TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING JANUARY, 2022

DEBRE TABOR UNIVERSITY

FACULITY OF TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

COURSE NAME: TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING

COURSE CODE: CBEG 3111

DEGREE PROGRAM: THIRD YEAR B. SC. IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

JANUARY, 2022

DEBRE TABOR, ETHIOPIA

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CHAPTER ONE
COMMUNICATION
Definition: Communication can be defined as the process of transmitting information and
common understanding from one person to another (Keyton, 2011).

The word communication has been derived from the Latin ‘Communicare, which means “to
share”. Communication may, therefore, be defined as the process of sharing (exchanging)
information, ideas, thoughts, feelings and emotions between two or more persons.

Communication is central to the success of human beings and organizations. The ability to
effectively communicate at work, home and in life is probably one of the most important sets
of skills a person needs. Effective communication is not just a business skill it is a life skill
and the most important source of personal power at work, family and social situations.
Communication is the process of understanding and being understood through ideas, facts,
thoughts and emotions.

If the message is conveyed clearly and unambiguously, and is received by the receiver in the
same way as intended by the sender, then communication is said to be effective. If the
message reaches the receiver in a distorted form or somehow fails to create meaning or
understanding, the communicator should realize that his/her communication has been
affected by barriers. So, we can say that communication becomes successful only if the
receiver understands what the sender is trying to convey.

Importance of Technical Communication

Technical communication plays a pivotal role in any set-up, whether it is a business

enterprise, an industry as a whole, or an academic institution. All managerial or
administrative activities involve communication, be it planning, organizing, recruiting,
coordinating, or decision-making. When you write reports, give instructions, or read
brochures and manuals, you are involved in the process of communication. Communication
serves as an instrument to measure the success or growth of an organization.

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OBJECTIVES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION

Technical communication takes place when professionals discuss a topic with a specific
purpose with a well-defined audience. Technical communication usually has the following
objectives:

➢ To provide organized information that aids in quick decision-making

➢ To invite corporate joint ventures
➢ To disseminate knowledge in oral or written form
Technical communication has to be correct, accurate, clear, appropriate, and to the point.
Correct information is objective information. The language should be clear and easy to
understand. If the communication is through a user manual for a phone, remember that
people will usually never use it unless they are stuck. And if they are stuck, they will look for
instant information to solve their problem. The information must be brief and arranged
sequentially so that it is easy for a user to find relevant information. It is also vital that the
technical information provided in the manual be accurate.

Elements of Communication Process

Seven major elements of communication process are:
(1) Sender: The person who intends to convey the message with the intention of passing
information and ideas to others is known as sender or communicator.
(2) Ideas: This is the subject matter of the communication. This may be an opinion, attitude,
feelings, views, orders, or suggestions.
(3) Encoding: Since the subject matter of communication is theoretical and intangible, its
further passing requires use of certain symbols such as words, actions or pictures etc.
Conversion of subject matter into these symbols is the process of encoding.
(4) Communication Channel: The person who is interested in communicating has to choose
the channel for sending the required information, ideas etc. This information is transmitted
to the receiver through certain channels which may be either formal or informal.

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(5) Receiver: Receiver is the person who receives the message or for whom the message is
meant for. It is the receiver who tries to understand the message in the best possible manner
in achieving the desired objectives.
(6) Decoding: The person who receives the message or symbol from the communicator tries
to convert the same in such a way so that he may extract its meaning to his complete
understanding.
(7) Feedback: Feedback is the process of ensuring that the receiver has received the message
and understood in the same sense as sender meant it.
Types of Communication
There are many types and varieties of communication, depending on the medium used or
the way in which information is exchanged.
Verbal communication: This, as the name implies, is communicating using words. This
includes sounds, words, language and speaking. Speaking is an effective way of
communicating: it is classified into interpersonal communication and public speaking
(Aarti, 2011). Interpersonal communication occurs when one person speaks directly to
another. Here, communication would be informal: one can say what one really feels, though
this is bound by the social norms guiding the sender and the receiver. Public speaking occurs
when one person speaks to a large group. In this case, communication is formal; rule bound
and centred more on the speaker getting some kind of result. In all of these, speakers may
want to entertain, inform, persuade or argue. Verbal communication can also be referred to
as oral or spoken. It can make use of visual aids and non-verbal elements to facilitate
meaning and enhance rapport and achieve high level of understanding by removing
ambiguity and garnering immediate feedback.

