PREFACE

The Department of English, University of Delhi, is proud to present this entirely new textbook
on business English for its third year students of B.Com. Programme. This book not only looks at
the essentials of Business English, routine business correspondence, oral business communica
tion, e-correspondence, writing short proposals and reports, but also presents updated informa
tion on the cultural components of communication, and how gender and culture define commu
nication. It has the unique feature of web support for students, where they can access continually
replenished exercises relating to the various chapters on the net (http://www.pearsoned.co.in/
DelhiUniversity/). ,. ^^amm***1*-
This book will be an invaluable resource for students and teachers alike because it is written
from an Indian perspective and deals with the Indian business and pedagogical scenario.

^» ■--*- Shormishtha Panja

Chairperson
English Department
University of Delhi
 NOTE TO READERS

SWITCH2CFL is a fictitious business organization created for better understanding of the text. As you
read the book, you will come across the references to the organization and its members in various
business situations.

INDIRA AHMAD
15, Aspiration Towers Managing Director
Gurgaon, Haryana 123456, INDIA

SUSAN O'BRIEN ROHIT BHALLA CYRUSTATA N. LALITHA

VP VP VP VP
Finance Production Marketing Community Outreach

SARABJIT SINGH SANTOSH SETH

Sr Accounts Manager Sr Plant Manager

PUNEET GARG RUNA BANERJEE

Chief Accounts Officer RATNA MALIK Sr Manager HR
Sr Sales Manager and AD

JAIDEEP DAS BHAVIKTAKIA

Industrial Sales Manager Retail Sales Manager

SANJEEV NAIR GUL PANDIT

Advertising Production Projects Supervisor
Chief

PETER TOPNO R1NCHEN DORJI HARITIWARI

Line A Supervisor Line B Supervisor Line C Supervisor
 CDNTENTS

Preface vn
Note to Readers vii

UNIT I Introduction to the Essentials of Business English i

1 What is Business English? 3

2 Types of Communication 12
3 Channels of Communication 39
4 Directions of Communication 54

UNIT II Cultural Components of Communication

1 Conventions, Perceptions and Values 71 69
2 Cultural Variables 84
3 Gender Sensitivity 100
4 Effective Communication 119

UNIT III Routine Business Correspondence

9 Interactive and Non-interactive Correspondence: Need,
137
Importance and Techniques 139
10 Internal Business Correspondence 146
Section A: Dimensions, Directions and Dynamics 146
Section B: Circulars and Notices 155 Section C: Memos and
Office Orders 164 Section D: Notification, Agenda and
Minutes 171
11 External Business Correspondence 178
Section A: Need, Format and Strategies for Effectiveness 178
Section B: Planning Business Letters 186
Section C: Sales Correspondence 195
Section D: Financial Correspondence 207
Section E: Employment Related Correspondence 215

UNIT IV E-Correspondence 227

1 Principles of Communication and E-correspondence 229
2 The Internet 240
VI CONTENTS

1 E-mail 254
2 E-commerce: The Revolution 268
3 Telecom Technology 277
4 Other Communication Technologies 292

UNIT V Oral Business Communication

18 Using the Telephone 303
19 Interviews 322
20 Meetings 322
21 Group Discussions 330
22 Negotiations 337
23 Oral Presentation 345

UNIT VI Writing Short Proposals and Reports

24 Short Proposals and Reports 362
25 Outline and Organization of Long Reports

References
Notes on Contributors
Index
 INTRODUCTION TO THE ESSENTIALS OF BUSINESS ENGLISH

'Business' and 'English' are historically linked to each other. As the business
interests of the English spread across the world from the 16th century onwards so
did the language. The language touched all disciplines connected with business:
diplomacy, law, governance, education, science, literature, tourism and several
other fields. The period of English colonization saw the language grow roots in
several parts of the world and de facto became consolidated as a kind of link
language through which people across the globe could communicate with one
another. As a communicative medium, particularly in the areas of trade and
commerce, it has become an essential pre-requisite and its relevance seems to
grow further. Business English is the usage of the language for special purposes,
as a communicative medium to conduct business functions. Communication in
the workplace is, however, not restricted to a single linguistic system but a whole
range of processes and media that supplement or complement each other to carry
forward the desired business function.
 Chapter
WHAT IS BUSINESS ENGLISH?
1
Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter you will be able to: communication
• Understand the importance of communication in a business communication cycle
organization sender
• Know the meaning, process and functions of communication receiver
• Appreciate the necessity of effective communication and the various encoding
ways of communicating
decoding
• Learn the theory of communication in order to analyse the
communication process message
medium
feedback
Pre-reading Activity monosyllables
What do the words 'Business English' suggest to you?
Are speaking and writing the only ways of communicating?
Do you use the same language and tone on all occasions and with
different people?

B usiness English is English used for commercial purposes. It is a com-

municative medium in business organizations to carry out several
functions. It is a shared medium in a globalized business scenario helping non-
native speakers of the language to communicate with each other. Business
English is a communicative competence that needs to be understood in the
context of the workplace and, for that purpose, it is important that we focus on
the basics of Business Communication itself.

BASICS OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Communication is everybody's business. What then is Business Communi-

cation? How much of it is about business and how much of it is about com-
munication? To understand the relationship between business and com-
munication, it is essential to first see communication in its entirety, that is, as
everybody's business. Only then can we relate the process of communication to
its function and use it in the commercial context.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Everybody's Business

All of us, share a common faculty, that is, the ability to communicate and share our
thoughts and intentions, and make the privileged privacy of our thoughts public and
common. The Latin root of the very word 'communicate' refers to communicare, meaning
sharing or communis which means commonness. Let me then suggest that communication
is an essential part of our individual necessity to share and also a social necessity to
become a part of the domain of the common.
When a child is born, the first cry draws in breath and communicates the sign of life.
As an infant, that cry becomes loaded with communicative content, be it thirst, hunger,
stomach ache, sleepiness, desire for a nappy change, and so much more. Then comes the
repetitive monosyllables, ma ma, da da, etc., sounds that may not convey much sense
initially, but soon thereafter acquire significance. These sounds apart, gestures and
movements account for the several communicative signals that a child sends out to be
understood in the absence of a fully developed system of language. And, as the faculty of
meaningful communication develops, the child becomes a social being who can express
thoughts and needs not simply to the parents but to the peers, teachers, relatives and
others. According to studies, by teenage, the child would have added thousands of words
to her/his vocabulary.
But communication is not just knowing words. It is more about the use and function
of words to express a certain desired result. It may be pertinent to point out at the offset
that words form only a small part of our communication process. Communication
includes a range of media at our disposal in our effort to transfer a message — audio-
visual signs, body movements, etc. It is also important in a study of communication to not
only include the speaker, writer or sender, but more importantly, the role of the listener,
reader or receiver.
As adults we communicate in varied social contexts — domestic and professional.
How do we do it? The social context itself, an amalgamation of the cultural, educational,
economic and political, is our greatest guide. There is nevertheless another guide, the
discerning communicator and her/his ability to orient the message in a direction so as to
receive the desirable result. This latter element of result-oriented communication is of
great value, particularly in professional contexts.

Business Communication

Communication has acquired a prominent role at all levels of an organization in our times.
Business Communication is related to this particular requirement of the modern-day
workplace that runs on professional management principles. It has also acquired
additional prominence in advertising and marketing, and in brand or image building of
companies. In an age of information and communication technology, business strives for
better coordination, control and efficiency through the apt use of communication.
Effective business communication is today an
 WHAT IS BUSINESS ENGLISH?

extremely desirable skill and a good communicator is often seen as an efficient corporate
person, who is able to manage her/his responsibilities well and deliver the necessary
corporate goals.

Meaning

'Communication is a process of transmitting and receiving verbal and nonverbal

messages. Communication is considered effective when it achieves the desired reaction or
response from the receiver. Simply stated, communication is a two-way process of
exchanging ideas or information' (Murphy et al 2000:11).
'It is the means by which behaviour is modified, change is effected, information is
made productive, and goals are achieved' (Koontz et al 1984:526).
When we look at communication in the workplace, the entire organization itself rests
on the effectiveness with which managers and workers relate to their jobs, responsibilities,
organizational goals and interpersonal relationships. Communication across the hierarchy
helps the organization to develop a sense of united purpose, a sense of identity and
belonging, a value for human concerns and harmonious professionalism.
Communication in the business context means the exchange of messages between
organizational people for bringing about desirable and target-oriented results.

Importance and Objectives

For any organization the importance of communication is manifold. According to

organizational communications expert, Chester I. Barnard (1938), communication is the
means by which people are linked together in an organization to achieve a common
purpose. Communication helps in giving shape to organizational goals by putting forth
the objectives to be achieved and helping the employees to share a common purpose.
If the organization were to be viewed as a social system then it could be understood
in terms of a communication network, where a dynamic web of vertical, lateral and
crosswise communication creates the operational structure for decision-making, decision-
dissemination and decision-implementation. For socio-psychologists like Katz and Kahn,
who saw communication from a sociological perspective, social systems were 'restricted
communication networks' (1978:430-31).
The integration of managerial functions is often connected with the role played by
communication in an organization. In their study on management, Koontz, O'Donnell and
Weirich, trace those areas of managerial function which communication integrates:
1. Establish and disseminate goals of an enterprise.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

1. Develop plans for their achievement.

2. Organize human and other resources in the most effective and efficient way.
3. Select, develop and appraise members of the organization.
4. Lead, direct, motivate and create a climate in which people want to contribute.
5. Control performance.
(1984:527)
Communication also facilitates business goals in the external environment through
exchanges between the organization and other agencies: customers, suppliers,
stockholders, government and civic agencies, facility providers, banks and other financial
organizations, embassies and others.
Both internal and external objectives are facilitated further by the advantages of
technology, particularly of information technology. These allow communication to be
transmitted more efficiently, effectively and economically to targeted audiences. The e-
mail or Internet has given communication a kind of accessibility unthinkable a few
decades ago, thereby furthering the business potential of enterprises.

TH E CO M M U NIC ATIO NCYC LE

Process

The process of communication has the following basic components that operate within a
particular context: sender, encoding, medium/message, decoding, receiver and feedback.
Fig. 1.1 illustrates a basic model of the communication process.

Encoding Message
media Decoding

Ideas Communication
— Sender — Receiver Ideas
process

Decoding Feedback Encoding

media

Figure 1.1: The communication cycle

 WHAT IS BUSINESS ENGLISH?
7
Sender

The sender is the initiator of the communication process. S/he is the person who feels the
need to communicate and express certain ideas or thoughts in her/his mind, prompted by
the context in which the need to communicate arises. The prompting could also be some
external and/or internal stimuli. The sender's communicative environment must not only
have reasons to communicate but must also have the medium in which the ideas or
thoughts could be encoded. The choice of medium is guided by both availability of the
opportunity of use of that medium, but more importantly that there is a sharing of access
to that medium by the receiver.
For example, the sender may choose to speak to a distanced receiver if s/he has
access to a telephone but only if the receiver too has a phone. S/he may speak in English
if the receiver understands that language. The sender must choose the appropriate words
to encode the thought so that the receiver can understand the message. The encoding must
convey the proper meaning so that the desired feedback can be elicited from the receiver.
To a great extent, the sender as originator and transmitter of the message has the
responsibility of appropriate encoding, keeping in mind the several circumstances that
surround the communication process.

Encoding

Encoding is the process by which the senders translate their thoughts/ideas into
appropriate messages, using the medium that is shared between the sender and the
receiver. Encoding is guided by the sender's own communication skills as also her own
estimate of the receiver's communication skills of comprehension. Encoding is in a way, a
method of providing a structured message using shared codes of communication
(medium) that may be verbal or nonverbal. It is like giving substance to the abstraction of
ideas, or like providing logical codes of language systems to the unformulated ideas in the
mind. The effectiveness of encoding determines the quality of the message that ultimately
gets tested by the receiver's comprehension of the message.

Medium/Message

The encoding prepares the message in a particular medium that would enable the receiver
to decode and understand the original idea that the sender wanted to convey. The medium
is a system of codes and signs that have a somewhat determinable meaning system that is
shared between the sender and the receiver. The transference of message must necessarily
depend on some medium, or else the message can neither be encoded nor sent.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

The message is like water and the medium (words, gestures, signs, etc.) is the
container in which the message is to be transferred. In addition to the medium, the
message is also sent through a 'channel'. To use the image of water again, channel
(telephone, letter, computer, etc.) is like the water pipe that conveys water (message) from
one point to another. The medium is determined by the requirements of the message, the
availability of channels, and the communicative skills and circumstances of the receiver.

Decoding

Once the message reaches the receiver, it can serve its communicative purpose only if it is
understood. Decoding is this process of comprehending the sense and meaning of the
message so that it registers in the mind of the receiver as an understandable idea.
Decoding depends on the 'medium' skills of the receiver as also on the quality of encoding
of the sender. Further, the reception of the message is better if there is no or a few
interferences in the transmittal. Interferences or 'noise', as it is referred to in the oral
communicative context, reduces the quality of the incoming message and may lead to
faulty decoding.
It may be remembered that there is always a possibility of transmission losses that
occur when a message travels. One reason is that the meaning intended in the process of
encoding may not be the same as in decoding. Misinterpretations often occur due to
inadequate knowledge of the code. Interference may add further losses to the decoding
process.

Receiver

The receiver should be receptive to the message, that is, s/he should be alert, attentive to
multiple signals and perceptive particularly to the nonverbal media that often
accompanies the verbal medium. In the case of oral communication, the receiver must
listen with care, since the sound signals exist only momentarily. The receiver's
cooperation in the communication process is essential, or else the exchange itself is at
stake.
The receiver's skill of comprehension of the message is another important factor in
the success of the process. The sender and receiver must share the medium of exchange
and attach similar set of meanings to the words and symbols in their respective encoding
and decoding. Avoiding ambiguity is another principle that helps the message to be
decoded properly. Often, a mix of media helps in eliminating misunderstanding, for
example, when body language conveys meaning alongside oral communication.
 WHAT IS BUSINESSENGLISH? S 9

Feedback

The communication cycle remains incomplete in the absence of feedback. The receiver's
response to the message is then encoded as a feedback message for the sender. The
receiver's feedback becomes, in effect, a reversal of the communication process where the
receiver becomes the sender and the sender becomes the receiver. The feedback message
allows the sender to assess whether the receiver has understood the message and whether
the message has had the desired impact. In case of doubt by the receiver, s/he may also
ask for further clarification of some parts of the original message. Even silence is a kind
of feedback as a certain message does get conveyed in the process.
There are, of course, exceptions: the communication process does not allow for
feedback as in the case of one-way communication, for example, in the case of memos,
newsletters and announcements. In such cases, there is always a risk of the intended
message not being understood by the receiver. In the workplace, managers may have
difficulty in assessing the effectiveness of their communication in the absence of
feedback.

Functions

The communication process in the workplace serves crucial functions for the orga-
nization. It is impossible to visualize a modern work environment that does not have a
communication system in place. The formal and informal channels combine in the
organizational communication apparatus to help achieve desirable goals even as
communication inputs resolve organizational discords. A few important functions are
listed below.

Organizational Harmony Any organization requires a degree of harmony between

individuals, between departments and across levels so that there exists a level of
cordiality, trust and rapport among them. Communication greatly enhances the possibility
of harmony, often through its informal channels whereby employees interact socially to
create a sense of fraternity. This provides psychological satisfaction to the workers who
share their thoughts with one another, creating a better understanding of their professional
roles in the organization.

