signi󿬁cant differences between cultures:
    a man travelling alone in a cab in New York will sit in the back seat, but in Australia,
    i a man is travelling alone in a cab, he will occupy the ront seat next to the driver.
    According to Beatty and akahashi, most New York cab drivers hold that i a single
    male attempted to get in the ront
     ront seat, next to them, they would get out o the cab. For
    them, such an act would likely mean that the entering passenger is a thie. Australian
    cab drivers, on the other hand, eel that a man getting in the back seat alone is rather
    unriendly and distant.3
    Cultural sensitivity
    sensitivity is considered to be very
    ver y important in helping a person adapt to a
    oreign culture. Tis is why most nations include questions about their culture in their
    citizenship tests, assuming that a person who is aware about their culture will be able to
    adapt to it successully. Exhibit 10.2 shows a ew sample questions that a person may be
    required to answer as part o a U.K. citizenship test.

    152 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 10.2
    Sample Citizenship Test Several nations ask immigrants to take citizenship tests that examine their knowledge of the
    culture they hope to live in. Below is a sample citizenship test for the United Kingdom.
    1. The United Kingdom has a vibrant popular culture
    culture.. Which of the follo
    following
    wing is not a British
    musical group?
    – Westlife
    – Mis-teeq
    – So Solid Crew
    – Busted
    2. Queen Elizabeth IIII,, the head of state, celebrates an “offi
    “official birth day”,, the date of which
    birthday”
    changes every year. What is her actual
    ac tual birthday?
    – 23 April
    – 14 June
    – 1 April
    – 21 April
    3. You
    You have a bought a kettle from a High Street electrical retailer
    retailer.. Under what circumstances

    can you demand your money back?


    – You changed your mind; you don’t want it anymore.
    – It keeps switching off before the water boils.
    – You discover that a friend has already bought one for you.
    – All of the above.
    4. The United Kingdom has a devolved government,
    government, which means there are are special groups
    of elected offi cials who cur
    currently
    rently meet in both Ed
    Edinburgh
    inburgh and Cardiff.
    Card iff. Who is the 󿬁rst
    minister of the Welsh Assembly?
    – Rhodri Morgan
    – Jack McConnell
    – Peter Hain
    – Denzil Davies
    5. Under working time regulation
    regulations,
    s, after six hours of work, you are entitled to a break of how
    long?
    – 20 minutes
    – 30 minutes
    – 60 minutes
    – 90 minutes

    Meetings and Social Visits


    People’s behaviour at meetings and social gatherings is nearly a ritualized act in vari-
    ous cultures. At a ormal meeting between two persons or groups rom different cul-
    tural backgrounds, people might behave according to their own culture. For example, in
    English one may say “Pleased to meet you” or “How do you do?”, whereas in Japanese
    Differences in cultures one says “Hajimemashite” (it is beginning). Differences in cultures are seen in the way
    are seen in the way people rom different cultures behave on meeting someone or the 󿬁rst time. Japanese
    people rom different executives 󿬁rst exchange business cards instead o verbally introducing themselves. Te
    cultures behave on card is handed over to the receptionist, without an introduction. Te purpose o giving
    meeting someone or or showing the card is to announce the visitor’s arrival or the appointed meeting. No
    the 󿬁rst time.
    verbal exchange takes place because the Japanese
    Japanese believe that verbal exchange
    exchange should
    be or prolonged interactions. Te exchange o visiting cards involves no time as such.
    American businesspeople 󿬁nd this practice rather surprising. Americans and Europeans
    usually approach the receptionist and verbally announce, “I am so and so” and “I have

    CROSS󰀭 CULTURAL COMMUNICATION 153

    come to meet so and so”. On meeting the person concerned, they would greet them with
    a “Good morning/afernoon/evening” and “how are you doing?”, which is ollowed by
    an introduction

    Group Behaviour
    Cultural differences are also noticeable in the way people in groups act when they are
    joined by a new person. In America
    A merica,, when a group o persons is talking and some-
    one joins the group, the group drops the ongoing discussion as it is believed that the
    newcomer would have little interest in it or would ail to join in the discussion. In
    this matter, the Japanese ollow the practice o continuing with the ongoing discus-
    sion and wait or the moment when the newcomer is able to join the conversation.
    O course, i the newcomer has high status, the group drops the discussion to pay
    attention to the newly arrived person. Tus, one could say that “Americans regroup,
    whereas Japanese join an existing group.”

    Paying a Visit
    Visiting is a ormal act. Calling out the name o the host o a house is usually considered
    improper in most cultures. Ringing the door bell or knocking on the door is the normal
    practice. On entering a house, Japanese people (and those rom some other Asian cul-
    tures) generally remove their shoes. People o western cultures do not normally do so.

    Addressing Others
    Different cultures have different ways in which people address
    add ress each other. For exam-
    ple, in the United States, children address their parents or uncles/aunts by their rela-
    tionship to them, such as “Mom”, “Dad”, “Uncle”, “Aunt”, and so on. Siblings or cousins
    use 󿬁rst names to address each other. Moreover, older adults who are not immediate
    amily members are generally addressed by their 󿬁rst names, regardless o how old
    they may be. In some cultures, like in China, one can call a waiter in a restaurant by
    words reserved or relatives, such as or an uncle. Teir use in such contexts shows
    politeness towards the person addressed. In India, there are speci󿬁c terms or spe-

    ci󿬁c aunts
    chacha andtouncles—or
    reers one’s instance,
    one’s ather’s youngertau reers to one’s ather’s older brother, whereas
    brother.
    In the business context, greetings are more ormal in Europe and East Asia than in
    the United States. Mr/Ms/Mrs (to be ollowed by the ull name or the surname) and Sir/
    Madam are more common in Britain, Germany, France, China, and Russia. Japanese
    businesspeople avoid 󿬁rst names, and instead use Mr/Mrs/Miss/Dr, or they add san afer
    the surname, or instance, “Shin sansan”” i the name is Jin Boon Shin. Academics can be
    addressed as sensei (teacher). In China, the surname precedes the personal name; or
    example, Zhang Hua is Mr Zhang, not Mr Hua. Tereore, when addressing a Chinese
    person, it is best to use Mr/Mrs/Miss and the surname. Te Chinese also reer to each
    other by their job titles, or example “Manager Li”.
    In Germany, even colleagues
    colleague s who have been
    bee n working in the same offi ce or 20 years
    years,,
    may use the ormal orm and address each e ach other by their surname and title ((Herr
    Herr or
    a man or Frau or a woman). I someone has an academic title, it may also be added
    (or instance: Herr Dr or Frau Proessor). Te French also tend to be rather ormal
    and do not use 󿬁rst names easily.
    easily. Tey generally address each other by pre󿬁xing the
    surname with Monsieur, Madame, or Mademoisell
    Mademoisellee (or a young lady). Similarly, it is
    considered impolite to call an adult by their 󿬁rst name under any circumstances in
    Korea. Interestingly, titles such as Mr/Mrs/Miss are used to address juniors in Korea.
    On the other hand, Americans are more inormal. Tey usually preer to interact on
    󿬁rst-name basis and may even greet each other with nicknames or shortened versions
    o their names, like “Bill” or William or “John” or Johnson.

    154 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 10.3
    Cultural On Arvind’s 󿬁rst day as senior manager in a 󿬁rm in Japan, he was asked if he would like to
    Misunderstandings pick up his recruitment letter and other forms. “It
    “It seemed like a suggestion, so I said I would
    do so later.”This cas
    casual
    ual remark lost
    l ost him a llot
    ot of goodwi
    goodwillll in the offi ce. Suggest
    Suggestions
    ions are mea
    meant
    nt
    to be interpreted as commands in Japan, he learned later.
    Preeti was preparing to receive her husband’s Chinese boss for dinner. She ordered special
    Chinese lanterns to welcome him. But when he arrived, he took one look at the lanterns,
    bowed, and took leave. Preeti ruefully recalls, “The Chinese use different lanterns for different
    social occasions. I had decorated my house with funeral lanterns.”
    Deepa Sharma, a cross-cultural trainer who liaises between several Indian and American
    󿬁rms, says, “When doing business, many Indians, by and large, go on trust and goodwill. This
    creates an area of vagueness which can be problematic for W Westerners
    esterners who want everything
    on paper.” She recalls a joint construction project between an Indian and American 󿬁rm. The
    Americans were checking and cross-checking the modalities required to 󿬁nish the project.
    “This irritated the Indian engineers who felt the Americans were questioning their compe-
    tency, while the Americans felt they were being clear, thorough, and transparent,” she says.
    Cultural misunderstandings nearly derailed an Indo–Japanese project on a bridge.
    Ex-presidentt of Turner Broadcasting (CNN) India and cross-cultural trainer, Bhaskar Pant, says,
    Ex-presiden
    “A
    “Ann Indian 󿬁rm sent a detailed list of technical questions to their Japanese counterparts.
    They panicked when
    when no reply was foforthcoming.
    rthcoming.” What had happened? Was the deal o off?
    ff? A
    week later, the Japanese responded. “Unlike in India or the West, the Japanese take feedback
    from everyone. The queries
    queries probably went to heads of different departments, so when the
    Japanese 󿬁nally responded, they were presenting as full a picture as possible. This concept is
    alien in India or the West where e-mail etiquette means a response is required the next day.”

    Source: Based on Ashwin Ahmad, “To the Manner Born at the Workplace”,
    Workplace”, TNN.

    For a non-Russian, the question o how to address a Russian person can be quite com-
    plicated. Afer 1917, the Russian words or Mr, Mrs, and Ms were abolished. Te word
    tovarisch—meaning
    tovarisch —meaning “comrade”—is used mainly in political meetings and is no longer

    common. Strangers
    “citizens”. When use the
    strangers are word grazhdanin
    grazhda
    introduced, ninwill
    they or use
    grazhdanka
    grazhda
    theirnka—meaning
    󿬁rst—meaning
    names and“citizen”
    surnames. or
    In Spain, although tu
    tu,, the inormal orm o “you”, is used extensively, it is still the
    custom to use the more ormal usted with strangers and older people. In Italy, when
    addressing others in business and proessional contexts, one usually uses titles: dottore
    (doctor, but also anyone with a university degree), ingegnere (engineer), ragioniere
    (accountant), and profe
    professore
    ssore (any teacher above elementary school level) are commonly
    used or male proessionals. Female proessionals are similarly addressed as dottoressa
    dottoressa,,
    professoressa
    professoressa,, and so on.
    A lack o awareness o the culture o the person one is interacting with may lead to
    serious misunderstandings,
    misunderstandings, as evident rom Exhibit 10.3.

    3 DEVELOPING CULTURAL
    CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE
    IN TELLIGENCE
    Our attitudes, values, belies, social behaviour,
    behaviour, and language crystallize in the crucible o
    Know the main culture. Tereore, to be able to act and respond correctly in intercultural situations, it is
    characteristicss o
    characteristic important to know the other individual’s cultural background.
    low-context and Verbal and non-verbal communication should be explained with reerence to their
    high-context cultures. cultural contexts. Edward . Hall, an anthropologist, propounded the theory o strong
    linkage between culture and communication. While teaching intercultural skills to
    oreign service personnel in the 1950s, he developed the concepts o “high-context
    culture” and “low-context
    “low-context culture.”
    culture.”

    CROSS󰀭 CULTURAL COMMUNICATION 155

    Te kind o communication that dominates in a given culture relates directly to the


    type o the culture it is or, to be more precise, to the role o social context in that cul-
    ture. Social context is interpreted as the network o social expectations that determine
    a person’s behaviour. Te rules act as social context and guide behaviour almost spon-
    taneously, with little conscious effort on the part o the participants in the interaction.
    Context is a key actor in determining the effect o culture on communication. It implies
    consideration o the ramework, background, and surrounding circumstances in which
    communication takes place.
    High-context Cultures
    In a high-context culture,
    culture, there are many contextual elements that help individuals
    understand the rules. Much is taken or granted while communicating. A person who In a high-context
    culture,, there are many
    culture
    does not know the unwritten rules o the culture may 󿬁nd communication conusing.
    contextual elements
    High-context cultures are ound in many Asian countries and much o the Middle East,
    that help individuals
    South America, and Arica. People rom these countries are more likely to be rela- understand the rules.
    tional, collectivist, intuitive, and contemplative.
    contemplative. Tis means that people in these cultures Much is taken or
    emphasize interpersonal relationships.
    relationships. Developing trust is an important 󿬁rst step to any granted while com-
    business transaction. According to Hall4, these cultures are collectivist, preerring group municating. A person
    harmony and consensus to individual achievement. People in these cultures may be who does not know
    less governed by reason than by intuition or eelings. Words are not as important as the unwritten rules
    context, which might include the speaker’s tone o voice, acial expressions, gestures, o the culture may
    posture, and even the person’s amily history and status. A Japanese manager explained 󿬁nd communication
    his culture’s communication style to an American in the ollowing words: “We are a conusing.
    homogeneous people and don’t have to speak as much as you do. When we say one
    word, we understand ten, but here you have to say ten to understand one.” High-context
    communication
    communica tion tends to be more indirect and more ormal. Flowery language, humility,
    and elaborate apologies are typical. 4
    Low-context Cultures Learn how to
    In a low-context culture,
    culture, very little is taken or granted. Tereore, explicit statements communicate across
    and explanations are required. Te chances o misunderstanding by those outside that cultures with different
    concepts o ormal
    culture are minimized.
    o Western Europe. TeseLow-context cultures
    cultures tend include
    to value those o
    rationality, North
    logic, America andbehav-
    action-oriented much and social behaviour,
    iour, and individualism. Tey emphasize reason, acts, and directness. Solving a prob- time, and space.
    lem means lining up the acts and evaluating them. Decisions are based on acts rather
    than intuition. Discussions end with actions. Explicit contracts conclude negotiations.
    Communicators are expected
    expec ted to be straightorward,
    straightor ward, concise, and effi cient in explaining In a low-context culture,
    culture,
    very little is taken
    taken or
    all actions literally. Tis is very different rom communication in high-context cultures,
    granted. Tereore,
    which depend less on precise language and legal documents. Businesspeople rom high-
    explicit statements
    context cultures may even distrust contracts and be offended by the lack o trust they and explanations are
    suggest. Knowledge o the culture o one’s business associates helps set realistic expecta- required. Te chances
    tions regarding the type o communication that is likely to happen. Exhibit 10.4 com- o misunderstanding
    pares the characteristics o high- and low-context communication. by those outside that
    culture are minimized.
    Time As a Cultural Factor
    According to Hall, another signi󿬁cant characteristic o a culture is how time is viewed
    in that culture. In his book Te Silent Language,
    Language, Hall coined the terms polych
    polychronic
    ronic,, to
    describe the ability to attend to multiple events simultaneously, and monochronic
    monochronic,, to
    describe individuals and cultures with a preerence or doing things sequentially. Te
    main differences between the two are highlighted in Exhibit 10.5.5 Monochronic
    Monochron ic time
    Monochronic Time means doing things in a
    sequential manner, one
    M-time, as Hall calls it, means doing things in a sequential manner, one thing at a time.
    thing at a time.
    Monochronic people tend to careully plan and schedule their work. Tey are known or

    156 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 10.4 Low-context Cultures High-context Cultures


    Communication in Examples: North-America, Examples: Japan, China, Greece,
    High-context and Germany, France Arab nations
    Low-context Cultures

    • More emphasis on • Seeks to appeal to


    accurate and correct emotions
    information • Lack of detailed
    • Detailed information and information and precise
    precise
    precise documents are documents, much
    crucial; the context is information depends on
    relatively unimportant the context
    • Listeners try to gain as • Relaxed speaking and
    much information as listening, no interference
    possible from listeners
    • The interpretation of • Listeners are free to
    the message should be interpret the message
    unambiguous • Decisions based on
    • Decisions based on emotional factors;
    information and facts; subjective relationships
    objective data valued valued

    their time management skills. A monochronic sense o time is more common in low-
    context cultures.

    In a polychr
    polychronic
    onic culture
    culture,,
    Polychronic Time
    human relationships are In a polych
    polychronic
    ronic culture,
    culture, human relationships are valued more than time. Polychronic
    valued more
    more than time.
    time. people do not hurry to get things done, and they get things done in their own time. Tey
    Polychronic people are high-context people in their overall attitude towards inormation sharing.
    do not hurry to get Within western cultures people have different attitudes towards time. For instance,
    things done, and they Americans and Germans are highly monochronic, whereas the French tend to be largely
    get things done in their polychronic. Hence, being late to a business meeting is a much bigger aux pas or a
    own time. German or American executive than or a French executive.
    Space As a Cultural Factor
    Different cultures vary in their concern or space and social relationships within it.
    Hall calls the study o human concern or space proxemics
    proxemics.. Concern or space primarily
    suggests personal body space. But it also relates to space in other situations such as in
    one’s room, in traffi
    t raffi c, and
    an d in the
    t he offi ce.
    People are extremely sensitive to any intrusion into their personal space by others.
    But the area o personal territory differs rom culture to culture and relationship to

    Exhibit 10.5
    Monochronic Cultures Polychronic Cultures
    Differences Between
    Examples: North-America, Germany
    Germany,, Examples: France
    Monochronic and
    France
    Polychronic
    Polychronic Cultures

    • Do one thing at a time • Do many things simultaneously


    • Concentrate on ththe
    e jo
    job
    b at hand • Are highly
    highly distractable and subject to
    • Think about deadlines and interruptions
    when things must be achieved • Think about what will be achieved
    • Put the job 󿬁rst • Put relationships 󿬁rst
    • Seldom borrow or lend things • Borrow and lend
    lend things more easily
    • Emphasize promptness • Base promptness on relationship factors

    CROSS󰀭 CULTURAL COMMUNICATION 157

    relationship. Tis concern or proper personal space will be discussed in greater detail
    in Chapter 7. However, here we will consider it as one o the cultural actors affecting
    human relations and levels o comort. For instance, a Japanese person may need less
    space and may stand too close or an American’s comort without realizing it.
    Cultural analysis should
    Tis concern or space may extend to the level o territorial possessiveness. In act,
    help us understand an
    perhaps all territorial euds and wars result rom an overzealous concern or space. Tis individual’s actions in
    is ofen seen in offices, where some individuals
    ind ividuals with
    wit h territorial tendencies
    te ndencies 󿬁ght or exclu- the context o the type
    sive use o their
    the ir office desks, behaving
    be having as i they
    the y possessed
    possess ed the desk aand
    nd were not simply o culture to which
    using it. he or she belongs. For
    People o high territoriality tend to be rom low-context cultures. People o low ter- example, the reason or
    ritoriality tend to have less o a sense o ownership o personal space and, accordingly, a person being late to a
    boundaries have less meaning or them. Tey readily share their territory and space. For meeting may not be lazi-
    example, in buses or trains some persons offer to share their seats with others with little ness or lack o respect,
    hesitation. but, rather, his or her
    Tis cultural analysis should help us understand an individual’s actions in the context having a polychronic
    cultural background and
    o the type o culture to which he or she belongs. For example, the reason or a person
    a more 󿬂exible attitude
    being late to a meeting may not be laziness or lack o respect, but, rather, his or her hav-
    ing a polychronic cultural background and a more 󿬂exible attitude towards timings. towards timings.

    SOME EXAMPLES OF CULTURAL


    CULTURAL DIVERSITY
    DIVERSIT Y
    An important prerequisite to understanding colleagues and acquaintances rom other
    cultures is being able to accept various cultures on their own terms. It is important to
    guard against ethnocentrism
    ethnocentrism—the
    —the practice o judging the behaviour o people rom
     rom other
    cultures on the basis o what is considered to be “acceptable behaviour” in one’s own
    culture. Ethnocentrism and stereotyping can be barriers to effective communication, so
    it is important to avoid such tendencies.
    Tis section highlights the norms o our different cultures in an attempt to emphasize
    the need to be aware o cultural differences and to adapt one’s style o communication
    when meeting people rom different cultural backgrounds. However, one should always
    keep in mind that stereotyping can lead to incorrect assumptions, and individuals vary
    within cultures.

    Japan
    • Culture: Saving ace is crucial in Japanese society. Te Japanese believe that turning
    down someone’s request causes embarrassment and loss o ace to the other person.
    I a request cannot be agreed to, they will say, “it is inconvenient” or “it is under
    consideration”.
    Tere is great emphasis on politeness, personal responsibility, and working
    together or the universal rather than the individual good. Facts that might be
    unpleasant are expressed in a gentle and indirect ashion. Since the Japanese strive
    or harmony and work well in groups, they ofen rely on acial expressions, tone o
    voice, and
    and posture to
    to understand others.
    • Business relationships and communication: Te Japanese preer to do business on

    the
    withbasis o personal
    greetings relationships.
    and seasonal cards. InOne way to
    general, build
    being and maintain
    introduced relationshipsby
    or recommended is
    someone who already has a good relationship with the company is extremely help-
    ul as it helps them know how to place others in a hierarchy relative to themselves.
    • Business meeting etiquette: Greetings in Japan are very ormal and ritualized. While
    oreigners are expected to shake hands, the traditional orm o greeting is the bow.
    How ar someone bows depends upon their relationship to the other person as well
    as the situation. Te deeper someone bows, the more respect they show.

    158 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Since this is a group society, oreigners should be prepared or group meetings. Te
    most senior Japanese person will be seated arthest rom the door, with the rest o the
    people seated in descending order o rank; the most junior person is seated closest to
    the door.
    Te Japanese ofen remain silent or long periods period s o time. Others should be
    patient and try to determine i their Japanese
    Japanese colleagues have understood what was
    said. Some Japanese people close their eyes when they want to listen intently.
    Te Japanese seldom grant concessions. Tey expect both parties to come to the
    table with their best offer. Business cards are exchanged requently and with great
    ceremony. Business cards are given and received with two hands and a slight bow.

    France
    • Culture: Te amily is the social adhesive o the country, and each member has cer-
    tain duties and responsibilities. Te French are private people and have different
    rules o behaviour or people within their social circle and those outside it.
    • Business relationships and communication: Te handshake is a common orm o
    greeting. Friends may greet each other by lightly kissing on each cheek. First
    Fi rst names
    are generally reserved or amily and close riends; one should not add
    address
    ress someone
    by his or her 󿬁rst name until invited to do so. Mutual trust and respect
    respec t are required
    to get things done.
    Te French like to use their own language; someone who does know speak
    French could apologize or not knowing the language as this may aid in developing
    a relationship.
    • Business meeting etiquette: Business cards are exchanged afer the initial introduc-
    tions without ormal rituals. In business, the French ofen appear extremely direct
    because they are not araid o asking probing questions. Meetings are held to discuss
    issues, not to make decisions. Te French are ofen impressed with good debating
    skills that demonstrate an intellectual grasp o the situation and all its rami󿬁cations.
    Discussions may be heated and intense. One should never attempt to be overly

    riendly as the French generally compartmentalize


    compartmentalize their business and personal lives.
    Germany
    • Culture: In many respects, Germans can be considered the masters o planning. Tis
    is a culture that prizes orward thinking and knowing what they will be doing at
    a speci󿬁c time on a speci󿬁c day. Business and personal lives are rigidly divided.
    In a culture where most communication is rather ormal, the home is where one
    can relax.
    • Business relationships and communication: Germans do not need a personal relation-
    ship in order to do business. Tey tend to be interested in others’ academic creden-
    tials and the amount o time their business partners have been in business.
    A quick, 󿬁rm handshake is the traditional greeting. Business cards are exchanged
    afer the initial introductions without ormal ritual. Germans do not have an open-
    door policy.
    polic y. People
    People ofen work with
    wit h their office doors closed.
    clos ed. Visitors should knock
    and wait to be invited
    i nvited in beore entering
    enter ing someone’s
    someone’s office.
    German communication
    communication is ormal. Following the established protocol is criti-
    cal to building and maintaining business relationships. One can expect a great
    deal o written communication, both to back up decisions and to maintain a
    record o decisions and discussions. Letters should be addressed to the senior-
    most person in the relevant unctional area and should include the person’s name
    as well as their proper business title.

    CROSS󰀭CULTURAL COMMUNICATION 159

    • Business meeting etiquette: Punctuality is taken extremely seriously. I one is


    delayed, it is important to call immediately and offer an explanation or the delay.delay.
    It is extremely rude to cancel a meeting at the last minute and it could jeopardize
    a business relationship.
    Meetings adhere to strict agendas, including starting and ending times. Germans
    preer to get down to business and only engage in the brieest o small ta
    talk.
    lk. Tey main-
    tain direct eye contact while speaking. Business is hierarchical, and decision-making
    happens at the top o the
    t he company
    company.. Once a decision is made, it will not be changed.

    Brazil
    • Culture: Brazil is a mixture o races and ethnicities, which has resulted in rich diver-
    sity in the population. Unlike many other Latin American countries where there
    is a distinct Indian population, Brazilians have intermarried to the point that it
    sometimes seems that almost everyone has a combination o European, Arican,
    and indigenous ancestry. Families tend to be large (although amily size has been
    diminishing in recent years) and the extended amily is quite close.
    • Business relationships and communication: Businesspeople usually shake hands
    when greeting one another, while maintaining steady eye contact. Women generally
    kiss each other on the cheek. Brazilians need to know who they are doing business
    with beore they can work effectively. Tey preer ace-to-ace meetings to written
    communication as it allows them to know the person with whom they are doing
    business. Te individual they deal with is more important than the company. Com-
    munication is ofen inormal and does not rely on strict rules o protocol. Anyone
    who eels they have something to say will generally add their opinion.
    • Business meeting etiquette: In Sao Paulo and Brasilia, it is important to arrive on time
    or meetings. In Rio de Janeiro and other cities
    citie s it is acceptable to arrive a e
    eww minutes
    late or a meeting. One should not appear impatient i kept waiting—Brazilians
    waiting— Brazilians
    see time as something outside their control and the demands o relationships takes
    precedence over adhering to a strict schedule. Meetings are generally rather inor-
    mal. One can expect to be interrupted while speaking or making a presentation.
    Business cards are exchanged during introductions with everyone at a meeting.
    In a world where people rom such varied cultures are required to communicate,
    Globlish—a simpli󿬁ed orm o English—can be a great way o making our communica-
    tion more effective. Exhibit 10.6 explains the concept o Globlish.

    Exhibit 10.6
    To make
    make communicatio
    communicationn in English easier in a wo
    world
    rld where pro
    professionals
    fessionals from different cu
    cul-
    l- Globlish: A New Tool for
    tural and language backgrounds interact, former IBM vice president Jean-Paul Nerrier came
    Business Communication
    up with the concept of a language of just 1,500 words: Globlish.
    Globlish, or “global English”, Nerriere maintains, is a tool of communication rather than a
    language. He feels that in the international context, speaking immaculate Oxford English is
    unnecessary, and can even be detrimental at times. In such situations, Globlish, which is a
    highly simpli󿬁ed and unidiomatic form of English, can be used to communicate with ease. It
    is important to note that Globlish is not “pidgin” or “broken” English. All the words are English,
    and so is the grammar
    grammar.. It’s just that the sentences are kept short and words like which, who,
    whose, and whom are replaced with punctuation marks.
    In a country like India, where the educated usually speak more than one language and English
    is a second language, Globlish can be of great use for communicating clearly and effectively.

    Sources: Based on “Master Globlish, Use it for Business Communication,” The Times of India,
    India, New Delhi,
    27 July 2007; and S. Pathiravitana, “Superstitions in English Grammar”, Daily News,
    News, 25 March 2008.

    160 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    GUIDELINES FOR
    FO R INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
    COMMUNICATION
    Te ollowing are some general guidelines or communicating with people rom other
    cultures. Cross-cultural communication is about dealing with people rom other cul-
    tures in a way that minimizes misunderstandings and maximizes the potential or
    strong relationships. Because one cannot know everything about all cultures, these are
    general guidelines that should be applied or clear intercultural communication.
    communication.
    • Speak slowly: Slow down. Be clear and intelligible in pronunciation.
    • Ask distinct questions: In cross-cultural situations, one should realize that the lis-
    tener may understand only one question at a time. Tereore, ask distinct and sepa-
    rate questions and not double questions such as “Do you want to carry on or shall
    we stop here?”
    • A
    Avoid
    void negati
    negative
    ve ques
    questions:
    tions: Many misunderstandings are caused by the use o negative
    questions and answers. In English, we say yes i the answer
    answe r is affirmativ
    rmativee and no i it is
    negative. But in India, people tend to say yes i they think a negative question should
    be answered in the affirmative. For instance, i someone asks, “Is Neha not coming?”,
    coming?”,
    one should say “No, she is coming” i Neha is indeed coming. But people tend to say,
    “Y
    “Yes,
    es, she is
    i s not coming.”
    coming.” Tis response is based on the thought “Y
    “You
    ou are right
    ri ght that she
    is not coming”,
    coming”, hence the answer begins with “yes”. Tis can lead to conusion, so such
    questions should be avoided.
    • ake turn
    turns:
    s: o enhance cross-cultural interaction, people should speak and listen by
    turns. Tis means that the person who is speaking should make his or her point and
    then listen to the response.
    • Be supportive: Speaking a oreign language when expressing onesel and understanding
    others may not be easy. Effective communication is in essence about being comortable.
    Giving encouragement to those with weak English gives them con󿬁dence, support, and
    trust in you.
    • Write it down:
    dow n: I you are unsure o whether something has been understood, write it
    down and check with the other person. Tis can be useul when using large 󿬁gures.

    For example,
    Kingdo
    Kingdom, in the
    m, it could United
    mean States, a billion is 1,000,000,000, while in the United
    1,000,000,000,000.
    • Check meanings: When communication with someone rom an unamiliar culture, c ulture,
    never assume that the other person has understood you. It helps to summarize
    what has been said in order to veriy it. Tis is a very effective way o ensuring that
    cross-cultural communication has been accurate.
    • A
    Avoid
    void slang: Even the most educated oreigner tends to miss the meaning o slang
    and idioms. Avoid using slang in cross-cultural communication situations.
    • Limit the humour: In many cultures business is taken very seriously. Proessionalism
    and protocol are constantly observed. Many cultures do not appreciate the use o
    humour and jokes in the business context. While using humour consider whether
    it will be appreciated and understood in the other culture. For example, British sar-
    casm ofen has a negative effect abroad.
    • Maintain
    Maintain etiquette and do some research: Many cultures ollow a certain etiquette
    when communicating. When interacting with people rom other cultures or the
    󿬁rst time, do some research on that culture. For instance, one can read about the
    country online, reer to travel guides, talk to other people who may know about that
    country, learn some key phrases in their language, and so on.
    • Be sensitive: Be sensitive to other people’s religious and dietary restrictions.
    • Be attentive to cues: Be conscious o and sensitive
    sensitive to cues that others send out. One

    CROSS󰀭 CULTURAL COMMUNICATION 161

    cannot be prepared or every situation, but one can learn a lot by observing
    obser ving others.
    For instance, when visiting another country, one can observe and ollow the host’s

    lead (especially with regard to dining and greeting etiquette).

    E󰀭MAIL AND
    AN D INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
    Te globalization o business in the modern world demands that people o diverse cul-
    5
    tures across the world communicate with one another. Physically, a manager and his or Understand e-mail
    her team members may be located in ar-󿬂ung locations. For example, a senior execu- etiquette or
    tive may be placed in the United States while his or her staff may be in India, Germany, intercultural business
    or China. Similarly, an exporter in India may have associates in France, the United communication.
    Kingdom, the United States, Japan, and China. Teir communication is an example o
    intercultural communication.
    People across the world use e-mail as an instant means o communicating, transmit-
    ting messages, and receiving responses. Trough the Internet people are able to send
    documents, inormation, and requests to colleagues, customers, clients, or suppliers
    across the globe. With e-mail as the preerred mode o international communication,
    two issues need to be looked into: language
    language and culture.
    Despite its many advantages, e-mail
    e-m ail has an inherent diffi culty or the receiver.
    rec eiver. E-mail
    E-mail communication
    communication is highly culture-speci󿬁c with regard to language, idiom, and style.
    is highly culture-
    For example, an Indian who has lived in the United States or a ew years may pick up speci󿬁c with regard to
    American slang and inadvertently expresses himsel or hersel in an American man- language, idiom, and
    ner. Te cultural colouring o the language
    langu age o such an e-mail may po
    posese some diffi culties style.
    to persons in India. E-mail is a spontaneous medium and its effortlessness sometimes
    makes it more casual.

    Language
    English is the most common language o business across all cultures. Although English
    is used as the language o global business, it is not equally understood and is ofen not
    used as native speakers speak it. Tis causes problems in international communication.

    Tose or whom


    and choosing theEnglish
    correct is a second
    words. language
    In an mayerror
    e-mail, any have o
    problems in grammar,
    vocabulary or grammarsyntax,
    can
    present diffi
    di fficulties
    cult ies or the re
    reader.
    ader.
    Although personal e-mails tend to have a more conversational tone and ofen use
    abbreviations, business
    busine ss e-mails are treated as ormal, official documents.
    do cuments. Tus, theyt hey
    should not be casually written. Te sentences should be complete, grammatically cor-
    rect, and abbreviations such as “u” or “you” are not acceptable. Te ormat o e-mail
    communication is 󿬁xed with 󿬁elds such as from from,, to,
    to, subject, date
    date,, and time
    time.. Other details
    such as the sender’s and receiver’s e-mail addresses are mentioned (sometimes along
    with mobile numbers which are part o the signature) to acilitate quick responses.
    Culture
    Te actual ormat o an e-mail may differ rom culture to culture. In some ormal cul-
    tures, the normal practice is to begin by addressing someone by their name (and perhaps
    surname). Others may be less ormal and go directly to the content o the e-mail. In
    either orm, one may 󿬁nd an e-mail to be too ormal or too inormal. Te content o an
    e-mail is also culture-dependent.
    culture-dependent. Some cultures
    cu ltures permit the use o slang and humour and
    some insist on the use o proper business expressions and courtesies.
    Te choice o words in an e-mail is also in󿬂uenced by the culture o its sender. It is
    possible to get replies that say neither “yes” nor “no” in response to an e-mail, especially
    when corresponding with someone rom a culture that is indirect in its communication
    style (such as India or Japan). For example, as discussed earlier, the Japanese believe

    162 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    that turning down someone’s request causes embarrassment and loss o ace to the other
    person. I the request cannot be agreed to, they may say “it is inconvenient” or “it is

    under consideration”.
    saying In India,the
    “we’ll see”. Sometimes, i ause
    request is to be turned down,
    o a culture-speci󿬁c phrase itinisan
    usually
    e-maildone
    will by
    be
    problematic or someone who is not amiliar with that phrase. For example, the phrase
    “will touch base later” in Exhibit 10A in Communication Snapshot 10.1 has an implied
    meaning. In India, one would examine the meaning o each word separately. But when
    “touch” and “base” are put together in this phrase, it means “we shall speak later” in
    American and British English. Tis signi󿬁cance would only be understood by those who
    are amiliar with its use.
    Te examples in Communication Snapshot 10.1 show some different types o e-mails
    and illustrate how
    h ow they may be inappropriate
    i nappropriate or difficult to und
    understand
    erstand in a different
    culture.

    Communication Exhibit 10A shows a business mail from Pallavi, an advertising professional, to her colleague,
    Snapshot 10.1 asking him to remind her client about providing feedback on a draft proposal. Note how she
    uses U.S.-speci󿬁c words and phrases in her mail. The informal tone and abbreviations used in the
    Sample E-mails mail are best avoided in a business mail.

    achaturvedi@adityabirla.com
    Exhibit 10A
    p.gupta@innovate.com
    Pallavi’s Mail
    Inappropriate subject
    subject or
    a business e-mail: does road trip in the US
    not state the purpose
    clearly. heellooo….
    am writing this mail rom North Carolina…so ar we have covered 10 states rom LA to here…

    the total distance rom coast to coast is 3200 miles (5000 km approx)…we have already driven
    over 2700 miles…and its been lots o un…
    In India, the word
    “downtown” may not be we stopped in Dallas, X… really worth seeing… am de going there again… as we cud hardly
    understood by everyone. see the town… its huge… probably bigger than LA… with 3 to 4 downtowns and really a busy
    city
    city…
    … it was nice being there as well…
    We were then headed to North Carolina, … n crossed Atlanta and South Carolina on our way…
    now we are headed to Washington DC and will go through Virginia and a lot o other smaller
    Although the sender
    states…
    may be amiliar with the
    receiver, inormal ab- B4 I orget…did Mr Ramanujam write back about the t he draf proposal? It needs to be 󿬁nalized by
    breviations like “plz” and the end o this mnth, so will you plz remind him to send us his eedback? I plan to take a cuple
    “wud” are best avoided in o days once I’m back and 󿬁nalise the proposal, so it wud be a gr8 help i you cud remind him
    a business mail. Sentences about the eedback.
    should be edited properly.
    so much or now… have to hit the road … the orecast has some showers n thunderstorms so
    we need to be ahead o them…
    In India, one may
    examine the meaning o will touch base later
    each word, “touch” aand
    nd take care n have un
    “base”,, separate
    “base” separately.
    ly.
    Pallavi
    Inappropriate and (714) 5189788
    inormal signature or Keep smiling N remember ME
    business mails.
    Office: +1 949780-
    949780-6512
    6512
    Mobile: +1 995 331-7826

    CROSS󰀭 CULTURAL COMMUNICATION 163

    Exhibits 10B, 10C and 10D illustrate a series of e-mails exchanged between the project
    manager of an airport upgrade unit of Royale Airlines and an official from an information

    systems provider based in the United States. Note the tone of the mails and the intended
    humour, expressions, etc.

    Exhibit 10B
    richard.davis@us.solutions.com
    Tej’s
    Tej’s F
    First
    irst Mail to Richard
    bclaus@airroyale.r

    Te use o 󿬁rst
    URGEN/Progress
    URGEN/Progress on EMC Airlines discrepancy names in the norm
    in the United
    Dear Rick, States, but in more
    ormal cultures like
    India, Germany and
    Could you please provide me with a quick status update on the remaining discrepancies regard- France, the surname
    ing the EMC Airlines aircraf? is preerred.

    Also, please tell me what jobs Solutions is still undertaking on-site currently and the expected
    timerame, as well as what will be corrected later. Note that the tone
    o this e-mail is
    On the certi󿬁cation side, I understand all documents have been 󿬁nalized and will be transmitted very direct. A more
    to FAA to allow SC processing. Tis would also mean that a date could be given to Weber or indirect tone may
    be used in some
    partial delivery to them. cultures.

    Regards,

    ej
    Project Manager
    M.MO – Aircraf Upgrade Unit

    Exhibit 10C
    richard.davis@us.solutions.com
    Tej’s
    Tej’s Next M
    Mail
    ail to Richard
    bclaus@airroyale.r

    Progress on EMC Airlines discrepancy


    Rick,

    Unortunately,, recovery is taking much longer than expected, and is still not over
    Unortunately over.. As you are
    aware, Air Royale is still struggling with FAA on some subjects and, as o this morning, we are
    still unable to provide a schedule to EMC on when our DER will come back or his 󿬁nal inspec-
    tion. I will o course let you know as soon as I have more inormatio
    inormation.
    n.

    We do not expect to need any Solutions manpower or this test. Te IFE system will need to be
    ully operational, but I suppose EMC Airlines can also run this. Air Royale will o course send
    people back to Mumbai together with our DER.

    Regards,

    ej

    164 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 10D
    tejm@airroyale.r
    Richard’s Mail to Tej
    bclaus@airroyale.r

    Progress on EMC Airlines discrepancy


    Use o casual language
    is acceptable in ormal ej,
    situations in some
    cultures. Glad to see you’ve made a complete recovery and are preparing to come to Mumbai to take tthe
    he
    bull by the horns. And there is a lot o bull being passed around…

    I have submitted the ollowing corrective action items to EMC Airlines or review. I’m I’m sure
    they will have some other points to add, although I did tell them that individual LRU removal/
    replacement is handled via another document that
    t hat is requently updated, and not or this
    document. Beyond this, we have some sofware and application issues that were captured in
    another document during the Final
    F inal System Acceptance est,
    est, so these don’t necessarily need to
    be added to this list.

    None o the items identi󿬁ed by Solutions is reason to delay release into ser vice. So, with sub-
    mittal o the SC/PMA applications, we will be ready to go pending your regulatory compli-
    ance inspections and applications. I expect to receive eedback rom EMC Airlines tomorrow.
    tomorrow.

    We are using the time to work on these issues and replace LRUs with the available installation
    spares. However,
    However, we are reaching the point where we will reduce the on-site support to our in-
    service team and manage the corrective actions through the Field Service
    Ser vice Engineers.

    Tanks,

    Rick

    SUMMARY

    • Cross-cultural comm
    communication
    unication is abo
    about
    ut dealing wi
    with
    th meetings, visiting someone, joining a group or simply
    people rom other cultures in a way that minimizes addressing someone.
    misunderstandings and maximizes the potential or • When wo
    working
    rking in different cult
    cultures,
    ures, one should con-
    strong relationship
    relationships.
    s. sider whether a culture is high-context or low-context
    • With increasing globalization, interaction between by observing the actions o others. When one under-
    people rom different societies and cultures has become stands the prevalent culture, it is easier to under-
    unavoidable. Tis necessitates cultural orientation on stand the business atmosphere and increase one’s
    the part o the visitors so that they are amiliar with the in󿬂uence.
    host culture, specially the use o habitual expressions • In the international business envir
    environment,
    onment, e-mail has
    and expected behaviour in different situatio
    situations.
    ns. become a prevalent method o communication. One
    • Cultural sensitivity is very important in helping a person needs to be aware o cultural differences when exchang-
    adapt to a oreign culture. Cultural sensitivity is required ing e-mails with colleagues, clients and business part-
    to understand how to conduct onesel when attending ners rom different cultures.

    CROSS󰀭 CULTURAL COMMUNICATION 165

    CASE: INTERCULTURAL LESSONS FROM CRASH

    On the morning afer the Academy Awards, I awoke with a pushed more buttons. More people identi󿬁ed with the
    question on my mind: “What do movies do best?” Do they discomort o Crash. We ask, “What’s wrong with a little
    help us understand the challenges others ace? Do they teach button pushing i it pushes people out o their comort
    us about other cultures and diverse backgrounds, or do zones and into change?” Now the job to be done is to
    they just make us eel good? While all o these are possible, bridge the learning and understanding we garnered rom
    consider this: movies
    movie s allow us to work out our own emotional Crash and apply them to our lives and our businesses or the
    issues through the actions o the characters on screen. movie’’s mission has been wasted and we will prove Kenneth
    movie
    When Crash won the Academy Award or Best Picture in uran’s pessimistic view to be right. Button pushing can be
    2006, I was thrilled. Why? Because the movie did what it manipulative or it can be healing; it’s
    it’s our choice.
    was supposed to do. It made a whole lot o people “uncom- What can you do now? Listen to the prejudiced voices in your
    ortable”. For some, it evoked memories o their own dis- own head—they create cultural blocks. Notice the way you
    crimination experiences; or others, it calls to mind their interact with others. Who do you choose to be with? Are the
    own biased behaviour or that o someone close to them. But people around you similar to you or different than you? I you
    is that enough? sense discomort when close to someone who you perceive to
    O course it’s not enough. Now, it’s up to you and to me and be different rom you, take just a ew moments to imagine what
    to anyone lef with emotional questions to answer afer seeing it would be like to live that person’s lie. How does that eel?
    the 󿬁lm to take action and expand their understanding. What Look below the surace o behaviours to identiy the values
    do we do with unconscious ears and unspoken prejudices the and belies that drive particular behaviour. Do this or a ew
    movie uncovered? I we don’t 󿬁nd them, understand them, and days, and then write down the thoughts and eelings that
    deal with them, we end up repeating behaviour that creates make you uncomortable. Now try to determine who wh o in󿬂u-
    cross-cultural misunderstandings. enced you to think and eel this way. Once you answer that
    Fear-based behaviour comes up when we least expect it as we question, you can make a choice to give that thinking back
    experience racism, ageism, wealthism, homophobism or any to its original source and change your own thinking, eeling,
    number o “isms” and can’t believe it’s happening to us, inside and behaving. Tis is an exercise
    e xercise you may use or the rest o
    o us, around us, or, in the worst case, that it’s actually perpe- your lie—it will de󿬁nitely keep you rom crashing.
    trated by us—even today
    today..
    Kenneth uran, 󿬁lm critic or the LA imes,
    imes, suggests that Questions to Answer
    Crash is a “eel-good movie about racism…a 󿬁lm that could 1. Mention one area o
    o sensitivity that yo
    you
    u are not able to

    make you believe that you had done your moral duty and handle while dealing with people.
    examined your soul when in act you were just getting your 2. Analyse a proessional or personal experience that cre-
    buttons pushed.” He used this as a reason that the “liberal” ated cultural block in you.
    Academy voters chose Crash over Brokeback Mountain or
    the Best Picture award.
    Source: Judith Parker Harris and Jo Ann Piña, “Cross-Cultural
    Both movies made people distinctly uncomortable. My Communication Lessons rom the Academy Award Winner
    diversity partner, Dr Jo Ann Piata, and I submit that Crash CRASH” (www.culturalblockbusters.com)
    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    1. Do you believe in H
    Hall’
    all’ss theory o
    o cultural context? Give 6. Discuss how cultural differences are seen in group
    reasons or your answer
    answer.. behaviour when the group is joined by a new person.
    2. What acto
    actors
    rs should be kept in mind when conducting 7. What is culture? Sho
    Showw to wha
    whatt extent our behaviour as
    business in unamiliar cultures? social beings re󿬂ects our culture.
    3. I you and your spouse are in New YYork
    ork waiting or a cab, 8. Discuss the broad characteristics o communicatio
    communication
    n in
    and i a riend driving alone offers you a ride, where will a high-context culture.
    you sit? 9. Show how differences betw
    between
    een mo
    monochronic
    nochronic aand
    nd pol
    poly-
    y-
    4. Discuss e-mail as a preerred mode o intercultural chronic cultures affect the behaviour o individuals in
    communication. certain situations.
    5. What is cultural sensitivi
    sensitivity?
    ty? Ho
    How
    w will it help in making 10. How is space a actor in intercultural comm
    communication?
    unication?
    your intercultural communication effective?

    166 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

    1. Re󿬂ect on the essential difference between cul


    cultural
    tural sen- 4. What sho
    should
    uld we do to retain our own cult
    cultural
    ural identity
    sitivity and cultural intelligence. when we are communicating with people rom differ-
    2. What poi
    points
    nts woul
    would
    d you kkeep
    eep in mind when you visi
    visitt a ent cultures?
    amily member in a oreign country? 5. What aspe
    aspects
    cts o one’s interac
    interactions
    tions exhibit one’s cultur
    cultural
    al
    3. Do you bel
    believe
    ieve that trai
    training
    ning in o
    oreign
    reign ways o eating, context?
    dressing, and meeting people is helpul in intercultural
    interactions?

    APPLY YOUR LEARNING

    In an intercultural situation, you receive a message saying suggestion saying “yes”


    “yes”.. How would you decide what to do?
    “no” rom someone’s lips, but their eyes send a contradictory Give reasons or your answer.

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    From the given options, please choose the most appropriate


    appropriate answer:*
    1. In internatio
    international
    nal business, the trend to “go local” has led 6. People in high-con
    high-context
    text cultures make b
    business
    usiness deci-
    to the local people and oreign experts perorming as: sions on the basis o:
    (a) work
    workers
    ers and employers (a) reason (b) interpersonal relations
    (b) trainee and trainer (c) individual needs (d) competitio
    competition
    n
    (c) a team 7. Te exclusi
    exclusiveve centre o interest
    interest in low-cont
    low-context
    ext comm
    commu-
    u-
    (d) hosts and guests nication is:
    2. Culture is embedded in our: (a) inormation (b) emotional actors
    (a) minds (b) gestures (c) context (d) individual perceptions
    (c) expressions (d) belies 8. In monochronic cultures, the priority is:
    3. Cultural intelligence helps us to know cultural:
    (a) similarities (b) differences (a) relationships
    (c) goal achievement (b) the
    (d) job tasks
    multiple
    (c) rules o behaviour (d) rituals
    9. Te aim o cross-cultural communication training
    4. An individual’
    individual’ss behaviour in a oreign society becomes is to:
    noticeable when it ___________ in relation to the or- (a) impro
    improve
    ve behaviour
    eign culture. (b) create strong cultural ties
    (a) deviates (b) conorms (c) develop business etiquette
    (c) overlaps (d) irritates (d) give social status
    5. Culture reers to: 10. An e-mail’s style is determined by a person’
    person’s:
    s:
    (a) behaviour (b) attitude (a) English (b) culture
    (c) thinking (d) rules o behaviour (c) communicative
    communicativ e ability (d) status

    ENDNOTES

    1. Vivek Sinha and N Nandini


    andini Sengupta, “Cracking the cul- 4. Edward .. Hall, Hidden Differences: Studies in Interna-
    ture code”, Te Economic imes, New Delhi June 29, 2001. tional Communication (Hamburg: Grunder and Jahr,
    2. Saibal Dasgupta, “SBI Fights to Surv
    Survive
    ive in China”
    China”,, Te 1985).
    imes of India,
    India, New Delhi, July 22, 2007. 5. Edward . Hall, Te Silent Language (New York:
    3. Beatty and akahashi, Intercultural Communication Doubleday 1959).
    (New Delhi: Biztantra, 2003).

    *For answers and sel-evaluation, visit www.pearsoned.co


    www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi
    .in/PDChaturvedi

    Business Leers,

    11
    Memos, and E-mails
    E-mails

    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    The sales department of Luxor Writ- available. He dispatches a copy of
    I he [the person you are ing Instruments receives an inquiry the latest product catalogue along
    “
    replying to] is rude, be spe- from Mr Mukherjee about the avail- with the letter. He also mentions that
    ability of a set of Exception Solid the price will depend on the product
    cially courteous. I he is muddle-
    Gold Waterman ballpoint and foun- selected, as the discounts ranged
    headed, be specially lucid. I tain pens. The manager, Mr Sharma, from 10 to 20 per cent and varied
    he is pig-headed, be patient. I knows that his response to the from product to product. He goes on
    he is helpul, be appreciative. inquiry is an important 󿬁rst step in to suggest that Mr Mukherjee visit
    I he convicts you o a mistake, securing the order for the highly one of the exclusive Luxor show-
    acknowledge it reely and even expensive writing instruments. He rooms to see the full range of prod-
    with gratitude. carefully considers Mr Mukherjee’s ucts at the location nearest to him
    letter of inquiry. and informs him that the full range
    —Sir Ernest Gowers Mr Mukherjee wants to know the could also be viewed at the company
    availability and the best price at Web site, www.luxor
    w ww.luxor.in.
    .in.
    ”
    which he can buy the set of pens. Mr Sharma concludes by thanking
    As the pens are not readily available, Mr. Mukherjee for his interest in
    Mr Sharma writes to Mr Mukherjee to Luxor’s products and assures him
    ask for some lead time and suggests of the company’s best services. His
    Upon completion of this chapter, you that he select another set of pens entire effort is to convert the initial
    should be able to: from the wide variety immediately inquiry into a sale.

    1 Identify business situations that


    require writing letters, memos,
    and e-mails.
    INTRODUCTION
    2 Write simple, complete, and Letters, memos, and e-mails are brie pieces o communication. Tey are so
    persuasive letters and memos. short that most people hardly think it necessary to spend much time plan-
    ning them beore writing. It is common to just jot down one’s thoughts—
    3 Know the essentials of good
    business correspondence. the basic inormation needed to communicate. In act, it is important to be
    4 Plan written communication by
    careul when writing letters, memos, and e-mails, because these small pieces
    󿬁rst considering the needs, lev- o communication are used in less ormal contexts. Tey tend to affect the
    els, and expectations of readers. receiver’s eelings and thoughts with great immediacy and power. Writers
    should, thereore, consider two questions beore writing:
    5 Acquaint yourself with different
    formats of letters, memos, and 1. What is the exact message?
    e-mails. 2. How will it affect the receiver? Tat is, what would be the receiver’s
    reaction—would he or she be pleased or displeased, interested or not
    interested? Tese our kinds o reactions should guide the writer. Tey
    determine the sequence o inormation
    inormation in letters.

    168 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 11.1 A good-news letter


    Sequence of Presentation

    of Ideas in Routine
    Good-news Letters and Pleasant news or idea Details or explanations Closing messages or
    thoughts

    A routine letter

    Major ideas Details or explanations Closing thoughts

    WRITING ROUTINE AND GOOD󰀭NEWS LETTERS


    Letters and memos Letters that please the receiver are called good-news letters.
    letters. Tose that neither please
    are brie pieces o nor displease but are received with interest are known as routine letters.
    letters. Both ollow the
    communication. Tey same sequence o presentation o ideas and have a deductive pattern, which is a direct
    tend to affect the organization
    organiza tion o ideas (Exhibit 11.1).
    receiver’s eelings and Te direct organization o ideas in good-news and routine letters ollows human psy-
    thoughts with great
    chology. A pleasant or interesting idea will always hold the receiver’s attention. Hence,
    immediacy and power.
    good news can be given in the very 󿬁rst sentence, ollowed by details and the 󿬁nal
    message.
    Tis basic plan o presenting ideas can be used in many business situations. Tese
    situations include:
    1. Routine claim letters and “yes” replies
    2. Routine request letters and “yes” replies
    33.. Routine order letters and “yes” replies

    1 Routine Claim Letters and “Yes” Replies


    A claim is a demand or request or something to which one has a right. Examples are
    Identiy business a reund, payment or damages, a replacement or something deective, exchanges,
    situations that require and so on. A claim letter is, thus, a request or adjustment. When a writer thinks that
    writing letters, because o guarantees or other speci󿬁ed terms and conditions, the request or adjust-
    memos, and e-mails. ment will be automatically granted without delay or without requiring persuasion, he
    or she writes the letter in the routine orm. When the writer believes that a direct state-
    ment o the desired action will get a positive response without arguments, he or she
    can use the ollowing sequence/pattern o ideas:
    1. Request acti
    action
    on in
    in the opening sentence.
    2. Give reasons supporting the request or action.
    3. End by appreciating or thanking the addressee
    addresse e or taking the action requested.
    Te writer o the claim letter in Exhibit 11.2 obviously thought that his routine request
    or an exchange would be granted. He, thereore, stated his claim in the very 󿬁rst sentence
    without any complaints. Similarly, the person replying to a routine claim letter knows
    that the recipient will be glad to know that his or her request has been granted; thereore,
    the writer states an expression o willingness in the 󿬁rst sentence o the response. Te
    details and closing sentence ollow the opening. Tis is demonstrated in Exhibit 11.3.
    Te “yes” reply in Exhibit 11.3 grants the request but the writer does not use the word
    “grant”. Moreover, there is no reerence to the letter being answered as a claim, though
    these words are ofen employed or reerring to such letters. Phrases such as “your
    request is granted” or “we are granting your request” may convey to the receiver “we
    see ourselves as superiors and in a position o power”. Similarly, “we are adjusting your

    BUSINESS LETTERS, MEMOS, AND E󰀭MAILS 169

    Exhibit 11.2
    Please send me another copy of How to Communicate Under Pressure tto
    o replace the copy
    A Routine Claim Letter
    returned herewith.

    This is the latest edition,


    edition, but this copy has ffour
    our pages, from page 60 to page 64, wrongly Directly states claim
    sequenced,, which is confusing and annoying.
    sequenced

    The enclosed receipt


    receipt was packed wi
    with
    th the book sent to me
    me.. Gives reasons

    I shall appreciate an early replacement. Ends with a con󿬁dent


    repetition o action
    desired

    claim” can also suggest “We are responding to your dissatisaction”. Tereore, words
    such as “grant” and “claim” are not used in such letters.
    Te recipient o a claim letter should always try to view the complaint positively. He
    or she should not be angered by customers, clients, or deective products. Business let- Business letters in all
    ters in all situations should be written with politeness and respect or the other party. situations should be
    Negative
    Negati ve expressions should be avoided, though it is easy to react sharply when people written with polite-
    complain about something one has done, said, or sold. Neither the writer nor the person ness and respect or the
    replying should use expressions
    expressions o accusation, such as “because o your careless packing, other party.
    several pieces o the crockery set sent to me are broken” or “I have been cheated by you
    because the colour o the shirt, which was guaranteed to be ast, has completely aded”.
    Instead o using the harsh language used in Exhibit 11.4, the writer can simply state the
    acts o the situation and the action desired. For example, it is more businesslike to say:
    “I have received the sunglasses I ordered from your company. I find that
    there is a scratch on the right lens; perhaps it happened in transit. I would
    appreciate an early replacement of the sunglasses as I am going on a trip to
    Rajasthan at the end of the month.”
    Another example o a businesslike claim is,
    “I am returning the Easy Knit shirt that I purchased from your shop a week ago.
    Its colour has faded after washing by machine. The colour was guaranteed
    as long as the shirt was not exposed to the sun. I request you to exchange it
    with a new shirt of the same colour.”
    Te “yes” reply letter in Exhibit 11.5 directly grants the request, reassures the buyer
    that he made a wise choice when he chose Easy Knit, and goes on to explain how to
    maintain the product. Te reply avoids negative language. Trough positive language,
    the customer is made to see his mistake. Te letter also suggests ways to prevent
    uture trouble and 󿬁nally expresses hope or a continuing relationship by inorming
    the buyer o discount sales. Te “yes” letter is careully written to guarantee customer

    Exhibit 11.3
    Date… A “Yes” Reply to a Routine

    Dear… Claim
    A copy of How to Communicate Under Pressure is on its way to you. You will not be charged
    for its mailing.
    You
    You should receive it within a few days. Our catalogue for the latest arrivals in Communication
    Strategies/Studies
    Strategies/Studi es is also enclosed.
    Sincerely,

    170 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 11.4
    A Businesslike/Impolite 508, Sector 9

    Routine Claim Faridabad


    June 18, 2010
    Agfa Company
    531, Linking Road
    Bandra, Mumbai – 400 052

    Dear Sir,
    I am returning a pair of Rayban
    R ayban sunglasses, which you sent me per my order of June 6, 2010.
    You will notice there is a scratch on the right lens. As the lens is guaranteed against imper-
    fections, I am returning it to you.
    Will you send me a new pair of sunglasses as soon as you can? The enclosed receipt was
    packed with the sunglasses when they were mailed to me.
    I shall appreciate an early exchange as I am going on a trip to Rajasthan at the end of the month.

    Yours truly,

    con󿬁dence in the product and ull satisaction in the transaction. Te letter has a
    direct, positive approach.

    Routine Request Letters and “Yes” Replies


    Now that we know how routine claim letters and replies to them should be written, let
    us take a look at routine requests.
    requests. A letter to, say a vendor, requesting inormation about
    a product, should state clearly and completely what inormation is desired. A request
    or inormation should not suggest that the writer wants to place an order. Exhibit 11.6
    shows a sample routine request. Exhibit 11.7 shows how a “yes” reply to a routine request
    should be written.
    Routine Orders and Their “Yes” Replies
    Routine orders should be explicit and thorough. In addition, they should be very clear
    about what they expect by giving complete details o the desired
    desi red product. Tis includes
    speciying the time o delivery and the mode o shipment. Tere should be no ambigu-
    ity or chance o conusion or misunderstanding. A sample o a routine order letter is
    presented in Exhibit 11.8.
    Since the response to the letter in Exhibit 11.8 is positive, the “yes” response should
    ollow the pattern shown in Exhibit 11.9.