Non-verbal communication: Non-verbal communication is the process of conveying

meaning in the form of non-word messages. It covers all information, messages and ideas
we convey without using words; making use of physical communication such as tone of
voice, touch, smell and body motion. Non-verbal communication includes music, dance,
painting, drama and sculpture. Symbols and sign language are also included (cf. Daniel,
2016). This is because body language, facial expressions, clearing of the throat, physical

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contact and dress convey a lot of information. A good example of non-verbal communication
is sign language, which can be used by anyone at any time. A non-verbal sign such as bell
ringing is a common sign you and I understand. By itself, ringing of a bell means nothing.
However, in recognized contexts, it may mean “time for school”, “change of lesson”, “is
somebody at home”, “end of lesson”, or “second hand goods for sale.” According to Wilson
(1972), not only can almost anything be used as a sign, but almost every sign can be used to
communicate several different things. He explains further that everything depends on
agreement about and understanding of the ways in which we use signs. To him, the
significance of any sign depends on the context in which it is used.

Written communication: This means communicating with other people through written
words. Good written communication is practised in many different languages. Email and
text messages, reports, articles and memos are some of the ways of using written
communication, both for business and personal purposes. An advantage of written
communication is that it can be edited and amended many times before it is finally sent to
the person intended. Writing is a human invention. There are as many legends and stories
on the invention of writing as there are on the origin of language. Legend has it that Cadmus,
the prince of Phoenicia, invented the alphabet and brought it to Greece. Stories also have it
that the early drawings by ancient humans formed the seeds of present-day picture writing.
Many such drawings are clearly picture writings in pictograms. Historically, written
communication first emerged through the use of pictograms, which were made on stone
(Yule,2010).

Visual communication: This is a visual display of information such as topography,

photography, signs, traffic codes, symbols and designs. Television and video clips are the
electronic form of visual communication (Aarti, 2011). Intra-personal communication is a
level of communication that is general to all types of communication. It is described by
Answers.com as language use or thought that is internal to the communicator.

Non-human communication Non-human communication essentially has to do with the

communication that does not involve human beings. This is usually described as extra

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communication. It does suggest that plant and animal communication can be put in this
category. In the same vein, cellular communication among micro-organisms could be
described in this manner. One could safely describe the transfer of chemical reactions
among bacteria and fungi as non-human communication. Even the transfer of viruses as well
as the multiplication of cancer cells could be categorised as this kind of communication.

Communication Barriers':

Barriers' are any obstacles or difficulties that come in the way of communication. They may
be physical, mechanical, psychological cultural or linguistic in nature. In business
communication, for instance, the major obstacles arise because of the set-up of an
organization - the organizational barriers.

(1) Physical Barriers

Physical Barriers Four main kinds of distractions act as 'physical barriers' to the communication
process. These are:

➢ The Competing Stimulus in the form of another conversation going on within hearing
distance, or loud music or traffic noise in the background. The cawing of crows or a
plane passing overhead can, for example, drown out messages altogether.
➢ Environmental Stress: A high temperature and humidity, poor ventilation, vibrations
felt, a strong glare - all can contribute to distortions in the sending and receiving of
messages.
➢ Subjective Stress: Sleeplessness, ill health, the effects of drugs and mood variations
give rise to forms of subjective stress that often lead to great difficulties in listening
and interpretation.
➢ Ignorance of the Medium: The various media for communication are: oral, written,
audio, visual and audiovisual. The use of a medium with which the communicators
are not familiar would turn the medium itself into a barrier.
(2) Psychological Barriers

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Each of us has a certain ‘frame of reference', a kind of window through which we look out at
the world, at people, and events and situations. A frame of reference is a system of standards
and values, usually implicit, underlying and to some extent controlling an action, or the
expression of any belief, attitude or idea. No two individuals possess exactly similar frames
of reference, even if they are identical twins. To a large extent our experiences, particularly
our childhood experiences, and the cultural environment we have grown up in influence our
frames of reference.

