Business Communications (525)

Business Communications Assignment # 1

Assignment # 1

Business Communication (525) Semester: Spring 2010 – MBA

SUBMITTED TO: MRS.

TASLEEM KIANI

SUBMITTED BY: AH524979

Date: 28thAugust, 2010

Table of Contents Question # 1: ................................................................................................................................................. 1

THE SEVEN C’S OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION .................................................................................................. 1 C O M P L E T E N E S S ................................................................................................................................. 1 C O N C I S E N E S S .................................................................................................................................... 4 C O N S I D E R A T I O N ............................................................................................................................... 6 C O N C R E T E N E S S ................................................................................................................................. 9 C L A R I T Y ............................................................................................................................................ 12 C O U R T E S Y ........................................................................................................................................ 14 C O R R E C T N E S S ................................................................................................................................. 16 Question # 2(a): ........................................................................................................................................... 18

THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE............................................................................................................................ 18 CULTURAL VARIABLES .................................................................................................................................. 20 N A T I O N A L C U L T U R A L V A R I A B L E S ............................................................................................. 20 I N D I V I D U A L C U L T U R A L V A R I A B L E S .......................................................................................... 23 Question # 2(b): .......................................................................................................................................... 27

PERSONAL ETHICS ....................................................................................................................................... 27 F A M I L Y I N F L U E N C E S P E R S O N A L E T H I C S ( P E O P L E ) ............................................................ 28 R E L I G I O U S B E L I E F S I M P A C T P E R S O N A L E T H I C S ( R E L I G I O N ) ........................................... 28 C U L T U R E A F F E C T S E T H I C A L N O R M S ( C U L T U R E ) .................................................................. 28 E X P E R I E N C E C A N S H I F T Y O U R E T H I C S ( L A W ) ..................................................................... 28 I N T E R N A L / P E R S O N A L R E F L E C T I O N ( P H I L O S O P H Y ) ......................................................... 29 Question #3: ................................................................................................................................................ 29

VARIOUS CHALLENGES THAT BUSINESSES FACE IN HANDLING NEW TECHNOLOGIES .................................................. 29 C H A N G I N G T E C H N O L O G I E S I N T H E N E W W O R L D ................................................................... 29 T E C H N O L O G Y A C C E P T A N C E I N P A K I S T A N I S C E N A R I O ......................................................... 30 T Y P E S O F C O M M U N I C A T I O N B A R R I E R S ................................................................................... 30 A D O P T I N G N E W T E C H N O L O G I E S – R I S K S I N P A K I S T A N ..................................................... 31 F I V E B I G G E S T C H A L L E N G E S I N P A K I S T A N ............................................................................... 32 M U L T I N A T I O N A L S I N P A K I S T A N ................................................................................................ 33 D E V E L O P A N I N F O R M A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y C H A N G E M A N A G E M E N T P R O G R A M .......... 33 Question #4(a):............................................................................................................................................ 36

EXCHANGE RATE ......................................................................................................................................... 36 FLUCTUATIONS IN EXCHANGE RATES ................................................................................................................ 37 REPORT: .................................................................................................................................................... 38 P R O B L E M S T A T E M E N T .................................................................................................................. 38 E F F E C T S O F E X C H A N G E F L U C T U A T I O N S O N B U S I N E S S ........................................................ 38

F O R E I G N E X C H A N G E R I S K M A N A G E M E N T .............................................................................. 39 C O N C L U S I O N ................................................................................................................................... 41 Question #4(b): ........................................................................................................................................... 41

SOLICITED LETTER ........................................................................................................................................ 41 D I S A D V A N T A G E S T O T H E S O L I C I T E D L E T T E R ......................................................................... 41 UNSOLICITED LETTER.................................................................................................................................... 42 GUIDELINES THAT SHOULD BE ABSORBED DURING WRITING THESE LETTERS ............................................................. 42 G U I D E L I N E S F O R W R I T I N G U N S O L I C I T E D L E T T E R S ............................................................. 42 G U I D E L I N E S F O R W R I T I N G S O L I C I T E D L E T T E R S ................................................................... 43 Question #5(a):............................................................................................................................................ 44

PROPOSAL ................................................................................................................................................. 44 B U S I N E S S C O M M U N I C A T I O N ....................................................................................................... 44 P R O P O S A L I N C O M M U N I C A T I O N ................................................................................................ 45 S Y S T E M I N P A K I S T A N ................................................................................................................... 46 KINDS OF PROPOSAL .................................................................................................................................... 47 Question #5(b): ........................................................................................................................................... 49

ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN FOR MESSAGE USING DIRECT APPROACH ........................................................................ 49 D I R E C T A P P R O A C H ........................................................................................................................ 49 NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION ...................................................................................................................... 50 C U L T U R A L D I F F E R E N C E S I N N O N - V E R B A L C O M M U N I C A T I O N ........................................... 52 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................... 57

Business Communication (525) – Assignment # 1

Question # 1:

To compose effective written or oral message, one must apply certain communication principles. These principles provide guidelines for choice of content and style of presentation called the seven C’s. Explain each in detail with appropriate examples. Answer:

THE SEVEN C’S OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION To compose effective written or oral message, one must apply certain communication principles. These principles provide guidelines for choice of content and style of presentation adapted to the purpose and receiver of your message, called the seven C’s. These seven C’s are: 1. Completeness 2. Conciseness 3. Consideration 4. Concreteness 5. Clarity 6. Courtesy 7. Correctness The seven C’s of communication are applicable to all forms of communication, from mere utterances and sentences to complete documents or presentations. They can be applied to both verbal and written communication. To some extent the principles overlap because they are based on a common concern for the audience, whether that audience consists of listeners or readers.

COMPLETENESS The message should be complete to bring desirable results. It should include everything the reader needs for the reaction you desire. You must know what information our reader wants or needs. You should be able to know the reader's background viewpoint needs attitudes and emotions.

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1. Provide all necessary information. 2. Answer all questions asked. 3. Give something Extra, when Desirable. Completeness offers various benefits. It helps in bringing out the desired results without extra cost other number of messages. It also helps in building goodwill and a sense of concern for other party as both the reader and sender may have different background, culture, viewpoint, needs and experience. A ) P ROVIDING ROVIDING ALL NECESSARY INFORMATION

It means to provide entire information keeping in mind the readers point of view for their better understanding. It can be done by answering all WH questions i.e. who, what, when, where, why and other essentials like how? B ) A ) ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS A A SKED

A reply or reaction to a incomplete reply is most likely to be unfavorable. Not answering all the questions builds an image of being careless or trying to hide some weak spots, leading to question on our tact’s and honesty. ) G IVE S OMETHING C IVE S OMETHING E XTRA , W HEN HEN DESIRABLE

It refers to providing some extra information related to the question asked by the opposite party. Giving a satisfactory reply is the main issue which would attract the opposite party for an interaction. For example if a new member in your society wants to know about the place where the next meeting will be held? So your reply should not only consist of the place where the meeting would be held it should also consist of other information relevant to the meeting like at what time, where, when, objective behind the meeting should be mentioned and an invitation to him in the end will make the reader more eager to attend the meeting.

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Business Communication (525) – Assignment # 1 OMPLETENESS FOR E FFECTIVE FFECTIVE C OMMUNICATION OMMUNICATION E XAMPLE OF U SAGE OF C OMPLETENESS

Incomplete letter to a new savings depositor:

Thank you for the confidence you have shown us by the account you recently opened. All our facilities are at your disposal, and anytime we can be of service, please call on us. Our appreciation is best expressed by our service being of to you. Revised, complete letter to the new savings depositor:

Thank you for the confidence you have shown in us by opening the savings account. Our goal is to make all our services available to you both helpful and pleasant. Your account offers you the following benefits: •

YOUR PASSBOOK DEPOSITS EARN 7% interest compounded half-yearly

•

BETTER-THEN-CHECKING facility helps you make online transactions and even 24 hour ATM (Automatic Teller Machine)

You are most welcome to come in whenever we can assist you. Please consider this association as your financial head-quarters for your savings and borrowing needs. Waiting eagerly to see you in our premises In a complete message, the audience has everything they need to be informed and, if applicable, take action. •

Does your message include a "call to action", so that your audience clearly knows what you want them to do?

•

Have you included all relevant information – contact names, dates, times, locations, and so on?

Bad Example Hi everyone, I just wanted to send you all a reminder about the meeting we're having tomorrow! See you then, Chris 3|Page


This message is not complete, for obvious reasons. What meeting? When is it? Where? Chris has left his team without the necessary information. Good Example Hi everyone, I just wanted to remind you about tomorrow's meeting on the new telecommuting policies. The meeting will be at 10:00 a.m. in the second-level conference room. Please let me know if you can't attend. See you then, Chris

CONCISENESS Business executives are dead-busy. They don't have time to go through unnecessarily lengthy messages. The writer is also a loser if he writes wordy messages because it involves more time and money to type and read. Conciseness makes the message more understandable and comprehensible 1. Eliminate wordy Expressions. 2. Include only relevant material. 3. Avoided unnecessary Repetition. Conciseness refers to saying whatever we want in fewest in possible words without sacrificing the other C qualities. A concise message saves time and expense for both sender and receiver. Conciseness refers to elimination of unnecessary words and inclusion of interesting topics for the recipients. A . E LIMINATING LIMINATING WORDY EXPRESSIONS

It refers to replacing of long wordy expressions by shorter terms of same meaning and avoiding overusing empty phrases and limiting the use of passive voice Example :

Situation 1 •

Wordy: At this time

•

Concise : Now

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Situation 2 •

Wordy: She bought desk that are of executive type

•

Concise : She bought executive-type desks

. I NCLUDE B NCLUDE ONLY RELEVANT MATERIAL

The effective message should not only omit unnecessary word expression but also irrelevant material. It can be done in the following manner: 1. Stick to the purpose of the message. 2. Delete irrelevant words and rambling sentences 3. Avoid long introductions, unnecessary explanation, excessive adjective 4. Omit obvious information to the receiver Example : •

Wordy: We hereby wish to let you know that our company is pleased with the confidence

you have reposed in us. •

Concise : We appreciate your confidence.