    Exhibit 11.5
    Date…
    A “Yes” Reply to a
    Businesslike/Impolite Dear Mr…,

    Routine Claim One long-lasting, pink Easy Knit shirt is being sent to you against the one you returned to us.
    Compared with other shirts, Easy Knit shirts do not normally fade in colour and remain wrinkle-
    free. But for best results, they must be washed by hand and without using any strong bleach.
    Our Special Discount sales catalogue is being mailed to you separately.

    Truly,,
    Truly

    BUSINESS LETTERS, MEMOS, AND E󰀭MAILS 171

    Exhibit 11.6
    A Routine Request Letter

    Pearls Repair Service


    155, Kashmere Gate
    New Delhi
    “If they make it, we repair it.”

    April 30, 2010


    Mr Abhishek Chaturvedi
    Order Department
    MML Electronics Suppliers, Inc.
    135 C, Kolkata
    Dear Mr Chaturvedi,
    Re: Order No. 497; Shipment No. 246032

    In
    weour order of
    received Aprildoes
    today 10, 2010, we included
    not include a request
    the tube for an
    we ordered electron
    but tube X518E.
    does include Thetube.
    a proton shipment
    Upon
    checking your catalogue, I discovered that you intend this tube to be a replacement for the tube
    X518E, which you have discontinued from your product line.
    The supervisor of our repair shop,
    shop, however
    however,, says that he cannot use the replaceme
    replacement
    nt tube sent
    by you. Because of this, we are returning this item from the shipment.
    Please credit our account for ` 2,000 for the tube we did not order and have returned.
    Sincerely yours,
    Ajay Saxena
    Administrative Manager

    Exhibit 11.7
    NEW INDIA TILE COMPANY
    A “Yes” Reply to a Routine
    444, New Main Street
    Charki Dadri – 120072 Request
    April 12, 2002
    Ms Sonia Suri
    General Manager
    Escorts Medical Hospital
    Neelam Bata Road
    Faridabad,, Haryana
    Faridabad
    Dear Ms Suri,
    We will be more than happy to replace the Dura󿬁nish tiles in front of the elevators and in the
    lobby area of Escorts Hospital as you requested in your letter of March 28, 2002.
    When we installed the tile (Model 520) in December 2000, we guaranteed the no-fade 󿬁nish.
    The tile you selecte
    selected
    d is impo
    imported
    rted from Italy and is one of our best-sell
    best-selling
    ing products. Recently
    Recently,, the
    manufacturer added a special sealing compound to the tile, making it more durable.

    Our
    and sales
    makerepresentative, Mr replacing
    arrangements for Deepak Rai, will call
    them, at noonadditional
    you in thecost.
    nextI few days to inspect
    appreciate the tiles
    your calling this
    situation to our attention because we are always eager to know how our products are perform-
    ing. We guarantee our customers’ full satisfaction.
    Sincerely yours,
    Mokshit Sharma
    MS:tk
    cc: Mr Deepak Rai

    172 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 11.8
    A Routine Order Letter

    Maria Interiors, Inc


    12, Andheri West
    Mumbai – 400 012
    July 1, 2001
    Silvania Office Products
    B-27, Lajpat Nagar
    New Delhi
    Attention: Order Department
    Dear Sir,
    Please send me the following offi ce supplies as lis
    listed
    ted and priced in your summer catalog
    catalogue
    ue 91:
    8 pkgs D33E-886 Colour-coded 󿬁les with heavy manila folders—le
    folders—letter
    tter size
    4 boxes D33E-276 Square box-󿬁les—capacity 2

    24 D33E-3325 Large capacity 3-ring binders—letter size


    Please charge these to the Maria Interiors account. I would appreciate quick delivery of these
    items. Please ship by the fastest freight available.
    Sincerely,
    Akshay Sharma
    Offi ce Manager
    Man ager

    Exhibit 11.9
    A “Yes” Reply to a Routine Silvania
    Silva nia Offi
    O ffice Products
    Produc ts
    Order B-27, Lajpat Nagar
    New Delhi
    July 12, 2009
    Mr Akshay Sharma
    Office Ma
    Manag
    nager
    er
    Maria Interiors, Inc.
    12, Andheri West
    Mumbai – 400012
    Dear Mr Sharma,
    The following
    following items were shipped to you ttoday
    oday by Worldwid
    Worldwide
    e Express, rush service:
    service:
    8 pkgs D33E Colour-code
    Colour-coded
    d 󿬁les with heavy manila folders—le
    folders—letter
    tter size
    24 D33E-3325 Large capacity 3-ring binders—letter size
    Enclosed is the invoice for ` 4,000, which includes sales tax. Your order for four boxes of square
    box-󿬁les—2 in capacity (D33E – 276) should reach you within 14 days, also by Worldwide
    Express. Because of the great popularity of these durable, high-capacity hole punchers, they are
    currently out of stock. A shipment from the supplier is due shortly, and when it arrives, we will
    ful󿬁l your order immediately.
    Thank you for your order, and please let me know if I can be of service in the future. For your
    convenience,
    convenience, I am enclosing a preview copy of the new catalogue, No. 107, which will be mailed
    to our customers in early December.
    Sincerely,
    Rajesh Bhatia
    Sales Manager
    RB:rb
    Encl. : Catalogu
    Catalogue
    e No.107
    : Invoice

    BUSINESS LETTERS, MEMOS, AND E󰀭MAILS 173

    Guidelines for a “Yes” Reply


    Te guidelines a writer needs to ollow while drafing a “yes” reply to a routine claim,
    request, or order are summarized here:
    1. Te beginning should state the reason
    reason or writing the letter and the main idea.
    2. Te middle paragraphs should give details o the good news, reaffirm the guarantee
    i any, describe the product offered, and explain why the replacement would satisy
    the receiver.
    3. Te end should draw the reader’s attention
    attention to the conditions, i any,
    any, attached to the
    positive response. Te letter should close on a positive note o thanks or the original
    order and hopes or continuing good relations with the buyer.

    Guidelines for a “No” Reply


    In business, at times we have to say “no”. In some situations, it may not be possible to
    grant the writer’s request or deliver what he or she has ordered. On such occasions the Te goal o the person
    p erson
    writing a “no” reply is
    goal o the person who is responding should be to write a “no” letter inoffensively, while
    to reduce the negative
    stating acts and giving reasons as convincingly as possible. A reusal is a reusal. It is
    bound to disappoint the reader. However, the goal is to reduce the negative emotions as emotions as much as
    possible. Te writer
    much as possible. Te writer o a “no” reply cannot convey an unavourable decision in o a “no” reply cannot
    an unavourable way i he or she wants to retain the customer’s goodwill. Tus, he or she convey an unavourable
    must be able to write “no” while minimizing the reader’s disappointment. o achieve this decision in an una-
    objective, the inormation should be patterned as ollows: vourablee way i he or
    vourabl or
    she wants to retain the
    1. Te letter sh
    should
    ould begin with a paragraph
    paragraph that describes the
    the general situation
    situation as the
    the customer’s goodwill.
    context in which the reader’s request was considered. It should indicate in a neutral
    or riendly tone the reasons that led to the negative inormation or a reusal.
    Some possib
    possible
    le methods to do this are:
    • Assuring the receiver that his or her matter was considered with great under-
    standing and care.
    • Making the reader believe that it is the circumstances
    circumstance s or situation and not the
    merit o his or her request that is responsible or the “no” response. (For example:
    “Tis session, there are more than ten thousand admission requests rom your
    country.”)
    • Agreeing with the reader in some way.
    way. (For example: “You
    “You are right that the guar-
    antee period is one year.”)
    • Giving a sincere compliment. (For example: “Your
    “Your CA
    CA score is quite high…”)
    high…”)
    • Showing (without raising alse hope) that the possibility o ul󿬁lling
    ul󿬁lli ng the request
    was there. (For example: “Your plan or opening a business school o interna-
    tional caliber sounds excellent.”)
    • Mentioning ggood
    ood news o interest to the reader. (For example: “Te government
    has passed a bill to open new credit banks or armers.”)
    2.
    2 . Te “no
    “no”” letter should give acts and provide reasons and actors or reusal. (For
    example: “Te manuacturer’s instructions have not been strictly ollowed.”)
    3. Te reusal should be mentioned in the same paragraph. IItt is important not to high-
    light the reusal. Tereore, no separate paragraph should be given to this negative
    point; instead, it should just be stated at the end o the paragraph that mentions the
    reasons or it.
    44.. Te end o the ““no no”” response seeks to maintain good business relations with the
    reader by suggesting an alternative course o action or a better deal in the uture.

    174 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 11.10
    NEW INDIA TILE COMPANY
    A “No” Reply (to a Routine
    444, New Main Street
    Request) Charki Dadri – 120072
    April 13, 2002
    Ms Sonia Suri
    General Manager
    Escorts Medical Hospital
    Neelam-Bata Road
    Faridabad,
    Faridab ad, Haryana
    Dear Ms Suri,
    You are certainly correct that we guarantee our tiles for 20 years after installation. We always
    stand behind our products when they are used according to the recommendations of the man-
    ufacturers and design consultants.
    When I received your letter, I immediately studied the sales contract and checked the reports of
    the design consultant. Our records show that the consultant did explain on December 6, 2000
    that Paloma Tile (Model 520) was not
    n ot recommended for heavy traffi c. Although ano
    another
    ther tile was

    suggested, you preferred


    your information,
    information to order
    , I’m enclosing the of
    a copy Paloma Tile, and
    that page you
    of the signed Because
    contract. a waiverour
    of guarantee.
    recommenda-For
    tion was to use another tile, our usual 20-year guarantee is not in force in this situation.
    For your needs, we recommend the Watermark Tile, Tile, which is specially sealed to withstand heavy
    traffic. The WWatermark
    atermark Tile is av
    available
    ailable in a design tha
    thatt would complemen
    complementt the Paloma Tile that
    is already in place. Our design consultant, Mr Ramesh Singh, would be happy to visit Escorts
    Medical Hospital and recommend a 󿬂oor pattern that could incorporate a new Watermark Tile,
    without sacri󿬁cing the Paloma Tile that does not show wear.wear. Enclosed is a brochure showing the
    Watermark designs. Mr Singh will call you for an appointment this week, and because you are
    our customer, we will be happy to schedule prompt service for you.
    Sincerely,
    Mokshit Sharma
    Production Installation Manager
    MS/dc
    Encl.: Watermark brochure
    Contract page

    cc.: Mr Ramesh Singh

    Te aim o indirectly
    indirect ly organizing a “no”
    “no” response letter is to assure the reader that
    the bad news or the unavourable decision was arrived at afer careul consideration
    o the total situation and acts that could not be altered by the writer (the decision-
    maker). Te purpose o indirect organization is to ensure that the reader does not
    believe that the reusal is based on arbitrary,
    arbitrary, subjective, or personal reasons.
    Consider Exhibit 11.10, a letter o reusal written by New India ile Company to the
    replacement request. Exhibit 11.7 is a “yes” response to the same request, but the actors
    ac tors
    involved in making the decision are different in this situation. Hence, the company’s
    response to replacing the tiles is “no”. Te letter seeks to convey the negative message
    through indirect organization.
    organization.
    2 WRITING PERSUASIVE LETTERS
    Write simple, com-
    plete, and persuasive Persuasion is used when the writer suspects that the reader will not be interested in
    letters and memos. the message and the action to be taken. In such a situation, the writer may use the
    device o startling the reader by inorming him or her about something unexpected at

    BUSINESS LETTERS, MEMOS, AND E󰀭MAILS 175

    the beginning o the letter. Tis way, the reader is made to see right away why he or
    Letters that arouse the
    she should accept the letter’s proposal. Te letter goes on to show how the reader will
    reader’s interest and
    greatly bene󿬁t by taking the suggested action. Such letters, which arouse the reader’s induce him or her to act
    interestt and induce him or her to act as directed, are essentially letters that sell ideas to
    interes as directed are essen-
    others. Tey are called persuasi
    persuasive
    ve letters.
    letters. Writing them well requires skillul patterning tially letters that sell
    o inormation. Te persuasive pattern, also known as persuasive organization, involves ideas to others. Tey are
    the ollowing sequence o ideas: called persuasi
    persuasive
    ve letters.
    letters.

    1. Te opening sentence in a persuasive b business


    usiness letter (usually sales) catches the
    reader’ss attention by saying one o the ollowing:
    reader’
    • A startling statement o act—“Every
    act—“Ever y second, 6 children die o malnutrition in our
    country.”
    • A remedial measure to a problem—“At
    problem—“At last, you can build
    build your own house.”
    • An alarming q question—“Would
    uestion—“Would you like to die without providing or the saety
    o your children and spouse?”

    • A special pr
    product,
    oduct, scheme, or plan—“Within the next 14 days you should expect
    to receive important authorized mail rom our sweepstakes manager.”
    2. Te middle section o a persuasive letter gives details regardin
    regardingg the product or
    scheme that is being promoted. Tis section mainly describes the bene󿬁ts to the
    reader. It explains why the reader should accept the proposal.
    3. Afer arousing the reader’
    reader’ss interest in the proposal, the letter then requests action
    such as a “yes” response to the proposed request.
    4. Te last parag
    paragraph
    raph acts as a reminder to
    to the reader o
    o the special bene󿬁ts
    bene󿬁ts he or she
    would gain by acting as urged and requests action within the given deadline.

    Such persuasive sales letters are also known as orm letters


    letters.. Tey differ rom other
    business letters in the ollowing ways:

    1. Tey may not be dated: Tese letters can be used by the company or many months.
    Tereore, the date o the orm letter (sales letter) may not be necessary and relevant.
    2. Tere may be n no
    o personal salutation:
    salutation: Te
    Te sales letter is not
    not addressed to a speci󿬁c
    speci󿬁c
    individual. Te receiver’s name is superimposed as a mailing device.
    Dear Friend,
    Dear Reader,
    Dear V
    Valued
    alued Customer,
    Te opening sets a pleasant tone by saying that the reader is known o
    orr his or
    or her
    interest in the kind o proposal made.
    3. Tere is usually a postscrip
    postscriptt message to remind the reader o the actio
    action n to be
    taken by the speci󿬁ed deadline or to highlight the bene󿬁ts or any other important
    point.
    4. Most persuasive
    persuasive sales letters include
    include some mention
    mention o urther material to be received Most persuasive sales
    by the reader. For example, the box with the word “important” in the sales letter letters include some
    shown in Communication Snapshot 11.1 highlights that two sweepstakes entry mention o urther
    cards would be sent in the near uture. material to be received
    by the reader.
    Tere is another style o ormatting a persuasive orm letter, which is shown in
    Exhibit 11.11. o look more inormal, the letter leaves out the salutation completely. It
    also drops the ormal
    or mal ending “subscription”.
    “subscription”. Instead, it closes
    clos es with “best
    “bes t wishes” rom the
    writer o the message.

    176 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    The focus of the letter in Exhibit 11A is “be advised”


    advised”.. The advice is in bold and is placed at the
    Communication
    centre of the letter in an eye-catching position. The letter bears no date. It has no personal salu-
    Snapshot 11.1 tation. The expression “Dear Valued
    Valued Customer” establishes a friendly tone at the very outset. It
    Writing a Persuasive goes on to arouse the reader’s curiosity by stating, “expect to receive important authorized mail”.
    Letter The middle paragraph gives details of the reader’ reader’ss undoubted chance to win the
    ` 1,000,000,
    1,000,000,00
    00 First Prize. This paragraph uses strategy to hold the reader’
    reader’ss attention and inter-
    est by saying, “You already stand ahead of many…”. This paragraph also gives details of how the
    reader is going to bene󿬁t from this message.
    In a friendly tone, the writer calls this letter a “pre-disclosure”. It motivates the receiver to act
    further by disclosing that “You already stand ahead of many…”. The letter does not include
    the usual “Subscription offer”, “yours sincerely”, and so on. Instead, it ends on a sincere note of
    advice: “Be
    “Be sure to reply as instructed”. This sample letter is an actual letter written by the sweep-
    stakes committee of the magazine Pottery Weekly. It is a good example of a persuasive sales
    letter.. The organization, language, and ssales
    letter ales strategies followed by the writer persuade and urge
    the reader to participate in the sweepstakes.

    Exhibit 11A
    The Letter
    Dear Valued Customer,
    In the next 14 days, expect to receive important authorized mail from Pottery Weekly’s sweep-
    stakes manager. This mail will provide you with details on your current sweepstakes eligibility
    status.

    You should know that as of June 2009, there is no doubt that you are enviably well positioned
    to have a shot at our ` 1,000,000.00 First Prize. You
    You already stand ahead of many who have not
    been invited to participate in Pottery Weekly’s 2-million-rupee
    2-million-rupee sweepstakes.

    Be advised that the sweepstakes documents that are due to arrive at your address have
    strictly controlled deadlines!

    This is why you are entitled to


    t o receive this pre
    pre-disclosure—to
    -disclosure—to provide you sufficient notice
    to reply on time. The post offi ce has assured expedient delivery of the package to you.

    IMPORTANT

    Please watch out for a red envelope from Pottery Weekly, marked with the same package code
    as in this letter
    letter.. It contains two sweepstakes entry cards. Then, reply in strict conformance with
    the instructions provided therein.

    This is the only step req


    required
    uired of yo
    you
    u to secure your eligibility
    eligibility to ente
    enterr the 2-million-rupe
    2-million-rupee
    e sweep-
    stakes for your chance to win well over ` 1,000,000.00. Please do not discount the vital impor-
    tance of this pre-disclosure. Be sure to reply as instructed.

    WRITING MEMOS
    Persuasive letters partly share the orm and intimacy o memos, which are requently
    written to persons within
    w ithin the office/organization to communicate routine matters.matters .
    A memorandum, ofen reerred to as a memo, is a orm used by a person known to the
    receiver personally. Tereore, it is less ormal in tone and does not have ormal elements
    such as the salutation, subscription, greeting, or even a signature at the end. It directly
    states the subject afer mentioning the ollowing:

    From Subject
    To Date

    BUSINESS LETTERS, MEMOS, AND E󰀭MAILS 177

    Exhibit 11.11
    An Alternative Style for a

    Konnect Cellphone Persuasive Letter

    Mr P. D. Apte
    508, Sector 9
    Faridabad,, Haryana 121006
    Faridabad
    31 July 2010

    You have been a valued member of the Konnect Cellphone family. As you may be aware,
    Konnect Cellphone is now a part of Konnect Telecom, one of the largest cellular operators in
    India and the third largest in the world. We have taken the leadership in launching new and
    exciting tariff plans in Delhi, thereby making cellular telephony more affordable.
    As per the Honourable TRAI ruling dated 25 January 2001, an amount of ` 595.36 is refund-
    able against your contract number 00124813301 and mobile phone number 9811071974. This
    refund is on account of a reduction in license fees. This amount will be refunded to you via an
    account payee cheque at the address mentioned above.
    If you have any queries regarding the same, please feel free to contact us on our toll-free hotline
    number,, 9811398133, and we would be glad to address the same.
    number

    Keep smiling!

    Joydeep Chatterjee
    Chatterjee

    Joydeep Chaterjee
    GM—Customer Services
    Konnect Telecom
    Nariman Street, Fort,
    Mumbai 400001

    Alternatively, it can have the following format:


    To Date A harsh or unriendly
    tone will dishearten the
    From reader o the memo and
    lower morale.
    Subject
    • Do not assume that
    How to Write a Memo everyone knows eve-
    rything related to the
    A memo addresses the subject under discussion immediately. It is short and written in
    issue discussed in the
    a riendly tone. All business messages and inormation solicit a riendly, cooperative, memo.
    and positive response rom employees, clients, or senior or junior colleagues. For this • Explain the causes o
    o
    purpose, the memo writer (manager) should write in a riendly and cooperative tone. problems or reasons
    A harsh or unriendly tone will dishearten the reader o the memo and lower morale. or changes being sug-
    For example, consider the ollowing memorandum rom a works manager to the gested.
    supervisors under his management: • Be clear, concrete, and
    speci󿬁c.
    “Every Saturday morning all supervisors in my plant must meet and report on • Be pleasant rather
    the clean-up of their individual shop floors. All reports must be submitted by than commanding or
    afternoon.” authoritative. Use you-
    In this memo, the tone is o distrust and authority. Te works manager uses “all” and attitude.
    • Ask or eedback or
    “must” twice. It shows that he does not consider any o his supervisors responsible. Te
    suggestions.
    use o “must” indicates that he doubts their sense o duty. Te manager can direct his

    178 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    supervisors without doubting their sense o duty. Further, the memo is vaguely worded.
    Te reader will not know which Saturday the meetings begin and when they are to
    be held—morning
    held—morning is a long period o time and is not speci󿬁c. In addition, questions
    such where the meetings are to be held are not addressed. No reerence o place is made.
    Again, afernoon is a vague deadline. Te manager should indicate the speci󿬁c time by
    which the reports are due. Finally, the phrase “clean-up” does not completely convey all
    that is to be considered while inspecting the work. Such vagueness should be avoided by
    observing the ollowing principles o writing memos:
    In the case discussed here, show how the supervisors would bene󿬁t rom the proposed
    change.. Explain the need to hold a Saturday
    change Saturday supervision meeting to discuss and report
    on the clean-up o the shop 󿬂oors. Ask or eedback. It is necessary to know supervisors’
    ideas on the monitoring and reporting o the clean-up. I they are invited to give their
    views, they will
    will have sense o participation
    participation and involvement
    involvement in the decision-making
    decision-making and
    and
    execution processes.

    Uses of a Memo

    A memorandum TeAsvarious unctions


    a written recordoomemorandums are given
    business decisions, in Exhibit
    policies, 11.12.and so on, a memo-
    institutions,
    acts as a permanent randum acts as a permanent record o whatever is communicated. Tereore, it should
    record o whatever is be written with great care and skill.
    communicated. Te two versions o the memo in Exhibit 11.13 show the difference in the effective-
    ness o a well-written memo and a poorly written one. Te revised memo is speci󿬁c and
    riendly in tone. It gives adequate details and explains why the change is needed and how
    it would help the engineers.

    3 ESSENTIALS OF GOOD BUSINESS LETTERS AND MEMOS


    Businessmen and women do not have time to read long letters and messages. Tey want
    Know the essentials to know acts, results, and important details. Tereore, business letters should provide
    o good business only what is essential in the shortest space. Te key is to keep to the point and be simple.
    correspondence.
    Simplicity,
    Pocket Oxord clarity, and o
    Dictionary conciseness are interrelated
    Current English concepts.
    (1998), means, “(1)“Simple”,
    understoodaccording
    or donetoeasily
    Te
    and without difficulty (2) not complicated
    complicate d or elaborate; plain (3) not compoun
    compound d or complex
    (4) absolute, unquali󿬁ed, straightorward.” Most writers want their written communication
    to be simple in all the our senses. In act, clarity and conciseness result rom simplicity.
    simplicity.

    Simplicity
    Simplicity in writing
    Simplicity in writing essentially means plainness and saying exactly what one means.
    essentially means
    plainness.
    Te writer should not bring in irrelevant details or inormation. Instead he or she
    should be straightorward and choose just one word instead o many whenever possible.

    Exhibit 11.12 Function Example


    Functions of a
    I attended the meeting of the executive committee. The main
    Memorandum To provide inf
    information
    ormation
    points discussed were…
    Staff members are requested to attend the orientation session to
    To issue an instruction
    be held in the conference room at 11 a.m. today.
    The executive committee
    committee has decid
    decided
    ed to pay one day’s salary for
    To convey a poli
    policy
    cy decision
    working on a Saturday
    Saturday..
    To offer suggestions I think in-house
    in-house training should
    should be a regular ffeature
    eature for
    for all cadr
    cadres.
    es.
    To record/r
    record/report
    eport an During the meeting held on August 5, it was decided that we buy
    agreement 3 LCD projectors.

    BUSINESS LETTERS, MEMOS, AND E󰀭MAILS 179

    Part A: Te Original Memo Exhibit 11.13


    Ineffective and Effective
    TYC Sample Memos
    May 12, 2008
    To: Lab
    Lab Personnel
    From: Sushil Kumar
    Subject: Final Report Requireme
    Requirements
    nts
    Beginning Monday, December 19, all our 󿬁nal test reports must indicate:
    1. Test results
    2. Dimensions iin
    n metric terms
    3. Photos in proper orde
    order—also
    r—also identify each one on its rev
    reverse
    erse
    4. The distribution
    distribution list
    5. Write the report
    report immediatel
    immediatelyy after the test
    6. Be sure all terms are spe
    spelled
    lled corre
    correctly
    ctly
    7. Complete formulas

    Part B: Te Revised Memo

    TYC
    May 12, 2008
    To: Laboratory
    Laboratory D-66 PePersonnel
    rsonnel
    From: Sushil Kumar, Supervisor
    Subject: Final Test Report Requireme
    Requirements
    nts
    I’ve received some requests for changes in our test reports from the chemical engineers who use
    them. Therefore,
    Therefore, beginning Monday
    Monday,, December 19, all 󿬁nal test reports must include the following:
    1. Full test rresults
    esults at each stage of the ttesting
    esting process
    2. Dimensions state
    stated
    d in metric terms
    3. Photos in proper orde
    orderr and each identi󿬁ed on its reverse
    4. The distribution
    distribution list
    5. Correctly spelt tterms
    erms
    6. Full formulas
    Please write your reports immediately after completing the test while the data are fresh in your mind.
    I’m sure with these minor adjustments in report style, we can give the engineers what they need.
    Unnecessary adjectives and adverbs should be avoided. Quali󿬁ers, adjectives, adverbs,
    and other unnecessary words ofen creep in without the writer realizing their presence.
    It is commonly believed that to be clear, the writer should be elaborate and repetitive, using
    several words with the same meaning. However, this creates clutter in writing instead o
    providing clarity. Te key to writing simply
    simply,, clearly, and concisely is to tighten the writing.
    Hence, while writing business letters, memos, or reports, one should choose one rom
    among several nearly identical possible words and only use those that convey the message
    exactly. Tis basic principle o choosing one word careully is usually called the principle
    o “unity”—the unity o thought and expression. Tis basic principle is discussed here:
    • One main subject in one letter: Practical wisdom tells us i we have to write about two
    different subjects
    subjec ts to the same company,
    company, department,
    depart ment, or office at the same time, we
    should write two letters discussing each subject separately. Why? wo separate sub-
    jects placed together
    together may adversely
    adversely affect
    affect each other’
    other’s importance.
    importance. Te two
    two subjects
    may belong to two different sections and afer taking action on one o the subjects,
    the department may just 󿬁le the letter, resulting in the other subject being orgotten.

    180 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Only when two subjects are related and are to be considered or action by the same
    person, should they be discussed in the same letter. In all other situations, it is better to
    write separate letters.
    • One thought in one sentence: Each sentence should be ormed so that it contains a
    single, complete thought. Complicated (complex and compound) sentences are con-
    using in a business letter. For example, compare the ollowing sentences:

    Complicated: The benefits that he derived from his early training were soon
    lost and he began to do things as he was accustomed to doing them.
    Simple: The benefits of his early training were soon lost. He started doing
    Each paragraph should things in his usual way.
    open with a sentence
    that summarizes the
    • One idea in one paragraph: Each paragraph should open with a sentence that sum-
    central idea o the
    marizes the central idea o the paragraph. Te sentences that ollow should support,
    paragraph.
    illustrate, and develop the thought by providing additional inormation.

    Clarity
    Te clarity o a business letter is two-old:
    1. Clarity o message: Ideas should be logically sequenced in a coherent way.
    2. Clarity o orm: Presentation o matter, ormat, paragraph divisions, layout, margins,
    and spacing between the lines should be done neatly. Te letter should appear well
    organized and properly ormatted.

    Conciseness
    It is best to be “short”. Tis means writing short letters, choosing short words, orming
    short paragraphs, and constructing short sentences. Te goal is to give only relevant
    inormation in the ewest possible words.
    Besides simplicity, clarity, and conciseness, there are many other issues that need to be

    kept in mind while writing business letters and memos. Tese are discussed here.
    Standard and Neutral Language
    Writers o business letters should use standard, neutral language and should avoid jar-
    gon, technical terms, and slang. Tey should also eliminate hackneyed and old-ashioned
    old- ashioned
    expressions rom their writing.
    You-Attitude
    Writers should keep in mind the point o view o their readers (customers and clients).
    All writing is or a speci󿬁c reader, and it is at his or her level that the letter or correspond-
    ence should be written. In addition, the writer should know his or her readers’ expecta-
    tions, ears, belies, and eelings about the matter at hand. Te writer should be able to
    visualize the readers’
    readers’ reaction
    reaction to the message beore
    beore writing.

    Sincerity and Tone


    Te writer’s tone and sincerity re󿬂ect his or her personality. Tese two aspects o a let-
    ter or memo are important to convince readers that the writer really means what he or
    she is saying. Te tone o the letter should re󿬂ect the writer’s personality. oday, good
    writers believe that a business letter should be characterized by con󿬁dence, directness,
    enthusiasm, and humanity.
    • Con󿬁dence: Beore writing a letter, the writer should have complete inormation
    on the subject and should be certain about the acts that will be discussed. I the
    writer is de󿬁nite about what he or she is saying, the letter will not be evasive or

    BUSINESS LETTERS, MEMOS, AND E󰀭MAILS 181

    vaguely worded
    worded with indirect
    indirect expressions
    expressions and
    and passive verbs. Passive
    Passive verbs are weak.
    Passive verbs are weak.
    Tey convey withdrawal in the writer’s
    writer’s subconscious mind. In contrast, active verbs
    Tey convey withdrawal
    are strong. Expressions such as “it is recommended that” (I recommend), “it was in the writer’s subcon-
    considered that” (I considered), “it was elt that” (I eel), “it is an indication o” scious mind. In contrast,
    (it indicates), “conducted a survey o” (surveyed) show hesitation and should be active verbs are strong.
    replaced with their active orms, which show directness and con󿬁dence.
    • Directness: Directness in letters results rom con󿬁dence. One’s letters should not
    only say what is intended, but should say so in a straightorward and courteous
    manner. However, while directness is desirable, one should not be abrupt.
    • Enthusiasm: Te writer should be enthusiastic in his or her sincerity. Te letter should
    make the reader eel that the writer is genuinely interested in him or her. Tis cannot Write your letters
    be done by just saying something like “Believe me I am really interested in solving in short and simple
    your problem.” Instead, the writer must choose words that show interest in the reader. sentences. Use simple,
    amiliar and short
    • Humanity: Business letters are generally written in a stiff, ormal, and mechanical words. Avoid abstract
    manner. Tey ofen lack personal warmth and the eeling o speaking to another liv- words. Choose verbs
    ing being.
    “he”, “she”,and
    o counter
    “they”.this,
    Tesewriters
    give should
    sahould use
    us etouch
    personal the personal pronouns
    to business letters.“we”,
    “we”
    For, achieving
    “I”,
    “I”, “you”,
    “you”, that express orceul
    action.
    the right tone, the letter and other orms o business correspondence should be writ-
    ten in a simple, ormal, and riendly way. Remember that criticizing or apologizing
    should be done careully, as should complimenting.

    Emphasis
    In business correspondence, specially a letter or memo, ideas must be placed in order
    o their importance. Te main idea must be stated at the beginning. Even in the case o
    4
    Plan written com-
    a sentence or paragraph, the rule is to place the main idea 󿬁rst. Position re󿬂ects impor- munication by 󿬁rst
    tance. Emphasis can be indicated also by repetition, use o punctuation, and the mechan- consideringg the needs,
    considerin
    ical devices o using bold letters or underlining. levels, and expecta-
    Planning, Writing,
    Writing, and Revising: The Three Steps of Successful Writing tions o readers.
    Te writers o letters and other orms o business communications are advised to ollow
    the three steps o successul writing to communicate clearly and accurately: (1) planning,
    (2) writing, and (3) rewriting (revising).
    • Planning: Writing
    Writing a letter or me
    memo
    mo is a one-way communication
    communicat ion exercise. Te words
    written on the page are all that convey the message. Te reader does not have other
    non-verbal means to interpret the message. Usually, the reader is not in a position
    to immediately clariy something that is unclear. For example, suppose you write
    a letter to the Hill View Resort to make arrangements or a business meeting and
    lunch three days beore the event. You would need to give complete inormation
    about everything the manager would need to know beore making arrangements or
    the meeting and lunch. Tis includes the number o persons, the time, duration, and
    size o the conerence, the hall desired, the number o collar microphones needed,
    the seating plan, the duration o the meeting, the kind o ood needed, the number
    o vegetarians and non-vegetarians, the beverages and snacks required, and so on.

    Hence, to write a complete and short letter, plan beore writing it. In addition, it
    is generally helpul to write a draf 󿬁rst.
    Te writers should always consider:
    ■ Te reader
    ■ Te purpose o writing
    ■ Te situation (context)
    Tese three elements
    el ements determine
    determi ne the choice o the letter’s/memo’
    letter’s/memo’s/report’s content,
    organization, and ormat.

    182 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    • Rewriting and revising: Writing is a mode o thinking. Rewriting or revising what


    Revision is a process o
    has been written or dictated is a mode o improved thinking. Revising the 󿬁rst draf
    clariying ideas, mean-
    ings, and purpose. It is not just useul or 󿬁xing grammatical errors. It is also an attempt to check i the
    involves eliminating writer has been able to say what was intended in the best manner possible. Revision
    clutter that hides the is, thereore, a process o clariying ideas, meanings, and purpose. It involves elimi-
    writer’s true intentions. nating clutter that hides the writer’s true intentions.
    Very ew o people are capable o expressing themselves accurately in the 󿬁rst draf.
    Tis is not due to poor command o the language. It is related to the process o accurate
    thinking. Writing is an act o transcribing ideas into words. Te transcription will be
    accurate only when the thinking is accurate. Each revision sharpens the writer’s thinking
    and thereby helps tighten his or her expression to a close transcription o what is in his
    or her mind.
    How rewriting changes the thinking and message o a manager rom verbiage to
    intent, eliminating wordiness, correcting the tone, and revising the policy itsel can be
    explained with the help o the example discussed in Communication Snapshot 11.2.

    Communication The management of Excel Corporation is concerned about the misuse of office telephones by
    Snapshot 11.2 its employees. In the past few months, expenses have soared because employees have been
    using their desk phones to call friends and relatives. In fact, employees have been making
    Redrafting a Memo outstation calls for personal conversations. Lisa Christopher, the head of administration, drafts
    a memo (Exhibit 11B)
    11 B) to stop employees from misusing their offi ce telephones, which has cost
    the company a lot of money and employee time.

    Exhibit 11B
    The Original Memo

    Excel Corporation
    INTERNAL MEMORANDUM

    To: All
    All employe
    employees
    es
    From: Lisa Christopher, Head, Administration
    Subject:: Misuse of offi ce telephones
    Subject
    We have noticed that, in the past few months, the company’s expenses have been soaring
    because employees have
    ha ve been misusing their des
    deskk phones. Offi ce telephones are being used
    for personal communicatio
    communication.
    n.
    The use of office tele
    telephones
    phones fo
    forr personal calls is against company policy. Employees are advise
    advisedd
    to use their
    thei r desk teleph
    telephones
    ones (and oother
    ther offi ce phones) for o offi
    fficial purpo
    purposes
    ses only. The use of offi ce
    phones for personal calls must stop with immediate effect. The management will take strict
    action against
    ag ainst anyone who is found gui guilty
    lty of misusing offi ce telephones, and ththeir
    eir employment
    may be terminated.
    Please feel free to contact me if you have any queries about the issue.

    Lisa Christopher

    Before signing the memo, Lisa reads it a few times. She wonders if she will be able to change the
    behaviour of the employees by writing such a stern memo. She revises the memo a couple of
    times, until it is in the 󿬁nal form. The re
    redrafted
    drafted memo is shown in Exhibit 11C.
    The revised memo is certainly better. The writing is simpli󿬁ed,
    s impli󿬁ed, the wordiness is removed, the
    tone of the memo is made courteous, and the revised policy is clearly stated. In short, the pur-
    pose is exactly and effectively communicated.

    BUSINESS LETTERS, MEMOS, AND E󰀭MAILS 183

    Exhibit 11C
    The Revised Memo

    Excel Corporation
    INTERNAL MEMORANDUM

    To
    To:: All employees
    employees
    From: Lisa Christopher, Head, Administration

    Subject:: Misuse o
    Subject off office telephones
    In view of the soaring
    soarin g administr
    administrative
    ative costs, we have revis
    revised
    ed our policy on the use of office tel-
    ephones. So far,
    fa r, our policy has been to discour
    discourage
    age the use o off office telephones for personal
    purposes because of the costs involved
    involved.. We realize that this may not be a convenient solution,
    so employees can now use us e office telephones for pe
    personal
    rsonal cal
    calls
    ls by paying for each ca
    call.
    ll.
    The details of charges
    charges for local and o
    outstation
    utstation calls have bee
    been
    n put up on the notice board.
    Lisa Christopher

    If you very carefully compare the 󿬁rst and 󿬁nal versions of Lisa’s memo, you will discover a basic
    change in her thinking
    thin king on the use of offi ce phones. Lisa had 󿬁rst
    󿬁rs t considered the use of phon
    phones
    es
    for personal matters
    mat ters to be misus
    misusee of office phones (see th
    thee subject liline
    ne of the memo). Now, she
    treats it as regular use of phones. This psychological shift in Lisa’
    Lisa’ss perspective has improved the
    tone of her memo and her attitude towards other employees in the company, who now become
    part of “we”. Her tone now is free of harshness and the threat of termination.
    Work out the changes in Lisa’s mind as she moves from a poor 󿬁rst draft to a 󿬁nal revision that
    has simplicity, brevity, courtesy, and the you-attitude. Notice the following steps in Lisa’s pro-
    cess of revising and reaching the 󿬁nal draft, which are part of all successful revisions.

    • Focusing on intent
    • Eliminating wordiness
    • Correcting the tone
    • Revising the policy itself
    For realizing how rewriting sharpens thinking and changes both content and form, you should
    trace each one of the above changes in the ttwo
    wo memos. This exercise will improve
    improve the effective-
    ness of your written business communicatio
    communication. n.
    FORM AND LAYOUT
    LAYOUT OF BUSINESS LETTERS
    Te appearance o business letters should be impressive. Te stationery should be o
    5
    quality that speaks to the status o the company and the individual writing the letter. Acquaint yoursel
    Te layout should be neat, with proper margins on all sides. Te text should be careully with different ormats
    positioned on the letterhead.
    lette rhead. In additi
    addition,
    on, there should be a suffi cient margin (at least ha
    hal
    l o letters, memos, and
    an inch) on the lef side to allow or binding or 󿬁ling. Te typeace should be attractive e-mails.
    and easy to read. Proper line spacing (double spacing instead o single) helps readability.

    Business-letter Styles
    A business organization usually selects
    sel ects one o the ollowing ormats or its business letters:
    1. Te ull-block style
    2. Te semi-block style
    3. Te simpli󿬁ed style

    184 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Usually, the ull-block style is preerred. It is convenient to set lef-hand margins or
    paragraphs and other parts o the letter, such as the date, address, salutation, text, close,
    signature, and notations. It also looks simple and clear. Every line begins at the same
    distance rom the lef margin, which results in each paragraph looking like a distinct
    block. Te convention o open punctuation urther simpli󿬁es the use o the ull-block
    style. Earlier, the address, salutation, and closing ollowed close punctuation and used a
    comma afer each line and a ull stop at the end. Te ull-block style has a disadvantage
    disadvantage
    when ollowing close punctuation, as it looks heavy on the lef side. However, the trend
    now is to leave the choice o open or close punctuation to the writer, as long as the writer
    is consistent with his or her choice.
    In the semi-block style,
    style, the beginning o the paragraph is not lef aligned; only the lines
    are lef aligned. Te 󿬁rst line o each paragraph is indented. Te date, closing, signature,
    name, and title are indented to the right hal o the page.
    In the simpli󿬁ed style, In the simpli󿬁ed style,
    style, the letter has neither a salutation nor a closing. A subject line
    the letter neither has a takes the place o the salutation. All lines begin rom the lef margin. Exhibit 11.14 illus-
    salutation nor a closing. trates each o these styles.
    A subject
    place line
    o the takes the
    salutation. A business organization can use any o the styles, but it should use a consistent ormat
    or all business correspondence.

    Layout and Formatting Guidelines


    Te ollowing are a ew guidelines regarding the layout and ormatting o various ele-
    ments o a business letter:
    • Te attention
    attention line: Te attention line should be placed between the inside address
    and the salutation. It is no longer necessary in business letters. When used, it is gen-
    erally ound in letters addressed to the company as a whole, to draw the attention o
    a particular person to the matter discussed in the letter.
    • Te subject line: Te subject line is positioned between the salutation and the inside
    address or the 󿬁rst line o the letter. For instance:
    Dear Ms Ray,
    Subject: Order No. 4567
    • Te date line: Te month should be spelled out and the date placed one double
    space beneath the letterhead. Te date line should be typed at the lef margin in
    the ull-block or simpli󿬁ed style. Place it at the centre i the semi-block style is
    used. Tere is no need or a comma between the month and year. One can separate
    the date rom the year by using a comma as in June 21, 2003.
    • Te second page o a letter: Te second page o a letter is usually
    usu ally plain and without the
    letterhead. Tereore the heading should come afer leaving approximately six lines
    o space rom the top. Te heading should mention the addressee, page number, and
    date. Tis is done so that the second page is identi󿬁ed as a continuation o the 󿬁rst.
    Te heading can be written in one o these ways:
    1. Mrs S. Uberoi ———— 2 ———— July 9, 2003

    2. Mrs S. Uberoi, JJuly


    uly 9, 2003, page 2
    3. Mrs S. Uberoi
    July 9, 2003
    Page 2
    Te 󿬁rst heading style is the simplest. Te same orm should be ollowed or
    subsequent pages, i any.

    BUSINESS LETTERS, MEMOS, AND E󰀭MAILS 185

    Part A: Te Full-block Style Exhibit 11.14


    Business Letter Styles
    BioLeather Pvt Ltd
    Malkapet, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500036
    Ph: 245455
    24545539
    39 E-mail: info@bioleather.com Web site: www.BioLeather.com

    Date September 12, 2009

    Inside address Mr Henry James


    Marketing Manager
    Bioleather Products Corp.
    Sector 14, Gurgaon

    Subject line Subject: Bioleather Products Promotio


    Promotion
    n

    Salutation Dear Mr James:

    Te message

    Yours sincerely,
    KMahajan Signature
    K. Mahajan
    (Vice President of Marketing) Name, title
    Initials o the writer
    KM/sk
    in bold and the typist
    in lowercase letters
    CC: Name, Designation

    Encl: Other notations

    186 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 11.14 Part B: Te Semi-block Style


    (Contd.)

    BioLeather Pvt Ltd


    Malkapet, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500036
    Ph: 245455
    24545539
    39 E-mail: info@bioleather.com
    info@biolea ther.com W
    Web
    eb site: www.BioLeath
    www.BioLeather.com
    er.com

    2 February 2010

    Inside address
    Salutation

    Re: Our Order No Your Dispatch No.

    Te
    message
    Sincerely yours,

    Closing, signature,
    Signature
    name and title
    Name

    Designation

    SP: CK

    BUSINESS LETTERS, MEMOS, AND E󰀭MAILS 187

    Part C: Te Simpli󿬁ed Style Exhibit 11.14


    (Contd.)
    Letterhead
    Date
    Inside address
    Subject line takes
    Subject line: Your order for washing machines the place o the
    salutation

    Te message

    Signature
    Name, Designation
    Wt
    Enclosures

    • Te letterhead: I printed stationery is not available, white paper sized 8½" × 11"
    should be used and the company’s name and address should be typed and centred
    at the top o the page.
    • Te envelope: Te block orm
    or m is best or the address.
    ad dress. Te standard
    st andard official size
    si ze or

    an
    an envelope
    enclosure.isTe
    9½"commercial
    × 4⅛", which
    sizeis envelope,
    used or standard sheets
    6½" × 3⅝", and or
    is used letters thattyped
    letters include
    on
    pages smaller than the standard size.
    • Punctuation: Choose either open or mixed punctuation. In open punctuation, there
    is no punctuation afer the date, lines o the inside address, salutation, and closing.
    Mixed punctuation also drops this punctuation except when a colon or comma is
    used afer the salutation.

    WRITING E󰀭MAILS
    E-mail is the most commonly used mode o interaction among executives and depart-
    ments, and between a company and its customers, clients, distributors, retailers, suppli-
    ers, and vendors. It is the quickest channel o written communication. Any amount o
    inormation, documents,
    docu ments, pictures, and so on, can be sent to the recipients as attachments.

    Receiver’s E-mail Account


    For e-mail connectivity
    connectivit y, one needs to have just the e-mail address o the intended receiver.
    rec eiver.
    Many persons have more than one e-mail account—an
    acc ount—an official account
    acc ount and a personal
    pers onal
    account. Tereore, the sender o the e-mail should know which address is appropriate to
    use. In addition, one has to be careul in typing the address. For example, in the address
    mukesh.chaturvedi@bimtech.ac.in, i there is any mistake, say an extra space, a spelling
    error, or a missing dot, the mail would not be delivered.

    188 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Subject Line
    In an e-mail, the subject line is the 󿬁rst thing that is noticed by the receiver. Tereore, it
    should be composed as precisely as possible. Te writer needs to careully work out the
    wording o the subject line so that the title and context are clear and the reader gets the
    gist o the message. Examples o good subject lines are “Visit postponed to next Monday”
    and “Annual report to be ready this Saturday”.

    Sending Copies
    Te sender may need to send a copy o the e-mail to several persons at the same time.
    Tis is generally simpler i group e-mail IDs are provided. For example, i a company has
    internal group IDs set up, then by writing “marketing” in the “o” line, an e-mail can be
    sent to all the people in the marketing department. Usually, this is an internal acility. In
    external e-mails, the e-mail addresses o all intended receivers are listed in the “Cc” line.
    A “blind carbon copy” o the e-mail can also be sent to one or more persons without the
    knowledge o other receivers, by entering their addresses in the “Bcc” line. However,
    caution should be exercised
    e xercised in mar
    marking
    king blind carbon copies as
    a s this can lead to difficult
    situations. For example, i the sender marks a copy to a person without the knowledge o
    the receiver and the person marked in the “Bcc” 󿬁eld hits “Reply All” in response to that
    mail, it places the
    t he sender in a difficult spot.
    An e-mail is like a memo that needs neither a salutation nor a closing subscription.
    However, i the two persons are communicating or the 󿬁rst time and do not know each
    other personally, the sender may indicate a avourable disposition towards the receiver
    by being riendly. Exhibit 11.15 shows an example o a short, riendly, and clear e-mail
    written by a amous Bollywood actor and youth icon in response to an invitation rom
    a business school.
    Communication Snapshot 11.3 shows a series o e-mails between the COO o ime
    Industries and one o his ormer employees.

    Exhibit 11.15 preeti@gcc.co.in


    A Short, Clear E-mail

    Re: An invitation rom GCC Business School


    Tank you or the invitation Preity, but I am not in Mumbai and am shooting in Dholpur,
    Rajasthan, till the 22nd o this month and then in Roorkee till 21st April.

    Te address where you can send the invite is:

    172 Yugdharma owers


    Opp. Inorbit Mall
    Goregaon (West)
    Mumbai 400062

    BUSINESS LETTERS, MEMOS, AND E󰀭MAILS 189

    The style of the e-mail in Exhibit 11D is businesslike


    businesslike,, formal, and br
    brief,
    ief, but not b
    brusque.
    rusque. It is Communication
    written with conversational ease, in a pleasant tone. The closing sentence reassures Abhinav Snapshot 11.3
    that the issues he raised in his e-mail (Exhibit 11E) would be addressed.
    A Series of E-mails
    c.abhinav@hotmail.com
    Exhibit 11D
    chrischacko@time.com Harish’s E-mail to
    RE: An Urgent Ap
    Appeal!
    peal! Abhinav

    Dear Abhinav,

    Many thanks or your message. May I request you to contact Chris Chacko? He will be your
    single point o contact in ime to resolve this matter. He will also advise you regarding whom
    you should meet to obtain clari󿬁cations relating to the various areas highlighted by you.

    We are committed to ensuring that you obtain a ull and air response.

    Kind regards,

    Harish

    harish.g@time.com
    Exhibit 11E
    Abhinav’s Original
    chrischacko@time.com
    Message to Harish
    An Urgent Appeal!

    Dear Sir,

    Tis is with reerence to Mr Chris Chacko’s mail o 19 July regarding the issue o clearance.
    Mr Chacko asked me to get in touch with OneCommercial. According to him, OneCommercial
    reported a mismatch o ` 38,000 or the WO–DI
    WO–DI Mall project. As per his advice, I got
    in touch with the commercial team at OneCommercial on the t he 19th. However, on 27 July,
    July,
    I received a mail rom Mrs Chopra stating that there was a shortage o ` 1,50,350, seemingly
    held against me. In addition, some stock reports were sent to Mr Aakash in OneCommercial by
    WO–DI
    WO –DI Mall between 31 May and 21 June with some other 󿬁gures altogether.
    I sent a detailed
    det ailed message to Mrs Chopra regarding this, along with the necessary
    supporting documents. o o bring to your notice the kind o ambiguity there is in the system,
    I have also sent you and Mr Chacko hard copies o the entire set o supporting documents,
    which should reach you in a day or two.
    I am deeply pained because
    bec ause it seems that there is some intention to implicate me. I shall be
    very grateul i you could please advise me
    me how I should proceed
    proceed with the matter
    matter..

    Regards,
    Abhinav Chaturvedi

    An e-mail should be written the way we talk.


    talk . This makes the writing vivid. It should read like
    the sender (writer) and the receiver (reade
    (reader)
    r) are conversing face-to-face. Exhibit 11F is an
    example of a conversational style of writing an e-mail; it is from Chris Chacko to Abhinav in
    response to Abhinav’s e-mail (Exhibit 11G).
    The openin
    opening g phras
    phrase
    e of
    of C
    Chri
    hris’
    s’s e-mai
    e-maill in
    in E
    Exhi
    xhibit
    bit 11F
    11F,, “Hi Abh
    Abhina
    inav”
    v”,, ssets
    ets an ami
    amiabl
    ablee tone
    tone.. F
    Furth
    urther
    er,, the
    the
    use of passive voice does not allow him to sound accusatory. In addition, Chris shares the chain of his
    thoughts in a candid manner with Abhinav. Chris’s e-mail is written in a st style
    yle that makes the official
    communication between a senior executive and a junior business manager more like a personal chat.

    190 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 11F c.abhinav@hotmail.com


    Chris’ss Message to
    Chris’
    Abhinav harish.g@time.com;; saumya.sh
    harish.g@time.com saumya.shah@OneCommercial.com
    ah@OneCommercial.com
    Re: An Urgen
    Urgentt Appeal!

    Hi Abhinav,
    Tere has been stock mismatch worth ` 38,000 that has been reported by OneCommercial
    or DI Mall, which is being looked into.
    I too do not know under what head the amount o ` 1,947 has been credited to your
    account. I am surprised to hear that you have not received any response regarding this rom
    OneCommercial despite your ollow-up.
    ollow-up. Could you tell me whom you spoke to? Saumya
    Shah, the Regional HR Manager, con󿬁rms that you have not spoken with her.
    I cannot give any timeline regarding when your clearance will come through, as it is was
    clearly mentioned that clearance ormalities need to be completed by you, and you have not
    obtained clearance rom OneCommercial. Please take this up with OneCommercial directly
    as you need to get your clearance ormalities completed to settle your accounts.

    Regards,
    Chris

    Exhibit 11G chrischacko@time.com


    Abhinav’s Original E-mail
    harish.g@time.com
    to Chris
    An Urgent Appeal!

    Dear Sir,

    It has been three weeks since I wrote to you about my clearance. On the 13th o July,
    I received an amount o ` 1,947 rom itan
    itan Industries Ltd, but I am unable to 󿬁nd out rom
    OneCommercial what head this amount has been credited under.

    Also, despite sending a reminder on 9 July


    July,, I am still waiting or my clearance. Could you
    please help me determine how long this will take?

    Regards,
    Abhinav

    In fact, the success and popularity of e-mail in the world of global business is partly because
    e-mail has the speediness of a telephone conversation and the crispness of a well-written memo
    memo..

    Te ollowing is a summary o the broad guidelines that need to be ollowed while


    writing business letters, memos, and e-mails:
    • Consider the readers’ (receivers’) needs and expect
    expectations.
    ations.
    • Understand the p purpos
    urposee or writing the message and the total context in which it is
    being written.
    • Put essential inormation 󿬁rst.
    • State each point clearly and directly.
    • Use conventional ormats.
    • Be courteous.

    BUSINESS LETTERS, MEMOS, AND E󰀭MAILS 191

    SUMMARY

    • Tis chapter showed that the ability to comm communicate


    unicate • Revision is also essential to the writing process as
    inormation in a simple, clear, concise, and precise writ- it helps the writer clariy or reconsider his or her
    ten orm is o great value or a successul manager and thoughts.
    or the smooth unctioning o his or her
    h er organization. • Tere are various types o routine, good-news, and per-
    • It is extremely important to pla
    plan
    n ahead beore writing, suasive letters, which all require a certain
    cer tain organization,
    as this is essential or achieving clarity o thought and tone, and content.
    expression. Te writer must know his or her audience • E-mails ha
    have
    ve become popular in b business
    usiness comm
    communica-
    unica-
    and purpose and choose the correct words and the tion because they combine the speed o telephone con-
    appropriate tone to write effectively. versations with the crispness
    crispness o a well-writ
    well-written
    ten memo.

    CASE: A REPLY SENT TO AN ERRING CUSTOMER

    In businesses, it is important to write tactul letters that customer’s goodwill. Te writer should believe that the
    promote good customer relations. Tis is particularly true customer is king and that the customer is always right.
    or letters that reuse the customer’s request or whatever Examine the ollowing letter with this perspective and
    reason, because these letters should try to retain the answer questions given at the end o it:

    Dear Sir,
    Your letter o the 23rd, with a cheque or ` 25,000 on account, is to hand.
    We note what you say regarding the diffi culty you exexperienced
    perienced in collecting your outstanding accounts, but wewe
    are compelled to remark that we do not think you are treating us with the consideration we have a right to expect.
    It is true that small remittances have been orwarded rom time to time, but the debit balance against you has
    been steadily increasing during the past twelve months until it now stands at the considerable total o ` 85,000.
    Having regard to the many years during which you have been a customer o this house and the generally
    satisactory character o your account, we are reluctant to resort to harsh measures.

    We must, however, insist that the existing balance be cleared by regular installments o say ` 10,000
    10,000 per
    month, and the 󿬁rst installment should reach us by the 7 April. Meanwhile, you shall need to pay cash or all
    urther goods; we are
    are allowing
    allowing you an extra 3 per cent
    cent discount
    discount in lieu o cred
    credit.
    it.
    We shall be glad to hear rom you about this arrangement, as otherwise we shall have no alternative but to
    close your account and place the matter in other hands.
    Yours truly,

    Questions to Answer
    1. Comment on the app
    appropriateness
    ropriateness o the sender’
    sender’ss tone 3. Rewrite the letter according to the principles o effective
    to a customer. writing in business.
    2. Poin
    Pointt ou
    outt the old-ashioned p
    phrases
    hrases and exp
    expressions.
    ressions.

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    1. Discuss the organizatio


    organization
    n and patt
    pattern
    ern o ideas in “yes
    “yes”” 4. What stra
    strategies
    tegies can be used to de-emphasize a reusal
    letters. to a customer?
    2. Analyse the pat
    pattern
    tern o ““no
    no”” letters. Give ideas o
    on
    n how tto
    o 5. How does a m
    memo
    emo differ rom a letter?
    organize these letters. 6. Mention three important
    important characteristics o written com-
    3. What is the basic ou
    outline
    tline o a persuasive letter? Justiy munication that you would like to achieve in your letters
    the structure o ideas in a persuasive letter. and memos.

    192 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    7. Bring out the basic relationship between clarity o 9. Should a business letter necessar
    necessarily
    ily be written in a ormal
    thought and clarity o writing. and impersonal style? Discuss your viewpoint clearly.
    8. What causes wo
    wordiness
    rdiness in business let
    letters?
    ters? Gi
    Give
    ve exam- 10. “Many business letters don’t produce immediate and/or
    ples o wordiness and provide the concise orms. discernible results.”
    results.” Give reasons or their ine
    ineffectiveness.
    ffectiveness.

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

    1. Formal, stiff let


    letters,
    ters, written in cer
    ceremonious
    emonious language 3. Writing mark
    marketing
    eting and sales letters offers challenges to
    are a thing o the past in modern business transactions.
    transac tions. the writer. Discuss some o these challenges.
    Discuss whether this is true.
    2. “Most letters written in the course o business are
    important to the writer as well as the reader.” Show how
    this is the case.

    APPLY YOUR LEARNING


    1. “Last week, I paid my balance in ull with a perso
    personal
    nal 2. Comment on each o the ollowing sentences:
    cheque. However, the enclosed statement shows a (a) “Y
    “Yes,
    es, we app
    appreciate
    reciate the reasoning behind your let-
    current balance o ` 300. Will you please correct my ter.” (As an opening sentence.)
    account balance to the correct 󿬁gure—zero?” Write a
    (b) “Our policy is always to reuse such requests. We
    “no” response to this letter explaining why the request
    are sorry your request, thereore, is reused.
    reused.””
    cannot be granted.

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    From the given options please choose the most appropriate answer:*
    1. Business let
    letters
    ters produce immediate effect because they are: 6. Simplicity in writing means essentially:
    (a) brie (b) ormal (a) the use o simple words
    (c) inormal (d) interesting (b) the use o simple sentences
    (c) the use o simple tense
    2. Letters that please the receiver ar
    aree called: (d) plainness
    (a) good-news letters (b) routine letters
    7. Writing a letter with “you-attitude”
    “you-attitud e” means writing:
    (c) invitatio
    invitation
    n letters (d) yes letters
    (a) rom the point oo view o
    o the writ
    writer
    er
    3. Te purpose o a “no
    “no”” response letter is tto
    o leave the (b) rom the point o view o the reader
    reader with: (c) rom the point o view o other persons not concerned
    (a) no uture hope (d) using the word “you” repeatedly
    (b) minimum disappointmen
    disappointmentt 8. Good business letters are characterized by the o
    ollowing
    llowing
    (c) unpleasant eelings personal quality o the writer:
    (d) reasons or the rejection o the request
    (a) sincerity (b) seriousness
    4. Form letters are also kno
    known
    wn as: (c) humour (d) ormality
    (a) persuasive sales letters (b) bad news letters 9. Te sim
    simpli󿬁ed
    pli󿬁ed style business letter has:
    (c) ormal letters (d) circular letters (a) a salutation (b) a complimen
    complimentary
    tary close
    (c) a subject line (d) indentation
    5. A memorandum (memo) is considered a brie orm o
    written communication or: 10. Modern business letters ar
    aree usually written in:
    (a) internal use (b) ormal use (a) ull-block style (b) semi-block style
    (c) external use (d) legal use (c) indented style (d) simpli󿬁ed style

    *For answers and sel-evaluation, visit www.pearsoned.co


    www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi
    .in/PDChaturvedi

    12
    Social Media

    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    In the London Games 2012, Holly NBA star Kobe Bryant. While watch-
    o get the most from social Bleasdale, the British pole-vaultex, ing the games from the stands—
    “ rms we need ttoo know
    platforms
    platfo did nothing outstanding. She 󿬁n- their pictures, cosying up appeared
    ished sixth in her event. But Bleas- across the newspapers. On August 10,
    what they do best.
    dale achieved a star’s fame when on Rice shot back at the media through

    —Nandini Di as August 6, she took to a microblogging


    site to announce to the world that her
    Twitter “FYI yes Kobe and I are friends,
    friends,
    but no we are not together and never
    COO, Lodestar UM boy friend had proposed to her. The have been. Can’t guys and girls be just
    ” papers and TV channels lapped it up. friends?” (Note: FYI is short form of for
    Australian swimming beauty Stephane your information
    information) The examples of the
    Rice was the subject of endless spec- reach and in󿬂uence of social media
    ulation about her proximity with US are numerous.