Hierarchical Relationships Communication helps to build effective bridges between

different levels of the organization, helping in its smooth running. Open lines of
communication across the hierarchy enables better understanding between superiors and
subordinates and in the process helps to realize organizational goals.

Human Resource Function/Labour Relations Misunderstandings between

labour and management can have disastrous consequences on the well-being of
BUSINESS ENGLISH

an organization. It is, therefore, essential to keep the lines of communication open

so that the management is kept abreast with labour discontent, if any.
Planning and Decision-making Planning and decision-making are important
management functions and communication is an effective tool in making group
decisions. The dynamics of decision-making combined with leadership make the
organization move towards its desired goal.
Job Coordination and Implementation Delegation of responsibility and ability to
work in teams are important in the workplace. The days of individual-oriented
work are gone. Teamwork means intra-team coordination. Whenever we think of
delegation of work, there is the need for coordination. This makes communication
necessary for proper implementation of work.
Network with External Agencies Business means a lot of interaction with exter-
nal agencies: customers, suppliers, stockholders, banks, government offices and
others. Corresponding with people outside the organization may be related to the
core function of the company but additionally it also showcases the company's
image to outsiders.

Marketing and Advertising Marketing one's products or services is an important

function of business organizations. In promotional matters it is important to
highlight the features and advantages of the items on offer. Communicating these
salient features in a manner that projects these goods by way of advertising is often
a result of market research. Marketing and advertising are indeed prominent
areas, where communication plays a central role.

Learning Outcomes
In this chapter youhave learnt that ~ " " " * ' •- -f^*- ^^^T|
• Communication plays an important role in business. *
• Business communication is the exchange of messages between a sender and
receiver(s) in an organizational context to enable a desirable and target-
oriented result. The process gets completed when the receiver responds with
a feedback to the sender.
• In an organization, communication is a dynamic network of vertical, lateral and
crosswise exchange of messages.
• The formal and informal channels combine in the organizational communica-
tion apparatus to help achieve desirable goals.
 r ~"
WH AT IS BUSIN ESSEN GLISH? 11

H Exercises

1. Describe the process of communication. Would the communication cycle be

considered incomplete if the feedback is in a different medium and not the
same as the original message?
2. What is the importance of feedback? Give instances where feedback is not
immediate or altogether missing.
3. What are the different functions of communication, particularly in the busi-
ness context?
4. Is there a logical link between a good manager and a good communicator?
If so, in what way is this so?

Communication has travelled a long road and today it moves along with Informa-
tion Technology to make the system more efficient. What is the impact of technol-
ogy on communication? Trace the different areas of communication where IT has
made a difference.
 Chapter

TYPES DF CDMMUNICATIDN

Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
verbal
After studying this chapter you will be able to: • Understand the necessity empathic
of codes in communication Know the various factors controlling the oral
syntax
codes Learn the different types of codes: verbal and nonverbal Identify code
the features, advantages and limitations of the various types of ephemeral
communication transmission
literate
repulsive
|vg Pre-reading Activity formal
authoritative
Is it necessary for communication to be face-to-face always? gesture
How is written communication different from verbal communication? reliability
precise
How do people who can not speak communicate?
substantial
unambiguous
spontaneous
ME D IU MO F CO M M U N IC A T IO N primitive
psychological

A communicator has several options available when s/he encodes the

message that is to be transferred to the receiver. To a great extent, this
encoding process is dependent on the skills of the sender in a particular medium
deft
instantaneous
clarity
clarification
and also on the cultural environment where the communication process is taking persuasion
place. Any message must necessarily have a medium. The medium is like a concise
vessel that conveys water when you need to transfer it from one place to another. complete
creative
In the process of encoding, the medium gets selected almost spontaneously commitment
on the basis of purpose and circumstances. The medium can be verbal or context
nonverbal, i.e. it may be through the use of words, be it written or oral; or it may formulation
be through body language, signs, and other media that either does not or does simultaneous
have extremely limited use of words. Verbal and nonverbal communication are attentiveness
distorted
both products of the social, cultural, educational environments within which the
credibility
sender and receiver participate in the communicative process. This is how the legal validity
medium acquires the mean-ingfulness of the message and the participants accuracy
understand one another. If uniformity
congruity
outreach
paralanguage
pristine
harnessed
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION [ 13

there are no common reference points, be it language or gestures, the sender and
receiver will not understand one another. Thus, at the very outset, it may well be
pointed out that the medium of communication depends largely on aptitude of the
participants to use verbal and nonverbal means to transfer messages in codes that
both are familiar with.
The different types or media of communication are roughly divided as verbal
and nonverbal. There are further subdivisions within each as Fig. 2.1 illustrates.

Verbal Nonverbal

1
_i
Written Sign Body Language:
Language Kinesics

, . . 1.. .
Audio Visual Paralanguage

Space: Proxemics

Time: Chroremics

Touch: Haptics

Listening

Silence

Figure 2.1: Types of communication

VERBAL COMMUNICATION SHE

Verbal communication is through the use of structured languages that operate by

using words with established rules of grammar and syntax. Verbal language
systems are sophisticated in their ability to convey complicated or difficult ideas
and are by far the most advanced in terms of their vast vocabularies and range of
usage.
 Verbal communication is definitely the foremost faculty that separates
humankind from the rest of the animal world. The first noise that a child makes at
BUSINESS ENGLISH

birth is by crying. As the child grows, s/he starts making repetitive sounds first,
followed by meaningful combinations of those sounds. The process of language
acquisition continues whereby the exposure of the child to the socio-cultural and
educational environment shapes the skills and range of verbal communication.
Language systems have developed over thousands of years and their use is indis-
pensable in our everyday lives. The use of words to exchange ideas permits us to
encode and decode in a way that provides a degree of definiteness in what we say.
Of course, one cannot deny the transmission losses that are bound to occur, but
even then the verbal message has a greater chance of reliability.
Depending on the way we use words, to either speak or write, verbal commu-
nication is further subdivided into oral and written. Since the differences are sub-
stantial, it may be useful to discuss them separately.
 Oral Communication
Often, believed to be much older than the written form, oral communication is still
the more preferred medium. We speak a lot more than we write; compare the num-
ber of phone calls which one makes with the number of letters one writes. The
better part of our days is usually spent in oral exchanges, in conversation, enabling
us to interact socially with the people around us. What could be the reasons for this
popularity of oral communication? Let us prepare a list of reasons as to why we
prefer oral communication more.
1. It is spontaneous and, therefore, can transfer the message immediately.
2. It has greater speed, since it needs to be decoded almost as soon as the
encoding has occurred. There is a quality of instantaneousness in an
exchange of oral message between the sender and the receiver.
3. Since the receiver has to be necessarily present the feedback or
Advantages of Oral need for clarification can be met easily and quickly. As a matter
Communication of fact, oral communication has a greater number of cycles in a
communicative event as messages and their feedback flow back
• Spontaneous and forth between sender and receiver.
• Greater speed
• Instantaneous "
reception 4. In combination with nonverbal medium like body language
• Immediate feedback and paralanguage, oral communication can become highly effec-
and clarification tive, particularly in its function of persuasion. Not surprisingly,
• Persuasive lawyers still present their arguments orally and direct marketing
• Midway correction
personnel try to convince by their 'sales talk'!
possible
5. There is a scope for emphasis, change in the tone, elaboration,
• Social bonding
etc., even midway through the communication because the
• Informal
sender has the advantage of 'reading' the responses of his audi-
ence. This possibility of midway correction makes oral commu-
nication far more responsive to the receiver's needs.
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

6. In face-to-face oral communication, it is economical both in terms

of time and money. Disadvantages of
7. Oral communication has an important social function: it allows Oral Communication
groups of people to interact and develop themselves socially. In Cannot be documented
business organizations, employees develop trust, companionship for future use lil
Limited time period
and team spirit by easy and frequent oral exchanges with one
another. .
8. It is less formal and, therefore, helps in bypassing the rigidities of for formulation of
organizational hierarchies. ideas Hurried
planning
However, there could be several drawbacks,
Dependent on
1. Since oral communication is ephemeral, that is, it is said and listening and
heard in that instant and then disappears forever, it cannot be attentiveness May waste
documented for future use. time Dependent on
2. Its spontaneity can be a disadvantage since there is limited time memory Responsibility
period for formulation of ideas and encoding/decoding. cannot
3. Hurried planning may lead to confused or logically inconsistent be fixed Potential for
messages. distortion No legal
4. Oral messages are to a great extent dependent on listening and attentive-ness on
the part of the receiver. If the receiver has been lacking in these areas, the message
is lost.
5. Sometimes, the oral messages may waste time by not staying on course with a
particular topic. Digressions end up consuming a lot of time with delayed or no
end results.
6. Memory plays an important role in retention of heard messages. Forgetting can be
a great obstacle for oral communication. This problem is often enhanced when the
oral message is too long.
7. In the case of oral communication within organizations, accountability suffers
because responsibility cannot be fixed in the absence of documented records.
Rumours and gossip also proliferate through this medium, creating problems about
the credibility of the information.
8. It has a potential for being distorted since the listener may not remember the
details, the logical sequence or the emphasis that the oral message may have
intended. Additionally, since there are no records, the message cannot be referred
back again, making cross-checking difficult. The grapevine phenomenon is often
an outcome of this deficiency.
9. One of the biggest disadvantages of the oral medium is that it has no legal
validity. In the absence of records, the law does not entertain oral messages as
admissible legal evidence.
[«[ BUSINESS ENGLISH
"" - Oral communication is essential in the day-to-day functioning
Effective Speaking i 0 any organization, be it informal discussions or formal meetings.
f
• Clarity, conciseness 1 Despite its disadvantages, the very basic human need to interact and
and completeness 1 communicate with another person is met through the oral medium.
• Good vocabulary 1 Thanks to recent developments in technology, the power of oral
• Appropriate 1 communication has been further enhanced, deepening our depen-
paralanguage I dence on this medium as exemplified in the steady progress in tele-
• Congruity of different * communications.
media used along ....,,
with oral medium ^° ermance me effectiveness of oral communication it is useful
• Expression of * to ^eeP in mind tne following:
commitment 1M a. Clarity, conciseness and completeness of message helps the
• Good listening. . .W receiver grasp the meaning and significance of the message
"" "'"..< " ii ™ i » ™ - « ....-
« » -—
" " '«a ^'- without either seeking further clarifications or wasting time
in understanding the message. While a long discourse may divert the focus and
lead to misunderstanding, an incomplete message may leave out crucial details.
Clarity of the expression helps in reducing transmission losses between speaker
and listener.
b. A good vocabulary is a great asset for a speaker. Choosing the appropriate
word without having to search too hard for it helps spontaneity and also
fluency in the language. Picking the right phrases, idiomatic expressions,
apt illustrations, are necessary for removing ambiguities. A listener, too,
needs the corresponding qualities of good knowledge of words and their
usages so that he may comprehend the message fully.
c. Paralanguage plays a significant role in the effective use of the oral
medium. Our voice, tone, inflection, pronunciation, etc., that is, how we
speak and what we want to say, provide to the listener the fullest expression
of our message. This is a unique feature of oral communication, its ability to
combine the form and content of oral discourse. The emotional content or
feelings are often expressed alongside oral communication through
paralanguage. A speaker must have good paralinguistic skills to convey
any oral expression effectively.
d. Other media like body language is often used with oral communication. It is
important that there is congruity between oral and other media so that the
credibility of the overall message does not suffer. What the oral message
says must get reflected and supported by body language, otherwise the
receiver would be confused about the meaning.
e. A good speaker must possess the quality of self-confidence so that there is
an expression of commitment in what he utters. He must project that he
himself believes in what he is saying or else why would the listener be per
suaded by him?
f. A good speaker must also be a good listener. These roles are in fact comple
mentary. As I say something, I must also be attentive to the receiver's
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

However, written communication also suffers from a few handicaps. The difficulties
m
of written media could be listed as follows:
1. Written communication can often be uneconomical, both in terms of time or man-
hours and money. The entire exercise of drafting and mailing a letter is time and
labour consuming and comparatively expensive.
2. Clutter of excess paper is another problem with written communication,
particularly when filing systems are unable to cope up with the number or range of
documents.
3. Feedback is slower and may sometimes be missing altogether. Seeking
clarifications is also a slow and time-consuming process. It has fewer com-
munication cycles since feedback in the same medium requires extra effort.
4. Written communication is a literate skill, that is, a person needs to learn and be
trained in these skills. The absence of literacy makes this medium restrictive.
Additionally, it may sometimes project the impression of inadequacy in people
who are professionally competent, but have communication difficulties. For
example, a surgeon may be very good in his profession, but if his written
communication is weak, he may not be able to get adequate academic recognition
because of his inability to produce written research publications.
5. Since written communication is formal, it does not help in building interpersonal
relationships in organizations. The very formality restricts this medium to
organizational functions.
6. Written communication produces records and these run the risk of leaking out
inadvertently, or at times, deliberately. Confidentiality and secrecy could be
compromised when it is a written document.
Written communication helps the organization to manage its functions better. To
make it more effective, skills of language use, vocabulary, writing style and organization
of information are necessary. A few tips could be mentioned here:
1. Language of written communication should be direct, precise, simple and unambiguous. While
idioms of a language should be appropriately used, one must avoid cliches Effective Writing
or hackneyed phrases. . Direct/ precise/ simpie
2. Sufficient care should be taken on the choice of words. Gen- and unambiguous
eral words should be the common everyday words while • Use common everyday
technical terms must be properly selected and used. words
3. Sentences should be short and must not be overloaded with ... . .
with content
too much content. Similarly, paragraphs help in organizing . Straightforward ^ to
ng
the content. They should be used judiciously so that they
become logical units of the entire message.
me point
. Editing and ' md I
1
rewriting
4. Writing style should be straightforward and to the point. • Correct grammar
and
Complex sentences, cluttering phrases, jargon and superflu- polite language
ous description unnecessarily overload the message with
BUSINESS ENGLISH

linguistic baggage, and yet transmit no useful additional quality. This

should be avoided. Remember, business communication must be purpose-
ful and nothing should be done that wastes words, which in turn wastes
time.
5. As written documents can be referred to several times and have a long shelf
life, a lot of care and attention should be given while drafting it. Long shelf
life means long-term impact. Editing and rewriting may become necessary
so that the message retains its essential qualities of precision, clarity and
logical unity.
6. Basic rules of grammar should be followed, and acceptable and polite
language used. This will not only help in public relations but also help the
receiver/s to understand the message better across time, culture and terrain.

j. CO M M U N IC A T IO N

Communication can also be without words. In fact, according to some studies,

only about 7 per cent of all communication is verbal, oral and written taken
together. Over 50 per cent is actually body language, while 38 per cent is
paralanguage.

Verbal
communication
7%

Paralanguage,
etc. 38 %
Body language

Figure 2.3: Modes of communication

Nonverbal communication is often used independently but is usually seen to

operate alongside verbal communication. As nonverbal media are not based on
complex language systems, they have a certain physicality in their expression.
Also, the cultural environment in which the communication occurs has a promi-
Audio Signs Audio signs are sounds that convey messages
addressed to our faculty of hearing. It is one of the most ancient
communication practices, one that imitates wild animals and their
methods of communicating. Drum beats and conch blowing have
been variously used to warn of danger. Despite ( its primitive
connections, sound signals continue to be used, particularly for
purposes where immediacy is required and visual signals cannot
be seen, for example, ambulance hooters, or fire-tender sirens.
In the workplace, sound signals are used as markers of time
periods, like the siren in factories, announcing shift Figure 2.4:
Alarm clock, an change. The alarm clock, the office buzzer, the doorbell, the example of
audio sign telephone ring and the car horn are all examples of audio signs. The advantage of
sound is that it is a fast medium that can spread to a large number of receivers who may be
scattered over a large area. Also, the receivers may not be within the visual distance of the
sender and yet, because reception of sound signals is involuntary, they would receive the
message.