C . A . AVOID UNNECESSARY REPETITION

Sometimes repetition is necessary for emphasis but when same thing is repeated two or three times without any reason the message becomes wordy and boring. These can be done by sticking to the following points. •

Use of shorter name i.e. for example if once you have mentioned Tomas College of Commerce and Economics once, you can write Tom.com instead of such a long name in later.

•

Use pronouns or acronyms or initials rather then repeating long names i.e. for example you should write ICC instead of writing International Cricket Council again and again.

•

Cut out all needless expressions and repetition of phrases of sentences

When you're concise in your communication, you stick to the point and keep it brief. Your audience doesn't want to read six sentences when you could communicate your message in three.

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Business Communication (525) – Assignment # 1 •

Are there any adjectives or "filler words" that you can delete? You can often eliminate words like "for instance," "you see," "definitely," "kind of," "literally," "basically," or "I mean."

•

Are there any unnecessary sentences?

•

Have you repeated the point several times, in different ways?

Bad Example Hi Matt, I wanted to touch base with you about the email marketing campaign we kind of sketched out last Thursday. I really think that our target market is definitely going to want to see the company's philanthropic efforts. I think that could make a big impact, and it would stay in their minds longer than a sales pitch. For instance, if we talk about the company's efforts to become sustainable, as well as the charity work we're doing in local schools, then the people that we want to attract are going to remember our message longer. The impact will just be greater. What do you think? Jessica

This email is too long! There's repetition, and there's plenty of "filler" taking up space. Good Example

Watch what happens when we're concise and take out the filler words: Hi Matt, I wanted to quickly discuss the email marketing campaign that we analyzed last Thursday. Our target market will want to know about the company's philanthropic efforts, especially our goals to become sustainable and help local schools. This would make a far greater impact, and it would stay in their minds longer than a traditional sales pitch. What do you think? Jessica

CONSIDERATION Consideration refers to you attitude sympathy the human touch and understanding of human nature. Consideration means the message with the receiver in mind. You should try to visualize your readers their desires problems emotions circumstances and possible reaction to your request. 1. Focus on you instead I & We 2. Show reader benefit or interest in reader 6|Page


3. Emphasize Consideration means preparing every message keeping the message receiver in mind; Being considerate means you don’t loose your temper, you do not accuse or charge them without facts, in other sense consideration covers other six C’s of effective communication A . F OCUSING OCUSING ON “ YOU YOU ” WE ” ” INSTEAD OF “I” AND “ WE ”

The message should focus on how message receivers will be benefited, what they would receive and what they need to know should be emphasized. Many people have ideas of individual gain for better standard of living. Example : •

We-attitude : I am delighted to announce you that we will be extending our hours to make

shopping more convenient. •

You-attitude: You will be able to shop in evenings with the extended hours.

B HOWING AUDIENCE BENEFITS OR INTEREST IN THE RECEIVER . S . S HOWING

If possible you must show how your receivers will benefit from whatever the message asks or announces. Receiver will be more likely to react favorably and do what do you suggest if you show that benefits are worth the effort and cost you are asking them. C. EMPHASIZE POSITIVE, PLEASANT FACTS

A third way to show consideration for your receivers is to accent the positive. This means stressing what can be done instead of what cannot be done, and focusing onwards your recipient can consider favorably. Example :

Situation 1: •

Unpleasant : We don’t refund if the returned item is soiled or unsalable.

•

Pleasant: We refund when the returned item is clean and resalable.

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Situation 2: •

Unpleasant: When you travel on company expense, you will not receive approval for first class fare.

•

Pleasant: When you travel on company expense, your approved fare is for tourist class

When your communication is coherent, it's logical. All points are connected and relevant to the main topic, and the tone and flow of the text is consistent. Bad Example Traci, I wanted to write you a quick note about the report you finished last week. I gave it to Michelle to proof, and she wanted to make sure you knew about the department meeting we're having this Friday. We'll be creating an outline for the new employee handbook. Thanks, Michelle

As you can see, this email doesn't communicate its point very well. Where is Michelle's feedback on Traci's report? She started to mention it, but then she changed the topic to Friday's meeting. Good Example Hi Traci, I wanted to write you a quick note about the report you finished last week. I gave it to Michelle to proof, and she let me know that there are a few changes that you'll need to make. She'll email you her detailed comments later this afternoon. Thanks, Michelle

Notice that in the good example, Michelle does not mention Friday's meeting. This is because the meeting reminder should be an entirely separate email. This way, Traci can delete the report feedback email after she makes her changes, but save the email about the meeting as her reminder to attend. Each email has only one main topic.

CONCRETENESS The business writing should be specific definite unambiguous and vivid rather than vague and general The following guidelines lead to concreteness. 9|Page


1. Use specific facts and figures 2. Put action in your verb 3. Choose vivid image building words.

Concreteness refers to being more specific, definite, and vivid rather than and general and repetitive. The main benefit of being concrete is obvious that the receiver knows exactly what is required or desired. The other benefit of being concrete is that the reply might be in the same way that may be interrupted by you as the receiver. A . U SING SPECIFIC FACTS AND FIGURES

Whenever possible use specific, exact, precise statement or figure instead of general words which helps in making your message more concrete. Examples : •

General, Indefinite: She’s a brain; Concrete, Precise: Her percentage have increased from 84% in S.S.C to 88% in H.S.C

•

General, Indefinite: Eastern Europe is making progress in obtaining investments; Concrete, Precise: In 1990, investments in Eastern Europe were about US $30 million; today that figure has increased by 12%.

But sometimes when you don’t know the exact figures and want to be concrete you can write as “half the committee was present” . P UT ACTION IN YOUR VERBS B UT A

Verbs can bring your concreteness back to being alive and more dynamic. Use of verbs especially the active verbs make your sentence more Specific, Personal and Concise. Even the passive verbs are more useful sometimes when you want to avoid any Personal or accusing comments. Examples : •

“The Principal Has decided” is more specific then “A decision has been made”.

•

“You will note” is both personal and specific than “It will be noted”. 10 | P a g e

Business Communication (525) – Assignment # 1 C ELECTION OF MORE VIVID AND IMAGE -BUILDING WORDS . S . S ELECTION

This section refers to the use of language or words which are capable of creating an atmosphere in the mind of the reader that he imagines himself, being, in that situation rather than using words which would bounce over the gray matter. The inclusion of vivid words also helps in creating a scenario that the writer or speaker has a wider scope of imagination instead having an image of sticking to the basics. Examples:

No Literal and dull More vivid and image-builder •

His work in group was exemplary He could be called the “The spark plug of the group”

•

The results are very good this year and are expected to be very good next year.

•

The results this year have been excellent and we expect them to touch the mountain in the coming year.

When your message is concrete, then your audience has a clear picture of what you're telling them. There are details (but not too many!) and vivid facts, and there's laser like focus. Your message is solid. Bad Example

Consider this advertising copy: The Lunchbox Wizard will save you time every day.

A statement like this probably won't sell many of these products. There's no passion, no vivid detail, nothing that creates emotion, and nothing that tells people in the audience why they should care. This message isn't concrete enough to make a difference. Good Example How much time do you spend every day packing your kids' lunches? No more! Just take a complete Lunchbox Wizard from your refrigerator each day to give your kids a healthy lunch AND have more time to play or read with them!

This copy is better because there are vivid images. The audience can picture spending quality time with their kids – and what parent could argue with that? And mentioning that the product is stored in the refrigerator explains how the idea is practical. The message has come alive through these details. 11 | P a g e


CLARITY Clarity demands that the business message should be correct concise complete concrete and with consideration 1. Use the right level of language 2. Proper punctuation make the writing clear 3. Check accuracy of fact figure & Words

Getting the meaning from your head to the reader’s head accurately is the purpose of clarity. Of course, you know it is not simple. We all carry around our own unique interpretations, ideas, thinking, experiences associated with the words. A . U SE THE RIGHT LEVEL OF L ANGUAGE

Clarity is achieved in part through a balance between precise words and familiar words. Defining the above sentence, example, although it is appropriate to use technical terms and business jargon's in professional institutions but they need to be avoided when communicating with a person who is not acquainted with the terminology. Example: •

Possibly unfamiliar: Assessed valuation; Familiar to the layperson: Property value for tax purposes.

•

Possibly unfamiliar: Charge to your principal (banking); Familiar to the layperson: Increase the balance of your loan.

•

Possibly unfamiliar: Buyouts; Familiar to the layperson: Purchase by other company.

•

Possibly unfamiliar: People plying on skywalk; Familiar to the layperson: People moving on over bridge

B ROPER PUNCTUATION MAKE THE WRITING CLEARS . P ROPER

In this important characteristics to consider are length unity and coherence.

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Length: Generally short sentences are preferred, the suggested average sentence length should be about 17-20 words, because longer sentence may cause lack of concentration in sentence.

•

Unity: In a sentence whether it is simple, compound or complex the link i.e. the unity matters which means to have one main idea traveling through the entire conversation. Every sentence or word must be closely related to each other.

C HECK ACCURACY OF FACT FIGURE & W ORDS ORDS (C OHERENCE OHERENCE ) . C HECK

Coherence in sentences means the words should be correctly placed or arranged so that ideas clearly reflect the intended meaning. •

Emphasis: It refers to the quality that gives force to important parts of the sentences and paragraphs. The writer must know when and where the emphasis is required which helps in making the letter more clear along with other C qualities

When writing or speaking to someone, be clear about your goal or message. What is your purpose in communicating with this person? If you're not sure, then your audience won't be sure either. To be clear, try to minimize the number of ideas in each sentence. Make sure that it's easy for your reader to understand your meaning. People shouldn't have to "read between the lines" and make assumptions on their own to understand what you're trying to say. Bad Example Hi John, I wanted to write you a quick note about Daniel, who's working in your department. He's a great asset, and I'd like to talk to you more about him when you have time. Best, Skip

What is this email about? Well, we're not sure. First, if there are multiple Daniels in John's department, John won't know who Skip is talking about. Next, what is Daniel doing, specifically, that's so great? We don't know that either. It's so vague that John will definitely have to write back for more information.