    INTRODUCTION
    People’s longing or eeling the comort o being connected with one another
    has always been there. So they communicate, using whatever medium
    Upon completion of this chapter, you they have—images or words. Even Caveman, our ancestors o Bronze Age
    should be able to: used social networks. Tey can be considered pre-historic versions o the
    contemporary Facebook. Some British scientists “claim to have discovered a
    1 Understand the meaning of pre-historic version o Facebook” used by Bronze Age tribes to communicate
    social media. with each other. “Studying thousands o images scrawled across two granite
    2 Know the use of social media rock sites in Russia and Sweden, a Cambridge University team o scientists
    as a universal phenomenon. claimed the ‘sites were like an archaic version’ o the social networks where
    as a universal phenomenon.
    3 Learn different forms of social users shared thoughts and emotions and gave stamps o approval to other
    media. contributors—similar to the Facebook ‘like.’ ” 1
    Tese Cambridge scientists believe that “there’s clearly something quite
    4 Know how to choose the most
    special
    speci spac es”..2 According to Mark Sapwell, one o team research-
    al about these spaces”
    suitable social media for your
    ers, people went there because they knew peoplepe ople had been there beore them.
    speci󿬁c purpose.
    Bringing out the similarities between the Bronze Age carved spaces and the
    5 Know how the concept of
    modern Facebook platorm Sapwell says, “like to-day people have always
    communication is changed
    wanted to eel connected to each other—this was an expression o identity
    by social media.
    or those very
    ver y early societies, language.”3
    so cieties, beore written language.”
    Te Sapwell group o Cambridge scientists have been investigating
    the sites, one in Zalavruga in Russia and another in Namorsen, northern
    Sweden. Tese sites contain about 2,500 images such as animals, humans,
    boats and hunting parties. Sapwell observes, “Like a Facebook status invites
    comment, the rock art invites addition—the way the variations o image both
    mirror and reinterpret act as a kind o call and response between different
    packs o hunters across hundred, even thousands o years.”years.”4

    194 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Tese scientists believe “ancient man continued to go back to the exact same locations
    to draw and communicate or thousands o years as it provided them with ‘comort’ and
    a deep
    de ep ‘‘human conne ction’ ”. 5
    human connection’
    Like “ancient man”, modern man constantly keeps visiting social media sites or
    comort and deep human connection. Here’s an insightul account o use o social media
    today.. It is interspersed with valuable observations o Olympic gold medalist SSebastian
    today ebastian
    Coe, who is also the chairman o the London Organizing Committee.

    LET THE FIRST “SOCIAL MEDIA GAMES” BEGIN!


    “It was a common sight till the turn o the archetypal millennium—a sports an sitting at
    home, watching the action live on the
    t he V
    V,, and, upon being overwhelmed
    over whelmed by passion, hurling
    abuses at the screen in ront o him. He didn’t really have an alternative—Social Media was a
    term he had never heard o. ” Would
    Would all that later on his whole experienc
    experiencee as a viewer changed
    with “the creation o social networking sites such as My Space (in 2003) and Facebook
    (in 2004)”, which led to the great popularity o blogging and tweeting as, common modes
    o interacting
    By Athens across the socialconnections
    2004 internet world o netizens, specially
    had became teenagers
    aster, and young
    mid-range adults. came
    cell phones
    equipped with at least a VGA camera, and now, the derelict Orkut was a blip on the hori-
    zon. However, even by the time the quadrennial multi-sport extra vangoiza made its way
    to China or the 󿬁rst time, microblogging was virtually unheard o, and Facebook barely
    had 100 million users.”
    “Cut to the present, and technology has penetrated in more ways than was imaginable
    our summers ago—over
    ago—over hal o Facebook 900 million users log in through their smart
    phones, and the hal-a-billion netizens, who have something to share, instead o blog-
    ging, send out almost as many tweets or 140-character microblog.”6
    Sebastian Coe observes, “Te
    “ Te ans are part o the action. Tey can comment on con-
    tent, interact with the atheletes, create and publish their own content. Never beore has
    there been such a channel to interact with the world, specially with the youth.”

    THE AGE OF INTERNET


    I NTERNET COMMUNICATION TOOLS
    oday, we hear so many new technical terms, such as web, internet, serete, blogging etc.
    Except or the younger generation, who are well advanced in the use o modern internet
    based electronic gadgets and applications, most o us need a brie introduction to the
    meaning o these terms.
    • Te Web: Te system on the internet that allows us to 󿬁nd and use the inormation
    that is on computers all over the world.
    • Webpage: All the inormation that you can see in one part o a website.
    • Website: A place on the internet where you can 󿬁nd inormation about something,
    especially a particular organization,
    organization, topic, or individual.
    • Te Internet: A computer system that allows millions o computer users around the
    world to exchange inormation.
    • Chat-room: A place on the internet where you can write messages to other people
    and receive messages back rom them immediately so that you can have a conversa-
    tion while you are online.
    • Facebook: A social networking website started in 2004.
    1 WHAT
    WHAT DOES SOCIAL MEDIA
    MEDI A MEAN?
    Understand the
    meaning o social Te term social media was coined around 2004, afer the creation o the Usenet (in 1979)
    media. and other social networking sites such as My Space (in 2003) and Facebook (in 2004).
    o be able to understand social media, we should 󿬁rst talk o Web 2.0 (in 2004) and

    SOCIAL MEDIA 195

    user generated content. Web 2.0 describes a new way o utilising the world wide web
    as a platorm or continuously creating, publishing, adding, and changing the content
    in a participative and collaborative manner by all users; the individual initiator o the
    message (content) and the subsequent respondents to it.
    Te ollowing essentials o social media extend the meaning and scope o the inter-
    personal communication as a quickest mode o collective opinion orming platorm.
    2
    Know the use o social
    • Its key is interaction.
    media as a universal
    • Te receiver also creates the content. phenomenon.
    • Te social messag
    messagee is the sum o
    o all the ways in
    in which the receivers
    receivers contribute
    contribute to the
    creation o the content by adding their own responses and comments which modiy
    the content in its total orm.
    echnically, this process o continuous transactional communication and creation o
    content by the message readers, developed the idea o the user generated content (UGC),
    which can be regarded as a sum o all ways in which people use social media.
    Tis view emphasizes the point that social media is a network site that organizes the
    participants who are already a part o an extended social network. In other words, its
    distinguishing eature is that people are not “net working” necessarily to connect with
    new riends, but to maintain the pre-existing networks to meet and talk with people who
    have similar interests and views as yours.

    Open Diary
    Te present day use and concept o social
    soci al media emerges
    eme rges rom Bruce and Susan Ableson’s,
    Ableson’s,
    social networking, in 1959, called “Open Diary”, which was an online diary writers’ net-
    work. Te “Open Diary” writers were connected together to orm a community o net
    users sharing one another’s semi public account o themselves. Te same year, the term
    “weblog” was 󿬁rst used and subsequently changed into “we-blog”, thus ormed a verb
    “blog rom the noun weblog”.

    Weblog
    Te growing number o younger generations and X-generation users o high speed
    internet has made the weblog widely popular. Te creation o social networking sites
    such as My Space (in 2003) and Facebook (in 2004) brought in the term “social media”
    in 2005. According to Keplan and Haenlein the term social media is usually applied to
    describe “the various orms o media content that are publicly available and created by
    end users”. 7

    CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIAL MEDIA


    o be considered as part o social network, the UGC, according to the Organization
    or Economic Corporation and Development (OECD, 2007), should have the ollowing
    three characteristics:
    characteristics:
    1. It should be published either on a publicly accessible website or on a social network-
    ing site accessible to a selected group o people. Hence, UGC leaves out content
    exchanged in individualized e-mails or instant messages.
    2. Second, it should indicate that some creative effort has gone
    gone into its generation. Tis
    means just a mere reproduction o already existing content or example, posting a
    copy o an article printed in a magazine or newspaper on a personal blog without
    any comments or changes would not be considered to be UGC.
    3. Tirdly and 󿬁nally any content that has been created rom a commercial market point
    o view is not considered social content. It should be created outside o proessional
    context o practices and considerations. For example, posting reviews to shopping

    196 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    sites is a contribution to social media i it expresses your view o a product without


    considering its effects on its sale. It is an online contribution to the content gener-
    ated by other consumers o the product.

    CLASSIFICATION OF SOCIAL MEDIA


    Because o the multiplicity o existing orms o social media such as Facebook, You
    ube, Wikipedia and emerging orms such as virtual social worlds like second lie and
    virtual game worlds, or example world o war craf, it is considered better to classiy
    social media theoretically on the basis o some key component related to media as such
    and the social dimension o social media. Tus the two bases o classi󿬁cation are:
    1. Social presence
    22.. Te concept o sel-presentation
    sel-prese ntation
    Social Presence
    Social media differ in the degree o social (contact) presence they allow to be enjoyed
    by their users as two communicating partners. Media richness is closely related to the
    concept o social presence.
    Social presence means the acoustic, visual and physical con
    contact
    tact that can be achieved
    between the two interacting partners. For example, compare the richness o social pres-
    ence in direct ace to ace communication with the mediated, through some medium,
    communication over the telephone, or an ordinary mobile. In ace to ace communi-
    cation, both the communicating parties hear, see and, i desired also physically can
    touch one another. Face to ace communication thus provides to the communication
    high degree o social presence. Now, compare it to the telephone conversation which
    provides only acoustic (voice) contact. Tereore, as a social medium, telephone helps
    achieve a low degree o social presence/
    presence/contact.
    contact. Social presence is in󿬂uenced by the inti-
    macy (interpersonal vs mediated) and immediacy (asynchronous vs synchronous) o the
    medium, and can be expected to be lower or mediated (e.g., telephone conversation)
    than interpersonal (e.g., ace-to-ace discussion and or asynchronous), (e.g., e-mails)
    than synchronous (e.g., live chat) communications. Te higher the social presence,
    the larger the social in󿬂uence that the communication partner’s have on each other’s
    behaviour.
    “Media richness theory is based on the assumption that the goal o any communi-
    cation is the resolution o ambiguity and reduction o uncertainty. It states that media
    differ in the degree o richness they possess—that is, the amount o inormation they
    allow to be transmitted in a given time interval—and that thereore some media are
    more effective than others, in resolving ambiguity, and uncertainty.” 8
    The Concept of Self-presentation
    Te concept o sel-presentation states that “in any type o social interaction people have
    the desire to control the impressions other people orm o them”. Tey project them-
    selves as they wish to be perceived by others. Tereore, such a sel-presentation is done
    through deliberate disclosure o desirable aspects o yoursel. Te aim is to develop, close
    relationships
    relationships with others. Tis is the purpose o people to create a personal webpage, or
    example, the wish to present themselves in Cyberpage9 sel-disclosure is a critical step
    in the development o close relationships (e.g., during dating) or between strangers on
    a journey.
    Social media can be classi󿬁ed also on the basis o the “degree o sel-disclosure it
    requires and the type o sel-presentation it allows.”10
    Tere are three classi󿬁cations in respect o social presence/media richness and two,
    high or low classi󿬁cations in respect o sel-presentation/sel-disclosure. ext based
    as against content based applications such as blogs and wikipedia have lowest social

    SOCIAL MEDIA 197

    presence and thereore provide only a relatively simple interaction. Tey are rated as low
    as applications which have content.
    For example, Youube/and social networking sites (e.g., Facebook) allow, besides
    text-based communication, the opportunity to share pictures, videos and other orms
    o media content. o the highest level belong the virtual social communities and worlds
    o virtual games and wars. For example, Second Lie, World O Warcraf (WOW). Tese
    virtual sites create the illusion o real ace-to-ace interactions
    interactions in a virtual environment
    environment
    o 3-dimensional
    3-dimensional reality.
    In respect o sel-presentation and sel-disclosure, collaborative projects gener-
    ally score less than blogs, because the ormer usually ocus on a speci󿬁c content area.
    Blogs can relate to any aspect o content. From the social-presentation and sel-disclo-
    sure point o view “social networking sites allow or more sel-disclosure than content
    communities”. 11

    NATURE
    NATURE AND SCOPE OF SIX TYPES OF SOCIAL MEDIA
    MEDI A
    3
    Collaborative
    Collaborativ e Projects Learn different orms
    As orms o communication, collaborative projects are most democratic in nature. Many
    o social media.
    end users can jointly contribute to the content creation. Tis category includes wikis
    and social book marking applications. Te distinction between these two applications is
    that wikis are the websites which let users change and modiy the text based content by
    adding or removing some part o the content whereas social book marking applications
    allow the group o users to collect and share the media content. Te on-line encyclope-
    dia, available in nearly 230 different languages, is the best example o wiki application.
    Delicious is the example o social book marking web service as collaborative project.
    Te collaborative project websites tend to be considered more credible than the work o
    a single individual as sources o inormation. Tough everything written on Wikipedia
    may not be correct, yet most internet users psychologically accept it as true because it
    is the world o several collaborators, not o a single user o the internet. For example,
    Pearson uses internal wikie platorm Neo to share with its employees inormation on
    the current status o its on-going projects, new developments, projections and plans and
    suggest new ideas which a large majority o its employees use.

    Blogs
    Blogs represent the social media version o personal web pages. Tey are like personal
    diaries. A single individual
    ind ividual or an organization or company writes on the webpage—some-
    thing, some observation or some personal view on a speci󿬁c content such as launching
    o a new product or plan to disband the group o social workers, India against corrup-
    tion. Hundreds o blogs rom other net users are posted in response to the single blog
    initiated by a single person or a single company or organization. Te key point is that all
    blogs are on the same particular theme. Te text based blogs are thus usually managed
    by one person only, but they offer ree opportunity or interaction with other’s through
    exchange o comments. Blogs are most requently used by companies to inorm custom-
    ers, shareholders, and employees about the latest developments in their organization.
    But thisagainst
    posted communicating act may sometimes,
    the product/service embarrass
    by dissatis󿬁ed a company
    customers by the negative
    or employees. blogs
    O course,
    the negative eedback has a positive corrective role to improve the thing, but the act that
    the negative comment is an the Cyberspace and thereore the damaging inormation is
    shared by many on customers or workers as well.

    Content Communities
    Content communities are used as platorms or sharing, other users media content such
    as books via Book Crossing, photos through Flicker, video via Youube and PowerPoint

    198 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    presentations on slideshare. As communication channels content communities enable


    organizations to show videos o press announcements and key note speeches o impor-
    tant visitors to their employees and other visitors.

    Social Networking Sites


    Social networking sites are perhaps the most popular applications that users o inter-
    net use to create personal inormation pro󿬁les and share them with their riends and
    colleagues. Sites such as My Space and Facebook are requently used to send e-mails and
    instant messages to each other. Tese personal pro󿬁les can have any type o inormation,
    including videos, blogs, audio 󿬁les, and photographs.

    Virtual Game Worlds


    According to Kaplan and Haenlein “Virtual worlds are platorms that replicate a three
    dimensional environment in which users can appear in the orm o personalized avtars
    and interact with each other as they would in real lie”. 12 Tis orm is used in advertising
    and promotion media specially with the community o gamers.

    Virtual Social Worlds


    Worlds
    As in virtual game worlds the virtual social worlds, such as second lie application allo allow
    w
    the users to create content such as clothes, money, or urniture and choose to live reely a
    virtual lie
    lie similar
    similar to their real
    real lie. Kaplan
    Kaplan and
    and H
    Haenlein
    aenlein believe
    believe that
    that virtual social wo
    worlds
    rlds
    are source o varied opportunities or companies in marketing (advertising), communi-
    cation, virtual product sales/v-commerce, marketing research and human resource and
    internal process management.13

    4 PURPOSE/CHOOSING THE MOST SUITABLE SOCIAL MEDIA


    o have maximum bene󿬁ts rom the use o social media, you need to know which o the
    Know how to choose online applications meet your purpose best. You should know which social platorm you
    the most suitable should choose when you want to do one o the ollowing things:
    social media or your
    speci󿬁c purpose. • Meet new people
    • Stay in touch with riends
    • Promote yoursel
    • Make contacts or work
    • Learn something new
    • Share knowledge and experiences
    experiences with riends and others
    • Be creative
    • Change opinions o others
    • Express yoursel
    • Seek other person’s opinions
    • Know the social world around you
    • Develop a sense
    sense o
    o be
    belonging
    longing
    • Relax and entertain yoursel
    • Keep yoursel up-to-date.
    Tereore, choosing the right medium
    mediu m or a given purpose in the presence
    prese nce o a large group
    o social platorms is important. It requires a careul consideration o what they do best.

    Target Group
    For commercial purposes also understand and study the target group’s preerences or
    certain media according to that age group and technology exposure. You should choose
    accordingly.

    SOCIAL MEDIA 199

    REVISITING THE COMMUNICATION THEORY

    Communication that has its birth in the human instinct to relate with one another has
    ound its ul󿬁llment through the use o internet across the world. oday, people stay
    connected with each other by one-way communication, two-way communication, and
    5
    Know how the concept
    o communication
    3-dimensional
    3-dimension al virtual communication. Te technological effort has been to enable cyber
    c yber is changed by social
    space communication to have intimacy and immediacy o live ace-to-ace communi- media.
    cation. Facebook, blog and virtual social worlds rede󿬁ne the act o communicating by
    enriching the medium and also changing it into a truly democratic content.
    oday, a sender is no more the sole creator o message. Te receiver(s) across the
    globe contribute to the communication content. In the modern age o democracy, this
    democratization o social media communication represents human desire to be ree and
    equal in all respects o participation in the creation o meaning o message.

    SUMMARY
    • Te chap
    chapter
    ter de󿬁nes social media as a group o ininternet-
    ternet- process o creation o content by the sender and the
    based applications that allow the creation
    c reation and exchange endless respondents together.
    o user generated content. Te chapter discusses the • Te classi󿬁cation o different types o social media
    ollowing. depends on the intimacy and immediacy they allow to
    • Social media as ttools
    ools o interpersonal comm
    communication
    unication the communicators.
    are no more controlled by a single individual. Instead, • o get the best rom
    rom social media, know what each orm
    this orm o communication represents a collaborative does best.

    CASE: WAS LONDON OLYMPICS 2012 THE “SOCIAL󰀭OLYMPICS”?

    Social media’s popularity and in󿬂uence is ast growing. But social media is a double-edged weapon which cuts two-
    Instead o depending on the traditional media or inorma- ways. It gives global visibility and acclaim but it can also
    tion and updates, people, specially teenagers are increas- damage you world-wide. Voula Papachriston,
    Papachriston, the Greek tri-
    ingly resorting to their avorite sites through computers, ple-jumper,, became the 󿬁rst athelete in history to be banned
    ple-jumper
    tablets or smart phones to immediately get latest news and rom Olympics or posting a comment that was considered
    status. Facebook, witter, or Youube are allowing them to as a racist
    r acist comment against Arican immigrants. Next to be
    enjoy instant 󿬁rst-hand experience o the thrill, excitement thrown out was Swiss deender Michel Morganella afer he
    or despair and richness o the event as a real
    rea l spectacle taking posted a blog ollowing a deeat against
    a gainst South Korea in oot-
    place beore them. ball which was thought to be “discriminating, insulting and
    On the very 󿬁rst day o opening ceremony about violating the dignity o the South Korean ootball team and
    10 million tweets were sent. Te heavy transmission o social the people.”
    media disrupted the GPS devices o London that interered
    with the internet viewing o that day’s mens’ cycling event. Questions to Answer
    IOC had to ask viewers
    v iewers to “take it easy” while blogging at the 1. Would you agree that social media
    media should be used car
    care-
    e-

    games venue.althetes
    usage among It also laid
    and down guidelinesthem
    ans, requesting or social media
    to post in “a ully because
    thinking o the
    across its huge in󿬂uence
    world? on should
    What care people’sbeway o
    taken
    󿬁rst person, diary-type ormat and like a journalist”. while using it as a social platorm?
    It is evident that social media is rapidly growing in its reach 2. Comment oon
    n the con
    content
    tent o
    o social media, posting the
    and in󿬂uence. It is changing the ways athletes, ans and the London Olympics 2012 internationally.
    organizers interact and communicate
    communicate their experiences o the
    events without any intermediaries instantly across the world.
    Teir thrill o instant connectivity through social media is Source: Adapted rom “Was it the ‘social olympics’?” by Seemoy
    certainly being enjoyed by the athletes and their ans. alkudar, Te imes of India,
    India, New Delhi, uesday, August 14, 2012.

    200 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    1. In what sense pre-histo


    pre-historic
    ric cavemen were using social 6. Discuss the two most important characteristics o
    media sites? Discuss. social media which are perhaps responsible or its
    2. Discuss the in󿬂uence o internet on the nature o worldwide extra-ordinary popularity.
    communication.
    com munication. 7. Discuss some o the inherent risks in using social media
    3. Explain the technological oundation o modern social or promotional purposes.
    media. 8. Explain what is meant by the democratisation o com com--
    4. De󿬁ne social media as an internet-based plato
    platorm
    rm o munication by social media.
    communication. 9. Write a note on the origin o the term “social media”.
    5. Discuss the in󿬂uence o the use o social media o
    on
    n the 10. Discuss the main eatures o Facebook as a social net-
    process o communication as a collaborative activity, work platorm.
    not controlled by a single individual.

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING


    1. What is the primary purpose o social media users? 4. Can you mmaintain
    aintain privacy o
    on
    n social plat
    platorms?
    orms? I yes,
    show how can you be social yet individual in sharing
    2. Elaborate your experience o blogging.
    your personal inormation with others?
    3. Bring out the basic difference between blog and 5. In what sense is social m
    media
    edia a system o keeping an
    Facebook. open diary?

    APPLY YOUR
    YOUR LEARNING
    LEARN ING
    1. “Is social media just old wi
    wine
    ne in new bottl
    bottles?”
    es?” Comment 4. “Virtual gam
    gamee and social worlds repli
    replicate
    cate all dimen-
    and discuss. sions o ace to ace communication”. Discuss and
    2. Discuss the in󿬂uence o social media
    media on tthe
    he contro
    controll o illustrate.
    contentt by the users (receivers) o media (message).
    conten 5. Explain the negative aand
    nd damaging aspects o social
    3. Why do collaborative projects such as Wikipedia and b
    blogs
    logs media or the corporate world, specially or marketing
    score lowest as compared to Facebook and virtual worlds? o products and services.

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    From among the given options, choose the most appropriate


    appropriate answer:*
    1. All hum
    human
    an beings need to eel the comort o being 2. Social media communicatio
    communication
    n is controlled by
    (a) heard (a) a single individual
    (b) connected (b) no body
    (c) noticed (c) thousands o internet users across the world
    (d) praised (d) a targeted audience

    *For answers and sel-evaluation, visit www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi


    www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi

    SOCIAL MEDIA 201

    3. Social presence is in󿬂uenced by 7. A blog is writt


    written
    en on a single particular top
    topic
    ic by
    (a) several persons
    (a)
    (b) intimacy
    immediacy (b) a single person or company on a single topic
    (c) clarity (c) on several topics
    (d) both intimacy and immediacy (d) several writers on different topics
    4. Te content exchanged in individualised e-mails or 8. Virtual worlds replicate reality which is
    instant messages is (a) our-dimensio
    our-dimensional
    nal
    (a) not included in UGC (b) two-dimensional
    (b) modi󿬁ed in UGC (c) three-dimensional
    (c) included in UGC (d) one-dimensional
    (d) subject to the choice o the user 9. Content comm
    communities
    unities are used as platorm
    platormss to share
    5. In a social presentation the people wa
    want
    nt to give others content o
    an impression that is (a) books
    (a) real (b) video
    (b) controlled (c) pictures
    (c) better (d) all the above (a)(b)(c)
    (d) alse 10. elephon
    elephonee conversat
    conversation
    ion provides tthe
    he communi
    communicators
    cators
    6. Te goal o an
    anyy comm
    communication
    unication iiss to be social presence contact whose degree is
    (a) clear and precise and certain (a) low
    (b) practical (b) medium
    (c) ambiguous (c) high
    (d) uncertain (d) rich

    ENDNOTES

    1. “Even Cavemen
    reprinted in Te U
    Used
    sed Social
    imes Networks,
    of India, New ”Delhi,
    PI, London,
    22 May o Social
    Keley Media”,
    School BusinessIndiana
    o Business, Horizons (2010) .53, 59–68,
    University
    University.
    2012, p. 17. 8. Ibid., p. 61.
    2. Ibid.
    9. Ibid., p. 62.
    3. Ibid.
    10. Ibid.
    4. Ibid.
    11. Ibid.
    5. Ibid.
    12. Ibid., p. 64.
    6. ‘Let the 󿬁rst ““Social
    Social Media Games” begin
    begin’’ by Abhiman
    Abhimanya,
    ya,
    imes, 2nd July 2012, New Delhi, back
    Hindustan imes, 13. Ibid.
    cover page.
    7. Andreas M. Kalpan and Michael Haenlein, “U
    “Users
    sers o
    the World Unite! Te Challenges and Opportunities

    This page is intentionally left blank.


    Business Reports

    13 COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    Rajesh Tewari, a middle-level execu- did not know how a report was writ-
    . . . a report covers everything tive in the marketing department of ten. Finally, he searched the Internet
    “
    that has to be covered but Samsung, Noida, faced some
    som e diffi cul- to learn about the form and structure
    ties when he was asked to submit a of short technical/business reports.
    nothing more.
    report on his plan to expand the com- Before it was too late, he hurriedly

    —H. A. Shearing pany’s retail outlets in metropolitan dashed off a report to his senior
    areas he had recently visited. More manager.
    and B. C. Christian than a week had passed since his visit, However, the report left the sen-
    ” but he had not been able to begin
    begi n the ior manager asking himself several
    report. Something or the other kept questions that were not answered by
    happening to make him postpone Rajesh in his report. Moreover, Rajesh
    writing the report. He felt that if he had presented the data in words that
    had been asked to write an essay on ran into several pages. He failed to
    his business visits to Mumbai and include graphs and illustrations that
    Upon completion of this chapter, you Chennai, he could have easily written would give the reader an idea of the
    should be able to: it. But writing a report, he thought, overall picture at a glance, and this fur-
    was a technical thing. He thought he ther affected the quality of his report.
    1 Understand that a report and
    an essay are two distinct forms
    of written communication and
    be able to differentiate between
    WHAT IS A REPORT?
    their physical structures and the Afer the letter and the memo, the report is the most used orm in business
    styles in which they are written. writing. A report can be de󿬁ned as a communication
    communication in which the wr
    writer
    iter (or
    2 Know the various types of speaker i it is an oral report) provides inormation to some individual or
    reports and their essential organization because it is his or her responsibility to do so. 1 It is an assigned
    elements. communication or a purpose and or a speci󿬁c receiver/reader.
    3 Develop organizing and Te common element in all reports is the element o responsibility. Te
    outlining skills. writer is obliged to communicate what he or she knows to those who need
    this inormation,
    inormation, as a part o an assigned, clearly de󿬁ned, time-bound task.
    4 Learn how to write both long
    and short formal reports in a
    Te differences between a report and other orms o writing are:
    clear, objective style, using the • Other orms o writing, such as essays, are subjective in nature. Tey
    appropriate layout. re󿬂ect the writer’s personality.
    5 Know how to write abstracts • Reports generally dra
    draww on outside sour
    sources.
    ces. Tey present
    present acts, conclu-
    and summaries, introductions, sions, and recommendations based on investigation and analysis o data
    󿬁nal recommendations, and obtained by observation o acts. Appendix 2 discusses the investigation
    conclusions. process in a research study in detail.
    6 Understand the role and use of • Te wor
    wordd “paper”
    “paper” can mean
    mean several things,
    things, such as an aarticle,
    rticle, a detailed report,
    graphics in reports.
    or a project report. However,
    However, it most commonly reers to research writing.
    • Reports h have
    ave a highly
    highly structured
    structured o
    ormat.
    rmat.
    • Each part o a report is numbered
    numbered andand captioned
    captioned with headings
    headings and sub-
    headings.

    204 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    • Te language o a report is concise and concrete.

    1
    Understand that a
    report and an essay are
    • Reports con
    contain
    tain recommendations and conclusions.
    • Tey make use o tables and graphs.
    • Reports are
    are usually preceded by a summary.
    summary.
    two distinct orms o
    written communica- • Reports can be oral or written, but essays are always written.
    tion and be able to • An essay can be actual, but it remains subjective in its treatment and presentation.
    differentiate between Te essayist does not usually offer evidence
    evi dence or his or her writing, nor does the reade
    readerr
    their physical struc- look or it. Te reader o a report, on the other hand, looks or acts and evidence.
    tures and the styles in • As a orm o creative writing, an essay’s
    essay’s purpose is largely sel-expression or the
    which they are written. author and providing entertainment or enjoyment or the reader.
    • An essay is rooted in the writer’s imagination, whereas
    where as a report is rooted in inves-
    tigation and analysis. Tis is why an essay has a beginning, but may not have a
    Te common element report’s logically derived conclusion. Moreover, it has no signposts, headings or
    in all reports is the ele- sub-headings, or bullet points to indicate a coherent structure that moves rom the
    ment o responsibility. beginning, through the middle, to the end.
    Tus, a report is distinct rom an essay or any other orm o writing.

    THE PURPOSE OF A REPORT


    While collecting data, the investigator should remember that the report is not a descrip-
    tive statement o acts, events, or uture possibilities. For example, the purpose o a report
    is not ul󿬁lled i it speaks
    spea ks about “the possibility o change o work site”
    site”.. Instead, the report
    repor t
    should explain the reasons or changing the workplace, discuss the need or doing so,
    Te basic purpose o compare the relative advantages o different choices available, and choose and recom-
    a report is to help the mend the best option. Te basic purpose o a report is to help the management identiy
    management identiy the reasons underlying a speci󿬁c situation. Te actors responsible or the problem, the
    the reasons underlying alternatives available or solving it, and the best course o action to take emerge rom a
    a speci󿬁c situation.
    thorough study o allregarding
    speci󿬁c conclusions relevant acts and actors.
    t he problem’
    the problem Te main
    ’s existence and purpose
    solution.o report is to present

    KINDS OF REPORTS
    2 Broadly speaking, reports are o two kinds:
    Know the various types
    o reports and their • Formal reports that contain
    contain all essential elements o a rreport
    eport
    essential elements. • Semi-ormal/ino
    Semi-ormal/inormal
    rmal reports
    Reports are known by the names rom which they get their purpose and orm. Tey
    are usually identi󿬁ed as:
    • Routine reports: reports made by 󿬁lling in a printed orm
    • Letter reports: reports in the orm
    orm o letters
    • Memo reports: reports in the orm o memos
    • Progress reports: reports on the progress and status o a project
    project
    • Periodic reports
    reports:: reports or keeping
    keeping records,
    records, made routinely
    routinely at regular in
    intervals
    tervals
    • Laborator
    Laboratoryy reports: reports on the results o laboratory work
    • Short reports: short reports that are like ormal reports in tone and other general
    qualities, but are simpler in design because they do not have all the ront and back
    matter, and have a shorter main body
    • Formal rereports:
    ports: reports that are impersonal in tone, detailed,
    detailed, and ully structured

    BUSINESS REPORTS 205

    In the world o business, a report can vary rom a short, inormal account (essentially
    a memo) o the present state o a project to a long, ormal, well-documented report
    o a corporation or government department. Each organization normally has its own
    in-house method o presentation, which its report writers will adhere to. Te writer o a
    report in an organization is guided by the ollowing:
    • A speci󿬁c layout—the sequence in which inormation is presented. For instance,
    recommendations and conclusions may precede the discussion.
    • Its cover details and terms o reerence—this
    reerence—t his includes the name o the organization,
    report code number, and other related inormation about the author, subject, and
    details o submission.

    THE TERMS OF REFERENCE


    In an organization, the task o producing a report on a speci󿬁c problem can be assigned
    to an individual or a team. Te problem, purpose, scope, limitations, budget, cultural
    considerations related to the ethical values o the organization, and the date or submis-
    sion (time limit) are clearly speci󿬁ed when the report is authorized. Tese speci󿬁cations
    guide the report writer. Tey orm what is called “the terms o reerence”. Te person
    authorizing or sanctioning the writing o the report sets down these terms.
    Te process o writing a report is lef entirely to the writer. Report writing involves
    research, analysis, and presentation. Te writer has to 󿬁rst investigate the problem, Te writer has to 󿬁rst
    investigate the problem,
    search or acts, gather evidence, and then analyse the data beore presenting obser-
    search or acts, gather
    vations, conclusions, and suggestions or solutions to the problem. Te writer can evidence, and then
    choose rom a variety o methods when studying the problem—visits, interviews, analyse the data beore
    questionnaires, data banks, past records o the organization, and consulting existing presenting observations,
    literature and documents as relevant sources o inormation. Te writer also needs to conclusions, and sugges-
    know the total context and background o the subject o investigation. Background tions or solutions to the
    study and data collection maym ay sometimes pose
    p ose diffi culties, but without this effort,
    e ffort, a problem.
    report will not be authentic.

    THE OBJECTIVES OF A REPORT


    A report is primarily a source o inormation that helps in decision-making. It can also A report is primarily a
    epo t s p a y a
    be used to offer a solution to a business problem. Its objective can be: source o inormation
    • o give inormation about a company’s
    company’s activities, progress, plans, and problems. that helps in decision-
    making.
    • o record events or uture reerence.
    • o recommend a speci󿬁c action.
    • o justiy and persuade readers about the need or action in controversial situations.
    • o present acts to the management to help decide the direction the business should
    choose.
    Te study and report should be comprehensive. Tey should examine all aspects o
    a problem and the potential solutions. Te recommended solution and its advantages
    or disadvantages should be analysed in relation to management as a whole, not just the
    entrepreneur. All groups—workers, staff, customers, and so on whose interests may be
    affected in different ways by a change should be considered.
    Te report writer should consider the objectives o the report rom the point
    p oint o view
    o its recipients and ask the ollowing questions as guidelines:
    • For whom is the report written?
    • What is their level o inormation and education?

    206 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    • How much do they already know about the problem?

    • Why do they want the report?


    • What do they want to know, and in how m
    much
    uch detail?
    • How does the report’s result (conclusion) help them?

    3 PLANNING AND ORGANIZING INFORMATION


    I NFORMATION
    he writer o a report should choose a method o data collection according to the
    Develop organizing nature and purpose o the proposed study. Beore writing the report, he or she should
    and outlining skills. evaluate the inormation collected or its relevance and useulness, and should plan
    and organize the inormation. he indings should be logically grouped to orm an
    outline o the report.
    Planning the message
    Planning the message beore writing the report will make it clear and easy to ollow.
    ollow.
    beore writing the Planning involves organizing the ideas already identi󿬁ed as important. In the case o a
    short, simple piece o writing such as a letter or memo, the material can be organized
    report will
    and easy tomake it clear
    ollow. by deciding what points to include and how to arrange them. When the material to
    be covered is vast and complex, like in long reports, the writer must plan not just the
    sequence o presentation, but also the subordination and coordination o ideas and acts
    in relation to each other and to the text as a whole.
    Organizing involves two parts:
    • Sequencing inormation
    inormation
    • Outlining inormation

    Sequencing Information
    Inormation can be arranged in three different ways:
    • Randomly
    • Sequentially
    • Hierarchically

    Random Organization
    Random organization, as the term suggests, indicates no visible relationship among the
    ideas and acts presented. Te communicator (writer/speaker) expresses thoughts and
    ideas as they come into his or her mind; the document is just a string o ideas, not a
    pattern.

    Sequential Organization
    A sequence is a set o things relating to one another in sequential order. Each item has
    the same relationship to each o the other items. Examples are alphabetical, numerical,
    or chronological ordering.

    Hierarchical Organization

    Hierarchical organiza- Hierarchical organization


    tance. It is based is an ordering
    on multi-level o items
    relationships. according
    In this pattern, to theirhave
    items relative
    otherimpor-
    items
    tion is based on multi-
    level relationships. placed under them. Hierarchical organization
    organization is best shown as a tree-structure given in
    Exhibit 13.1.
    Tis hierarchical relation among ideas/items is what an outline shows. Tis orm
    o organization helps a reader understand the inormation more easily. Random and
    sequential organization, which are used in computer theory, are not as well suited to
    reports. A reader would eel lost in the maze o unarranged and unpatterned ideas.
    Hence, related ideas should be grouped together.

    BUSINESS REPORTS 207

    Exhibit 13.1
    President Hierarchical Organization

    Vice President Vice President Vice President


    Sales Research Finance

    Senior Sales Senior Finance


    Manager Manager

    Grouping material or writing is done by considering levels o generality. Generality


    is a relative concept because each idea is to be viewed in the context o the whole set o
    ideas. One idea is more general than another i it represents a larger category. For exam-
    ple, “literature” is more general than “novel”, and “communication” is less speci󿬁c than
    “report”. “Report” is more general than “progress report”, which itsel is more general
    than “third-term progress report”, which in turn is less speci󿬁c than “third-term progress
    report o XYZ”.
    Considering levels o generality is useul as both general statements and speci󿬁c
    speci󿬁 c details
    are included in effective communication. For example, in inormative and persuasive
    writing, general statements have to be developed with speci󿬁c acts, reasons, arguments,
    and examples.

    Outline As a Structuring Device


    An outline is a shape-giving device. It is a valuable planning strategy. By making an
    outline, the writer structures the relevant ideas and groups them together on the basis
    o their generality. An outline can be used at different stages o report writing. For
    instance, beore writing or presenting the report orally, an outline helps arrange and
    organize material; when revising, it can be used to see how ar the 󿬁rst draf is logically
    arranged. An outline also points out any weakness in the written document, such as
    missing points or digressions rom the main point.
    An outline is a tentative plan or projection o what the 󿬁nal draf will say. It is possible
    or the outline to change somewhat during the actual writing. In that case, the writer
    should alter the original outline and ensure that the changes do not disturb the logic and
    order o the argument and ideas.
    Formal Outline
    In a ormal outline, the content and ormat ollow the conventions ormed to show
    In a ormal outline,
    relationships among ideas clearly. A ormal outline can be a topic outline or a sentence the content and ormat
    outline. A topic outline consists o a word or a phrase, whereas in a sentence outline ollow the conventions
    each item is a complete sentence. Te two methods are never used together in the same s ame ormed to show rela-
    ormal outline. However, a sentence outline is more helpul or writing. For example,
    “differences in the arts” is a topic outline, but a sentence outline such as “the arts differ tionships
    clearly. among ideas
    in terms o objects, manner, and mode o imitation” provides more detail. A general
    layout o a ormal outline is given in Exhibit 13.2.
    Framing an Outline
    Some guidelines or raming an outline include:
    1. Introductory and concluding sentences: Tese do not orm part o a ormal outline.
    Te thesis or the topic statement is placed beore the 󿬁rst sentence.

    208 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 13.2
    Statement of thesis
    Layout of a Formal
    Outline I. First main idea
    A. First subordinate idea
    1. First reason or illustration
    2. Second reason or example
    a. First supporting detail
    b. Second supporting detail
    B. Second subordinate idea
    II. Second main idea

    2. Numbers, letters, and indentations: Te ormal outline begins with the capitalized
    Roman numeral I, which numbers the 󿬁rst main idea and is ollowed by the Roman
    numerals II, III, and so on, which are used to indicate major subdivisions o the
    topic. Indented capital letters (A, B, C, and so on) are used to mark the next level o
    generality, while small letters (a,b,c, and so on) indicate a urther
    ur ther level o generality,
    i any. Tis arrangement is based on the principle that each subdivision is placed
    above the next level o speci󿬁c detail given by the outline. It may be noted that in
    a sentence outline i an entry is longer than one line, the second line is indented
    by one word. Tat means that the second line begins under the second word o the
    󿬁rst line.
    3. At least two entries at each level: In an outline, there can be a topic numbered “I”
    only i there is “II” that ollows it, and similarly, there can only be an “A” when there
    is a “B”. Without at least two parts, no category can be divided. Where a category
    has only one subdivision, it should either be lef out or reclassi󿬁ed, or expanded to
    include at least two subdivisions.
    subdivisions.
    For example:

    Incorrect
    I. Standards of hygiene in the canteen not satisfactory
    A. Food left over from lunches
    II. Fridge not defrosted frequently
    Correct
    I. Standards of hygiene in the canteen not satisfactory
    II. Safety issues regarding electrical sockets in the canteen
    Correct
    I. Standards of hygiene in the canteen not satisfactory
    A. Food left over from lunches
    B. Fridge not defrosted frequently
    II. Safety issues regarding electrical sockets in the canteen

    4. Levels of generality:
    idea and a supportingAlldetail
    subdivisions
    cannot should
    cannot have
    be placed at the
    the same
    samelevel
    level.o generality. A main
    Incorrect
    I. Starting an IT centre
    II. Conducting computer courses
    Correct
    I. Starting an IT centre
    II. Opening a health resort

    BUSINESS REPORTS 209

    5. No overlap: Tere should be a resh point under each heading. Te same idea should

    not be repeated in different places.


    Incorrect
    I. People move away from villages
    A. The go in search of jobs
    B. They go to seek their livelihoods
    Correct
    I. People move away from villages
    A. They go in search of jobs
    B. They often change their outlooks
    6. Parallelism: All statements (divisions and sub-divisions) should have grammatically
    parallel construction. For example,
    example, i one item begins with the –ing orm o the verb,
    other items should also begin with orm verb + –ing.

    Incorrect
    I. Negotiating peace
    II. Promote understanding
    Correct
    I. Negotiating peace
    II. Promoting understanding
    7. Punctuation and capitalization: Only the 󿬁rst word or a proper noun should be capital-
    ized in each entry. Please note that a ull stop should be used at the end o each entry
    only when it is a sentence outline. No punctuation mark is used at the ends o entries in
    a topic outline.

    Outlining is the key to organization; it is essential or writing any orm o business
    communication. o determine the sequence o ideas (or presentation) in any piece o
    writing, the writer has to consider the level o importance o the inormation and also
    the order in which it should be known. For instance, when writing a report, one could
    mention the problem 󿬁rst and then discuss the method used to solve it, ollowed by 󿬁nd-
    ings and conclusions.
    Since the reader o a report is more interested in the indings and conclusions, it
    is better to give more importance to these elements. he details o the problem and
    the methodology used to solve it receive less attention as they are o less interest to
    the reader. However, they provide the necessary background or the indings and
    conclusions. One could have an outline including all the our elements o a report in Te effort and time
    the orm shown in Exhibit 13.3. devoted to orming an
    As the statement o the problem and description o research methodology are o lesser outline are rewarded by
    interest to most readers, they can be put together as two elements under the same entry, the gain in clarity and
    Introduction.. As the other two elements, 󿬁ndings and conclusions
    Introduction conclusions,, are o greater interest, understanding o the
    they are entered separately as item II and item III. levels o signi󿬁cance o
    different elements in the
    Te effort and time devoted to orming an outline are rewarded by the gain in clarity
    composition.
    and understanding o the levels o signi󿬁cance o different elements in the composition.

    Exhibit 13.3
    I. Introduction
    A Sample Outline
    A. De󿬁nition of the problem
    B. Description of the methods used
    II. Findings
    III. Conclusions

    210 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Cultural Differences in Report Details

    Tere may
    Here are be broad
    some some differences
    examples oin thedifferent
    how way people
    typesrom different
    o details cultures write
    are emphasized reports.
    in different
    cultures:
    • German report writer
    writerss consider historical
    historical acts and in-depth
    in-depth explanations
    explanations very
    crucial or a proper understanding o problems and their solutions.
    • French reports tend to pr present
    esent more abstract concepts and theories. Te French are
    theorists by nature and are known or their creative concepts in all orms o art and
    literature.
    • Latin Americans sometimes leave out negative inormation, and potential problems
    may not be reported and discussed.
    • Indian report writers preer to ollow
    ollow the conventional
    conventional structure and o
    offer
    ffer the
    expected quantity o details, but when guided by the psychology o the reader,
    Indians modiy the orm suitably.

    WRITING REPORTS
    A report presents acts, conclusions, and recommendations in simple and clear words
    and in a logical and well-de󿬁ned structure. Te elements (parts) o a ull report, in the
    order o their sequence in a long, ormal report are:
    • Cover
    • itle page
    • Acknowledgements
    • able o contents
    • Executive summary
    • Introduction

    • Discussion/description
    • Conclusions
    • Recommendations
    • Appendix
    • List o reerences
    • Bibliography
    • Glossary
    • Index
    Te 󿬁rst 󿬁ve elements (cover, title page, acknowledgements, table o contents, and
    executive summary) constitute the ront matter; the next our elements (introduction,
    discussion, conclusions, and recommendations) orm the main body; and the last 󿬁ve
    elements (appendix, list o reerences, bibliography, glossary, and index) constitute the
    back matter.
    Business executives are Structure of a Report
    usually short o time In the normal arrangement, the conclusions and recommendations are positioned afer
    and are, thereore, more the discussion. However, this is not the case in the alternative arrangement o a report.
    interested in knowing Business executives are usually short o time and are, thereore, more interested in know-
    the conclusions and ing the conclusions and recommendations o the study. A detailed description o the
    recommendations
    recommendatio ns o
    discussion may, thereore, appear afer the conclusions and recommendations in the
    the study.
    alternative arrangement.

    BUSINESS REPORTS 211

    Exhibit 13.4
    Summary
    Introduction Non-technical Order
    FormalofBusiness
    Elements in a
    Report
    Conclusions
    Partly technical
    Recommendati
    Recommendations
    ons
    Discussion
    Fully technical
    Appendix

    Subsidiary Parts of a Report Exhibit 13.5


    Basic Parts of a Report
    Parts of a Formal Report
    Executive summary Cover
    Introduction Title page
    Discussion Table of
    of contents
    Recommendations Bibliography/references
    Appendix Glossary

    Te order o elements in a ormal business report may be as given in Exhibit 13.4. Te


    researcher should also keep in mind the non-technical background o his or her readers
    and demarcate certain parts differently as shown in Exhibit 13.4.

    Basic and Subsidiary Parts of a Report


    Te basic and subsidiary parts o a report are delineated in Exhibit 13.5.
    Some subsidiary elements—the table o contents, the bibliography and reerences,
    and the glossary—are used only in long, ormal reports. Te cover and title page in short
    reports are replaced with the heading and other similar devices.

    SHORT MANAGEMENT REPORTS


    A short report is usually written either in the orm o memorandum (memo) or a letter.
    4
    Learn how to write
    Usually, reports meant or persons outside the company or clients are written in letter
    both long and short
    orm. Te short report:
    ormal reports in a
    • Uses the title page or just the report’s
    report’s title as the heading or subject. clear, objective style,
    • Is usually in direct order, beginning with a summary or a statement summarizing using the appropriate
    the content. layout.
    • Presents 󿬁ndings, analysis, conclusions, and recommendations.

    Memos
    Memos are used as internal messages in companies. Tey are inormal and need very lit-
    tle introductory or background inormation. Teir goal is to address and solve an inter-
    nal problem. An example o a memorandum is given in Exhibit 13.6.

    Letters
    Letters are usually written to deal with smaller problems and are organized in an indirect
    order. Tey usually end on a note o goodwill. An example o a letter report is given in
    Exhibit 13.7.

    212 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 13.6
    MEMORANDUM
    A Memorandum
    Short Report as a To: All
    All departments
    From: Debasish Roy, HR
    Date: 19 August, 2010
    Ref: MR/ 02/ 06
    Subject: Pest-Contro
    Pest-Controll Problems

    On 17 August 2010, I inspected the company office as part of my routine monthly inspection.
    The inspecti
    inspection
    on conce
    concentrate
    ntrated
    d on two main aspects—
    aspects—hygi
    hygiene
    ene and mainte
    maintenance
    nance issues in
    the
    th e office.

    1. Hygiene: Standards of hygiene


    hygi ene in the offi ce need to be improved. Clea Cleanliness
    nliness and
    a nd pest-
    control are becoming
    becomi ng difficult issu
    issues
    es because:
    • Despite the fact that employ
    employees
    ees are allowed to carry only bev
    beverages
    erages to thetheir
    ir desks, w
    wee
    constantly 󿬁nd food particles in the carpeted area. This attracts a lot of pests.
    • Food left over after team get-togethers is frequently stored in the fridge and left there
    for days.
    • Used coffee mugs and glasses left on desks and spilled sugar near the coffee machine
    attract ants.
    2. Maintenance Issues: A little involvement on the part of employees can go a long way in
    helping reduce waste.
    • Lights are not switched off as employees leave the office for the day.
    • The printe
    printerr is often overloaded because of multiple-page pr
    printouts.
    intouts. This also d
    delays
    elays other
    peoples’ work. There is also a lot of wasted paper around the printer.

    Recommendations
    1. Employees are requested to avoid carrying food to their desks. Used coffee mugs and
    glasses should be returned to the pantry at the end of the day. Food stored in the fridge
    should be consumed in a day, and the maintenance team should be informed if coffee/
    sugar is spilled.
    2. Employees are req
    requested
    uested to switch off their cabin lights at the end of the day. T
    Too help save
    electricity, computer monitors can be switched off when not in use. Employees should not
    print more that 30 pages at a time using the common printer. Further
    Further,, everyone is requested
    to take two-sided printouts if possible.
    LONG FORMAL REPORTS
    Some o the elements o a long ormal report are discussed in detail in this section.

    The Title Page


    Te title page includes the ollowing:
    • Te heading (title o the report), which should be short, clear, and unambiguous
    • Te name and affiliation o the author(s)
    • Te department
    departme nt and date o issue
    An example o a title page is given in Exhibit 13.8.

    Acknowledgements
    Te writer o the report should thank everyone associated with the assignment and
    preparation o the report. He or she should be generous in expressing gratitude. An
    example is:
    I thank my organization, PPL Feedback Packaging Limited, for giving me the
    opportunity to conduct this research project. A special word of thanks to

    BUSINESS REPORTS 213

    Exhibit 13.7
    Report on the Fall in Pro󿬁ts at Mom and You,
    You, Noida
    30 August 2009 A Letter as a Short Report
    Terms of Reference
    At the request of the General Manager, Mom and You, You, in his letter of 16 July 2009 (ref PO/ST/
    24/03), I was instructed to:
    1. Investigate the reasons for the fall in pro󿬁ts at Mom and You, You, Noida, during the period
    1 January 2009 to 30 June 2009.
    2. Suggest corrective steps in light of the 󿬁nd
    󿬁ndings.
    ings.
    Procedure
    1. The sales records for the period 1 January 2009 to 30 June 2009 were inspected and
    compared with those for the second half of 2008.
    2. Two hundred customers
    customers were interviewed over seven days (2nd to 8th August).
    3. The shop and its vicinity were
    were careful
    carefully
    ly inspected.
    4. The store manager,
    manager, sales assistants and cashiers were interviewed.
    5. Recent develo
    developments
    pments in Noida and the surrounding area were
    were observed.

    Findings
    1. A study of the sales records show that pro󿬁ts fell from a monthly ave average
    rage of 8% in the
    second half of 2008 to an average of 6% in the 󿬁rst 6 months of 2009.
    2. The factors responsible for the fall in pro󿬁ts
    pro󿬁ts can be divided into internal and external factors.
    factors.
    A. Internal
    1. A new manager, Mr N.M. Shah, joine joinedd Mom and You in late 2008. Soon after joining, he
    went through
    throug h a prolonged p period
    eriod of illnes
    illness,
    s, which ha
    hass clearly a
    affected
    ffected his effi ciency in
    dealing with a new store.
    2. Two of the sales assistants —Arun Sharma and Prem Kumar—Kumar—have
    have been uninvolv
    uninvolved
    ed in their
    dealings with customers. A majority of the customers interviewed complained of their
    brusqueness and unhelpful attitude.
    3. The cashier appointed between December and April to replace the previous cashier is
    inexperienced.
    inexperience d. The regional manager found that accounts books have not been maintained
    systematically,, and there are gaps in some areas.
    systematically

    B. External
    1. The prolonged construction of a 󿬂yover in Noid
    Noidaa has affected the area. Customers prefer to avoid
    the dust and the traffi c in this area and go to the new market that has opened in Sector
    Sec tor 43.
    2. The opening of Mother’s Angels in GP Mall has diverted some of the customers.
    customers. The new mall
    has a big food court, multiplex and parking space, and this seems to have attracted some loyal
    customers.
    Conclusions
    1. The decline in pro󿬁ts is because of external developments—competit
    developments—competition ion from a children’s store
    in the new mall and restricted access to the store because of ongoing construction activities.
    2. The performance of the manager, along with the inexperience of the cashier and the
    discourtesy of some of the staff, is a factor that cannot be ignored.
    Recommendations
    1. Mr Shah should be consulted to help raise his efficiency and to provide him any support that
    may help him resolve his health issues. His performance should be reviewed again after
    six months.
    2. Arun and Prem should be warne
    warned d about their behaviour
    behaviour..
    3. The cashier should be provided training.
    training.
    4. The store and its offers should be given coverage in local newspapers. Special offers and
    children’s activities should be organized to promote the store and increase footfall.
    5. The viability of the store be reviewed
    reviewed in Decembe
    Decemberr 2009.

    P. Misra
    Regional Sales Manager
    M&Y Group of Stores

    214 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 13.8

    Example of a Title Page Identi󿬁cation of Market Potential and Entry Strategy for
    Consumer Paper Bags

    Submitted to
    Mr Suresh Kumar
    Director and Chief Executive

    By
    Anil Gupta
    Marketing Manager

    PPL Feedback Packaging Ltd


    Thane, Maharashtra
    September 29, 2003

    Mr Suresh Kumar (Director & Chief Executive), Mr Nitin Khanna (DGM), and
    the executives of PPL Feedback Packaging Limited for giving me the neces-
    sary guidance and help.

    I also thank all the respondents of the survey, who gave me valuable informa-
    tion to carry out the study.

    Finally, I wish to thank my colleagues in the marketing department, whose


    inputs were invaluable to the research.
    Cover Letter
    Te cover letter is usually written by top management or project guides as a preace
    or oreword to a report, re󿬂ecting the management’s policy and interpretation o the
    report’s 󿬁ndings, conclusions, and recommendations. It introduces the report and tells
    readers why it is being sent to them. Te cover letter is usually placed between the cover
    and the title page. It is never bound inside the report. It can be written in the orm o a
    memo, a letter, or a orwarding certi󿬁cate.

    Letter of Transmittal
    Many times, a ormal report is accompanied by a letter to outside readers. Although
    the letter o transmittal is usually placed afer the title page, it unctions as a greeting
    to the reader. Te letter summarizes the 󿬁ndings, conclusions, and recommendations
    and gives an idea o what is in the report. It is best written in a direct, conversational
    manner.
    1. It begins by directly talking about the subject o
    o the report. For example:

    Dear Ms Singh,
    Here is the report you requested on August 20 regarding a plot of land for
    your proposed playschool in Greater Noida.

    BUSINESS REPORTS 215

    2. It then gives a brie review o the contents o the report.


    3. It acknowledges the contribution o others to the study, i any.
    any.
    4. Te letter ends by thankin
    thankingg the person or body who authorized the report and
    expressing hope or uture interaction. Tis letter should be written in the personal
    style o a business letter—that is, using personal pronouns, 󿬁rst person, and active
    voice. Te tone should re󿬂ect sincerity. Nowadays, a cover letter is generally pre-
    erred to a letter o transmittal.

    Table of Contents
    Long reports must have a table o contents placed afer the acknowledgements and
    beore the executive summary. Te table o contents is an important element in a long, Te table o contents
    ormal report as it identi󿬁es the topics and their page numbers in the report (or any long indicates the hierar-
    document). Te table o contents also indicates the
    t he hierarchy o topics and their sequence chy o topics and their
    sequence.
    and mentions the main sections o the report exactly as they are worded in the text. An
    example is given in Exhibit 13.9.

    Exhibit 13.9
    TABLE OF CONTENTS
    Sample Table of Contents
    1. INTRODUCTION 2
    2. EXISTING BUSINESS OF PPL 4
    3. BACKGROUND 6
    3.1 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 6
    3.2 THE RESEARCH PROBLEM 7
    3.3 THE RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 7
    3.4 THE SCOPE OF THE STUDY 8
    3.5 DAT
    DATA
    A SOURCES 8
    4. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR STUDY 9
    4.1 STA
    STATISTICA
    TISTICALL METHODS 9
    4.2 SURVEY METHODS 9
    4.2.1 THE EXPERT–OPINION METHOD 10
    4.2.2 CONSUMER INTERVIEW METHOD 10
    4.3 MARKET AND PRODUCT ANAL
    ANALYSIS
    YSIS 13
    4.3.1 BUYING INTENTIONS 13
    4.3.2 MARKET TESTS 13
    5. DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY OF STUDY 15
    5.1 MARKET SURVEY: RICE BAGS 15
    5.1.1 DAT
    DATA
    A COLLEC
    COLLECTION
    TION 16
    5.1.2 DESCRIPT
    DESCRIPTION
    ION AND ANALYSIS OF THE STUDY AND DAT
    DATA
    A 17
    5.2 MARKET SURVEY: CONSUMER SHOPPING BAGS 20
    5.2.1 DAT
    DATA
    A COLLEC
    COLLECTION
    TION 22
    5.2.2 DESCRIPT
    DESCRIPTION
    ION AND ANALYSIS OF THE STUDY AND DAT
    DATA
    A 22
    6. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS 25
    6.1 RICE BAGS 25
    6.2 SHOPPING BAGS 33
    6.3 RECOMME
    RECOMMENDATIONS
    NDATIONS 39
    7. BIBLIOGRAPHY 40
    8. ANNEXURES 41
    ANNEXURE I i
    ANNEXURE II ii
    ANNEXURE III iv

    216 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Abstract and Executive Summary

    5
    Know how to write
    abstracts and summa-
    An abstract or executive summary comes immediately
    immed iately afer the list o tables in the table
    o contents or on/afer the title page itsel. Normally, a report has either an abstract or
    an executive summary, based on the length o the report and expectations o readers.
    ries, introductions, A company practice may be to have both an abstract and an executive summary with
    󿬁nal recommenda- long reports.
    tions, and conclusions. A summary:
    • Should give the context o the report
    • Should provide the most important 󿬁ndings, conclusions, and recommendations
    • Should act as a time-saver
    time-saver or
    or busy managemen
    managementt executives
    Usually, management reports use executive summaries instead o abstracts. An
    abstract is a summary o a report’s most important points. It can be either descriptive or
    inormative and is generally written in about 200 words and in one paragraph. An execu-
    tive summary gives a more detailed overview o a report than an abstract does. It can
    run into one or two pages. It presents the reader with a preview o the report’s 󿬁ndings,
    conclusions, recommendations, and impact on the company. Management executives
    sometimes need to know just the main contents o a report, specially its conclusions and
    recommendations,
    recommenda tions, and a detailed synopsis in the orm o an executive summary serves
    this purpose.