(3) Linguistics and Cultural Barriers

A language is the expression of the thoughts and experiences of people in terms of their
cultural environment. When the same language is made use of in a different culture, it takes
on another colour, another meaning.

(4) Mechanical Barriers

Mechanical barriers are those raised by the channels employed for interpersonal, group or
mass communication. Channels become barrier when the message is interfered with by
some disturbance, which (1) increased the difficulty in reception or (2) prevented some
elements of the message reaching its destination or both. The absence communication
facilities too would be a mechanical barrier. This type of barrier includes any disturbance,
which interferes with the fidelity of the physical transmission of the message.

Seven Steps for Effective Communication:

1. Listen more carefully and responsively

2. Explain your conversational intent and invite consent.

3. Express yourself more clearly and completely.

4. Translate your complaints and criticisms into specific requests, and explain your requests.

5. Ask questions “open endedly” and more creatively.

6. Express more appreciation

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7. Make better communication an important part of your everyday life

Purpose of Communication
1. Flow of Information:

The relevant information must flow continuously from top to bottom and vice versa. The
staff at all levels must be kept informed about the organisational objectives and other
developments taking place in the organisation. A care should be taken that no one should be
misinformed. The information should reach the incumbent in the language he or she can
understand better. The use of difficult words should be avoided. The right information
should reach the right person, at right time through the right person.
2. Coordination:

It is through communication the efforts of all the staff working in the organisation can be
coordinated for the accomplishment of the organisational goals. The coordination of all
personnel’s and their efforts is the essence of management which can be attained through
effective communication.
3. Learning Management Skills:

The communication facilitates flow of information, ideas, beliefs, perception, advice, opinion,
orders and instructions etc. both ways which enable the managers and other supervisory
staff to learn managerial skills through experience of others. The experience of the sender of
the message gets reflected in it which the person at the receiving end can learn by analyzing
and understanding it.
4. Preparing People to Accept Change:

The proper and effective communication is an important tool in the hands of management of
any organisation to bring about overall change in the organisational policies, procedures and
work style and make the staff to accept and respond positively.
5. Developing Good Human Relations:

Managers and workers and other staff exchange their ideas, thoughts and perceptions with
each other through communication. This helps them to understand each other better. They

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realize the difficulties faced by their colleagues at the workplace. This leads to promotion of
good human relations in the organisation.
6. Ideas of Subordinates Encouraged:

The communication facilitates inviting and encouraging the ideas from subordinates on
certain occasions on any task. This will develop creative thinking. Honoring subordinates’
ideas will further motivate them for hard work and a sense of belonging to the organisation
will be developed. It will provide them with the encouragement to share information with
their superiors without hesitation. The managers must know the ideas, thoughts, comments,
reactions and attitudes of their subordinates and subordinates should know the same from
the lowest level staff of their respective departments.
Importance of Communication:

Effective communication is vital for efficient management and to improve industrial

relations. In modern world the growth of telecommunication, information technology and
the growing competition and complexity in production have increased importance of
communication in organisations large and small irrespective of their type and kind. A
corporate executive must be in a position to communicate effectively with his superiors,
colleagues in other departments and subordinates. This will make him perform well and
enable him to give his hundred percent to the organisation.
What is Public Communication?
Definition: Public Communication can be defined as strategic communication to convey
ideas, programs, though, presentations, data, propaganda, etc., to the masses, the public,
students, or niche audiences.