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Last, what is the purpose of this email? Does Skip simply want to have an idle chat about Daniel, or is there some more specific goal here? There's no sense of purpose to this message, so it's a bit confusing. Good Example

Let's see how we could change this email to make it clear. Hi John, I wanted to write you a quick note about Daniel Kedar, who's working in your department. In recent weeks, he's helped the IT department through several pressing deadlines on his own time. We've got a tough upgrade project due to run over the next three months, and his knowledge and skills would prove invaluable. Could we please have his help with this work? I'd appreciate speaking with you about this. When is it best to call you to discuss this further? Best wishes, Skip

This second message is much clearer, because the reader has the information he needs to take action.

COURTESY Courtesy is more important and advantageous in business writing than it is in face to face communication or conversation. Courteous message strengthen present relations and make new friends. It is a goodwill building. 1. Answer your mail promptly 2. Be sincerely tactful thoughtful and appreciative 3. Use expressions that show respect True courtesy involves being aware not only of the perspective of others but also their feelings. It is merely politeness and mechanical insertions of “please” and “thank-you”. A . B EING EING SINCERELY TACTFUL , THOUGHTFUL AND APPRECIATIVE

•

Tact : Though few people are intentionally waiting for someone to argue, so being tactful avoids

any cause of discourtesy and avoiding any negative feedback from the sender. Example: “Clearly, you did not read my latest fax” can be written as “Sometimes my wordings are not precise; let me try again”.

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Thoughtfulness and Appreciation: It means bringing a thought in the entire conversation and

appreciating the reply from the other party. B . U SE EXPRESSIONS SHOWING RESPECT

No reader wants to receive message that offends. This can be done by eliminating irritating expressions and Questionable humor because humor to one person may be disgust for another as everyone has different sense of humor. C . A . ANSWER YOUR MAIL PROMPTLY

Another

requirement

for

courtesy

is

the

use

of

nondiscriminatory language lan guage that

reflects

equal treatment of people regardless of their gender, race, age and physical ph ysical features. Some of o f the examples are given below: Situation 1 •

•

Questionable: Each customer will have the new changes noted on his bill. More desirable: Customers will have the changes noted on their bill.

Situation 2 •

•

Questionable: Our criteria are firm; he is to be a scholar, he is to be a good teacher. More desirable: Our criteria suggest he or she is supposed to be a scholar and a good teacher.

Courteous communication is friendly, open, and honest. There are no hidden insults or passiveaggressive tones. You keep your reader's viewpoint in mind, and you're empathetic to their needs. Bad Example Jeff, I wanted to let you know that I don't appreciate how your team always monopolizes the discussion at our weekly meetings. I have a lot of projects, and I really need time to get my team's progress discussed as well. So far, thanks to your department, I haven't been able to do that. Can you make sure they make time for me and my team next week? Thanks, Phil

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Well, that's hardly courteous! Messages like this can potentially start officewide fights. And this email does nothing but create bad feelings, and lower productivity and morale. A little bit of courtesy, even in difficult situations, can go a long way. Good Example Hi Jeff, I wanted to write you a quick note to ask a favor. During our weekly meetings, your team does an excellent job of highlighting their progress. But this uses some of the time available for my team to highlight theirs. I'd really appreciate it if you could give my team a little extra time each week to fully cover their progress reports. Thanks so much, and please let me know if there's anything I can do for you! Best, Phil

What a difference! This email is courteous and friendly, and it has little chance of spreading bad feelings around the office.

CORRECTNESS To be correct in communication the following principles should be borne in mind. 1. Use the correct level of language 2. Include only facts words and figures 3. Maintain acceptable writing mechanics 4. Apply the following qualities 5. There should be proper grammar punctuation spelling and paragraphing

At the core of the correctness is the proper use of grammar, punctuations and spelling. A message may be perfect grammatically and mechanically but still insult or lose a customer. A . U SING RIGHT LEVEL OF LANGUAGE

There are different levels of languages which may be formal, informal, and substandard. Formal writings are usually associated with the scholarly writing, legal documents, and other documents where formality is the style in demand.

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Examples: Formal and Informal Approach

•

More Formal: Participate. Less Formal: Join

•

More Formal: Interrogate. Less Formal: Question

More Acceptable and Sub stand •

Substandard: Can’t hardly, More Acceptable: Can hardly

•

Substandard: I regardless, More Acceptable: regardless

. C HECKING , FACTS , AND WORDS B HECKING ACCURACY OF FIGURES

Many a times it is impossible to convey the message directly from the sender’s head to the receivers head. So this can be done to an extent by including figures and facts like as follows: 1. Verifying your statistical data 2. Double-checking your totals 3. Avoid guessing of laws that have an impact on sender or receiver 4. Determine whether a fact have changed over a time. Other factor is the inclusion of words that don’t confuse for example the following will help in clearing this topic. Example 1: Accept-Except: Here accept means to receive and except means to omit. Example 2: Biannually-Biennially: Biannually means 2 times a year and biennially mean every 2 years.

C . M AINTAINING ACCEPTABLE WRITING MECHANICS

This topic relates to the proper use of words and spellings. But in today’s world writing have been more easier, since, spell-checkers and various kinds of word formatting are available When your communication is correct, it fits your audience. And correct communication is also errorfree communication.

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Do the technical terms you use fit your audience's level of education or knowledge?

•

Have you checked your writing for grammatical errors? Remember, spell checkers won't catch everything.

•

Are all names and titles spelled correctly?

Bad Example Hi Daniel, Thanks so much for meeting me at lunch today! I enjoyed our conservation, and I'm looking forward to moving ahead on our project. I'm sure that the two-weak deadline won't be an issue. Thanks again, and I'll speak to you soon! Best, Jack Miller

If you read that example fast, then you might not have caught any errors. But on closer inspection, you'll find two. The first error is that the writer accidentally typed conservation instead of conversation. This common error can happen when you're typing too fast. The other error is using weak instead of week. Again, spell checkers won't catch word errors like this, which is why it's so important to proofread everything! Question # 2(a):

Define the concept of culture. Also describe the national cultural variables and individual cultural variables with examples. Answer:

THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE Culture refers to the behavioral characteristics typical of a group. This definition implies that communications, oral and nonverbal, within a group also are typical of that group and are often unique. There is not one aspect of human life that is not touched and altered by culture. This means personality, how people express themselves (including shows of emotion), the way they think, how they move, how problems are solved, how their cities are planned and laid out, how transportation systems function and are organized, as well as how economic and government systems are put together and function. It is the least studied aspects of culture that influence behaviour in the deepest and most subtle ways. 18 | P a g e


Culture refers to the following Ways of Life, including but not limited to:

a. Language : the oldest human institution and the most sophisticated medium of expression. b. Arts & Sciences: the most advanced and refined forms of human expression. c. Thought: the ways in which people perceive, interpret, and understand the world around them. d. Spirituality : the value system transmitted through generations for the inner well-being of human beings, expressed through language and actions. e. Social activity : the shared pursuits within a cultural community, demonstrated in a variety of festivities and life-celebrating events. f. Interaction : the social aspects of human contact, including the give-and-take of socialization, negotiation, protocol, and conventions. When we discuss communication and culture, we should be aware of the total spectrum of communication including language, non-verbal communication, customs, perceived values, and concepts of time and space. Do all tourists identify with Canadian traditions and values? Likely not. But the more interesting question is: Why not? The answer lies in the simple fact that most tourists come from different cultures: some vastly different like those from Japan and China, others less different, such as tourists from Eastern Canada or the United States. Even if tourists share the same language, they may have much different customs and values. What happens when people from different cultures interact face-to- face? One way to appreciate the impact of cultural differences is to look in the mirror. When Americans and Canadians travel to other countries, they look for Cokes, steaks and hamburgers and the same amenities in hotels and other accommodations that they are used to at home. While the host country may offer an authentically different culture, which is one of the reasons people travel, North Americans tourists are notorious for wanting the comforts of home wherever they may be. In many third world countries, North Americans seek out joint venture hotels to enjoy North American food and lodging and to be served by people who speak English. Strangely, what we expect for ourselves in travel is not deemed to be reasonable when we’re the hosts dealing with tourists from other countries.

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CULTURAL V ARIABLES The message sender and the receiver, both are affected by external and internal stimuli. When communicating with business people in a foreign country, you must realize that overall national and individual cultural differences within the cultures further affect those stimuli.