    Descriptive Abstract
    A descriptive abstract only mentions the topics discussed in the report. It does not give
    A descriptive abstract
    details on those topics. For details, the reader has to go through the report. Busy execu-
    only mentions the
    topics discussed in the
    tives have little patience with such a skeletal account o a report’s important conclusions
    report. It does not give and recommendations.
    recommendations. Tereore, descriptive abstracts are less popular with writers o
    details on these topics. business reports. For example, consider a descriptive abstract o the report “Identi󿬁cation
    Busy executives have o market potential and entry strategy or consumer paper bags”. It would be as ollows:
    little patience with such
    a skeletal account o The study finds that the market potential for paper bags is not picking up due
    a report’s important to the price of paper bags when compared to polybags. It is recommended
    conclusions and that the company PPL Feedback supply paper bags at a lesser cost to com-
    recommendations. pete with polybags.

    Informative Abstract
    An informative abstract
    An informative abstract discusses the main subject and presents conclusions and recom-
    discusses the main mendations. Formal reports and scienti󿬁c and technical articles ofen use an inormative
    subject and presents abstract. An inormative abstract or the report “Identi󿬁cation o market potential and
    conclusions and recom- entry strategy or consumer paper bags” would read as ollows:
    mendations.
    This report explores new ways to expand the company’s (PPL Feedback and
    Packaging Limited) business, from industrial bags to consumer bags, to meet
    its growth targets.

    The objective of the study was to study the market potential of consumer
    paper bags for rice and to identify entry strategies for the company. It was
    found that the market potential for paper bags for rice is about 27 million
    bags per annum at present; there is an interested segment whose require-
    ment is 27 million bags. The recommendation is that PPL Feedback should
    price paper bags lower than polybags.
    Tis abstract provides more details o the report’s contents than the descriptive
    abstract.

    BUSINESS REPORTS 217

    Executive Summary
    An executive summary covers all the major elements o a report’s content:
    • Background o the problem
    • Major topics
    • Important details
    • Main conclusions
    • Recommendations
    • Discuss
    Discussion
    ion o how implementation o the recommendations would affect the com-
    pany.
    An executive summary o the PPL report is shown in Exhibit 13.10.

    Exhibit 13.10
    Stiff environmental regulations have brought up new concerns in packaging. These concerns
    Executive Summary of
    include hygiene, safety, disposability, and recyclability in a developed world. Paper, being eco-
    friendly and having a premium image, has replaced other packaging materials such as tin, plas- the PPL Report
    tics, and so on for packaging goods for export.
    The export market is highly vol
    volatile
    atile and so iiss the demand for packaging mate
    material.
    rial. Last yyear,
    ear, th
    that
    at
    is, in 2009, exports were low in the 󿬁rst half of the year as compared to the second half. Also,
    Also, in
    segments like carbon black where paper packaging is used, the demand is almost saturated.
    Considering these factors, the company (PPL Feedback and Packaging Ltd) is exploring new
    ways to expand business from industrial bags to consumer bags to meet its growth targets.
    The more lucrative segments
    segments are shopping bags and consumer bags for rice,
    rice, for which there is
    a steady demand.
    The aim of this research was to study the market potential of sshopping
    hopping bags and consumer
    paper bags for rice to identify entry strategies for the company. To calculate the market poten-
    tial, the consumer sample survey method, explained in Chapter IV, was adopted. Chapters I
    and II provide details about the existing business of the company. Chapter III provides details
    about the signi󿬁cance of the study for the company, the research objectives, the scope of the
    study, and data sources. Chapter V explains the design and methodology of the sstudy.
    tudy. T
    To
    o esti-
    mate the market potential, the questionnaire approach was followed and the respondents were
    interviewed personally for relevant details about paper bags. Chapter VI provides details of the
    results and conclusions reached by the study. The market potential for paper bags for rice is
    about 27 million bags per annum at present. There is an interested segment whose requirement
    requirement
    is also for 27 million bags. The main factor working against the popularity of paper bags is their
    price in comparison to polybags. However,
    However, PPL can supply bags at a lower cost as it has an exist-
    ent idle capacity to manufacture bags and its machines are fully depreciated. The consumer
    paper shopping bags market has a potential of about 32.4 million bags per annum at present.
    If the company invests in mechanized operations at this stage, then the operations may not be
    pro󿬁table for the company in the short run as per the break-even capacity utilization for the
    machine (discussed on page 35). The operations, however,
    however, may be viable in the long run.
    This study was for the corporate retail segment only; there is another segment of individuals
    and retail showrooms who also use paper bags. At the time of market testing for corporate retail
    segments, the company could also study this segment under the set conditions of product mix
    explained in Chapter VI, to calculate the size of the market for retail showrooms. At the time
    of test marketing, which is essential for entry-strategy 󿬁nalization, the company should test
    the various possibilities identi󿬁ed in the marketing mix and speci󿬁cations for the 󿬁nal product
    launch, which are explained in Chapter VI.

    Introduction
    The introduction of
    of this executiv
    executive
    e summary states the detai
    details
    ls of the:
    • Authorizing person or body requesting the report
    • Author o
    orr group of authors responsible for in
    investigation
    vestigation (and submission of the repo
    report)
    rt)
    • Purpose or reason for the report

    218 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 13.10
    • Methods of enquiry (the research method used)
    (Contd.) • Arrangement or grouping of data
    • General background of the report’s subject

    Findings
    The 󿬁ndings present the
    the results of the investigation
    investigation.

    Conclusions
    The conclusions of the executiv
    executive
    e summary:
    • States the results of the investigation
    • Offers answe
    answers
    rs to questions raised in the beg
    beginning
    inning of the re
    report.
    port.
    • Contains no new information

    Recommendations
    The recommendations
    recommendations of the ex
    executive
    ecutive summary:
    • Are the action centre of the report
    • State how the conclusions should be acted upon.
    • Make clear and de󿬁nite suggestions/proposals.
    • Mention the need fo forr further in
    investigation
    vestigation as a condition for a more comprehensive study
    o the problem i required.

    It is not possible to have a report without recommendations, even if recommendations were


    not speci󿬁cally requested when the report was assigned. Recommendations
    Recommendations 󿬂ow from conclu-
    sions, as conclusions 󿬂ow from the discussion.

    Discussion and Analysis of Findings


    Recommendations 󿬂ow
    rom conclusions, as Tis is the main body o the report. It discusses 󿬁ndings and analyses results. Te inor-
    conclusions 󿬂ow rom mation is developed in one o the ways discussed here.
    the discussion. Chronological Development
    Te inormation can be arranged in the order in which the events happened. Tis is the
    simplest method o presenting inormation—as a story with a beginning, middle, and end.
    Chronological development requires relatively little planning and organizing. Te writer
    Chronological develop-
    Chronological
    selects and arranges the major topics in the order o their occurrence. Non-signi󿬁cant
    ment requires relatively
    events are lef out.
    little planning and
    organizing. Tis method is usually used or writing short reports, progress
    progress reports describing the
    status o a project, and investigative reports that discuss investigations conducted over a
    long time and at different places.
    By discussing each event step by step, the cumulative effect o a variable (actor/thing)
    can be seen through the conclusions drawn at suitable intervals. Te organization o
    inormation is easy to determine, as the report writer is guided by the order in which
    events actually took place.
    Subject-wise Development
    Te inormation can also be arranged according to the subjects or topics discussed
    within the report. Te subjects are grouped in a predetermined order. Tis arrangement
    makes the presentation o inormation coherent and logical.
    When a report involves the study o two or more variables acting upon something,
    the writer has to arrange the discussion by subject. Te writer could describe the effect
    o one variable on the subject and then proceed in chronological order to determine
    the cumulative effect o the variable on the subject. Ten, in a similar manner he or she
    would study and describe the effects o the other variable, and record chronologically
    chronologically its
    cumulative effect.

    BUSINESS REPORTS 219

    Te question that then concerns the writer is regarding the sequence in which each
    variable should be discussed i there
    there are
    are several variables o equal importance.
    importance. Te wri
    writer
    ter
    has to choose the sequence according to the variable he or she wants to recommend
    or emphasize. Te report can move in increasing order o suitability or move rom the
    most suitable to the least suitable. Beore structuring the inormation, the writer should
    make the order clearly known by stating whether ascending or descending order is being
    ollowed.
    Suppose an automobile
    automobile dealer wants to recommend the most suitable model o luxury
    car to an executive. He or she will ollow the descending order. Afer evaluating the price,
    uel consumption, speed, automation, seating capacity, space, and afer-sales guarantees
    or different models o luxury cars, the dealer would then recommend the model most
    suitable or the customer. In this case, the dealer has, in act, made a comparative study
    o the essential parameters that determine a buyer’s choice o a car and presented the
    inormation accordingly.

    Concept-wise Development
    Concept-wise
    Te inormation can be organized “concept-wise”. Tis means that the writer develops
    his or her argument and reasoning on the lines o his or her thoughts. Te logic o the argu-
    A report writer can arrange the report by ollowing the logical sequence o the inves- ment guides the organi-
    tigation. Te writer can develop the topic by describing each step in sequence with the zation o the report.
    Each part or stage o the
    step that ollows it, in a series o steps that builds up his or her argument. Te logic o the
    project is seen as part o
    argument guides the organization
    organization o the report. Each part or stage o the project is seen
    a well-linked proces-
    as part o a well-linked procession o ideas orming a complete concept. sion o ideas orming a
    In the concept-wise method, the writer tells the reader how he or she arrived at complete concept.
    the results and why they are valid. Tis method should be employed when the topic is
    complex and reasoning and careul consideration are required to explain the various
    concepts used in reaching the conclusion. When the best result can be selected by a
    simple and direct analysis, or instance the choice o a car or a site or a new house,
    subject-wise development would be more appropriate than concept-wise development.
    Whatever and
    organized the method o developin
    de veloping
    the narration g theand
    interesting main argument, the report should be logically
    convincing.
    Glossary
    he glossary is the list o technical or special terms used in a report or technical A glossary o usage
    paper and is placed at the end o a report, beore the index. It alphabetically lists includes rules or orm-
    words or phrases that need special
    specia l attention. It explains the usage o technical terms ing compound words,
    peculiar to the industry. A glossary o usage includes rules or orming compound abbreviating technical
    words, abbreviating technical terms, and writing unusual or diicult words. A glos- terms, and writing unu-
    sary also acts as a dictionary or some select words that are oten conused, misused, sual or diffi cult word
    words.
    s.
    or wrongly spelled. hese are:
    • Words that are oten conused because they are similar in meaning or spelling;
    examples are diplex and duplex, ground f loor and firs firstt floor
    fl oor , postp
    postpone
    one and cancel,
    or imply and infer.
    • Common errors o usage such as many a times (should be many a time), time), one of the
    best option (in place o one of the best options),
    options), comprised of (or comprises
    comprises).).
    • Words that tend to be wrongly spelled; examples are agism (correct spelling is
    ageism),
    ageism ), accomodation (instead o accommodation
    accommodation), ), seprate (should be separate
    separate).
    ).
    • Words having
    having more than one acceptable spelling, such as progr
    program
    am and progr
    programme
    amme..
    In case o words like symposiums and symposia where both versions are in use, both
    are given in the glossary and a choice is indicated or one o them.

    220 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    • Words like data


    data,, which is ofen wrongly used as singular or as datas or the plural,
    In scienti󿬁c, philosoph-
    ical, and general use, are specially entered in the glossary and their usage is ully explained. Data is plural
    data generally means a (but is also treated as singular, although the singular orm is datum datum).). In scienti󿬁c,
    number o items and is philosophical,
    philosophi cal, and general use, data generally means a number o items and is thus
    thus regarded as plural, regarded as plural, with datum as the singular. But in computing and related sub-
    with datum as the jects, it is taken to denote
    denote a mass or
    or collective
    collective noun and is thereore
    thereore used with
    with words
    words
    singular. like this
    this,, that, and much and with singular verbs (or example, “useul data has been
    gathered”). Te glossary, like the Oxford English Dictionary, will draw our attention
    to the meaning as well as usage o the word data and point out that although some
    people consider the use o data with a singular verb incorrect, it is now in common
    use. It will also point out that data is not a singular countable noun and should not
    be preceded by words such as a, every, each each,, either , or neither or be given the plural
    orm datas
    datas..

    Appendix
    Te appendix is used to give a variety o inormation separately when its inclusion in the
    main body could interere with the smooth reading o the report. It usually includes the
    text o questionnaires or other instruments o survey.  ables,
    ables, 󿬂ow charts, maps, summaries
    o raw data, and details o mathematical ormulation are generally included in the appen-
    dix. Each appendix is numerically or alphabetically labelled to help the reader identiy the
    material. Sometimes a descriptive title is i s given. Te word “annexure”
    “annexure” is sometimes used or
    the appendix.
    Te appendix may also include the distribution list. When a report is sent to several per-
    sons, it will contain a list o all the persons who receive
    rece ive a copy.
    copy. Te distribution list is placed
    according to its size or the customer’s or company’s
    company’s practice. However, it seems proper to
    place it as a separate appendix i the list happens to be long. A short distribution list can
    appear at the oot o the table o contents.

    Bibliography and References


    All published and unpublished sources o inormation used in preparing the report
    are listed in the bibliography. All reerence documents, previous reports, books,
    periodicals, and even letters written and received by the writer are mentioned in it.
    In using written material rom secondary sources, report writers must always men-
    tion the source o the inormation by citing it as a ootnote or endnote. Failing to
    document sources amounts to plagiarism.
    Rules or bibliographies vary. In a report, the bibliography should conorm to the
    style o documentation ollowed by the concerned company, just as a technical article
    or paper conorms to the orm ollowed by the journal or society that is publishing the
    material. Tough each organization usually has its own standard ormat o documenting
    sources, the general system ollowed is either that o the Modern Language Association
    (MLA) or the American Psychological Association (APA).
    Documentation o cross-reerences should be done in a way that does not disturb the
    󿬂ow o the argument. Te writer can provide reerences in ootnotes at the end o each
    relevant page or can describe all reerences together
    together in endnotes, which is the list o all
    reerences at the end o the report. In both cases, the reader can 󿬁nd all the details about
    sources mentioned in the report and can check the accuracy o acts by consulting the
    original sources. Endnotes are usually preerred as they are easy
    e asy to reer to when desired.
    Also, ootnotes create the problem o spacing the material on the page.
    It is to be noted that each reerence to be cited in the endnotes is numbered consecu-
    tively as 1, 2, 3, and so on. Each reerence should have the same number when mentioned
    in the body o the discussion. Te various styles or documenting the sources are dis-
    cussed in greater detail in Appendix 1.

    BUSINESS REPORTS 221

    Index
    An index (plural indexes or indices
    indices)) is an alphabetical list o subjects, names, and so on,
    with reerences to page numbers where they occur in the report or book. It is usually
    placed at the end. It should not be conused with the table o contents, which always
    appears at the beginning o the report or book.
    In long reports and voluminous works, an index helps the reader locate a subject eas-
    ily wherever it has been
    be en mentioned or discussed in the text. For example, “Order reusals
    115” entered in a report’s index means one can 󿬁nd order reusals mentioned on page
    115. In a book’s index, the entry “Research questions 34 a — 675” means that the topic o
    research questions is discussed on page 675 under section 34 a.
    Normally an author’s note about the symbols used in indexing subjects appears at the
    beginning o index entries, which helps the reader ollow the way entries are made. For more
    Writers.2
    inormation, see Lynn Quitman royka’s note on indexing in the Handbook of Writers.

    USING DIAGRAMS AND VISUAL AIDS IN REPORTS


    Report writers use tables and graphics such as bar charts, line charts, and pictograms to
    explain ideas brie󿬂y and vividly. Diagrams, like all visual aids, communicate inormation Diagrams, like all visual
    aids, communicate
    clearly and effectively. For example, written instructions
    instruc tions supported by illustrations to show
    inormation clearly and
    how an eye-drop should be opened and applied would be ar more effective than plain effectively.
    instructions in words alone.
    Use of Tables
    A table presents numerical or topical data in rows and columns. A report writer should
    know some o the techniques o preparing tables or clear presentation o content. Te
    most important technique is to label each table in a manner that allows the reader to
    locate the desired table easily. Some tips are given here:
    1. Numbering all tables:
    tables: he writer should number all the tables in the report con-
    secutively by calling them “able 1”, “able 2”, “able 3”,
    3”, and so on. When reer-
    ring to them, one can simply say, “as shown in able 1, …” or “… in the ollowing
    table”. his makes
    ma kes cross-reerences simple and clear. he table number should be
    written at the top o the table.
    t able.
    2. Labelling each table:
    table: Tere should be a complete heading or title or each table that
    clearly describes the contents o the table or the reader. As headings, the table titles
    can be long as long as they completely describe the table’s contents. Te title can
    even run into two lines. It may mention sources o data, numbers included in the
    󿬁gures in the table, and the subject o the table. An example is: “Segmentation o
    market (5–20 kg)k g) based on the usage
    us age o bags in the total market
    mar ket o 3,150 mil
    million”
    lion”. For
    emphasis, the title o the table can be written in bold letters.
    3. Column heads and sub-heads: Column heads and sub-heads should be used to clas-
    siy inormation when several columns are given. For example, i the column head is
    “Cities” and the column lists several cities, they may be segregated by sub-heads that
    classiy the cities under various zones, such as “North”, “South”, and so on.
    4. Rows: Similarly, the subject o each row should be indicated by identiying its con-
    tents. For example, in a column that lists various sectors o the economy, the subject
    o the row should be identi󿬁ed as “Economic Sector”.
    5. Footnotes: Footnotes are used to explain or qualiy speci󿬁c entries, i required.
    6. Tere should be sufficient space between columns
    columns so that the data remain well separated.
    Exhibit 13.11 is an example o a table with various parts labeled; it illustrates the layout,
    title placement, and headings or the vertical columns and horizontal rows effectively.
    effectively. Notice
    that i the table is taken exactly rom some other source, the source must be mentioned.

    222 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Table 1 Choke Points:


    Points: Highest Pollutant Levels in Various
    Various Parts o Delhi on Diwali Day (2003)

    Exhibit 13.11 Index


    A Sample Table
    Column Heads

    Parameters Location Permissible Levels Actual Levels


    (mg/m3) (mg/m3)
    SPM Meera Bagh 100 2,292

    Row subject Respirable SPM Meera Bagh 200 4,772


    Carbon monoxide Karawal Nagar 100 8,000
    Sulphur dioxide Vasant Kunj 80 201

    Nitrogen dioxide Meera Bagh 80 174.8

    Source details Source: Delhi Pollution Control Committee

    Notes Note: The data was collected at 11 p.m.

    Use of Graphics in Reports


    6 In reports, the ollowing orms o graphics are commonly used:
    Understand the role • Bar charts
    and use o graphics in • Line charts
    reports.
    • Pie charts
    • Pictograms
    • Actual pictures
    • Maps
    Tese graphics are also used in oral presentations o reports. Te writer or presenter
    o the report considers how the use o graphics helps in grasping the inormation con-
    veyed through
    through words.
    words. Sometimes, reports use graphics
    graphics as a source o embellishment
    embellishment that
    makes the presentation colourul.
    Bar Charts
    A bar chart can be simple or complex. A simple bar chart is used to compare quantities
    that can be depicted on a scale. A bar chart can be broken up when the quantities
    quantities are too
    large to be covered by the chart. In such a case, the chart is broken up to show that some
    quantities are not shown in the diagram.
    A simple bar chart is most effective or comparing quantitative data. Te layout or
    vertical bars is shown in Exhibit 13.12. Te lengths o the bars, whether they are hori-
    zontal or vertical, show quantity.
    quantity. Te quantitative scale should always begin at zero. Te
    graduation space must be equal. Also, the width o the bars should be equal. Different
    colours, shadings, variations, and cross-hatchings are usually used to bring out differ-
    ences in bars.
    Segmented Bar Charts (Component Bar Charts)
    Sometimes bar charts represent more than one item. Tey include several components,
    which are depicted by segmenting the bars into different parts shown in different colours

    BUSINESS REPORTS 223

    9000 Exhibit 13.12

    8000 8164 Growth in the Number of


    Trainees at NPTI
    7000 Faridabad (1993)
    6013
    s
    6000
    e 5270
    e
    n
    i5000
    a
    r
    t
    f
    o4000
    .
    o
    N
    3000 2844 2865
    2491
    1915 1848 1760 1880
    2000
    1000
    0
    93-
    3-9
    94 94-9
    4-95 95-96
    -96 96-9
    6-97 97-98
    -98 98-99
    -99 99-0
    99-00
    0 00-01
    -01 01-02
    -02 02-0
    02-03
    3
    Year

    or cross-hatchings. Te labels to identiy different parts can be given separately in the


    legend i there is inadequate space along the bars. Te segmented bar chart is also known
    as the component bar chart or subdivided bar chart. For example, consider the segmented
    bar chart in Exhibit 13.13, which presents the creation o thousands o jobs in the Indian
    I sector since 2000; the astest growth is in call-centres,
    call-centres, not sofware.
    When negative quantities
    quantities also are included in the data, zero can be placed at the mid-
    point on the scale and not at the beginning. By doing so, one can present both positive
    and negative bars.
    Line Charts
    Line charts are useul or showing changes in quantitative data spread over some time.
    Line charts also help in projecting trends (Exhibit 13.14).
    Some guidelines or constructing line charts are:

    1. Use the vertical axis to represent amount and the horizontal axis or time.
    2. Begin the vertical axis at zero aand
    nd divide the scale
    scale according to the size o
    o the amount
    amount
    to be shown on it.
    Exhibit 13.13
    Indian Takeaway
    Employment in Indian IT Sector*, ‘000
    A Segmented Bar Chart
    700

    600

    500

    400 Call Centers (ITeS)


    Software
    Multinationall Operations
    Multinationa
    300

    200

    100

    0
    2000 2001 2002 2003**
    Source: NASSCOM *Year Ending **Estimate

    224 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 13.14
    700
    An Example of a Line
    Chart 600
    600

    500

    t
    n 400
    u
    o
    m300
    A 300
    200
    200
    180
    150 130
    100

    0
    1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

    Time

    3. Make both vertical


    vertica l and horizontal gradations equal. Tat is, all spaces on the amount
    (vertical) axis should be the same, and all time scales should be the same. But it is
    not necessary that the time space and amount divisions be equal.
    4. Use pproper
    roper proportions in the sizes o the vertical and horizontal measures so that
    the lines drawn are marked by natural slopes (see the line chart in Exhibit 13.14).
    Pie Charts
    A pie chart presents a whole that is divided into various parts. Te pie represents the
    A pie chart presents a
    whole, and its segments represent parts o the whole. A pie chart is used to show the rela-
    whole that is divided
    into various parts. tionship among parts only when there are more than two parts orming the whole. w hole. I only
    two parts are to be described, their relationship can be simply stated in the report. A pie
    chart should have three or more segments. Te pie is cut clockwise, beginning with the
    largest part on the right side, with other parts ollowing (clockwise). It is not necessary to
    cut the parts in descending order o size. Te size o the pie chart should be large enough
    or its segments to have labels and unit values clearly written on them. Different colours
    are ofen used to emphasize and contrast the relationships among the parts. Exhibit 13.15
    represents the popularities o two candidates or the position o prime minister.
    Histograms
    A histogram is a graph o requency distribution. A histogram consists o a series o rec-
    A histogram is a
    tangles, each o which is proportional
    proportional in width to the range o values within a class and
    graph o requency
    distribution.
    proportional in height to the number o items covered by the class, that is, the requency.
    I the class size is the same, then each rectangle will be o the same width.

    Exhibit 13.15
    Candi
    andid
    dat
    ate
    eA Candi
    andiddate B
    Examples of Pie Charts
    O
    O u
    ts
    u 5 ta
    ts
    D 1 ta
    % n
    on 0 n d
    ’t % d in
    8 K n i g
    % ow ng Don’tt Know
    Don’ Good
    30%
    Good 25%
    Poor
    42%
    11%

    Average
    Average Poor 27%
    29% 13%

    BUSINESS REPORTS 225

    Exhibit 13.16 (a)


    Marks Students
    The Data for
    for the
    0–10 15 Histogram
    10–20 25
    20–30 35
    30–40 40
    40–50 55
    50–60 60
    60–70 50
    70–80 25
    80–90 10
    90–100 5

    Exhibit 13.16 (b)


    70
    The Histogram
    60
    s
    e
    e 50
    n
    i
    a 40
    r
    t
    f
    o
    .
    30
    o
    N 20

    10
    0
    0-10
    0-10 10-
    10-20
    20 20-
    20-30
    30 30-
    30-40
    40 40-
    40-50
    50 50-
    50-60
    60 60-
    60-70
    70 70-
    70-80
    80 80-
    80-90
    90 9
    90-1
    0-100
    00

    Marks

    When drawing a histogram, the variable is always shown on the x-axis x-a xis and the re-
    quency is determined on the y-axis. A histogram consists o a series o adjacent rectangles,
    each having a class-interval distance as its width and the requency distance as its height.
    Te area o the histogram represents the total requency distribution across the classes.
    It is important to understand that a histogram is not just a bar diagram. In a bar
    diagram, only the length o the bar matters, not its width. But in a histogram both
    the length and the width are important. he histogram in Exhibit 13.16(b) shows the
    marks distribution o 320 students.
    Pictograms
    Pictograms illustrate numerical relationships by using pictures to represent quantities. In
    a pictogram, 󿬁gures o the same size should be used to represent amounts and relation-
    ships clearly. For example, assume that the merchant tonnage o our different countries,
    say the United States, Russia, Japan, and India, needs to be pictorially represented. A pic-
    ture o a ship can be used to symbolize merchant tonnage, with the value o say 1,000,000
    tons assigned to each ship. Accordingly, this will depict the differences in tonnage using
    different numbers o ships in relation to different countries. For example, i the merchant
    tonnage o the United States is our times greater than that o India’s, one can illustrate
    the numerical relationship between India’s and the United States’ tonnage by vertically
    placing our ships or the United States and one ship or India. Similarly, suppose Japan’s
    and Russia’s amounts are double India’s, then one would use two ships each or both
    countries, and one ship or India. Te increased amount is not shown by changing the
    height and width o the ship in the picture, as this would be misleading. Te pictures are
    placed along the y-axis and the names o the countries are on the x-axis (Exhibit 13.17).

    How to Use Figures and Diagrams in Reports


    Figures and diagrams can be used in the text o the report i they are not ver
    veryy large. I they
    can be accommodated on a page within the running text without breaking the continuity

    226 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 13.17
    A Pictogram

    India Japan Russia USA

    o the text, they should be kept as part o the text. Otherwise, tables, charts, and other
    diagrammatic representations should be placed in an appendix. Each 󿬁gure should be
    serially numbered throughout
    throughout the report. First the data should be introduced,
    introduced, then the
    diagram should be explained, and 󿬁nally, the reader’s attention should be drawn to the
    diagram itsel by speciying the 󿬁gure number and the appendix number i needed.

    SUMMARY
    • Te report is a distinct o
    orm
    rm o written com
    communica-
    munica- • Planning and organizing inormat
    inormation
    ion by outlining
    tion involving investigation, analysis, and presentation beore writing helps in writing a clear and logically
    to give its receiver the required inormation. Tere are arranged report.
    various methods o enquiry,
    enquiry, data collection, and aanaly-
    naly- • A report writer sho
    should
    uld know the essential elements o
    o
    sis o inormation that the report writer should make reports and their normal or alternative sequences in
    use o. different types o reports (short inormal reports and
    • Te terms o reerence guide the report writer
    writer.. Tey long ormal reports).
    delineate the problem, purpose, scope, limitations, • Tere are several types o visual aids tthat
    hat a report writ
    writer
    er
    budget, cultural considerations, and deadline or the can use; examples include tables, bar charts, pie charts,
    report when it is authorized. pictograms, and histograms.

    CASE: SURVEY REPORT FOR INDIA REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE


    OF HRC BUSINESS SCHOOL, FRANCE

    Objective have also been maintained in a database or uture reerence.


    More speci󿬁cally,
    speci󿬁cally, the project had the ollowing objectives:
    Tis project aimed at studying the interest o students in
    studying abroad. Tis primary survey was conducted or 1. o understand what pot
    potential
    ential candidat
    candidates
    es look or when
    200 respondents o different age groups and backgrounds. applying to a university abroad.
    Te survey involved some multip
    multiple-choice
    le-choice and open-ended 2. o understand their country p preerences.
    reerences.
    questions, which were careully interpreted and analysed. 3. o 󿬁nd the range o expenses they are p prepared
    repared to p
    pay
    ay
    Te personal and contact details o the students surveyed or studying abroad.

    BUSINESS REPORTS 227

    Data Collection 4. Indian students ar


    aree highly cognizant o
    o the act that
    Te data have been collected through both primary and sec- they need to learn French and studying in France gives
    ondary sources. Primary data have been obtained through students the opportunity to learn the language and add
    a sel-administered questionnaire. Te questionnaire takes to their overall proessional pro󿬁
    pro󿬁le.
    le.
    into account all the relevant variables required or research
    Challenges Ahead
    so that meaningul analysis could be computed at the end o
    Marketing and promotion barriers:
    the survey. Secondary sources o data, like the Internet and
    various books, were used or
    or explorato
    exploratory
    ry studies. • Awa
    Awareness
    reness o FFrench
    rench universities is very low amo
    among
    ng
    Indian students, so very ew students want to go to
    Results of the Primary Survey France or higher studies.
    1. According to our survey, 47 47%
    % o students think that • Increasing aw
    awareness
    areness o HRC Business School is also
    studying abroad is a better option than studying in India. a major challenge; only 4% o students were aware o
    2. Results also revealed that the mamajority
    jority o
    o the studen
    students
    ts HRC Business School in our survey.
    would preer to go to the United States—46 students Expense barriers:
    chose the United States, 40 students preerred the
    • Indian studen
    studentsts perceive that do
    doing
    ing one-year
    one-year,, ull-time
    United Kingdom,
    4 students 30 students preerred Australia, and
    chose France. MBA abroad would cost more than doing it rom India.
    • Indian studen
    studentsts perceive that France is a more expen-
    3. Tere were very ew students willing to spend INR
    sive place to live in.
    10,00,000 to 12,00,000 each year to study abroad.
    Most o them were comortable spending around INR Solutions
    5,00,000 a year. • Increasing aw awareness
    areness o HRC Business School among
    4. From tthis
    his survey, it seems a lot mo
    more
    re would need to be students.
    done in terms o marketing and promotion or HRC • Promotin
    Promotingg French
    French educatio
    education n as world-class education.
    Business School, France, as there was a lack o aware- • aking part in va various
    rious education ares or iincreased
    ncreased
    ness among students. visibility..
    visibility
    • Forging good relati relations
    ons with our strategic partners or
    Results of the Secondary Survey wider reach.
    1. According to the secondary survey, 11,53,000
    ,53,000 students go • Making strategic rela relationships
    tionships with somsomee 󿬁nancial
    abroad every year rom India—the second largest group institutions
    institutio ns or loan acilities.
    o international students in the world afer China. Questions to Answer
    2. In 2007, 970 st
    students
    udents went to FFrance
    rance to study; in 2008,
    the number increased to 1,757. 1. Give a very brie o
    overview
    verview o this repo
    report.
    rt.
    3. Te French government provides speci󿬁c scholarshi
    scholarships
    ps 2. Mention the reasons or taking up the survey.
    or Indian students, like the Eiffel scholarships spon- 3. Sum up the conclusio
    conclusions
    ns you draw rom the report and
    sored by the French Ministry o Foreign Affairs. Tere give your recommendations.
    are also scholarships co-󿬁nanced by French companies 4. Does the report co
    contain
    ntain all the necessary parts tha
    thatt help
    or institutions. Tese scholarships are attracting many a reader understand it easily? Suggest the missing parts,
    Indian students. i any.

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    1. Mention the point


    pointss you would need to know i so some-
    me- 4. List the basic parts o a short ormal management
    one asked you to write a report and not an essay. report in their preerred sequence.
    2. State the purpose and place (sequence) o the ollowing 5. Discuss the points covered by the introducti
    introduction
    on o a report.
    elements in a report: 6. Discuss the signi󿬁cance o o grap
    graphics
    hics and diagrammatic
    • Summary representations in a report. Illustrate your answer with
    • Introduction some examples.
    • Appendices 7. Identiy the elements o a long ormal report.
    report.
    • able o contents 8. Discuss the importance o p
    planning
    lanning and outlining in
    • Recommendations writing a ormal report.
    3. What part(s) o a repo
    report
    rt are most important to a b
    busi-
    usi- 9. De󿬁ne and discuss a report as a specially assigned task.
    ness executive?

    228 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

    1. What is the difference between ormal an


    and
    d inormal 4. Bring out the difference between “conclusions” and
    reports? “recommendations”
    “recommendati ons” in a report.
    2. Discuss the chie characteristics o a good business report. 5. I the basis o a repo
    report
    rt is a p
    problem,
    roblem, wha
    whatt should be the
    3. Describe the difference between direct and indirect 󿬁rst step necessary beore moving urther into the writ-
    organization o a report. ing process?

    APPLY YOUR LEARNING

    1. Prepare a title page o a report to be written by 2. Write a ormal report as a market


    marketing
    ing manager to your
    you as a management graduate at BIS Pilani on company’s vice-president o marketing on the reasons
    “Communication Needs o Business Management you have investigated or the sudden all in demand or
    Executives”. Te assignment is to be submitted to the your product. You can create the details on the com-
    Dean, Instructions Division, BIS Pilani. pany, product, and location.

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    From the given options, please choose the most appropriate answer.*

    1. Reports present conclusions based o


    on:
    n: 7. Te chronolog
    chronological
    ical developmen
    developmentt o inormation in the
    (a) investigatio
    investigation
    n (b) intuition body o the report is done according to the:
    (c) impressio
    impressionn (d) belie (a) choice o the writer
    (b) logical sequence o events
    2. Te terms o reerence or p
    producing
    roducing a speci󿬁c report
    (c) collection o data
    are given by the:
    (d) order in which events occurred
    (a) writer (b) reader
    8. Te glossary is the list o:
    (c) organization (d) expert (a) subjects covered in the report
    3. Te index orms a part o the:
    (b) diagrams used in the report
    (a) ront matter (b) main body
    (c) technical terms used in the report
    (c) end matter (d) glossary
    (d) reerences
    4. How many b
    basic
    asic parts o a ormal report are there?
    9. Business rresearch
    esearch giv
    gives
    es ino
    inormation
    rmation to guide:
    (a) Five (b) Four
    (a) scholars
    (c) Six (d) Tree
    (b) stockholders
    5. Which o the ollo
    ollowing
    wing is not a subsidiary part o
    o a o
    or-
    r- (c) brokers
    mal report? (d) business decisions
    (a) able o contents (b) Appendix 10. A report can present the ino
    inormation
    rmation in:
    (c) Glossary (d) Reerences
    (a) our ways
    6. A cover letter is normally wri
    written
    tten b
    byy the: (b) two ways

    (a) CEO
    (c) report writer (b)
    (d) top management
    reader (c)
    (d) 󿬁ve
    threeways
    ways

    ENDNOTES

    1. Teodore A. Sherman and Simon S. Johnson, Mo Moder


    dernn 2. Lynn Quitman royka, Handbook of Writers (New
    Technical Writing (New Jersey: Prentice-H
    Prentice-Hall,
    all, 1975), p. 141. York: Simon & Schuster, 1987).

    *For answers and sel-evaluation, visit www.pearsoned.co


    www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi
    .in/PDChaturvedi

    14
    Effective Presentations

    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    Ramesh is a 󿬁rst-year management presentation; the other, to give it in
    In sports, you don’t play a game student. He has to give a presenta- English. But as he had never allowed
    “
    with just one part of you, for tion before his class tomorrow. He is himself to be swayed by the feeling
    nervous. He has, until now, neither of helplessness, he 󿬁nally decided to
    example, your arm in tennis or
    hands in basketball. You play attended nor given a presentation.
    He has no idea whatsoever about the
    sit down and act.
    the game with your whole physi- He decided to write a long essay
    way a presentation is made or given.
    cal being. Te same is true in titled “What is modern management
    Is it like a convocation address or
    all about?” in English and read it out
    presenting.
    presenting. director’s annual report at the college
    before the whole class He thought
    annual function—an oral essay to
    doing this would be better than
    —Anne Mill er be read out? How long should it be?
    doing nothing or telling the faculty
    Is it some sort of a lecture based on
    ” that he did not know anything about
    questions and answers? What exactly
    presentations.
    should the presentation be given on?
    Ramesh’s mind was full of unanswered The next day, Ramesh went to his
    questions. Moreover, he was unable communications class, where he was
    to 󿬁nd a book on presentation skills. asked to give the presentation. He
    Then to make matters worse, he real- walked to the dais, addressed the
    Upon completion of this chapter, you
    ized
    tion that he had to
    in English. give
    That the presenta-
    thought made class, opened
    his essay hisloudly,
    clearly, essay, and
    and con󿬁-
    read
    should be able to:
    him very nervous, as he believed he dently. When he 󿬁nished, the class
    1 Know what a presentation is was not very 󿬂uent in English. Would applauded; however, the faculty did
    and how it differs from a lecture he be able to speak in English before not say anything. Because of this,
    or a written report. the whole class and that too for Ramesh was left wondering if he
    2 Learn how to design a about 10 minutes? He was up against deserved all that applause!
    presentation. two challenges: one, to prepare the
    3 Select the proper medium of
    presentation and visual aids.
    4 Understand the chief principles
    of delivering an effective
    INTRODUCTION
    presentation. oday, it is necessary or students, researchers, job-seekers, and managers
    5 Know how to handle questions to know how to develop and make a presentation on a speci󿬁c subject to a
    and give answers. select audience. For instance, students may be required to deliver a presenta-
    tion to gain admission to a postgraduate programme, to deend their research
    󿬁ndings beore examiners, to be shortlisted or a job opening, or to advocate
    a proposal. Te ability to deliver a presentation effectively helps students in
    two ways. First, it helps in communicating inormation clearly and vividly.
    Second, it creates a good impression about the student as a speaker, scholar,
    or manager. Te impact o a presenter is immediate. A presenter’s con󿬁dence,
    󿬂uency, and readiness o mind in conducting discussions and debate stand
    out as attributes o his or her personality.

    230 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    WHAT IS A PRESENTATION?
    A presentation
    activity is aanvisual
    that uses oral
    A presentation is a live mode o sharing inormation with a select
    sele ct audience. It is a orm
    medium (such as LCD o oral communication in which a person shares actual inormation with a particu-
    projectors or PowerPoint
    lar audience. o get a clear idea o presenting as a distinct communicative activity—
    slides) to discuss new
    different rom lecturing or training—it is possible to de󿬁ne a presentation as an oral
    ideas and inormation
    with a speci󿬁c audience activity that uses a visual medium (such as LCD projectors or PowerPoint slides) to
    in a persuasive and discuss new ideas and inormation with a speci󿬁c audience in a persuasive and con-
    convincing manner. vincing manner.

    Essential Characteristics of a Good Presentation


    A good presentation has the ollowing characteristics:

    • Tere is a clear structure with an introduction, discussion, and conclusion.


    • Te presenter recognizes and matches the audience’s
    audience’s needs, interests, and level o
    understanding,, while discussing his or her ideas.
    understanding
    • Facts and 󿬁gures are visually represented in tables, graphs, and charts, and different
    colours are used to make the presentation vivid and interesting.
    • Humour and anecdotes may be employed to create a good relationship and connec-
    tion with the audience.
    • Te presenter speaks clearly and logically and uses body language effectively.
    • Questions are given serious attention and are regarded as an essential part o the
    presentation.

    1 The Difference Between a Presentation and a Lecture


    A presentation is not a lecture. Classroom lectures have well-de󿬁ned educational objec-
    Know what a tives. Te outcome and excellence o a lecture is measured in terms o its interactive and
    presentation is and participative character. Effective lecturers generally encourage students to ask questions
    how it differs rom a and continually put orth questions or the students to consider. Te Socratic mode o
    lecture or a written teaching (the question-and-answer method) is considered highly effective. Tus, a class-
    report. room lecture is ideally a two-way communication process. But presentations are one-
    way, at least initially, when the audience listens, watches, and takes notes.
    A presentation has a well-de󿬁ned ormat. As a normal practice, the audience sits
    A classroom lecture through the delivery without interrupting the presenter. It is only when the pre-
    is ideally a two-way senter completes his or her part that the audience is invited to ask questions or seek
    communication process. clari󿬁cations.
    But presentations are Another signi󿬁cant distinguishing eature o presentations is that the presenter acts
    one-way, at least initially, as an advocate o the inormation shared with the audience. Te ocus is on persuad-
    when the audience
    ing the listeners to buy the ideas that are shared. A teacher, on the other hand, is basi-
    listens, watches, and
    takes notes.
    cally interested in imparting inormation as correctly as possible. Te ocus is on a clear
    understanding o the ideas by the students.

    The Difference Between a Presentation and a Written Report


    A presentation is ofen made on the basis o a written report. However, it is not simply
    an oral rendering o a written report, which usually uses ormal language and has long
    explanations and several examples. Such eatures can be presented to a reader, but not a
    listener. In accordance with the nature o the spoken orm, a presentation is delivered in
    everyday language, covers select inormation, and only gives a ew examples. A presen-
    tation should use simple, concise, and clear language and be ree o jargon and passive
    words and phrases. It should be delivered in a natural manner and be as close as possible
    to the rhythm and syntax o a conversation.

    EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS
    PRESENTATIONS 231

    PREPARING A PRESENTATION
    Presentations have three major elements:
    • Te presenter
    • Te audience
    • Te speci󿬁c content and de󿬁nite objective to be achieved
    A trained presenter approaches a presentation with an awareness o all its elements
    and a ully planned strategy. He or she knows that just standing up and speaking to A trained presenter
    an audience or a given amount o time to show how much he or she knows on the approaches a presenta-
    topic does not imply that the presentation is good. A presentation
    presentation is a particular mode tion with an awareness
    o all its elements and a
    o communicating with a group o people and conveying a message. It involves prior
    ully planned strategy.
    preparation and planning.
    A good presentation
    A presenter should undertake the ollowing steps to prepare or the presentation: involves prior prepara-
    tion and planning.
    • Identiy the purpose and goal o the presentation
    • Analyse the audience and their needs
    • Collate the relevant information
    • Design and organize the information
    • Time the presentati
    presentation
    on
    • Decide on the medium of presentat
    presentation
    ion and v
    visual
    isual aids
    • Become familiar with the location of the presentation

    Identify the Purpose of the Presentation


    The presenter should ask himself or herself: Why am I giving this presentation? He or
    she may be giving the presentation to:
    • Sell something or persuade people
    people to ollow
    ollow a course o action
    action that they may
    may not be
    inclined towards.
    • Inorm people about an idea or describe
    describ e a business opportunity to gain support or
    some course o action or to suggest a likely course o action or the uture.
    • Gather people’s views on new plans, products, or proposals to introduce changes.
    • Put across a p
    problem
    roblem to seek a solution or to minimize people’s
    people’s reaction to it.
    • Create awareness b
    byy sharing inormation, without requiring any action or response.
    • Motivate, educate, o
    orr impart training to promote
    promote a more productive work culture.
    After identifying his or her objective, the presenter should outline it in a single sen-
    tence. For example, assume the dean of the BITS Distance Learning Programme (DLP)
    has to put forward a proposal to the board of governors to expand the institute’s Distance
    Learning Programme by creating off-campus centres in Gulf cities such as Dubai or
    Muscat. He is required to make a presentation before the board members to justify the Beore making a
    proposal. He knows exactly why he is giving
    giving the presentation
    presentation;; the purpose can be writ- presentation, the
    presenter must know
    ten in a single
    members sentence
    of the that
    viability andoutlines the structure
    desirability of hisoverseas
    of creating ideas: “To convince the
    (off-campus) board
    learning the audience he or she
    is going to address. Te
    centres in Gulf countries, in view of the growing demand for BITS courses abroad”.
    presenter should have
    This precise formulation of the objective will help him organize his ideas in a logical
    an idea o the number,
    manner that will convince the board. nature, needs, level o
    Analyse the Audience and Identify Their Needs knowledge, and likely
    attitude o those who
    Beore making a presentation,
    presentati on, the presenter must know the audien
    audience
    ce he or she is going to
    are going to receive the
    address. Te presenter should have an idea o the number, nature, needs, level o knowl-
    message.
    edge, and likely attitude o those who are going to receive the message. Tese actors will

    232 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    determine the language o delivery and selection o inputs. Understanding the audience’s
    needs will help the presenter ocus the presentation on issues that would be o interest
    to his or her listeners. In addition, knowing about the likely attitude o the audience in
    advance would make the presenter eel more con󿬁dent. All members o a group will not
    have a similar attitude and as individuals they are bound to respond differently. Also,
    presenters should keep in mind that different persons attending the presentation may be
    looking or different inormation based on their own interests or needs. Tereore, the
    presenter must de󿬁ne the ocus and scope o the presentation at the very outset. Most
    importantly, the speaker must never consider the audience to be a hostile group. Tey
    may be opposed to one’s ideas or message, but they are not the speaker’s enemies.
    Guidelines or analysing an audience include 󿬁nding answers or the ollowing
    questions:
    • Who is the audience?
    • Why are they attending the presentation? What are their needs?

    • What is their background aand


    nd level o knowledge, in relation to the subject o
    presentation?
    • How many persons will there be?
    • What is their attitude
    attitude towards
    towards the subject and
    and the speaker expected
    expected to be?
    • What does the audience expect will be the outcome
    outcome o the presentation?
    presentation?
    Te last question is the most important and needs to be clearly understood and
    answered. Te answer to it will clariy and de󿬁ne the speaker’s purpose. It will help the
    presenter understand the audience’s expectations. For instance, in the presentation on
    creating overseas BIS DLP centres in the Gul, the expected outcome will be: “Afer
    listening to the presentation, the board members will agree to approve, in principle, ini-
    tiating overseas DLP centres and setting up a committee to work out the easibility o
    opening two centres, one each in Dubai and Muscat”. Te presenter can visualize the
    audience’s response as i the presentation has already happened. Positive expectations
    will give the speaker added con󿬁dence. In addition, i the speaker has too many ideas or
    too much inormation on the topic at hand, knowing the audience’s needs and expecta-
    tions will help him or her determine what inormation is most relevant and interesting.
    Te needs o the audience vary rom category to category. For example, a student’s
    content will change depending on whether he or she is making a presentation beore
    ellow students, proessors, local business people, or riends. In some cases, one would
    expect that the audience already has a high level o inormation, while in other cases,
    there will be little inormation known. Te speaker should consider the audience’s needs
    and tell them what they need to know without talking about everything.

    2 Design and Organize the Information


    By this point, the speaker has done two essential things to give shape to the presentation:
    he or she is aware o the purpose o the presentation and the audience’s needs. Tese
    Learn how to design a
    presentation. will guide him or her in gathering and systematically arranging the inormation to be
    presented.
    present ed. Te speaker should structure and design the delivery to be effective, with the
    goal that the audience will ultimately accept his or her ideas.
    Te normal order o Considerable thought should be given to how to start the presentation. What should
    any exposition is to 󿬁rst be said 󿬁rst? Tis does not reer to how to greet the audience but, rather, to what main
    list the main ideas and point the speaker should begin with. Te normal order o any exposition is to 󿬁rst list the
    then elaborate on each main ideas and then elaborate on each o them. Tis is the pattern that all written reports
    o them. ollow too. Te sequence and timing o each part in a 30-minute presentation should be:
    • Introduction: 3 minutes
    • Main body:
    body: 15 minutes

    EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS
    PRESENTATIONS 233

    • Conclusion: 2 minutes
    • Question–answer
    Question–answer session: 10 minutes
    Te presentation should be designed in such a way that it is logical, clear, and com-
    plete in the 30 minutes allotted to it. Let’s use the BIS DLP proposal example to see how
    this can be done.
    Introduction (3 minutes)
    Te introduction indicates the main idea o the presentation. It does only that, without
    giving details o what is to ollow. Tis helps the audience know the subject and ocus o
    the presentation. For instance, the objective in this situation is: “We propose that BIS
    should open Distance Learning Centres in two Gul cities, Dubai and Muscat”. Next,
    the presentation should explain why it is proposing overseas BIS centres by speaking
    about how popular BIS’ educational programmes are nationally and internationally.
    Tis background provides the launching pad or more detailed inormation, which is
    covered in the main body o the presentation.
    Main Body (15 minutes)
    Te main part o the presentation is devoted to inorming the audience about the
    advantages o the proposal, both or BIS and the concerned countries in the Gul ((see
    see
    Exhibit 14.1). Tis section would include 󿬁ndings o a survey and analysis o the data.
    Tis section o the presentation should generally be divided into sub-sections. As a
    general rule, the speaker should avoid having more than three sub-sections under the
    main point.
    Exhibit 14.1
    Bene󿬁ts to BITS
    The Main Body of the
    the
    • Will help the faculty de
    develop
    velop ne
    neww teaching strategies to promote BITS’ academic rig-
    rig- Presentation
    our and excellence in a different
    differen t climate where there is economic
    ec onomic affl uence but limited
    opportunities for higher education, specially in technology, science, and management.
    • Will support BITS programmes in ge
    general
    neral and a
    add
    dd o
    opportunities
    pportunities for summer training and
    placements.
    • Will increase 󿬁nancial bene󿬁ts and foreign exchange earnings.
    Bene󿬁ts to DLP-associated Countries
    • Will create good oopportunities
    pportunities for A
    Arab
    rab and non-resident Indian stude
    students
    nts to study e
    engi-
    ngi-
    neering, science, or management at an international level.
    • Will help Gulf countries use the research capabilities of BITS’ faculty and postgraduate
    students to promote their technical know-how in the areas of construction, plant man-
    agement, and human relations development.
    • Will enable developing countries tto
    o learn new ways of social and intell
    intellectual
    ectual gro
    growth
    wth
    through interaction and contact with India.
    Viability: How Will BITS Centres Abroad Work?
    An MOU can be signed between BITS and the partner countries. The BITS centre will be recog-
    nized as a centre for higher learning and education, duly approved by the Sultanate of Oman
    and the Emirate of Dubai.

    • All ph
    physical
    ysical ffacilities
    acilities such as land, building, furniture, laboratories, and libr
    library
    ary are to be
    provided by the host country free of rent and cost for 󿬁ve years. Subsequently, rent and
    costs will be 󿬁xed through mutual agreement.
    • Faculty provision: The teaching
    teaching faculty and administration will be provided by BITS, Pilani
    (India).
    • Syllabus and exams: The courses
    courses and evaluatio
    evaluation
    n systems use
    used
    d abroad will be the same as
    those used in BITS Pilani, India.
    • Admissions system and fe
    fees:
    es: A
    Admissions
    dmissions will
    will be made on the basis of merit and will be
    determined through normalization
    normalization of the marks of applicants (mostly NRIs).

    234 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Exhibit 14.2
    The Conclusion • BITS’ experience of runnin
    running g three DLP ce
    centres
    ntres in India has bu
    built
    ilt con󿬁dence
    con󿬁dence and exper-
    tise regarding its abilities to do so abroad, negating distance as a factor for excellence in
    education.
    • The faculty is committed
    committed and ready to take ad
    advantage
    vantage of this opportunity.
    • There is a lot of faith iin
    n the promised support fr
    from
    om the Gulf na
    nations.
    tions.

    Generally, a presentation is delivered in an analytical and logical manner: the intro-


    duction leads to the main content, which in turn leads to the conclusions and recom-
    mendations. o integrate these parts into a continuous whole, there should be proper
    transitions rom one section to the next and rom one stage to another. Te speaker
    should summarize what has been said in the previous section or stage beore explain-
    ing how the next point is related. An example is: “So, you have seen how BIS overseas
    centres are easible and viable. Now let’s discuss some o the potential problems that
    we may
    ma y ace”
    a ce”..
    Conclusion (2 minutes)
    Te conclusion (see Exhibit 14.2) summarizes the speaker’s main arguments and con-
    nects them to the objectives stated in the introduction and the larger picture.
    o end the presentation, the speaker should do the ollowing:
    • Repeat the main idea o the presentation.
    • Restate the most important points with supporting inormation.
    • Tank the audience and invite questions.

    Question–Answer Session (10 minutes)


    Tis is an important opportunity
    opportunity or audience interaction. Te speaker should encourage
    questions and answer each question seriously and with honesty. Te speaker should not

    try to bluff;
    admit this. i he or she does not know the answer to a question, it is best to be rank and
    3 Decide on the Medium of Presentation and Visual Aids
    Select the proper A presentation can be made more vivid by the use o statistical data, 󿬁gures, diagrams,
    medium o and so on, which can be displayed via transparencies or PowerPoint slides. Trough
    presentation
    presentatio n and visual display
    display o
    o ideas, the presenter
    presenter can make
    make the audience see what they hear.
    hear. Graphics
    Graphics
    visual aids. tend to garner and hold attention more easily than spoken words, so they also help keep
    the audience ully absorbed. Having visual projection o the message also enables the
    A presentation can be speaker to keep to the structure o the presentation. Moreover, ofen a greater amount o
    made more vivid by inormation can be communicated with a visual than lengthy verbal explanations. Tis
    the use o statistical saves time.
    data charts, 󿬁gures,
    diagrams, and so on, When to Use Visual Aids
    which can be displayed Visual aids should be used to:
    via transparencies
    transparencies or • Present numerical and statistical data.
    PowerPoint slides.
    • Present topics related to art, design, o
    orr any subject that is visual in nature.
    Ofen, a greater amount • Present comparative statements o acts and 󿬁gures, specially graphic and diagram-
    o inormation can be matic orms. Visual presentation o comparisons always helps comprehension. For
    communicated with instance, i the presenter wants to demonstrate the comparison o two structures, the
    a visual than lengthy point o comparison can be better appreciated when shown rather than described.
    verbal explanations.
    explanations.
    • Present new interpretations
    interpretations o old data. I
    I the speaker has discovered o
    orr noticed
    Tis saves time.
    something new as a resh interpretation o an existing phenomenon, showing it

    EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS
    PRESENTATIONS 235

    makes the inormation look more concrete. By projecting the old inormation
    side-by-side with the new, the speaker can demonstrate how he or she has gone
    beyond the old data.

    How to Use Visual Aids


    Here are some guidelines regarding how to use visual aids:
    • One should n
    not
    ot use too many
    many images
    images as this will lessen their impact.
    impact. One should not use too
    • Te speaker should plan the graphics according to the main points and make one many images as this will
    graphic or each point. lessen their impact. Te
    • It is best to use bold, clear letters that can be seen rom the other end o the room. speaker should plan the
    graphics according to
    • Te speaker should not 󿬁ll a slide with too manymany words. As ar as possible,
    possible, one should
    should the main points.
    write single words or short phrases to summarize concepts. See Exhibit 14.3 or an
    example.
    • Different colours can help to distinguish
    distinguis h different points.
    • Te presenter should reveal only one point at a time. Tis can be done by progres-
    sively exposing the hidden portion o the
    t he slide.
    • Te slides shoul
    shouldd be numbered and the
    the presentation
    presentation should be rehearsed
    rehearsed with the
    slides. Tis ensures that the words match the visuals.
    • Te speaker sho
    should
    uld explain the purpose
    purpose and content
    content o each slide when it is shown.
    It should be displayed
    dis played or suffi cient time to allow the audience to read it and,
    and , i
    required, make notes rom it.

    Exhibit 14.3
    A word-heavy, ineffective An Effective and an
    slide; the audience may Ineffective Slide
    Functions of a Finance Manager 󿬁nd it hard to grasp the
    The 󿬁nance manager
    manager of an organization
    organization is involved in: main points in a short time.
    ■
    forecasting and predicting the short- and long-term
    requirement of money by the business
    ■
    analysing the costs and bene󿬁ts associated with long term
    investments
    ■ Coordinating
    Coordinat ing and controlling the various organizational
    activities are to ensure cost effectiveness and maximum
    efficiency in terms of v value
    alue generation
    genera tion
    ■ eliminating, reducing and avoiding the risks the business
    faces
    ■ evaluating the performance of his/her 󿬁rm

    An effective slide that


    captures the main points
    in brie. I requir
    required,
    ed, the Functions of a Finance Manager
    presenter should explain ■ Forecasting and planning
    these points in detail. ■ Analysing and evaluating the investment
    activities
    ■ Coordination and control
    ■ Risk management
    ■ Performance measurement

    236 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Different Mediums of Presentation


    Some common mediums o presentation are boards (black or white), 󿬂ip charts, over-
    head projectors and transparencies, and Microsof PowerPoint slides.
    Boards A board is a primary aid used in classrooms and can be black or white. Te use
    o a board helps listeners concentrate, as it is used to note important words and concepts,
    or to do calculations. It is better to divide the board into different parts or noting down
    points, doing calculations, and drawing 󿬁gures. Bold, clear letters should be used so that
    words are visible at a distance.

    Flip charts A 󿬂ip chart is a large pad o paper set on a stand. It is used or presenting
    inormation to a small group o 15 to 20 persons. Te advantage o using 󿬂ip charts is
    that they can be readily generated and added to during the talk. Tey can also be pre-
    pared in advance or presenting complex diagrams, bar charts, and graphs. Te speaker
    can sketch outlines o a diagram in the presence o the audience. He or she can also use
    them or prompting and or creating and presenting the audience’s eedback, sugges-
    tions, comments, or any other observations at the end o the talk. Flip charts that can be
    written over in water-soluble ink can be reused.

    Overhead projectors and transparencies A requently used medium o presentation


    is an overhead projector
    projector (OHP). Overhead
    O verhead projectors allow the presenter to speak while
    looking at the audience and also have a prepared transparency projected on the screen.
    An OHP can have typed or handwritten matter, but the best impact is made when the
    content is neatly and clearly typed. ips on preparing transparencies and using OHPs are
    given in Exhibit 14.4.

    PowerPointt presentations
    PowerPoin Computer-based Microsof PowerPoint presentations have
    now become more widespread than transparencies and slides. Tese are projected with
    the help o multimedia projectors. Usually, a computer screen displays the inormation
    to a large audience. Pictures and photographs are all displayed as part o the presenta-
    tion. Te entire presentation is saved on a laptop (with a backup on CD, i possible).
    Te laptop is then connected to the projection equipment so that the laptop screen is
    cloned on the projector. Te whole operation is automatic and simple. Te visual impact
    is impressive and absorbing.

    Time the Presentation


    Te total presentation, Te total presentation, including the question–answer session at the end, should be
    including the question– covered within the time allotted to it. In actual practice, while
    w hile speaking, many people
    answer session at the tend to ignore the act that the audience’s interest and attention are affected by the
    end, should be covered time actor. An effective presentation is one that has a smart beginning and logically
    within the time allotted arrives at a conclusion without wandering off-topic or rambling, while providing
    to it. sufficient explanation
    explan ation or tricky or controversial
    controversia l points. Te speaker
    spea ker should not repeat
    his or her points excessively. In addition, he or should learn to change the pacing

    o thelanguage.
    body presentation in response to the non-verbal cues received rom the audience’s

    Become Familiar with the Location of the Presentation


    Beore presenting, the speaker should check the size, ventilation, and seating arrange-
    ment o the room. Tis helps position the screen according to the number o persons
    and the size o the room, ensuring it will be visible to everyone. Te presenter should
    keep enough space between himsel or hersel and the screen so that he or she can reer
    to points on the screen with a pointer.

    EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS
    PRESENTATIONS 237

    Exhibit 14.4
    • Make your transparencie
    transparencies/slides
    s/slides clear and visible to everyone in the audience.
    audience. Tips for Preparing
    Preparing Trans-
    Trans-
    • Put only one mmain
    ain point on each transpar
    transparency/slide.
    ency/slide. parencies and PowerPoint
    PowerPoint
    • Do not crowd the transparency/slid
    transparency/slide e with too much information. Place information
    information at the Slides
    centre, and do not crowd the margins.
    • Avoid having more than eight lines on each transparency/slide,
    transparency/slide, and use about six words
    in each line. Thus, try to limit each transparency to about 48 words.
    • Mark sections and sub-sections with clarity to make the organization of information clear
    clear..
    • Check before the presentation that the projector is working. In the case of PowerPoint
    presentations, ensure that the laptop is not low on battery and that it is connected to the
    projector.
    • Clean the projector lens and surface if neede
    needed.
    d.
    • Adjust the focus and projector position to obtain the brightest and largest image possible.
    • Switch off the machine between visuals. In the case of OHPs, run the fan inside the
    projector when showing visuals.
    • The projection screen shoul
    should
    d be clean. If the projection is made on a whiteboard or wall,
    ensure that there is nothing written or marked on the board/wall.
    • Use a pointer to point to parts of the transparency and emphasize speci󿬁c
    speci󿬁c points.
    • Show the points one by one. In the case of an OHP
    OHP,, one may hide the matter that has not
    yet been discussed with tracing paper. In the case of PowerPoint slides, this can be done
    by clicking on Slide Show on the tool bar, selecting Animation, and selecting the required
    effect (fade
    (fade in one by one,
    one, appear and dim,
    dim, etc.) from the right-hand side panel, as follows:
    • Finally
    Finally,, one should rremember
    emember that slide
    slidess and transparencies are ai aids
    ds in presentations,
    and not a substitute for one’s own words and explanations.
    explanations. So, it is important to face the audi-
    ence while speaking and to make eye contact with them.

    DELIVERING THE
    TH E PRESENTA
    PRESENTATION
    Regardless o how interesting or well drafed a presentation is, its delivery must be effec-
    4
    tive in order or the presentation to achieve its goals. Here are some guidelines on deliv- Understand the
    ering presentations: chie principles o
    delivering an effective
    • Do not read aloud. A prpresentatio
    esentation
    n is essentially an oral,
    oral, ace-to-ace comm
    communica-
    unica- presentation.
    tion. Reading notes or slides aloud does not oster discussion o ideas. Tis is a com-
    mon mistake: it does not hold the audience’s attention as they can read the slide

    238 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    themselves. What the speaker should do is explain and expand on what is on the
    Reading outdoes
    slides aloud notesnot
    or screen, pointing out what is important and how it relates to the point.
    oster discussion o • Use the “you attitude” to ensure audience involvement; tell the audience how the
    ideas. Tis is a common inormation being presented is useul to them. What do they stand to gain rom the
    mistake: it does not hold presentation? Why should they listen to you? Answering this well shows how one’s
    the audience’s attention presentation is relevant to the needs and interests o the audience.
    as they can read the
    slide themselves. • Outline the content o the presentation in the beginning itsel. Tis will help the
    audience ollow the presentation and understand its structure and arguments.
    • Use transitions. I the audience are told what comes next in the presentation, they
    will be able to ollow it better and will know how one part relates to the others. Te
    speaker know best when he or she moves rom one stage or step to another. He ors
    he can help the audience know when a new point is being introduced so that they
    ollow the sequence. ransitions must, thereore, be well indicated by using connec-
    tives and inerences. For example, phrases such as “Now we can consider”, “So we
    can see that”, and “Te next step involves” are useul or this.
    • ry to involve the
    the audience and encourage their participation. Avoid
    Avoid doing thin
    things
    gs
    that reduce audience involvement such as speaking in too low a voice that cannot
    be heard and may be perceived as eeble, or shouting, which sounds angry and
    jarring.
    • o arouse and sustain audience
    audience interest, the speaker should maintain eye contact
    throughout the presentation, ask interesting questions o the audience, use anec-
    dotes i possible, invite volunteers to role-play, stand close enough to the audience
    to be ully visible and to eel less removed rom them, and present material enthu-
    siastically.

    Rehearsal
    o give a good presentation, the speaker should rehearse his or her ull perormance
    ahead o time. Tis helps to:
    • Coordinate
    Coordinate speech with visual projections
    projections
    • Know i the inormation has been properly edited
    • Check i the duration o the presentation is appropriate
    • Minimize stage right
    It is best to rehearse
    It is best to rehearse beore a discerning
    discer ning listener and in conditions as close to the ac
    actual
    tual
    beore a discerning presentation conditions as possible. Te listener should be able to evaluate the material
    listener and in in terms o its technical accuracy. He or she should also be able to provide objective
    conditions as close to criticism.
    the actual presentation Some tips or rehearsing a presentation are:
    conditions as possible.
    • Rehearse using the microphone and visual aids and in the chosen mode o present-
    ing to practice coordinating verbal delivery and visual projection.
    • Practice using eye contact. Tis requires lifing one’
    one’s eyes rom the written notes and
    acing the audience or as long as possible.
    • Practice voice modulation, proper intonation, correct pronunciation o the words,
    and proper variation in volume.
    • Rehears
    Rehearsee by recording the presentation and playing it back to observe your own
    voice and manner o delivery.
    delivery. It is possible to improve one’
    one’s perormance by ana-
    lysing the recorded perormance. A video recording would be most useul to help
    improve body language.

    EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS
    PRESENTATIONS 239

    Body Language
    Since a presentation is a live perormance, the speaker’s non-verbal cues will in󿬂uence Since a presentation is
    a live perormance, the
    the audience and vice versa. We have already discussed the power o non-verbal body speaker’s non-verbal
    movements, gestures, and acial expressions in positively or negatively modiying the cues will in󿬂uence the
    meaning o the message in Chapter 7. For presentations, the ollowing aspects o non- audience and vice versa.
    verbal behaviour
    behaviour are particularly
    particularly relevant:
    relevant:
    • Proessional appearance
    • Good/positive posture
    • Eye contact
    • Use o positive gestures and hand movements that reinorce the argument
    • Appropriate momovements.
    vements. It is important not to stand 󿬁xed like a statue in one spot,
    but to move with ease between the projection screen and the podium or the area in
    ront o the audience

    • Smiling and looking


    looking relaxed
    relaxed while answering questions
    Handling Questions and Debate
    A good speaker treats questions as an important and necessary part o his or her presen- 5
    tation. Questions are an opportunity or the speaker to urther explain his or her point. Know how to handle
    He or she can go back to the slides to urther explain a point, or he or she can also add questions and give
    new evidence or examples to support the point. I a presentation is ollowed by a series answers.
    o questions, it shows that the presentation was able to involve the audience and hold
    their interest. A genuine question reveals that the speaker’s content was relevant to the
    audience.
    Questions help the speaker to: I a presentation is
    ollowed
    ollow ed by a series
    • Further cl
    clariy
    ariy what he or she has already said.
    said. o questions, it shows
    • Add new inormation. Some presenters deliberately leave out details that they pro- that the presentation
    was able to involve the
    pose to provide
    • Demonstrate hisduring
    or her the discussion
    knowledge. Tesession.
    speaker’s ab
    ability
    ility to answer questions shows audience and hold their
    interest. A genuine
    that he or she is ully inormed on your subject. It also increases the speaker’s
    question reveals that the
    con󿬁dence. speaker’s content was
    • Prove the relevance o the presentation.
    presentation. A genuine question shows that what the relevant to the audience.
    speaker has said is relevant and interesting to the audience.
    Questions can be motivated by different reasons, ranging rom rivalry or jealousy to
    genuine curiosity. Tey can be classi󿬁ed as:
    • Genuine questions: A question may be asked to get more inormation or to seek
    clariication regarding a particular point. his sort o question is not meant to
    embarrass the speaker but intends that he or she elaborate or explain what has
    already discussed.
    • Questions asked for the sake of questioning: Tere are some questions that do not seek
    any answer. Tey are raised either to show off the knowledge o the questioner or to
    expose gaps in the presenter’s knowledge and inormation. Such questions can be:
    • Attention-grabbing—ask
    Attention-grabbing—asked
    ed tto
    o steal the limelight.
    • Unanswerable—no answer can sat
    satisy
    isy the questioner
    questioner..
    • angential—have no bearing on the sub
    subject
    ject discussed and posed to o
    oppose
    ppose the
    speaker’ss viewpoint.
    speaker’
    • Challenging—challenge the speaker’
    speaker’ss knowledge and raise do
    doubts
    ubts abo
    about
    ut the validity
    o his or her inormation.

    240 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    In all situations, the speaker should exhibit a sense o honesty in answering questions.
    I he or she does not know the answer, it is best to admit this—nobody is expected to
    know everything. Everybody is, however,
    however, expected to be honest enough to acknowledge
    what he or she does not know.

    Tips to Fight Stage Fright


    Stage right is a natural experience or all presenters. Some tips to deal with it include:
    1. Always look or some smiling aces among the listeners and make eye contact
    contact with
    them; they will make you eel at ease.
    2. Rehearse your presentation beore riends.
    3. Memorize opening lines to help get
    get yoursel started.
    4. Do extensive research on the topic and be over-prepared.
    5. Use it as a positive
    positive source o nervous energy or perorming well.
    well.

    SUMMARY

    • Tis chapter coconcentrated


    ncentrated on iimparting
    mparting the skil
    skills
    ls o • Tere are various medi
    mediums
    ums that can be used in pres-
    effective presentation. Tese skills can be developed entations, such as boards, 󿬂ip charts, OHPs, and
    by paying attention to preparation and delivery tech- PowerPoint, and these are helpul in projecting com-
    niques, and the handling o the audience’s response. plex inormation visually.
    • Tere is a difference between p
    presentations
    resentations and lect
    lectures
    ures • A good presenter uses the skills o non-verbal commu-
    and written reports. nication to reinorce his or her words.
    • A presentation is a orm o o oral comm
    communication.
    unication. It
    Itss • A good ppresenter
    resenter m
    must
    ust also be able to encourage and
    success depends on the presenter’s preparation, clarity handle questions.
    o purpose, understanding o audience needs, ability to • Speakers can overcome stage right and develop sel-
    structure inormation, choose the proper medium o con󿬁dence by practising and rehearsing the presenta-
    presentation and visual aids, and ability to appeal to the tion beore a chosen audience/critic.
    audience s interest and respond to their questions with
    audiences
    ease and honesty
    honesty..

    CASE: THE PRESENTATION EFFECT

    Mr Jon Hauser, President o A&E Education in Germany, discussed would need to be customized with speci󿬁c local
    visited a management institute in Chennai. Afer an inor- content, and went on to share his own sofware model o
    mal meeting with the principal director, they moved to a Learning Management System. Jon appreciated the new
    large seminar hall equipped with a multimedia projection insight, and they agreed to collaborate and integrate the
    system. Jon proposed to give a presentation on his Learning models or marketing the sofware to educational institu-
    Management System model. He spoke or about 40 minutes, tions across India.
    covering the worldwide processes o educational administra-
    tion and e-management.
    e- management. His presentation used PowerPoin
    PowerPointt Questions to Answer
    and was visually supported by graphic data—charts, graphs,
    1. Does the size o the venue affect the quality o the
    the
    and diagrams.
    diagra ms. At places, he was diffi cult to ollow because
    becaus e o
    presentation?
    the unusual accent in which English is spoken by a German.
    However,
    How ever, the elaborate visual aids helped him put h his
    is point 2. Discuss the bene󿬁ts o
    o using Pow
    PowerPoint
    erPoint and visual aids
    across successully. Te PowerPoint
    PowerPoint slides were in the orm when giving a presentation to a oreign audience.
    o bullet points outlining the structure
    struc ture o the presentation. 3. What were JonJon’s
    ’s presentati
    presentation
    on objectives? Was he suc-
    During the discussion at the end o Jon’s presentation, the cessul in achieving them?
    principal director opined that the international model

    EFFECTIVE PRESENTATIONS
    PRESENTATIONS 241

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING


    1. Suppose you have just made a presentation. Tere is a 6. How do you indicate what is next in your pr
    presentation
    esentation
    coffee break. People are standing around discussing the to the audience?
    presentation. You are able to overhear what they are say- 7. Choose a topic and show how you would summarize
    ing. What would you like to hear them say about you and its content or your audience at the beginning o the
    your presentation? presentation.
    2. What according to you is a presentation? List some char- 8. Identiy the main content o a presentation on a topic
    acteristics o a presentation that distinguish it rom a o your choice and break it up into different sections
    written report. and sub-sections.
    3. Discuss the difference between a pr
    presentation
    esentation and a 9. List the visual aids that w
    would
    ould be most effective in your
    lecture/seminar. presentation. Mention some o the advantages o these
    4. Ofen it is difficult to know where to begin a presentat
    presentation.
    ion. aids.
    What do you think is the 󿬁rst thing to consider? Why? 10. Mention the characteristics o effective presentation
    5. Why is the time limit im
    important
    portant in the case o a presen- language.
    tation? Why do you try to plan a presentation? List at 11. List the characteristics o your audience that are
    are impor-
    least two reasons or each answer. tant to consider beore giving your presentation.

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

    1. How does a young business executive bene󿬁t rom success 4. “he question–answer session is an integral part o a
    in his or her 󿬁rst presentat
    presentation
    ion beore peers and seniors? presentation.”” Do you aagree?
    presentation. gree? How much time sshould
    hould
    2. Should a presentation be allowed to chang
    changee into a group be kept or the audience’
    audienc e’s questions in a pres
    presentation
    entation
    discussion at any stage? o about 30 minutes?
    3. A presentatio
    presentationn is of
    ofen
    en the result o team work. H How
    ow is 5. Discuss the different kinds o questions o one
    ne can ace
    the work o different team members coordinated and rom an audience and how you would handle them.

    presented as a single, well organized presentation?


    APPLY YOUR
    YOUR LEARNING
    LEAR NING

    It is the audience that acts as the main actor in determin- (i) Fellow students in your subject o study
    ing what your presentation contains and what it does not. (ii) Persons who have no knowledge o the subject
    Choose a topic or a presentation and brie󿬂y indicate how (iii) Proessors and experts in your department
    you would change the content o your presentation to suit
    the ollowing audiences:

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    From among the given options, choose the most appropriate


    appropriate answer:*
    1. A presentatio
    presentation
    n is a orm o o
    oral
    ral comm
    communication
    unication in which a 2. Te presenter acts as the:
    person shares actual inormation with an audience that is: (a) medium o the inormatio
    inormation
    n
    (a) large (b) advocate o the inormation
    (b) small (c) supporter o the inormation
    (c) speci󿬁c (d) deliverer o the inormation
    (d) mixed

    *For answers and sel-evaluation, visit www.pearsoned.co


    www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi
    .in/PDChaturvedi

    242 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    3. Te three major elements o presentation do not 7. o make a presentatio


    presentation
    n effective and impressive, yyou
    ou
    include: should use:
    (a) visual aids (a) complex sentences
    (b) speci󿬁c content (b) jargon
    (c) an audience (c) passive sentences
    (d) a presenter (d) a simple and active orm o sentences
    4. Te audience or a presentation consists o peopl
    peoplee who: 8. o select the cont
    content
    ent o your presenta
    presentation,
    tion, you should
    (a) are uniorm in their level o inormation and know:
    purpose (a) your purpose
    (b) vary in their level o inormation and purpose (b) the audienc
    audience’
    e’s needs
    (c) are uninormed and lack a purpose (c) the available material
    (d) are conused in their purpose (d) the time limit
    5. o be ab
    able
    le to give a good presenta
    presentation,
    tion, a ull rehearsal is: 9. In pr
    presentation
    esentation d
    design,
    esign, maximum
    maximum time is given to the:
    (a) necessary (a) conclusion
    (b) optional (b) introduction
    (c) useless (c) main body
    (d) audience based (d) question–answer session
    6. Reading out a presentation is: 10. Initially
    Initially,, a presentation is a orm o:
    (a) allowed (a) one-way communicatio
    communication
    n
    (b) not allowed (b) two-way communicatio
    communication
    n
    (c) helpul (c) group communicat
    communication
    ion
    (d) dull (d) intrapersonal communication
    15
    Business Etiquee

    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    Ramalingam is a vice-president in introduced the visiting American
    Etiquette means behaving a multinational company in Noida. group to him and without any further
    “ lf a little be
    yourself
    yourse better
    tter tha
    than
    n is He is a Harvard graduate and lived delay, Mr Rai took everyone to the
    in the United States for more than boardroom for a presentation on the
    absolutely essential.
    󿬁ve years. He understands how company—the past, the present,
    Americans behave and expect to be and the future—before holding a
    —Will Cuppy
    treated abroad. He knows that they discussion on the proposed trade
    ” follow schedules punctually, dislike between the two companies.
    delays, and hate to be kept waiting or Mr James Wright, the head of the
    to keep someone waiting. Therefore, visiting delegation, listened to the
    Ramalingam was very uneasy when presentation with full attention.
    Mr Rai, the CEO of his company, He noted down some points and
    was late for their meeting with the clari󿬁ed these with Mr Rai; however,
    American delegation visiting the he declined to stay for lunch, saying
    company that morning. that they had to catch a 3 p.m. 󿬂ight
    Ramalingam kept the visitors busy by to Mumbai and did not have time.
    makingsmall talk, buttheir restlessness When leaving, Mr Wright said that he
    was visible in the repeated glances at would get back to them. Ramalingam
    Upon completion of this chapter, you their wristwatches. Mr Rai arrived after wished Mr Rai had not been late to
    should be able to: about 20 minutes and was apologetic the meeting, as they had lost valuable
    for the delay, which was caused time that could have been used for
    1 Understand the general rules of by a huge traffic jam. Ramalingam
    Ramalinga m discussing business opportunities.
    business etiquette.
    2 Learn ways of introducing
    i ntroducing your-
    self and others.
    WHAT IS BUSINESS ETIQUETTE?
    3 Know how to handle telephone
    and cell phone calls. Etiquette reers to conventional rules o social behaviour or proessional
    4 Learn the rules of appropriate conduct. Tese rules are unwritten and act as norms to be observed by all
    behaviour at business dinners proessionals who work as a team in a particular company or department.
    and lunches. Tey help individuals identiy what
    w hat sort o behaviour is appropriate or inap-
    propriate in a business environmen
    environment.t.
    5 Learn how to interact with
    international clients.
    Proessional etiquette affects business deals. An intelligent business exec-
    6 Know the norms of behaviour utive knows that visitors assess the status o a company not just rom its
    balance sheets and inventory books but also rom the manner in which they
    for business-to-business
    are received, addressed, taken around, and brieed in the boardroom. In
    interactions.
    business, as in lie, etiquette is a sel-rewarding trait. Successul proessionals
    know how to conduct themselves at company meetings, parties, and dinners.
    Tey are aware o their company’s culture and etiquette. Further, business
    etiquette means more than just being nice. It is undamental to conducting
    business successully. Tose
    Tose who ignore norms run the rrisk isk o being labelled
    as “unriendly” or “in󿬂exible”. Tis may disrupt the smooth working o the
    team by causing misunderstandings or tension among ellow workers.

    244 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Choosing to be habitually
    habitually late or meetings, ignoring deadlines, indulging in character

    1
    Understand the
    assassination during coffee breaks, or demanding (as a right) instead o requesting (as
    a avour) help are examples o ignoring, knowingly or unknowingly, the rules o good
    proessional conduct, behaviour, and etiquette.
    general rules o
    Every workplace evolves its own norms o behaviour and attitude. For example, i
    business etiquette.
    one were to undertake a survey o banks or hospitals during lunch breaks, one would
    notice that in some companies everyone resumes working without even a minute’s delay
    Successul proessionals afer lunch, while in others taking an extra 10 to 15 minutes or lunch may be a general
    know how to conduct practice. In such cases, the etiquette is not governed by rules written down anywhere.
    themselves at company Te business etiquette rules discussed in this chapter relate to the ollowin
    ollowing:
    g:
    meetings, parties, and
    dinners. • Introductions
    • elephone/cell phone calls
    • Business dining
    • Interaction with oreign clients
    • Business-to-
    Business-to-business
    business etiquette
    Tis chapter describes the behaviour and customs that would be considered appro-
    priate and acceptable in most business organizations in modern, mostly westernized
    workplaces.
    Tis approach to business etiquette assumes that each business setting has its
    own business protocols that an employee learns by working in that environment and
    observing others. But there are general rules o business etiquette that are based on
    In an organization, the undamental principles o organizational behaviour. In an organization, the basic
    the basic concern is to concern is to create a comortable and effective work environment where each person
    create a comortable helps others work with ease. Tis is made possible by empathizing with others’ con-
    and productive work cerns and priorities. Identiying with others is the best orm o business etiquette.
    environment where Learning the rules o business etiquette helps proessionals be comortable in any
    each person helps
    business setting. Let us, thereore, consider some common situations in business and
    others work with ease. 󿬁nd out how to act appropriately.
    2 INTRODUCTIONS
    First impressions and meetings play a signi󿬁cant role in acilitating a business relation-
    Learn ways o ship. It is important, thereore, to make a positive impression when meeting someone
    introducing yoursel or the 󿬁rst time.
    and others.
    Self-introductions
    As a norm o business A con󿬁dent sel-introduction always makes a positive 󿬁rst impression, but many people
    etiquette and the 󿬁rst are reluctant to introduce themselves. Tis may be because they think it too bold an
    step towards cordial act or they eel too shy to do so. But when two people meet or the 󿬁rst time, they are
    business transactions, bound to want to know each other’s
    ot her’s identity,
    identity, affiliation, and pu
    purpose.
    rpose. Even when pepeople
    ople
    people greet each other meet the second or third time afer a gap o some weeks, there is no harm in repeating
    by stating their ull introductions by saying something simple like, “Good morning, I’m Smita Sharma”.
    names and positions Suppose two applicants are waiting or an interview with the general manager o
    (in offi ce) at the
    t he very
    ver y marketing o a company. Tey are sitting in the waiting lounge across the corridor lead-
    outset. ing to the general
    genera l manager’s office. A smart-looking
    smart -looking middle-aged
    midd le-aged executive
    e xecutive walks
    w alks into
    the corridor
    corri dor moving towards the general
    gener al manager’s office. Te candidates
    can didates are not
    n ot sure
    whether he is the person or whom they have been waiting. Now, suppose one o them
    stands up, walks up to him, and says, “Good morning, I am Reena Seth. I am here or an
    interview with Mr S. K. Nair”. Hopeully, the person would respond, “Good morning!
    I am Mr Nair. Pleased to meet you. We shall have the interview shortly”. Reena Seth’s

    BUSINESS ETIQUETTE 245

    bold introduction to Mr Nair would give her an edge over the other candidate, who
    remained silent. Most likely, Mr Nair would have a positive and avourable impression o
    Reena Seth as a con󿬁dent, assertive, and enterprising
    enterprising young individual.
    I there is an advantage in introducing onesel at the 󿬁rst opportunity, why do people
    shy away rom doing so? Some cultures, such as British culture, have a sense o reserve.
    Americans are more outgoing in general. Indians are traditionally more shy and, gener-
    ally, would still consider it impolite to go up to someone and say “Hi, I am Amit Misra”
    (though this is now changing).
    Introductions are standard protocol when two or more persons meet ormally. Each
    person should introduce himsel or hersel in a clear manner, pronouncing their 󿬁rst
    names and surnames as well as stating their positions, which helps establish the purpose
    and direction o the conversation. For instance, one should say something like “Praulla
    Misra, CEO, Sterling Gold Inormatics”, instead o just “Misra” or “Praulla”. Americans
    preer to introduce
    i ntroduce themselves
    the mselves by their
    t heir 󿬁rst names only, like “John” or “William”
    “William”. But the
    British use
    us e the 󿬁rst name and surname:
    su rname: “WB Yeats”
    Yeats” or “
    “ ony Blair”.
    Blair”. Names, specially
    spec ially or-
    eign or unamiliar ones, are generally only partially understood unless spoken distinctly.
    For instance, the name “Kanwal Jeet Singh Sidhu” has to be uttered slowly, so that the
    other person ollows it ully.
    During a conversation, one party may have orgotten the other’s name or may not
    remember how to pronounce it. At such moments the other person should help them
    immediately by politely repeating their name — “I am Iran Mohammad, I am sorry,
    I should have told you”. Business etiquette seeks to make all concerned parties comort-
    able. Tis is why it is polite to apologize or orgetting to introduce onesel. I one simply
    says, “I am Iran Mohammad”, it suggests that the other person is at ault or orgetting
    the name.
    Here are some rules or making introductions correctly:
    1. In the case o a pre-arranged business meeting,
    meeti ng, i you are an expected visitor,
    you should introduce yoursel by stating your name and the purpose o the visit:

    “I am Ramesh Bose and I have come here to meet Ms Divya Lahari in the market-
    ing department . Only afer introducing yoursel should you ask or the name and
    position o the other party.
    2. Do not use honori󿬁cs such as Sri, Mrs, Mr,
    Mr, Ms, or any other titles beore your name
    while introducing or reerring to yoursel. Others can call you “Mr Chandra”, but
    you should reer to yoursel as just “Rajan Chandra” or “Chandra” or “Rajan”. I
    you have a PhD, you may use “doctor” beore your name and reer to yoursel as
    “Dr Sharma”. Surgeons and physicians usually do not add the salutation beore their
    names when introducing themselves. Saying something like “I am Roopa Salwan,
    cardiologist rom Escorts Heart Institute in New Delhi, India, I am here to attend the
    International Summit o Cardiologists as an Indian delegate” is a universally appro-
    priate sel-announcement. Te point is that others may add titles or proessional
    descriptions (such as “proessor”), but the individuals themselves should not.
    3. Speak your name slowly and clearly.
    clearly. As mentioned earlier, the listener may not catch
    an unusual or unamiliar name. Tereore, articulate
    articulate your name as distinctly as pos- Speak
    slowly your name Te
    and clearly.
    sible, and i required, help others by spelling it. listener may not catch
    In business, one encounters a variety
    v ariety o people,
    pe ople, and it may be diffi cult to recognize
    recogni ze or an unusual or unamiliar
    place someone one has previously met in a different context such as a seminar or coner- name. Tereore,
    ence. Beore the other person detects this, you should ask or his or her business card by articulate your name as
    simply saying, “Could I have your latest business card or your telephone number and distinctly as possible,
    and i required, help
    e-mail address?”
    others by spelling it.
    o be tactul in such situations is also good business etiquette. I you let the other
    person know that you have orgotten his or her name, it may make the person eel that

    246 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    he or she is not important enough to be remembered. ry to act as i you know the name
    but wish to have more details about the person.
    Introducing Others
    It is common to have to introduce others at business meetings. A clear and complete
    A clear and complete
    introduction o each
    introduction o each person, both members o the visiting party and the host party,
    person, both members makes everyone eel relaxed and creates a congenial atmosphere or the meeting. In
    o the visiting party and such situations, the person who is making the introductions should know the names
    the host party, makes and proessional statuses o both parties beore the meeting. Te proessional status
    everyone eel relaxed reers to the role the person plays in the business transaction.
    and creates a congenial Normally, the senior-most person among the visitors or the host team introduces
    atmosphere or the the other members o his or her group. Te practice is that visitors are 󿬁rst introduced
    meeting. to the hosts. Ten members o the host group are introduced. Usually a senior is not
    introduced to a junior, but instead, the lowest-ranked person is introduced to the high-
    est-ranked person. Accordingly, avoid saying to the CEO o a company: “Mr Chopra,
    may I introduce you to Payal Muttoo? Payal is this year’s 󿬁rst position holder and a
    gold medalist, working in our placement department”. Instead, say “Mr Chopra, may
    I introduce Payal Muttoo to you? Payal is this year’s university topper and gold medalist,
    working in our placement department”.
    Notice two things here. One, the polite orm “May I introduce…” is appropriate and
    ormal when speaking to a superior. But when introducing someone to others it is okay
    to just say, “Tis is Neelam Gulati. Neelam is a senior lecturer in 󿬁nance”. Also note that
    this introduction repeats the name so that it is duly received and remembered by the
    other person. o repeat the name naturally, the person who is making the introductions
    has to create a context by mentioning a signi󿬁cant detail about the person concerned—
    such as what work they do.
    Afer introducing the junior person to the senior, introduce the senior person to the
    junior,, or instance by saying something like: “Pay
    junior “Payal,
    al, as you know,
    know, Mr Chopra is our
    President. Mr Chopra will discuss our placement status and strategies with you”.
    Here, it may be important to point out that in India, and perhaps in other Asian coun-
    tries, it is a usual practice to use President or Chairman as a title beore the name, such
    as “President G. P. Chopra” or “Chairman Chopra-ji”, or even “Chairman Mr Chopra”.
    In the United States and other western cultures, this may sound a little odd. Americans
    reer to one another just by using “󿬁rst name, last name”, even in the case o very senior
    persons. However,
    However, in Asian countries, people observe social courtesies out o respect or
    age and position, even in the context o business.
    Handshakes and Non-verbal Gestures
    Most business meetings begin and end with a handshake. Shake hands afer the intro-
    duction by extending your right hand and 󿬁rmly holding the other person’s right hand
    very brie󿬂y.
    brie󿬂y. In modern business, a handshake
    handshake is a non-verbal
    non-verbal clue o riendliness.
    Te handshake is so spontaneous that usually both parties simultaneously put or-
    ward their right hands to make the gesture. Nowadays, in business, as in society, there

    is no gender
    while parting,distinction andhands
    people shake women shake
    again or hands in business
    put their situations
    arm on the back ortoo. Sometimes,
    shoulder o the
    other person to communicate warmth.
    As a winning orm As a winning orm o non-verbal communication, handshakes must be accompanied
    o non-verbal by eye contact and a gentle smile. In some situations, you may express your eelings
    communication, by saying, “Pleased to meet you”. Te other party would generally respond by saying,
    handshakes must “my pleasure”. Tese words are just pleasantries. Tey do not mean much as verbal
    be accompanied by
    communication.
    eye contact and a
    As already indicated while discussing non-verbal orms o communication, there
    gentle smile.
    are, besides handshakes, other gestures that are culture-speci󿬁c. For instance, even in

    BUSINESS ETIQUETTE 247

    business situations, Arabs ofen shake hands, embrace, and also kiss to communicate
    their warmth and respect or the other person. East Asians ofen bow to one another.
    I you are not sure o the cultural and personal sensitivities o your visitor or host, it
    is best to shake hands, as this is the general norm across the world. However, in some
    culture-speci󿬁c countries, such as India, many senior business heads, executives, and
    officers still preer
    pree r to receive or bid adieu
    ad ieu to highly placed
    pla ced guests in
    i n the traditional
    traditi onal
    orm—with olded hands, slightly bowed head, and eye contact. As a visitor, ollow your
    host’s cue and greet accordingly.

    TELEPHONE/CELL PHONE ETIQUETTE


    In telephone conversations, the way we listen, respond, speak, or hang up is ofen as
    3
    important as what is communicated. Know how to handle
    telephone and cell
    phone calls.
    Making a Call
    Beore initiating
    initiating a call, be clear about the why (purpose) and what (content) o the call,
    how to begin the call, and what to do i the call is cut off.
    Prepare Before Calling
    For business calls, you must know exactly who you want to speak to and choose the most
    convenient time to make the call. You should also know whether you are calling to ollow
    up on earlier communication or i it is the 󿬁rst step in the interaction.
    • o be brie and concise, jot
    jot down the points you
    you want to discuss and
    and think about the
    order in which to discuss them. Always keep these notes at hand when
    w hen making the call.
    • Keep a notepad and pen ready to write down any inormation worth recording.
    • Consider whether th thee call is impo
    important
    rtant rom your point
    point o view or rom
    rom the receiv-
    er’s point o view. In the latter case, structure your inormation rom the receiver’s
    point o interest. Begin 󿬁rst with what is important or the receiver. alk about your
    interests later.
    • Keep the conversation as short as possible. Te other
    other person may not be able to
    spare much time or your call.
    ca ll. During the
    t he office hours, call
    cal l the landline number
    numb er 󿬁rst,
    directly or through the assistant, depending on your amiliarity with the person.
    Cell phones should be used in case o urgent matters or when the relationship is o
    a personal nature.
    • Calling a cell phone ro
    rom
    m a landline number should
    should be avoided as it ma mayy give the
    impression to the receiver that you are taking their availability or granted. In addition,
    the receiver may not recognize the number i it is not in their cell phone directory.
    • Avoid calling a cell phone number through an administrative assistant. It might give
    an impression o discourtesy.
    • Avoid the use o cell phones in movie halls, crowded restaurants, hospitals, uel sta-
    tions, and so on. Cell phones should be switched off or kept in the silent mode dur-
    ing meetings and important discussions. People whose calls you have missed in such Te 󿬁rst ew words
    a situation should be called back later.
    spoken by the
    How to Begin or Receive a Call caller or receiver
    Te 󿬁rst ew words spoken by the caller or receiver are important or establishing identi- are important or
    ties and the purpose o the call. Tey create the context or urther conversation. establishing identities
    As a caller, you may not be personally known to the receiver. Te receiver may be and the purpose o
    amiliar with your purpose and your company, but may not exactly know you unless the call. Tey create
    the context or urther
    you have met in person or spoken to each other earlier. Tereore, begin by introducing
    conversation.
    yoursel—state your name, company, and purpose.

    248 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    In organizations, calls are generally routed through a receptionist. Te usual practice


    at the reception is to attend to the call within 󿬁ve rings; i you have been kept waiting
    longer than that, the receptionist will usually greet you with an apology. I your call is
    not answered even afer ten rings, it is advisable to disconnect and try calling later, or try
    another number, i any.
    Greet the receptionist (“Good morning”); tell him or her your name and your organi-
    zation’s name, and then mention whom you want to speak with. When speaking with a
    personal assistant,
    assistant, use the same introduction and tell him or her the purpose o the call.
    He or she will connect you to the desired person only afer checking whether he or she
    Remember to be is ree to talk to you at that moment. Remember to be patient and pleasant while dealing
    patient and pleasant with the assistant, who is an important link between the caller and the desired contact
    while dealing with the person.
    assistant, who is an I the receiver does not know you, you should 󿬁rst introduce yoursel, or instance by
    importantt link between
    importan saying something like “Good morning Mr Chaturvedi, I am Pallavi Mehta, marketing
    the caller and the
    manager o Ferns n Petals. I want to know the details o your company’s order or 󿬂oral
    desired contact person. decoration…”. As a caller, you should use the opportunity to make the receiver eel that
    the inormation you want can be acquired only rom him or her and that it is required
    immediately. In other words, involve the receiver in a dialogue, instead o questions that
    can be answered just by saying “yes” or “no”. Suppose you say, “Can I have the details
    o…”, the receiver can respond by saying, “No, not now” and may hang up. Hence, use
    your conversational skills to establish a good relationship with the other person so that
    the call ends on a positive note.
    In the case o a cell phone conversation, it is always better to check i you are clearly
    audible. You
    You may be able to hear the otherothe r side clearly, but it is possible that the othe
    otherr side
    is not able to hear you completely
    complete ly because o a poor signal. During Du ring offi cial meetings,
    meet ings, it
    is always better to keep the cell phone on silent mode. I you are expecting an important
    call, you may like to inorm the chair about it beore the meeting begins and step outside
    afer excusing yoursel. It It is also necessary to keep all such calls short.
    Te ring tone expresses a person’
    p erson’s style. However, it should be in sync with the environ-
    ment o the workplace. Te volume o the phone s ring should not be too loud. Similarly,
    the volume o the person should also not be very loud. Sometimes, people discuss even
    con󿬁dential matters so loudly that the entire 󿬂oor can hear them.
    If the Call Is Disconnected
    Sometimes, the call may be suddenly disconnected or dropped. In such situations, cour-
    tesy demands that the person who originally initiated the call should redial immediately
    and say, “Sorry, the call got disconnected”. In case the receiver has to suspend the call to
    attend to some other more important call, it is the duty o the receiver to resume the call
    and give a satisactory explanation to ensure that the caller does not eel slighted.

    Common Telephone Courtesies


    Always use the interrogative orm or making a request, such as “Could I…?” or “May
    I…?” as Direct categorical statements may seem like an order. “I want to talk to…” is not
    ayou
    polite request.me
    to connect Instead “May
    to so and soInumber/person”
    talk to…” is more polite.
    is not Even
    quite the statement,
    appropriate when “I request
    ones does
    not know the other party well. Instead, say, “May I request you to…”.

    Telephone Etiquette Observed by Administrative Assistants


    In business, telephone calls are mostly received by personal assistants. Sometimes, the
    assistant has to act quickly to 󿬁nd out whether his or her supervisor is ree to talk. So
    they may say, “Please hold on” while they check. I their supervisor is present but does
    not want to speak to the caller or some reason, the assistant will choose any one o the
    ollowingg polite excuses:
    ollowin
    “Sorry, she is busy in a meeting. May I have your number? She will call you back”.

    BUSINESS ETIQUETTE 249

    “He is busy with a oreign delegation. May I ask him to call you back as soon as he is
    ree?”
    Tese statements may not necessarily be true. However, they are intended to keep the
    caller satis󿬁ed even when the call is not successul. Personal assista
    assistants
    nts should never try
    to overhear the conversation between the caller and the receiver. Afer putting through
    the call to their supervisor, they should hang up.

    Telephone Precautions
    As a caller you do not know whether the person receiving your call is alone. Tereore,
    con󿬁dential matters should never be discussed over the phone. Tey can be overheard/
    tapped in transmission. However, i you have to discuss something personal that you
    do not want others to know, you should check with the person you are calling in a
    polite manner. For example, you may say, “Can we talk about the tender or the Golden Communication over
    Highway project?” or simply, “Are you ree? Can we talk about the tender?” Tis would the phone requires the
    save you rom causing any embarrassment to the receiver or risk being overheard. use o non-verbal skills,
    Communication over the phone requires the use o non-verbal skills, such as pleasant such as pleasant tone,
    proper intonation, and
    tone, proper intonation, and clear articulation o words. You should be able to convey a
    clear articulation o
    large part o the message through your way o speaking rather than the meaning o the
    words.
    words alone.

    BUSINESS DINING
    Business meetings
    mee tings with colleagues
    coll eagues or clients
    cl ients can be beore
    b eore or afer office hours and can
    4
    be or ormal occasions such as lunch or dinner parties or inormal occasions such as Learn the rules o
    social unctions and estivals, religious ceremonies, weddings, or birthday parties. At appropriate behaviour
    such occasions, one should ollow the cultural norms o the company, group, or organi- at business dinners
    zation. For instance, meals with colleagues, clients, or consultants have their own pro- and lunches.
    tocol and code o behaviour that must be ollowed or negotiating business deals. Keep
    in mind that such occasions are, in act, business activities; thereore,
    thereore, act with a sense o
    responsibility. Do not consider these merely occasions or socializing. Some established
    norms regarding
    regarding business meals are discussed in the ollowing sections.

    The Host
    Te host should invite the guests personally and con󿬁rm the date, time, and place in writ-
    ing i possible. I the venue is new or the guest, the host should help him or her by giving
    directions. Te invitation
    invitation could also give inormation on who else is invited—or instance
    one can say: “My colleague Abhishek,
    Abhishek, who is looking afer management trainees, will also
    be joining us”. It is a good practice to con󿬁rm the scheduled meeting a day prior to the
    event. Te host should plan to reach the venue a little ahead o the given time and person-
    ally check the seating arrangements. Te host should also receive the guests personally out-
    side the dining hall and move inside together. It is courteous to ask the guest to order his or
    her choice o dishes and drinks and it is only proper or the host to pay the bill. Similarly, the
    host should also arrange or taxis to take the guest back to his or her place o work or stay.
    Business
    Afer conversations
    some initial are conducted
    pleasantries, in anthe
    the host opens inormal manner
    meeting, that
    starting is ree
    with the and relaxed.
    background
    Business conversations
    are conducted in an
    that provides the context or the speci󿬁c matter to be discussed. I necessary, some points inormal manner that is
    or conclusions can be noted down. ree and relaxed. Afer
    Business meals provide opportunities or easy give-and-take and negotiation. Tey some initial pleasantries,
    bring together two complementary parties, such as employers and prospective employ- the host opens the
    ees, companies and clients, interviewers and interviewees, as equals at a social occasion. meeting, starting with
    the background that
    The Guest provides the context or
    the speci󿬁c matter to be
    Guests should stick to their personal dietary preerences. I or religious or personal
    discussed.
    reasons a guest cannot eat something speci󿬁c, he or should be able to reuse politely.

    250 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    Similarly, teetotalers can decline the offer to drink alcohol. Te guest should not talk
    about the harmul effects o others’ dietary choices, but instead, should just say some-
    thing like “Tanks, I would like to have some lime cordial or resh lime soda”.
    It is considered best to avoid drinking at business dinners, but i a guest does accept
    a drink, he or she should avoid drinking too much. A good way to excuse onesel is by
    saying “I have an early morning 󿬂ight” or “I have to drive back”.
    It is best to avoid drinking alcohol at business dinners.

    Table Manners
    Business dinners are ormal occasions and orks, knives, and spoons are ofen used.
    Indian ood is generally eaten with one’s hands, which is also acceptable. But, one should
    know how to use a knie and ork. Some general rules o correct use o cutlery are given
    in Exhibit 15.1.

    Exhibit 15.1
    Cutlery Set for a Formal Placed from Left to Right Away from the Diner
    • A blunt
    blunt butter knie placed on br
    bread
    ead and b
    butter
    utter pla
    plate
    te
    European Style Serving
    • Dessert spoon together with dessert ork
    • Water glass,
    glass, red wine glass or whi
    white
    te wine glass
    • Coffee cup and saucer
    Placed from Right to Left Near the Diner
    • Cocktail ork
    • Soup spoon
    • ea spoon
    • Dinner knie
    • Dinner plate
    • Dinner ork
    • Salad ork
    • Dinner napkin
    How to Use a Knife and Fork
    The rule for using
    using a knife and a fork is qu
    quite
    ite simple — the knif
    knife
    e cuts the food anand
    d the fork
    places it into the mouth. The knife is only for cutting food into small pieces be it vegetables,
    meat, or any other food. It should never be placed in the mouth. The knife is always held in
    the right hand. The fork is 󿬁rst held in the left hand with the knife
    k nife in the right hand, to cut the
    food into small pieces. Then
    Then the knife is kkept
    ept on the plate and in its place the fork is held in
    the right hand and used to place the food in the mouth. When not in use, both knife and fork
    rest on a side plate, never on the table.
    The basic difference
    difference between Asian and Europea
    Europeann styles of eating is that in Asia, specially
    specially
    India and Pakistan, people often pick up a large piece of food with their hands instead of
    using a fork and knife.
    k nife. T
    This
    his is not done by Americans or Europeans who cut their food into
    small pieces. Generally, westerners
    westerners eat with their mouths closed, whereas Asians may have
    their mouths partially open. These differences in styles of eating are only cultural. They are
    based on convenience and habits.
    The best rule is to eat
    eat the way one is acc
    accustomed
    ustomed to eatin
    eating.
    g. Use whatever ccutlery
    utlery you regu-
    larly use with elegance at formal business meals. If you are comfortable eating with hands,
    use your hand. If you need a spoon, ask for it.

    How to Get the Server’s Attention


    Usually, waiters are watchful. A little signal from the diners catches their attention immedi-
    ately. However, if someone needs to call the waiter, the best way is to establish eye contact
    and if necessary turn a little towards him or her. The best thing to say is “excuse me”.

    BUSINESS ETIQUETTE 251

    INTERACTION WITH FOREIGN VISITORS


    It is important to respect oreign clients’ religious belies and cultural needs. In business,
    oreign visitors should not be allowed to eel like strangers in other countries. We gen-
    5
    Learn how to interact
    erally believe that when we visit another country, we should behave according to the with international
    business norms and etiquette o the country we are in. Accordingly, we can assume that clients.
    oreign visitors would observe our business norms such as tradetra de practices, working hours,
    office culture, and so on. But there
    t here may be some social and religious belies that
    t hat we should
    try to respect. It is the primary duty o the hosts to make the guests eel comortable in
    every way. Respecting cultural needs, religious belies, and the attitudes o oreign visi- Respecting cultural
    tors will go a long way in developing good business relations. Some tips or doing so are: needs, religious belies,
    and the attitudes o
    1. People can be easily put at ease by speaking
    speaki ng to them in their native language. English
    oreign visitors will go a
    is a global link language today. Yet many people preer to conduct business in their
    long way in developing
    own language. A oreign visitor may not know English, so use an interpreter, i nec- good business relations.
    essary, or important business occasions.
    2. Prepare documents in both languages, English and the oreign visitor’s
    visitor’s language.
    3. ry to learn and use some words o greeting in the visitor’s
    visitor’s language as a gesture
    gesture o
    riendliness.

    BUSINESS MANNERS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES


    o be successul in business transactions one should know the chie differences in the
    business manners o people o different countries. When we are in a oreign country, or
    are hosts to a oreigner in our country, we should bear in mind the business norms o
    that country. Te norms or business meetings and personal style ollowed by people in
    some countries are discussed here.

    Americans
    • Shaking hands during introductions is common.
    • Business cards are exchanged only when there is a need to do so.
    • Punctual
    Punctuality
    ity is an important orm o courtesy.
    • Americans preer b breakast
    reakast meetings to develop close business relations. Tey also
    have meetings over lunch.
    • Americans preer to reer to people by their 󿬁rst names. It is a common business
    practice and should not be considered offensive.
    • Giving gifs as a me
    memento
    mento is a personal
    personal act to be done only
    only afer consi
    considering
    dering the
    provisions o the respective laws with regard to the value o the gif given.

    Europeans
    • British: British businessmen share most o their culture and business manners with
    other Europeans. Tey are ormal in meetings and personal
    p ersonal style.
    • French: French businessmen usually choose to speak in French with businessmen
    rom other countries. Tey are very cordial and greet each other by shaking hands.
    Businessman and businesswoman may embrace and kiss each other on meeting and
    parting.
    • Germans: German business meetings are highly ormal and scheduled much in
    advance. Punctuality is o utmost importance. Germans can explain themselves in
    English too, i required. People are addressed by their surnames. Senior business-
    men are shown respect by sometimes being reerred to as “Herr Doktor”. Similarly,
    businesswomen are always addressed as “Frau”.

    252 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    • Italian and Spanish: Both Italians and Spanish take business occasions as part o
    social lie and may be less ormal than other Europeans. Meetings are more inormal,
    so discussion about personal welare may precede the discussion.
    • Dutch: Dutch businessmen speak English 󿬂uently. Most o them are polyglots
    (speaking or writing several languages). Tey can, thereore, conduct business in
    several languages. Tey are relaxed in their approach to business meetings and
    personal relations.

    The Japanese
    • Japanese businesspeople generally greet others by shaking hands, and not with
    a bow.
    • It is polite to offer and accept the business card with both hands.
    • Te Japanese always like to maintain personal space, so physical contact is not
    desirable.
    • Japanese business people should be addressed
    addresse d by using Mr or Ms, never by the
    󿬁rst name.
    • In JJapan,
    apan, saying “no
    “no”” is considered impolite. Hence,
    Hence, one should not embarrass a
    Japanese business person by insisting on a point to the extent that he or she has to
    say no to the point/offer.
    • Te JJapanese
    apanese consider giving gifs to be an imimportant
    portant part o business. A gif has to
    be in keeping with the status o the person. Gifs in pairs (like a pen and pencil set
    or cuffl inks) are consi
    considered
    dered lucky, but not gifs in ours.
    • Red cards in JJapan
    apan are uneral notices, so red greeting cards ar aree not used or
    business.

    Arabs
    Arab businessmen
    traditional are known
    way o greeting, both or theirand
    as hosts warm-hearted greetings.
    visitors, by saying Tey
    “Salaam stick to(peace
    alaikum” their
    be upon you), accompanied by a 󿬁rm handshake. o show greater warmth and closeness,
    Arab business-people may embrace each other while placing the right hand on the heart
    and the other hand on each other’s right shoulders. Tey may also kiss on both cheeks.
    Do not reciprocate, unless you are also an Arab.
    Arab business people are rarely under pressure o time. Meetings or business are
    preceded by social pleasantries. Discussions on religious and political matters are strictly
    avoided. Business meetings are conducted in a leisurely style. Tereore, the business
    session may get extended beyond your expectation. Arabs extend lavish hospitality as
    hosts. As visitors, they expect similar hospitality in other countries. o an Arab business-
    person, giving gifs is a part o hospitality. Tereore at dinners, small gifs are offered
    as a token o riendship. As tokens o gratitude or avours received, expensive gifs are
    presented, which are received as a part o the business culture. It is not looked upon as
    bribe. It is an accepted orm o giving thanks. However, never give handkerchies as gifs,
    as they symbolize tears and parting. Arabs, like most Asians, eat their meals with their
    hand and do not drink alcohol.

    Indians
    As Indian businesses go global, business-people in India are realizing the need to pre-
    pare themselves to be good hosts to international visitors and considerate visitors in
    other countries via a judicious mix o modernity and tradition. Indian business culture
    is eclectic. Shaking hands at a meeting or parting is a common practice. Indians have

    BUSINESS ETIQUETTE 253

    always been known or their hospitality. Visitors are always treated with utmost attention
    and respect.
    Business meetings are punctual, well-planned, and ormally conducted, and protocol
    o seniority is observed. In matters o business discussion, juniors always give prece-
    dence to their seniors. Many times, juniors wait or a signal rom their senior to contrib-
    ute to the discussion. Business cards are exchanged while parting generally to indicate
    urther contacts. Presentation
    Presentation o small gifs at the end o the meeting is considered to be
    a gesture o goodwill. Very important persons are received at the threshold o the meet-
    ing venue by senior executives and are usually presented with bouquets. Tey are also
    normally accompanied
    accompanied back to their vehicles and duly seen off.

    INTER󰀭ORGANIZATIONAL ETIQUETTE
    Individuals represent companies. Tereore, the norms or interpersonal behaviour
    6
    Know the norms
    apply
    utes totothe
    organization-to-organization communication
    organization’s image and should know howastowell. Eachhimsel
    conduct individual contrib-
    or hersel as o behaviour or
    a representative o the organization. Good business behaviour includes the ollowing: business-to-business
    interactions.
    1. Be lo
    loyal
    yal to your organization
    • Do not criticize your organization beore colleagues
    colleague s rom other
    other companies.
    Individuals represent
    • Deend your colleagues’
    colleague s’ actions without offending the complainant. Promise
    Promise cor-
    companies. Te norms
    rective action on your colleagues’/company’s behal. or interpersonal
    • Always speak well o your company
    company.. You
    You are a part o your company’s
    company’s activities. behaviour apply also to
    • Feel proud o your organization’s achievements. Keep yoursel ully inormed o company-to-company
    new developments and better prospects or the company. No company can be ree behaviour.
    rom problems and setbacks, but highlight the positive gains and not the losses.
    2. Be care
    careul
    ul about
    about con󿬁dential
    con󿬁dential matters Feel proud o your
    • Keep con󿬁dential material in as ew hands as possible. IItt can be used against the organization’s
    interests o your company. achievements.
    Keep yoursel ully
    • Secu
    Secure
    re records and use code names i the inormation involves protecting the inormed o the new
    concerned persons. developments and
    • Help oothers
    thers develop trust in you. Con󿬁dentiality
    Con󿬁dentiality requires
    requires mutual trust. Do not
    not better prospects or the
    leak others’ secrets to protect your own. company.
    3. Maintain good relationships with customers
    A company’s business sense and manners are best seen in how employees deal with
    their buyers or suppliers. o maintain good relationships with your customers and
    clients observe the ollowing:
    ollowing:
    • Handle the smallest o customers well. Y
    You
    ou cannot afford to ignore the biggest cus-
    tomers, but your company’s reputation is built on how you treat small customers
    and clients.
    • Be promp
    promptt in your service to the
    the customer.
    customer. Respond to complaints
    complaints and e-mails on
    time.
    • Keep track o the ollowing:
    • Number o complaints received and responded to.
    • Number o clients revisiting your company.
    company.
    • Number o walk-ins every day.
    • Commitment o your suppliers to help in emergencies.

    254 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    4. mutual
    When you takeor
    bene󿬁ts a decision thatand
    both parties willall
    affect the interests o many people, look or
    stakeholders.
    5. Good manners breed good
    good understanding
    understanding and the mutual
    mutual respect necessary
    necessary or good
    Good manners breed business relations. reat all colleagues with respect and recognize that others have
    good understanding
    understanding
    positions above you. Similarly, when dealing with persons rom other companies,
    and the mutual respect
    necessary or good
    inorm them o your position through your business card and try to learn the other
    business relations. person’s position in his or her company. Extend due respect to the person you are
    visiting.

    SUMMARY

    • Tis chapter explain


    explainss why successul businessmen • One must ollow the guidelines or
    or courteous interac-
    should understand the unwritten rules o business tion with those rom different countries and cultures.
    etiquette and that each workplace differs in terms o • An emplo
    employee
    yee should represent his or her com
    company
    pany to
    appropriate behaviour. other businesses with care.
    • Tere are general rules or iintroducing
    ntroducing onesel and oth-
    ers, handling telephone calls, and attending business
    dinners as a host or a guest.

    CASE: CULTURAL SENSITIVITY

    At UP Institute o echnology
    echnology & SScience
    cience (UPIS), a number Dr Mathur was surprised to see a rown on Mr W Wandel’
    andel’s ace
    o proessors in the engineering and science departments and elt urther conused to hear the question, “By the way,
    and a chie librarian rom the Massachusetts Institute o are you my boss?”
    echnology in the United States worked as visiting aculty “No”, said Dr Mathur.
    under the MI–F
    MI–Ford ord Foundation–UPIS collaboration or
    two years. Te Indian aculty and their amilies were happy “Ten, please know my name is James Wandel.”
    to have the guests on campus. Tere were requent parties “I am sorry, I didn’t mean to be impolite or rude to you.
    and amily get-togethers, which resulted in many riend- I just wanted to address you in a more riendly way. I am
    ships among the hosts and the visitors. indeed very
    ver y sorry Mr James.”
    Mr Wandel was visibly annoyed. “Yes, what do you want?”
    One day, proessor and head o the mechanical engineer-
    he asked curtly.
    ing department, Dr Mathur, went to the central library to
    discuss the possibility o procuring certain international “No, nothing. I am sorry”, said Dr Mathur and lef
    books and journals or UPIS with the visiting German Mr Wandel’s
    Wandel’s office complete
    completely
    ly puzzl
    puzzled
    ed and disappointe
    disappointed.
    d.
    library chie, James Wandel. Dr Mathur reached about a
    Questions to Answer
    hal hour later than the pre-arranged time. Te door was
    1. What went wrong in this exchange?
    shut, but he opened it and walked in, pulled up a chair to
    move it closer, sat down, leaned over the desk, extended 2. Was Mr James W
    Wandel
    andel right in his reaction?
    his hand, and said, “Hi! How are you this morning, 3. What can one learn rorom
    m this case about b
    business
    usiness and
    Wandel?” proessional interactions?

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    1. At a busi
    business
    ness lunch your host keeps yoyouu waiting o
    orr (b) ry to postpone yo
    your
    ur next appoi
    appointment?
    ntment?
    50 minutes and you are getting very late or your next (c) Excuse yoursel rom lunch?
    meeting. When your host arrives, do you:
    2. While introducin
    introducingg yoursel to an American host and
    (a) Suggest rearranging the meeting or another day? trying to shake hands you notice he is embarrassed

    BUSINESS ETIQUETTE 255

    because
    arm. Dohe cannot move his right arm—it is an arti󿬁cial
    you: 5. Why are business etiquette rules unwritten?
    unwritten?
    6. What key cultural differences should you keep in
    (a) Apologize and say “sorry”? mind while dealing with oreign businessmen and
    (b) Greet him by shaking his lef hand? businesswomen?
    (c) Give up the idea o shaking hands? 7. Why are ggood
    ood manners necessary or good b
    business?
    usiness?
    8. Show how individ
    individual
    ual employees
    employees’’ manners re󿬂ect an
    3. Why sho
    should
    uld the host always be at the venue o the busi-
    organization’s culture and etiquette.
    ness dinner 10 minutes beore the meeting?
    9. Discuss some actors tha
    thatt may contribute to co
    communi-
    mmuni-
    4. Discuss the attitude o the ollowing cultures to the cation breakdowns in international business.
    practice o giving gifs as mementos:
    10. “Social behaviour and manners in one country may
    (a) Indians (b) Japanese be considered rude in another”. Explain with suitable
    (c) Germans (d) Americans examples.

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

    1. What does the term “b


    “business
    usiness etiquette
    etiquette”” mean tto
    o you? 4. Like indi
    individuals,
    viduals, co
    companies
    mpanies too ha
    have
    ve b
    business
    usiness etiquet
    etiquette
    te
    2. How ar is iitt correct to view the manners and attitudes rules. Give examples o some o these.
    o people rom other cultures in terms o our own 5. A handshake is a globally recognized orm o greet-
    culture? Why do we do so? ing. How does one communicate eelings through a
    3. “Each indivi
    individual
    dual contributes to the com
    company’s
    pany’s image”
    image”.. handshake?
    Re󿬂ect on the signi󿬁cance o this statement or a com-
    pany’s customer
    c ustomer care management.

    APPLY YOUR
    YOUR LEARNING
    LEAR NING
    1. As a token o goodwill, you want to present your 3. It is accepta
    acceptable
    ble in the U
    United
    nited States to address a cas-
    Chinese host an expensive itan watch rom India. ual acquaintance by the 󿬁rst name. It communicates a
    When should you present it: on meeting, on parting, or sense o amiliarity. How might those o other nation-
    never? alities, such as Germans, respond to being addressed by
    2. In India, the gif iiss usually present
    presented
    ed to the lady o
    o the the 󿬁rst name afer a brie, 󿬁rst meeting?
    house. What is the normal etiquette o presenting gifs in
    the Middle East?