Types of Public Communications

1. Ceremonial

The ceremonial communications consist of speeches that mark special occasions like
graduations, weddings, birthday parties, and many more. An emotional connection with a
personal touch will be present here.

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2. Demonstrative

Demonstrative Communications require an option to speak concisely and clearly about

actions. Behind demonstrative communication, the idea lies that the audience should leave
learning about how to accomplish something. Science Demonstrations are perfect examples
of Demonstrative Communications.

3. Informative

With informative communication, the speaker tries to disclose an idea to the public. College
lectures include informative speeches like industry conferences and some officials conveying
important information. In this type of communication, information is essential.
Disseminating crucial information is an integral part of this communication. Media, TV, Radio
can also be considered under informative communication.

4. Persuasive

Persuasive communication requires a practicing voice that convinces the public from a
perspective. For example, when politicians need votes for elections, they choose this kind of
Public Communication to win the group’s confidence with an appeal.

5. Semiotics and Signs

Public Communication can also come in the form of signs and semiotics in any dimension
like Traffic signs, signs at airports, and many more. This type of communication uses graphics
to convey some information to the public.

Public meeting
Meetings are one of the most commonly occurring workplace experiences.
Meetings create new ideas and initiatives. Meetings achieve buy-in. Meetings prevent 'not
invented here' syndrome. Meetings diffuse conflict in a way that emails and memos cannot.
Meetings are effective because the written word only carries 7% of the true meaning and
feeling.

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Meeting Facilitator
A facilitator is someone who uses knowledge of group processes to design and deliver the
structure needed for effective meetings. Facilitators can be individuals from outside the
group or organization, or an internal team member or meeting leader. Helping plan the
agenda is a key function of this role. Facilitators help the group members decide where they
want to go, but the group itself deliberates and makes the final decisions.

Facilitator functions:
➢ Helps group define its meeting purpose and desired objectives for a meeting
➢ Designs processes for group to meet its goals, create products, or make decisions
➢ Guides group discussions to keep meeting participants on track by asking key
questions and reminding groups of their stated goals
➢ Ensures that group assumptions are stated and tested, and that all participants’ voices
are heard
➢ Acts as a “neutral party” that has no stake in the outcome of a meeting
➢ Takes notes to record key points of conversation and group decisions
➢ Helps group plan to carry out decisions made at a meeting
Planning a Productive Meeting or Workshop

The following steps for planning a productive meeting do not necessarily have to be done in
the order listed. In fact, facilitators often work through a few steps simultaneously, with one
exception: defining the meeting purpose and desired objectives always comes first.

1. Define the meeting purpose and objectives

2. Create the participant list

3. Establish roles

4. Develop the agenda

5. Identify background materials

6. Plan the meeting space

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Chapter two
Oral communication
Oral communication is the process of verbally transmitting information and ideas from one
individual or group to another. Oral communication can be either formal or informal. Oral
communication means spoken communication, so it would include not only face-to-
face communication but also communication through any mechanical or electrical device
like telephone. Listening to someone speak on film could also be considered oral
communication, but it is less personal since the person is not speaking directly to the listener.
Human communication is a social interaction process. It is an essential part of our daily life.
It is a process of creating, exchanging, sharing ideas, information, opinions, facts, feelings,
and experiences between a sender and a receiver. Communication is fundamental to the
existence and survival of individuals, groups, societies, and nations. Language is the most
common tool of communication. It plays a vital role in helping people build a bridge of
relationships. At the same time, language acts as a destroyer of bridges of human relations
because it separates people from each other. Language continues to remain a barrier to
convey our messages to people in the globalization and communication era. Language
barriers are a common challenge in international business, aviation and social settings. They
affect our daily life.