Country I Country IV

Country II

Major Cultural overlap Core Similarities

Little Cultural overlap

Country III

N A T I O N A L C U L T U R A L V A R I A B L E S An entire country may have a series of cultural norms; individual ethnic groups within that country may accept most of those norms as well as adding their own. National cultural variables are: a. Education b. Law and Regulations c. Economics d. Politics e. Religion f. Social Norms g. Language

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CULTURAL VARIABLES National Variables

Individual Variables

Education Time Law and Regulations Space Economics Message Senders

Food

Message Receivers

Politics Acceptable Dress Social Norms Manners Language Decision Making

Overlapping Cultural Variables DUCATION A. E DUCATION

Management education-including training in business communication-is more prevalent in the US than in other countries. Some countries have no academic courses in communication training. Asian and Chinese managers have less formal education than US managers. Keeping China as an example; Chinese managers lack extensive education. In relation to its size, Chine does not have many institutions of higher education. China is an agrarian economy, over 800million people live in the countryside and 69% of the labor force is agricultural. Education, according to some earlier Chinese leaders, was not required in such an environment. So whenever communicating with such country, it should be kept in mind that the manager should have the knowledge about the technicalities also, because his education won’t matter but his experience will. 21 | P a g e


B. L AW AND REGULATIONS

Making mistakes in Communication is easy in a foreign country. You or your legal department must be aware of strictness to the law or simply meeting the letter of the law. In both the developed and developing nations, various government regulations affect business communications and the sale of products. For instance, cigarettes- is restricted in Europe; also money spent on advertising is limited. Other countries such as France, Mexico and the Province of Quebec, also have a restriction on the use of foreign language in advertisements. In Iran Fashion magazines are not allowed and women are meant to wear modest clothes or veils. So whenever communicating with different countries, their rules and regulations should be kept in mind and communication should be conducted according to those regulations. C. E CONOMICS CONOMICS

Ability of capital and transportation and the standard of living per capital vary from nation to nation. The opportunity to borrow money, the rate of inflation and the exchange rates influence business and a country’s ability to communicate concerning that business. For instance, Under the US enterprise system, competitors set their own prices, in contrast, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries sets oil prices. OLITICS D. P OLITICS

Politics of different nations is different. Even concepts of democracy will vary as interpreted in Korea, the Philippines or Great Britain. Indeed, the sweeping political changes in Eastern Europe and its altered concepts of government will affect future business relations. Even the events in Tiananmen Square affected individual and business contacts with China; more changes will certainly occur in the future. All such events affect communication, understanding of a country and a company’s willingness to do business in an unclear political environment. E. RELIGION

Be specifically careful of religious beliefs within foreign countries. Although some basic beliefs overlap, there are major differences that, if not understood, can result even personal harm. In connection to the religion, there is great need for tolerance. Buddhism, Hinduism and Muslim religions are found in 22 | P a g e


many parts of the world. These three religions forbid consumption of alcohol; thus no liquor is served at business meetings/affairs. Religious holidays and months also affect international communication, interrupting work schedules or delaying responses to requests. Religion can affect the status of women too, their position within an economy and even their buying patterns and habits of dress. To communicate well internationally, it also pays to understand the diversity patterns within one’s own country. F. S OCIAL OCIAL N ORMS ORMS

National environmental constraints- education, law and regulations, economics, politics, religionaffect a nation’s social norms. In many countries a male line of family profoundly influences some business decisions. Then the family and how its members relate to one another-decisions, buying patterns, pooling of resources, special interests-affects behavior and business communication. G. L ANGUAGE

An important constraint that undergirds all the preceding variables is language. Obviously, unless both sender and receiver understand a common language, the opportunities for successful business communication are significantly limited. Knowing the language of you host country is the most significant contributor on a personal and business level. English is a world language- and to a major extent the language of business. But you will do a better job overseas if you know some basic vocabulary of your host country.

I N D I V I D U A L C U L T U R A L V A R I A B L E S All people value their individual freedom. Often this freedom is expressed in one’s own ethnic diversity. On the micro and more personal level, are differences in verbal and nonverbal cues, expressed through varying concepts of time, individual speech, food, acceptable dress, manners at home and at work, decision making patterns and other non-verbal variations. Individual cultural variables are: a. Time b. Space 23 | P a g e


c. Food d. Acceptable Dress e. Manners f. Decision Making g. Verbal and Nonverbal Communication IME A. T IME

Time is an important variable in communication. People of different nations have different concepts about time, for instance, people in Latin America and the Middle East treat time more casually then do the Americans, who normally prefer promptness. Germans are time-precise; rarely does one have to wait for an appointment in Germany. Similarly, in some cultures, business people take afternoon naps, close shops and postpone timings for business meetings and dinners etc. Like in Pakistan, shops and all the businesses take gap for the Jumma prayers, and in Saudi Arabia businesses are closed in all the prayers timings. One should plan the meeting according to the cultural time of others. Even when referring to seasons of a year, countries differ. Some speak of the rainy and dry season, some think of summer, winter, autumn and fall. When writing a date and time at the end or beginning of a business letter one should keep in mind the time variable- In Great Britain 9’o clock is referred as 900 hours and in Pakistan it is 9:00 am. It should not take too long to recognize which is the time-conscious culture and which is the one less concerned with precision in time. Knowing cultural perceptions of time helps you understand why some responses are slow-by your standards. PACE B. S B. S PACE

Space and environment is another very important factor that can greatly affect the communication. Americans demand more room-buffer space- between themselves and others when speaking. To some cultures, Americans who do not stand close seem cold and aloof. Conversely, some cultures consider those who stand close to you as intrusive, rude, pushy and overbearing. In some cultures, like the one of Germans, meetings are held in closed doors where as some cultures prefer out door, i.e, meetings at restaurant etc. Some cultures prefer round table, some prefer rectangle and some like to sit in groups. Therefore, while communicating, the space should be kept in mind. 24 | P a g e

Business Communication (525) – Assignment # 1 OOD C. F OOD

It may be a good idea prior to visiting your host country to visit various ethnic restaurants in your home country. Then you’ll have an initial idea as to the kinds of foods available: how they are served, fixed, or eaten. For instance, Pork is forbidden in the Middle Eastern countries but is a part of Asian diet and that of many other countries; beef is hard to find in India, veal is plentiful in Europe and rice is ever present in Hong Kong and China. In Asia, dark and light teas are national drinks. Buddhism, Hinduism and Muslim religions are found in many parts of the world and they forbid consumption of alcohol; thus no liquor is served at business meetings/affairs. D. A D. ACCEPTABLE DRESS

It is better to ask about the mode of dress for an occasion in your law host country, than to risk making an embarrassing mistake. In America business males wear the business suit whereas women wear dresses or tailored suits. And in great measure that “uniform” is common throughout the world, even in Eastern Europe as it adopts more capitalistic methods. Some British fellows wear the bowler along with a dark suit and carry with a tie. In Islamic countries, women wear modest clothes and cover their heads with head scarves. E. M ANNERS

Some cultural anthropologists suggest that you observe children in foreign cultures, because by watching them you learn the behavioral habits of elders. Children shake your hand in Germany, hug you in Italy, and often stay in the background in India. Infact, the ritual of the greeting and the farewell is more formal overseas with children and adults. You bring a gift when visiting most homes in Europe. If you bring flowers you avoid gifts of red roses in Germany, or white chrysanthemums in France, Belgium, and Japan. Adopting the manners of a country may mean a 23 hours lunch in Europe is acceptable, if you can call up your patience. Be prepared to sit close together in Asia: twelve people at a whether small round table, eating chopsticks, is not unusual.

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F. DECISION M AKING

Patience above all is needed in intercultural communication, in doing business with other countries are typecast as moving too quickly in asking for a decision. Give more thought to inductive communication. Americans get to the point quickly, i.e. take decisions and make plans quickly – unlike the Germans who take time and do group consensus and then moves towards a decision. ERBAL AND N ONVERBAL ONVERBAL C OMMUNICATION OMMUNICATION G. V ERBAL

Verbal Communication : Regardless of culture, a kind of verbal sparring occurs when strangers

meet, each seeking to determine which topics are acceptable and non controversial. Additionally, the tone of voice of one’s initial words can influence your initial perception of whether the meeting is positive or negative. Even the oral phrase “How would you like to” can have either a direct or an indirect meaning; it could be a command or a question. In Australia it is taken as a request and not a question, in US it’s a question. We judge people to a great extent by their voice. Some people native languages demand many tonal variations, giving the impression to a nonnative of loudness even arrogance. Nonverbal Communication: A handshake is a traditional form of greeting in West. Facial

expressions vary across cultures. You could get the wrong impression when some Filipinos smile and laugh when underneath this behavior they are angry. Or, the inscrutable facial expression of the Japanese does not suggest disinterest, whether an unwillingness to make public one’s inner thoughts. A myriad of nonverbal symbols exists for every culture, even in sub cultures. Knowing the major desirable and undesirable cues helps knowing both intended and unintended communication errors.

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Question # 2(b):

Your personal ethics are shaped by five major influences. Describe each in detail. Answer:

PERSONAL ETHICS Personal ethics act as the foundation for your moral compass; the internal guide that tells you what’s right and wrong. They drive your actions and, to a certain extent, your emotions, on a daily basis. But where do they come from? And why do people who appear similar sometimes have completely different sets of personal ethics? You may not realize that the ethical principles you’ve built your life on are not an established set of rules handed to you at birth. They grow and develop with you over time and many things influence how they’re crafted. The five major influences of personal ethics are: a. Family influences (People) b. Religious beliefs (Religion) c. Culture d. Experience (Law) e. Personal Reflection (Philosophy)

Religion

Philosophy

People Personal Ethics

Culture

Law

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F A M I L Y I N F L U E N C E S P E R S O N A L E T H I C S ( P E O P L E ) While your parents can’t dictate your morality, they are typically the first to voice and demonstrate ethical boundaries for you. Most parents consider it one of their critical jobs to instill a strong sense of right and wrong in their children. When parents tell their children that stealing is wrong, they are building a foundation for their child’s personal ethics. How parents behave has a strong impact as well. Children absorb the actions of their family, which contributes heavily to their sense of morality.

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS IMPACT PERSONAL ETHICS (RELIGION) Religious beliefs have a unique impact on personal ethics. In general, religion allows people to accept an established set of moral rules. By following these spiritual laws, people feel they are behaving ethically. Religion often promises rewards in the afterlife as motivation for following the “rules”. Interestingly, religion can inspire all kinds of acts, including violence. Some devout followers can come to embrace an ethical code that allows for incredible cruelty to be done in the name of a greater spiritual being.

C U L T U R E A F F E C T S E T H I C A L N O R M S ( C U L T U R E ) Culture can dictate the ethical norms that people are used to and come to expect. The culture you live in may impact your ethical code more than you even realize, simply because it surrounds you. The customs and traditions of the society you inhabit become ingrained in your psyche, and the ethics of the group are generally accepted. Racism, gender discrimination and other forms of prejudice can become an accepted part of a person’s ethical standards when surrounded by people who do it and allow it.

E X P E R I E N C E C A N S H I F T Y O U R E T H I C S ( L A W ) The events that happen in your life can also impact your ethics. Emotion and personal understanding may cause a powerful shift in beliefs. For example, many people claim to be against the death penalty. However, if a loved one is murdered, they may find themselves feeling differently when looking into the eyes of the person responsible. Codes of ethics of various professions, such as accounting, law, medicine etc requires to be followed.