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    From among the given options, choose the most appropriate


    appropriate answer:*
    1. Te set o norms o behaviour and attitude in every 2. When introducing ourselves, we should use:
    workplace is: (a) only our 󿬁rst name
    (a) internationally prescribed (b) only the surname
    (b) nationally laid down (c) only our designation
    (c) sel-evolved (d) both the 󿬁rst name and the surname
    (d) dictated by the board

    *For answers and sel-evaluation, visit www.pearsoned.co


    www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi
    .in/PDChaturvedi

    256 PART II BUSINE SS COMMUNICATION

    3. In
    metbusiness, when
    earlier, you you
    can askail
    himto recall
    herthe
    or her:: name o a person 7. In man
    many
    India, y parts the
    keeping o
    o the w
    world,
    eyes orld, suchisas
    lowered Latino:America and
    a sign
    (a) or his or her surname (a) respect
    (b) or his or her initials (b) dishonesty
    (c) or his or her business card (c) evasiveness
    (d) to excuse you or orgetting his or her name (d) timidity
    4. In business telephone calls, when making a request 8. In different cultures, colors represent:
    always use: (a) different things
    (a) the interrogativ
    interrogativee orm (b) the same thing
    (b) direct categorical statements (c) insigni󿬁cant things
    (c) the passive orm (d) arbitrary things
    (d) the imperative orm
    9. In b
    business,
    usiness, k
    keep
    eep telepho
    telephone
    ne calls very short because the
    5. As a host, you wo
    would
    uld invite visiting o
    oreign
    reign guests to a other person may not be:
    business dinner:
    (a) by writing an invitation letter (a)
    (b) interested
    ree to talkintotalking
    you to you
    (b) personally
    personally,, ace-to ace (c) p
    paying
    aying attention to you
    (c) through a messenger (d) noting down what you say
    (d) by announcing the dinner at a meeting
    10. People rom oother
    ther countries can be easily put at ease by
    6. At an Arab business party
    party,, alcohol is: speaking to them in:
    (a) served 󿬁rst (a) English
    (b) served last (b) your own language
    (c) served continuousl
    continuouslyy (c) their language
    (d) not served at all (d) sign language
    Part III STRUCTURED
    APPLICATIONS

    Communication for

    16 Conflict Management

    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    Vikram is a cyber techie. He is a former restored and once again became fully
    One single minute of employee of a Mumbai based private functional. Meanwhile, the police
    “
    reconciliation is worth company which works for maintaining arrived and enquired into the matter.
    the primary and back-up servers for They charged Vikram with sabotag-
    more than an entire life
    of friendship.
    the airport’s common use passenger ing a public electronic system and
    processing system (CUPPS) and bag- told that he was to be arrested under
    gage reconsideration system (BRS) relevant sections of the Information
    — Gabriel Gracia Marquez at Mahatma Ghandhi International Technology Act,
    Act, 20A.
    ” Airport at Indraprastha. On May 8, But the chief engineer intervened
    2012, Vikram disrupted two key cyber and pleaded with the police inspec-
    networks that handled passenger tor that it was a system’s failure and
    processing and baggage system at the that Vikram had recti󿬁ed the fault.
    Indraprastha International Airport. Why should he be arrested? It is the
    The outage that lasted for nearly company’s responsibility to maintain
    18 hours caused lot of harassment to the system effectively. The company
    the incoming and the outgoing trav- could be sued for causing trouble
    ellers as well as to the entire airport to the travellers and damage to the
    administration. Vikram, the engineer, airport’s smooth functioning by
    Upon completion of this chapter, you expressed his inability to locate the the failure of their CUPPS and BRS
    should be able to: fault. The chief engineer and other systems for 18 hours. The chief engi-
    cyber seniors of the company 󿬂ew neer told the police inspector that
    1 Understand the role of down to attend to the problem. But Vikram was a cyber expert and had
    communication as a behaviour nothing happened. When confronted worked a lot for putting that system
    that helps in the con󿬂ict Vikram frankly confessed to his boss in place at Mahatma Gandhi Airport.
    situation to create mutual that he had introduced the malicious But after all, a man is a man. There are
    understanding. software that made the system at the human factors that sometimes limit
    2 Learn about the intangible airport non-functional out of grudge the person’s ability to work with the
    issues which cause inter- against his employer company. He felt machines. He urged the inspector to
    personal con󿬂icts. that his company had not acknowl- hold the company responsible for the
    3 Understand the effectiveness edged his contributions towards 18 hour outage on May 8, 2012, not
    of stop-think, listen and creating the CUPPS and BRS systems Vikram who was only an employee of
    communicate system for format. The chief engineer told Vikram the company.
    con󿬂ict management. that his work as cyber engineer had
    The inspector noted down the details
    4 Know how tangible issues lead always been outstanding. He assured
    of the contract signed between the
    to serious con󿬂icts between the dissatis󿬁ed techie that he would
    airport and cyber company regard-
    neighbours, persons, states and be soon rewarded for his work.
    ing the installation and maintenance
    countries.
    Thereupon Vikram removed the of the CUPPS and BRS systems at the
    malicious software. The system was Indraprastha Airport in 2009, and left.

    258 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    WHAT
    WHAT IS CONFLICT?
    Con󿬂ict is a state o disagreement, argument, and opposition, or hostility between groups,
    people, countries or sets o ideas, belies, interests and loyalties etc. Con󿬂ict can be
    proessional, personal, social, political, ethnic or job related. For example, proessional
    con󿬂ict/issues can be over the job related settlement o the minimum wage payment
    to the unskilled labour. Social con󿬂ict between age groups o people may be because
    o generation gap and the opposition between tradition and modernity. Kall Marx tells
    us about the potential con󿬂ict below the surace o society—the struggle between the
    haves and the have-nots. Te political con󿬂ict between democracy against the rule o
    monarchy is witnessed across the developing world.

    Armed Con󿬂ict
    Con󿬂icts can be armed and violent. For years, some parts o the world have been torn
    apart by armed con󿬂ict to end dictatorship or insurgency.
    Te word con󿬂ict is used also in the ollowing situations.
    Con󿬂ict of Loyalties
    You ace con󿬂ict o loyalties when you have a situation in which you have to select
    between two or more opposite needs o equal importance or you. For example, a con󿬂ict
    between the demand o one’s amily and one’s work. A married lady may be aced with
    the demands o her amily and her work. As both are equally demanding and in󿬂uencing
    her lie, a con󿬂ict o loyalties arises beore her.
    Con󿬂ict of Interest(s)
    Te con󿬂ict o interest occurs when you have a situation in which you eel unable to do
    what you think you should do because your decision to do it would affect your other
    aspects o lie. For example, there is an increasing con󿬂ict
    con󿬂ic t o interest between the position
    as a minister o tourisim and the management o his son’s chain o 󿬁ve star hotels.
    Te con󿬂ict o interests arises also in a situation when different people want different
    things.
    For example, the HRD minister wants to have a single national level entrance exami-
    nation to all the higher level engineering institutions in India, but the higher institutions
    want to retain their autonomy and reedom to choose their own method o selecting
    students to their respective institutions.
    Con󿬂ict o interests between two adjoining states in South India over water sharing o
    a common river 󿬂owing through both the states may grow rom the stage o negotiations
    to state strikes and interstate violence i the con󿬂ict is not resolved.
    Con󿬂ict of Ideas/Opinions/Views
    Ideas/Opinions/Views
    A situation in which two opposing opinions, views, ideas or belies crop up, but both
    cannot exist together or both cannot be held as correct.
    For example, commenting on the recent railway accident in Bihar, the railway minis-
    ter stated that the accident was an act o sabotage, but the Railway Board’s chie described
    the accident as a human error o the driver. Tus, the two views o the disastrous accident
    con󿬂icted with each other.
    Inner Con󿬂ict
    When we talk o con󿬂ict, we normally think o two opposing external entities existing outside
    us. But sometimes there is a situation in which we have two opposite eelings about some-
    thing that causes inner con󿬂ict in us. Te amous soliloquy o Shakespeare’s Prince Hamlet:
    “To be, or not to be:
    That is the question;”
    universally symbolises the modern age dilemma and the inner con󿬂ict in all spheres o lie.

    COMMUNICATION
    COMMUNICATION FOR CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 259

    Again,
    change political
    into a widercon󿬂icts
    con󿬂ict over
    over the
    the division o a state on the basis
    issue o distribution/division o language
    o natural can
    resource
    mines, minerals, and industrial belts.
    From all the above descriptions o con󿬂ict, one thing about con󿬂ict should have been
    clear that con󿬂ict is a state or situation o opposition between two or more things related
    to the same thing. Te two things which are thus interrelated become con󿬂icting
    con󿬂icting i they
    contradict or oppose each other.

    CHARACTERISTICS OF CONFLICT
    Dynamic Nature of Con󿬂icts
    1
    Understand the role o
    Con󿬂ict as a state is dynamic. Its intensity usually grows, i lef unresolved. For example,
    communication as a
    a discussion between two neighbours on car parking may change into a physical 󿬁ght
    behaviour that helps in
    between them.
    the con󿬂ict situation
    For instance, in a housing society young boys played cricket in the open space
    between the two blocks o 󿬂ats. It was considered a nuisance by the inmates o the 󿬂ats. to create mutual
    understanding.
    Many times glass windows got broken. Te affected inmates continuously objected to the
    cricket playing at that place. Sometimes when there was a strong protest by the society
    members, the boys agreed to change the cricket ball with a tennis ball. Te nuisance o
    breaking the window panes appeared to be resolved. But the boys kept playing there
    itsel, creating lot o noise and disturbing all the neighbours. Obviously, the residents
    had not discussed the problem with the concerned boys. Tey did not think o handling
    their problem through convincing the boys by communicating with them to 󿬁nd alter-
    native solutions
    solutions that would satisy the residents as well as the boys.
    Management o con󿬂ict through communication is a process o managing con󿬂ict by
    choosing the most suitable solution to the situation o con󿬂ict. It assumes that there are
    a number o possible solutions to the problem. But we should choose the most appro-
    priate solution. And this whole process o con󿬂ict management is done through com-
    munication between both the parties involved in the con󿬂ict. For instance, the boys and
    residents could together choose a different spot or cricket, i persuaded by the inmates.

    State of Tension
    All tensions create emotional distancing between interrelated and interdependent beings.
    Con󿬂ict mentally and emotionally creates a gap between two persons by pulling them in
    two opposite directions. I held in tension or long, the link between the two con󿬂icting
    beings may be permanently broken.

    Emotional Residue of Con󿬂ict


    Con󿬂ict is Like a Stain on Inter-relationship
    It has an emotional residue, like a bad spot on your white linen sheet, con󿬂ict leaves a
    lasting stain on your emotional relationships. It keeps on hurting and embarrassing you.

    MANAGEMENT OF CONFLICT
    Generally, we think o management o con󿬂ict as resolving it or handling it or reconcil-
    ing it. Tat means we 󿬁nd some solution, one satisactory way o dealing with a speci󿬁c
    problem o con󿬂icts by situation. It assumes that the con󿬂ict management is a problem
    solving process. It deals with each con󿬂ict as a problem and solves it by removing its
    immediate cause. But it does not ensure that the problem does not recur.

    Negative Con󿬂icts and Positive Con󿬂icts


    Know the nature o con󿬂ict to manage it better. Because con󿬂ict in itsel suggests
    the presence o a negative situation, the term positive con󿬂ict sounds contradictory.
    However,, con󿬂icts are described
    However descr ibed as positive or negative on the basis o their
    t heir avourable

    260 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    or mutual
    in unavourable resultsoor
    satisaction thethe
    both con󿬂icting parties.
    parties. But Con󿬂icts
    a negative evenare positive
    when when they
    it is resolved end
    leaves
    one or more con󿬂icting persons dissatis󿬁ed with the result.

    Characteristics of Negative Con󿬂icts


    Te con󿬂ict is negative when the communication ollows the “you-game plan”. Te ocus
    o discussions is personalized. Instead o discussing the behaviour or idea o a person,
    the criticism is directed against the individuals as persons. It is rightly said that i you
    want to change something, then “hate the sin but not the sinner.”
    Me-centred Approach
    Both the adversaries see only their side o the problem. Tey ail to realize tthat
    hat the other
    person also has some reasons to eel hurt or aggrieved.
    Either or Neither Attitude
    Both the parties insist on having either their way o deciding the issue or they will have
    no decision. No compromise attitude.
    With such 󿬁xed minds con󿬂icts can never be resolved or changed into positive
    situations.
    Characteristics of Positive Con󿬂icts
    Positive
    Positive con󿬂icts are characterized by:
    • Both parties are interested to resolve the problem.
    • Looking or mutual satisaction.
    satisac tion.
    • Objectivit
    Objectivityy in understanding that each party has genuine reason or disagreement.
    disagreeme nt.
    • Facts, n
    not
    ot eelings
    eelings orm
    orm the basis oo discussion.
    discussion.
    What we propose to discuss here is the management o con󿬂ict through communication.
    Interpersonal Con󿬂ict as a General State in Modern Life
    Con󿬂ict is inevitable in our everyday interpersonal social and work place lie. We see
    con󿬂icts in all spheres o our lie—personal, social, and proessional. It is because,
    though modern technology has made us interrelated and interdependent, our societies
    remain deeply divided within them. Different kinds o ethnic, religions, cultural, social,
    political, economic, gender, and generation gaps separate us rom one another as indi-
    viduals and divide our goals,
    goals, perceptions, belies and understanding, and
    and thus affecting
    our interpersonal relations and mutual understanding.

    Communication as a Bridge of Interpersonal Understanding


    Communication
    Lack o interpersonal communication, as pointed out by Martin Luther King (Jr) is the
    primary cause o con󿬂ict among people. He says:
    People don’t get along
    Because they fear each other
    People fear each other
    Because they don’t know each other
    They don’t know each other
    Because they have not
    Communicated with each other.
    o ther.
    As discussed in Chapter 8 on the nature and process o communication, Keith
    Keith Davis
    describes the role o communicatio
    communication
    n as “a bridge o meanings among people so that they
    can share what they eel and know. By using this bridge, a person can cross saely the
    river o misunderstanding that sometimes separates people.”

    COMMUNICATION
    COMMUNICATION FOR CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 261

    as In the context
    a bridge o con󿬂ict
    o shared management
    understanding Keith
    among Davis’s
    people assertion
    that connectsabout
    themcommunication
    is signi󿬁cant.
    Whereever there is a river o misunderstanding, we need a bridge. A sae bridge or
    crossing the barriers in interpersonal understanding is communication.

    CONFLICT MANAGEMENT THROUGH COMMUNICA


    COMMUNIC ATION
    Tis process requires you to have two sets o skills:
    1. Management skills
    2. Communica
    Communication
    tion skills
    Both o these skills are integrated into effective communication skills. But it would be
    better or us to 󿬁rst discuss brie󿬂y con󿬂ict management skills.
    Management Skills
    Identi󿬁cation of Problem and the Goal
    Here, management is not used in the sense o managing as such, a process o planning,
    organizing, monitoring, controlling, orecasting, etc. In con󿬂ict management through
    communication, you need only to identiy the problem and your goal. Te approach,
    means o achieving the objective, is already decided—comm
    decided—communication.
    unication.
    Problem Identi󿬁cation
    Te 󿬁rst step in con󿬂ict management is to understand the cause o con󿬂ict. Is it caused
    by con󿬂ict o ideas, or interests, or belies, or hurt egos, or ear o losing job, or oppor-
    tunity due to someone’s machinations or chances? Tere can be any reason o con󿬂ict
    between two persons.
    Te existing or present position is the problem position to start the process o man-
    agement. Let us call it position P1. Now we want to resolve the con󿬂ict and change it into
    position P2. P2 is the targeted goal o con󿬂ict management. And the change rom P 1 to P2
    is the and
    tions taskalso
    to beexactly
    achieved
    howbywecommunication. We
    want them to be. should
    And howknow
    soon. clearly our existingthese
    By understanding rela-
    two states, the existing and projected situations, we chart out the course o successul and
    effective communication.
    Communication Skills
    Communication Skill s
    Communication
    Commun ication Skills for Con󿬂ict Management
    Communication does not mean saying whatever is in your mind. Specially in con󿬂ict
    the person should know what ought to be said and how it should be said. Similarly the
    other person involved as receiver in the communication process should receive, under-
    stand and interpret the statement correctly and objectively. Both speaking and respond-
    ing need to be precise and exact. Te communicators should have “communication
    competence”, which according to Brian H. Spitzberg and Michael L. Hecht, is the ability
    that enables the communication to be effective and successul in achieving the goal o
    communication and makes the successul process repeatable.
    Communication competence makes the communication act successul by resolv-
    ing the con󿬂ict and establishing shared understanding between the con󿬂icting parties.
    Communication
    Communica tion is effective when
    • Whatever is to be said is precisely stated, rightly and correctly understood.
    • When th
    thee receiver acts as intended
    intended byby the mes
    message.
    sage.
    o achieve this purpose, the communication should be
    • Clear: In simple words and uncomplicated ideas.
    • Speci󿬁c: Exact, precise not vague.

    262 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    • Or based on generaliz
    generalizations.
    ations.
    • Factual: Facts, not impressions or opinions, belies or assumptions convince the
    other person.
    • Sincere: o be accepted by others, you should speak with sincerity, and honest
    conviction.
    • Credible: Communication is successul only when it is credible, other persons are
    willing not only to understand it, believe it, accept it as true but also ollow it in
    action.
    Transactional Communication Process
    Con󿬂ict can be resolved only by letting all parties participate in the interpersonal discus-
    sion. Both parties hear each other and respond interactively ace to ace patiently. Te
    grievances are sympathetically heard. A common ground o understanding can emerge
    only when all the concerned minds reely interact and sort out the areas o differences.
    One-way communication is ineffective in con󿬂ict resolutions.
    Limitation of Linear Model of Communication in Con󿬂ict Resolution
    Te linear model in con󿬂ict situation can be helpul in directly explaining the problem
    to the other person. But this explanation o the interpersonal con󿬂ict would be rom
    a single point o view. Besides, the process o communication being a single person’s
    speaking would suggest as i the interperso
    interpersonal
    nal con󿬂ict is something one person has done
    to the other. Te linear communication may end up as a ault 󿬁nding process instead o
    acting as a bridge o understanding between the con󿬂icting parties.
    O course, the linear model does have a eed-back loop in its interactional orm, yet
    the channel o communication basically 󿬂ows rom the sender to the receiver.
    It opens only on the side o the speaker o the message. Tus, the communication in
    the linear orm would tend to sound like one way preaching or pleading or resolving the
    issue by removing the cause o the con󿬂ict.
    As already said, the transactional communication is; thereore, the most effective pro-
    cess o communication or con󿬂ict resolution. It looks upon con󿬂ict as something that
    happens between two persons and it is a thing that primarily the concerned persons can
    work together to resolve and manage through developing common understanding o the
    issues and agreed upon solutions.
    In act, the con󿬂ict makes both the parties extra-sensitive to whatever one says to the
    other regarding cause o con󿬂ict or the persons, or the act responsible or the situation
    o con󿬂ict. Hence, communicating in con󿬂ict requires to be a well thought process o
    interpersonal communication.
    The Language of Discussion
    It is signi󿬁cant to note that the normal rule o using second person “you” beore the
    󿬁rst person “I” is changed in the con󿬂ict discussion. For example, normally we say, “you
    have done well, so have I”. We praise the second person “you” 󿬁rst, then only praise
    ourselves, “I”. In positive situations, grammar and culture go together in shaping the
    language structure. But in negative situations o blame or ault, the rule o grammar is
    reversed to ollow the psychological and cultural norms o inter-relationships. Tereore,
    we speak o our ault 󿬁rst, then the ault o the other person. Accordingly, we say, “the
    ault is mine as well as yours”.
    Te change in the position o “you” and “I” creates a corresponding change in the
    listener’s perception o relative degree o responsibility o both the persons. Te listener
    eels satis󿬁ed to some extent to hear that he is not the 󿬁rst to be blamed. Tough it is a
    culture-based use o personalized “you” and “I”, it has psychological effect on the other
    person’s sense o blame.

    COMMUNICATION
    COMMUNICATION FOR CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 263

    Use ‘I’ Statements to Assert Your Responsibility in Con󿬂ict Creation


    o resolve the con󿬂ict you should be willing to own the share o responsibility or
    the on-going con󿬂ict. And accordingly make clear, direct and personalized “I” state-
    ments which assert your con󿬁dence and rankness to ault yoursel. Tis “I statement”,
    “I ordered it” or “I did not like to do it” is a personal statement that states responsibility.
    Te language o discussion in con󿬂ict should
    shoul d avoid all words and phrases which blame
    and ault the other party exclusively 󿬁rst or personally. In order to establish better inter-
    relationship do not use negative words or your opponent. For example, i you want to
    express your disagreement with some point, do not say “I do not agree with you.” Better
    say, “I do not agree with what you say.”
    Te general rule in this regard is that you disagree with an idea o a person, but not
    the person who holds that idea.
    By avoiding the language o personal disagreement, you tend to develop the possibil-
    ity o personal agreement between two persons subsequently.

    MANAGING THE PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION IN CONFLICT


    Te interpersonal transactional communication in con󿬂ict should be psychologically
    planned or a collaborative approach to con󿬂ict resolution. First o all, consider that the
    2
    Learn about the
    other person is sensitive to whatever is said, and non-verbally communicated. Tereore, intangible issues which
    to respond to con󿬂ict, we should ollow the S-LC system—beore communicating we cause interpersonal
    should stop, think, and listen. Ruth Anna Abigail and Dudley D. Cahn call this process con󿬂icts.
    S-LC system o managing con󿬂icts over intangible issues.
    By ollowing these our steps, we can generally resolve our interpersonal con󿬂icts.

    The S-TLC Strategy Con󿬂ict Management


    Tis system is based on the understanding that con󿬂ict is a creation by two persons 3
    and that its resolution can be done only by the combined efforts o both the persons. Understand the
    Tereore the communication skills discussed below are to be used by both the parties
    or managing the con󿬂ict. I only one o the parties uses communication competence, effectiveness o
    stop-think, listen
    and the other remains a poor communicator, the gap o misunderstanding and con󿬂ict and communicate
    between the two may remain unresolved. Tereore the basic skills o communications system or con󿬂ict
    discussed below may be ollowed as collaborative steps o communication in managing management.
    interpersonal
    interpersonal con󿬂icts:
    • Stop: It is a common saying that when you are annoyed or angry, do not respond
    immediately. Beore saying something count upto nine. It only means that wait,
    regain your sel control, and cool down, only then you interact. Whenever you real-
    ize that you are in a situation o con󿬂ict with someone, tell yoursel, “Hush! No more
    o that”. Ask yoursel to stop! o pause awhile, to give yoursel time to cool down to
    think, listen and then communicate.
    • Tink: “Look beore you leap” leap” is a wise piece o advice or acting in a perilous
    p erilous situ-
    ation. It says that it is sensible
    sensi ble to think about tthe
    he possible dangers
    d angers or diffi culties o
    something beore doing it, or not doing it. You should think about the possibility o
    worsening the situation i you take the con󿬂ict personally. Te con󿬂ict is about an
    issue, not a person. Also think about your larger goals o smooth relationships by
    not allowing the con󿬂ict to divide you rom the other person. Also, think whether
    the other person also needs good relations
    relations with you. Tink to develop an inormed
    rame o mind beore you communicate to resolve the situation o con󿬂ict. Consider
    the con󿬂ict as a whole. Analyse its background, your options, and the best time and
    way o raising it with the other person. Also think o the other person’s possible
    arguments, options, and goals with regard to the con󿬂ict.

    264 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    • Listen: o be able to have a meaningul and ruitul dialogue, you should 󿬁rst listen
    to what the other person has to say. Do not start speaking on the basis o your
    assumptions about the thoughts and eelings o the other person involved in the
    situation o con󿬂ict. Hear him/her out. Hal o his/her grievance would be over i
    you listen to her/him patiently. Skill to listen actively is as effective in the resolution
    o con󿬂ict as competence to express yoursel effectively. Remember, what the other
    person says is as important as what you say. Tereore, 󿬁rst listen.
    • Communicate: Finally, you decide how you want to say it all. Persuasively, aggres-
    sively, or in a submissive way o reconciliation, and give and take attitude.

    PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION IN CONFLICT


    Communication is a purposive act. It always seeks to ul󿬁l the communication goal.
    While thinking about the con󿬂ict one o the important subjects o thinking is what you
    want to do about the
    t he con󿬂ict situation. You want to change the other pers
    person,
    on, change your
    own sel, change the situation or change nothing, and do nothing. It is possible that both
    the persons may not think alike. One person may think o resolving the con󿬂ict, while the
    other may like to leave it unchanged. In a situation o this kind your communication has
    to attempt two tasks, 󿬁rst to change the person and then change the situation by removing
    the cause o con󿬂ict.

    VERBAL SKILLS FOR COMMUNICA


    COMMUNICATING
    TING IN CONFLICT
    Use of Personalized Language
    Personalized language uses “I” statements or “you” statements to discuss or criticise
    the people involved in the situation instead o talking about it in a more general way.
    Nothing consoles a grieving person more than the assertive. “I” statement o a person
    who owns
    I think, his ault
    I should andhave
    must responsibility
    acted like or generating
    that”, the person’s
    convey the con󿬂ict. upront
    Te words “I eeland
    honesty or
    sense o implied regret to the other person.
    Instead o attributing the cause o his behaviour to anyone else, or to the other party
    involved in the con󿬂ict, the speaker owns his responsibility or his eelings, his thought
    and his action. And that strengthens the basis or building up understanding between
    the two persons. Psychologically the other person would also be willing to accept their
    part o the responsibility or whatever has happened. And, that exactly is the begin-
    ning o the process o reconciliation between the disputing persons. “You statements”
    or “they statements”, unlike “I statement” which ault the doer’s responsibility, are state-
    ments which evade personal responsibility.
    responsibility. Tey attribute the blame to others. Te dep-
    ersonalized statements show that you as doer want to hide behind someone or owning
    your ault. Such depersonalized statements show that you are trying
    tr ying to be deensive use
    o “you statements” in expressing disagreement.

    Con󿬂ict Over Intangible Issues


    Intangible issue relate to non-material or non-physical matters which concern human
    relations in terms o respect, values, love, sel-esteem, attention, concern, caring,
    amily ties, traditions and cooperative behaviour. Tey are though non-material in
    the sense that they do not exist physically, yet to several persons these values matter
    deeply. And ofen con󿬂icts arise centred on such intangible, personality related issues.
    And the earlier these con󿬂icts get resolved the better it is or both the con󿬂icting
    parties. As these intangible issues generally involve riends, near and dear relatives,
    or close neighbours, they constantly disturb the peace o mind o both the persons.

    COMMUNICATION
    COMMUNICATION FOR CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 265

    Hence, one should try to manage these intangible con󿬂icts through communication as
    a bridge o mutual understanding and good will.

    Tangible Issues and Con󿬂icts


    angible issues relate to matters o land, concrete nature, such as a property, territory,
    natural resources, gas, water, minerals, mines, coal, or wages, promotions, rewards
    4
    Know how tangible
    recognitions and things which are not personality or behaviour centred issues. issues lead to serious
    Con󿬂icts caused by tangible issues require or resolution communication through con󿬂icts between
    negotiations, group discussions, meetings, ormal interactions and agreements, some- neighbours, persons,
    times with the help o a third party. Some o these issues, specially issues o territory, states and countries.
    sharing o water, and other natural resources become the main issue o con󿬂ict threat-
    ening to change into hostilities between the neighbouring countries or states. Tey call
    or a dialogue between the concerned states or countries or a peaceul settlement o
    the contentious issues. Te high level interaction in such situations exhibit subtlety o

    understanding and communication competence o the negotiators.


    Trust Building
    Te communication act is a 󿬁rst step to create an environment o trust between both the
    parties. Past events o mistrust are acknowledged and also explained to pave a resh path
    o understanding and goodwill. Remove the ear o competition or power abuse.
    Build mutual trust by sharing the acts ully and asking or remedial steps or resolv-
    ing the con󿬂ict with an attitude o understanding the other person’s demands and needs.
    Be 󿬂exible.

    SUMMARY
    Con󿬂ict is unav
    unavoidable
    oidable b
    but
    ut it is normally manageable. con󿬂ict ollow the system o stop think listen and then
    o be able to manage con󿬂ict you should 󿬁rst know the communicate.
    nature and reason or its occurrence. Ten, you should • For co
    con󿬂ict
    n󿬂ict management, listening tto
    o the o
    other
    ther party’s
    party’s
    select the best method or resolving the con󿬂ict or views and grievances is as important as speaking out
    reducing it. your thoughts and eelings.
    • Impro
    Improve
    ve your communicatio
    communication n skills to prevent the • o be able to manage the co con󿬂ict,
    n󿬂ict, argue acts, and
    con󿬂ict rom recurring in your personal, social, not impressions or suppositions and assumptions and
    workplace and proessional lie. In the situation o belies.

    CASE: MHAI

    Te Mahatama Gandhi Highways Authority o India Te e-way operator changed 󿬁nanciers and took loan rom
    (MHAI) issued lease termination notice to the Basai- them and used the money without getting approval rom
    Nagpur expressway operator in June 2010 or violating the government’
    governme nt’s Nodal Highway Build Building
    ing Agency.
    terms o agreement. Violations included ailure to decon- Te management o toll plaza was aulty. Tere were rom
    gest the expressway, taking one-sided 󿬁nancial decisions both sides long lines o vehicles at the toll barrier. Te daily
    and increasing the number o accidents on the expressway commuters were put to lot o inconvenience and delay due
    becausee o wrong and inefficient tolling sys
    becaus system
    tem at Badgaong to the traffi
    tr affic jams at th
    thee toll bridge
    bridge..
    Plaza, on way rom Mumbai to Nagpur.
    Te lanes were broken. And the delayed vehicles sped ast
    Te relations between the two parties became bitter afer the as soon as they were able to creep beyond the barrier. Tere
    nodal authority o highways accused the e-way operator o were several public protests against the administration and
    raud in the orm o re󿬁nancing the project without its due the 󿬁rm managing the toll plaza. Te MHAI 󿬁nally decided
    approval. to change the 󿬁rm and issued the termination notice o

    266 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    the contract between the government’s e-ways building Questions to Answer


    authority and the operator Mumbai Nagpur Expressway. 1. Was the termination notice to the toll plaza 󿬁rm in
    But instead o going to the court or challenging the keeping with the provisions o the contract between the
    termination notice, the 󿬁rm approached the MHAI and two parties?
    both the parties held several meetings to sort out the issues. 2. Can the change o 󿬁
    󿬁nanciers
    nanciers o
    orr taking the loan be termed
    A time rame was mutually decided to settle all the issues to as raud?
    the satisaction o all concerned parties, through consulta- 3. Do you think that the resh understanding between
    tions, and meetings. the MHAI and toll plaza company would solve the
    It was agreed that in uture no 󿬁nancial or administrative problem o the daily commutes between Mumbai and
    changes would be made by the toll plaza 󿬁rm without prior Nagpur.
    approval o the government’s Nodal Highways Building
    Agency.

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    1. Discuss the types o con󿬂ict that usually arise in int


    inter-
    er- 5. What iiss meant by the con󿬂ict o loyalties? Discuss with
    personal relationship
    relationship.. examples.
    2. Is there so
    some
    me commo
    common n cause o con󿬂ict in all kinds o 6. How does co con󿬂ict
    n󿬂ict o inter
    interests
    ests differ rom con󿬂ict o o
    con󿬂icts? Identiy and discuss. loyalties? Explain.
    7. Discuss the role o communicatio
    communication n in con󿬂ict
    3. What are the characteristics o positive con󿬂icts? management.
    4. What iiss the b
    basic
    asic difference betw
    between
    een positive con󿬂icts 8. Discuss the comm
    communication
    unication skills you need tto
    o resolve
    and negative con󿬂icts? a con󿬂ict.

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING


    1. Tink o an occasion when you ailed to resolve a 4. Do you believe that some con󿬂icts are inevitable?
    con󿬂ict with your next door neighbour. What went Why?
    wrong? Elaborate your answer with an example o the 5. Have you ever used communication as a bridge o
    con󿬂ict you could not resolve. understanding between your brother and yoursel
    2. Can you trace a pattern in the developm
    development
    ent o
    o con󿬂icts in the situation o a complete break up between both
    in your personal lie. Do you think those con󿬂icts could o you? How did you begin the communication, and
    be avoided by you? developed it successully into reunion? Discuss the
    3. In the communication model (system) S-LC, why precautions
    precautio ns you took in discussing the issue.
    does C (communication) come at the end, and S (stop)
    at the beginning?

    APPLY YOUR
    YOUR LEARNING
    LEARN ING

    1. How wowould
    uld you distinguish between tangible issues 3. Compare tw
    twoo con󿬂ict situa
    situations,
    tions, one tha
    thatt grew wo
    worse
    rse
    and intangible issues? Give some
    s ome examples. and another that did not. Discuss their outcomes.
    2. “I hate the idea o
    o causes and i I had tto
    o choose between 4. Why sho
    should
    uld we avoid use o personalised language in
    betraying my country and betraying my riend, I hope con󿬂ict?
    I should have the guts to betray my country,” says 5. Do you agree that silence is as impo
    important
    rtant as speaking in
    E. M. Forster, in wo Cheers for Democracy. Comment managing con󿬂ict? Discuss.
    on the statement o con󿬂ict.
    Give your comments on Forster’s resolution o an
    assumed inner con󿬂ict.

    COMMUNICATION
    COMMUNICATION FOR CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 267

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    From the given options please choose the most appropriate


    appropriate answer:*
    1. Te best way tto
    ooovercome
    vercome co
    con󿬂ict
    n󿬂ict is through 6. In m
    me-centred
    e-centred ap
    approach
    proach tto
    o co
    con󿬂ict
    n󿬂ict both the adversaries
    (a) conrontatio
    conrontationn see the problem rom the point o view o
    (b) communicatio
    communication n (a) themselves
    (c) accusation (b) each other
    (d) sel-deence (c) others
    (d) no one
    2. Communication or con󿬂ict management is
    (a) proactive 7. Communication is effective when what is said is
    (b) reactive (a) correctly heard but not rightly understood
    (c) interactive (b) correctly heard, rightly understood but not rightly
    (d) transactional acted upon
    (c) exactly said, rightly understood and correctly acted
    3. Te con󿬂icting parties are
    upon
    (a) unrelated to each other (d) exactly said and rightly understood
    (b) interrelated with each other
    (c) unknown to each other 8. Interpersonal communicatio
    communication
    n acts as a
    (d) close with each other (a) river o understanding
    (b) gul o understanding
    4. Con󿬂ict o ideas is a si
    situation
    tuation in which two opposing
    (c) sea-shore o understanding
    ideas
    (d) bridge o shared understanding
    (a) can exist together and can be both true
    (b) can exist together but cannot be both true 9. In co
    con󿬂ict
    n󿬂ict situation
    situation communicatio
    communication
    n means that discus-
    (c) cannot exist together but can be both true sion should be
    (d) cannot exist together or cannot be both true (a) aggressive (b) emotional
    (c) speci󿬁c (d) general
    5. Negative con󿬂ict’s resolu
    resolution
    tion needs the discussion to be
    (a) personalized 10. communication
    Choose the LCS
    LCS in the correct order o sequence o
    strategy.
    (b) impersonalized
    (c) non-personalized (a) CSL (b) CLS
    (d) de-personalized (c) LCS (d) SLC

    *For answers and sel-evaluation, visit www.pearsoned.co


    www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi
    .in/PDChaturvedi

    This page is intentionally left blank.


    17
    Communication for
    Effective Negotiations

    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    Anil and Manav are friends. They are Manav: Yes, I do, but the 󿬁lm is
    I’ll make you an offer you can’t trying to decide whether to go to the on only today. I think you
    “
    refuse! cinema or watch a cricket match. should come with me to
    the cinema and watch the
    Anil: You are coming to watch the match tomorrow. How does
    —Vito Corleone in cricket match with me today,
    that sound?
    Th e Go d fa th er aren’t you?
    ” Manav: No. I really don’t want to. Anil: No. I’m not coming to the
    There’
    Ther e’s a very good 󿬁lm 󿬁lm.
    showing at the Ritz. Come to Manav: You are, you know.
    that instead.
    Anil: I really want to watch the
    Anil: No, I don’t think a 󿬁lm would match—I’m not coming to
    be as interesting as the the 󿬁lm!
    cricket match. Surely, you’d
    rather come to the match? Manav: Oh yes you are. It’s raining
    today.
    Manav: No. I think today’s match will
    be quite boring. Don’t you Anil: Oh dear. So it is. Okay, you
    prefer the cinema to cricket? win but if the weather is
    Anil: I suppose so, but this is a good tomorrow, you’ll come
    to the match with me, won’t
    crucial match for our team.
    Upon completion of this chapter, you you?
    You like cricket too, don’t
    should be able to: you? Manav: Yes
    Yes.. Of course.

    1 Explain the negotiation process.


    2 Understand the factors affect-
    ing negotiation. WHAT IS NEGOTIATION?
    3 Know about the subjective Negotiation is a process of bargaining in which two parties, each of which
    factors that affect negotiation has something that the other wants, try to reach an agreement on mutually
    outcomes. accepted terms. Everyday examples of negotiation are:
    4 Understand the stages in the • Abbrother
    rother and a sister debating which movie
    movie to watch
    negotiation process.
    • wo riends
    riend s trying to settle the amount
    amount or which one wants to sell his
    5 Identify different
    ing, discussing, skills
    and of initiat-
    concluding old car to the other
    the process of bargaining. • wo sisters 󿬁ghting over how a box o chocolates should be divided
    between them
    6 Know how to handle deadlocks.
    • An employee making a suggestion to her manager regarding her salary
    salar y
    • A salesperson trying to arrange
    arrange a meeting wi
    with
    th a prospective
    prospective wholesal
    wholesaler/
    er/
    dealer
    he Oxford Dictionary of Business English deines negotiation as:
    (a) “a process o trying to reach an agreement through discussion”
    discu ssion”,
    (b) “a meeting where this discussion takes place”
    place”..

    270 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    1
    Explain the negotia-
    he Winston Simplified Dictionary deines negotiation as, “the discussion and
    bargaining that goes on between parties beore a contract is settled or a deal is deinitely
    bargaining de initely
    agreed upon”. Alan Fowler deines negotiation as “a process o intervention by which
    tion process. two or more parties who consider that they need to be jointly involved in any outcome,
    but who initially have dierent objectives, seek by the use o argument and persuasion to
    resolve their dierences in order to achieve a mutually acceptable solution”1. According
    Negotiation is a process to Bill Scott, “A negotiation is a orm o meeting between two parties: our party and the
    o bargaining in which other party”2. he objective o most negotiations is to reach an agreement in which both
    two parties, each o parties together move towards an outcome that is mutually beneicial.
    which has something
    that the other wants, try
    to reach an agreement THE NATURE OF NEGOTIA
    NE GOTIATION
    TION
    on mutually accepted
    terms. he ollowing points make the nature o negotiation quite clear:
    1. Nego
    Negotiation
    tiation takes place between two parties. Both the parties
    parties are equally
    equally interested
    interested
    in inding a satisactory result.
    2. Negotiation leads to agreement through discussion, not instructions, orders, or
    power/inluence/authority.
    When a manager deals with other managers or customers and suppliers over whom
    he or she has no authority, he or she tries to reach an agreement through discussion, per-
    suasion, and argument. In other words, the manager must negotiate with the other party.
    Suppose you are a manager in the marketing department o a company. You need the
    help o an analyst rom another department to complete an urgent project report. he
    other department may not be willing to spare the services o the analyst you badly need.
    You would need to discuss the matter with your colleagues and make your case using
    Reaching an agreement
    convincing arguments, by negotiating with the analyst and the other department. Reach-
    is the objective o ing an agreement is the objective o negotiation.
    negotiation. Consider the ollowing situation, which shows how negotiations work.
    Mr and Mrs Rai wanted to sell their house. hey had approached many property
    dealers in their area. Several agents had seen their property and knew their intentions,
    including the minimum price they would be willing to accept. he Rais quickly real-
    ized that in their area, nearly every property agent had come to know o their desire to
    sell the house as early as possible. his worked against them, and every time they were
    made an oer, it was lower than the previous one. hey became desperate and began to
    believe that it would not be possible to sell their house or a reasonable price because they
    made the mistake o disclosing their keenness to sell. One day, they happened to mention
    this to one o their riends. He gave them the contact inormation o a very prominent
    builder, Mr Devraj, rom another part o the city. Mr Devraj answered the Rais’ call and
    immediately enquired about the location o the plot and the built-up area. Next, he asked
    them their asking price. He paused, and then said, “hink about the price again”. his
    made the Rais
    Rai s eel a bit shaky. hey had told him the price they wanted, not the prices
    pri ces the
    property dealers had oered them thus ar. Not wanting to lose the chance o selling their
    house, they reduced their asking price by ` 5 lakh. Mr Devraj promptly asked, “Is that
    inal?” With some trepidation, they said, “Yes”. In a businesslike tone, he said, “Done”
    and promised to send them ` 10 lakh as an advance the next day. He also remarked that
    he would have the remaining amount sent within a week. he Rais wanted him to see the
    house, but he said, “here is no need or that; I am amiliar with the sector”.
    At the time o the ull and inal payment, the Rais learnt that they were not able to get
    the desired price or the house rom other, smaller property dealers because the house
    had an old-ashioned design and would need to be demolished. What these property
    dealers were oering was the price o the land only. However, Mr Devraj, being a builder,
    would be able to use the basic architecture and give the house a new look.

    COMMUNICATION
    COMMUNICATION FOR EFFECTIVE NEGOTIATIONS
    NEGOTIATIONS 271

    THE NEED FOR


    F OR NEGOTIATION
    The need to negotiate is defined by the situation. Some situations require negotiating,
    others don’t.

    Situations Requiring Negotiation


    Negotiation is necessary when an issue involves more than one person and the problem
    cannot be resolved by a single person. Whenever two or more persons or parties are
    involved, they are bound to have dierent views or aims regarding the outcome. he way
    to overcome disagreement is by negotiating.
    Negotiation
    Negot iation can take place only when both concerned parties are willing to meet and
    discuss the issue at hand. hat is, they both must want to reach a decision by discussion,
    not orce or authority.
    here are ormal and inormal situations in negotiation.

    Formal Negotiations
    • Tere is a prearranged
    prearranged meeting
    meeting o the
    the two parties.
    parties.
    • Te agenda is already 󿬁xed, and both parties
    parties know what
    what is going
    going to be discussed.
    • General
    Generallyly,, more than two persons are involved in the discussion.
    • In ormal negotiations, there is time to prepare and assign roles or each person
    in each party. For instance, one person can put orth their side’s reasons and sug-
    gestions, another can explain the side’s points more thoroughly, and the third can
    closely ollow the 󿬂ow o the discussion
    disc ussion and point out anything that has been missed.
    • A ormal negotiation is simpler to handle than unannounced meetings. Tere is
    A ormal negotiation is
    time to study the entire situation and 󿬁nd out the strengths and weaknesses o the
    simpler to handle than
    other party. unannounced meetings.
    Generally, a ormal negotiation is or settling a dispute or a conlict between two war

    ring parties,
    ormal; such as between
    the meeting or a labour
    the or
    twoworkers’ strike.
    parties is ixedNegotiations in such
    beorehand and bothsituations are
    parties have
    time to prepare their bargaining points.
    Informal Negotiations
    Inormal negotiations are unannounced and casual meetings, such as when a sta mem-
    ber drops by a colleague’s oice and discusses a problem, which they attempt to resolve.
    his is an inormal negotiation because:
    • It is unannounced.
    • It involves just two persons.
    • It appears casual (although the colleague who initiated the discussion
    discus sion might have
    planned this approach deliberately).
    • It does not give one time to prepare or the discussion, so one cannot study the
    strengthss or weaknesses o the other side.
    strength
    • Its riendly
    riend ly and inormal approach is meant to in󿬂uence the outcome.

    Situations Not Requiring Negotiation


    The following types of situations will not require negotiation:
    • When one o o the two parties/persons
    parties/persons immediat
    immediately
    ely accepts or agrees
    agrees to what the
    other is suggesting. In such a situation there is no need or negotiating. Te desired
    result is already achieved.
    • Whenever one of the two partie
    partiess refuses even to cconsider
    onsider or discuss tthe
    he sugges-
    tion or proposal. For example, suppose a supplier or a dealer completely refuses

    272 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    to reduce the price or consider any suggestion of partial payments, there is no


    possibility for negotiation.
    negotiation.
    However, people oten encounter situations in which there is neither direct accept-
    ance nor complete reusal at the outset. In such cases, the two persons deal with each
    other by discussing the possibility o reaching a mutually acceptable end.

    2 FACTORS AFFECTING
    AFFECTI NG NE
    NEGOTIA
    GOTIATION
    TION
    The factors discussed in this section usually affect the outcomes of negotiations.
    Understand the actors
    Understand
    affecting negotiation. Location
    he location o a negotiation can inluence the level o conidence o one party. When
    the location is one party’s oice, or instance, that party has several advantages. hey are
    on home ground, an area o strength. hey can access whatever inormation or material
    is needed during the course o the negotiation. hey can also extend social courtesies as
    a token o goodwill; this could move the negotiation towards agreement.
    Timing
    • Te choice o tim
    timee or holding discussions and
    and the length o the discussion
    discussion should
    be 󿬁xed according to mutual convenience.
    • Tere should be adequate time or the smooth exchange o ideas through different
    stages o negotiation. Te preparation time and the timerame or implementing the
    agreement aferwards should also be careully 󿬁xed.
    • o be effective, negotiations should be timely.
    timely. Tat means they should be carried out
    beore it is too late to reach an agreement.
    Subjective Factors
    3 Oten the outcome o a discussion does not depend wholly on objective actors such as

    Know about the logic and thebyacts


    determined o theactors
    subjective matterrelating
    under consideration. he
    to inluence and p inal outcome may also be
    persuasion.
    ersuasion.
    subjective actors that
    affect negotiation 1. Individual relationships: he conduct o negotiations is inluenced not only by the
    outcomes. real situation o the matter but also by the relationship and rapport between the two
    persons/parties involved in the process o discussion.
    2. Fear of authority: Oten one side’s bargaining power is conditioned by ear o author-
    ity, higher connections, and the other party’s capacity to hurt their proessional
    uture.
    3. Future and practical
    practical considerations: When personal relationships are at stake, the
    negotiators may not wish to win the argument at the cost o the relationship. Moreo-
    ver,, the ear o losing
    ver losing business
    business in the uture
    uture is a strong
    strong actor
    actor in bargaining/neg
    bargaining/negotia-
    otia-
    tion positions, as is the eect on the participants’ reputations.
    4. Mut
    Mutualual obligations:
    obligations: he memories o past avours by the other party may also inlu-
    ence the negotiation.
    5. Personal considerations: Self-questioning helps the negotiator identify the factors
    influencing his or her bargainin
    bargaining
    g position and strengths. Both formal and informal
    negotiations are influenced by questions such as:
    • “How does my position on this proposal/issue take into account the likely effect
    on our uture working relationship?”
    • “Am I allowing mysel to be unduly in󿬂uenced by a sense o obligation? Am I
    hoping to achieve too much by emphasizing past obligations?”
    • “What are my goals or this negotiation?”

    COMMUNICATION
    COMMUNICATION FOR EFFECTIVE NEGOTIATIONS
    NEGOTIATIONS 273

    Persuasive Skills and the Use of You-Attitude


    You-Attitude Persuasion includes
    Persuasion includes a range of skills for convincing other people of the need to accept or a range o skills or
    agree to a course of action. It is an essential element of effective business communica- convincing other people
    tion. It helps in resolving issues on which there is a difference of opinion, but that need o the need to accept
    solutions that are in the interest of all. In negotiations, people are gradually persuaded to or agree to a course o
    accept the other party’s view to some extent. action.
    As you must have seen yoursel, persuasion is not one single thing. It is a mixture o
    skills—attitude, psychology, language, tone, body language, and so on—used to convince
    the other party to accept one’s view despite their objections or alternate proposals.
    “You attitude” is an essential aspect o negotiations. Nothing convinces more than
    Persuasion is not just
    acts. But in order to persuade people, the acts should be discussed rom the other par-
    one single thing. It is
    ty’s point o view. A skilled negotiator should be able to highlight how the other person a mixture o skills—
    stands to gain rom his or her suggestions. He or she must understand the other party’s attitude, psychology,
    needs and be able to reconcile what would be a good result or him or her with the needs language, tone, body
    o the other party. his allows persuasion to end negotiations and discussions with a language,, and so on—
    language
    satisying conclusion or both sides (creating a win–win situation). used to convince the
    he range o persuasive skills can be classiied under the ollowing broad headings: other party to accept
    one’s view despite their
    • Style: Being collaborative rather than conrontational
    objections or alternate
    • You attitude: considering the other person’s viewpoint proposals.
    • Talking and listening
    • Probing and questioning A skilled negotiat
    negotiator
    or
    • Taking breaks when necessary must understand the
    • Concessions and compromises other party’s needs and
    be able to reconcile
    • Summarizing
    what would be a good
    • Reaching an agreement result or him or her
    At the end o the discussion, both sides should be sure that the inal agreement covers with the needs o the

    all necessary points and they are clearly expressed and understood. other party.

    STAGES
    STAGES IN THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS
    Generally, the process of negotiation moves from the stage of “offer” to that of “agree-
    4
    ment” via the stages of “counter-offer”, “concession”, and “compromise”. All discus- Understand the stages
    sions that progress successfully from opening differences to a final, mutually acceptable in the negotiation
    outcome/conclusion
    outcome/con clusion usually move through the same general sequence. During informal process.
    discussions this sequence may not always be obvious, yet it is there with respect to the
    most important aspects of negotiations. At the end o the
    According to Alan Fowler, the stages o an eective discussion are: discussion, both sides
    • Preparing and planning should be sure that
    • Exchangin
    Exchangingg initial views the 󿬁nal agreement
    covers all necessary
    • Exploring possible compromises
    points and they are
    • Searching or common ground clearly expressed and
    • Securing an agreement understood.
    • Implementing the agreement
    hese six stages can be grouped into three basic phases:
    • A preparation phase beore the negotiation begins
    • Te actual negotiating process—the interacti
    interaction
    on that leads to the 󿬁nal agreement and
    an outcome
    • Te implementation o the agreement

    274 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    Negotiation implies Negotiation implies that both parties accept that an agreement between them is
    needed (required or desirable) beore any decision is to be implemented. he direc-
    that both parties accept
    that an agreement tion o the discussion is towards that desired agreement. Hence, it requires careul
    between them is needed preparation
    preparatio n and handling.
    (required or desirable)
    beore any decision is to The Preparation Phase
    be implemented. Like all effective communication/discussion, negotiations have to be planned. Tim
    Hindle, in his book Negotiating Skills,
    Skills, says, “Bear in mind that it is almost impossible
    for a negotiator to do too much preparation”.3
    here are two respects in which the negotiator has to be prepared beore the negotiation:
    • Assessing the relative strength o the two parties
    • Setting negotiating objectives. At this stage, the negotiator should try to answer the
    ollowing two questions:
    ■ What are the real issues?
    ■ Which parties
    partie s should be involved?
    Knowing the real issues at hand helps the negotiator eel conident and ully prepared
    about two things:
    • Tat he/she knows the subject matter well and is not likely to be surprised
    surprise d by the
    other party introducing unexpected acts or 󿬁gures
    • Tat he/
    he/she
    she is clear
    clear about the desired goal o the discussion
    discussion
    Negotiators should be realistic about their objectives. I they ail to persuade the other
    side to accept their ideal solution
    solution,, they should be prepared to lower their expectations. I
    the ideal is not achievable, they should be very clear and irm about the lowest outcome
    outcome
    acceptable to them. It is important or the negotiators to know what points they are will-
    ing to concede and what their limits are.
    In the preparation stage, negotiators should also plan the best way o arguing their
    case, considering particularly the other person’s likely viewpoint and objectives. hey
    should assess the strength o each party’s bargaining position. o be well prepared beore
    the actual negotiating process begins, negotiators should:
    • Be sure that they know enough
    enough about the subject matter
    matter to be discussed
    • Decide their objectives and limits
    • Plan h
    how
    ow best
    best to argue their case

    The Negotiation Phase


    Most effective negotiations follow a set sequence:
    • Te parties begin by de󿬁ning the issues at hand.
    hand. Tey ascertain the scope o the
    negotiation.
    • Each side then puts
    puts orward what
    what it is seeking.
    seeking. First, the party that is making a claim
    presentss its case, and then the other party gives an initial response—thus, both the
    present
    parties de󿬁ne their initial positions.
    positions.
    • Afer that comes a more open phase in which the initial positions are tested through
    argument.
    • Te parties the
    then
    n move to discussing a possible
    possible solutio
    solution
    n that could
    could result in a resolutio
    resolution.
    n.
    • Firm proposal
    proposalss in more speci󿬁c
    speci󿬁c terms are then
    then discussed and modi󿬁ed
    modi󿬁ed beore both
    parties accept them.
    • Finally, an agreement is spelled out and a conclusion is reached.

    COMMUNICATION
    COMMUNICATION FOR EFFECTIVE NEGOTIATIONS
    NEGOTIATIONS 275

    The Implementation Phase Some scholars do not


    Some scholars do not consider the stages o preparation and implementation to be parts consider preparation
    o negotiation. But they constitute two basic phases o the actual process o negotiation— and implementation to
    one beore initiating the negotiation process and the other ater concluding discussions. be parts o negotiation.
    • Te purpose o nego
    negotiation
    tiation is to achieve a decision; the
    the purpose o an agreem
    agreement
    ent is
    to implement the agreed-upon decision/outcome.
    • I due attention is not paid to the implementation o a negotiation, then the negotia-
    tion ails.
    hree steps to prevent ailure o implementation are:
    • In all o
    ormal
    rmal negotiations,
    negotiations, con󿬁rm
    con󿬁rm in writing
    writing all that has
    has been agreed upon.
    upon.
    • As ar as possible, mention an implementation programme
    programme in the agreement. Tis
    includes mentioning who is supposed to do what and by when. Tis matter, i lef
    unde󿬁ned, may become the subject o disagreement later.
    • Ensure that every
    ever y concerned person, not only those involved in t\he discussion, is
    told about the agreement, its implications, and the actions that are to ollow.

    NEGOTIATION STRATEGIES
    Some o the elements listed as part o the negotiation process are strategic in nature.
    5
    hey are discussed here as strategies to be used at dierent stages o negotiatio
    negotiation.
    n. Identiy different
    skills o initiating,
    initiating,
    Initial Strategies discussing, and
    Beore the negotiation, the negotiators must plan their strategies. concluding the process
    o bargaining.
    • A successul negotiation should plan the discussion according to the psychological
    needs o the other party and use appropriate strategies to maximize his or her advan
    tage and gain inormation about the objectives o the other party.
    • He or she should focus on the need to reac
    reach
    h a mutually sat
    satisfactory
    isfactory conclu
    conclusion
    sion by
    joint problem-solving.
    problem-solving.
    • The negotiator should sell “sunny-side up”. He or she should think about how the other
    person
    person wi
    will
    ll se
    seee the p
    propo
    roposal
    sal aand
    nd sho
    should
    uld ttry
    ry to id
    ident
    entify
    ify aand
    nd “se
    “sell”
    ll” tthe
    he benefit
    benefitss of his or
    her case.
    • The negotiat
    negotiator
    or should be able to alter his or her position (wit
    (within
    hin planned li
    limits)
    mits) if
    needed to achieve this approach.
    • Instead of talk
    talking
    ing compulsively,, a good negotiator allows the other party to say
    compulsively
    Instead o talking
    what they wish and develops a dialogue with them. compulsively, a good
    One can start the discussion with language such as: “he general point o our discus- negotiator allows the
    sion is…, which I think has come up because o.... But beore I go into details, it would other party to say what
    be helpul i you irst outline your view”. they wish and develops
    a dialogue with them.
    During the Discussion
    he ollowing are some strategies that should be used during the course o the negotia-
    tion:
    • Neither side should state its entire case in the beginning o the discussion;
    discussi on; this
    should develop as the discussion proceeds. I one side puts orth everything at the
    beginning, it leaves itsel no chance to change position in light o the other side’s
    arguments.
    • It is important to listen careully to the other speakers’ arguments and notice their acial
    expressions, gestures, and body movements, in addition to the words. Non-verbal clues

    276 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    Te strategy should and cues will tell the listener how the other side eels—con󿬁dent or nervous, irritated
    or calm.
    be to allow the
    discussion to move • Neither side should interrupt the other
    other.. Interruptions
    Interruptions annoy instead o encouraging
    towards agreement. cooperation.
    o do this, one must • Good negotiator
    negotiatorss put orth searching
    searching questions
    questions to veriy the correctness
    correctness o acts
    psychologically
    offered by the other party, such as dates, 󿬁gures, and so on, or o their logic. I a nego-
    encourage cooperation
    tiator doubts the accuracy o the other side’s
    side’s inormation, he or she should not directly
    throughout the
    discussion. challenge them by saying, “You are wrong”. Instead, the negotiator may ask urther,
    probing questions,
    questions, such as “Could you explain the connection between that point and
    what you said earlier about X?” or “I have not understood the logic o that. Could you
    put it in a different way?”
    Both parties should use • One should not take oon
    n a conrontational tone. Te strategy should be to allow
    impersonal terminology the discussion to move towards agreement. o do this, one must psychologically
    to point
    rather outmaking
    than corrections, encourage cooperation throughout the discussion.
    • Both parties should use impersonal
    impersonal termino
    terminology
    logy to point out corrections,
    corrections, rather
    rather
    personal criticisms.
    than making personal criticisms.
    • It can be useul to take breaks.
    breaks. During the discussion, a short break o 10 minutes
    can be useul or two purposes: to have a chance to consider new points or proposals
    beore deciding on 󿬁nal commitments and to change the mood o the discussion i
    it has become too emotionally charged.
    • Both sides must use concessions and compromises.
    compromises. At times, it may be impossi-
    ble to move urther
    ur ther without making some concessions. Strat
    Strategy
    egy is concerned partly
    with timing and partly with the way possible concessions are introduced into the
    discussion. When the participants realize that attitudes are hardening and the same
    points are being repeated without a resolution, the discussion could be changed to
    an exploratory phase.

    • Participants can use conditional compromises such as by saying things like, “Since
    we now know each other’s initial views, could you tell me what your response would
    be i I accepted this part o X, which you have suggested?”, “Would you do X i
    I agreed to do Y?”, and “Would you be able to agree to X i I am able to postpone
    taking action on Y?”
    • It helps to emphasize what the other person stands to bene󿬁t rom the compromise.
    Te other side should not eel that he/she is losing by accepting the concession or
    compromise. Some tips include:
    ■ Commending and thanking the other party for a good suggestion.
    ■ Not allowing the discussion to go on for too long without bringing in conces-
    sions/compromises
    sions/compromises necessary for reaching agreement.
    ■ Introducing concessions/compromises
    concessions/compromises on a non-commitment basis.
    ■ Seeing that the concessions made by each side match.

    Reaching an Agreement
    Be tactul and persuasive
    ips or reaching a inal agreement are:
    to ensure that the 󿬁nal
    outcome, which is o • Afer a long and difficult discussion, “󿬁nal” should be taken as 󿬁nal. No urther
    urth er con-
    advantage to you, is also cessions or compromises should be allowed.
    seen by the other party
    • Negotiators should be tactul and persuasive to ensure that the 󿬁nal outcome is seen
    as a bene󿬁t to them.
    as bene󿬁cial by the other party.

    COMMUNICATION
    COMMUNICATION FOR EFFECTIVE NEGOTIATIONS
    NEGOTIATIONS 277

    • Te key strategy in any negotiation is persuasion.


    persuasi on.
    • Negotiators should emphasize the other party’s bene󿬁ts and should be enthusiastic
    about the other party’s cooperation and suggestions.

    Summarizing
    It helps to summarize the agreements and conclusions at the end o the discussion.
    • Te negotiators can suggest something such as, “I think it would be helpul i we
    could summarize all that we have discussed to reach this agreement”.
    • Alternativ
    Alternatively,
    ely, one party might suggest: “Let’
    “Let’ss note it down so that no point is later
    missed by anyone”. It is a good strategy to use written summaries at the end of
    discussions. This leaves no scope for disagreement later about what has or has not
    been agreed upon.