Visual Signs Visual signs are basically graphics and illustrations that have some
associative meaning in their design. The picture on a road sign, of a boy or girl
running with a school bag, suggests that there is a school ahead on that road and
one needs to slow down. Similarly, the picture of a plate, a spoon and a fork
suggests that there is a restaurant ahead where a traveller may have some
refreshments.
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

nent role to play. The meanings of nonverbal mess'ages are often approximations
and cannot be relied upon completely. Sometimes, nonverbal medium is deliber-
ately used but it is often a spontaneous phenomenon. Expression of feelings and
emotions is one significant area where nonverbal medium plays an important role.

Sign Language

Sign language uses symbols that are commonly understood within a particular
communicative group. Conventionally, signs derive their meaning by working as
substitutes for the idea or thing that they replace. For example, a patch of uniform
black and white painted bands on the road has come to mean a zebra crossing, the
lane that pedestrians can use to cross the road. Signs are abstractions and people
must agree on the meaning of signs for them to work. Usually, they can convey
simple messages because it is not possible to express complex ideas with symbols
of limited scope. Road signs, traffic signals, graphs, maps, alarms and sirens—all
convey their respective and particular messages. Sign language is audio or visual,
depending on the receiver's sensory faculty that is being addressed by the sign. A
combination of the two, that is the audio-visual, has become a unique medium of
communication in itself.
22U BUSINESS ENGLISH

The main advantage of visual signs is that they can condense a message so that
the receiver can grasp the meaning at one glance. This is one of the primary
reasons why highway road signs use the visual sign language. Drivers of speeding
vehicles can easily follow the instructions available from these signs. Written
instructions would have been difficult to read when one is moving at high speed.
Visual signs also have a universal appeal and do not disadvantage people who are
unfamiliar with a particular language in which the verbal message could have
been written. Certain signs are understood worldwide, like the meanings of traffic
lights: red, yellow and green.
Visual signs like maps and graphs serve to illustrate and enliven the contents
rendered in verbal medium. The main reason is that the appeal of the visual
medium makes it so much more persuasive. Illustrations like map or graph or a
flow chart, make verbal ideas clearer and help us to understand better.
One point may, however, be noted that visual signs often combine with the
written medium for maximum communicability. The conjoining of media classi-
fies the message because the verbal medium then compensates for the inability of
visual medium to express complex ideas.
Figure 2.5: Visual signs in our everyday life

Audio-visual Audio-visual, the combining of the faculties of hearing and seeing

simultaneously has perhaps been by far the most popular medium in the present
times. Mass media, that is, television, films, multimedia, etc., have become
emblematic of modern civilization. Its business potential is immense and as a com-
municative power its persuasiveness is unparalleled. From advertising to market-
ing, from presentations to interactive websites, the audio-visual's potentialities are
being tapped for business use. Since it is largely a technology-based medium, and
as communication technology improves further, the audio-visual is likely to grow
stronger.
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

Kinesics: Body Language

Body language or kinesics is the most widely used communication medium as Fig. 2.3
shows. Yet, we seem to attach so little importance to it, largely because, most of the
messages that are sent out by our bodies are involuntary. The body constantly sends
signals to receivers even if we do not intend it. So long as there are people watching us,
body language continuously transfers messages. This is in some respects a passive
medium, where the body does not wait for our conscious minds to signal messages.
But what are the messages? How are they understood? The movements of different
parts of the body convey body language. The sender and the receiver understand the
meanings of these movements in the particular cultural environment that they share. The
body movements are often determined by internal psychological stimuli like emotions,
feelings, etc. Emotions like anger, restlessness, joy, sadness or dejection find expression
more by body language than by its verbal counterpart. In this respect, body language is a
good gauge to measure the psychological disposition of a person. The silent films of
Charlie Chaplin could convey so much by the deft use of body language.
However, body language is indicative and cannot be relied upon fully, since there
may be gross misunderstanding of gestures. Even then, it is useful, because it informs the
receiver about the psychological state of the sender's mind in advance. This preparedness
helps a person to shape his responses appropriately. Body language may help a manager
to know in advance the mental pulse of his co-workers and exercise authority without
actually issuing verbal orders. In business negotiations, marketing, interviewing, formal
meetings and even informal interactions, body language plays significant roles. Take for
example, the case of a manager who enters the office and, on his way, notices a difference
in the body language of his subordinates. If he is conscious of body language, he will
realize the employees are disturbed about something. Body language will not tell him
what the problem is, but will make him aware that there is a problem. The manager can
now enquire and use verbal communication to find out what the problem is and solve it.

Figure 2.6: Different types of hand movements or mudras used in classical dance
ENGLISH

Body movements could be mastered through training and practice as actors and
dancers do in their performances. But most people use body language quite spontaneously
without being too conscious of this fact that they are using it. To understand how body
language works it may be helpful to focus on the main parts of the body whose
movements play significant roles in transmitting messages.

Head and Facial Expressions The head has an important role in communicating body
language. Its position at the apex of the body makes it the most visible part, even in a
crowd. The head seats all the senses, while the face displays the uniqueness of an
individual—together, they constitute an important and useful means for transmitting or
receiving messages.
The movement of the head could signify affirmation or negation, depending on the
conventions shared by the communicative participants. The nodding of the head meaning
'Yes', or bowing as a sign of respect, are common head movements.
The face has great significance in kinesics. The emotional disposition of a person
often shows up in facial expressions. Feelings like embarrassment, surprise, anger,
boredom, restlessness, disgust or fear show up on the face unconsciously. When a person
is emotionally charged, the facial muscles mirror his mental condition instinctively,
spontaneously and involuntarily. Furrows on the brow, smile on the lips or lifting of
eyebrows suggest mental conditions like sadness, joy or surprise. Table 2.1 shows some
common gestures and what they mean.

Table 2.1 Some common gestures and what they could mean
Gesture
Forward leaning
Direct eye contact
Unique appearance
Upright posture
Smiling
Averting gaze Furrowed
brow Nodding and
reaching out hands while
talking
In moderate form
Friendliness Friendliness
Creative person
Professional expertise and
confidence
Friendliness, relaxed and
secured composure
Shyness, modesty
Involvement Self-
confidence
In exaggerated form
Hostility
Hostility
Rebellious person
Hostility, uprightness
Hiding hostility,
submissiveness Guilt-
ridden, unreliable
Anxious Uncertainty

Eyes and Eye Contact Perhaps, the most expressive parts of the face are the eyes. No
doubt, poets and artists have been attracted to its power over the ages! The eyes not only
receive signals but also provide an important focus for face-to-face communication.
Proper eye contact is required when two people interact in sight of each other. A person
who maintains eye contact in communication is understood to be sincere and committed
to what he is saying. A wandering gaze often suggests
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

Table 2.2 Some avoidable gestures

Avoidable gestures Common interpretations

Hair twirling Incompetence and uncertainty
Shaking of knees Nervousness, restlessness
Rubbing your arm or leg Anxiety about competence, uncertainty
Placing your hand in front of your mouth Anxiety about confidence
Wringing your hands and rubbing your Nervousness, anxiety, uncertainty, j
fingers insecurity fj
Slumped posture Boredom, alienation

distraction, inattentiveness, guilt or impatience. Thus, establishing eye contact is taken

usually as a positive personality trait.
The association with personality-related characteristics makes eye contact a very
important communication tool. It projects affection, friendship, interest, liberal
mindedness and self-confidence. Good eye contact also indicates that the person is well
disposed to the other person and is showing earnestness.
The absence of eye contact or wavering eye contact is indicative of deceptive-ness
and poor credibility. However, it must be remembered that eye contact is also a cultural
phenomenon and its interpretation may vary across to cultures. Also, constant gaze may
sometimes work negatively, depending on the circumstances and intensity of it.

Gestures Gestures are very common in communication. Its casual use within a context of
commonly understood meanings is something that we all pick up from our exposure to
communicating environments to which we belong. There are, of course, stylized gesture
codes that perform specified tasks of communication, as in the classical Indian dance or
the gesture language of the hearing impaired. These specialized gesture codes are
acquired with training and these are understood within the communities of users who
understand them. While referring to gestures in communication, we will focus on the
common use of gestures and how they work.
Gestures convey meanings by movement of the limbs. Gestures help to add emphasis
to oral communication. Often, gestures are involuntary and habitual. At times, we move
our hands while we speak, adding a visual dimension to an utterance. These gestures
occur quite spontaneously and we are not even conscious of these movements. What do
they convey?
The human body has a visual appeal and uses this to its advantage in communication.
When the receiver is at a non-audible but visual distance, a person may use gestures to
supplement verbal communication, for example, showing the full palm to indicate 'stop',
moving the index finger to call somebody, waving the hand to signify goodbye, etc. But
gestures are more widely used as complements to oral communication. An optimum use
of gestures highlights what is being said.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Gestures are conventional and their meanings are embedded in culture. Receivers
understand a gesture by their prior exposure to that particular code.
Too many gestures may be counter-productive. It tends to distract focus and
unnecessarily dramatizes the spoken word. Since gestures become meaningful in the
cultural context in which they are used, one must be sensitive to the requirements of that
particular environment. The 'wrong' gesture can be hilarious or annoying and, therefore,
undesirable or unpleasant. In an age of globalization and greater interaction between
people, this culture-dependent medium of body language needs to be. used judiciously,
because it has an immediate appeal and helps in personality assessment. Too much of it
may lead to miscommunication, too little would make a person appear stiff and project
inflexibility.
Since body movements are connected with habits acquired over a period of time, also
termed manners, there is a certain social baggage that should be kept in mind. Certain
habits must be kept under check, for example, the shaking of knees, or snapping of fingers
that could reflect negatively on one's personality.
The confluence of gestures with oral communication must also be taken note of. If
the gestures and the words spoken alongside do not complement each other, the overall
message would be neither persuasive, nor convincing. In fact, body language is often
believed to tell the truth, largely because it is mostly involuntary. But this may not always
be true. Good communicators or good actors do take a lot of care in working on the
compatibility between their words and actions. In such cases, there is less of spontaneity
and more of strategizing.
Gestures can be learnt and may go a long way in training a person to use it very
effectively for business purposes. What illustrations are to a written text, gestures are to
speech. They provide a better opportunity of understanding the overall significance of a
message.

Posture Posture is determined by the way in which our backbone holds up the body. The
position of the body communicates the mental disposition, and again, like gestures, this
too is often involuntary. The general state of mind gets outwardly projected by the posture
of the body, for example, a person leaning his head backwards on the back of his chair
may suggest weariness. Posture also indicates personality traits. An erect posture would
suggest self-confidence, as much as a slouching one would signify sullenness or a sense of
insecurity.
As a matter of habit formation, posture is perhaps the first thing noticed in a person.
This overall positioning of the body would definitely convey the very first impression.
Even the silhouette of a person, that is, a combination of body shape and posture, conveys
some message about that person. Since postures may betray one's mental state outwardly,
it is quite important to be conscious about the sort of image that the body projects to its
viewers. If posture is a give-away of the mental or emotional condition, we need to work
harder on our posture habits and control them so that we do not allow our personal
dispositions to interfere with our professional roles.
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

Body movements also convey their own set of meanings. For example, someone
rushing down the stairs suggests some urgency, or a person desperately fumbling through
some papers in a file would suggest searching for some important document. Movements
are determined by need and, therefore, it is noticed that they are more purposeful and
deliberate.

Appearance

Appearance is the overall view of the body that is presented before the viewer/ receiver. It
is a combination of body shape, movement, gesture and posture that the person presents,
voluntarily or involuntarily. Grooming, clothing and other sartorial accessories are very
much a part of this total visual presentation. The early impression of a person is generally
this appearance that, of course, may get amended as the acquaintance becomes greater.
Body shape is what we are born with and we must keep it healthy and active by
exercise and proper lifestyle. Fitness is necessary for any kind of work and it is this
element that makes the viewer/receiver confident that you can discharge your
responsibilities. The coordinated use of gestures, facial expressions and posture
complement the person's image so that he may appear to be self-confident, mentally
attentive and well in control of his faculties. This outward presentation of the self is
enhanced further by the way he dresses up or grooms. It is important to remember the
occasion for which one dresses up so that one 'gels' with the event and does not
unnecessarily attract attention. Often, culture determines these choices, for example, dark
clothes are worn for a western funeral and white or non-bright clothes are worn for an
Indian funeral. Not following the dress norms would make a person stand out as one, who
either does not care, or is insensitive or ignorant.
In the workplace, appearance has an impact on the way a person discharges his
responsibilities. A scientist may have unkempt hair and may be dressed 'shabbily'. But
then, that is what scientists' images are like and his image may have suffered had it been
otherwise. This may not be the case with the customer relations officer. His job will
determine that he presents the 'orderly, professional and customer-friendly face' to the
world. His appearance must make people feel confident that he means business and he
will groom himself accordingly. In communication, there is a great need to relate to the
purpose of the message exchanged and appearance should do just that; one must present
oneself in tune with the professional task assigned to him.

Paralanguage

Paralanguage is the meaning conveyed by how something is said. Oral communication is

what is said. This is the distinguishing feature that makes paralanguage
28 Bi isi\ESS ENGLISH

different from oral language and also indicates their inseparability. It is

Paralanguage impossible to have paralanguage without oral communication. It is almost
Features like the relationship between computer software and hardware; there is no
• Voice use of one without the other.
- Volume variation Paralanguage is one of the most powerful complementing media that oral
- Pitch variation communication possesses over the written. How a particular message is said
- Speed of speaking is to a great extent its measure of importance. Paralanguage shows the main
and pauses purpose for which an utterance is made. In some ways, we may call it the
• Word stress 'highlighter' of oral messages, since it uses certain physical aspects of
• Inflections Non- language articulation to emphasize the central focus of the message. To see
fluencies what role they play in this nonverbal medium, let us take up four important
paralinguistic features: voice, word stress, inflections and non-fluencies.

Voice When the phone rings and we take the call, a voice says 'Hello'. What are the first
few things we learn about the caller apart from the meaning of the five-letter word 'Hello'?
You will be surprised by how much you can actually learn from the paralanguage of the
message. First, you will be able to make out the gender of the caller; second, whether it is
an identifiable or familiar voice; third, if unfamiliar, from the way the word is spoken, you
may be able to assume the socio-linguistic or educational background of the person. Now,
none of these meanings are actually 'contained' in the word 'Hello'. These are all derived
from the paralinguistic voice associate and not the oral communication itself. It is also
true that without the voice it is impossible to communicate orally. This then is the rela-
tionship that exists between the two where paralanguage helps to add further meaning to
the oral communication.
Paralanguage is, as the name suggests, 'like' language. It does not use words as such.
It is basically the vocalization of words. Voice is the vocal aspect of an utterance and
dimensions of voice use are discussed in the following section.

Volume Variation Volume is the indicator of sound energy that is spent in getting the
message across to the receiver. The greater the distance between the sender and receiver,
or louder the noise interference, or larger the size of the audience, the greater is the
volume of sound necessary. Volume variation also makes oral communication lively,
where the voice may fall to a whisper to share some secret or roar into full-throated yell to
indicate anger. Volume may also be an indicator of rank in the organization where a low
volume often characterizes the upper rungs of the hierarchy.