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I N T E R N A L / P E R S O N A L R E F L E C T I O N ( P H I L O S O P H Y ) Personal ethics are also developed by our feelings. When we do something that is against our moral code, we feel bad, guilty or ashamed. Likewise, when we do something that fits into our ethical idea of “right” we feel good, proud or happy. This causes a sort of immediate feedback for creating our moral standards and making ethical decisions. The concept of personal ethics is incredibly complicated. It develops from a variety of factors and deserves in-depth exploration. Question #3:

Describe the various challenges that businesses face in handling new technologies in managing their information for greatest productivity inside and outside the organization. Answer:

V ARIOUS CHALLENGES THAT BUSINESSES F ACE IN H ANDLING NEW TECHNOLOGIES The organizations face great challenges when they opt to change and try new technologies in managing their information. The basic issue that arouse when new technology is implemented is of training of the employees of the organization. On the first place, the employees do resist the change in any case because they do not understand that the change is for their betterment and to make their processes easy to operate by introducing new and advance technologies.

CHANGING

TECHNOLOGIES IN THE NEW WORLD

Today, one of the subjects that is been taught in universities for the business administration students is Change Management. This training or course is for the organization development practitioners who are actually the trainers and provide services to different organizations for bringing change for better in the organization. One thing that we should always keep in mind is that the change should not be for the purpose of change only. Sometimes what happen is like the organizations try to adopt new technologies of new ways of working just because they wish to change. But this is harmful for both the organization and the employees. 29 | P a g e


TECHNOLOGY

ACCEPTANCE IN

PAKISTAN I

SCEN ARIO

In a country like Pakistan the people are reluctant to change. One reason is the new technologies are not easily understood by the employees due to lack of I.T knowledge and less awareness of high-tech equipments. Technologies if not understood properly by the employees also create an instinct of dissatisfaction in their mind and this is one of the biggest issues if we look on to the new technology adaptations in the human resource management perspective. At any point in the communication process a barrier can occur. Barriers keep us from understanding others ideas and thoughts. Barriers can appear at any point of the communication loop.

TYPES

OF

C O M M U N I C A T I O N B A R R I E R S

There are two types of Barriers: B arriers: a. Internal b. External 1. I NTERNAL NTERNAL B ARRIERS

Example of internal barriers are fatigue, poor listening skills, attitude toward the sender or the information, lack of interest in the message, fear, mistrust, past experience, negative attitude, problem at home, lack of common experience, and emotions. 2. E XTERNAL B ARRIERS

Example of external barrier includes noise, distractions, email not working, and bad phone connection. When communicating watch out barriers. Monitor the actions of the receivers. What is body language; check to make sure the message receiver received is the one sent ask questions and listen. Because of rapidly changing technology can development, a business managers now have to know something about information technology in order to manage it as effectively as a manager manage people and products.

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A D O P T I N G

NEW TECHNOLOGIES

– RISKS

IN

P A K I S T A N

There are several risks involved in adopting new technologies in organizations working in Pakistan. Following challenges are faced by businesses in handling new technologies: 

Risk of failure



Heavy investments



Risk of non-acceptance



Risk of commercial failure of product



Risk of non transformation of technology into an acceptable product.

In the beginning of the information explosion, this was not true, technical specialist and consultants (commonly known as OD practitioners in Pakistan) handle all the necessary detail and problems. But with a chain brought about by a personal computer and individual access to information to anywhere in the world information technology in now in everyone's business. Additional changes and of all requirements in computer literacy even entry level position and changing individuals work demand and expectations. All these factors may generate more suggests as the amount and speed of available information eliminates the time for reflection that borders, slower system allowed. A fit into this little, a manager will need to understand and manage the transitions facing you as a manager in business operations. According to summary such as the problem is not so much technical since the technology itself has become increasingly easier to use, but other organization and because new structures must be set to manage information in the world for ever change it by it. Information Technology: it impacts all individuals in organization, from data entry clerk to decision making managers, through to top executives. These impacts range from setting new standards for communication on an organizational basis to dynamic changes which technological advances are having on the workforce. However, these often dramatic changes can cause a type of 'shock' to many workers; some how reject any kind of change, and other who do not feel comfortable with the 'new wave' of technological advances.

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FIVE

BIGGEST CHALLENGES IN

P A K I S T A N

C ORPORATE ORPORATE CULTURE

Corporate organization and department culture in Pakistan all flows from the top down. The written and unwritten rules, policies and philosophy of a manager or the organization all eventually find their way into the attitudes and performance of almost everyone in the organization. One of the critical things to remember when dealing with people in Pakistan is: you get the behavior you reward. If the culture directly or indirectly rewards a certain type of attitude or behavior, you are, by your actions or inactions, probably reaffirming that these are acceptable. If you want to change behavior of a workforce of any country especially Pakistan, you must first evaluate the culture that is in place that may be rewarding the type of behavior you are getting but don't necessarily want. OMMUNICATION STYLE C OMMUNICATION

Rumors, gossips, memos, emails, meetings, individual counseling sessions and bulletin boards all have one thing in common - they communicate information - some more effectively and timely than others. If communication in an Pakistani organization is all top-down, you can be assured that you are not in touch with the realities of your organization, the marketplace, your customers or suppliers. ORGANIZATION DIRECTION

One of the biggest challenges Pakistani managers face today is effectively communicating corporate direction with clarity and consistency to all employees who have a right and need to know. Most organizations do a poor job of this at best. One way to find out what your people believe is to conduct an anonymous survey of attitudes, perceptions and opinions. DECISION MAKING

Many managers in Pakistan make decisions that other employees will either have to implement or that will affect them. If these decisions are made without bottom-up feedback, you can guarantee that the outcome of the decisions will be less than desired or expected.

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Business Communication (525) – Assignment # 1 EEDBACK MECHANISMS F EEDBACK

Employees want to know how they are doing - whether poorly or well. Failure to give them the feedback they need is to keep them in the dark regarding the assessment of their performance and how and where they need to improve.

MULTINATIONALS

IN

P A K I S T A N

New technologies have either made the business operations and communication quite easy or they have made them tough to do in traditional ways. Newer technologies are giving some industries edge over the others using older technologies. So it is becoming more and more compulsory to keep oneself quite auto update about technologies to remain in the business and make operational edge over the others. But there are a number of problems which the businesses are also facing with the new technologies. The first problem is is that after implementation of the new technology the HR creates problems for the company. Company has to provide the skills to the employees to use the technology, which can be again costly for the company. You can take the example of Pakistan where there are a number of multinational companies which have the problems in hiring people skilled in using new technologies.

DEVELOP

AN

I N F O R M A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y C H A N G E M A N A G E M E N T PROGRAM

The purpose of the Change Management Program (CMP) is to assure that the negative impact of changes to a company’s Information Technology system is minimized by using a standardized process of governance. Some changes are not optional. If, for example, the bar code standard is changing, you must adapt; if a tax withholding structure changes, you must have a change. Nevertheless, all changes of this kind are still subject to governance. It must never be the case that ad-hoc changes are made to the system or to procedures without some oversight. This idea must originate with senior management and be passed down, with no exceptions, to everyone in the company. Without backing at the highest level, the CMP is a useless waste of time and money. With proper backing, this program will save your company from some very costly errors. 33 | P a g e


DEVELOP A REQUEST FOR C HANGE HANGE (RFC)

This may originate from problem management where an issue, or a series of related issues, is identified and a mitigating change is necessary to prevent (or minimize) future effects. The RFC may also originate as a result of a business decision that will require some modification (add, delete, change) to the supporting technology. An RFC may also be necessary due to outside influences (i.e. governmental regulations or changes made by business partners). USINESS C HANGE HANGE A OBTAIN B USINESS ACCEPTANCE

The decision to make a change is typically a business decision where costs vs. benefits are weighed. Even in situations where the change is strictly infrastructure oriented (component or system failure) the decision to spend money resides with the business, not with the IT department. There are occasions when procedures are developed in advance to preauthorize changes such as emergency system maintenance, but regardless of the timing of the authorization, the decision still rests with the business management. NITIATE THE DEVELOPMENT P ROJECT ROJECT I NITIATE

Development of the change (including testing) is an IT-guided function. In the event of an emergency change (server is down) those functions are typically predetermined. When a new system is to be developed, there is a collaborative effort between the business users and the IT team. The systems are designed by IT, the design is approved by the business partners (users), developed by IT, tested by a combination of IT and the users, and the final product is approved by both. Careful attention must be given to ancillary effects the new change may have on existing systems HANGE M ANAGEMENT G ATE P ASS THE C HANGE

The Change Advisory Board (CAB) reviews all changes before they can be put into production. Normally, the CAB will consist of a group of people with different perspectives, backgrounds and areas of expertise. Their function is to review the change from a process and governance standpoint to assure that all foreseeable risks have been identified and mitigated, and that compensatory techniques are in 34 | P a g e


place for any elements of exposure (things that could go wrong). The development team and the change sponsor will present the change to the CAB. Evaluation of risk will be the focus. Implementation strategies, communication to affected stakeholders, backout plans and post-implementation monitoring are elements on which the CAB is required to focus. The CAB is not responsible for determining if the change is appropriate – that decision has already been made. The CAB is also not responsible for determining if the change is cost effective. Again, that is strictly a business decision. I MPLEMENT MPLEMENT THE C HANGE HANGE

If the CAB does not approve the change, the reasons are listed (this is always because certain risks have not been mitigated or communications have not been planned) and the development team will be given time to fix those issues and reschedule a meeting before the CAB. If the change is approved, the implementation is scheduled. It is not normally the case that the CAB is represented at implementation although it is possible that some members of the CAB have expertise that is necessary during the implementation, but they will not be present as official CAB representatives, but rather as subject matter experts (SME). How the change is implemented, the checklist and steps, are predefined and were presented to and approved by the CAB. The entire process must be thoroughly documented and the approved process must be precisely followed. REPORT THE RESULTS