    Deadlocks
    Reaching a mutually satisfactory end is the basic objective of any negotiation. If there 6
    is no final agreement reached, even after a prolonged discussion, the strategy should Know how to handle
    be to: deadlocks.
    • Instead o going round in circles on a contentious point, move on to the next point
    on the agenda.
    • Point out th
    that
    at no furthe
    furtherr concessions ccan
    an be ma
    made
    de regarding the point of contention
    contention,,
    as they would be of no benefit to either party.
    • Explain and emphasize tthehe consequenc
    consequences
    es that would result from a deadlock, such as
    the need to refer the matter to those with greater authority or eventually to external
    arbitration or third-party mediation.
    • Use the ethical aspect of agreem
    agreement,
    ent, such as upholdi
    upholding
    ng the organiz
    organization’
    ation’ss values,
    the greatest good of the largest number of people, and so on.
    • Even in the situation of a deadlock, re
    remain
    main positive and hopeful of reaching a mutu-
    ally agreeable solution.
    • Finally, point out that third-party
    third-par ty intervention in the orm o legal arbitration or
    conciliation may not bene󿬁t either o the parties, or whom it is best to decide the
    matter through mutual understanding.

    SUMMARY

    • Tis chapter explains the p process


    rocess o nego
    negotiation
    tiation wi
    with
    th each side, practical uture considerations, mutual obli-
    the help o examples o ormal and inormal situations gations, and personal considerations; the use o you-
    that require skillul discussion to reach an agreement. attitude; and the persuasive skills o each side.
    • Negotiat
    Negotiation
    ion can take place only when both co concerned
    ncerned • Te three stages o the negotiation process are the pre-
    parties are willing to meet and discuss the issue at hand. paratory phase, the actual negotiation, and the imple-
    Tat is, they both must want to reach a decision by dis- mentation o the agreement.
    cussion, not orce or authority. • Negotia
    Negotiators
    tors m
    must
    ust be well prepared o
    orr negotiati
    negotiation,
    on, and
    • Factors affecting negot
    negotiation
    iation iinclude
    nclude locatio
    location;
    n; timing; should understand the various strategies o initiating,
    subjective actors such as the relationship between the discussing, and concluding negotiations, as well as how
    two individuals involved, the bargaining position o to deal with deadlocks.

    278 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    CASE: FARSIGHTED NEGOTIATION


    NEGOTIATION

    Several years ago, when Rakesh wanted to build a house in Mr Sharma readily accepted the oer. Rakesh believed that
    Faridabad, a property dealer showed
    sh owed him a number o plots the deal was completed.
    in dierent sectors. He liked a particular plot o 500 square
    However, while Rakesh was turned towards his dealer,
    yards in Sector 9. he owner o the plot, Mr Roshan Lal
    Mr Sharma, rather suddenly, raised the issue o payment
    Sharma, was a non-resident Indian who had taken extended
    o the penalty charges or not constructing the mandatory
    leave to be in India so that he could sell his plot.
    percentage o the approved plan o construction within the
    Beore going to Mr Sharma, Rakesh
    R akesh wanted to obtain more stipulated time as prescribed by the Faridabad Municipal
    inormation about the owner o the plot to strengthen Corporation. He insisted that the buyer should bear the
    his bargaining power. Mr Sharma was an engineer, and penalty charges on the plot. he penalty amount was or
    had been abroad or more than 15 years. He had a house three years. Rakesh ound the demand rather unreason-
    in Delhi. Rakesh believed that it would be easy or him to able. He tried to convince Mr Sharma that the demand was

    negotiate
    Faridabad.the deal with
    However, MrMr Sharma
    Sharma i they his
    conveyed could meet in
    inability to not logical.
    should bearHetheailed to understand
    penalty why he,however,
    cost. Mr Sharma, as the buyer,
    kept
    come down to Faridabad because o other commitments repeating that this was his personal decision and his deci-
    that day. he property dealer suggested that Rakesh go to sions were not subject to the questions o logic or correct-
    Delhi and inalize the deal. Rakesh was very keen to close ness. Rakesh’s sons also elt that they should not give in
    the deal the same day. to this demand. he two dealers strongly objected to the
    demand and thought that Mr Sharma was behaving arro-
    Rakesh, along with his two sons, the property dealer, and
    gantly and unreasonably. hey suggested that Rakesh drop
    Mr Sharma’s dealer, went to Mr Sharma’s house in Delhi to
    the proposal and said they
    the y would help him buy another plot.
    meet him. Rakesh’s dealer introduced him and his sons to
    At this point, Rakesh excused himsel and asked the two
    Mr Sharma. Ater the introductions, Mr Sharma excused
    himsel and went into the adjoining room with Rakesh’s dealers to step out with him or a discussion. Mr Sharma
    also let the room.
    dealer, while Rakesh, his sons, and Mr Sharma’s dealer
    waited in the living room. Mr Sharma enquired about Rakesh came back to the room with a smile and, to every-
    Rakesh and his amily and his interest in Faridabad. hey body’s surprise, oered the amount he had brought with
    spoke within hearing range o the others. him to Mr Sharma as advance
    a dvance money, con
    conveyed
    veyed his decision
    On returning to the room, Mr Sharma kept silent and to accept the penalty cost, and asked Mr Sharma to inalize
    seemed to want Rakesh to begin the discussion. Rakesh the deal. Both his sons were surprised at the sudden change
    began by praising the plot, especially the location. He told in his perspective. However, everyone was relieved that the
    Mr Sharma that he had decided on this plot ater taking a deal was inally sealed.
    look at many dierent properties. He also explained that he
    he Within three months o Rakesh’s purchase, his plot’s price
    was leaving or Jamshedpur the same night and, thereore, rose to three times what he had paid or it. By consider-
    would like to inalize the deal beore that. Mr. Sharma was ing the long-term advantages o buying the plot, Rakesh
    happy to hear this. had made a smart decision when he accepted Mr Sharma’s
    When Rakesh asked Mr Sharma about the price, he did oer. Within a year, the house was ready on the same plot.
    not give Rakesh a straight answer; rather, he put orth a Rakesh and his wie celebrated their itieth wedding anni-
    counter-question and asked Rakesh about the prevailing versary with their amily, relations, and riends in their new
    rates and what price he had in mind. Rakesh evaded the house that year.
    question by saying that the rates varied rom sector to

    sector,
    said hissize to knew
    dealer size, and
    the location to location.
    price o the Mr Sharma
    plot and should have Questions to Answer
    1. Discuss the strategy employed by Mr Roshan Lal
    inormed him about it. Rakesh said that the dealer had Sharma to strengthen his position as the negotiato
    negotiator.
    r.
    indeed inormed him about the price, but that was higher
    than the rate prevailing in Sector 9. Mr Sharma said that 2. Was it impulsive o Rakes
    Rakeshh to accept Mr Sharma’s terms
    he would like to know what Rakesh’s oer was. Rakesh against the advice o the two dealers and his sons?
    consulted his dealer and quoted the price suggested by Discuss.
    him. Mr Sharma, again, did not accept the price. Rakesh 3. What do yo you
    u learn about negotia
    negotiation
    tion strategies ro
    rom
    m
    raised his oer by ` 500 per square yard, and, this time, this case?

    COMMUNICATION
    COMMUNICATION FOR EFFECTIVE NEGOTIATIONS
    NEGOTIATIONS 279

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    1. Is nego
    negotiation
    tiation basically meant or resol
    resolving
    ving conlicts in or your choice in light o what you have learnt in this
    the workplace? Does it have any place in our personal chapter.
    lives? 7. “In a undamen
    undamentaltal sense, every negotiatio
    negotiation
    n is o
    orr the
    2. Discuss the subjective acto
    actors
    rs that inluence the out- satisaction o needs.” Disc
    Discuss.
    uss.
    come o a negotiation. 8. What is the correct aapproach
    pproach aand
    nd goal o negoti
    negotiation?
    ation?
    3. Analyse the dierent stag
    stages
    es o the negotia
    negotiation
    tion p
    process.
    rocess.
    9. “Negotia
    “Negotiation
    tion is a way o behaving that can develop
    4. Comment on the ro role
    le o a third party in the case o understanding and acceptance or achieving a shared
    negotiation deadlock. purpose.” Discuss.
    5. What is a win–win situation? 10. “While negotiating, you listen more than you ta talk
    lk i
    6. Is it wise to accept what you gget,
    et, instead o
    o rejecting it in you would like to have the inal say.” Explain how this
    the hope o what you may get? Give your own reasons maxim leads to a successul
    succe ssul negotiation.

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

    1. Consider the role o psychol


    psychology
    ogy in achieving success iin
    n 4. “Never be judgmental about the int
    intentions
    entions and behav-
    negotiations. iours o your opponents in a negotiation.” Why?
    2. Do you believe tha
    thatt you can neg
    negotiate
    otiate an
    anything?
    ything? Po
    Point
    int 5. o what extent should our negotiations be planned
    out any exceptions to this claim. beorehand? What examples come to mind?
    3. Analyse the po
    power
    wer o legitimacy (a
    (authority)
    uthority) in garner-
    ing compliance with a request. hink o some examples
    rom your personal experience.
    APPLY YOUR LEARNING

    1. A is eat
    eating
    ing in a restaurant and B is a waiter
    waiter.. Anoop: I was just wondering i you were using your
    A: Waiter! scooter this aternoon.
    B: Yes, sir? Bala: Why?
    Anoop: Well, I promised Ravi I’d pop over and see him
    A: Look, I’ve
    I’ve been sit sitting
    ting here or ten minutes and
    you still haven’t
    haven’t even given me the menu. beore he went to Delhi.
    Bala: How about going by bus?
    B: I can
    can’t
    ’t help that. W We’
    e’re
    re very busy. You’ll have to wait.
    Anoop: It’s more expens
    expensive
    ive than using a scooter and it
    A: I’m damned i I’ll wait an anyy longer
    longer.. Bring me the
    takes longer.
    menu immediately.
    Bala: Oh, yes! It’s more expens
    expensive
    ive than using my
    B: I’m sorry, sir
    sir.. I’ve got those people o over
    ver there to scooter, my petrol, my insurance, my road tax—
    serve irst. much more expensive. Why not go by train? Oh
    A: Right. I’m going then and I won’ won’tt come to your yes! oo expensive!
    blasted restaurant again. Anoop: I you’
    you’re
    re not using it, you could lend it to me.
    B: I’m araid I can
    can’t
    ’t help it i you are unwilling to wait Why not? I’ll put some petrol in it or you.
    or your turn! Bala: Okay, I can’t see any reason why you shouldn’t
    A and B do not seem tto o get along too well! What goes have the scooter, then. Don’
    Don’tt orget the petrol.
    wrong? I you were A, how would you handle the Anoop: hanks.
    situation? How does Anoop induce Bala to lend him the scooter? He
    2. A young man, Anoo
    Anoop,
    p, is trying to persuade his b
    brother
    rother,, makes suggestions and proposals. List these and also Bala’s
    Bala, to lend him his scooter. counter-arguments.
    counter-arguments.

    280 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    From the given options, please choose the most appropriate


    appropriate answer:*
    1. As compared to unannounced negotiation, ormal 6. Negotia
    Negotiation
    tion strategy is pa
    partly
    rtly co
    concerned
    ncerned with:
    negotiation: (a) ending the discussion
    (a) is simpler (b) avoiding ailure
    (b) is more diicult (c) prolongi
    prolonging
    ng the length o the negotiation
    (c) requires less preparation (d) searching o
    orr a common goal
    (d) is more time consuming
    7. Negotia
    Negotiation
    tion impl
    implies
    ies that both parties accept that the
    2. Inormal negotiation involves: agreement between them is:
    (a) three people (a) conditional
    (b) our people
    (b) inal and binding
    (c)
    (d) two people o people
    any number (c) subject to urther dispute
    (d) necessary
    3. Persuasion is an essential element o
    o eective nego
    negotia-
    tia-
    8. One’
    One’ss negotiation objective should be:
    tion because it helps in:
    (a) resolving disputes among people (a) ideal
    (b) settling issues between two parties (b) realistic
    (c) eecting agreements and solutions in the interest (c) personal
    o all (d) social
    (d) achievi
    achieving
    ng one’s own interests 9. In or
    order
    der to persuade others, acts should be discussed
    4. he inal aim o nego
    negotiation
    tiation is to: rom the point o view o a:
    (a) reach an agreement (a) third party
    (b) implement an agreement between two parties (b) irst party
    (c) win at all cost (c) second party
    (d) end a dispute (d) ourth party

    5. A negotiation is discussed in a tone that ocuses atten- 10. In negotiation


    negotiations,
    s, the interpretation o a cue requires skill
    tion on the need to reach a satisacto
    satisactory
    ry solution by: because it may be:
    (a) orce (a) ambiguous
    (b) joint problem-solving (b) verbal
    (c) setting conditions (c) intentional
    (d) making proposals (d) behavioural

    ENDNOTES

    1. Alan Fowler, Negotiation Skills and Strategies 3. im Hindle, Negotiating Skills (London: Dorling
    (Hyderabad: University Press, 1990), p. 3. Kindersley, 1998), p. 6.

    2. Bill Scott, House,


    Publishing Te Skills of p.
    1995), Negotiating
    3. (Bombay: Jaico

    *For answers and sel-evaluation, visit www.pearsoned.co


    www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi
    .in/PDChaturvedi

    CVs, Personal Interviews,

    18 and Group Discussions

    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    Manisha is a brilliant MBA student to. She studies the pro󿬁les of various
    What lies behind us and what with an outstanding academic record. companies of interest on the Inter-
    “
    lies before us are tiny ma
    matters
    tters She is specializing in international net. She also gathers information on

    compared to what lies within us. marketing and completed a three- these companies from seniors who
    month internship in Rouen, France, are currently working for them. After
    after her 󿬁rst year. She believes that a thorough analysis of the data, Mani-
    —Oliver Wendell
    she should take the initiative of sha decides to write to 󿬁ve companies
    ” Holmes searching for a suitable job with a that she is interested in. She writes a
    reputed national or multinational separate application letter to each
    company on her own rather than of the companies emphasizing the
    waiting for a job offer through cam- reasons she is interested in that com-
    pus placement. pany. Also, she asks for an opportu-
    Manisha prepares her résumé and nity to visit the company. Manisha
    decides to write the application expects to receive an interview call
    (cover) letter only after she has cho- from each of the 󿬁ve employers she
    has approached.
    sen a particular company to apply has approached.

    APPLYING FOR JOBS


    Upon completion of this chapter, you here are several steps an individual needs to take
    ta ke to get his or her dream job.
    should be able to: he process starts with preparing a good résumé or curriculum vitae (CV).
    Ater identiying potential employers and job openings, the applicant must
    1 Write an effective CV. prepare and submit his or her CV and an application or cover letter. Ideally,
    2 Write job applications/cov
    applications/cover
    er this will result in an invitation to an interview and/or a group discussion,
    letters properly. upon which the inal
     inal hiring decisions are based. Since there are multiple com-
    3 Learn the art of handling plex steps to the job application process, it is important to adopt good com-
    interviews well. munications
    municatio ns skills to be successul.
    4 Be an effective participant in
    group discussions. WRITING A CV
    he curriculum vitae is known by several names such as résumé, personal proile,
    bio-data, personal data sheet, qualiication sheet, and summary.
    summary. In practice, it is
    a written statement o the job applicant’s personal history, including biographi-
    cal details, educational qualiications, work experience, achievements, and other
    strengths. In short, a CV is a sel-introduction that promotes its author.
    A résumé is usually attached to an application letter. It is, thereore, read
    ater the application letter, but should be prepared irst. It is common practice
    or job seekers to have their résumés written in advance, so they can then just
    mail a copy o their CV along with the application letter. his is not always
    the best practice because the secret o a good résumé is its ability to project its
    author as the most suitable candidate or a particular job; thus, it should be
    tailored or each individual application.

    282 PART III STRUCT URED APPLICATIONS

    1
    Write an effective CV.
    he irst thing to keep in mind when writing a CV is that it should be written
    speciically in terms o the job’s requirements. he basic question to consider is what
    qualiications,
    qualiication s, experiences, or achievements should be highlighted or a particular posi-
    tion. For example, i an applicant has experience working as an HR executive and a
    marketing manager, and i he or she wants to apply or a position in HR, then it is bet-
    A résumé is usually ter to highlight his or her HR experiences while showing marketing
    marketing experiences under
    attached to an additional skills.
    application letter. It is, he arrangement o a CV should emphasize its author’s strengths. here is no ixed
    thereore,
    thereore, read afer the
    order in which a résumé should be written. All résumés, whether short or long, cover
    application letter, but
    should be prepared 󿬁rst.
    the same points regarding an individual’s background, achievements, and experiences.
    In longer résumés, the details regarding each point increase signiicantly, but the basic
    points remain the same in all résumés.
    Te 󿬁rst thing to keep in Beore we discuss the techniques o writing a résumé, we should understand the rela-
    mind when writing a CV tionship
    tionshi p between a résumé and an application letter (also known as a cover letter).
    is that it should
    speci󿬁cally be written
    in terms o the
    job’’s re
    job requi
    quirem
    rement
    ents.
    s. Te
    Te THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A RÉSUMÉ AND AN APPLICATION
    APPLI CATION
    basic question to consider LETTER
    is what quali󿬁cations,
    experiences, or he résumé and application letter perorm two separate unctions. he résumé briely
    achievements should communicates all relevant and important biographical inormation about an applicant.
    be highlighted or a he application letter interprets the inormation. For the application letter, the job appli-
    particular position. cant selects the most important and relevant acts rom his or her résumé and discuss
    those in the context o the job’s requirements.
    Te résumé brie󿬂y he résumé and application letter cannot be combined into a single document. No
    communicates
    communica tes all applicant can ignored the résumé and just write a long and detailed application letter
    relevant and important giving personal details, as prospective employers ind it too time-consuming to locate
    biographical inormation
    inormation speciic inormation in such a ormat. A résumé is ormatted or easy access to important
    about an applicant. points. he reader inds it easy to relate to details placed in a matrix ormat.
    ormat. In addition,
    Te application a résumé is brie as it does not use complete sentences. For instance, one does not write:
    letter interprets the “My name is XYZ” or “My age is 24 years”. Instead this inormation is ormatted in a
    inormation. simple, clear, and attractive way. Exhibit 18.1 illustrates how this can be done.

    Exhibit 18.1
    Sample Format for 1. Name: Sita Mathur
    Presenting Information 2. Age: 22 years
    years
    3. Nationality: Indian

    THE RÉSUMÉ OF A RECENT GRADUATE


    GRADUATE
    A résumé o a recent graduate lists:

    • Personal/biographica
    Personal/biographicall details
    • His or her educational background
    • Details o
    o his or her
    her work
    work experience
    experience
    • Reerences
    A new college graduate’s résumé is generally just one-page long. It includes the appli-
    cant’s career objectives, education details, work experience, and school/college activities.
    It is attached with the application letter. Because it is a resh graduate’s résumé, educa-
    tional qualiications are placed irst and have a position o prominence. All inormation
    in the CV should be under bold, clear headings, so that the reader can easily ind the

    CVS, PERSONAL INTERVIEWS, AND GROUP DISCUSSIONS 283

    desired inormation. Headings given in upper and lower case are easier to read than
    those entirely in capital letters.
    here are several styles or writing a student résumé. For an example o a CV in the
    commonly used chronological ormat, reer to Exhibit 18.2.

    Heading
    he heading should include the applicant’s name, address, date o birth (i age limit is
    mentioned), telephone number, and e-mail address.

    Exhibit 18.2
    AKSHITA
    AKSHITA ME
    MEHRA
    HRA Sample Résumé of a
    21/A, Amrita Shergil Marg, New Delhi 110 003 Recent Graduate
    Phone: 󰀨011󰀩 24620980, 9810455654
    E󰀭mail: akshita81@yahoo.com
    akshita81@yahoo.com Te objective should
    JOB OBJECTIVE
    not be vague.
    To work
    work as a manageme
    managementnt trainee in an indus
    industry
    try that uses my e
    education
    ducation in manage
    management
    ment and
    marketing, with the opportunity to eventually be a senior executive in marketing.
    SPECIALIZATION
    • Marketing and sales
    • Human resource management
    EDUCATION
    • Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Management from Amity Business School, Noida: 2004
    • Bachelor of Arts, Sociology (Hons.), Lady Shri Ram College (LSR), New Delhi: 2002
    • Senior Sec
    Secondary
    ondary (XII), C
    CBSE
    BSE Humanitie
    Humanities,
    s, Sard
    Sardar
    ar Pate
    Patell V
    Vidyalaya,
    idyalaya, New Delhi: 1999
    • Higher Secondary (X), CBSE, Sar
    Sardar
    dar Patel
    Patel Vidyalaya, New De
    Delhi:
    lhi: 1997 All scholarshi
    scholarships,
    ps,
    prizes, and awards
    SCHOLARSHIPS/AWARDS
    won in college are
    • Shri Ram Swaroop Ahuja Award for Outstanding Performance in Sports (1998).
    mentioned here.
    • Shri Jaswant S. Pandaya Award for Outstanding Performance in Athletics (1996).
    • Govt. of India Sports Talent Search Scholarship Scheme (1994–95).
    ACHIEVEMENTS
    • Preside
    President
    nt of Na
    National
    tional Sports Organization 2001–02 at Lad
    Ladyy Shri Ram (LSR) College.
    College.
    • Awarded Certificate of Me
    Merit
    rit for
    for ccontribution
    ontribution to ssports.
    ports.
    • First-deg
    First-degree
    ree inter
    international
    national black bel
    beltt in T
    Tae-Kwon-Do:
    ae-Kwon-Do: 62 gold med
    medals
    als in dom
    domestic
    estic cham-
    pionships and 4 bronze medals as an international player
    player..
    • Organized sponsorships worth ` 1 lakh for LSR Sports Festival, 2001.
    • Organized a cross-count ry run for “Green & Clean Delhi” on 24th August 2001, and other
    cross-country
    events at LSR as the president of the National Sports Organization.
    • Master of Ceremonies for the following events organized by Amity Business School:
    Alumni Meet, Mentor Meet, Corporate Meet, Acumen 2003 (organized by Business Today). Highlight strengths
    that will help you in
    STRENGTHS
    • Team player the job that you are
    applying or.
    • Self-confide
    Self-confident
    nt and goal-oriented
    • Fast learner with an ability to excel Instead o writing
    WORK EXPERIENCE “no experience”,
    • Worked as a Trainee in Enterprise Nexus Ad Agency in the Research and Planning mention all activities
    department. with which you have
    been associated as a
    • Conducted research for General M
    Motors
    otors as part of Enterprise Nexus. student.
    REFRENCES
    Available on request.

    284 PART III STRUCT URED APPLICATIONS

    Exhibit 18.3 Vague Objectives Effective Objectives


    Examples of Effectively
    To seek a manageme
    management
    nt position in the To obtain
    obtain a junior-lev
    junior-level
    el management
    Revised Objectives
    tourism industry. position in a tourism company that
    gainfully uses my summer training and
    internship experience
    experience..
    A sales position in a reputed and grow- Te
    Textbook
    xtbook sales requ
    requiring
    iring an academic
    ing publishing organization, which background in marketing.
    uses my education.
    A challenging career in the 󿬁eld of A position as an event manager for
    event management that offers growth cultural and social programme
    programmess that
    and advancement opportunities. incorporates my 󿬂uency in both English
    and Hindi.

    Objective
    In this section, the applicant should mention the speciic, desired position that suits
    his or her educational qualiications and experience. he objective should be stated in
    practical terms, not in a vague manner such as “I am anxious to join a challengin
    challengingg posi-
    tion in a renowned organization where I can prove my ability.” Employers want to know
    practical objectives, not the ambitions o the applicant. Exhibit 18.3 shows how vague
    objectives can be rewritten or speciicity.

    Education
    Should the list o educational qualiications begin rom the school level and end with
    graduate and postgraduate qualiications, or should the more recent degrees be men-
    tioned irst? he chronological order may not be very impressive, and the highest quali-
    tioned irst? he chronological order may not be very impressive, and the highest quali
    ication is generally the most important and relevant. It should thereore be emphasized
    by placing it irst and listing the degrees in reverse chronological order.
    It is not necessary to include school certiicates, but the résumé should mention any
    short-term training or special certiicate programmes taken in addition to coursework
    i they are relevant. It is especially important to speciically mention those courses or
    skills that are particularly important or the kind o position the applicant is applying or.
    Overall grades, along with grade points in dierent courses, should be listed i they are
    signiicant. he applicant should also list any specializations or majors with the grade
    point average. Any honours or distinctions should also be listed under a separate head-
    ing, along with other details o educational degrees, such as year o graduation, name o
    university or college, and subjects taken.

    Work Experience
    Relevant work experience should be listed in reverse chronological order. his category
    can include all experience, part-time as well as ull-time, i the applicant’
    applicant’s experience is
    not very extensive. However, someone who has worked in their ield or several years
    need not list part-time positions
    positions..
    Tere should be a For each position listed, the ollowing details should be provided: the job title, the
    brie description o company’s name, the location, and the duration o employment. here should be a brie
    the applicant’s role, description o the applicant’s role, responsibilities, and accomplishments, particularly
    responsibilities,
    responsibili ties, and at those jobs that are most closely related to the applicant’
    applicant’ss career goals. It is important
    accomplishments, to remember that descriptions o responsibilities become more powerul with the use
    particularly at those jobs o action words such as designed, prepar
    prepared
    ed, developed, coordinated , supervised , directed ,
    that are most closely
    and so on. When mentioning the duration o employment, the exact day, dates, or
    related to the applicant’s
    months need not be given. he names o terms and vacations, with relevant years, are
    career goals.
    suicient.

    CVS, PERSONAL INTERVIEWS, AND GROUP DISCUSSIONS 285

    Applicants should remember that potential employers are not interested in simply
    reading a list o positions they have held. hey want to know the speciic methods,
    techniques, and processes used in dierent positions as well as any concrete accomplish-
    ments. Applicants should never write that they have no work experience. Fresh graduates
    may have had little opportunity to acquire proessional work experience, but graduate
    students can gain some experience organizing unctions, running student clubs, associa-
    tions, and societies, managing events, undertaking industry visits, and so on. Graduates
    at management or technical institutes undertake summer projects or term/semester-long
    industrial training. In addition, some students earn money working part-time job(s) in
    their institutions. All
    Al l such exposure
    exposu re orms a resh graduate’
    gr aduate’s “experience”. Instead o writ-
    writ -
    ing that they have no experience, it is better or recent graduates to mention all activities
    in which they have been involved as students. And while explaining their student experi-
    ences, they should emphasize how these experiences qualiy them or the job.

    Awards and Honours


    he résumé should include a mention o all scholarships, prizes, and awards won in col-
    lege. School awards show that the applicant has been consistently meritorious. Proes-
    sional prizes can also be mentioned.

    Activities
    In this section, the applicant should mention his or her college activities. For instance,
    he or she can highlight a position as president, secretary, or coordinator in a student
    organization. he applicant can also mention any signiicant hobbies such as playing a
    musical instrument or being an accomplished athlete.

    References
    Under reerences, the applicant should list the names o two or three persons who know
    that they are being listed as reerences.
    reerences. he ull name, business address, e-mail address,

    and telephone
    to honestly number
    speak aboutshould be provided
    the applicant to theor each reerence.
    employer Reerences
    conidentially. husare expected
    they should
    be amiliar with the applicant and his or her work and are usually proessors or previous
    employers. hey should not be related to the applicant. Sometimes, under reerences,
    one can write: “reerences available on request”. Exhibit 18.2 shows a sample résumé o a
    recent graduate in the chronological ormat.

    Summary
    Individuals with a lot o experience sometimes begin with a summary o their qualiica-
    Individuals
    Individuals with a lot o
    tions in place o a job objective. he recent practice is to place a summary o all major experience sometimes
    achievements and specializations below the name. he summary is supposed to help begin with a summary
    the reader o the résumé ind the most relevant and important inormation about the o their quali󿬁cations in
    applicant immediately. For the candidate, it acts as a strong preace or oreword to his or place o a job objective.
    her experiences. For an example o a summary that accompanies a CV, see Exhibit 18.4.

    GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING A GOOD CV


    A good CV provides basic inormation to the recruiter in a systematic orm. It enables
    the employer to evaluate the applicant’s qualiications and strengths in just a ew minutes
    and shortlist or reject the applicant based on this initial review. A good CV, by opening
    the door to an interview, can thereore mean a lot or one’s career.
    General “Do’s” or writing a good CV include:
    • Indicat
    Indicatee a speci󿬁c job objective
    objective or a summary
    summary o your quali󿬁cation
    quali󿬁cations.
    s.
    • Highlight your accomplishments.

    286 PART III STRUCT URED APPLICATIONS

    Exhibit 18.4
    Example of a Summary Dr M.N. Rao, ECE Chair Professor
    Professor in Marketing and Dean, International Business School, has
    Accompanying a CV over twenty years’ experience in teaching and consulting. He has been associated with IIM
    Kozhikode, Amity Business School and Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani.
    Dr Rao studied marketing and went on to receive his Ph.D. from Birla Institute of Technology
    and Science, Pilani. His academic interests and areas of expertise include integrated market-
    ing communications, direct marketing, sales management, marketing strategy, and customer
    relationship management in India. He has rendered training and consulting services to orga-
    nizations such as NTPC, ICICI Bank, Excel Telecommunications and Godrej Consumer Products.
    In 2005, Dr Rao received International Business School’s coveted Award for Excellence in
    Teaching.
    Teac hing. He has wri
    written
    tten over 50 articles iin
    n leading journals
    journals,, and is the author o
    off Essentials
    of Marketing, Customer Relationship Management: An Indian Perspective, Direct Marketing, and
    Managing Global Business.

    • Emphasize
    Emphasize education/training/experien
    education/training/experience ce related to your job objective.
    A CV should begin
    with the category that • Give details o
    o proessional activities
    activiti es that are supportive o
    o your career objective.
    the applicant wishes • Prooread your CV and, ideally, also have someone else check it or typing errors.
    to emphasize. I an • Ensure that all contact inormation is current and correct.
    applicant has little work
    experience but a good General “Don’ts” or writing a good CV include:
    education pro󿬁le, then • Do not use 󿬁rst person or second person pronouns in the résumé.
    he or she should begin
    with education. • Do not use an uncommon ormat.
    • Do no
    nott mention
    mention the expected
    expected salary.
    salary.
    • Do not leave any unexplained gaps in your experience.
    • Do not give reasons
    reasons or leaving earlier jobs.

    •• Do
    Do not
    not use
    sendcoloured paper. résumé.
    a handwritten
    • Do not mention personal details such as the number o children, marital status, or
    other details that are not relevant to the job.
    • Do not be too brie or too lengthy.
    lengthy.

    Suitable Organization
    he conventional method is to begin with personal details and end with reerences. But
    a more practical method is to begin with the category that needs to be emphasized.
    emphasized. For
    Employers are more
    instance, i an applicant has little work experience but a good education proile, then
    interested in an
    applicant’ss quali󿬁cations
    applicant’ quali󿬁c ations
    he or she should begin with education. Conversely, i an applicant has extensive work
    and work experiences experience, then he or she should begin with work experience and bring up educational
    educational
    than in his or her qualiications aterwards. Personal details can then appear as the last category, to be
    biographical
    biographic al details. placed beore reerences. Employers will be more interested in an applicant’s qualiica-
    tions and work experience than in his or her biographical
    biographical details.
    Appropriate Length
    he CV o a resh graduate should be neither too brie nor too long. One page is the ideal
    length. Experienced candidates have more inormation under each category. Hence,
    their CVs can be two to three pages in length. Ater several years o work experience,
    people do not list college activities and, instead, emphasize memberships in proessional
    bodies and related proessional
    proessional activities. he résumés o highly experienced individuals
    may run into several pages, even up to 15 to 20 pages. here is no prescribed length; the
    length o such CVs is based on the needs o each individual candidate and job. hese
    résumés may have more categories o inormation such as:

    CVS, PERSONAL INTERVIEWS, AND GROUP DISCUSSIONS 287

    • Major quali󿬁cations
    quali󿬁cat ions
    • Major achievements
    achieveme nts
    • Activities and proessional memberships

    DRAFTING AN APPLICATION LETTER


    An application letter is planned like a sales letter: it gains attention and interest and asks
    2
    or action. he application letter demonstrates the applicant’s communication skills and Write job applications/
    unctions as an interview request when it impresses the potential employer with the cover letters properly.
    applicant’s abilities and education. It needs to be written very skillully.
    The First Paragraph An application letter
    he irst paragraph identiies the objective exactly. In the irst paragraph, the applicant is planned like a sales
    should speciically state the position/job he or she is applying or and how he or she came letter; it gains attention
    to know about it—usually through an advertisement or a contact. Sometimes, an appli- and interest and asks
    or action.
    cant may apply without knowing that a position exists or is available. He or she can use
    the opening paragraph to show what kind o position he or she is qualiied or and also
    state the reasons or his or her interest in that particular company.
    The Second Paragraph
    he second paragraph gives evidence o the applicant’s ability/qualiications. In the
    It is important not
    second paragraph, the applicant should explain he or she is qualiied or the posi- to repeat has been
    tion/job. It is important not to repeat has been written in the résumé. Instead, the written in the résumé.
    application letter points out the particular acts relevant to the position applied or. Instead, the application
    It can highlight important courses or special projects that have enriched the appli- letter points out the
    cant’s preparation and enhanced his or her suitability or the position. It can also particular acts relevant
    describe any extracurricular
    extracur ricular activities that
    t hat show leadership or the ability to organize to the position applied
    and coordinate. Lastly, it can also show how the various projects, industrial visits, or. It can highlight
    and work experiences listed in the CV are related to the position. important courses or
    special projects that
    The Third Paragraph have enriched the
    he third paragraph asks or an interview. At the end o the letter, the applicant can sug- applicant’ss prepar
    applicant’ preparation
    ation
    gest that he or she come in or an interview at the employer’s convenience. he purpose and enhanced his or
    o the letter is to convince the prospective employer to interview the applicant. her suitability or the
    position.
    General Tips
    While writing an application letter, the applicant should remember that he or she is sell-
    ing those merits which the employer needs. he ollowing principles are key to writing While writing an
    application letter,
    an eective application
    application letter:
    the applicant should
    • Coherence remember that he or
    • Concreteness she is selling those
    merits which the
    • Simplicity
    employer needs.
    • Emphasis
    • Originality
    • Sincerity
    • Empathy
    • Convention
    Application letters should be brie. Like the résumé, they should be spotless, ree
    o errors, typed, and well ormatted on a standard white sheet. As ar as possible, the
    application letter should be addressed to a speciic person. Also, the applicant should
    sign the letter beore mailing it. Exhibit 18.5 shows a sample application letter, and
    Exhibit 18.6 lists some pitalls to avoid when writing an application letter.

    288 PART III STRUCT URED APPLICATIONS

    Exhibit 18.5
    Example of an Shri N. K. Varma 6/102 East End Apts
    Application Letter Sales and Marketing Mayur Vihar Phase I
    LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd. Delhi 110096
    Surajpur–Kasna Road April 6, 2009
    Greater Noida (U.P.)

    Dear Mr Varma,
    Please consider me as a candidate for the position of Assistant Marketing Manager,
    advertised in the Times of India on 1 April 2009. The position is especially attractive to me
    because I feel that my education and work experience have prepared me to work with a
    company like LG, which offers a wide variety of household durables.
    As my résumé shows, I received my MBA with a major in marketing from Bombay
    University in 2008. During my summer and 󿬁nal terms, I performed various duties in the
    marketing department of Samsung, including consumer resear
    research
    ch for new products.
    In June 2007, I joined Samsung as a management trainee. While at Samsung
    Samsung,, I gained
    a great deal of experience in marketing research and product design under excellent
    supervision.
    I am a hardw
    hardworking
    orking pers
    person
    on who enjoys the challen
    challenges
    ges o
    off marketin
    marketing.
    g. I love travelling
    travelling..
    Enclosed is my résumé for your consideration. I do hope that I shall have an opportunity to
    appear for an interview for the position of Assistant Manager Marketing at LG Electronics
    India.
    Yours truly,

    Arunav Chandra

    Enclosure: CV
    Exhibit 18.6
    Some Don’ts for Writing • Don’t use your present employer’s stationer
    stationery.
    y.
    Application Letters • Don’t beg or ask for a favour.
    • Don’t be unduly humble, and avoid phrases like “I beg to state that…”.
    • Don’t overuse the words I, me, and my.
    • Don’t sound casual.
    • Don’t boast about yourself.
    • Don’t criticize your present employer.
    • Don’t repeat information that is already in the résumé.
    • Don’t use vague or general terms.
    • Don’t just say you are qualified for the job/position; instead give evidence.
    • Don’t use hackneyed and worn-out expressio
    expressions.
    ns.
    • Don’t copy a letter
    letter writt
    written
    en by another applicant.
    • Don’t forget to check the following before sending the letter:
    ■ The letter shou
    should
    ld be address
    addressed
    ed to the appropri
    appropriate
    ate person and, in the case of e-mails,
    the e-mail address should be correct. In case of multiple submissions,
    submissions, no other e-mail
    addresses should be visible.
    ■ There should be a proper subject lline.
    ine.
    ■ The letter should be precise and well formatted.
    ■ There should be no spelling or grammatical e
    errors
    rrors in the CV and the cover lette
    letter.
    r.
    ■ It should be signed wi
    with
    th the applicant’s full nam
    name
    e and comp
    complete
    lete contact ad
    address.
    dress.

    CVS, PERSONAL INTERVIEWS, AND GROUP DISCUSSIONS 289

    INTERVIEWS
    An interview can be deined as an oral tool used to test a candidate’s suitability or
    3
    employment or admission to an institute o learning. As it is an oral test, it calls or Learn the art o
    the skills o oral and non-verbal communication, which are necessary to impress the handling interviews
    interviewers. here are dierent types o interviews, such as panel interviews, sequential well.
    interviews, academic interviews, personality interviews, and so on. Each type requires
    the careul application o a particular set o communication skills.

    Ty
    Types
    pes of Interviews
    he types o interviews requently encountered by job applicants are:
    • Panel interviews: In a panel interview, each member o the panel is closely observing
    the interviewee. Hence, the interviewee’s body language and eye contact are espe-
    cially important. Te interviewee should give the impression o speaking to all the
    members o the panel, not just a single individual, by making eye contact with all
    panel members.
    • Telephone interviews: Te interviewee should consider this a ace-to-ace interview
    and use proper modulation o voice to re󿬂ect his or her thoughts. Te interviewee’s
    voice should
    should be clear,
    clear, steady,
    steady, and audible.
    audible.
    • Lunch/dinner interviews: Tis type o interview is conducted in an inormal envi-
    ronment, but still requires that the interviewee be careul about his or her body
    language and manners. Te interviewee should never drink alcohol at an interview,
    even i the interviewer does.
    • Prelim
    Preliminary
    inary interviews: As a preliminary
    preliminary interview is a 󿬁rst-stage
    󿬁rst-stage screening test, the
    interviewee should pay ull attention to it. Tis stage must be cleared beore mov-
    ing to the 󿬁nal interview. Te interviewee’s communication skills express his or her

    con󿬁dence and ease.


    • Sequential interviews: In this orm o interview, the interviewee has to report to sev-
    eral people successively. He or she should be very careul about his or her behaviour,
    speech, and manners in each interview, as each interviewer is a prospective employer.
    • Skill-based interviews: Such interviews require the interviewee to demonstra
    demonstratete skills
    that are relevant to the job. For instance, someone seeking to be an actor or a sales-
    person can be asked to act or read a script or demonstrate his or her pitch and skills
    o persuasive oral communication.
    • Academic
    Academic interviews:
    interviews: An academic interview is conducted in a question-and-answer
    question-and-answer
    ormat. Te interviewee should be able to demonstrate attentive listening, eye con-
    tact, clarity o ideas, and depth o knowledge.
    • Personality
    Personality interviews: Tis orm o interview evaluates the interviewee as an individual
    in terms o his or her response to certain situations.
    situations. Te emphasis is not on the answers
    themselves, but on how they are delivered. Te entire range o non-verbal communica-
    tion skills are brought into play to demonstrate a “well-rounded personality.”

    What Does a Job Interview Assess?


    According to the employer’s needs, interviewers look or the ollowing attributes in
    candidates:
    • Clarity: Tis reers to the candidate’s clarity on academic subjects, his or her career
    objectives, the reasons or these objectives, long-term goals, national and global
    issues, and so on.

    290 PART III STRUCT URED APPLICATIONS

    • Depth: Depth o knowledge and understanding across a wide range o subjects and
    issues, along with clarity, demonstrate the candidate’s academic excellence.
    • Personality: A candidate’s attitude, honesty, and proessionalism re󿬂ect his or her
    ability to work in an organization and with other people. In addition, the candidate’s
    sel-awareness and analysis o personal strengths and weaknesses are important.
    • General awareness: Tis reers to the interviewee’s level o general awareness about
    current issues o national and international concern.
    • Application
    Application of
    of concepts to
    to real-life
    real-life problems:
    problems: Te interviewee’s initiative and capacity
    or independent thought are judged by responses to application-based questions,
    which asses how ar he or she has moved beyond classroom learning.
    • Communication skills: Te candidate’s ability to express his or her thoughts clearly
    Assessment o
    and concisely is evaluated along with his or her listening and comprehension skills.
    individuals in a job
    In addition, his or her verbal and non-verbal communication and body language
    interview
    an effort toispredict
    basically exhibit his or her personality as an individual. Assessment o individuals in a job
    their behaviour in a interview is basically an effort to predict their behaviour in a particular job and in
    particular job and in the the environment o that job.
    environment o that job. • Integrity: Te candidate’s integrity is important to prospective employers. Employers
    look or consistency in what is written in the CV and the interviewee’s responses to
    questions during the interview. Since the résumé is the starting point o the inter-
    Employers look or
    view, applicant
    applicantss should know their résumés thoroughly
    thoroughly and be prepared to discuss
    consistency in what
    is written in the CV and explain anything on them. It is thereore extremely important to be honest when
    and the interviewee’s drafing the CV.
    CV.
    responses to questions
    during the interview. It Focus of Job Interviews
    is thereore extremely hough each job has its own speciic requirements, there are some elements that are
    important to be honest common. Most interviews ocus on three issues:
    when drafing the CV.
    • echnical competence
    • Motivation
    Since the résumé is the
    • Te candidate’s ability to handle situations where he or
    or she does not know the answer
    starting point o the
    interview, applicants Technical Competence
    should know their echnical competence is assessed by examining the candidate’s academic background
    résumés thoroughly and and previous job proiles. For instance, i someone is applying to be a salesperson, his
    be prepared to discuss
    or her knowledge o marketing and sales management and logistics will be tested. he
    and explain anything
    questions asked are related to the candidate’s specialization, but are usually o a general
    on them.
    nature. hey are generally application-based questions.
    Suppose you are an applicant or a sales position at Godrej. he interviewers can
    assess your technical competence by asking questions such as: “What eatures o our
    Godrej mini-ridge would you highlight to promote its sale in rural markets?” Your
    answer would demonstrate your knowledge o the principles o selling in general as well
    as your ability to apply those principles to a speciic, targeted group.
    Motivation
    All employers want to evaluate a prospective employee’s level o interest in a job and how
    strongly he or she wants to ulill his or her goals. For instance, in an interview or a sales
    job, the candidate
    candidate’’s motivation
    motivation can be judged
    judged bbyy posing
    posing a compl
    complex
    ex si
    situation
    tuation (or instance,
    a transportation strike at the same time as an important meeting with a dealer) and then
    asking how the candidate would react to it.
    Sometimes interviewers may deliberately ask stressul questions,
    questions, such as “what would
    you do i you are not selected or this position?”. he actual responses to such questions
    are not as important as how the candidate handles them.

    CVS, PERSONAL INTERVIEWS, AND GROUP DISCUSSIONS 291

    Handling Difficult Questions


    When an interviewee does not know the answer to a question, there are several ways to
    approach it:
    • Admit it. He or she can say,
    say, “Sorry, I do not know the answer to that.
    that.””
    • Make an educa
    educated
    ted guess. Te candidate
    candidate can guess and preace
    preace the answer with,
    “I guess/I
    guess/ I think/Perhaps
    think /Perhaps it could mean…
    me an…””.
    • Te interviewee should not get 󿬂ustered. Instead, he or should continue
    continue to com-
    municate a positive state o mind by making eye contact and using positive acial
    expressions, tone, and volume o speech.
    Interviewees should continuously relect upon various aspects o their personality
    and goals in order to respond to dierent questions at job interviews with clarity and
    conidence. Since one’s style o thinking determines behaviour and personality to a great
    extent, it helps to consider, in some detail, how one thinks.

    Strategies for Success at Interviews


    A candidate’s success in converting an interview opportunity into a job oer depends on
    how well he or she has prepared or the interview. Most candidates alter during an inter-
    view only because they do not know enough about themselves, the company company they are
    applying or, or the job proile. he secret o clearing the interview stage lies in preparing
    a game plan and developing a strategy to target what the speciic organization is seeking.
    First, the candidate’s personality traits matter: is he or she motivated, mature, ambitious,
    and trustworthy? Second, the candidate’s level o competence and realism regarding job
    expectations matter: a candidate can impress prospective employers only when he or she
    demonstrates solid knowledge o the industry and the job.
    As a practical step, job applicants can equip themselves with the ollowing inorma-
    tion and knowledge beore an interview:
    (i) Know yoursel
    (ii) Know the company
    (iii) Know the job proile

    Know Yourself
    Te candidate should
    he candidate should ask himsel or hersel: “Who am I? What are my achievements?
    ask himsel or hersel:
    What are my skills and strengths? What do I plan to do ive years rom now?” He or she “Who am I? What are
    must be clear about his or her goals and consistent regarding past achievements and my achievements?
    uture career plans. In addition, he or she should be realistic—i his or her skills, career What are my skills and
    plans, and objectives align closely with the job’s requirements, chances are that he or she strengths? What do I
    will be oered the job. Most interviews begin with a question like “Can you tell us some- plan to do 󿬁ve years
    thing about yoursel?” so it is important to have a clear response ready. rom now?” He or she

    Some ways to know yoursel better are to: must


    his orbe
    herclear about
    goals and
    • Identiy your skills—concentrate
    skills—conce ntrate on
    on what you can do well. consistent regarding
    • Determine what you value—thin
    value—things
    gs that are im
    important
    portant to you
    you and in󿬂uence your
    your past achievements and
    behaviour. uture career plans.

    • Be clear about what motivates you and what you are looking or—whether
    or—whether it is sta-
    tus, security, power, expertise, material rewards, creativity, autonomy.
    • Describe your personality—your
    personality—your behaviour
    behaviour and mental characteristics.
    characteristics.
    • Find out how you think—i you are especia
    especially
    lly logical, intuitive, or creative, or
    instance.

    292 PART III STRUCT URED APPLICATIONS

    An employer does not look or a set o ready-made answers to a volley o questions.
    Employers want to
    Answers do count. But there is something else that matters a great deal: the personal-
    hire a good person,
    a competent worker, ity that accompanies the answers. Employers want to hire a good person, a competent
    and someone with a worker, and someone with a well-inormed and well-rounded personality.
    well-inormed and well- Know the Company
    rounded personality.
    Job applicants must gather inormation and research the company they are applying
    to beore the interview. hey can learn about the work culture and norms o the
    company and read up on the company’s products and other details through the com-
    pany’s reports and Web site. I possible, they should try to interact with company
    employees to learn more about the work environment. hen, they should assess the
    size and systems o the company in accordance with their own ambitions and career
    plan, and consider how ar the company will oer growth opportunities. Relecting on
    these aspects o the company prior to the interview will prepare a candidate or the
    employer’s qu
    employer’s questions.
    estions.
    Know the Job Profile
    At the interview, one should never be carried away by the salary or designation o the
    At the interview, one job; rather, the job should be considered in terms o its proile, scope or growth, and
    should never be carried one’s proessional goals and ambitions. his also means that one should not accept a job,
    away by the salary or however lucrative, in a company that does not suit one’s personal goals.
    designation o the job;
    rather, the job should
    be considered in terms
    Answers to Some Common Interview Questions
    o its pro󿬁le, scope Usually, the interviewers move rom simple, personal questions to general and then tech-
    or growth, and one’s nical questions. he questions put to new graduates ocus more on their education and
    proessional goals and work experiences, current issues, and hobbies. he ocus is on education and personal-
    ambitions. ity
    ity.. In the case o candidates with more experience, the ocus is on their recent projects,
    achievements, and what new thing they can do or the organization.
    Exhibit 18.7 provides some common questions aced in interviews and explains how
    a candidate can tackle these questions.

    Exhibit 18.7
    Model Questions and Q: Tell us about yourself.
    Answers (Provide a brief answer describing your educational background and relevant work
    experience. A sample response follows.)
    A: I was born in Pilani and complete
    completed d my e education
    ducation there
    there.. After g
    graduating
    raduating from
    from Birla
    Public School, I attended Birla Institute of Technology and Science and obtained a dual
    degree in MMS and Mathematics. I did my summer project at DCM Kota and six months’
    industry internships at USHA International Delhi in the marketing division, promoting a
    product line similar to your household durables. I believe I am motivated and capable of
    doing hard work.
    Q: What are your strengths?
    (Focus on your positive side.)
    A: I think I am an iintelligent,
    ntelligent, hard-working person who likes to take initiativ
    initiative
    e and sshoulder
    houlder
    responsibility and complete my assigned tasks to everyone’s satisfaction.
    Q: What are your weaknesses?
    (Avoid suggesting anything that could be perceived as detrimental to your working
    effectively and effi ciently. Y
    You
    ou could talk abo
    about
    ut a weakness th
    that’s
    at’s not central to the jo
    jobb
    you are applying for and then indicate how you are working on trying to overcome the
    weakness.)
    Undesirable response:
    A: “My greatest weakness is that I am a workaholic.” (Most interviewers would say that this is
    not really a weakness, and this is probably the most common response they have heard.)

    CVS, PERSONAL INTERVIEWS, AND GROUP DISCUSSIONS 293

    Exhibit 18.7
    Desirable response: (Contd.)
    A: “I 󿬁nd pub
    public
    lic speaking stressful
    stressful,, so I hav
    have
    e been a
    attending
    ttending a short course on public speak-
    ing for the past three weeks.” (Make sure that the job does not require public speaking.)
    Q: Why do you wish to w
    work
    ork in our organization?
    (Be objective, realistic, and rational.)
    A: I know a number of persons working in this organi
    organization.
    zation. I appreciate its work culture
    and concern for each individual employee. I like the 󿬂exibility that allows employees to
    move from one area to another within the organization.
    Q: Why have you been changing jobs?
    (Discuss how your past experience has helped you in developing skills that w will
    ill be useful
    in your new job; it would be better not to answer as follows: “It is generally believed that
    if you want to grow vertically, you should not work at one position or place for more
    than four years.)

    Q: Tell us how yyou


    ou can contribute to our company
    company..
    (Without claiming too much, state in speci󿬁c terms what yyou
    ou are capable of doing for
    the company.)
    A: Besides working to improve the sales 󿬁gures of the division, I would develop the market
    for mobile editions of our publications.
    Q: If the company ccould
    ould secure the National High
    Highway
    way Golden Triangle Project by brib-
    ing the concerned CEO, would you do it?
    (Such questions are asked to judge your sense of morality. Always say no, and give your
    reasons by praising the organization’s reputation for upholding ethical values and moral
    practices in all spheres.)
    A: Keeping in view the reputation of the company, one should not even consider it.
    Q: Could you tell us something about your current rresponsibilities?
    esponsibilities?
    (Describe those areas of work that show your initiative and organizing ability. Be factual,
    but project your own skills in handling your present duties.)
    A: Presently, I am the business development manager at Shop-n-S
    Shop-n-Shop.
    hop. I am responsible for
    developing the retail business of the company’
    company’ss writing instruments division. This calls
    for opening company-owned retail outlets in organized setups like malls.
    Q: What are your salary expectations?
    (Justify your expectations in terms of your present package. The challenges of the new
    job are the reasons
    reasons for yyour
    our interest iin
    n it, not a better salary alo
    alone.)
    ne.)
    A: My present package is ` 9.6 lakh per year. Keeping in view my desire to work for a
    professional
    profess ional organization like this, I would expect the protection of my current salary, at
    the least, and would like a raise of about 15 to 20 per cent.

    he questions given here are representative o the types o questions you can expect at
    an interview, though o course the list is not exhaustive. he secret o acing interviews
    successully lies in thorough preparation so that one can display a ull understanding
    o content and a well-rounded personality in the interview. Aim at making a good irst
    impression and remember that one has just three to ive seconds to do so. Ninety per
    cent o people orm a judgment regarding someone at a job interview in just that time. In
    70 per cent o cases, these irst impressions prove to be right. Decisive actors in making
    an impression are body language, clothes, status symbols, scent, and the person’s voice.

    PARTICIPA
    PARTICIPATING IN A GROUP DISCUSS
    DISCUSSION
    ION 4
    Be an effective
    he group discussion (GD) tests inter-personal skills. It is most popular with public/
    participant in group
    private sector undertakings, government departments, commercial irms, and universi-
    discussions.
    ties and other educational organization
    organizations,
    s, which use
    u se it to screen candidates ater a written

    294 PART III STRUCT URED APPLICATIONS

    test. What does a group discussion evaluate? A group discussion primarily evaluates
    participants’ ability to interact in a group that is discussing a given topic. An individual’s
    behaviour in a group means much or his or her success as a manager or an executive
    responsible or coordinating and organizing activities. he evaluators, thereore, ocus
    on group dynamics rather than the content o each participant’s views.
    he group usually consists o 8 to 10 candidates. No one is nominated as a leader,
    In a group discussion,
    all participants are
    coordinator, or chairman. Normally, 20 to 30 minutes are given to complete the discus-
    supposed to be equal. sion. Each candidate has a roll number by which he or she is to be addressed. For easy
    No one isi s officially
    cia lly recognition, the roll number is prominently displayed on a tag worn by each candidate.
    chosen as the leader. he candidates are seated in ascending order o roll numbers, usually in a circle.
    However, a candidate,
    by his or her initiative, Leadership
    ability to direct the As group discussions start without an oicial leader, the atmosphere allows all partici-
    discussion, maturity, pants ree and equal opportunity to express their views. During the course o the discus-
    clarity o ideas, and sion, a leader oten emerges. No candidate should try to dominate the group to become
    understanding o the leader. Such an attempt is sel-deeating, because in a group discussion all partici-
    group dynamics, might pants are supposed to be equal. However, a candidate, by his or her initiative, ability to
    gradually begin to
    direct the discussion, maturity, clarity o ideas, and understanding o group dynamics,
    direct the course o the
    might gradually begin to direct the course o the discussion and mediate between oppos-
    discussion and mediate
    between opposing ing views to evolve a comprehensive view. Such a candidate is implicitly recognized by all
    views to evolve
    evolve a other candidates as the leader o the discussion group.
    comprehensive view.
    GD Protocol
    Group discussions are “ormally inormal”. here are rules o conduct to be observed by
    A group discussion is the participants. Some o these rules are discussed in Exhibit 18.8.
    not a debate in which
    each participant either Discussion Techniques
    opposes or supports
    A group discussion is not a debate in which each participant either opposes or sup-
    the topic. Tere are no ports the topic. here are no clear-cut positions or stands required. A group discus-
    clear-cut positions or
    stands required. sion is a continuous discussion, an ongoing interaction in which participants examine a

    Exhibit 18.8
    GD Protocol • Ways of addressing other members of the group:
    “Sir/Mada
    “Sir/Madam”:
    m”: too formal
    “Mr/Ms”: too colloquial
    “Excuse me”: a bit rude
    By their roll numbers: a bit odd
    First name: ideal
    The problem is it may be difficult to remember the names of fellow participants in
    a short time. In this case, the best way is to address the whole group instead of an
    individual.
    • Do not cre
    create
    ate sub-groups by refe
    referring
    rring to ind
    individual
    ividual membe
    members.
    rs. T
    The
    he tendency is to speak to
    one’s neighbour, but this creates sub-groups and acts against the cohesive team spirit of
    the group.
    • Gaining the entire group’s attention
    attention::
    ■ To begin, speak to the person sitting diagonally opposite you. Alternat
    Alternatively,
    ively, address
    the person who has just finished talking.
    ■ When you have the group’s attention
    attention,, use the opportunity to take the discussion for-
    ward. Do not let an opportunity pass by if you want to participate in the discussion.

    CVS, PERSONAL INTERVIEWS, AND GROUP DISCUSSIONS 295

    Exhibit 18.8
    ■ Make friends by speaking to those w
    who
    ho have be
    been
    en left alone by the rrest
    est of the (Contd.)
    group.
    ■ Do not invite
    invite somebo
    somebody
    dy who has been keeping quiet to sshare
    hare his or her views u
    unless
    nless
    you have the formal authority to do so; everyone is equal in a group discussion.
    • It is best to use lang
    language
    uage that iiss formal, simple, and correct. It sho
    should
    uld not be colloquial or
    flowery.
    • One should dress formally ffor
    or a group discussion. Men should wear business suits and
    women should be in sarees, salwar kameezes, or formal trousers and shirts.
    • Body language is important:
    ■ Posture should be formal and must ref
    reflect
    lect enthusias
    enthusiasm
    m (straight back; hands in front/
    on the edge of the table).
    ■ Gestures and body move
    movements
    ments should not be threate
    threatening
    ning or res
    restrictive
    trictive to other
    participants.
    ■ Excessive hand movements should be avoided.
    ■ Body language should be natural.
    ■ One should
    should establis
    establish
    h eye contact with as many people as possible.
    • No one should attem
    attempt
    pt to be a leader b
    byy trying to sum up o
    orr conclude when the group
    group
    has not clearly reached any conclusion.

    subject or problem rom dierent angles and viewpoints. Participants may disagree with
    or support others’ points o view, or bring up a new point o view. But it is essential or
    all participants to always show respect or others, even i they disagree with each other.
    Courtesy in discussions indicates a level o politeness and maturity.
    Good analytical abilities, critical assessment o arguments, and strong verbal and non- Good analytical abilities,
    verbal skills
    skills o communication
    communication can give one one a competitive
    competitive edge over
    over others. Exhibit 18.9 critical assessment o
    presents some guidelines or GD participants. arguments, and strong
    verbal and nonon-verb
    n-verbal
    al
    Listening skills o communication
    can give one a competi-
    In a group discussion, listening too is a participative act. Participants should listen
    tive edge over others.
    thoughtully to what others have to say, with the goal o assimilating and analysing

    Exhibit 18.9
    • To join in the discussion, the ffollowing
    ollowing phrases can be used: Guidelines for GD
    I’d like to raise the subject of … Participants

    What I think is …
    I think it’s important to consider the question of …
    If I could say a word about …
    May I make a point about …
    • When supp
    supporting
    orting what anothe
    anotherr participant has said, rremember
    emember th
    that
    at you sshould
    hould not say,
    “I agree with him/her”. Instead, you should say that you support their views—not the
    person.) Phrases that can be used are:

    I’d like to support Renuka’


    Renuk a’s point about …
    That is what I think too.
    I agree fully with what Rahul has just said.

    296 PART III STRUCT URED APPLICATIONS

    Exhibit 18.9
    (Contd.) • When voicing disagreement, again remember that you are opposed to someone’s ideas
    and not the person. You can disagree by using polite expressions instead of saying some-
    thing curt such as “You are wrong”. For instance, you can say:

    Please allow me to differ.