Examples of informal oral communication include:

➢ Face-to-face conversations
➢ Telephone conversations
➢ Discussions that take place at business meetings
More formal types of oral communication include:
❖ Presentations at business meetings
❖ Classroom lectures
❖ Commencement speeches given at a graduation ceremony
With advances in technology, new forms of oral communication continue to develop. Video
phones and video conferences combine audio and video so that workers in distant locations

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can both see and speak with each other. Other modern forms of oral communication include
podcasts (audio clips that you can access on the Internet) and Voiceover Internet Protocol
(VoIP), which allows callers to communicate over the Internet and avoid telephone charges.
Skype is an example of VoIP.
Communication has numerous definitions (Marume et al.: 2016, pp.26-32):

1. Sharing: of meanings, ideas, opinions, facts, feelings, experiences, information between a

sender and a receiver.

2. Meeting of Minds: mutual understanding or agreement between the sender and the
receiver on common issues. Communication occurs only when the message has been
understood, and understanding occurs in the mind of the receiver. So, we should speak to
people according to their level of understanding to get our message across to them.

3. Understanding: effective communications happened when the receiver understood the

message.

4. Getting feedback: feedback or response is critical to ensure that an accurate understanding

of the message has occurred. A simple definition of communication is that the process of
exchanging ideas, feelings, opinions, facts, information, and experiences between the sender
and a receiver verbally (spoken, written and nonverbally, sign-language, and body
language.) through a channel of communication. To understand the human communication
process, one must understand how people relate to each other.

Language barriers are the root causes of many problems or obstacles in health care, aviation,
maritime, business, and education. For example, (a)Effective communication between
healthcare providers, patients, and families is critical for providing safe and quality
healthcare.

Barriers to Effective Communication are obstacles or problems that breakdown the

communication process because they prevent the flow of information between a sender and
a receiver. There are numerous barriers to communication, and these may occur at any stage

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in the communication process. They can be classified into the following categories:
mechanical, physical, psychological, social, noise, religious, cultural, and language barriers.

Characteristics of an effective communicator

An effective communicator's attributes include:
➢ Active listening
➢ Adaptability - adapting your communication styles to support the situation
➢ Clarity
➢ Confidence and assertiveness
➢ Constructive feedback - giving and receiving it
➢ Emotional intelligence - identifying and managing your emotions, as well as other
people's emotions
➢ Empathy
➢ Interpersonal skills - social skills which are especially useful in building strong
rapports
➢ Interpretation of body language - this will help you understand how someone is
feeling
➢ Open-mindedness
➢ Patience
➢ Simplifying the complex
➢ Story telling
To develop active listening, you should practice the following:

1. Pay attention

Give the speaker your complete attention:

Look at them directly and maintain eye contact.

Don't think about your reply whilst they're speaking.

Interpret their body language.

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Try to avoid being distracted by what's happening around you.

2. Show the speaker that you're interested

Use your body language to highlight your engagement, such as, nodding, smiling,
maintaining an open posture etc.

Use prompts, such as, "uh huh", "yep" etc.

Clarify your understanding...

3. Clarify your understanding

You need to ensure that you understand what the speaker is saying without your
judgments and beliefs getting in the way:

➢ Reflect on what you have heard by summarising and paraphrasing, for example,
"Sounds like you're saying…". Ensure you do this periodically in a conversation as it
helps with your understanding and it's also another way to show the speaker than
you're listening.
➢ Ask questions to ensure that you understand everything, such as, "What do you
mean when you say…" Ensure that these questions are non-judgemental.
➢ Ask whether you've got it right and accept if you need to be corrected.
➢ Ask for specific examples.
➢ Admit if you're unsure about what the speaker means.
➢ Ask the speaker to repeat something if you think it will help.
4. Don't interrupt or redirect the conversation

Interrupting is not helpful as it's irritating for the speaker and it reduces the time for you to
understand the message:

➢ Before saying anything ensure that the speaker has finished a point.
5. Provide a suitable response

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➢ Be honest when you respond but avoid attacking or making the speaker feel bad
because this is unhelpful.
➢ Provide your opinions politely.
These are the most common obstacles to active listening:

➢ Losing concentration.
➢ Jumping to conclusions which subsequently leads to false assumptions.
➢ Hastily forming a response before the speaker is finished.
➢ Arguing.