Either the change was implemented successfully with no issues, the change was implemented with issues that were corrected during implementation, the change was implemented with issues that were deemed acceptable, issues arose that were unacceptable and the change was rolled back, or in the worst case the change was implemented with unacceptable issues and could not be rolled back. Whatever the result, that is documented and returned to the CAB. The CAB is then responsible for distributing that information to the stakeholders and for storing and maintaining those results in the Change Management system (that may either be an automated database or a paper filing system, but the documents must be maintained for audit purposes). ROBLEM M ANAGEMENT TO C HANGES HANGES LINK P ROBLEM

Issues that arise should be compared to the CAB documentation of changes so any unanticipated adverse effects of a change can be isolated. It is often the case that undesirable effects of a change are 35 | P a g e


not noticed immediately, but are identified by the emergence of problems in ancillary systems. For example, the addition of several fields to a database might not have a direct negative effect on the users but could impact network performance that would be apparent to other users who are not directly involved with the modified system. ERIODICALLY A P ERIODICALLY AUDIT THE CMP

At least once each year an audit of the CMP should be conducted to assure that all change documentation is maintained and available. Every change approval document should be examined to assure that the proper signatures are in place and that the results of the implementation are properly documented. Question #4(a):

You are working in a company which has been dealing in foreign exchange. Your company has seen the effects of recent exchange fluctuations and its impact on business. Your managing director has asked for your advice in the matter and requested for a brief report on the subject. Write such report. Answer:

EXCHANGE R ATE The exchange rate (also known as the foreign-exchange rate, forex rate or FX rate) between two currencies specifies how much one currency is worth in terms of the other. It is the value of a foreign nation’s currency in terms of the home nation’s currency. For example an exchange rate of 91 Japanese yen (JPY, ¥) to the United States dollar (USD, $) means that JPY 91 is worth the same as USD 1. The foreign exchange market is one of the largest markets in the world. By some estimates, about 3.2 trillion USD worth of currency changes hands every day. The spot exchange rate refers to the current exchange rate. The forward exchange rate refers to an exchange rate that is quoted and traded today but for delivery and payment on a specific future date.

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FLUCTUATIONS IN EXCHANGE RATES A fluctuation in exchange rates is the change in an exchange rate. If the British pound is worth $2 on Monday and $1.80 on Tuesday, a (somewhat dramatic) currency fluctuation has occurred. Currency fluctuations happen constantly and occur for all floating currencies. For example, if demand for a particular currency is high because investors want to invest in that country's stock market or buy exports, the price of its currency will increase. Just the opposite will happen if that country suffers an economic slowdown, or investors lose confidence in its markets. A market based exchange rate will change whenever the values of either of the two component currencies change. A currency will tend to become more valuable whenever demand for it is greater than the available supply. It will become less valuable whenever demand is less than available supply (this does not mean people no longer want money, it just means they prefer holding their wealth in some other form, possibly another currency). Increased demand for a currency is due to either an increased transaction demand for money, or an increased speculative demand for money. The transaction demand for money is highly correlated to the country's level of business activity, gross domestic product (GDP), and employment levels. The more people there are unemployed, the less the public as a whole will spend on goods and services. Central banks typically have little difficulty adjusting the available money supply to accommodate changes in the demand for money due to business transactions. The speculative demand for money is much harder for a central bank to accommodate but they try to do this by adjusting interest rates. An investor may choose to buy a currency if the return (that is the interest rate) is high enough. The higher a country's interest rates, the greater the demand for that currency. It has been argued that currency speculation can undermine real economic growth, in particular since large currency speculators may deliberately create downward pressure on a currency by shorting in order to force that central bank to sell their currency to keep it stable (once this happens, the speculator can buy the currency back from the bank at a lower price, close out their position, and thereby take a profit).

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REPORT: PROBLEM STATEMENT The company has been dealing in foreign exchange since last few years, and is passing through a hard time because of the effects of recent exchange fluctuations. The business has been affected badly as it had to suffer from a major cash outflow. Due to the business contracts with the sellers, it had to pay more for the currencies that were taken for less, and similarly the custom duty VAT etc that is directly linked with such currencies had to be paid more. In short the business suffered from an extreme Exchange Risk.

EFFECTS

OF EXCHANGE FLUCTUATIONS ON

BUSINESS

Currency and Political risks are often the main risks that are feared in any business. Currency Risks is generally associated with adverse currency movements that negatively affect purchasing or pricing power. Merchants that accept and hold foreign currency lose purchasing power when the value of that foreign currency falls against their home currency. Meanwhile, businesses that offer goods and services overseas are unfavorably affected by increasing domestic currency values that raise the prices for exports. Whereas, in Political Risks all international operators are challenged by political risks, which impede the flow of global business. Exchange rates for domestic currency have a bilateral cause and effect relationship with the home government. First, political unrest and instability will cause currency values from that particular nation to fall. Second, the nation's citizenry will pressure leadership to action if they feel that foreign exchange and trade are not being coordinated effectively. The upheaval may result in trade wars, excessive taxes on international commerce or the outright seizure of foreign assets. Exchange Fluctuations can have many affects on business; some of them are listed below; 

Due to fluctuations in the currency market, foreign currency risk has been a major concern in the abilities to trade overseas. The Exchange fluctuations can threaten our ability to trade overseas.



Exchange fluctuations can cause increase in shipping costs (26 per cent) and the payment of additional import and export duties (24 per cent) as significant threats to the cross border trade.



Currency fluctuations can negatively impact on the profitability up to 42 per cent.



Uncertainty in the foreign exchange market can hamper the ability to plan for the future 38 | P a g e

Business Communication (525) – Assignment # 1 

Businesses make payments in foreign currency on an ad hoc basis, any fluctuation in the foreign currency would affect the business dealing directly or indirectly

F O R E I G N E X C H A N G E R I S K M A N A G E M E N T We are in a new economic era where all the businesses have to work even smarter in order to gain a competitive advantage. It is important that smaller importers and exporters up their game when it comes to managing their finances, including the area of foreign currency risk management. It is impossible to eliminate all risks, but negative exchange outcomes can be anticipated and managed effectively by individuals and corporate entities. It can be achieved by becoming familiar with the typical foreign exchange risks, demanding hard currency, diversifying properly and employing hedging strategies. Risk aversion in the forex is a kind of trading behavior exhibited by the foreign exchange market when a potentially adverse event happens which may affect market conditions. This behavior is caused when risk averse traders liquidate their positions in risky assets and shift the funds to less risky assets due to uncertainty. In the context of the forex market, traders liquidate their positions in various currencies to take up positions in safe haven currencies, such as the US Dollar. Sometimes the choice of a safe haven currency is more of a choice based on prevailing sentiments rather than one of economic statistics. An example would be the Financial Crisis of 2008. The value of equities across world fell while the US Dollar strengthened. This happened despite the strong focus of the crisis in the USA. Stop Losses should be activated when 

Critical levels in the rate being monitored are reached, which clearly tell that the view held has been proven wrong.



The factors/ assumptions behind a view either change or are proven wrong.



The Exposure Manager should be accorded flexibility to set appropriate Stop-Losses for each trade.



The Exposure Manager should, however, make sure he has set a stop-loss for positions he enters into, on an a priori basis.

Stop Loss is nothing but a commitment to reverse a decision when the view is proven to be wrong.

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Business Communication (525) – Assignment # 1 URRENCY H ARD C URRENCY

Foreign exchange risk can be minimized by demanding that all transactions are settled in hard currency. Hard currency is associated with the industrialized, group of seven (G7) nations. The G7 is made up of the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. The currencies employed are the U.S. dollar, Canadian dollar, British pound, Euro and Yen. Hard currency values are relatively stable as they are associated with strong economies and political regimes that protect individual rights. DIVERSIFICATION

All currencies fluctuate in value over time. Diversification allows people and businesses to neutralize the risks of holding currency that deteriorates in value, by carrying competing currency that is gaining in value. Doing business within several different countries, converting profits into separate foreign currency reserves and/or coordinating cash flow with basic hedging strategies are ways to achieve diversification. EDGING S TRATEGIES H EDGING S TRATEGIES

Currency futures contracts trade at the Chicago Board of Trade. Hedging strategies related to foreign exchange are executed to smooth currency fluctuations by anticipating and locking in exchange rates. Financial managers hedge against currency risks with futures contracts and currency swaps. Currency futures are contracts entered into by traders that set a fixed foreign exchange rate between currencies into the future. Currency swaps allow separate parties to switch the principal and interest payments upon debt that is denominated in one currency for that of another. Lenders use currency swaps to ensure that loans do not lose value. Borrowers use currency swaps to hedge against the risk of loans becoming more expensive to pay off in foreign currency. Of course, hedging strategies carry the opportunity cost risk of losing out on currency movements that are actually favorable.

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CONCLUSION We are in a new economic era where all the businesses have to work even smarter in order to gain a competitive advantage. It is important that smaller importers and exporters up their game when it comes to managing their finances, including the area of foreign currency risk management. In order to reduce the affects of foreign exchange fluctuations on a Business, the managers or decision makers should make a Foreign Exchange Risk Management plan. Question #4(b):

Differentiate between solicited and un-solicited letters. What guidelines should be observed for writing these letters? Answer:

SOLICITED LETTER A solicited letter is written when a former employer, professor or person you've had a business relationship is asked by you if they will write you a letter of reference sometime in the future. Normally if they consent to do so, you should assume they will write you a good letter which highlights all of your real qualities and glosses over any imperfections you may have. When you get the job interview and are told that you will be hired providing your references are good, you give the name and phone number or email address of the person(s) who agreed to write the letter and they are contacted by the prospective employer directly and the person who solicited the letter (i.e. the one who asked the employer if they'd write a letter sometime in the future), never sees it.

DISADVANTAGES

TO THE SOLICITED LETTER

There are disadvantages to the solicited letter. In a professor-student relationship, the professor and student have similar research interests (it was why the student did research with the professor in the first place). Unfortunately, no one wants to graduate a student whose career overshadows their own. As a result, it might take some time for someone who has gotten past the interview stage to determine that one of his/her reference letter writers is damage their future prospects by writing uniformly nasty things 41 | P a g e


about them or their abilities. Where 3 letters are required, it can require a lengthy process of elimination of first one reference, then another, and finally a 3rd. until it can be determined who is having a damaging effect on your future job or career prospects.

