Comment on the appropriateness of each of the.

Q1
different communication channels for each of the
following business situations. a) Performance
appraisal, b) Disciplining an employee, c) Handling a
.customer's warranty complaint

:Types of Communication
– Communication may be divided into two areas
.Verbal communication .1
.Nonverbal communication .2
:Verbal communication.1
Verbal communication, or communication through words, provides
the opportunity for personal contact and two way flow of information.
A large part of our communication, whether at work or outside, is
.verbal in nature
Verbal communication in turn, may be divided into two areas
.a. oral communication
b. written communication
:a. Oral communication
Oral communication may be defined as a process whereby a speaker
interacts verbally with one or more listeners, in order to influence the
.latter’s behavior in some way or the other
Example – In a business context, a manager doing a performance
appraisal with an employee, or a sales manager making a sales plan
presentation to his sales team. Oral communication in a business
context can take the form of meetings, presentations, one-to-one
.meetings, performance reviews and so on
:b. Written communication
Written communication is a process whereby a writer interacts
verbally with a receiver, in order to influence the latter’s behavior.
Example – A manager writing a letter of apology in response to a
.customer’s complaint regarding poor service
:Nonverbal communication.2
It defined as communication without words. It refers to any way of
conveying meanings without the use of verbal language. The game
of “dumb charades” is a perfect example. Nonverbal communication
is generally unintentional, unlike verbal communication. All of us
tend to communicate silently and unknowingly send signals and
messages by what we do, apart from what we say. Gestures, facial
expressions, posture and the way we dress, are all part of nonverbal
communication. Nonverbal communication can have a greater
impact than verbal communication, since “how you say something”
is sometimes more important than “what you say.” Although
nonverbal communication can affect both our personal and business
relationships, it is particularly important in the workplace. Therefore,
while the spoken or written words may be perfect, the nonverbal
.aspects could convey the exact opposite meaning
Imagine that you are attending a business seminar..Q1
What are the different barriers that might come in the
way of your listening effectively? Suggest ways to
.overcome these barriers

:Barriers to Listening
There are a number of obstacles that stand in the way of effective
listening, both within and outside the workplace. These barriers may be
– categorized as follows
Physiological Barriers.1
Some people may have genuine hearing problems or deficiencies
that prevent them from listening properly. Once detected, they can
generally be treated. Other people may have difficulty in processing
information, or memory related problems which make them poor
listeners. Another physiological barrier is rapid thought. Listeners
have the ability to process information at the rate of approximately
500 words per minute, whereas speakers talk at around 125 words
per minute. Since listeners are left with a lot of spare time, their
attention may not be focused on what the speaker is saying, but may
.wander elsewhere
Physical Barriers.2
These refer to distractions in the environment such as the sound of
an air conditioner, cigarette smoke, or an overheated room, which
interfere with the listening process. They could also be in the form of
.information overload
Attitudinal Barriers.3
Preoccupation with personal or work related problems can make it
difficult to focus one’s attention completely on what a speaker is
saying, even if what is being said is of prime importance. Another
common attitudinal barrier is egocentrism, or the belief that you are
more knowledgeable than the speaker and that you have nothing
new to learn from his ideas. People with this kind of closed minded
.attitude make very poor listeners
Wrong Assumptions.4
The success of communication depends on both the sender and the
receiver. It is wrong to assume that communication is the sole
responsibility of the sender or the speaker and that listener have no
role to play. Such an assumption can be a big barrier to listening.
Another wrong assumption is to think that listening is a passive
activity, in which a listener merely absorbs the thoughts of the
speaker. On the contrary, real listening or active listening is hard
work – it requires speaking sometimes to ask questions, agree or
disagree with the speaker, give feedback etc. Yet another barrier of
this type is to assume that speakers are more powerful than
listeners. Speakers are seen as being in command of things, whereas
listeners are seen to be weak and lacking authority. According to
communication experts however, the reverse is true. Listeners are as
important and as powerful as speakers. In fact David J. Schwartz,
writer and management professor, emphasizes the importance of
listening by saying “Big people monopolize the listening. Small
”.people monopolize the talking
Cultural Barriers.5
It can be barriers to listening, since they interfere with the ability to
understand the meaning of words that are pronounced differently.
The problem of different accents arises not only between cultures,
but also within a culture. Another type of cultural barrier is differing
cultural values. The importance attached to listening and speaking
differs in western and oriental cultures. Generally, Orientals regard
listening and silence as almost a virtue, whereas Westerners attach
greater importance to speaking. Therefore this would interfere with
the listening process, when two people from these two different
.cultures communicate
Gender Barriers.6
Communication research has shown that gender can be a barrier to
listening. Studies have revealed that men and women listen very
differently and for different purposes. Women are more likely to
listen for emotions behind a speaker’s words, while men listen more
.for the fact and the content
A male user may take his answer at face value, whereas a female
user may detect some hesitation in his voice. This is because the
male user listens for the content of the message, whereas the female
.user listens for the tone of the message
Lack of Training.7
Lack of Training Listening is not an inborn skill. People are not born
good listeners. They have to develop the art of listening through
practice and training. Lack of training in listening skills is an
important barrier to listening, especially in the Indian context. Lee
Iacocca, former Chairman of the Chrysler Corporation in the US, was
one of the first to recognize the need for organized training programs
in listening skills. Today, many organizations both in India and abroad
.incorporate listening skills in their training programs
Bad Listening Habits.8
Most people are very average listeners who have developed poor
listening habits that are hard to shed and that act as barriers to
listening. For example, some people have the habit of “faking”
attention or trying to look like a listener, in order to impress the
speaker and to assure him that they are paying attention. Others
may tend to listen to each and every fact and, as a result, miss out
on the main point. Yet another habit is to avoid difficult listening and
to tune off deliberately, if the subject is too technical or difficult to
understand. Sometimes, the subject itself may be dismissed as
.uninteresting, because the listener does not want to listen

