2. Business Communication Ass-2

7/30/2019 2. Business Communication Ass-2

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Spring / February 2012

ROLL No. - 511223187 1

Master of Business Administration-MBA Semester 1

MB0039Business Communication - 4 Credits

(Book ID: B1128)

Assignment Set- 1 (60 Marks)

Note: Each question carries 10 Marks. Answer all the questions.

Q 1. List the differences between extensive reading and intensive reading.

Answer:

Reading is essentially a process of decoding messages, with a view to understanding a

written text. It has various purposes, such as reading for personal interest, pleasure or forgaining information. A single text is not written for any one purpose, but could meet any

purpose, depending on individual needs.

Reading in the real sense is an active, rather than a passive process. Active reading meansreading to grasp the meaning. It is a skill which has to be developed and practiced.

Based on the purpose for which we are reading, there are five different types of reading

1. SkimmingQuickly glancing over a text to get a general idea of the content

2. ScanningCareful reading to find out specific details

3. Extensive readingRapid reading to get an overall understanding of the matter

4. Intensive readingReading slowly with concentration to get specific details

5. Silent or loud reading This depends on whether we are reading to ourselves or

reading to others

Extensive Reading:

Our way of reading is influenced by the purpose of our reading. Most of us have the habit

of reading especially when we are free, or have a lot of leisure time. We might get hold ofa novel, a comic strip, or a magazine. When we read for the pure pleasure of reading, it is

known as extensive reading. However, it should not be given less priority, because it is

extensive reading. It is enjoyable, as well as informative. Here, we practice rapid reading

to get a global/overall understanding of the matter.

Intensive Reading:

When we read shorter texts like a research paper for getting specific details orinformation, we read slowly with a lot of concentration. This is known as intensive

reading. When you read a book as a resource material for research, you read it intensively

because the overall understanding is not the objective or purpose of our reading. When

you read an article in order to write a review on it, you read it intensively. We use all the

skills of reading when we do intensive reading.


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ROLL No. - 511223187 2

Q 2. Explain the different advantages and disadvantages of intranet

Answer:

An intranet is a private computer network. Intranet uses Internet protocols and networkconnectivity to securely share part of an organization's information or operations with its

employees. The same concepts and technologies of the Internet such as clients and

servers running on the Internet protocol suite are used to build an intranet. HTTP, FTP

and other Internet protocols are used in intranet. There is often an attempt to use Internettechnologies to provide new interfaces with corporate "legacy" data and information

systems. Intranets are generally restricted to employees of the organization while

extranets can generally be accessed by customers, suppliers, or other approved parties.

Increasingly, intranets are being used to deliver tools and applications, e.g., collaboration(to facilitate working in groups and teleconferencing) or sophisticated corporate

directories, sales and CRM tools, project management etc., to advance productivity.

Intranets are also being used as culture change platforms. For example, large numbers of

employees discussing key issues in an online forum could lead to new ideas. Intranettraffic, like public facing web site traffic, is better understood by using web metrics

software to track overall activity, as well as through surveys of users. Most commonly,intranets are owned by the communications, HR or CIO areas of large organizations

Advantages of intranets

a) Increased Productivity: Intranets can help users to locate and view information faster

and use applications relevant to their roles and responsibilities. With the help of a webbrowser interface, users can access data held in any database the organization wants to

make available, anytime and subject to security provisions from anywhere within the

company workstations, increasing employees' ability to perform their jobs faster, more

accurately, and with confidence that they have the right information. It also helps to

improve the services provided to the users.

b) Reduced Time: With intranets, organizations can make more information available to

employees in less time.

c) Improved Communication: Intranets can serve as powerful tools for communication

within an organization, vertically and horizontally. From a communications standpoint,intranets are useful to communicate strategic initiatives that have a global reach

throughout the organization. The type of information that can easily be conveyed is the

purpose of the initiative and what the initiative is aiming to achieve, who is driving theinitiative, results achieved to date, and who to speak to for more information. By

providing this information on the intranet, staff have the opportunity to keep up-to-date

with the strategic focus of the organization.

d) Web Publishing: Web publishing allows 'cumbersome' corporate knowledge to be

maintained and easily accessed throughout the company using hypermedia and Web

technologies.

e) Business operations and management: Intranets are also being used as a platform fordeveloping and deploying applications to support business operations and decisions

across the internetworked enterprise.


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f) Cost-effective:

Users can view information and data via web browser rather than maintaining physical

documents such as procedure manuals, internal phone list and requisition forms.

g) Enhance Collaboration: With information easily accessible by all authorized users,

teamwork is enabled.

Disadvantages

Extranets can be expensive to implement and maintain within an organization (e.g.:

hardware, software, employee training costs) if hosted internally instead of via an

ASP. Security of extranets can be a big concern when dealing with valuable information.System access needs to be carefully controlled to avoid sensitive information falling into

the wrong hands. Extranets can reduce personal contact (facetoface meetings) with

customers and business partners. This could cause a lack of connections made between

people and a company, which hurts the business when it comes to loyalty of its business

partners and customers.

Q 3 List the different principles of business letter writing.Answer:

The principles of Good Business Letter can be described in the following ways:

1) Knowing the Addressee Good Business Letter should contain the relevantinformation about the knowledge of subject and the person to whom it is addressed. It

will create maximum influence on the reader and will benefit in best possible way.