UNSOLICITED LETTER An unsolicited letter of reference is a letter of reference that tends to be seen as quite unbelievable. People arrive at a job with a letter in hand that they may have written themselves and it is such a glowing tribute to their work ethic and persistence in the face of insurmountable obstacles that you're unable to ascertain if you're not in the presence of the messiah.

GUIDELINES THAT SHOULD BE ABSORBED DURING WRITING THESE LETTERS As a simple guideline, it is better to contact someone who is acquainted with your work who is not in direct competition for funding, grants and the like to write a solicited letter of reference than someone who will turn the exercise into a series of disappointing job refusals. The writer of the letter should attempt to insure the recipient that he will write a good letter, I've had situations arise when after going back to someone who said they'd write a good letter and I'd received a job refusal based on their letter alone, claimed they write "balanced" letters. This was the same professor who told his undergraduate students that getting a "B" in his course was like getting an "A" in someone else's course. A "B" on your transcript is still a "B". Nobody knows or cares about the personal standards of the grader except the grader themselves. Hence, be cautious. Most companies will not accept an unsolicited letter of reference. Arriving for a job with one in hand is not your guarantee of much more than ridicule from a prospective employer.

GUIDELINES

FOR

WRITING UNSOLICITED LETTERS

1. Letters that we write without any inquiry are called unsolicited letters. Tips to write unsolicited sales letters are following; 2. Your first sentence should be attention getting. Remember that your reader will not go to the middle of the letter of he feels that your first paragraph is boring.

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3. In your second paragraph, include some statements to make your reader realize the need of the thing that you are offering. 4. Tell him how you are different from the other services or goods providers in market. 5. In your last paragraph, you should tell them an easy action. What your reader should do to buy your product or services.

GUIDELINES

FOR

WRITING SOLICITED LETTERS

1. Solicited letters are generally written in response to some specific inquiry. Tips to write solicited sales letters are following; 2. Mention in your first paragraph what reader has inquired from you. 3. You should give complete and accurate answer of whatever has been asked. 4. After telling your reader all required information, you can include in your letter some information to let him inform about some of the products that you think that he or she is not aware. 5. You need to follow any business format of letter writing. We shall suggest you to use Block Head format. NOTE: •

At the end of both letters, mention your name.

•

Type the letter under letter head of your organization.

•

Type your letter and print it on quality paper. Especially in unsolicited letters people see it.

•

Proofread your letter at least once to make sure that your letter persuades the reader enough to contact you.

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Question #5(a):

What do you understand by word “proposal” in communication? Describe different kinds of proposals? Answer:

PROPOSAL A proposal is defined as a formal description of the creation, modification or termination of a contract. A proposal may serve as the blueprint for a future agreement and may be accepted or rejected by the entity or entities that receive it. In other words, a proposal is a description of the work you will complete on a project. The details included in a proposal depend on the project's scope and who will read the document. Typically, organizations advertise a need for proposals and consultants or organizational developers respond to the need. However, as a manager, you may determine that a problem exists, and therefore, propose solutions to an organization. In this case, one must first convince the agency that the problem exists before proposing his/her solutions.

BUSINESS

C O M M U N I C A T I ON

Business communication is the communication between the people in the organization for the purpose of carrying out business activities. It may be oral, verbal, written etc.. A business can flourish when all objectives of the organization are achieved effectively. For efficiency in an organization all the people (inside and outside) of the organization must be able to convey their message properly. The exchange of ideas and understanding within and outside the organization to achieve the business goals is known as business communication. Any business writer can write emails, memos, and letters - correspondence that communicates clearly and has impact. But that is not the actual business communication that prevails in the business world. Business people do not pay heed to the ethics of business communication. Many write emails as thoughts occur to them and send emails without revising the words into coherent messages. As a result, business writing is at times fragmented, incomplete, and full of careless language errors.

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PROPOSAL

IN COMMUNICATION

A business proposal is a written scheme from a seller to a prospective customer. The main purpose is to fulfill the requirements of a client. A proposal includes a company's profile as well as its products and services offered. An entrepreneur mentions profile and other components to convince a prospective client about the benefits of his products and services for a client. A proposal also aims to demonstrate the credibility and authenticity of a company and its products and services to win a client's confidence. A good proposal has the potential to portray a company unique and credible that gives an edge over its competitors. LEMENTS E LEMENTS

One should consider few vital points while drafting business proposals for a company. An entrepreneur should know his clients very well before writing a proposal. You should undergo extensive study about your targeted clients. One should be well aware of the needs, wants or requirements of a potential client. This knowledge is valuable as it can assist you to address the immediate need of a client. It helps you to maintain the focus of your proposal. LIENT ’ C LIENT ’ S PERSPECTIVE

A proposal should clearly define a business problem and provide a solution to this problem. You should write from a client's perspective and not mention about the benefits of your products and services in the beginning. In other words, one should first focus on a client's problems. OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY

After focusing the client’s problem one can offer an opportunity to a client for finding a solution to his problems. You should persuade the customer so that he can find solution to his dilemma by using your products and services. A person can do so by giving a number of reasons. The reasons supported by facts make a proposal appear authentic. A company's profile is also essential to mention. Executive Summary contains the profile of a company in which one can mention nature, vision and goals of a company.

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Mention about the credentials

One should also mention about the credentials, past projects and certification that gives authenticity to a company. There should be section containing the description of deliverables. A management plan is also a part of good business proposal that describes the plan of allocation of resources and major milestones. F LAWLESS LAWLESS DOCUMENTATION

One should prepare a flawless document that is devoid of any grammatical error. The print of the document sent to a client should appear lucid. Any grammatical or printing error in the document can diminish the opportunities of acceptance of your proposal. Its effective use can bring you the best results. Good communication skills require: 1. An understanding of one's audience and the subtle interactions between writer and reader. 2. Organizational skills to methodically progress through the necessary stages of a project (e.g., writing a proposal) 3. Certain basic communication (writing/speaking) skills, i.e., a facility with the basic elements of transmitting information clearly.

SYSTEM

IN

P A K I S T A N

The task of writing a grant proposal in response to a specific set of instructions is used to illustrate the analysis and responses necessary to complete a major written communication project. The concept of focusing on and writing for the reader (in this case, the proposal reviewer) is emphasized. Although good communication skills affect life-styles, productivity, and economics in our society, the communication skills of the American pubic are sorely lacking even among people with high levels of education because students receive little training in these skills in the United States educational system but not in Pakistani system unfortunately. However, such skills can be taught to younger students as well as to adults.

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INDS OF PROPOSAL K INDS

There are many types of proposal including RFP (Request for Proposal), informal proposal, business proposal, marketing proposal, project proposal, sales proposal, research proposal, grant proposal, book proposal, and speculative proposal. Some require us to respond in very specific ways; e.g., an RFP requires detailed responses to particular questions. Grant proposals may be similar, where applicants must complete specific forms. The Top 5 Proposal Types that people seek help with online are: •

Grant Proposals - For funding proposals to all levels of government.

•

Business Proposals - For all types of business proposals

•

Technical Proposals - Research, academic, business and government

•

Project Proposals - For all types of projects - all sectors

•

Sales Proposals - For all types of products and services

In addition to the above list of most popular proposal types, Construction proposals, Training proposals, Thesis proposals, Book proposals, Technical proposals, Show proposals, Building proposals, Development proposals, Network proposals, Event proposals, Idea proposals, Exhibition proposals, Design proposals, Sponsorship proposals, proposals, Museum proposals, Show proposals and more also helps in writing. No doubt there are other types of proposals as well. These are just the ones that I noticed that people who were coming to my websites have been looking for information on. There are many different types of proposal requests created by organizations for a variety of purposes. Proposal requests are useful when attempting to negotiate the terms of providing a service or requesting resources for operational or project needs. A proposal request is most often used to secure a contract with another organization or to obtain funding for a specific purpose. The most common form of a proposal request is a solicited request, also known as a request for proposal, or RFP. This type of proposal request may be advertised in a local or industrial publication by an entity to directly request vendors to send in written proposals. This type of proposal request is often 47 | P a g e


seen in the construction industry when building and design firms may request construction bids be submitted by a particular deadline. Another form of proposal request is the unsolicited variety, in which the organization does not ask for bids to be placed. The unsolicited request for proposal may be a standing order in which other potential vendors or providers must always submit a request before any contractual agreement can be considered. Unsolicited requests for proposals are most often in the form of sales proposals or grant proposals that must be submitted before any action can commence. In some cases, if the organization is seeking additional funding or agreements with another entity, such as a government agency or a supplier, repeat or renewal requests for proposal may be required periodically. This type of RFP ensures that the organization can continue to benefit from the resources provided by another for a certain period of time. The repeat or renewal request for proposal is a written record of transactions and agreements made between the organizations. An additional form of RFP is the business proposal in which one company agrees to perform a specific service or provide a product to another for a certain price. Each company has a particular way of writing and executing a business proposal. Generally, the writing of the proposal is managed by the sales executive team or the administrative support team at the company then submitted in accordance with the other party’s demands. When an organization opts to make a change to a request for proposal or contract, this is most often handled by writing and submitting a request for amendment to the contract. The proposal amendment lists the change to the contract in black and white so that both parties are in agreement for legal purposes. The amended contract including the proposal changes then replaces the existing contract.

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Question #5(b):

Write short notes on the following: fo llowing: a. Organizational plan for message using direct approach b. Nonverbal Communication Answer:

ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN FOR MESSAGE USING DIRECT APPROACH Your choice of organizational plan depends on a number of factors: how you expect your reader or listener to react to your message, how much this person knows about the topic or situation, and what his or her cultural conventions are. For letters and memo, you can choose one of four basic organizational plans: the direct-request, goodnews, bad-news, or persuasive-request plan. The first two plans use the direct approach, which begins with the main idea; the last two plans use the indirect approach, which states the main idea later. All these plans are flexible, guide only, not rigid rules. Your own judgment must help you decide the best organization and content of your message, taking into consideration your audience’s view, conventions, knowledge, and culture.