-Ways to Overcome These Listening Barriers

:Some of the suggested methods are listed in detail below
Create a Conducive Environment .1
To an extent, you can try to control the environment in which
communication takes place, so that listening can take place without
any distractions. Ensuring a proper sound system and acoustics so
that the speaker is audible, avoiding places with high levels of
activity, loud noises from the outside environment and poor air
conditioning systems, shutting off mobile phones and telephones are
some of the ways in which you can overcome some of the physical
.barriers to listening
Select Face-to-face Channels .2
Listening is less accurate in the absence of face-to-face
communication. For example, listening to and understanding ideas
correctly over the telephone are much harder than through a face-to-
face meeting. Take the case of calling a restaurant and placing
orders over the telephone for home delivery of a meal. The chances
are that your orders may not be understood correctly. Therefore, as
far as possible, arrange face-to-face contact to ensure more accurate
.listening
Be Open minded and Avoid Distractions .3
Listening is an exhausting activity which requires the right attitude
and mindset. You have to focus your attention completely on what
the speaker is saying, without letting your mind wander. This kind of
concentration can be developed through various techniques and
through constant practice. In addition, it is also important to rid
yourself of the notion that you have nothing new to learn from the
other person. Even if it is a subject about which you may be
knowledgeable, the speaker may offer a different perspective or
.point of view. Therefore it is important to listen actively
Use Nonverbal Cues to Indicate Active Listening .4
It is important to communicate to the speaker that you are listening
actively to what he is saying. This can be done even without verbal
communication. All the different aspects of nonverbal communication
discussed earlier should be used for maximum effect. For example,
maintaining steady eye contact with the speaker, sitting up with an
erect posture, nodding now and then to show appreciation and
understanding and appropriate facial expressions are some of the
ways in which your nonverbal communication can indicate that you
.are involved in what the speaker is saying
Use Verbal Communication to Indicate Active Listening .5
While nonverbal behavior by itself can communicate that you are an
active listener, it is also important to engage in verbal
communication with the speaker. Silence is often interpreted as lack
of understanding or attention. You need to seek clarifications, give
feedback and suggestions, or just paraphrase in your own words
what the speaker has said, in Order to convey that you have
.understood his message
Listen First Before Responding .6
Always let yourself finish listening before you begin to speak. Avoid
the tendency to formulate your own response, even before you have
listened completely to the speaker’s words. If you are too busy
thinking about what to say next, you may miss the main point that
the speaker is trying to make. This also gives the speaker the
.impression that you are preoccupied or rude
Use the Speaker listener Gap Constructively .7
It was pointed out earlier that listeners have the ability to absorb
information faster than speakers’ rate of speech. This spare time
available to listeners is often misused by letting the mind wander and
is one of the physiological barriers to listening. One way of
overcoming this barrier is to try to use this spare time to note down
what the speaker has said, review what has been said so far and
anticipate what he may say next. Thinking ahead of the speaker and
trying to guess where his talk is leading is a good strategy for
effective listening. This is not easy, but can be learnt through proper
.training
Focus on the Verbal and Nonverbal Message .8
Listening involves not only hearing and understanding the meaning
behind the words, but also being alert to the nonverbal behavior of
the speaker. The importance of nonverbal cues has been emphasized
throughout this book. It is important to watch for any positive or
negative messages that may be conveyed through the speaker’s
.tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures and outward appearance
Focus on the Content, rather than the Delivery .9
In order to grasp the true meaning of what the speaker is saying, it is
important to concentrate on the content of the message, rather than
on how the message is delivered. For example, looking at the power
point slides during a speaker’s presentation may distract your
attention from the main point that he is trying to convey. Similarly,
being over critical of the speaker’s accent or mannerisms may make
.you miss the essence of the message