2) Writing NaturallyGood Business Letter should have genuineness in expression

of thoughts or ideas. It should be written in soft spoken language and the reader should

believe that we are in conversation with him.

3) Writing Clearly and Without Ambiguity Good Business Letter should be freefrom any confusion or ambiguity. It should insured clarity of thoughts with no omission

of words, no faulty punctuation and no disorderly arrangement of facts. There has to be

affixation of full stops and commas at right places so that there is no change in the senseor subject of the matter. Besides this, there has to be proper specification of numbers and

figures to maintain the authenticity of the matter. The faulty punctuations or faulty words

may prove disaster or failure for the business relations.

4) Writing CompletelyGood Business Letter should have all the relevant facts and

complete information so that there are no unnecessary queries. The letter should be

complete in all aspects and everything should be described or written specifically.

5) Courtesy and ConsiderationThe courtesy in business correspondence is simplynot restricted to obligatory words like Thank you or Please but implies to promptness

in attending to the letters. It is important to acknowledge letters when it is not possible to

give immediate replies. There has to be politeness in declining business proposals orsaying no and it has to be done in decent manner. In business, courtesy begets courtesy,

so there has to be congenial and friendly with business associates and parties


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6) Avoiding Jugglery or Jumbling of WordsIt is important that the language of theletters should be simple and should not be like essay or article from literary point of view.

It has to be written in short sentences with simple words. The letter should not have

typical or difficult words and it should be refrained from verbose or prosaic style of

writing.

7) Avoiding the use of commercial words/phrases/abbreviations The use ofcommercial words/phrases/abbreviations should be avoided as they have become

obsolete and out of practice. There are some important commercial terms that cannot be

substituted, yet they should be minimize or avoided in the letters.

Q 4. Write short notes on (a) corporate identity advertising (b) institutional

advertising.

Answer:

a) Corporate Communications, a corporate identity is the "persona" of a corporationwhich is designed to accord with and facilitate the attainment of business objectives. It is

usually visibly manifested by way of branding and the use of trademarks.

Corporate identity comes into being when there is a common ownership of an

organizational philosophy that is manifest in a distinct corporate culture the corporate

personality. At its most profound, the public feel that they have ownership of thephilosophy.[2] Often referred to as organizational identity, corporate identity helps

organizations to answer questions like who are we? and where are we going?

Corporate identity also allows consumers to denote their sense of belonging with

particular human aggregates or groups.

In general, this amounts to a corporate title, logo (logotype and/or logogram), and

supporting devices commonly assembled within a set of guidelines. These guidelinesgovern how the identity is applied and confirm approved colour palettes, typefaces, page

layouts and other such methods of maintaining visual continuity and brand recognitionacross all physical manifestations of the brand. These guidelines are usually formulated

into a package of tools called corporate identity manuals.

Many companies, such as McDonald's and Electronic Arts, have their own identity that

runs through all of their products and merchandise. The trademark "M" logo and theyellow and red appears consistently throughout the McDonald's packaging and

advertisements. Many companies pay large amounts of money for the research, design

and execution involved in creating an identity that is extremely distinguishable and

appealing to the company's target audience.b) Institutional advertising is marketing designed to promote a company rather than a

specific good or service. It can be designed to make the public more aware of a companyor to improve the reputation and image of an existing company. Depending on the

company, this can be a form of brand advertising.


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Many forms of advertising are about promoting products. This can involve promoting anew product so that the public is aware of its existence, or trying to persuade the public to

buy more of an existing product. Institutional advertising instead promotes the company

itself. One example would be a grocery chain running advertisements which stressed thegeneral quality or low prices of its food, rather than detailing specific offers it was

running.

Some forms of institutional advertising are so geared towards promoting a positive image

that they effectively discourage sales of a product to some extent. For example, alcohol

firms may run commercials warning against excessive drinking or driving while underthe influence. Such commercials are usually designed to improve the image of the

company, making it seem more trustworthy or responsible.

Q 5. Discuss the different types of business reports.

Answer:Different types of reports used for communication in the business world. Choosing the

right type of report also requires a smart analysis. The writer must decide what type touse based on the information that he or she is trying to communicate. Also the writer

must take into consideration their intended audience. Is the audience expecting the report

to be in a specific format? Are they used to receiving information in one way? and which

format will convey the message in the most appropriate way? Finally, how formal orinformal should the report be.

Reports, according to this article, can be classified as according to function or accordingto formality. Reports according to function can also be subdivided into the following:

Informational reports. Analytical reports Research reportsWhere as reports according to formality can be subdivided into the following:

Statutory reports

Non statutory or voluntary reports

The article goes further into outlining other types or reports such as information,

analytical, research, statutory, non-statutory, special, and routine reports.

Information reports are solely to provide facts with out suggestion or personal opinions.

What ever ones findings are that is whats reported. These facts are given with outpersonal explanation or, again, any suggestions.

Analytical reports are one step further as they contain facts along side analyticalexplanation of these facts. They contain a sort of a narration of facts and collected data.They also contain a conclusion or a set of interpretations reached by the writer.

Documents

2. Business Communication Ass-2