Pitch Variation Pitch is the shrillness of sound. Pitch variation allows an oral message to
acquire dynamism. It helps to remove the monotony of speech and also make the
articulation persuasive. Often understood to designate rank in an organization, people in
higher positions seem to use high-pitched voices as compared to their subordinates. Pitch
variation is also higher when a person is emotionally charged, for example, when he is
angry.

i
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

Speed of Speaking Speaking speed must not be confused with fluency. Fluency is the
ability of a person to speak a language without having to first think about the next
expression to be uttered. Fluency means a greater and more appropriate use of vocabulary.
Speaking speed, on the other hand, is the speed at which an utterance is delivered. When a
person is in a great hurry, he rushes through the words without waiting to see if the
receiver has grasped the meaning. Speed of speech must be such that the different parts of
the message can easily be understood, or else there is immense scope for
misunderstanding.

Pauses The reverse phenomenon of speed is pauses. When pauses in utterance are
judiciously used, they provide welcome gaps for the receiver to understand the message.
But too many pauses or pauses at the inappropriate places may cause distraction and
impatience in the receiver. Well-timed pauses helps in dramatizing the utterance by
creating suspense. The listener becomes more attentive when the pause withholds further
information even if momentarily. It may also be used as the oral equivalent of parenthesis.

Word Stress Word stress is another important dimension of paralanguage. Word stress
could be of two kinds: where words are stressed in a sentence or when different syllables
of a word get stressed so as to bring about subtle changes in emphasis and, thus, in
meaning.
The first instance where word stress works in a sentence, could be seen below by the
subtle shift of emphasis as the stress is shifted from one word to the other:

Is this how you study? Is

this how you study? Is
this how you study? Is
this how you study?

Notice that the shift in stress in words of the same statement makes the emphasis change.
This is a possibility in oral communication alone where paralanguage plays its role in
underlining the appropriate emphasis. In written communication, the same set of words in
the sentence would not have had the same advantage of emphasis.
The second level of word stress is that of stressing particular syllables in a word to
indicate how they are being used in a sentence, whether as a verb or as a noun:

Pretend (Noun)
Pretend (Verb)
Exhibit (Noun)
Exhibit (Verb)
BUSINESS ENGLISH

The syllables are stressed differently to convey their different meanings. This
aspect, of course, has a lot to do with speaking a language with proper stress, and
one must take the effort in learning the appropriate stresses while pronouncing
words. However, word stress should not discourage speakers because a little bit of
training and exposure to the speaking community can easily help a person to
master these skills.

Inflections Inflections are the small bits of sound that are attached to utterances
so that the spoken language takes on a particular linguistic flavour. Pronunciation,
or the way language is spoken, often reveals the social, cultural, educational,
regional and linguistic background of a person. These are often taken as markers
of a speaker's identity and could cause miscommunication as also stereotyping of
the speaker. One has to be open minded, particularly in a globalized world where
pluralism is a necessity and communication cannot be thwarted by expectations of
standardized pronunciation. For example, the way English is spoken across the
world is different but to expect that communication can take place only in the
Queen's English, actually bypasses the reality that there are more people in the
world communicating in their own local-flavoured English than in the pristine
Queen's English.
Non-fluencies Non-fluencies are terms that express the state of a person's mind,
particularly in a moment of urgency. They are used in moments of distress, pain,
anger, frustration, etc., almost as a shortcut for a longer message. Words and
phrases are also used but hardly ever in their literal sense. Common examples of
non-fluencies are, 'okay', 'you know', 'ah', 'oh', etc. To explain non-fluencies, the
following narrative may be illustrative:
You are carrying some softie ice cream from the parlour for your friends wait-
ing outside. Someone in a tearing hurry pushes against you and suddenly you
discover that the ice cream is all over your clothes. Even before you realize, you
have uttered two words of annoyance and disgust, 'Oh shit!' Now, this is non-
fluency, because what you are referring to with your expression is the act of the
hurrying person and the consequent loss. This entire annoyance gets condensed
into non-fluency. Non-fluencies may be slang and even abusive terms but they are
usually empty of their literal meaning.
Non-fluencies are useful for the speaker because they give him breathing
space to collect his wits, while for the receiver, they provide the opportunity of
understanding the speaker's mental condition better. Non-fluencies are culture and
language specific and cannot be translated. Too much of non-fluencies can make
communication sound non-serious and even provocative.

Proxemics: Space Language

How space is utilized and how that utilization becomes meaningful is what space
language is all about. It has come to acquire a prominent place in contemporary
 One important surroundings-related matter is the use of colour. Colour has a kind of
connotative or suggestive quality that works within a cultural context. Although these
colour principles are not universal, there are commonly understood shades of meaning
associated with each colour. Table 2.3 may be indicative:
Table 2.3 shows approximations and cannot claim to include a worldwide colour
code. However, it is this understanding of colour that makes people use colour in their
day-to-day lives according to the situations that they confront. Business organizations also
adopt colour codes to project their corporate image.
Surroundings may be deliberately made to signify meaning in their layout and
designing of space. Organizations often spend huge amounts to convey their image
through the architecture of their buildings or the interior design of their offices. Space
starts to send messages with all that is arranged in that space. For example, an office may
have cubicles for its staff in such a manner that they are visible to each other. This would
create an atmosphere of openness and allow greater interaction and transparency among
colleagues. The workplace organizes its space in a manner that reflects the ethos and
corporate culture of it. It may also be utilized to denote hierarchy in the office.
Communication is made to take place by imaginative use of what are referred to as
fixed and semi-fixed spaces. Fixed spaces are those that cannot be changed without
actually demolishing the structure that encloses it, for example, buildings. Their layout
and design is the task of architects and each workplace is designed as per the needs of the
organization's functions. A building that is constructed to be a bank must necessarily
include a strong room or locker room as part of its functional necessity. Semi-fixed spaces
refer to the way furniture is arranged in a
 TOTES OF COMMUNICATION

business. The communication that space can provide has been harnessed by business
organizations for their public, relations and building of their corporate image. Space has a
certain territorial dimension as also a conceptual dimension. In the first, let me refer to
space as surroundings and, in the second, space as the location that enables the dynamics
of communication to operate at different levels.

Surroundings The environment or surroundings where communication occurs is not only

the context within which all messages are exchanged, but the surroundings may become a
communicator itself. Elements in the surroundings may actually send out signals to
receivers and these messages are understood both in terms of conventions as well as
individual situations. Take for example, people in the office notice that it is becoming
dark outside. Commonsense dictates that it could be one of two things: one, it is close to
sunset; two, it is getting cloudy. These messages are sent by the environment and are
interpreted according to the individual disposition of the receivers/viewers. The person
who stays far away from office may be worried in case it rains. Some other person may
feel excited about a film show that he is scheduled to watch with his fiancee that evening.
The same phenomenon may mean different things for different people as per their
individual situations.
32 BUSINESS ENGLISH
Table 2.3 Colour codes
Colours Moods
Red Hot, angry, defiant, contrary,
hostile, passion, love, excitement.
Blue Cool, pleasant, leisurely, distant,
infinite, secure, peace, calm.
Yellow Unpleasant, exciting, hostile,
cheerful, joyful.
Orange Unpleasant, exciting, disturbed,
distressed, upset, defiant,
contrary, hostile, stimulating, ..
sacrifice (saffron).
Purple Depressed, sad, dignified, stately.
Green Rejuvenating, cool, pleasant,
leisurely, in control.
Black Sad, intense, anxiety, fear,
dejected, unhappy.
Brown Sad, despondent, dejected,
melancholy, unhappy, neutral,
earthy.
White Purity, wisdom, peace, joy,
lightness, neutral, cold.
Meaning
s
Happiness, restlessness, agitation, rage,
danger.
Dignity, sadness, truth, ocean, water.
Harvest, spring (in India), wisdom,
royalty (in China), age (in Greece),
famine (in Egypt).
Sun, fruitfulness, harvest,
thoughtfulness.
Wisdom, victory, wealth, humility,
tragedy.
Security, peace, envy, jealousy, hate,
aggressiveness, calm, life.
Darkness, power, mastery, protection,
decay, mystery, wisdom, death,
atonement.
Melancholy, protection, autumn,
humility, atonement.
Solemnity, humility, joy, light,
innocence, fidelity, cowardice.
room or the decor that goes towards making the room comfortable as well as prop-
erly equipped for the tasks that the occupants of that room may need to fulfil.
Semi-fixed spaces are open to rearrangement as and when necessary. Interior
designers or specialists who understand the value and meaning of space tackle it.
Surroundings provide the proper ambience to the workplace and a lot of effort
and expenditure goes towards making the space a communicator of positive
attitudes.
Intimate, Personal, Social and Public Spaces This is a different dimension of
space language where the proximity of the sender and receiver in spatial terms
determines the kind and quality of communication that they exchange. This in a
way is what proxemics deal with: the way in which we communicate with the
space around us. There are roughly four zones of space around us, namely, inti-
mate, personal, social and public. Fig. 2.7 shows these zones as concentric circles
around the person.
Intimate space is approximately one and a half feet radius around a person, or
the region that is reachable by his outstretched arms. This is a particularly private
zone where only family members or very close acquaintances are admissible.
Non-verbal communication like body language and touch are common because of
the physical proximity or closeness of the sender and the receiver who are clearly
visible to each other. Verbal communication is minimal and may often simply be
just whispers. In the workplace this zone might be covered by a very select group
of people.
The next circle around the intimate is the personal space, from one and a half
feet to approximately four feet. This is perhaps the region where the sender could
speak audibly without having to put extra volume in his words. Even in this zone,
body language continues to play a major role since the receiver is still within
audible and visible distance. Oral communication, of course, grows stronger since
some words are exchanged here. The people who usually occupy this place, apart
from relatives, are close associates and friends. A person's immediate senior or
subordinate in the workplace may also be included in this circle. Some sensitive
decision-making may take place in this zone.
The most relevant circle for a business organization is the next circle between
four to 12 feet. This is the social space, where most of the organizational communi-
cation takes place. Twelve feet is understood to be a distance up to which a
person's natural voice can carry without technological aid like that of a loud-
speaker. Oral communication is quite prevalent and paralanguage increasingly
becomes more useful. Professional talk, instructions, requests, business negotia-
tions, meetings, and persuasions are all part of this region.
The outermost zone is 12 feet and beyond. This is the public space. A public
address system may become necessary for communicating to a larger group of
people as an audience. A communicator needs to depend on paralinguistic skills
since it is considered to be beyond a properly visible distance. Additionally,
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

Intimate space
1.5 feet
Personal space
1.5 to 4 feet

Social space 4
to 12 feet

Public space
>12 feet

Figure 2.7: Four zones of space

BUSINESS ENGLISH

feedback is more of a group phenomenon rather than an individual one. Body

language plays a smaller role in public space.
It is to be noticed that as the communicator moves outwards through the dif-
ferent circles, body language has a lesser role to play and oral communication in
conjunction with paralanguage has a greater role. As one moves inwards, the
situation gets reversed. The understanding of space in this manner helps us to
assess the role played by organizational spaces and how people use those spaces.

Chronemics: Time Language

Communication conveyed through a sense of time is called chronemics. Basically,

time language is the approach to time that the sender has. A person makes
meaningful suggestions about himself, his background and his organization, by the
importance he attaches to time. When trains or flights run late, apart from the
inconvenience caused to the travellers, the image of the railways or the airlines also
suffers. They project inefficiency and mismanagement. Delay is an aspect of
mismanagement of time and people lose faith in organizations that cannot deliver
on time. Chronemics is the ability to project time as a dimension of orderliness, #
discipline, seriousness of purpose and punctuality.
Time language, too, is culture-specific wherein some give a great deal of
importance to time, while others have a relaxed approach. Western European
countries and the US for example, lay strong emphasis on time management. The
business world also lays stress on the need for effective use of time both for
greater productivity, smooth management as also for a positive corporate image
of efficiency.
In fact, when we talk about organizational efficiency, it is to a great extent a
comment on time management. Technological advancement towards efficiency
could be understood as how one can increase the speed of operations while retain-
ing standards of quality. Another important dimension is doing things on time.
Speed and punctuality are essential for effective use of time language since these
two have a direct bearing on how well an organization runs.

Haptics: Language of Touch

Of all the nonverbal media, the one that brings the sender and receiver in direct
physical contact with each other is touch. 'Haptics' or the language of touch
requires the maximum sensitivity to culture. What is an acceptable practice in one
culture may be completely unacceptable in another. Since it borrows heavily from
customs, it could miscommunicate to a receiver not familiar with those customs.
Haptic interaction between the genders is one area that requires particular care.
Patting someone on the back, embracing, kissing or shaking hands are com-
mon haptic gestures. Since touching is closely associated with display of intimacy
and affection, it must convey properly the purpose of such communication.
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION \ 35

Haptics should be optimally used so that it is neither too strong nor too
weak. The handshake may be a good illustration as a touch gesture. Listening: Do's
Commonly used as a gesture of welcome, the handshake must neither be • Be quiet
too hard because then it becomes more of a gesture of threat or attack; • Motivate the speaker
nor should it be too feeble, because then it might project diffidence or • Show interest in what
disinterest. It may also be pointed out that one needs to be conscious speaker says
about some of the specificities of touch communication. Preparedness for • Listen 'between the
haptics is necessary. For example, in handshakes, care must be taken to lines'
see that the hand is not damp or wet, because the idea of a wet handshake • 13e attentive and
may be quite repulsive. patient
Touch is also a marker of organizational status. It is usually the senior • Observe body
language signals of
who initiates the process and is in a position to control it. In association speaker
with other media like body language and oral communication, haptics can • Be open minded
add a degree of bonding for better interpersonal interaction. • Empathize
• Use paralanguage cues
Listening to show that you are
When we think of communication, the emphasis usually weighs heavily with the speaker
on the sender's side because after all, the sender is the initiator of the • Establish eve contact
communication cycle. However, the communication process cannot
simply take place without the complementary role of the receiver. In oral Listening: Don'ts
communication, the listener's role is as important as that of the speaker. • Do not interrupt
Oral communication is ephemeral, that is, the sound signals appear midway
momentarily and then are lost completely. The signals are to be picked up • Do not get distracted by
simultaneously even as they are produced. This reception of oral signals something else while
listening to the speaker
is listening. The meaning and comprehension of oral messages are
• Do not pass early
dependent on the quality of listening. How well one hears and registers
judgements
the message in mind determines whether oral communication has been
• Do not fake attention
successful or not. Listening helps in understanding the message before
• Do not go by
one responds to it. appearance of
Developing listening skills is necessary for communication to speaker
succeed. Listening has a direct relationship with learning. The better we • Do not go by his
listen and pay attention, the greater is the information that we receive. In paralinguistic skills but
nursery school, for example, the first task of a teacher is to train the by the content of the
toddlers to listen. Only then can they be in a position to be taught. This message
• Do not criticize
listening-learning association makes the act of listening central to our
speaking stvle
communicative skills.
The listening process is initiated with the reception of the oral message by
the hearer, a sensory perception that is aided by an environment that does not interfere
with barriers like noise. The next stage is where the oral message is assessed and
interpreted. In this process, the following kinds of listening become necessary to address
the range of requirements that the oral message needs for proper understanding:
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Evaluative Listening What is heard must be matched with what the receiver already
knows. The new information becomes relevant and meaningful in the context of pre-
existing knowledge. This makes listening evaluative, that is, the message is given a
certain kind of value in terms of its relationship with the situation, the purpose of the
message and the kind of importance that is attached to it by the receiver. Evaluative
listening makes the receiver weigh the value of the message and this helps him to provide
an appropriate response. This form of listening makes the receiver exercise his judgement
before he actually responds and goes a long way in making judicious responses and not
off-the-cuff ones prompted by unthinking spontaneity.
Discriminative Listening Many sound signals are received simultaneously. The receiver
has to decide which ones are more relevant and important than others. Discriminative
listening, where one focuses on particular oral messages, giving them precedence over
others, does this. It is this skill of discriminative listening that helps a person to extract
meaningful messages from chaotic and noisy situations where too many people speak
together.
Appreciative Listening As we listen, it is important that we encourage the speaker to
continue with his message. The listener needs to show interest so that the sender remains
motivated and this he does by appreciating the sender from time to time. This shows the
receiver's continued interest and is an acknowledgement of the sender's efforts in
communication. The listener uses body language and paralanguage to indicate his
continued attentiveness and appreciation.
Empathic Listening Empathic listening is when the receiver puts himself in the position
of the speaker and tries to understand the message from the speaker's point of view. This
process helps the listener to comprehend the message in the manner the speaker had
intended. It also helps in trying to figure out the emotional and psychological conditions
under which the speaker sends the message. Empathic listening looks beyond the surface
meanings and provides an opportunity to relate the message with the mental make up of
the speaker.
The listening process then moves on to the arrangement of information so that it may
be recalled for future reference. Good listening skills must be matched with good memory
power or else little of the listening can actually be retained and used. The follow up to
listening is feedback. Thus, the communication cycle is completed and the speaker gets to
know if his message has been registered in the mind of the receiver, and whether he has
properly understood the message or not.