Body language and posture

Your posture has the greatest impact on your communication. The impression you have on
others is split approximately:
❖ Body (visuals) 55%
❖ Voice (sound) 38%
❖ Words (content) 7%
Folded arms, crossed legs, hunched shoulders, hands in pockets, looking down – these are
just some of the protective measures that make us feel safer, and should be avoided when
giving a presentation or speech. Appearing relaxed makes us exert dominance and authority.
If you watch politicians speak, notice how relaxed and confident they appear, talking slowly
and making positive body movements. Use your arms to emphasis a point and illustrate the
message.
Advantages of Oral Communication:

(i) The first and foremost advantage of oral communication is that it provides immediate
feedback to the participants in the communication event. While engaged in talk with
somebody we can ask for clarification or further elaboration, justification, etc.

(ii) Oral communication is time saving.

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(iii) By drawing the people together oral communication builds up a healthy climate in the
organization. It brings the superiors and the subordinates nearer.

(iv) Oral communication, just by sounding personal, becomes an effective tool of persuasion.
Everybody knows the importance of persuasion in business.

(v) Oral communication is not only time-saving, it is also very economical. It saves the
money spent on stationery in an organization.

(vi) Oral communication also provides the speaker opportunity to correct himself and
make himself clear by changing his voice, tone, pitch etc.

(vii) In oral communication the speaker enjoys the advantage of understanding the groups
he is addressing. He can immediately understand the group’s reaction and arrive at a
satisfactory conclusion.

Limitations of Oral Communication:

(i) Oral communication may not always be time saving. Sometimes it happens that meetings
go on and on for a long time without arriving at any satisfactory conclusion.

(ii) Oral messages cannot always be retained in the listener’s memory. The speaker himself
may always not recall what he verbally said or meant.

(iii) In the absence of record, oral messages do not have legal validity.

(iv) If the speaker has not carefully organized his thought oral messages may lead to
misunderstanding.

(v) The length of the message may pose a problem. If the message is long it is not always
suitable for oral communication.

(vi) It becomes difficult to fix responsibility for anything going wrong or for any mistake in
oral communication.

Modes of Oral Communication

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Research studies have shown that 80% of communication by executives of a company is in

the oral form. The modes of Oral Communication include:

• Telephone/Cellular phone • Messages

• Intercom • Face-to-face discussion
• Meetings/Conferences • Presentation
• Dictaphone/Dictation • Conversation
• Radio • Teleconferencing
• Speeches • Brainstorming sessions
• Grapevine • Interview

Interviews
An interview is a psychological and sociological instrument. It is an interaction between two
or more persons for a specific purpose, in which the interviewer asks the interviewee specific
questions in order to assess his/her suitability for recruitment, admission, or promotion. It
can also be a meeting in which a journalist asks somebody questions to determine their
opinions. It is a systematized method of contact with a person to know his/her views and is
regarded as the most important method of data collection. In addition, interviewing a person
gives an idea of how effectively the person can perform a particular task.
OBJECTIVES OF INTERVIEWS

Interviews may be conducted for various reasons. Generally, interviews are conducted to
achieve some of the following objectives:

• To select a person for a specific task

• To monitor performance

• To collect information

• To exchange information

• To counsel

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Depending on the objective and nature, interviews can be categorized into the following
types:

• Job • Persuasive

• Evaluation • Conflict resolution

• Termination • Information

• Exit • Counselling

• Disciplinary • Media

Job interviews

In job interviews, the employer wants to learn about the applicant’s abilities and
experiences, and the candidate wants to learn about the position on offer and the
organization. Both the candidate and the employer hope to make a good impression and to
establish rapport. In the initial round, job interviews are usually formal and structured. But
later, interviews may be relatively spontaneous as the interviewer explores the candidate’s
responses.

Information interviews

The interviewer seeks facts that bear on a decision or contribute to basic understanding.
Information flows mainly in one direction: one person asks a list of questions that must be
covered and listens to the answers supplied by the other person, e.g., doctor–patient, boss–
subordinate, etc.