Ask Questions of Yourself and Make Notes .10

In order to engage in active listening, you also need to ask certain
questions to yourself while listening. For example, “What is the key
”?idea that the speaker is trying to convey
How does this fit in with I already know on the subject?” or “How is“
this presentation organized?” are some possible questions that you
.could jot down along with the answers

The table below sums up some of the characteristics of good listeners,

based on studies carried out on perceptions of listening behavior

- A Good Listener -
.Considers al evidence before jumping to a conclusion.1
Takes notes when listening, in order to recall information or understand a.2
.difficult idea
Concentrates on what the speaker is saying and not on unrelated thoughts.3
.Is willing to consider the opinions of others.4
.Listens openly when others disagree with him.5
Encourages others to express their ideas, instead of occupying center .6
.stage
.Is able to grasp the main idea from others’ comments.7
 .Is curious about other people and their ideas.8
.Does not interrupt others, or change the topic to suit his purpose.9
Makes the speaker feel comfortable while talking.10
.Remembers important ideas given by others, even when he is busy.11
Does not pretend to understand, when he is confused.12
Recognizes that people may change over time and have something new to .13
.offer
.Tries to find solutions to others’ problems.14
.Knows when to speak and when to listen.15

Mention two different situations (imaginary) when oral.Q1

presentations would be more effective than written
presentations, reasoning why. Explain the different
principles for making successful oral business
.presentations
Example – In a business context, a manger doing a performance
appraisal with an employee, or a sales manager making sales plan
presentation to his sales team. In the first example, the manager may
point out areas of improvement and in the second case; the sales
manager may be explaining how to achieve new sales targets
Oral business Presentation is a powerful way of presenting your
ideas to others, and is usually called for when a written memo or report
will not be sufficient to do the job. A written presentation is less
.effective in some manner
:Principles for making successful oral business presentation
Definition of the Purpose of the Presentation.1
Before preparing for the presentation, it is important to be clear on
the goal of the presentation. A “statement of purpose”, expressing
what you want to achieve through the presentation should be
framed, so that it becomes easy to measure whether the goal has
been accomplished or not. The purpose of the presentation may be
stated in broad or general terms, or in more specific terms. A general
statement of purpose could be expressed in terms of one of the
:following
To Inform: A presentation that seeks to inform would merely.a
create awareness about developments and progress on specific
fronts, or try to spread knowledge about something new. In the
table above, the first eight types of presentations are aimed at
informing different audiences about something or the other –new
procedures, new terminology, new software, findings of a study,
sales progress, company achievements, viewpoints and
.background
To Persuade: A presentation that aims to persuade would try to .b
.change the attitude or behavior of the audience
It usually involves selling either a product, or an idea. In the
above table, the product presentation, project proposal and
policy proposal, are all persuasive presentations. The product
presentation seeks to persuade consumers to try a new product,
the project proposal tries to persuade bankers to provide funds
for a new project and the policy proposal tries to persuade top
management to adopt a new policy of reimbursing mobile
.expenses
To Entertain: A presentation with this purpose is meant to .c
make the audience relax and have a good time. In the table
above, presentations marking special occasions such as the
company anniversary, may merely focus on making people feel
.good about them
Although it is useful to define the general purpose of a presentation,
it is more important to name a specific statement of purpose, which
– clearly spells out the answers to the following questions
?Whom do I want to influence.1
?What do I want them to do at the end of the presentation.2
?How do I want them to do it.3
?When.4
?Where.5