Silence
This is perhaps a very passive nonverbal medium, but it can become an effective
communicative tool. Silence is the absence of oral communication and may have some
body signals, gestures, facial expressions, etc., associated with it. The very
 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION , 37

absence of words allows the receiver to concentrate on other cues. When a person
becomes silent, that in itself sends a message and usually silence communicates the
mental status. Giving utterance to mental state is not only difficult, but at times, even
undesirable. Silence is an effective tool for these moments. As the person becomes silent,
he provides himself an opportunity of mental relaxation, as also gathering and organizing
his thoughts.
Because it is a passive medium, silence also has the potential of being interpreted as a
sign of suffering from fear or being respectful. But in the absence of verbal clarifications,
the interpretation of silence could be wide. It can be shyness or disgust or sadness that
prompts people to silence and it may not be an easy task to unravel its mystery.
Misunderstanding silence is also common. People may read something totally off the
mark in another person's silence.
Communicators, however, need to use silence keeping in mind some of its
limitations. One of the main limitations is that silence is often taken for assent, and is
difficult to express disagreement through it. In meetings and group activities, silence may
rob the group of a member's viewpoint (that is, the primary cause of his presence).
Remaining silent in such a setting may send out wrong signals: that either the person is
not interested or that he is ignorant about the issues being discussed.

Learning Outcomes

In this chapter you have learnt that:

• Communication takes place with the aid of some medium or the other
• The main media of communication are verbal or nonverbal Verbal
communication or that which uses words, can be oral or written
Nonverbal communication includes sign language, body
language, paralanguage and languages of space, time and touch Sign
language can be audio, visual or audio-visual Listening is a vital tool for
effective understanding of an oral message Silence is a passive but useful
nonverbal medium

Exercises

QUESTIONS

1. What are the different media of communication? Why is communication medium

necessary? Answer briefly in about 200 words.
2. Words can convey messages both orally and in writing. Compare their respective
advantages and disadvantages.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

3. Why is listening and reading important? Do these activities have any similarities?
4. How can speaking and writing be made more effective?
5. What is body language? How does it work?
6. 'Body language always tells the truth.' Do you agree? Give a reasoned answer.
7. Write short notes on the following in.about 50 words each:
i. Gestures
ii. Facial expressions
iii. Eye contact
iv. Word stress
v. Inflections
vi. Non-fluencies
vii. Audio-visual medium
viii Fixed and semi-fixed spaces
.ix. Punctuality and promptness
X. Haptics.
8. Discuss sign language and mention why audio and visual signs can convey only
simple messages.
9. What role does voice play in conveying paralanguage-related meaning alongside
oral signals?
10. Describe space communication with reference to intimate, personal, social and
public space languages.
11. Discuss the listening process and the different kinds of listening. How can
listening be made more effective?
12. How is silence a useful medium? Mention some of its difficulties.

ASSIGNMENTS 1||BM

1. Prepare an assignment that lists the features, advantages and disadvantages of oral
and written communication. Provide illustrations for the points you have
mentioned. You should attempt these examples from the world of business people
and business organizations. See if you can organize the data in a tabular format.
2. Certain types of communication are more culture-oriented than others. Make a study of the
different nonverbal media of communication and assess what kind of impact culture has on
each one of these media.
 • Chapter

CHANNELS DF COMMUNICATION

|P§^ Learning Objectives Vocabulary

matrix
After studying this chapter you will be able to: grapevine
• Analyse the structure of the organization and the different hierarchy
communication networks working in it initiate
• Understand the relative position of senders and receivers in the formal
various information channels distortion
• Compare the operations of the two types of information channels: informal
formal and informal limitation
probability
hearsay
gja Pre-reading Activity functional

• Is communication complete when only the boss talks and the misgivings
subordinates listen? regimentation
• How are rumour and gossip communicated? coterie
• Why is it easy to communicate with your friends than with your redundant
teachers and principal? rumour
interpersonal
gossip
/^^•hannels are the paths or routes taken by organizational communica- subordinate
V_^tion. What conduit pipes are to water, channels are to the messages.
malafide
The organizational structure creates a network of paths through which flexibility
information flows in designated directions. These channels are lifelines for participative
any organization because they allow it to perform its tasks and function disseminate
smoothly. Organizational channels could be categorised in two broad intermediary
categories: formal and informal. perspective
verification
•mmmi malicious
OR G A N IZ A T IO N ASLT R U C T U R,Er-.f«fry i,,;-;,% ■ , ;;-„■ -- ^ B},,--f
■ j-ffllP ^* liaison
complimentary
To understand information channels better, the following comparison
may be illustrative. Take for example, the construction of a building. Even
when it is being built, the planners lay the provisions for water supply to
the building. Architects decide which part of the building requires water,
how much water they require and the methods of waterflow. This
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Chief Executive

| l.._
1 1
Manager Manager Manager Manager
Sales Human Finance Production
Resources 1

1
Sales Accounts Divisional Engineering &
Executives Heads Development
Manager
1
1
Public
Product
Supervisors
Personnel Relations Product
Department Department Development
Engineers
Production
Staff

Figure 3.1: Organizational structure of a manufacturing company

designated piping system to convey water is comparable to the formal channel of

communication. This is put in place by the management after determining the function
and needs of each department. The formal channel is a controlled channel.
However, this is not the only way in which water flows in the building. There is
always a chance that when it rains or when pipes get choked, water seeps through the
walls. This water finds its own path and moves wherever it finds cracks. This is
comparable to informal channel or grapevine. Where information flows are random and
do not follow designated paths. It is outside the sphere of control of the management.
The basic structure of an organization determines how its communication channels
work, particularly the formal channel. There is a need to discuss a few of the basic
structures and how they work.

Line Structures

A line structure is modelled on the concept that at each level of the organization, people
supervise, control and administer the work of a group in the next lower level. Messages
and instructions are sent below and information, reports, requests, etc., are sent upwards.
This structure has the following advantages for the formal channel:
1. It marks out administrative accountability of people at each level.
2. It allows a person to know where she fits in the hierarchy, what her job is, whom
she has to report to and who all she must supervise.
 CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

3. Different levels in the organization can be informed about relevant matters by

using the reporting relationships in the line structure. However, there are a few
disadvantages, too:
1. It could create very long lines of communication particularly in large,
multilevelled organizations where messages have to travel across them.
2. The long length of the channel also creates delay in message transfer.
3. Since the line structure is determined to a great extent by lines of authority,
there is a tendency in this structure for the top levels to be overloaded with
information.
4. As one moves along the line structure and its differentiated parts, it could
lead to compartmentalization of information.
To help remove these difficulties, some of the techniques used are:
i. The lines of communication are reduced by flattening the pyramid a bit, for
example, by a senior manager using general notices, newsletters or by
addressing several levels together.
ii. The number of administrative levels are lessened by internal restructuring
so that a message does not have to pass through too many points and
people. Thus, the chances of distortion, dilution, filtering and delay are
reduced.

Staff or Functional Structure

The staff or functional structure includes specialists and functional managers, each
supervising subordinates in their own area of work. Although the staff structure
helps in the functioning of organizations in its various specialized units, it cannot
become purely functional, as there would be need for overall coordination and
ultimate responsibility. The main advantages of the staff structure are:
1. Availability of specialist knowledge and expert advice;
2. Lines of communication are shorter.
The corresponding disadvantages are:
1. Conflicting instructions from many supervisors create confusion among
workers.
2. Priorities of the workers may also be difficult to ascertain.
3. Interpersonal relationships may suffer as subordinates may play off super-
visors against each other.
As may be seen, the staff structure is more flexible in its channels of operation
and allows a greater degree of informality with its attendant problems. One pos-
sible way of overcoming the difficulties is by clear distinction of job roles and defi-
nition of responsibilities.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Committee Structure

A committee is a group of individuals selected by the organization to conduct or decide

upon a set of jobs through group interactions called meetings. Committees allow a
participative, discussion-oriented and democratic environment. It is a unique combination
of the informal channel (when discussions take place in the committee) and formal
communication (when the proceedings, resolutions, etc., are recorded).
Committees may be appointed for coordination or special tasks and they have some
potential advantages for communication channels:
1. Allow speedy transmission of messages.
2. Encourage participation and cooperation.
3. Generate innovative and new ideas.
4. Create a sense of commitment and motivation among members who feel more
attached to a decision that they themselves have been responsible for.
The potential disadvantages are:
1. The process is time consuming and often requires frequent meetings.
2. Individual participation and contribution, including that of the chair determines the
quality of job done or decisions taken.
The different aspects of the committee structure will be discussed in greater detail in
a latter section of this book.

Matrix Structure

The matrix structure is a variation of the staff structure (see Fig. 3.2 on p. 43). There is an
overall manager to whom the following report:
1. A set of executive project managers, each responsible for the execution of a
specific project.
2. A set of specialist functional managers, each responsible for a specialist activity.
The project manager exercises direct control over the specialist staff allocated to the
project. Both the project managers as well as the specialist staff may call upon the
specialist functional managers for advice and support. The project team members are
responsible for their specialist function and the quality of their work to the functional
managers. The project managers have full control over the work allocated to the teams.
This structure performs well in areas that require flexibility.
Some of the advantages that the matrix structure provides to communication channels
include:
1. Shorter lines of communication
2. Ready access to specialist information
3. Effective interdisciplinary cooperation
 CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

Project Managers

Overall PI P2 P3
Manager

1 1 1
Fl Tl T2 T3

1 1 1 1
functional F2 T4 T5 T6
Vlanagers
KEY
1 1 1 P = Project Manager F
F3 T7 T8 T9
= Functional Manager T
= Project Teams

Figure 3.2: Matrix structure

One of the major difficulties of the matrix structure is that it is not very effec-
tive as a permanent arrangement as specialist functional managers lose control of
the staff. Matrix structures are used for finite projects like research, development
and design.

CO MM UN IC ATIO NNETW O R KS

Communication is not simply a matter of individual exchanges between sender

and receiver. There is an important social dimension when communication occurs
in organizations. This social communication occurs through particular systems or
networks. The larger the size of organizations, the greater is the need for well-
structured communication networks. It is not as if unhindered flow of information
makes communication easier. Haphazard communication flows may, in fact, be
confusing.
Unrestricted information may create information overload, as has been dis-
cussed in Chapter 4. The consequences of information overload could be several.
People may become selective or simply ignore certain messages. There would be
inaccuracies and faulty responses since there is too much of information to
process.
Organizational communication follows certain patterns in the transmission of
messages. The most prominent among them are: the wheel, the chain, the circle
and the all-channel network.
In the wheel or the star network (see Fig. 3.3 on p. 44), the individual members
communicate with the central member separately. This kind of network may be
seen when the central member is a superior authority and the surrounding ones
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Wheel

Circle All-channel

Figure 3.3: Communication networks

her/his subordinates. The wheel network represents centralization of authority, where the
centre has a great deal of control and coordination of information flows.
The chain network illustrates a situation where two members at the far ends of the
chain have to communicate with the central person through their respective
intermediaries. The intermediaries relay messages to the top. Thus, the two ends may send
or receive information after it has been routed through an intermediary, the central person
and another intermediary. This network is centralized. However, the intermediaries share
with the centre the control and authority of the channel. The organizational chain of
command is a good example of this network.
The circle network has its members situated in a position whereby an individual may
communicate with two others next to him. They can communicate along the circular
structure and there is no central figure as such. This network has a great degree of
egalitarianism and may be often seen in horizontal communication where people at the
same level interact with one another.
The all-channel network allows maximum freedom where anybody may com-
municate with just about anyone else. Not only is this network decentralized but it is also
a route for fast information exchange. The all-channel is a major contributor towards
grapevine channels and could be misused to spread rumours.
These networks fulfil important functions in an organization. The centralized
networks like the wheel and the chain help in receiving information and feedback for
informed decision-making or problem solving. The central members play a crucial role in
the communication link and, therefore, have a great responsibility and opportunity to
exercise leadership, motivate others and pass on selective
 CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

information. The surrounding members also know the importance of the central figure
since information flows through them. The centralized networks are very effective for use
by the formal channel.
The decentralized networks like the circle or the all-channel provide for free flow of
information. Since these are free of centralized control, they can be creative and may
come up with ingenuity and innovation in problem solving. The openness of these
networks allows the members to become sociable and participatory in organizational
matters. These networks support the grapevine or the informal channel in the
organization.

Formal Channel

The formal organizational structure clarifies the roles and the relationships between those
roles. It charts out functional units, their inter-relationship and delegation of work and
authority. These are important determinations since the people in the organization must
know whom to communicate with, for which purpose, and how. The formal channel is
often referred to as the decision-communication network.
The formal channel is the most effective channel because it helps to meet orga-
nizational objectives. It runs alongside the hierarchical line of authority where
communication is related to the discharge of organizational activities. The formal channel
is directly linked to the organization's structure where messages move through defined
and planned paths. This is often referred to as 'the proper channel' as communication
touches those important points in the structure that have something to do with the
message. The formal channel is the authorized communication line of control for the
management and as such plays an important role in operational matters.
The organizational structure is an entity of hierarchical relationships. The different
levels in the structure have to communicate with each other in a systematic manner so as
to avoid misunderstanding, confusion or chaos in their functional areas. The formal
channel is this systematic, authorized and structured movement of messages that
determine the operation and efficiency of the organization.
Another aspect of the formal channel is that it puts an obligation on the people within
the organization to follow the prescribed route. It does not allow bypassing of authority
and also places responsibility on the communicators at different levels about the messages
that they initiate or transfer.