Persuasive interviews

One person tells another about a new idea, product, or service and explains why the other
should act on his/her recommendations. Persuasive interviews are often associated with,
but are certainly not limited to, selling. The persuader asks about the other person’s needs
and shows how the product or concept is able to meet those needs. Persuasive interviewers

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require skill in drawing out and listening to others as well as the ability to impart suitable
information, adapted to the situation and the sensitivities of the interviewee.

Exit interviews

In exit interviews, the interviewer tries to understand why the interviewee is leaving the
organization or transferring to another department or division. A departing employee can
often provide insight into whether the business and human resource is being handled
efficiently or whether there is a considerable scope for improvement. The interviewer tends
to ask all the questions while the interviewee provides answers. Encouraging the employee
to focus on events and processes rather than on personal gripes will elicit more useful
information for the organization.

Evaluation interviews

A supervisor periodically gives an employee feedback on his/her performance. The

supervisor and the employee discuss progress towards predetermined standards or goals
and evaluate areas that require improvement. They may also discuss goals for the coming
year, as well as the employee’s long-term aspirations and general concerns.

Counselling interviews

A supervisor talks with an employee about personal problems that are interfering with work
performance. The interviewer is concerned with the welfare of both the employee and the
organization. The goal is to establish the facts, convey the company’s concern, and steer the
person towards a source of help. Only a trained professional should offer advice on problems
such as substance abuse, marital tension, and financial trouble.

Conflict-resolution interviews

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In conflict-resolution interviews, two competing people or groups of people with opposing

points of view, such as Smith versus Jones, day shift versus night shift, General Motors versus
the United Auto Workers, explore their problems and attitudes. The goal is to bring the two
parties closer together, cause adjustments in perceptions and attitudes, and create a more
Productive climate.

Disciplinary interviews

In disciplinary interviews, a supervisor tries to correct the behaviour of an employee who

has ignored the organization’s rules and regulations. The interviewer tries to get the
employee to see the reason for the rules and to agree to comply. The interviewer also reviews
the facts and explores the person’s attitude. Because of the emotional reaction that is likely,
neutral observations are more effective than critical comments.

Termination interviews

A supervisor informs an employee of the reasons for the termination of the latter’s job. The
interviewer tries to avoid involving the company in legal action and tries to maintain a
positive relationship with the employee. To accomplish these goals, the interviewer gives
reasons that are specific, accurate, and verifiable.

Media interviews

Most of us might have watched programmes such as Walk the Talk, Meet the Entrepreneur,
etc., as well as press conferences organized by the government/businesses/industries on
television. Many a time, reporters call up over the phone the head of an educational
institution, an important person in the government, or the chief executive officer (CEO) of a
company to ask about their success stories or their alarming anomalies.

GROUP DISCUSSION (COMMUNICATION))

As against dyadic communication (i.e., one to one) and mass communication (i.e., one to
many), group communication implies a many-to-many communication. Teamwork and
group communication form an integral part of most organizations that embrace the concept

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of an open organizational climate and participative management—in factories, corporate

offices, research laboratories, universities, hospitals, law offices, government agencies, etc.
This is largely because of the complexity of decisions that have to be made when we are
dealing with groups as opposed to individuals.

The members of an organization may communicate in groups to achieve any of the following
purposes:

• Share and exchange information and ideas.

• Collect information or feedback on any project/policy/scheme.

• Arrive at a decision on important issues.

• Solve a problem concerning the organization as a whole.

• Discuss issues involving the group itself or for the benefit of a larger audience.

• Elicit feedback upon any work undertaken or research performed.

Discussions play a crucial role in relationship building and decision-making. In the following
sections, among the various forms of group communication, we will study the various
aspects of organizational as well as recruitment discussions as also the skills and strategies
required for successful group communication.