Development of the Key Idea.1

The key idea of a presentation is a statement that expresses the
main message to be conveyed to your audience. It is different
from a statement of purpose, in that the purpose is generally meant
for yourself as the presenter, while the key idea is mentioned to the
.audience at the beginning of the presentation
Audience Analysis.2
Making a good presentation alone is not enough. It also has to be
tailored to your listeners, in such a way that they understand and
appreciate it. The following information should be gathered about your
– audience, even before you begin preparing for the presentation
Job Designations and Areas of Expertise: You need to find.a
out whether the audience comprises of specialists in a particular
area such as information technology, or generalists. If they are
specialists, your presentation could include technical aspects and
jargon, which they would be able to understand. If not, you may
have to make the presentation simpler, or explain some of the
.terms elaborately
Preferred Style of Presentation: It would also be relevant to.b
know the personal preferences of your audience, with regard to
the style of presentation that they are most comfortable with.
Some people may prefer a more informal or conversational style
with some humor thrown in, to a more formal style. Others may
like the presentation to be made at a slower pace. It should be
remembered however, that humor should be used with care, so
that it is relevant and does not offend the audience. Analyzing all
this in advance would help in determining how the presentation
.should be delivered
Demographic Characteristics of the Audience: The gender,.c
age, cultural background and economic status of the audience
also need to be studied in advance, so that the presentation may
.be tailored to appeal to that particular audience
Example – A financial planner addressing an audience comprising
of senior citizens, is likely to suggest investment options that
would be different from those that might be suggested for a
.younger audience
Size of the Audience: The size of the audience would.d
determine your presentation style, the time set aside for
questions and answers, the size of the visuals and so on. With a
smaller group, the presentation could be made less formal, the
time for questions and answers less and the visuals smaller, than
.for a larger group
The Level of Knowledge on the Subject: You need to know.e
how familiar your audience is with the subject of the
presentation. If the audience comprises of experts in that
particular area, basic explanations may not be needed. On the
other hand, if the level of familiarity is not so high, a lot of
.background information and explanation will be required
The Attitude of the Audience: The attitude of your listeners,.f
both towards you as a speaker and towards the topic of the
presentation, needs to be studied in advance. If the audience is
prejudiced towards you for some reason, you may have to alter
your style of presentation considerably. If the presentation
happens to be on a sensitive topic, you may have to proceed
very tactfully. This is especially true of presentations that aim to
.persuade
Analysis of Yourself as a Speaker.3
Apart from analyzing your audience, you also need to do a self-
analysis to determine your own purpose of making the presentation,
your level of knowledge on the subject and your feelings about the
subject. As explained earlier, a clear statement of the specific purpose
of the presentation should be developed. If you have a choice of
subject, it is always better to speak on a subject on which you are an
authority. If the choice is not given to you and you are less
knowledgeable, then it is important to research the subject
thoroughly, so that you are in a position to anticipate and answer any
questions. Finally, you need to assess your feelings about the subject
and make sure that you are convinced enough to be able to persuade
others as well. This is similar to a salesperson being convinced about a
.product to be sold
Analysis of the Circumstances.4
This includes taking into consideration any limitations of
infrastructure, time and context that might affect your presentation in
any way. For example, if you will be speaking in a small room where
the lighting and the acoustics are insufficient, you may have to
overcome these limitations by altering the seating arrangement, using
brighter visuals and speaking loudly. If the presentation is to be made
after lunch, it may have to be made more attention getting, so that
the audience is kept alert. If you are making a presentation as part of
a team, your style of presentation has to be consistent with that of
.your team members
Preparation of Outline.5
Once the initial groundwork has been done, you will need to develop
an outline of your presentation. Irrespective of the nature and purpose
of the presentation, a standard format is generally followed, including
– the following
Introduction This should include an “attention getter” to get the.a
audience involved and interested in the presentation topic.
Several techniques may be used to command attention, which
will be discussed later. The key idea, or main message which was
discussed earlier, will also be conveyed to the audience during
.the introduction
Body or Main Section This is where the main points will be.b
presented and elaborated upon. It is best to limit the number of