Advantages
1. One of the main advantages of the formal channel is its effectiveness, brought
about by following the chain of command. Instructions, orders, etc., carry the
weight of authority as well as definiteness so that subordinates know for sure what
they are supposed to do. Similarly, superiors too
BUSINESS ENGLISH

receive feedback which enables greater understanding of problems and,

therefore, more effective decision-making.
2. The formal channel can provide more credible information, since it origi-
nates and is carried forward through designated authority. This also means
that information can reach out across even larger organizations with lesser
chances of distortion/dilution.
3. The 'proper channel' often takes care of information overload by filtering.
A well-structured organization would delegate functions so that the job is
done at its own appropriate level.
4. Since people have designated roles in the formal structure, they know their
sphere of authority and responsibility. This distinction of roles and defined
relationships between individuals and units fosters a more harmonious
working environment and, by extension, better communication.
5. The formal channel depends on the organizational hierarchy and insists on
accountability. Information sent through this channel is, therefore, verified,
authentic and credible. The sender of wrong information can be tracked
down easily, since written form is the preferred medium in this channel.

Disadvantages
1. The biggest drawback with the formal channel is its very formality. There is
a certain dryness, absence of warmth and distancing which occurs in the
use of this channel. In the attempt to provide the authentic version, mes-
sages are edited and made to steer clear of uncertainties which some mes-
sages may inherently have.
2. The second limitation is the channel's obstruction of free flow of informa-
tion. The formal channel passes through authorized or designated points in
the organizational structure. Since there is a great deal of exercise of author-
ity and control, messages do not have the freedom of movement.
3. Apart from problems of free flow, the formal channel is a comparatively
slower channel. Since there could be several intermediaries in the formal
travel path of a message, the transfer becomes a slow process. Additionally,
the method and medium of the formal channel are themselves cumbersome
and time consuming, as is the case with written communication.
4. Insistence on formality, proper procedure or technical requirements when
carried to extremes may give rise to bureaucratic redtape. This not only
slows down the communication process, but also adversely affects people's
perception about organizational functioning. Being over-formal may nega-
tively affect the main function of an organization, by giving greater promi-
nence to procedure over purpose.
5. The formal channel is also expensive in financial terms. Expenditure
incurred on formal channel is largely because of the preference of the
 CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

written medium. It is not only a matter of sending messages but also maintenance
and documentation of written records that makes the formal channel expensive.

Informal Channel

The informal channel touches all corners of an organization in a non-hierarchical manner

and may not have relationships with the organizational work. It is more popularly known
as 'grapevine'. The grapevine channel is driven more by personal need to communicate
rather than positional. It has a direct relationship to how people bond with each other in
the organization, irrespective or independent of the positions they hold in it. It is oral,
undocumented and conveys information that is often based on hearsay or personal
impressions.
The grapevine channel is common to all organizations as it fulfils a very basic human
need: communicate to share and to relate. Human beings are social by nature and,
whenever they come together, they are most likely to share their thoughts and opinions.
Broadly speaking, the grapevine is a social phenomenon that provides not only a sense of
freedom from organizational regimentation, but also allows individuals in the hierarchical
gridlock to have the psychological satisfaction of expressing themselves to one another.
For a long time, the grapevine had negative connotations. It was felt by the upper
levels in organizations that this informal channel had potential to harm as it could spread
rumours or inauthentic information. The emphasis was on the control of the informal
channel. Some of the reasons identified for the spread of grapevine that may harm the
organization are:
1. Lack of sense of security or job uncertainty prompts individuals to speculate on
doomsday scenarios, particularly if the organization is going through a rough
patch.
2. Lack of self-confidence or the feeling of inadequacy occurs when the status quo in
the workplace is altered. For example, when new technologies are introduced,
individuals feel that they would be incapable of handling them. This triggers a
sense of being redundant and creates misgivings about change.
3. Formation of a coterie or a favoured group by the manager, whose grounds for being
chosen to the group may create heartburn among the other members left out. The
people who are outside the 'chosen few' develop a feeling • of animosity towards the
other, which gets reflected in their informal observations, which are often not quite
complimentary.
4. It is important for the management to provide proper information about changes
that are being considered so as to mentally prepare the workforce about possible
implications. The absence of authentic information fuels the grapevine as people
have no alternative but to go by whatever information
ENGLISH

is available from the informal channel. If the channels of correct information

are kept open and the relationship with the workforce is one of trust, the
grapevine does not create a crisis for the organization.
Over the last few decades, the grapevine is being considered as an effective
tool for organizational communication. From being a potentially risky channel, it
is now considered useful by managers. Effective use of grapevine could be done
in the following manner:
1. Managers should provide open access to information so that facts are available to
everybody and they do not need to depend on inauthentic grapevine.
2. Better working environment based on trust removes misgivings and helps arrest
workplace tension and sense of insecurity. This helps in removing the
psychological urge to spread rumours.
3. Scope for healthy interaction among employees through group activities helps
create harmony. An organization could provide time slots in its work schedule
where different levels may freely interact with one another.
4. An open door policy may be useful so that any employee can approach the
manager for correct information.
5. The notice board, newsletters, circulars, etc., could be effectively used to
disseminate information across the organization.
6. Upgrading skills of employees and keeping them up-to-date with new technology
helps in instilling self-confidence and self-worth. These may reduce the chances of
employees becoming demotivated or feeling out-of-sync with emerging changes in
the organization. There would thus be fewer reasons for rumour-mongering due to
lack of self-value.
7. Participatory decision-making process creates a sense of being integral to the
decision taken or the job to be done. When managers and workers collaborate in
arriving at decisions together, implementing those decisions becomes easier since
workers do not feel alienated from the process. Teamwork helps in keeping the
communication channels transparent.
8. The management should identify those people in the organization who are actively
involved in the grapevine channel. These people should then be intelligently
involved to convey accurate and authentic information.
9. Managers should not try to banish the grapevine (it is next to impossible in any
case), rather, work with it. However, they should not use the grapevine to spread
rumours themselves. In fact, if they come across cases where rumours are being
spread with malicious intent, they should arrest its spread immediately.

Advantages of Informal Channel or the Grapevine

1. The grapevine is speedy and spontaneous. Although the formal channel is
structured, methodical and documented, these very factors make it heavy
 CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

with authority. The grapevine, on the other hand, has an inherent forward drive
because it runs along the spontaneous lines of sender-receiver interest and not
along the forced lines of hierarchy.
2. Since the grapevine is oral, it is inexpensive and rapid and can reach the far
corners of an organization in very little time.
3. The grapevine is multidirectional and this provides a great degree of flexibility. It
can easily move across hierarchical boundaries.
4. The very informality of this channel allows it to become an important feedback
channel. People can express their viewpoints more honestly and this may help
managers to get a truer picture.
5. As a parallel channel to the official formal channel, the grapevine helps to send the
message across as a support channel. In some cases, information unsuitable for the
formal channel may get diverted to the informal one. Moreover, the generalized
grapevine may help to mentally prepare the employees with probable scenarios
before the formal channel arrives with the authentic news.
6. The informal channel exists because of the natural urge of human beings to
socialize with one another. This is a basic psychological urge and to that extent,
grapevine is a valuable means in building relationships of trust, care and mutual
respect among members of an organization. The grapevine is also a safety valve
that may sometimes let off suppressed feelings of depression, anger, irritation or
anxiety.

Disadvantages of the Grapevine

1. Information available from the grapevine is often inaccurate and could be spread
with malafide intent. Such communication, therefore, has to be verified before
being trusted fully.
2. Incomplete or distorted messages may be carried by the informal channel and
again needs to be understood after getting a fuller perspective.
3. Since grapevine messages are usually anonymous, it is difficult to trace the origin
of a message. This lack of accountability makes the information unreliable.
4. The grapevine is often used to spread rumours and gossip about people with
malicious intentions. This not only hurts individual but may also harm the image
of the organization as a whole.

The Grapevine Chains

In an important study of types of grapevine, Keith Davis (1980) identifies four possible
configurations for the grapevine chains: single strand, gossip, probability and cluster
chains.
50 BUSINESS ENGLISH

Single Strand Chain In the single strand chain (Fig. 3.4), a message moves seri-
ally from A to B to C and so on. Since there are fewer chances for cross-verification,
messages may be least accurate.

/ oo \ / oo \ / oo \
A B C D

Figure 3.4: Single strand chain

Gossip Chain In the gossip chain (Fig. 3.5), person A seeks out and communi-
cates with others. This 'seeking out' is an exercise of choosing the receivers by the
sender and the choice is often on the basis of trust between the sender and
receiver(s). The message in the gossip chain may often relate to non-workplace
matters.

Figure 3.5: Gossip chain

Probability Chain The probability chain (Fig. 3.6), is one, where person A ran-
domly spreads a message without taking care about the recipient of the message.
Similarly, I and L are also indifferent to the persons with whom they share the
information. This chain is used when the message is generally interesting but not
of particular significance. The element of deliberate seeking out, that is necessary
in the gossip chain is not required here.

Cluster Chain In the cluster chain (Fig. 3.7), person A shares the information with
two selected individuals B and C. Then each of them conveys it to a cluster of
 CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

Figure 3.6: Probability chain

Figure 3.7: Cluster chain

others. And, these recipients may convey it to still other clusters of recipients. The
cluster chain is predominant in organizations. It possesses the ability to transfer
information very fast and reach out to a large number of people. It is to be remem-
bered that the sender is selective about the receivers with whom he shares the
news. Not all the receivers would take up the role of becoming subsequent senders
in the chain. Those active ones through whom the message moves in the cluster
chain are referred to as liaison individuals.
ENGLISH

Learning Outcomes

In this chapter you have learnt that: «iil

• Organizational communication follows two channels: formal and informal or
the grapevine
• In order to understand communication in workplace it is important to note the
common organizational structures
• The formal channel is the authorized communication line of control for the
management and as such plays an important role in operational matters
• The informal channel or grapevine touches all corners of an organization in a
non-hierarchical manner and may not have relationships with the organiza-
tional work
• There are four possible configurations for the grapevine chains: single strand,
gossip, probability and cluster chains i

H Exercises

1. What are communication channels? Differentiate between channel and direction of

communication.
2. How is communication linked to the organizational structure?
3. What are the different types of structures in an organization?
4. What are communication networks? Explain with simple diagrams.
5. Why is the formal channel referred to as 'the proper channel'?
6. How does the formal channel help in meeting organizational goals?
7. What are the deficiencies of the formal channel and how can they be overcome?
8. What is the grapevine? Mention some conditions that encourage the grapevine.
9. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of informal communication.
10. How can the grapevine be used effectively in an organization?
11. What are the different grapevine patterns in informal communication?
12. Write short notes on the following in about 50 words each:
i. Line structure ii. Advantages of staff
structure iii. Merit of committee structure
iv. Wheel network
 CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

v. All-channel network
vi. Gossip chain
vii. Probability chain
viii. Cluster chain.

1. Prepare comparative tables for the following, listing their respective fea
tures, merits and demerits of the following:
i. Organizational structures ii.
Communication networks iii.
Types of the grapevine.
2. Write an essay in about 250 words explaining how as a personnel manager
you would try to inform the workers about a likely cut in incentives in the
near future due to bad market position. Keep in mind that the workers may
have already got some hints about the pay cut through unconfirmed
sources.
 Chapter
DIRECTIONS DF COMMUNICATION
4

Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
instrumental
After studying this chapter you will be able to: • Understand the various
filtering
directions of communication in the hierarchical structure of business
implement
organizations ^ v iearnthe merits and demerits of the four communicative
attitude
directions
cumulative
determine
phenomena
Pre-reading Activity recipient
How do you communicate with someone who is elder to you? In conceptual
your family, do you use your mother to communicate with your abbreviation
father? If so, why? Do you think that listening and hearing are the procedure
same? origin
destination
grievance

C ommunication moves in an organization in many directions so that it helps

smooth working. An organization is structured to have several levels of
executives, where there are more individuals at the lower levels and the numbers
authoritarian
attitude
misinformation
decrease as one moves upwards. Conceptually, it could be compared with a dilution
pyramid that has a larger number at its base and smaller one at the apex. The overload
authority and supervisory functions of the executives also increase as one climbs intervention
to the upper levels. accumulation
For the effective management of the organization, communication across ombudsperson
different levels of the hierarchy becomes necessary. Messages are exchanged peer-group
both within and between the levels. The directions in which messages flow are objectivity
many and determine particular functions that they are supposed to perform. rivalry
Directions of communication are linked to the hierarchical positions of the restraint
senders, vis-a-vis the receivers. Information flows in different directions along conflict
paths that run alongside the organizational structure. A study of organizational disharmony
communication must necessarily be in terms of the hierarchical structure and motivation
how the directions of communication paths determine the nature and function of eliminate
messages exchanged. anarchical
chain of authority
 DIRECTIONS OF COMMUNICATION

/ Level \
/ 1 \
/ Level 2 \

/ Level 3 \

/ Level 4 \

Figure 4.1: Pyramidal structure of an organization

The directions of organizational communication could be categorized with refer-

ence to organizational hierarchy. The relationship between the level at which a
message originates and the level for which it is meant determines the directions:
vertical, horizontal and diagonal communication. These are the main directions
that communication takes in organizations.

Level 1

Level 2 Level 2

Level 3 Level 3
Level 3 <C Level 3

I X 1__ Z^£
Level 4 Level 4 Level 4 Level 4 Level 4 Level 4 Level 4 Level 4

VERTICAL
-*- Downward ------------------«►
HORIZONTAL
->- Upward
.......................* DIAGONAL

Figure 4.2: Directions of communication

BUSINESS ENGLISH

When communication travels from the upper levels to lower levels or vice versa; that
is, if it moves vertically upwards or downwards in the hierarchy of levels, it is called
vertical communication. It involves the movement of a message between two or more
levels that have reporting relationships. An executive's message to his subordinate or
superior is an example of vertical communication that could be downwards or upwards,
depending on the direction in which it moves. Vertical communication follows the lines of
authority and does not bypass it. It moves from one level to the next and carries with it the
associated authority determined by its level of origin.

Downward

Communication that originates at an upper level and is sent to lower levels, that is, to the
next or subsequent levels along the organization's structure is referred to as downward
communication. Downward or downstream communication, as it is also called, is
considered to be authoritative as it conveys to the subordinate staff what is to be done.
This direction is representative of the orders and instructions that upper level executives
issue so that the goals of the organization can be achieved. Managers find the use of this
direction as a psychologically satisfying one since it reaffirms their managerial function
and instils a sense of authority in them. The downward movement of communication is
involved with several important functions:
1. Instructions related to specific tasks, or how they are to be done;
2. Rationale for tasks, that is, why it needs to be done;
3. The policy, rules, procedures of the organization;
4. Coordinating the functioning of different departments;
5. Providing feedback of performance of subordinates;
6. Encouragement and motivation to achieve the organizational goals. Downward
communication has to be used effectively because of its importance
in implementing the policies and achieving the organizational objectives.

Limitations of Downward Communication

Distortion and Dilution Despite its effectiveness, downward communication has some
limitations. The most prominent among them is distortion and dilution of message. This
becomes more acute in cases where a message has to travel across too many levels. Apart
from losses of content, it could also be losses due to change of emphasis. It also becomes
important that the receiver understands the correct meaning and importance of the
message because he may in turn become a sender of the message further downwards.
Distortion is when the meaning of the message itself changes so that the final recipient
gets incomplete information, while dilution is when the emphasis and
 DIRECTIONS OF COMMLMCATION 57

importance of the message is changed. An effective way to

check these is by reducing the number of intermediaries
between the origin and destination of the message. Alter- Effective Downward
natively, notices, newsletters, open-door policy, etc., may also Communication
make the information directly available to subordinates A message should:
without having to move through intermediaries. • Reflect certainty
• Be definitive
Filtering Filtering is a phenomenon where the intermediate
• Be well informed and complete
executive keeps back some information while allowing the
• Be short so that there is minimum
rest to pass. The managers who control the passage of
distortion
information may feel that the entire message may not be • Use simple language
necessary for subordinates. They may also hold back • Give clarity of objective
messages thinking that it may not be palatable or acceptable to • Keep in view the skill and
the subordinates. Whatever be the intention, filtering could competence of subordinates to
lead to misinformation. Downward communication needs to comprehend and follow
control filtering. instructions
• Follow hierarchical structure of
Message Abbreviation If the stages of transmission in organization
downward communication are many, at every stage there • Use multiple channels and have
would be some inescapable transmission loss, leading to repetition
misunderstanding of some parts. This would lead • Encourage feedback through
to'shortening'of the original message and cumulatively upward communication
...................-• ■
affect it by the time it reaches its final recipient. Message
abbreviation could take away important portions and one way to contain it is by reducing
the number of stages or points in the hierarchy through which a message travels.