FORMS OF GROUP COMMUNICATION

Depending on the purpose, structure, and characteristics, group communication takes

various names such as discussion, meeting, conference, seminar, group discussion,
symposium, convention, etc. Since all these forms of group communication involve oral
communication, they require effective oral communication skills that would enable the
members to present and discuss their or their organization’s points of view on the topic of
discussion convincingly.

USE OF BODY LANGUAGE IN GROUP COMMUNICATION

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Body language plays a very significant role in group communication, which involves more
interaction among the participating members than any other form of communication. Each
member of the group has an opportunity to use body language for effective communication,
unlike in public speaking and professional presentations, where only the speaker’s body
language is noticed. In a group, each person exhibits and observes the facial expressions,
postures, and gestures of others in order to understand the intentions behind what is being
communicated through words. However, depending on the degree of formality of the groups,
the use of body language may vary. For instance, while formal meetings at workplace may
not involve much use of body language, GDs, which are less formal, may entail more use of
body language as an aid in effective communication.

Given below are certain general guidelines for the effective use of body language in groups:

➢ Maintain eye contact while speaking and listening to others.

➢ Adopt facial expressions that show interest and enthusiasm in participation. Restrain
emotional expressions during an argument or disagreement.
➢ While communicating in a small group, use small hand gestures in order to avoid
encroaching upon the personal space of others.
➢ As the members sit and communicate with each other, their movement may be
restricted to a certain extent in a group. However, try to bring in some change in
posture even while sitting, for instance, sitting cross-legged, placing one arm on the
back of the chair, leaning on the chair briefly, etc.
➢ While setting up the venue for group communication, there should be adequate space
between the seats so as to avoid members from sitting very close to each other.
➢ Observe the non-verbal cues of others and try to understand the intentions behind
their verbal cues.

DISCUSSIONS

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Discussions are conversations held among people face-to-face or over phone. They may be
formal or informal. They are generally initiated to exchange information, views and opinions,
persuade, appraise, make decisions, or solve problems.

Introducing Oneself/Others

While initiating a discussion with people we meet for the first time, we would first introduce
ourselves and then ask others to introduce themselves so that the entire group knows each
other before the discussion begins. While introducing oneself, it is preferable to use one’s
first name in informal situations and full name in formal situations. It would be appropriate
to smile, look friendly, and keep the introduction very brief by giving our full name and
designation. Avoid titles such as Mr, Ms, Dr, or Prof. while introducing oneself, but use them
while introducing others. For example:

‘Good morning, I am Dilip Kulkarni, Coordinator, Techfest 2010.’ (introducing self)

‘This is Mr Naresh Kohli, leader of the sponsorship team.’ (introducing others)

‘Excuse me, friends, could you please introduce yourselves?’ (if you want others to introduce
themselves)

GROUP DISCUSSIONS

In group discussions (GDs), a particular number of people (approximately three to eight)

meet face to face and, through free oral interaction, develop, share, and discuss ideas.

Group discussions are widely used in many organizations for decision-making and problem
solving. They are also used widely as a personality test for evaluating several candidates
simultaneously to select personnel for positions of responsibility, especially in the service
sector, and also to select students for admission to professional institutes.

The Indian defence forces were the first to tap the potential of GDs and incorporate them
into their battery of tests for recruitment of officers. Since then, GDs have become popular
with various recruiting bodies because of their operational ease and effectiveness in terms
of both time and cost. Most reputed business schools require students to participate in a GD

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before moving on to the final stage of the selection procedure, the interview. In a few cases,
the GD may not be an elimination round, i.e., every person who participates in the GD also
gets an opportunity to appear for the interview.

The preceding section on discussions familiarized us with the various functions performed
by a participant during a discussion. A GD also includes all those functions, and hence the
same guidelines apply. However, when we discuss issues as a group, we need to give
importance to the characteristics of group behaviour—group orientation, orderly conduct,
time-sharing, involving everyone, respecting others’ viewpoints, cooperation, etc. In the
following sections, we will discuss some strategies that can be used to perform well in group
discussions.

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