main points to five, so as not to overload the listeners with too
.much information
Conclusion A brief summary of the presentation, along with.c
concluding remarks would be included in this section. The
conclusion should have as much “punch” as the attention getter
.in the introduction
Collection of Information and Material.6
Once the outline of the presentation has been developed, you will
need to start gathering the relevant material. This is a time consuming
process and requires a fair amount of research. The information can
generally be gathered from existing sources such as magazines,
newspapers and the internet. Sometimes, you may need to do original
research in the form of a survey to gather fresh data. For example, if
you are making a presentation on a new product, you may have to
conduct a survey to find out how consumers feel about that product
.concept and also about similar, competing products
Organization of the Body.7
The body of the presentation should always be prepared before the
introduction. Organizing the body consists in identifying the key points
that will support your main idea and then selecting an organizational
plan to develop these key points. For example of a sales presentation
on a vacuum cleaner to prospective customers, where the key idea is
to highlight that it is superior to competing brands. The main points in
– this case may be
.It has greater cleaning power than other brands.1
.It is more affordable.2
.It is easier to use than other brands.3
Once the main points have been determined, sub points can be
.developed to expand on each of these
Planning the Introduction.1
Since the introduction is where you make the first impression, it
should be planned with care. It should take up between 10 and 15
percent of your total speaking time. At the outset, you need to try and
establish your credibility, by showing that you are qualified to speak
on the subject of the presentation. An attention getting opener should
be developed, using techniques such as humor, dramatic questions,
.an interesting story, a quotation or a startling statement
Planning the Conclusion.2
The conclusion of a presentation should be shorter than the
introduction and occupy only 5 per cent of the entire presentation.
Generally, every conclusion should have a review and a closing
statement. The review is essentially a reinforcement of the key idea
and a summary of the main points. The main points can be
enumerated, as in the outline of the presentation. The closing
statement should be as strong as your opening statement, so that
your audience will remember the presentation. Therefore, the same
techniques used to capture audience attention may also be used to
prepare a good closing statement. In the case of persuasive
presentations, the closing statement can include a call for immediate
.action
Selection of a Delivery Style.3
Once your presentation has been adequately prepared in terms of
content, you also need to ensure that it will be delivered effectively,
.by selecting an appropriate style of delivery
:Five different delivery styles are available to speakers
Speaking Impromptu – In this case, the speaker is called upon to(a
say a few words without any warning or advance notice. Since there is
little or no time given for preparation, it is suited for only expert
speakers. Impromptu speeches should be brief, simple and direct,
.compared to prepared speeches
Speaking Extemporaneously – This is different from speaking(b
impromptu. While impromptu speeches are delivered on the spot and
not rehearsed, an extemporaneous speech is prepared and rehearsed
in advance, but delivered naturally, without the support of notes or
other aids. This is the delivery style used by experienced
professionals, who have sufficient knowledge of the subject to be able
.to speak without relying on notes
Memorizing the Presentation – This is the least appealing style of (c
delivery, since it comes across as unnatural and monotonous to the
audience. A speaker who memorizes and delivers a presentation word
for word will also be at a disadvantage if he forgets a part of the
.speech since he or she will be unable to speak naturally
Reading from Written Notes – This consists in reading the entire (d
presentation from notes. It is a method used by government or
business officials and may be appropriate when the material to be
presented is highly technical or complex. However, it has some
limitations. First, it gives the impression that the speech is very long
and heavy. Secondly, it prevents the presenter from making eye
.contact with the audience
Speaking from Notes – This is generally the most effective style of(e
delivery. It consists in jotting down the main ideas in point form on
index cards and then referring to these cards merely as a trigger while
speaking. If the main ideas are put down briefly on the cards, the
speaker can elaborate on these ideas in his own words and speak for
any length of time. The presentation is likely to be more effective,
since it comes across as natural and permits eye contact with the
.audience
The Office Manager of a company has written to you,.Q1
requesting you to replace the lot of 30 defective
printers that he bought from you tend days ago. Write
a letter in response to his request, declining
replacement, but suggesting an alternative, which you
.think will retain his loyalty as a customer