D I R E C T A P P R O A C H Use the direct approach when the audience is receptive to your message. When you think your reader or listener will have a favorable or neutral reaction to your message, you can use the direct approach. You begin with the main idea or best news . After the opening, you include all necessary explanatory details

in one or several paragraphs and end with an appropriate, friendly closing. Use direct request plan when the main purpose of your message is to make a request that requires less persuasion; use the good-news plan to grant requests, announce favorable or neutral information, and exchange routine information within or between companies. The direct- request and good-news plans have three basic parts.

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Direct-Request Plan

Good-News Plan

1. Main idea

1. Best news or main idea

a. Request, main statement, assertion, recommendation, question b. Reason, if desirable 2. Explanation

2. Explanation

a. All necessary and desirable details

a. All necessary and desirable details

and data

and data

b. Numbered questions, if helpful

b. Resale material

c. Easy reading devices

c. Educational material d. Sales promotion material

3.

Courteous close, with motivation to action

3. Positive, friendly close, including, if

a. Clear statement of action desired

appropriate:

b. Easy action, dated when desirable

a. Appreciation

c. Appreciation and good will

b. Clear statement of action c. Appreciation and desired, if any d. Easy action, dated when desirable e. Offer of further help, reader benefits

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION A handshake is a traditional form of greeting in West. Facial expressions vary across cultures. You could get the wrong impression when some Filipinos smile and laugh when underneath this behavior they are angry. Or, the inscrutable facial expression of the Japanese does not suggest disinterest, whether an unwillingness to make public one’s inner thoughts. A myriad of nonverbal symbols exists for every culture, even in sub cultures. Knowing the major desirable and undesirable cues helps knowing both intended and unintended communication errors. Definition “nonverbal communication involves those nonverbal stimuli in a communication setting that are generated by both the source [speaker] and his or her use of the environment and that have potential message value for the source or receiver receiver [listener]. Basically it is is sending and receiving messages messages in a

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variety of ways without the use of verbal codes (words). It is both intentional and unintentional. Most speakers / listeners listeners are not conscious of this. It includes — but is not limited limited to: 

touch



glance



eye contact (gaze)



volume



vocal nuance



proximity



gestures



facial expression ? pause (silence)



intonation



dress



posture



smell



word choice and syntax



sounds (paralanguage)

Broadly speaking, there are two basic categories of non-verbal language: •

nonverbal messages produced by the body;

•

nonverbal messages produced by the broad setting (time, space, silence)

HY IS NON -VERBAL COMMUNICATION IMPORTANT ? W HY ?

Basically, it is one of the key aspects of communication (and especially important in a high-context culture). It has multiple functions: 

Used to repeat the verbal message (e.g. point in a direction while stating directions.



Often used to accent a verbal message. (e.g. verbal tone indicates the actual meaning of the specific words).



Often complement the verbal message but also may contradict. E.g.: a nod reinforces a positive message (among Americans); a “wink” may contradict a stated positive message. 51 | P a g e

Business Communication (525) – Assignment # 1 

Regulate interactions (non-verbal cues covey when the other person should speak or

not speak). 

May substitute for the verbal message (especially if it is blocked by noise, interruption, etc) — i.e. gestures (finger to lips to indicate need for quiet), facial expressions (i.e. a nod instead of a yes).

Note the implications of the proverb: “Actions speak louder than words.” words.” In essence, this underscores the importance of non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication is especially significant in intercultural situations. Probably non-verbal differences account for typical difficulties in communicating.

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

IN

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

ENERAL APPEARANCE AND DRESS a. G ENERAL

All cultures are concerned for how they look and make judgements based on looks and dress.

Americans,

for instance,

appear

almost obsessed

with

dress and

personal

attractiveness. Consider differing cultural standards on what is attractive in dress and and on what constitutes modesty. Note ways dress is used as a sign of status? ODY M OVEMENT OVEMENT b. B ODY

We send information on attitude toward person (facing or leaning towards another), emotional statue (tapping fingers, jiggling coins), and desire to control the environment (moving towards or away from a person). More than 700,000 possible motions we can make — so impossible to categorize them all! But just need to be aware the body movement and position is a key ingredient in sending messages. OSTURE c. P OSTURE

Consider the following actions and note cultural differences: •

Bowing (not done, criticized, or affected in US; shows rank in Japan)

•

Slouching (rude in most Northern European areas) 52 | P a g e


Hands in pocket (disrespectful in Turkey)

•

Sitting with legs crossed (offensive in Ghana, Turkey)

•

Showing soles of feet. (Offensive in Thailand, Saudi Arabia)

•

Even in US, there is a gender difference on acceptable posture?

d. G ESTURES ESTURES

Impossible to catalog them all. But need to recognize: •

incredible possibility and variety and

•

an acceptable in one’s own culture may be offensive in another.

In addition, amount of gesturing varies from from culture to culture. Some cultures are animated; other restrained. Restrained cultures often feel animated animated cultures lack manners and overall restraint. Animated cultures often feel restrained cultures lack emotion or interest. Even simple things like using hands to point and count differ. Pointing : US with index finger; Germany with little finger; Japanese with entire hand (in fact most Asians consider pointing with index finger to be rude) Counting: Thumb = 1 in Germany, 5 in Japan, middle finger for 1 in Indonesia. e. F ACIAL E XPRESSIONS

While some say that facial expressions are identical, meaning attached to them differs. Majority opinion is that these do have similar meanings world-wide with respect to smiling, crying, or showing anger, sorrow, or disgust. However, the intensity varies from culture to culture. Note the following: •

Many Asian cultures suppress facial expression as much as possible.

•

Many Mediterranean (Latino / Arabic) cultures exaggerate grief or sadness while most American men hide grief or sorrow. s orrow.

•

Some see “animated” expressions as a sign of a lack of control.

•

Too much smiling is viewed in as a sign of shallowness. 53 | P a g e


f.

Women smile more than men.

YE C ONTACT ONTACT AND G AZE E YE

In USA, eye contact indicates: degree of attention or interest, influences attitude change or persuasion, regulates interaction, communicates emotion, defines power and status, and has a central role in managing impressions of others. •

Western cultures — see direct eye to eye contact as positive (advise children to look a person in the eyes). But within USA, African-Americans African-Americans use more eye contact when talking and less when listening with reverse reverse true for Anglo Americans. This is a possible cause for some sense of unease between races in US. A prolonged gaze is often seen as a sign of sexual interest.

•

Arabic cultures make prolonged eye-contact. — believe it shows interest and helps them understand truthfulness of the other person. (A person who doesn’t reciprocate is seen as untrustworthy)

•

Japan, Africa, Latin American, Caribbean — avoid eye contact to show respect.

OUCH g. T OUCH

Question: Why do we touch, where do we touch, and what meanings do we assign when someone else touches us? Illustration: An African-American male goes into a convenience store recently taken over by new Korean immigrants. He gives a $20 bill for his purchase to Mrs Mrs Cho who is cashier and waits for his change. He is upset when his change is put down on the counter in front of him. What is the problem? Traditional Korean (and many other Asian countries) don’t touch strangers., especially between members of the opposite sex. But the African-American sees this as another example of discrimination (not touching him because he is black). Basic answer: Touch is culturally culturally determined! But each culture has a clear concept of what parts of the body one may not touch. Basic message of touch is to affect or control — protect, support, disapprove (i.e. hug, kiss, hit, kick). 54 | P a g e


USA — handshake is common (even for strangers), hugs, kisses for those of opposite gender or of family family (usually) on an increasingly more intimate basis. Note differences between African-Americans and Anglos in USA. Most African Americans touch touch on greeting but are annoyed if touched on the head (good boy, good girl overtones).

•

Islamic and Hindu: Hindu: typically don’t touch with the left hand. To do so is a social insult. Left hand is for toilet functions. Mannerly in India to break your bread only with your right hand (sometimes difficult for non-Indians)

•

Islamic cultures generally don’t approve of any touching between genders (even hand shakes). But consider such touching (including hand holding, hugs) between same-sex to be appropriate.

•

Many Asians don’t touch the head (Head houses the soul and a touch puts it in jeopardy). Basic patterns: Cultures (English , German, Scandinavian, Chinese, Japanese) with high emotional restraint concepts have little public touch; those which encourage emotion (Latino, Middle-East, Jewish) accept frequent touches.

MELL h. S MELL

•

USA — fear of offensive natural smells (billion dollar industry to mask objectionable odors with what is perceived to be pleasant ) — again connected with “attractiveness” concept.

•

Many other cultures consider natural body odors as normal (Arabic).

•

Asian cultures (Filipino, Malay, Indonesian, Thai, Indian) stress frequent bathing — and often criticize USA of not bathing often enough!

i.

P ARALANGUAGE

•

Vocal characterizers (laugh, cry, cry, yell, moan, whine, belch, yawn). yawn). These send different messages in different cultures (Japan — giggling indicates embarrassment; India – belch indicates satisfaction)

•

Vocal qualifiers (volume, pitch, rhythm, tempo, and tone). Loudness indicates strength in Arabic cultures and softness indicates weakness; indicates confidence and authority to the Germans,; indicates impoliteness to the Thais; indicates loss of control to the 55 | P a g e


Japanese. (Generally, one learns not to “shout” in Asia for for nearly any reason!). Gender based as well: women tend to speak higher and more softly than men. •

Vocal segregates (un-huh, shh, uh, ooh, mmmh, humm, eh, eh, mah, lah). Segregates indicate formality, acceptance, assent, uncertainty.

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REFERENCES

Effective Business Communications by Herta A Murpgy, Herbert W. Hildebrandt and Jane P Thomas http://www.wikihow.com http://effective-communicationskill.blogspot.com http://personaldevelopment.suite101.com http://www.blurtit.com http://www.wikipedia.com

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Business Communications (525)

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