Delay Downward communication often travels through the formal channel along
designated organizational paths following the proper procedure. This consumes time and
delays the process of communication. For urgent messages, therefore, managers often
speed up the message transfer by using the oral medium and the informal channels
alongside the formal one.
Limitations of
Overuse of One-way Communication Since downward communication Downward
moves from individuals with greater authority, it often tends to disregard Communication
or ignore the feedback, effectively making the communication process
• Distortion and
one-way. In the absence of proper feedback, downward communication
Dilution
becomes one-sided and may also cause errors of judgement. Overuse of
• Filtering
one-way communication may also make the organization more
• Message abbreviation
authoritative and less participatory.
• Delay
Psychological Factors: Ego and Resistance Since downward • Overuse of one-way
communication is an exercise of one's authority in the organization, it is communication
• Psychological factors:

J
often interpreted as orders and instructions. Subordinates may feel
ego and resistance
alienated because following orders is understood as compro-
BUSINESS ENGLISH

mising one's own self-esteem. If the self-image of a person gets compromised, he is likely
to develop a resistance to the communication. This resistance is a big hurdle because it
comes in the way of team effort, job motivation and fulfilling organizational objectives.
Managers should use the downward channel with sensitivity and care and preferably use
the persuasive approach rather than an authoritarian one.

Upward

Information that originates at lower levels of the hierarchy and travels to higher levels is
called upward communication. Since there are usually more people at the base of the
pyramidal structure and lesser numbers as one climbs the ladder, there are theoretically
more potential senders and fewer receivers, yet, it is often seen that upward
communication is more difficult because it has to travel up the hierarchical gradient. It is
disadvantaged by the very fact that subordinates may be unsure as to how their message
would be received by the higher-ups, particularly if it is critical in content. However,
upward communication is necessary because it makes vertical communication in an
organization a two-way process. The primary use of upward communication is feedback
and an organization should actively encourage this information flow. Examples of this
form of communication are one-to-one meetings with one's immediate superior, reports,
suggestions, grievances, employee-attitude surveys, etc. Important functions of upward
movement of messages include:
1. Reporting job progress
2. Seeking superior's intervention for problem solving
3. Reporting new developments at lower levels
4. Providing reactions or responses to downward communication
5. Suggesting innovations, improvements, etc.
6. Reporting grievances.
Upward communication may be used effectively for a variety of purposes. It must,
however, be noted that this route of communication needs constant encouragement and
motivation. Subordinates are unlikely to open up on their own because they cannot take
chances with the reception of their messages by their superiors. To overcome this
diffidence, managers must dispel hesitation and fear so that they receive adequate
feedback.

Limitations of Upward Communication There are some big challenges before upward
communication, primarily because it does not come out on its own. Superiors need to
make that extra effort to make it happen. Something that could be seen as a feedback
channel, it must be heard with sensitivity. The initiative for upward communication being
in the hands of superiors, the responsibility for the
 DIRECTIONS OF COMMUNICATION
[59
effectiveness of upward communication actually rests with the
superiors. Limitations of this form of communication must be seen in Effective Upward
the perspective of relationship between the superior and the Communication
subordinate. One must not forget that it is often the receiver of this
The initiative rests with superi-
communication who has to prompt and prod the sender to deliver his ors who should actively moti-
message. vate subordinates by:
• Actively encouraging
Distortion and Dilution As in the case of downward communication, feedback
upward communication too suffers from distortions and dilutions. • Assuring that adverse
Favourable information for the sender will go upwards while views will not cause
unfavourable will be held back. In an attempt not to displease the victimization
superior, the message could be distorted or diluted by the subordinate • Removing awe of authority
because within the organization's hierarchy, negative information that • Creating opportunities for
is carried up may reflect on the managerial capability of the sender superior-subordinate
himself. interaction, like meetings,
open-door policy, etc.
Filtering Filtering occurs more when subordinates are not confident • Encouraging participatory
enough about how their superiors would receive the information. occasions like group
events or social get-
Lack of trust combined with a perception that their careers could get togethers
affected if critical messages are sent upwards, make subordinates • Providing suggestion boxes
hesitant in conveying the entire message and thus important portions • Being open-minded about
are filtered out. Filtering also occurs because people at lower levels criticism and receptive to
may feel that sending the message upwards means that they are new ideas
incapable of handling it and, therefore, prefer to push things above • Listening attentively and
their levels. empathically

Information Overload If filtering is a problem with upward communication, so too is its

reverse. If every message is moved upwards without being tackled at their appropriate
level, the top level will have too many messages to handle. Since
the apex of the organization has fewer people, there would be too_________________
much information'for too few people. This would show the orga-
nization to be overcentralized where authoritative downward Limitations of Upward
communication plays a bigger role and delegation of work or decision- Communication
making is minimal. The accumulation of information at the top makes Distortion and dilution
the system overloaded and the delivery of responses inefficient. With Filtering
so much of information, the top level becomes selective and either does Information overload
not address itself to all the messages, or, since it is overworked, there is Psychological factors:
delay and compromise in the quality of response. Awe of authority and
communicating
Psychological Factors: Awe of Authority and Communicating criticism
Criticism: Subordinates are often in awe of their superiors because of Organisational hierarchy
the authority that the organization bestows on them. This feeling of Poor Listening Skills
awe makes subordinates reserve free comments Bypassing of superior
Level
I
1
60! BUSINESS ENGLISH

and observations because they feel that openness might be interpreted as disrespect. This
factor becomes more prominent when a message is critical or negative and the
subordinate would hardly take a risk of expressing it since he is psychologically oriented
towards a code of respect for people in higher ranks.

Organizational Hierarchy The organizational hierarchy is the greatest impediment for

upward communication. Information that has to move up faces great difficulty in climbing
one level to the next. At every stage there is a superior as a receiver and a subordinate as a
sender who faces the risk of offending his senior. One method that is increasingly being
tried out is the introduction of an ombudsperson who can provide a 'bypass' track that
helps a subordinate to get his words across to senior levels. The ombudsperson is outside
the hierarchical structure of the organization and therefore can exercise its autonomy to
mediate or to send the message upwards. Since it does not belong to the reporting
relationships within the organization, it can actually use its access to the top to convey the
'bypassed' message that has been picked up from below. The response or solution would
acquire greater strength and authority because now it comes in as a downward
communication.

Effective Horizontal Poor Listening Skills Upward communication requires active

Communication
• Encourage face-to-face-^
munication
• Meetings to deliberate/
decide matters
• Social interactions for better
rapport
• Written exchanges between
units
• Encouragement of participa-
tive decision-making
• Use of persuasion as a com
municative tool
Resolving inter-departmental
conflict Keeping the
superior
informed so that vertical
command structure is not
compromised
• Understanding of larger
organizational goals
• Appreciative of work of other
departments
N ^^ ......-................- .
listening. Since it is necessary to motivate subordinates to speak up,
attentiveness and patience have to be shown so that the speaker
responds to the interest that is being shown to him. Since upward
communication is an important feedback route, poor listening may
simply ruin the avenues of getting more information.
Bypassing of Superior Level Sometimes, subordinates may bypass
their immediate superiors to reach out to levels above theirs. This
could create conditions where the immediate superior may feel that
his authority is being compromised. He may, therefore, express his
displeasure by not cooperating or taking responsibility for his
subordinate's work.
Lateral or Horizontal
Horizontal communication occurs when individuals located at the
same level in the organization interact. They could be within the
same unit reporting to the same superior or they could be across the
units but their rank within the organization as a whole is the same.
Meetings, reports, memo, telephonic or face-to-face conversation,
where information is exchanged between people at the same level are
different forms of
. ......m'^f
 DIRECTIONS OF COMMUNICATION 61
horizontal communication. Because of this equality of rank, this direction provides for a
greater degree of informality and interaction. Hierarchy does not create psychological or
ego barriers, and therefore, individuals have the opportunity of objectivity in their
functioning. Horizontal exchange is made effective by its ability to help in the following
functions:
1. Coordination in the job
2. Problem solving
3. Decision-making
4. Sharing of ideas and information
5. Resolving conflicts
6. Providing peer support
The horizontal exchange is an important dimension of organizational communication
today. In an era of specialization, each department of the organization is professionalized
and distinct in its function. It is horizontal communication that allows coordination
between these specialized departments so that their distinct functions are geared towards
the larger corporate goals. This kind of communication integrates the workplace and the
units develop interdependence among themselves. The non-hierarchical, interactive
potential of horizontal communication creates good social bonding and a sense of
belonging to the organization.

Limitations of Horizontal Communication Some of the main limitations of horizontal

communication are related to the unique equality of its members within the organizational
hierarchy.

Absence of Authoritative Messages Since the horizontal exchanges are between people of the same
rank, there is an absence of the authoritativeness that is associated with the downward route of
communication. All the individuals being of similar rank, each one's message has a similar asser- .
•mi4.,*innc n* rive character. To make others agree to one's point of view, it is the persuasive power of
communication that needs to be used.
Horizontal
Rivalry among Individuals Within a peer group, rivalry or competi- ., ,
tiveness may become a great impediment for horizontal sharing of authoritative Communication
information. Messages may be suppressed if it is disadvantageous to a messages
certain individual or if it helps another in the peer group. A person • Rivalry among
may develop aggressive rivalry and this could lead to difficulties in individuals
the free flow of horizontal communication. j • Professional conflict
I • Lack of appreciation
Professional Conflict In a combination of the previous two reasons of work of other
mentioned above, that is, absence of authoritativeness and rivalry, units
professional conflict situations also arise. People get into a psychologi- * Decrease of
motivation
cal mind-trap of arrogance and jealousy which then starts to affect
[62™ BUSINESS ENGLISH

their communication. In the horizontal chain, this may lead to situations of unpleasantness
and disharmony within the unit and could also affect the work itself. Since the conflicting
parties are at par in terms of organizational rank, restraint within the peer group becomes
difficult to insist upon.

Lack of Appreciation of Work of Other Units Horizontal communication also suffers

due to lack of proper appreciation of the work of other departments. This could also be a
form of interdepartmental rivalry. As in the case of interpersonal rivalry, this could also
make lateral communication full of suspicions and misgivings. There has to be mutual
empathy and respect for other units so that the larger corporate goals can be met.

Decrease of Motivation In some cases, when an organization lays greater

stress on downward, authoritative communication, horizontal communication
Effective Diagonal becomes weaker. The motivation level becomes a casualty and participation
Communication within the peer group gets diminished. Another reason for discouragement is
when the superior level does not distinguish between individual contributions
• Improves delivery
and rates the subordinate peer group equally. When some people are seen to
of information
be getting the same incentives for lesser contribution, actual contributors feel
• Provides direct
demotivated.
access to receivers
• Boosts morale
• Coordinates Diagonal
organizational
functioning Diagonal communication takes place when individuals from different levels
• Elimination of interact with each other, outside their reporting relationships, for example, when
distortion and the production manager directly interacts with the assistant sales manager without
dilution
the involvement of the sales manager. Diagonal communication allows
• Provides solutions
for upward route information exchange between different levels directly and could often provide
problems solutions to upward route problems. This dimension brings people of varied ranks
• Creates operational in face-to-face contact enabling them to coordinate their functions and perfor-
efficiency mance. The function of diagonal communication is its direct approach where
delays can be eliminated. Its relevance can be seen in the following functions:
1. Informal interaction
2. Coordination in functioning
3. Committee meetings
4. Elimination of delay
5. Control of distortion and dilution by direct, inter-level communication Diagonal or
crosswise communication can be made an effective tool for
organizational management because it combines opportunities of social interaction and
psychological satisfaction. When a superior from one department
 DIRECTIONS OF COMMUNICATION 63

chooses to interact with a subordinate from another department, it becomes an

acknowledgement of worth. This has immense potential as a psychological morale
booster. There is an improvement in the social context because exchanges that take place
are independent of organizational rank. Job coordination becomes more effective with the
direct approach and gets reflected in the elimination of delay. Since the messages are
received directly, the effects of distortion and dilution are also under check.
Organizational hierarchy does not impact diagonal exchanges as much as it does to the
other directions; vertical or horizontal. Conferences, meetings, informal discussions and
lunchtime exchanges create non-hierarchical spaces of free flow of information. People
are more likely to communicate openly when rank does not weigh heavily on their minds.
Newsletters, notice boards, bulletins, etc., are examples of written medium of diagonal
communication.

Limitations of Diagonal Communication

Bypassing Vertical Chain of Command The main difficulty with Limitations of |
diagonal communication arises from the fact that it bypasses the chain Diagonal |
of reporting relationships. This may create misgivings in the minds of Communication I
bypassed superiors. In its effort to shorten the communicative route •R'r ' ti 1 1
and improve a message's delivery speed, diagonal communication chain of command
may actually breed suspicions and bruised egos. . interference
• jeopardizes
Interference Additionally, it could also seem as if a manager in one superior's
department is interfering in the authority zone of another. The discus- cooperation and
sion which takes place between people of different ranks from differ- accountability
ent units may leave the person of superior rank out of the loop and this * Psychological
would seem to be an infringement and compromise of his authority. resistance
• Tendency towards
Jeopardizes Superior's Cooperation and Accountability This has anarchy
its own set of consequences, for example, the bypassed superior may not cooperate with the
work agreed upon by the other superior and his subordinate, even if it is within his unit's
purview. Or, he may simply refuse to take responsibility for the work since he has not been
made privy to the consultation. This route of communication could jeopardize the goodwill of
the superior.

Psychological Resistance The bypassed superior may develop a psychological resistance

towards implementing decisions arising out of a diagonal communication because he has
not been allowed to participate in the consultation.

Tendency towards Anarchy Too much or careless use of diagonal communication could
lead to anarchical situations. It may lead to superiors getting too involved in matters of
other departments than their own, thus, not only interfering with the chain of authority but
also lowering the efficiency levels through dabbling in matters not in their own areas of
professional expertise.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

A study of directions of communication in organizations must look at the twin

phenomenon of filtering and information overload. These two dimensions are both a boon
and a curse because of the roles they play in varying situations. If there is no filtering,
there is a complete flow of information leading to information overload. If there is too
much of filtering, information is incomplete, distorted or diluted. Hence the need to
understand communicative situations, so that there is optimal filtration and both the
extremes may be avoided.

Filtering
A filter is a kind of a strainer that holds back some parts while allowing the rest to pass. If
a strainer has large holes, it may hold back too few parts. Filtering in communication is
similar. It occurs when an intermediate sender or senders hold back some information,
while passing the rest to the receivers. The intermediate sender becomes the arbiter to
determine what to hold back and what to send. This application of judgement is crucial or
else the communicated message may fail to bring about the desired response either by
way of action or feedback.