August 05, 2009

To: Internet Access Alex
Mr. Mohamed Samir
Office Manager
Manal Jewelry Building
.Roushdy, Alex

,Dear Mr. Mohamed

Reference to your letter date August 04, 2009 regarding the

replacement of your printers, I regret to inform you that we are
unable to replace the said printers since our technicians installed
and tested the printers on the delivery date and they were all
working and in good condition. Also, unfortunately our
.replacement policy is 7 days period and you exceeded this period

Since you are one of our major customers, I would like to propose
and alternate solution for you; all defective printers will be
repaired by our authorized service center. You are not required to
send your printers to the service center; instead, we will send our
technicians to your place to check and repair the defective printers
tomorrow. All none working parts due to technical defeats will be
.replaced on discounted rates and service will be for free
If any further issue related to the problem you can freely contact
.us on our customer support number
I apologize for any inconvenience and hope that this solution will
keep you satisfied with our services

,Sincerely
Yehia Moustafa
Smouha Electronics
 3354 222 012 2+

Assume that you are the president of the Mess.Q2

Committee in your college and that you have received
several complaints from the students, concerning the
quality of food and timings for various meals. The
Complaints are regarding the following issues:
unhygienic conditions, overcrowding, tasteless food,
excessive oil and spices and no variation. Write a
report to the director of your institute, on the basis of
the data procured and suggest means through which it
.can be improved

10th June 2009

Gamal Mokhtar
Director
.AAST
,Al-Syof 456
Alexandria, Egypt

Dear Mr. Gamal

I am writing to you regarding complains I have been receiving

.lately from most of the students in our institute
These complains are concerning the quality of food and timing for
various meals. Also, the unhygienic conditions, overcrowding in
.canteen, tasteless food, excessive oil & spices and no variation
My Suggestion that you take some strict decision for hygienic
procedures. Employees can also get some training from any
cooking institute. As for the crowds I suggest that different sets of
meals are pre-prepared so the students can pick and go easily.
Also, for the timings the canteen can work through the day so
.students with different timings can easily use the canteen

I hope that you take the matter seriously and that you find my
suggestions helpful

,Your sincerely
 Hala AB Nayel
President of Mess Committee

Case Study: Business Meeting in the UK.Q3

Develop a set of specific guidelines, both for
conducting and participating in business meetings in
.the UK, based on the facts of the case
The communication culture of the UK business world is more open and
relaxed than many imagine, with efforts to extend a work relationship
into the realms of informality or even friendship. UK businesspeople
employ a unique style of conversation, unlike their European or
American counterparts. "The British have an interesting mix of
communication styles encompassing both understatement and direct
",communication
While stating that some, especially older, members of the community
still use quite formal language, the website points out that the British
tend to use qualifiers such as ‘possibly' or ‘it could be' to avoid making
exaggerated claims. Overwhelmingly, the British conversational style is
.more understated than direct
The British dislike animated or heated discussions and tend to avoid
raised voices or over-enthusiastic body language. The whole though,
.communication in the UK is reasonably relaxed, friendly and informal
Kwintessential reveals that workplace conversations can be about
personal issues in addition to business matters. This means that
relationships between colleagues can often approach friendship more
than relationships found in other countries, with individuals who have
frequent contact through business conversing about their families and
leisure activities. According to Executive Planet, humor is also prized by
the British and seen as a positive addition to communication. The
culture of ‘banter', or short, humorous exchanges, is an established
tradition in the UK, which may seem strange to those more accustomed
.to a thoroughly formal working environment
Occasionally, these exchanges can display inappropriate levity,
although this is very unlikely to occur in a serious business encounter
and is more likely to happen between two people who are quite familiar
with each other. "Business meetings are one arena in which poor
etiquette can have negative effects," the website says. By improving
your business meeting etiquette you automatically improve your
.chances of success, it continues
Attendees to the meeting will usual undertake a degree of small talk
before the proper start, with any greetings, handshakes and
.introductions being made as necessary
Once the meeting starts, it will be chaired by the most senior person
present - although the proceedings are not conducted in as hierarchical
.a fashion as found in other countries
Business meetings in the UK are more of an open forum than a top-
.heavy setting of the agenda
Objective criticism and free discussion of the topic at hand are
encouraged more than they are in other cultures, with individuals
.allowed to express their views and ideas as appropriate