    I beg to differ.
    dif fer.
    I think differently on this issue.
    I do not agree; in my opinion …
    • To emphasize a point, one can say:

    I am convinced that …
    You can’t deny that …
    It is quite clear to me that …
    • To bring the discussion back on track, one can say:

    That’s very interesting, but I don’t think it is relevant


    relevant to the point.
    Perhaps we could go back to …
    Could we stick to the subject please?
    I am afraid we are drifting from the original point.

    rather than contradicting or reuting others. Instead o interrupting others, it is better


    to try to join the discussion tactully and use words that demonstrate that you have been
    listening to others.

    SUMMARY

    • Tis chapt
    chapter
    er has demonstra
    demonstrated
    ted the aapplication
    pplication o writ- • A job inintervie
    tervieww is essentially a ace-to-ace commcommu-u-
    ten communication skills to prepare résumés; and the nication activity requiring the use o good oral and
    application
    application o oral and non-verbal skills to attend inter- non-verbal skills.
    views and participate in group discussions. Te CV CV,, • Appl
    Applicants
    icants need to p
    prepare
    repare tho
    thoroughly
    roughly be beore
    ore the inter-
    interview, and group discussion constitut
    constitutee three major view to (a) know themselves better
    b etter,, (b) know about the
    steps towards employment. company,, and (c) understand the job pro󿬁le. Te secret
    company
    • A résumé is a sel-intr
    sel-introduction
    oduction that highligh
    highlights
    ts an o success in interviews ofen lies in the applicant’s abil-
    applicant’s strengths and experiences. It summarizes ity to create a positive 󿬁rst impression by dressing and

    the applicant’s education, abilities, experience, accom- behaving proessionally.


    plishments, and personal details or the employer’s • A group discussion primarily evaluat
    evaluates
    es participants’
    participants’
    consideration in an impressive, easy-to-read ormat. ability to interact in a group that is discussing a given
    Its structure can vary to suit the proessional stat
    status
    us and topic. An individual’s behaviour in a group means
    experience o individual candidates, though the com- much or his or her success as a manager. Te evalu-
    mon elements o all CVs are generally: personal
    p ersonal details, ators assess the ollowing traits o GD participants:
    education, work experience, reerences, job objective/ initiative, group dynamics, analytical ability, ability to
    summary. think on their eet, communication skills, attit
    attitude,
    ude, and
    • Te CV is attached to an appl
    application
    ication let
    letter/cover
    ter/cover lett
    letter,
    er, personality.
    which acts as a preace or the CV. Te letter generally
    ends by asking or an interview opportunity
    opportunity..

    CVS, PERSONAL INTERVIEWS, AND GROUP DISCUSSIONS 297

    CASE: AN EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW

    Mr Sinha has an MBA. He is being interviewed or the posi- Mr Sinha: Sir, who am I to boast about my strengths?
    tion o management trainee at a reputed company. he selec- You should tell me my strengths.
    tion committee is chaired by the vice-president. Mr Sinha’s Committee
    interview was as ollows: member: What are your weaknesses?
    Committee: Good morning. Mr Sinha: I become angry too quickly
    quickly..
    Mr Sinha: Good morning. Committee
    Chairperson: Please take a seat. member: Do you want to ask us any questions?
    Mr Sinha: hank you [Sits down at the edge o the Mr Sinha: Yes, sir. I was wondering what uture oppor-
    chair. Keeps his portolio on the table.] tunities there are or someone who starts as
    Chairperson: So, Mr Sinha, I can see that you have in- a management trainee.
    ished your MBA with a irst
     irst division. he committee member tells Mr Sinha the typical career

    Mr Sinha:
    Chairperson: Yes,
    Whymadam.
    do you want to work in our organiza- path orthen
    person thosethanks
    starting
    MrasSinha.
    management trainees.
    Mr Sinha hesays
    promptly chair-
    in
    tion? response, “You are welcome”, and then exits the room.
    Mr Sinha: Your company has a very good reputation in
    the industry. Questions to Answer
    Committee 1. Do you ind Mr Sinha’s responses to the questions
    member: his job is considered to be quite stressul. eective? Give reasons or your view on each answer
    Do you think you can manage the stress given by Mr Sinha.
    involved? 2. Write out the responses that yo
    you
    u consider most eec-
    Mr Sinha: Yes, I think there is too much talk about tive to these questions.
    stress these days. Sir, would you tell me 3. Mr Sinha has observed the norms o respectul and
    more clearly what you mean by stress? polite behaviour, but do you think something went
    Committee wrong in his case? Account or your general impression
    member: What do you think are your strengths? o Mr Sinha’s perormance at the interview.

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING


    1. Is it necessary to write an application letter (cover 6. Do you think that the irst im
    impression
    pression is usually accu-
    letter) with a CV? Why? rate?
    2. What is the unction o the sum summary
    mary placed at the 7. What traits are evalua
    evaluated
    ted by the panelists o an int
    inter-
    er-
    beginning o a CV? view board? Elaborate with
    with examples.
    3. Discuss at least three characteristics o
    o a good rrésumé.
    ésumé. 8. How does someone becom
    becomee the leader o a group dis-
    4. It is said that or converting an interview into an cussion?
    employment opportunity you have to do only one 9. Does the résumé hav
    havee to have an Objectives section in
    thing—prepare, prepare, and prepare. What should you the beginning? How is this section
    sec tion written?
    prepare beore the interview?
    10. What does the grou
    group
    p discussion test?
    5. Comment on the importance o o body language o orr suc-
    cess at an interview.

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

    1. List your strengths and identiy one main strength that 4. What iiss the advan
    advantage
    tage o including a summary in yo
    your
    ur
    can be used as your “selling strength”. résumé?
    2. At an interview
    interview,, the chairma
    chairmann o the selection co
    commit-
    mmit- 5. he process o job hunting requires three steps: writi
    writing
    ng
    tee tells you that they will get back to you. What does and sending a résumé to the target company
    company,, participat-
    this communicate to you? ing in the group discussion, and attending a personal
    3. I you are preparing or an ininterview,
    terview, what should you interview. How would you prepare yoursel or each o
    consider necessary with regards to grooming? these?

    298 PART III STRUCT URED APPLICATIONS

    APPLY YOUR LEARNING

    (i) Prepare a set o argumen


    arguments
    ts on the ollowing
    ollowing group dis- (d) India as a cricket superpower
    cussion topics: (e) Pow
    Power
    er o bullet or ballot
    (a) Polit
    Politics
    ics and proessional education () he phenomenon o outsourcing
    (b) India—vision 2020 (ii) Write an Objectives section or your résumé.
    (c) Promises and eggs are meant to be broken

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    From among the given options, choose the most appropriate answer:*
    1. he best way ttoo apply or a job is to subm
    submitit a résumé 6. ease or st
    stress
    ress questio
    questionsns are intended tto
    o judg
    judge:
    e:
    that is: (a) the candidate’s stress level
    (a) suitable or any job (b) the candid
    candidate’
    ate’s intelligen
    intelligence
    ce quotient
    (b) speciically written or that particular job (c) how the candidate handles them
    (c) ull o personal inormation (d) the candidate
    candidate’’s technical skill
    (d) sel-recommending 7. In an interview when you do not know an answer, you
    2. he ap
    application
    plication letter and the résumé pero
    perorm:
    rm: should:
    (a) blu
    (a) the same task (b) two dierent tasks
    (b) remain quiet
    (c) tw
    two
    o opposite tasks (d) overlapping tasks
    (c) admit you do not know the answer
    (c) admit you do not know the answer
    3. he résumé o a resh gradua
    graduate
    te is generally: (d) keep guessing
    (a) one page long (b) three pages long 8. he let part o our b
    brain
    rain co
    controls:
    ntrols:
    (c) two pages long (d) hal a page (a) imagination (b) emotions
    4. he applicatio
    application
    n letter is: (c) creativity (d) logic and reasoning
    (a) a summary o your qualiications and experiences 9. he group discuss
    discussion
    ion evaluates the candidate’
    candidate’ss ability to:
    (b) a statement o your job objective (a) control others
    (c) a oreword (b) argue with others
    (d) a description o your core strengths and suitability (c) lead others
    or the job (d) coner with others on a given subject
    5. A summary placed at the beginning o the CV acts as a: 10. he irst objective in a gro
    group
    up discussion is to:
    (a) synopsis (a) ccatch
    atch the group’s attention
    (b) preace (b) prove your superiority
    (c) letter o recommendation (c) create sub-groups
    (d) statement o objectives (d) act as a sel-appointed leader o the group

    *For answers and sel-evaluation, visit www.pearsoned.co


    www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi
    .in/PDChaturvedi

    19
    Summer Project Report

    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    Dinesh, a second-year PGDM student components of the project, like a
    A project
    project report is ofe
    ofenn at Sharda Peeth Institute of Manage- project report in a company.
    company.
    “ ment in Kolkata, is required to submit Dinesh had with him the data and the
    students’ only tangible
    o their summer evidence
    internship. a report on his summer internship details of his investigation. He was to
    project at ANC, Allahabad. He is aware present the information in the form
    I their efforts are to count of the importance of the summer of a summer project report. Luckily,
    in the judgement o their project report as evidence of the qual- he happened to ask his batchmate
    proessors,
    pro essors, tthe
    he repo
    report
    rt must ity of his work and his investigation. He Aparna, who had done her summer
    describe clearly what they knows how to write a formal report— project at the same company but
    have done. Ofen, their written he studied formal reports in his course on a different problem, if she had
    reports are the basis o a strong on business communication. How- completed her report. She said that
    recommendation or uture ever, his project mentor at ANC told she was still working on it and was
    him that the summer project report consulting the guidelines provided
    employment.
    was not just a regular report, but had
    by their university. For some reason,
    a particular form and format speci󿬁ed Dinesh was not aware of these guide-
    by the institute or company that spon- lines. Aparna gave him the instruc-
    ” sored the project. In the absence of a tions, which Dinesh found quite elab-
    prescribed format, one can choose a orate and helpful in writing his report.
    structure that covers all the essential

    Upon completion of this chapter, you


    should be able to:
    INTRODUCTION
    1 Compare a summer project Nearly all universities and management institutes require their postgraduate
    report with a technical or management and engineering students to do an industry-related project dur-
    business report. ing their summer term as part o their curriculum. Institutes generally provide
    2 Apply the skills of report manuals with guidelines, procedures, and rules or the summer project reports.
    writing to write summer project But there are institutions where students do not enjoy the bene󿬁t
    bene 󿬁t o guidelines,
    reports. and it is or such students that a sample ormat or a summer project report is
    3 Learn the structure and given here, although the principles and tips should be useul to all students.
    essential elements of a summer Necessary variations can be made to the report ormat, according to the
    project report. requirements laid down by the industry and institutions concerned. However,
    the overall design, orm, and style generally remain unchanged.

    THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUMMER PROJECT REPORTS


    AND BUSINESS/TECHNICAL REPORTS
    Te main differences between summer projects and business/technical
    reports are as ollows:
    • Business/tec
    Business/technical
    hnical report writing usually
    usually orms part o a course
    course in com-
    munication/technical
    municatio n/technical writing.

    300 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    1 • A summer project report is an academic requirement. It is compulsory or the


    awarding o a postgraduate diploma/degree in management/engineering/inorma-
    management/engineering/inorma-
    tion technology at nearly all postgraduate institutes o management or engineering.
    Compare a summer
    project report with a Te summer project report is written at the end o the summer term during which
    technical or business the live project is carried out and successully completed.
    completed.
    report. • A summer project rreport
    eport is based on a project completed in a business organization
    under the joint supervision o an industry expert and a aculty member rom the
    student’s institute.
    • Te summer project report is submitted to the student’s institute or evaluation by
    Te summer project
    report is written at the the project supervisor (rom the organization)
    organization) and the aculty supervisor (rom the
    end o the summer concerned institution).
    term during which the • Te summer pro project
    ject report is preceded
    preceded by a project
    project proposal, which
    which summarizes
    live project is carried the background o the selected topic. Tis proposal is required o all students and is
    out and successully approved by the organization and aculty supervisors, usually within two weeks o
    completed. the student joining the organization.
    • Te 󿬁ndings o the summer project report are ofen valuable to the organization
    as they are a result o the combined efforts o academic research and industrial
    Te 󿬁ndings o the guidance.
    summer project report • A good summer pro project
    ject report earns not
    not only an excellent
    excellent grade, but
    but also the pos-
    are ofen valuable to the sibility o uture placement in the same company.
    organization as they are
    a result o the combined
    • Students ofen write business/technical
    business/technic al reports on projects or data that has been
    efforts o academic provided to them. Such reports require students to write rom the perspective o a
    research and industrial manager or project engineer,
    engineer, even though they generally lack the actual experience
    guidance. o having worked on live projects in real companies. Tis lack o actual experience
    tends to result in the reports being more descriptive than analytical. However,
    because summer projects involve work on ongoing projects with real implications,

    they should
    systems re󿬂ect aand
    operations, more analytical
    data approach
    processing to the organizational environment,
    methods.
    • Both summer projects and business/technical reports have a standard ormat and
    structure that consists o nearly the same parts—the introduction, discussion, and
    conclusion. However, the summer project report, like a research dissertation, carries
    a certi󿬁cate o approval or its submission and evaluation.
    • Ab business/te
    usiness/technical
    chnical report, i written by a manager/engineer, is submitted directly
    2 to the sponsoring authority who assigned the task to help management take a deci-
    sion or 󿬁nd a solution to a problem. Summer project reports are submitted to the
    Apply the skills o student’s mentors in the organization or the university.
    report writing to
    write summer project
    reports. GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR WRITING SUMMER PROJECT REPORTS
    For a more detailed understanding o the essential eatures o a summer project report,
    Te summer project here are some guidelines:
    report should provide
    evidence o the Objective
    student’s ability to Summer project reports help students present their experiences o working on live
    use and develop a projects during their summer break. Te student should report his or her goals,
    research model and investigation,
    investigation, and 󿬁ndings, along with the methodology used or understanding and
    hypotheses, collect and resolving a speci󿬁c problem. Te summer project report should provide evidence
    interpret data, reach o the student’s ability to use and develop a research model and hypotheses, collect
    conclusions, and make
    and interpret data, reach conclusions, and make recommendations or managerial
    recommendations or
    practices. Te recommendations should be speci󿬁c and concrete in terms o costs
    managerial practices.
    and bene󿬁ts.

    SUMMER PROJECT REPORT 301

    Selection of a Problem
    Once a student 󿬁nds a workable idea, he or she should consider it careully.
    • Te objectives should be manageable in terms o length o time available, its scope,
    and the organizational resources required or completing the project.
    • Te project should have the potential or making a signi󿬁cant contribution to man-
    agement theory and practice.
    • It should offer scope or uture in-depth exploration oo the topic.
    • It should be easible to carry out
    out in the sponsoring organization.

    The Role of Summer Project Mentors


    When working on a summer project, students generally have two guides—one is a ac-
    ulty member and the other is rom the sponsoring organization. Te student should
    regularly consult his or her mentors at all stages, including the drafing o the proposal.
    Te student should also discuss the easibility o the proposed summer project beore
    beginning his or her summer placement.
    Tus, the role o the summer project guides can be summarized as ollows:
    Te aculty mentor
    • Help the student develop the project
    project proposal and ensure its acceptability.
    acceptabil ity.
    must ensure the
    • Attend the presentation o the proposal and the 󿬁nal report. quality o the report
    • Supervise and guide the st student
    udent and provide
    provide periodic eedback
    eedback based on the st stu-
    u- and compliance with
    dent’ss progress.
    dent’ progre ss. guidelines beore
    • Give written eedback on the draf o the report submitted by by the student. orwarding it to the
    academic programme
    • Ensure the quali
    quality
    ty o the report
    report and compliance
    compliance with guidelines
    guidelines beore orwarding
    orwarding offi ce
    ce..
    it to the academic
    a cademic programme office.

    WRITING THE PROJECT PROPOSAL


    Te summer project proposal is based on a problem that is suggested and assigned by the Te proposal enables
    organization in which the student will be working. Te proposal enables the student to the student to
    understand the context and scope o the proposed
    propose d study within the rame
    ramework
    work o a mana- understand the context
    gerial problem. It also helps the student
    stud ent outline his or her line o approach and met
    method
    hod o and scope o the
    investigation and data collection. Te academic and technical inputs contributed by the proposed study within
    the ramework o a
    aculty and industry experts enhance the research quality o the summer project report.
    managerial problem.
    Te proposal 󿬁rst gives a brie account o the organization, its business, and its work
    environment, and then has a survey o the literature on the subject. Te proposal should
    clearly state the research objective(s) and relate them to the subject in a broader context.
    It should also develop a model or state the hypothesi
    hypothesis, s, clearly and precisely describe the
    proposed research methodology, and show the possible contribution o the proposed
    work to management practices.
    Generally, the summer project proposal includes a cover page, a title page, a proposed
    table o contents, a brie introduction to the industry, a description o the research prob-
    lem, the methods o investigation to be used, the time rame, and a list o relevant reer-
    reer-
    ences. Tese are discussed in detail later in the chapter.
    Te table o contents lists all the major topics and subtopics within the report. It is ol-
    lowed by an introduction to the subject. Te introduction should provide a background o
    the organization—a short description o the company, its business, and its work culture.
    It is necessary to record the business environment and describe how it helped the student
    integrate and apply his or her academic learning. Ten, the managerial or sectoral prob-
    lem and the background o the problem—its genesis, consequences, current practices,
    and so on—should be described in detail. Next, the introduction should describe the
    rationale or the study and the bene󿬁ts o conducting the study in terms o the gains in
    knowledge, skills, practices, systems, and business advantages. Te next step is to delimit

    302 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    the scope o the project and speciy the area o action o the project. Te introduction
    should then continue with a sub-section
    su b-section titled
    tit led “Te Problem Statement”
    Statement”.. Tis sub-section
    sub-section
    should help the student clariy the objectives o the project and explain how it will be
    conducted. Te introduction should end with a sub-section titled “Literature Survey”,
    which surveys the existing literature and draws conclusions rom it.
    Te introduction is ollowed by a description o the research problem. Te research
    problem is a speci󿬁c set o statements that describes the issue to be investigated and
    goes on to develop the hypotheses. It also describes the nature and possible output o the
    research i it is exploratory/qualitative. Te research problem should re󿬁ne the general
    problem statement into a speci󿬁c orm so that the problem statement may be tested and
    answered with a speci󿬁c study.
    study. Te expected results rom such a research study should also
    als o
    be described, and, as ar as possible, these should be in terms o the speci󿬁c hypotheses
    developed. I possible, the operationalized hypotheses should also be de󿬁ned at this stage

    itsel,
    Teinresearch
    order todesign
    have the advantage
    contains 󿬁veo the panel’s
    panel’s inputs
    sub-sections, regarding the core area o study.
    namely:
    (a) Te general methodology
    method ology or procedure o study adopted—whether
    adopted —whether it is the cascasee
    method, is based on secondary or accounting/󿬁nancial
    accounting/󿬁nancial data, sales data, or produc-
    tion data, or is survey-based
    (b) Te sample and sampling rame or data source and plans to acquire the data
    (c) Te data collection procedure
    procedure
    (d) Te method o data analysis, qualita
    qualitative
    tive analysis techniques,
    techniques, and the orm o the output
    (e) How the expected output may be arrived at by ollowing the speci󿬁ed methodology
    Te time rame or the completion o the summer project, stagewise and eventwise,
    with details giving the expected day and dates o completion o each stage, should also
    be given. Lastly, there should be a list o reerences used in preparing the report. Tere
    are several ways o ormatting this inormation. Appendix 1 has detailed inormation

    regarding how reerences should be listed.


    COMPONENTS OF THE SUMMER PROJECT REPORT
    3 Te primary purpose o a project report is to demonstrate the student’s ability to make
    Learn the structure and effective use o research methods appropriate to the problem and to develop and handle
    essential elements o a evidence satisactorily. Te summer project report should, thereore, contain sections on:
    summer project report. (a) the research procedure(s) employed,
    (b) the extent, nature, reliability, and suitability o evidence gathered, and
    (c) the conclusions drawn and recommendations made, to demonstrate skills in analy-
    Te primary purpose
    sis and interpretation o research results.
    o a project report is
    to demonstrate the Clarity, conciseness, and orderliness o writing and presentation are required. It is
    student’s ability to make necessaryy to include suffi cient evidence
    necessar evide nce to support the reasoning
    rea soning and conclusions made
    effective use o research in the report. Te basis o the conclusions and recommendations should be clear and
    methods appropriate should exhibit the analytical skill o the student. Further, the student’s in-depth knowl-
    to the problem and to edge o the 󿬁eld o study should be brought out by the literature review and the model
    develop and handle or ramework used or the study. Te length o the summer project report varies accord-
    evidence satisactorily. ing to the topic and evidence required. Te components o the summer project report
    should appear in the order given in Exhibit 19.1.
    Cover and Title Page
    Te cover page and title page must conorm to the samples shown in Exhibit 19.2.
    Approval of Organization and Faculty Guides
    As shown in the samples in Exhibit
    E xhibit 19.3, certi󿬁cates
    cert i󿬁cates o approval are statements rom the stu-
    dent’s mentors authenticating the work done. Tey are located in the be beginning
    ginning o the report.

    SUMMER PROJECT REPORT 303

    Exhibit 19.1
    Cover i Components of the
    Title page ii Summer Project Report
    Certi󿬁cate of approval iii
    Approval of organizational and faculty guides iv
    Abstract v
    Acknowledgements vi
    Table of contents viii
    List of 󿬁gures ix
    List of tables x
    List of appendices xi
    Abbreviations xii
    Chapter 1 1
    ------------
    ------------
    ------------
    ------------
    Chapter 6 44
    References 45
    Appendices 51

    (a) The cover page Exhibit 19.2


    Sample Cover and Title
    Page for a Summer
    Sources of Waste at ANC Ltd
    Project Proposal

    Use a larger ont


    by or the title (say,
    N. Srinivas 14 point Arial)

    Use a smaller ont


    or the name (say,
    11 point imes
    Use a larger ont
    New Roman)
    or the title (say
    (say,, Sharda Peeth Institute of Management
    14 point Arial) 79, S. N. Bose Road, Kolkata 7110009 Use a larger ont
    (b) The title page or the institute
    2 January 2010 name (say,
    Sources of Waste at ANC Ltd
    14 point Arial)

    A Summer Project Proposal


    Post-Graduate Programme
    in Management
    Submitted by
    Use a smaller or
    N. Srinivas
    lighter ont or
    the names (say,
    11 point imes
    New Roman)
    Under the guidance of

    Professor
    Professor Jacob Cherian Mr K. R. Mehta
    Sharda Peeth Instit
    Institute
    ute of CFO, ANC Ltd
    Management

    304 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    Exhibit 19.3
    Sample Certi󿬁cate of Certi󿬁cate of Approval
    Approval The following
    following summer project rreport,
    eport, titled “Sources of Waste at ANC Limited” is hereby
    approved as a certi󿬁ed study in management, carried out and presented in a manner satis-
    factory to warrant its acceptance as a prerequisi
    prerequisite
    te for the award of Post-Graduate Diploma
    in Management/MBA Degree for which it has been submitted. It is understood that by
    this approval the undersigned do not necessarily endorse or approve any statement made,
    opinion expressed, or conclusion drawn therein but approve the summer project report only
    for the purpose it is submitted.

    Evaluated by:
    1. Faculty Guide (Name) Professor Jacob Cherian (Signat ure) JCherian
    (Signature)

    2. Industry Guide (Name) Mr K. R. Mehta (Signature) KRMehta

    Certi󿬁cate from Summer Project Guides


    This is to certify that Mr N. Srinivas, a student of the Post-Graduate Programme in Man-
    agement, has worked under our guidance and supervision. This summer project report has
    the requisite standard and, to the best of our knowledge, no part of it has been reproduced
    from any other summer project, monograph, report, or book.

    (Faculty Guide) Professor Jacob Cherian (Industry Guide) Mr K. R. Mehta


    (Designation) Profe
    Professor,
    ssor, Operations Management (Designation) CFO
    (Institute) SPIM (Organization) ANC Ltd
    (Address) 79, S. N. Bose Road, Kolkata 7110009 (Address) Plot no. 43, Sector 62, Noida
    201309
    Date: 26 December 2009 Date: 26 December 2009

    Abstract
    Each summer project report must include an abstract o a maximum o two pages in
    single space (about 800–1,000 words). It should state clearly and concisely the topic,
    scope, method, and conclusions o the project. Te emphasis o the abstract should be
    on the conclusions and recommendations. Te word limit should be strictly adhered to.

    Acknowledgements
    Students are advised to acknowledge help and support rom aculty members, libraries,
    their computer centre, outside experts, sponsoring organizations, and so on.

    Table of Contents
    Every summer project report must contain a table o contents, which provides a view o
    the organization o the report as shown in Exhibit 19.4.

    List of Tables, Figures, Appendices, and Abbreviations

    I
    be the summer
    listed project ollowing
    immediately report contains tables,
    the table 󿬁gures, and
    o contents abbreviations,
    on separate pages, these should
    as shown in
    Exhibit 19.5.

    Chapter I: Introduction
    As in the proposal, the introduction should begin with a very brie summary o the
    company and its business, and should go on to discuss details o the managerial problem
    and the background to the problem, including its genesis, consequences, and current
    practices. Te introduction should start with a broad overview and then move to the
    speci󿬁c ocus o the study. Tis should include the speci󿬁c business or unctional prob-
    lem being aced by the organization.
    Next, the 󿬁rst chapter should describe the rationale or the study and the bene󿬁ts o
    the project in terms o gains in knowledge, skills, practices, and systems, and how these

    SUMMER PROJECT REPORT 305

    Exhibit 19.4
    Table of Contents Sample Table of Contents
    Page numbers
    Acknowledgements
    Abstract Te abstract should
    not exceed two
    List of Figures
    pages
    List of Tables
    List of Appendices
    List of Abbreviations
    Chapter I INTRODUCTION
    Te main headings
    and sub-headings
    1.1 ANC Ltd: Background Information
    in each chapter
    1.2 The Key Sources of Waste at ANC Ltd
    should be clearly
    1.2.1 Process-related waste listed using a
    1.2.2 Inventory-related waste different style
    Chapter II LITERATURE
    LITERATURE REVIEW or each heading
    2.1 The Philosophy of Lean Management level
    2.2 Just-in-
    Just-in-Time
    Time Manufacturing
    Chapter III RESEARCH DESIGN
    3.1 The Research Problem
    3.2 Hypotheses
    Chapter IV RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
    4.1 Observations
    4.2 Analysis of Data
    4.3 Recommend
    Recommendations
    ations
    References
    Appendix 1: Organization Chart
    Chart for ANC Ltd
    Appendix 2: Inventory Data

    List of Figures
    Exhibit 19.5
    List of Figures
    Fig.1.1 Sources of waste at ANC Ltd 4
    Fig.1.2 The lean management process 16 Number the 󿬁gures
    Fig.1.3 Problem
    Problemss in implementatio
    implementation
    n 23 in sequence

    will help the organization. Te next part is to delimit the scope o the project and to
    speciy the area o enquiry under the project.
    Tis chapter should continue with a sub-section titled “Problem Formulation”. Tis Students should do a
    sub-section should describe the speci󿬁c business problem and related issues in greater comprehensive library
    detail. Te variables involved should be identi󿬁ed in order to clariy the ocus o the search on their project
    project, what is going to be studied, and why it needs to be studied. Tis would clariy topic. Tis will help
    the objectives o the project. them understand past
    Te 󿬁rst chapter should end by surveying related literature and drawing conclusions work on their subject
    rom it in a sub-section titled “Literature Survey”. Students should do a comprehensive as well as current,
    library search on their project topic. Tis will help them understand past work on their ongoing research in
    subject as well as current, ongoing research in their chosen area. For this purpose, students
    stude nts their chosen area.
    may reer to earlier summer projects, books, journals, reports, magazines, newspaper
    reports, and so on. Te survey should cover all the issues raised in the introduction
    introduction and Assumptions made
    should help in creating a theoretical ramework or set o assumptions that will de󿬁ne the in the study must
    research area under study in speci󿬁c terms. Tis will help rame the problem in terms be clearly justi󿬁ed,
    o variables under study. Te theoretical ramework or the model developed or this and the grounds or
    purpose will allow or proper operationalization o the research problem. Assumptions evidence used or the
    made in the study must be clearly justi󿬁ed, and the grounds or evidence used or the development o the
    hypotheses must be
    development o the hypotheses (i.e., the variables involved, their relationships, and so
    given in detail.
    on) must be given in detail in this section.

    306 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    Chapter II: Research Design


    On the basis o the literature review and discussions with the aculty and organization
    guides, the 󿬁nal research problem will be identi󿬁ed and described in the second chapter o
    the report. Tis chapter will draw on the model or ramework
     ramework developed earlier and should
    describe the development o the hypotheses or the argument or a qualitative exploratory
    study.. It should build a set o constructive arguments or the research problem. Further, it
    study
    should describe how the problem was operationalized or measurement and analysis, and
    end with a statement o the operationalized hypotheses. In case it is an exploratory/qualita-
    tive/case study,
    study, this chapter must state the variables under study and the nature and area o
    possible output rom the research.
    Te expected results rom such a research study should also be described in terms o
    the speci󿬁c hypotheses developed. It must be explained how such results would be o use
    in the managerial context and or the business.
    Chapter III: Results and Conclusions
    Tis chapter should include all the tabulated data and descriptions o the results obtained
    in the study. It should be noted that all the tables and 󿬁gures should be properly titled
    and numbered and listed in the table o contents.
    Next, the conclusions and inerences that are drawn rom the analysis o the results
    (in support o the hypotheses or against it) should be stated clearly and speci󿬁cally. Tese
    should be relevant to the hypotheses and should be an answer to the research problem.
    Tus, the conclusions should be directly related to the various issues regarding the prob-
    lem under study.
    Chapter IV: Recommendations
    Recommendations
    Te summer project report should conclude with recommendations based on the analysis
    Te summer project
    and 󿬁ndings o the study. Tis is a critical section
    se ction and should highlight the student’s
    student’s speci󿬁c
    report should conclude
    with recommendations contributions keeping in view the purpose o the summer project. It should demonstrate
    based on the analysis learning and improved analytical skills in actual problem-solving. Te last part o this sec-
    and 󿬁ndings o the study. tion should describe the limitations o the study and suggest directions or urther study.
    References
    Reerences should be complete in all respects, as shown in Appendix 1. Moreover, all
    reerences (books, journals, magazines, newspapers, reports, proceedings) listed in the
    report should be cross-reerenced in the text at appropriate places. Examples o cross-
    reerences are:
    With the rapid changes in I and manuacturing technology, 󿬁rms are becoming
    increasingly interested in managing the strategy–technology connection to develop new
    ways o achieving competitive advantage (Porter, 1985). Firms are attempting to link
    manuacturing strategy with business strategy (Skinner,
    (Skinner, 1985; Wheelright, 1981) to exam-
    ine the strategic impact o rapidly changing manuacturing and inormation technology
    (Jelinek and Goldhar, 1983).
    Appendices
    Additional inormation, such as a questionnaire, list o dealers, details o product porto-
    lio, organization chart, manuacturing prices, and data sheets, are placed as appendices
    at the end o the report.

    PROJECT PRESENTATION
    Once the aculty and organizational
    organizational guides approve the 󿬁nal draf o the summer project
    report, the student has to give a ormal presentation on the report. Several copies o the
    abstract (around ten) must be brought along at the time o the presentation or ready
    reerence o the audience. For more inormation and tips on how to make ormal pres-
    entations, reer to Chapter 14.

    SUMMER PROJECT REPORT 307

    SUMMARY

    • Tis chapt
    chapter
    er offers a model orm
    ormatat o a summer p project
    roject • Tere are generally tw
    two
    o guides who ov
    oversee
    ersee the pr
    project
    oject
    report or the bene󿬁t o those who do not have a manual and act as mentors supervising the student. One is a
    issued by their respective institutions or writing such a company executive and the other is a aculty member.
    report. Tese reports are compulsory or almost all busi- • Te summer project report has various com components:
    ponents:
    ness management students. the cover page, the certi󿬁cate
    cer ti󿬁cate o appro
    approval,
    val, the abstract, a
    • A pro
    proposal
    posal generally precedes the summer pro project.
    ject. Te list o acknowledgements, the table o contents, a list o
    proposal summarizes the background o the selected 󿬁gures and tables i any, a detailed introductory chap-
    topic and discusses the goals o the project, the research ter, a description o the research design, the results, the
    problem to be investigated, the methodology to be used, conclusions, the recommendations, and 󿬁nally any rel-
    and the student
    student’’s hypotheses. evant reerences and appendices.

    CASE: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF A CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR STUDY

    An analysis o consumer behaviour is the oremost require- results are based on empirical studies and through analysis
    ment or the successul ormulation and implementation o the data collected. Areas lef out by the questionnaires are
    o marketing strategies. Marketing starts with the needs o covered through market visits.
    consumers and ends with their satisaction. Since every- One o our main 󿬁ndings is that a consumer is most
    thing revolves around the customer, the study o consumer in󿬂uenced by his or her amily when taking a decision.
    behaviour becomes a necessity
    necessity.. Recommendations rom amily are the most trusted.
    Te 󿬁rst part o this report deals with understanding When it came to choosing air conditioners, Samsung and
    consumer behaviour and its importance. It includes a dis- LG led the race. Tough LG is the market leader (by market
    cussion o how Indian consumers are different rom west- reports), consumers gave equal preerence to both brands. Te
    ern consumers. Te study also explores various aspects o report concludes that Global, as a brand, would need to work
    the urban Indian consumer and differences in consumers very hard
    hard to ssuccess
    uccessully
    ully ente
    enterr and ggain
    ain a rrespecta
    espectable
    ble sh
    share
    are in
    within the country. Te spending patterns o different socio- the Indian air conditioner market.
    economic classes (SECs), their economic status, their social
    status, and so on are depicted in various tables and 󿬁gures.
    Questions to Answer
    Consumer behaviour models urther help re󿬁ne the study,
    1. Discuss the scope o this executive summary as an oover-
    ver-
    bringing out the buying process and the various actors that
    view o the report “A
    “A Study o Consu
    Consumer
    mer Behaviou
    Behaviourr or
    in󿬂uence a buyer when selecting a product or purchase.
    Marketing the Global Brand o Air Conditioners in India.
    Data are collected with the help o primary and secondary
    sources and the results are interpreted. Te next section 2. Analyse the sequence o points discussed in the execu-
    deals with competition tracking: Global is compared with tive summary
    summar y.
    its biggest competitors and other brands in terms o SKUs 3. Does this summary act as a good example o executi
    executive
    ve
    on the shop 󿬂oor with respect to a particular product. Te summaries or summer project reports? Discuss.

    REVIEW YOUR LEARNING

    1. Bring out the chie differences between a summer 7. Is it necessary to include your guides
    guides’’ certi󿬁cates o
    project report and long, ormal business reports. approval
    appro val or submission and evaluation o the report?
    2. Discuss the objectives o the summ
    summerer project and the 8. What, according to you, is the advantag
    advantagee o doing a
    summer project report. summer project in a company?
    3. Give some guidelines or selecting the ttopic
    opic or
    or a sum- 9. How does the host company bene󿬁t rom the summer
    mer project. project and the reports o students rom different
    4. What is the role o
    o the summer pro
    project
    ject guides? Discuss. institutions?
    5. How wowould
    uld you rame a proposal or yo your
    ur summer 10. Discuss the different types o research design in a sum-
    sum-
    project? mer project report.
    6. What are the essential elements o a summer pro project
    ject
    report?

    308 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    REFLECT ON YOUR LEARNING

    1. Consider wha
    whatt yo
    you
    u wo
    would
    uld learn about business co
    commu-
    mmu- 4. Why should there be two guides, oone
    ne rom industry and
    nication rom doing an industry-based summer project. the other rom academia, to supervise summer training?
    2. Re󿬂ect on the com
    communication
    munication opportunities you would Could it lead to communicatio
    communication n misunderstandings?
    create or yoursel by working in an organization. 5. Consider the value o
    o an abstract o
    orr executive summary
    3. o what exten
    extentt would your classroom learning help in as a part o a summer project report.
    completing the summer project report?

    APPLY YOUR LEARNING

    Choose a topic or your summer project and prepare the ol-
    lowing or your report:
    (a) Cover o the report (b) itle page o the report

    SELF-CHECK YOUR LEARNING

    From the given options, please choose the most appropriate answer:*
    1. Te submission o the summer project repo
    report
    rt is: (a) actual work done on a live project
    (a) optional (b) theory
    (b) compulsory (c) work done in the summer term
    (c) on the request o the sponsoring organizatio
    organization
    n (d) the company guide’s exper
    experience
    ience
    (d) the aculty guide’s choice 7. Te summer project is carried out in the:

    2. Te summ
    summer er p
    project
    roject report iiss wri
    written:
    tten: (a)
    (b) sponsoring
    classroom organizatio
    organization
    n
    (a) upon comp
    completion
    letion o the proproject
    ject done during the
    summer term (c) institute’s
    institute’s librar
    libraryy
    (b) at the beginning o the project (d) institute’s computer lab
    (c) during the project 8. Written eedback on the draf o
    o the summer project
    (d) at any time report is given by:
    3. Te summer project report iiss subm
    submitted
    itted or: (a) other students (b) the two guides
    (a) the recor
    record
    d o the insti
    institute
    tute (c) the company CEO (d) the placement head
    (b) evaluation by both the supervisors 9. Te introductio
    introduction
    n to the summer p
    project
    roject report begins
    (c) purchase by industry with:
    (d) the use o o
    other
    ther student
    studentss
    (a) a description o the problem
    4. Te topic/subject o the summer project report is (b) the methodology to be ollowed
    assigned by: (c) a description o the company’s business and major

    (a) the institute (b) the company environmental


    (d) the scope o theactors
    project
    (c) other students (d) outside experts
    10. Te table o contents in a summer pr
    project
    oject report:
    5. Te summer project proposal is sub
    submitted
    mitted by:
    (a) indicates page numbers
    (a) the aculty guide (b) the industry guide
    (b) lists the sequence o chapters
    (c) the institute’
    institute’ss director (d) the student
    (c) provides the location o various topics
    6. Te 󿬁ndings o the summer pr project
    oject report are of
    ofen
    en (d) presents an overview o the organizatio
    organization
    n o the
    valuable to the host company
    company as they are based on: report

    *For answers and sel-evaluation, visit www.pearsoned.co


    www.pearsoned.co.in/PDChaturvedi
    .in/PDChaturvedi

    20
    Wrien Analysis
    of Cases

    COMMUNICATION AT WORK
    The case study method of teaching demands for a 󿬂ute. One child claims
    A single, well-designe
    well-designed
    d case management issues and solutions is that she deserves the 󿬂ute because
    “ a crucial component of the modern she made it; the second says she
    study can to
    challenge provide a major
    a theory and pedagogy of business schools. Stu- deserves it because she has no toys
    dents and faculty spend a lot of time (while the others do); and the third
    provide a sourc
    sourcee of new 󿬁nding the perfect answers to the claims she deserves it because she
    hypotheses and constructs issues raised in a case. Their concern can play it best. The question of who
    simultaneously. for reaching a logically satisfying solu- should get the toy remains: its maker,
    tion is genuine, but they should all be its player, or the child who has no
    —Donald R. Cooper informed by Amartya Sen’s descrip- other toy? The decision-makers could
    and
    ”Pamela S. Schindl er tion of a hypothetical situation in decide to give the 󿬂ute to any one of
    his book, The Idea of Justice. In his the children, but who can tell what
    book, Sen describes three children’s the right solution to this problem is?
    WHAT IS A CASE?

    A case is a written account o real or simulated managerial problems, dilem-


    Upon completion of this chapter, you mas, and situations calling or solutions. Case analysis is an exercise in critical
    should be able to: thinking and understanding o concepts and causes o problems and events.
    Broadly speaking, a case can be divided into theoretical and actual cases.
    1 Know the nature and types of 1. Teoretical cases: Case studies that are meant or reading and clariying
    case studies. theoretical concepts in a discipline such as management, marketing,
    2 Understand the process of case human relations, communication, and so on are academic case studies.
    analysis. Tey are used as examples to concretize abstract concepts. Te inter-
    3 Identify major problems/ play o ideas is presented in the orm o action, interaction, and con󿬂ict
    questions involved in a case among persons involved in a lie-like situation described by the case.
    study. Te case study on the pro󿬁le o an effective communicator discussed at
    4 Know how to consider the beginning o this book is an example o a theoretical case.
    ca se. It uses the
    alternative solutions to the principles o oral, non-verbal, and written communication to demon-
    strate the dynamics o effective communication.
    questions raised. 2. Factual cases: Case studies that describe and illustrate an organization’s
    5 Write out the 󿬁ndings of the
    analysis—a statement of the experience and efforts to overcome different problems and situations are
    problem, the logical framework, real cases. Tese cases are based on acts. Tey present critical manage-
    consideration of the alternative ment issues with ull details o acts and 󿬁gures. Teir analysis requires
    solutions, and 󿬁nal decisions. a systematic approach to identi󿬁cation o the main problem, alterna-
    tive solutions, and, 󿬁nally, the best solution. Such actual case studies
    highlight corporate problems belonging to any unctional area o man-
    agement, such as marketing, production, or human relations. But the
    technique o analysing different cases does not vary. Analysis o actual
    cases ollows the same technique o identi󿬁cation and evaluation o alter-
    natives or documenting the strategic process o decision-making.

    310 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    1 An important characteristic o a actual case study is that it presents a problem/event


    in its entirety, explaining all relevant causal relationships. In lie, nothing happens in
    isolation. Interlinked events offer a kind o intersection between causes. Te case study
    Know the nature and
    types o case studies. requires the application o analytical reasoning to the main problem and its best solu-
    tion. Te case o communication breakdown at City Hospital discussed in Chapter 9
    illustrates a problem o managerial protocol.

    CHARACTERSTICS OF A CASE AND ITS ANAL


    ANA LYSIS
    Beore we go into the actual process o case analysis, it is necessary to understand some
    characteristics o cases and their analysis.
    1. A good case study is based on critical management issues aced by organizations. It
    does not ocus on personal dilemmas.
    2. Te subject matter o a case can ocus on different aspects o management. For
    instance, a case can illustrate the principles o effective communication and it can
    also demonstrate techniques in sales and marketing. Te Devox case at the begin-
    ning o this book is an example o such a case.
    33.. Tere are no right o orr wrong answers to the questions raised by a case study. Te
    proposed answers or solutions to the problem should be logical. Te decision that is
    󿬁nally recommended should keep with the logical ramework that is established at
    the outset o the analysis.

    THE PROCESS OF CASE


    C ASE ANALY
    ANALYSIS
    SIS
    2 Te process o case analysis requires methodical study. Tis section describes the various
    Understand the proc- stages o case analysis.
    ess o case analysis.
    Step 1: Study the Case
    First, a case analysis requires an understanding o the case and its context. Tis involves
    involves a
    comprehensive study o all actors at the organizational level that may be responsible or
    affecting working conditions and perormance levels. Tereore, the 󿬁rst step is to know
    the goals, objectives, and structure o the organization.
    organization. One can start by quickly reading the
    important points
    points o the case and understanding the general drif. Tis should be ollowed
    by re-reading all the material and slowly taking note o important issues, acts, and ideas.
    3 Step 2: Identify the Problem
    Identiy major Afer reading over the case, the next step is to identiy the main problem and discover the
    problems/questions relationships between the problem and the actors responsible or it. Critical analysis and
    involved in a case insight should help the analyst distinguish between the problem and its symptoms. For
    study. example, requent strikes in a company can be viewed as a problem, as they
    t hey cause disloca-
    tion in so many ways. But strikes are actually
    ac tually symptoms o a deeper problem in the organ-
    ization: its work culture, system o promotions and rewards, and its goals and objectives.
    Hence, the analyst should identiy the real problem, as distinguished rom its symptoms.
    Step 3: De󿬁ne the Problem
    Te problem should be ormulated in precise words. For example, in the aoresaid case,
    the problem could be de󿬁ned as, “Low productivity owing to requent labour strikes in
    the actory
     actory””.
    Step 4: Identify the Causes of the Problem
    Te next step is to state the relevant acts o the case and establish
    establi sh logical links between them.
    t hem.
    Here one should remember that acts are not opinions. Facts are the basic data obtained
    through investigation and study o the work environment and other industry-related ac-
    tors affecting the problem to be resolved. For example, in the aoresaid case, the acts
    could be that in the second quarter o the year, production was lower by 40 per cent,

    WRITTEN ANALYSIS OF CASES 311

    meaning it came down by 8,000 units when compared to the previous ye year,
    ar, in which there
    In linking acts in causal
    were no strikes. Tis year, there were two major strikes
    stri kes in the second quarter
    quar ter alone. When
    relationships, any assu-
    linking acts in causal relationships, any assumptions that have been made must be stated mptions
    mptions that have been
    clearly. Tese assumptions orm a part o the hypothesis that will be tested or validity. made must be stated
    Step 5: Develop Alternative Solutions clearly. Tese assump-
    tions orm a part o the
    Te next step is to suggest various
    vari ous possible answers and solutions
    soluti ons to the problem or ques-
    hypothesis that will be
    tions raised in the case. According to experts, at least three to 󿬁ve alternatives should be tested or validity.
    generated, ranging rom “most viable” to “least viable”.
    Step 6: Evaluate the Alternatives
    Next, each solution must be evaluated in terms o its relevance to the organization’s
    objectives and the decision to be taken. Te analyst should compare the various alterna-
    4
    Know how to consider
    tives and decide on the best course o action to recommend. Te alternatives can also be
    alternative solutions to
    scrutinized in terms o their utility over time, that is, in the immediate term, intermedi- the questions raised.
    ate term, or long term.
    Step 7: Develop a Plan of Action
    Lastly, the analyst works out a plan to implement the recommended course o action. It
    is only when a plan o action is developed that one can check whether all the aspects o
    the problem have been addressed.

    REQUIREMENTS FOR A CASE ANALYSIS


    o understand the requirements or a case analysis, let us go back to the Devox case:
    5
    Te Pro󿬁le of an Effective Communicator . Tis case analysis has been deliberately placed Write out the 󿬁ndings
    at the beginning o the book because it introduces all the essential principles and char- o the analysis—a state-
    acteristics o effective oral, non-verbal, and written communication—it is almost like a ment o the problem,
    summary o the book. We can use this case to examine the requirements necessary or a the logical ramework,
    thorough and insightul case analysis. consideration o the
    Te ollowing are the key requirements o a case analysis: alternative solutions,
    and 󿬁nal decisions.
    1. Torough knowledge of the concerned subject: Te 󿬁rst requirement or being able to
    write an analysis o a theoretical case is thorough knowledge o the subject. Since the
    Devox case is considered a communications case, its analysis needs application o the
    concepts o effective communication. I we take the same case as an illustrative situ-
    ation in consumer behaviour, its analysis will require a thorough knowledge o con-
    sumer behaviour concepts.
    2. Analytic
    Analytical
    al ability: When attempting a case analysis, one has to go deeper into the
    situation
    situation described in the case. For example, in the Devox case, questions such as the
    ollowing must be considered:
    • Why does Mr Oberoi want to return the pair o shoes?
    • How did this situation arise?
    • Does Mr Oberoi leave the show room satis󿬁ed? I yes, why? I not, why not?
    • How are the different aspects o this case related to one another?
    • Can we explain the situation in terms o our assumptions and observations?
    When ideas are taken
    • Who is the most effective communicator in this case: Rahul, Mr Oberoi, Mr Sharma,
    apart, each component
    or Mr Khare?
    can be discussed
    • Why does Mrs Oberoi keep away rom the discussion?
    discussi on? separately. Tis results in
    o analyse means
    me ans to break something
    somethi ng down into its constituent parts.
    part s. It involves more connectionss being made
    connection
    than just describing something. When ideas are taken apart, each component can be among the components
    discussed separately. Tis results in connections being made among the components and new relationships
    and interactions being
    and new relationships and interactions being established. Tis allows us to examine the
    established.
    validity o the
    the logic used to establish
    establish these relationships.
    relationships.

    312 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    3. Ability
    Ability to think critically: Te ability to think critically requires going beyond the
    obvious and looking or the truth underlying con󿬂icts. It requires looking beyond
    what meets the eye and having a questioning approach in which one accepts an idea
    only afer examining its basis.
    4. Abi
    Ability
    lity to evaluate:
    evaluate: Te ability to evaluate ideas and reasons is part o critical think-
    ing. When evaluating, it is important to know the reasons or a particular
    particu lar judgement.
    For example, it is not enough to say “Rahul isi s the most effect
    effective
    ive communicator”.
    communicator”. One
    must also explain why and how Rahul is an effective communicator, or instance by
    comparing him to others and pointing out examples in which he demonstrates effec-
    tive communication.
    5. Abi
    Ability
    lity to infer: From the given analysis o the Devox case, you should have noticed
    that the analysis is centrally related not to Mr Oberoi’s purpose o returning the
    shoes, but to the way his skills to convince and persuade are outdone by Rahul’s
    competence in communicating. You should be able to 󿬁nally view the whole prob-
    lem rom a certain perspective. Here, the analysis takes the position that effective
    communication is an act o the total personality o the communicator.

    Analysis of Communication Breakdown at City Hospital


    Another example o written analysis o a actual case is Communication Breakdown at
    City Hospital, which is given in Chapter 9. Tis case was discussed by nearly 300 groups
    o executives at several executive development programmes. Te candidates were given
    enough lead time to understand the case thoroughly and answer the ollowing questions:
    1. Why did the situation worsen with the widespread rumours
    rumour s o layoffs?
    2. Was it correct to include Lily Joe in the initial discussion meeting?
    3. Ideally, how should the situation have been handled?
    Why Did the Situation Worsen?
    Answers to the 󿬁rst question (“Why did the situation worsen with the rumours o lay-
    offs?”) include the ollowing common points:
    • Slow decision-making
    decision-ma king and poor coordination by the management.
    • Lack o initiative by the management—it
    management—it did not not anticipate
    anticipate the conusion aand
    nd protests.
    • Excess attendees and too man manyy meetings regarding layoffs.
    • Inability o management to take the staff into con󿬁dence rom the very beginning.
    • Lack o proper planning and inept execution o the retrenchment process.
    • Presence o a clear communication gap and increasing anxiety o concerned staff.
    • Fear o the 󿬁fh-󿬂oor staff.
    • Inclusion oo Lily Joe in the initial meetings.
    • Popula
    Popularr belie that
    that management
    management was behind the rumours.
    Here are some examples o answers to the 󿬁rst question.
    Example 1: Prima acie it seems that the inclusion o Lily Joe in the meetings was the
    primary reason or the spread o rumours. However, it cannot be said with certainty
    that other members in the meeting would not have spread the news, since the deci-
    sion would affect a number o 󿬁fh-󿬂oor employees. Te very act that members were
    sworn to secrecy would be enough to an the 󿬂ames.
    Example 2: Te reasons or the worsening o the situation due to widespread rumours
    could be:
    (a) Rumours were spread with the intent o generating ear and agitation among
    employees, in the hopes that they would do something illegal or untoward, which
    would help the management justiy closure o the 󿬁fh 󿬂oor.

    WRITTEN ANALYSIS OF CASES 313

    (b) he hospital had a policy o reassignment, but talk o the layoffs must have been
    leaked. Te crux o the matter is that the management did not involve the staff in
    the decision-making process and the staff was resistant to changes.
    Example 3: Te reasons or the rumours regarding layoffs o the observation ward
    employees could be:
    (a) Te series o meetings involved too many people and led to the rumours.
    (b) Tere were differences among management regarding the process and proce- proce-
    dure o decision-making. Tere were last minute objections put orth by the chie
    medical officer (CMO)
    (C MO) and the chie
    chi e accounts
    acc ounts officer (CEO).
    (C EO). B
    Both
    oth dem
    demanded
    anded
    speci󿬁c numbers and signi󿬁cant changes in the announcement letter drafed by
    the group beore they would allow the plan to move orward.
    (c) Negat
    Negative
    ive news spreads
    spreads very quickly via
    via the grapevine.

    (d) Lily Joe rreused


    eused to accept the decision.
    (e) Te execution o plans was delayed, which led to the spreading o rumours.
    Te spreading o rumours via the grapevine suggests that the management missed an
    opportunity to share inormation that was o interest to employees. Tis poses a chal- Normally, management
    lenge to the management’s effectiveness and the organization’s human resource manage- views the grapevine
    grapevine
    ment system. Normally, management views the grapevine negatively because it tends to negatively because
    breach con󿬁dentiality and secrecy, and ofen results in the spreading o alse rumours it tends to breach
    con󿬁dentiality and
    and negative inormation. However, sometimes the management itsel may want to take
    secrecy, and ofen results
    advantage o rumours to gauge the likely reactions o the concerned employees to a pro-
    in the spreading o alse
    posed change or scheme. In this case, the communication gap happens because the deci-
    posed change or scheme. In this case, the communication gap happens because the deci rumours and negative
    sion was taken at the “top” and the implementation was desired rom the “bottom”. inormation.
    Was it Correct to Include Lily Joe in the Meeting?
    Answers to the second question, “Was it correct to include Lily Joe in the initial discus-

    sion
    Joe inmeetings?”,
    the initial can ollow
    meeting two directions.
    because One viewwas
    the management is that it was
    taking right toaffecting
    a decision include Lily
    the
    staff o the 󿬁fh 󿬂oor, so involving those whom the decision affected was crucial. Lily
    Joe, being their head, could contribute to the decision. Protocol demanded that she be
    involved in the meetings. In addition, including her would send her the message that her
    opinion was still valuable. According to this view, her attending the meeting is a perect
    example o participative management, where employees are called to put orward their
    views. Tis approach
    approach helps the management
    management obtain a holistic view
    view o the situation.
    situation.
    However, an opposing view is that it was incorrect to include Lily Joe in the layoff
    meetings, even at the initial stage, because she was directly affected by the layoff plan. She
    did not contribute to the discussion. In act, her participation created urther problems
    because she hersel was part o the problem, but made no contributio
    contributionn to the discussion.
    How Should the Situation Have Been Handled?
    A case study does not illustrate the dilemmas o an individual. It presents problems that A case study does not
    an organization aces because o the ailure o its systems. illustrate the dilemmas
    illustrate
    Te closure o the observation ward seems to be an easy solution to the problem, but o an individual. It
    it is misdirected. Te executive director should have 󿬁rst prepared a plan to reduce staff presents problems that
    an organization aces
    across the hospital, instead o abolishing the 󿬁fh-󿬂oor unit. And afer deciding on the
    because o the ailure o
    number o employees to be dropped, afer “reassignments” at the hospital level, general its systems.
    options should have been asked or rom all the employees o the hospital and not o
    “observation ward” employees only.
    Te executive director should also have kept in mind that the hospital had a policy o
    reassignment rather than layoff, and thus had a commitment to placing the 󿬁fh-󿬂oor
    staff in other positions or which they were quali󿬁ed. Just as 󿬁fh-󿬂oor patients were to
    be reassigned to other units, the staff o the 󿬁fh 󿬂oor should have been reassigned too.

    314 PART III STRUCTURED APPLICATIONS


    APPLICATIONS

    In addition, new recruitment should have been stopped or some time. Te action plan
    should have involved the ollowing steps:
    (a) Te executive director should have appointed a committee made up o the director
    o personnel, the director o public relations, the head o nursing, and the labour
    relations consultant to discuss the retrenchment plan. When the hospital manage-
    ment decided that, since her 󿬂oor was being closed entirely, Lily Joe would no longer
    be needed, the management should not have included her in the planning process.
    (b) Tis committee should have developed
    develope d a report
    report on the reassignment and layoff o
    the 󿬁fh-󿬂oor staff.
    (c) Ten, the plan o action should have been placed beore the CMO and CAO or their
    approval.
    (d) Afer its approval, the plan should have been shared with the nursing heads in a
    ormal meeting.
    (e) Finally, the heads o nursing should have met the staff o the 󿬁fh 󿬂oor to announce
    the plan or reassignment and layoff; afer this, the press should have been inormed.
    Te two examples o case analysis discussed here are only suggestions o how cases
    analyses can be carried out and are not prescriptive. A case analysis should be a well-
    organized piece o analytical and evaluative writing that re󿬂ects the analyst’s critical
    thinking on the relevant inormation and ideas.

    THE STRUCTURE OF A WRITTEN CASE ANALYSIS


    ANALYSIS
    Te writing o a case analysis ollows a sequence o steps. Like a project report or an
    investigative report, a case report presents the process, 󿬁ndings, and recommendations
    o the analysis in an organized orm, under distinct headings and sub-headings.
    Te main parts o the written analysis are:

    1. Te title of the case: Te title re󿬂ects the central problem o the case.
    2. Te statement of the problem: Te statement o the problem describes the objective
    o the case and what is to be achieved through the proposed solution.
    solution.
    3. Te case: Te case is a brie narration o the situation or problem. It provides the
    context or the various issues to be investigated.
    4. Te scope of the analysis: Te scope de󿬁nes the limits o the analytical study o the
    case clearly. It also describes the assumptions that have been made or the purpose
    o the analysis.
    5. Te alternative solutions and their evaluation: Each possible solution is an alternative
    answer to the problem and should be ully considered in relation to the company’s
    objectives and goals and evaluated in terms o its merits and demerits. Sub-sections
    can be created or each solution, listing its merits and demerits. Here is an example:
    Solution 1: Fire the employees who engaged in violence during the strike.

    Merits: The company will be justifiably free of trouble-makers.


    Demerits/limitations: They might be some of the most productive workers
    otherwise; this might also further escalate the situation.
    6. Te recommended solution: Te recommended solution is the 󿬁nal suggestion or
    action. It is backed by the principles o management that are relevant to the case
    under consideration. At this stage, the logical ramework developed to interpret the
    case helps justiy the decision to recommend a particular solution.
    7. Te conclusion: Te conclusion gives a plan o action to overcome the problem by
    implementing
    implemen ting the solution. Te recommended action is ully analysed in terms o its
    viability,, easibility,
    viability easibility, cost, and bene󿬁t to the
    the company
    company. Any other inherent
    inherent limitation
    limitation
    or weakness in implementing the plan is also clearly discussed and indicated as a
    point or caution and urther consideration.

    WRITTEN ANALYSIS OF CASES 315

    8. Te executive summary: Te executive summary brie󿬂y includes the ollowin


    ollowing:g:
    • A brie description o the background o the problem
    • Te problem
    • Te possible solutions
    • Te best solution
    • Te recommended plan o action
    • Te bene󿬁ts o the recommended solution to the company
    Te executive summary is or helping decision-makers understand the problem and
    its possible solutions without going through the entire case analysis. It is, thereore,
    placed at the beginning o the written analysis.

    SUMMARY

    • Case analysis is an exercise in critical thinking and • Te various steps inv


    involved
    olved in a case analysis are: study-
    understanding o concepts and causes o problems and ing the background o the case, identiying and stating
    events. Tis chapter discusses the nature o theoretical the problem, analysing the various possible solutions,
    and actual case studies. evaluating the options, and developing a plan o action
    • Tere are no right or wrong an answers
    swers to the questions based on the recommended
    re commended solution.
    raised by a case. An analyst’s answer or solution should
    be logical and convincing and based on acts presented.

    CASE: ACCEPTING A CONTRACT

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