Filtering

Figure 4.3: Filtering of information at the intermediate level

In downward communication, filtering may sometimes create difficulties if

intermediate managers hold back crucial information from subordinates. The top
management may be oblivious to the fact that filtering has occurred in between, and be
taken by surprise by the unwarranted reaction of the subordinates. Careless filtering could
also create conditions for the grapevine to proliferate. When formal channels do not
deliver the whole message, the missing portions tend to get filled in by rumours.
However, in upward communication, filtering serves an important purpose that is
related to delegation of responsibility. When a message is to move upwards,
 DIRECTIONS OF COMMUNICATION

intermediaries often process the information and take action themselves without moving it
upwards for further response. This is done keeping in mind the requirement and
magnitude of importance of the message. Here too, intermediate senders have the
responsibility of judgement. Not sending up important messages may lead to the top
management not having proper feedback, while sending everything up would lead to
information overload.
To illustrate, supposing your classroom fan is not working, you may write a letter to
the principal requesting him to get the problem sorted out. The office receives the letter
and on opening it the section officer sees the problem mentioned. He has at least two
options: (i) send it to the principal for his orders or, (ii) mark it to the caretaker for action
on the problem. If he chooses the first option, he may simply be opening the route for
information overload since the problem is a minor one and could be solved at a much
lower level. Option two will correct the problem and the principal may not even know
about it. This is desirable because if the head of the institution gets involved with the
working of every single fan, he would not only be wasting his time but it may also suggest
that the organization is over-centralized.

Information Overload

As mentioned earlier, when information flows unhindered, usually to the top, it creates
conditions of information overload. In the pyramidal structure of organizations, the base is
larger and if all messages are sent upwards, the apex gets

No filtering

Figure 4.4: Information overload

ENGLISH

crowded with information. Proper filtering is a necessity so that appropriate responses are
provided at the delegated levels. The organizational efficiency is often measured in terms
of how well the structure aids the response to communication. There are two prominent
consequences that may come about from information overload:
1. The feedback from the top slows down because there is too much to attend to.
2. The responses become selective as it is not possible to respond to all the messages.
Both these phenomena lead to inefficiency as well as decline in public impression
about the organization. While filtering may be a necessity in certain situations and
depends on appropriate judgement from the intermediate senders, information overload is
surely a thing to be avoided.

Learning Outcomes

In this chapter you have learnt that:

• Within its pyramidal structure of an organization, communication moves in
three directions: vertical, horizontal and diagonal
• Vertical communication is of two types: downward and upward
• Filtering and information overload are related phenomena in organizational
communication

i Exerci
ses

1. Differentiate between downward and upward communication.

2. How can horizontal communication help organizational functioning?
3. Discuss the effectiveness of diagonal communication and comment on its
limitations.
4. How are the phenomena of filtering and information overload related to each
other?
5. What are the difficulties of upward communication? Suggest ways to overcome
them.
 DIRECTIONS OF COMMUNICATION

1. Present the following in a tabular format for each of the different directions
of communication:
i. Definition
ii. Features iii.
Functions iv.
Effective use
v. Limitations vi.
Examples.
2. Write an essay on how managers may fruitfully use all these directions of
communication, taking care of each of their respective limitations. Provide
illustrations related to the working of a business organization.
ii
.IN
 CULTURAL CDMPDNENTS DF
COMMUNICATION

The one activity we are constantly engaged in is communication. Despite being

one of the most common social activities, communication is said to be complete
or successful when the message conveyed is close to the message received. But
this is not an automatic task. As you have learnt in Unit I, all communications go
through certain stages and the interpretation depends on the filters or perception
of the people involved in the process. These perceptions or filters might vary
across cultures. In the context of globalization, we can see the world contracting
like never before. More and more people are crossing boundaries of nations,
cultures and even languages for the purposes of work, business, cultural or social
exchange, or for just pleasure. The diversity of opportunities thus created is
turning the limelight on intercultural communication.
In this unit, you will be introduced to the importance of communicating
across cultures and how social conventions, perceptions and values act as filters
to the process of communication. The opening chapter highlights the significance
of culture in business communication. You will also learn how our cultural
parameters and conventions influence the way we perceive the reality around us
and how stereotyping and ethnocentrism
BUSINESS ENGLISH

become two ways of seeing. At this point, you will be alerted to the dangers of
miscommunication which lie in such modes of perception. Chapter 5 concludes with a
discussion on corporate culture which defines the values upheld by the organization.
The next chapter moves from this generalized view to a closer look at cultural
variables and how these variables affect business practices. Cultural variables included are
various aspects of nonverbal communication such as body language, eye contact,
commonly misinterpreted gestures as also perceptions of interpersonal space. Religion,
food and dress are not just identifiers of a person's social background, but they also
influence the ways in which we deal with people or conduct our business. Understanding
these variations will equip you in dealing with people or business across cultures. Notions
of time, space, hierarchy, and attitudes to kinship and materialism might also vary across
cultures. You will be alerted to these variations and helped in developing requisite skills.
Chapter 6 ends with a 'Best Practices' list to get you going.
From what you have learnt till now, awareness of social differences leads to better
understanding which, in turn, paves the way for better communication as also the building
of trust in relationships. However, this social sensitivity will remain incomplete if we are
not gender sensitive. After all, the world belongs as much to women as it does to men. In
the chapter titled Gender Sensitivity, you will understand the meaning of gender,
stereotyping of men and women, and how these notions impact workplace situations, bias
our attitudes, and influence professional development. How to deal with various
workplace gender issues comes at the end of this chapter.
The last chapter of this unit is a skill-based guide to effective communication. It alerts
you first to the possible impediments and then to the ways of overcoming them. The
potential problem areas can be hierarchical structures, psychological or cultural
conditioning, or even linguistic differences. Noise can also distort messages. Learning to
ease out such difficulties will go a long way in honing your communication skills. The
unit ends with a valuable guide to making communication more effective. Thereafter, you
move into the area of real time on-the-job business communication where you will be able
to use your social and cultural sensitivity in both written and verbal or oral business
communication.
 Chapter
CONVENTIONS, PERCEPTIONS AND VALUES

Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
globalization
After studying this chapter you will be able to:
• Understand culture and its relevance to business communication culture
• Understand concepts like convention and perceptions multicultural
• Understand the meaning of corporate culture and corporate values conventions
perceptions
stereotype
Pre-reading Activity ethnocentrism
On his first visit to India, the sales executive of an American firm, Mr David prejudice
Jones, meets a group of Indian business executives from SWITCH2CFL ac- diversity
cording to a scheduled appointment. The purpose is to facilitate the agreement
orientation
on a technological tie-up. As the Indians walk in, they are greeted by Mr Jones;
'Oh hello everybody. I'm David Jones. Call me David. Let's get started right kinship
away without wasting any time'. Mr David reveals he has another appointment parochial
right after lunch. The Indians feel confused at this 'fast-track' approach. They
fail to connect with a person who does not seem to have the time to get to
know the people he wishes to deal with. Throughout the meeting, Mr Jones is
at his humorous best—cracking jokes, backslapping and laughing. But that
does not make the guests 'get down to business'. The meeting ends pleas-
antly, but with no business agreement. Each party comes away, thinking the
other to be 'strange'.
• What do you think leads to a 'no agreement' situation?
• Do you think there are different ways of 'getting down to business' across
the globe?
• Do you think a cultural orientation prior to the meeting would have
helped matters?
All the examples used in this and subsequent chapters are purely illus-
trative and are not intended to hurt the sentiments of any caste, class
community or nationality.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

SIGNIFICANCE OF CULTURE IN BUSINESS

T he workplace has changed dramatically in recent years. Globalization has brought

people from different parts of the world and with different skills together. Markets
all over the world offer international products and services. Outsourcing is the buzzword
in today's business world. This global dimension to business has brought about a
multiculturally diverse workforce, catering to multicultural societies. People working
together can be diverse in terms of race, culture, language, religion, gender and
nationality. So, handling diversity at the workplace becomes an important factor in
successful business. Cyrus Tata, VP (Marketing) at SWITCH2CFL, often travels across
the world to learn about latest trends in environment-friendly lighting systems. Even when
his hosts speak English, there are cultural variations that make all the difference to the
nature of this experience. The challenge of communicating across cultures —even through
a shared language—can hardly be overemphasized. As you read on, you will be able to
understand the significance of culture in communication and develop skills to handle such
situations suitably.
As the anecdote about Mr Jones illustrates, cultural differences have a subtle or at
times, direct influence on business negotiations, because successful transactions are based
on trust between the people involved. In this case, the concerned parties failed to reach the
common ground of trust and mutual understanding. Clearly, communication is not just
about speaking the same language. The 'human element' has a very important role to play
at all levels of interpersonal dealings.

Figure 5.1: The same expression can be interpreted in various ways

 CONVENTIONS, PERCEPTIONS AND VALUES

After all, it is people who are engaged in business dealings, or communication, and not
machines.
Indeed, the developments in information technology and the facility of being 'a
mouse-click away' are the primary channels of communication today, but what we 'do'
with this technology still determines the effectiveness of our communication. Ratna
Malik, Sr. Sales Manager has to prepare a report for the month end board meeting. She
receives the industrial sales figures from Jaideep Das on her mail, but there is some delay
in receiving Bhavik Takia's retail sales report. Mr Takia's PA informs Ms Malik's
secretary that his boss will give her a ring when he returns. (See Fig. 5.1)
In business dealings, the buyer and seller, service provider and client, or a manager
and his/her junior, need to understand each other enough to be able to make sense of the
sender's message. Building trust for successful transactions depends on this clarity of the
communication channel. This also ensures a high degree of commitment between the
parties involved.
Communication is a dynamic process which takes place verbally and nonverbally. As
the above illustration suggests the message communicated or sent may not necessarily be
the message received.
We generally tend to believe that communication largely depends on the words used
to convey the message. But it is not so and as you have read in the earlier unit, only about
7 per cent of the message depends on the verbal part, the remaining 93 per cent depends
on the nonverbal. When a senior responds to our greetings with a stern face and a curt
tone, we know something is wrong. Peter Topno has extended his leave twice. When he
finally reports to the SWITCH2CFL plant, Gul Pandit, project supervisor, shows her
displeasure with a curt nod. So, our social behaviour, our gestures, our tone, our body
language, all play a very important role in communication. It is this social behaviour
of a person which 'speaks volumes' to the person receiving the message. This social
behaviour is learnt from culture. Let us go back to the first anecdote: Mr Jones' failure to
reach an agreement was largely due to the way the message was filtered by the group of
Indian business executives. The Indians responded to Mr Jones according to their
accepted conventions and perceptions. Of course, Mr Jones' convention of transacting
business was not 'wrong' — it just happened to be different. Sensitivity to differences in
conventions, perceptions and cultural values can help us reach a common ground
with ease, and build trust—a sure marker of successful communication. Thus,
culture plays a very significant role in communication.

The word 'culture' means different things for a student of literature, a linguist, or for an
anthropologist or a scientist.
74 ■ BUSINESS ENGUSH

The Oxford English Dictionary defines culture as 'evidence of intellectual development of arts, science,
etc., in human society' and 'the state of intellectual development among a people.' Culture can, therefore,
be understood as the system of shared beliefs, ideas, customs, a common pattern of behaviour of a
group of people. Culture can be of many kinds—social culture, corporate culture, religious culture, ethnic
culture.

It is culture which gives us the framework of our individual and collective behaviour.
It helps us to form our attitudes to and perception of the world around us. The way we
dress, the food we eat, our kinship or family values, our ideas of ethics and morality are
all governed by culture. This also becomes the standard or benchmark for appropriate
behaviour for all members of a particular community, society or nationality. Usually,
these 'unwritten rules' are passed on tacitly from generation to generation. For the purpose
of our study, work culture or corporate culture is a very significant issue. This culture
deals specifically with an organization as an independent entity.

Corporate culture can be defined as 'the specific collection of attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values,
mutually agreed upon and shared by the members of an organization'. It lays out the norms and policies
followed by employees and the stakeholders of an organization.

Thus, corporate culture affects leadership styles, personnel issues, support for
professional advancement, employee morale, work conditions, support for work-
leisure balance and, most importantly, ease and frequency of internal
communication. For example, some organizations have a 'closed-door', strictly
hierarchical policy, while others have an open-door, interactive policy of communication
in day-to-day functioning. Organizational culture and business ethics will be focused on
later in the chapter.

Case Study
Adrielle Smith, a British tourist, meets a travel agent from Delight Travels in New Delhi, by appointment,
to work out her travel plans within India. The agent, MrGrover, while planning her itinerary, casually asks
her about her marital status and her family 'back home'. Ms Smith, not used to this show of personal
interest from a complete stranger, takes offence and walks out without transacting any business.

• What do you think went wrong here?

• Are there different ways of building trust?
• Do you see a clash of conventions of conducting business, across cultures?
Discuss this incident with your partner.
Now, let us try to understand this situation in the cultural context. Our social
conventions help us to formulate our perceptions and values, and these guide our
 CONVENTIONS, PERCEPTIONS AND VALUES

interaction and communication with other people. Conventions can be defined as

general consent, especially about forms of general behaviour, practice or custom
based on general agreement. Conventions are thus the set of customs practised by a
majority of people. For example, arranged marriage is a convention still followed in India
today. The saree is a very conventional Indian dress. It is conventional, in most countries,
to associate a festival with a particular kind of food. In many families in the West, school
and college students take up part time jobs like newspaper delivery or serving at a fast
food counter and are encouraged to become financially independent very early. However,
in India, the convention of financial dependence on parents has been an acceptable
practice, though it is gradually getting outmoded.
Anyone who does not follow 'customary behaviour'— as it happens in multicultural
societies —is perceived or seen as an 'outsider' by that particular group. Further, this kind
of perception or interpretation brings with it a mental filter where we might put people —
their words and actions —in categories according to our own value system. The tourist,
Adrielle Smith, and the agent, Mr Grover, we talked about earlier, are behaving within the
framework of their own social conventions. In the West, personal life and work are almost
never mixed. While in our country, traditionally, it has been quite acceptable for a client
or boss to enquire about a junior's elderly parents or even about one's sister's marriage.
Similarly, Black South Africans also never talk business before enquiring about one's
health or family. The employees at SWITCH2CFL are like one big family—Ms Ahmad
even keeps track of the birthdays and anniversaries of the people working for her. She
encourages the celebration of all festivals together. Everybody looks forward to Sarabjit
Singh's contributions at Baisakhi, Topno's music at Christmas and Runa Banerjee's
sandesh during Durga Puja. And, of course, she takes a personal interest in the health and
well-being of the employees' families. For Adrielle Smith, in the above example, the
travel agent is intruding or 'getting too personal' and not strictly transacting business. For
Mr Grover, such an interest is just a way of making the tourist feel comfortable and at
home in India.

Cultures Outside Our Own

Born and brought up in India, how are you expected to know the preferences of
Americans, Indonesians, Nigerians or Koreans? How do the Japanese welcome their
guests? Does response to a stranger vary from culture to culture? Will a customer's
complaint be treated differently across the globe? For example, in India, prompt
replacement of a malfunctioning product might come as a pleasant surprise, while quick
redressal of a complaint in the US is such a conventional business practice, that it is
almost taken for granted. It is interesting to note that without necessarily having interacted
or experienced the 'world outside' most of us have at least some ideas and perceptions
about people from other cultures and diverse backgrounds. The Internet and cable TV
have brought the world right into
JO '■, BUSINESS ENGLISH

our drawing rooms. One is no longer isolated even when one is alone. Yet, we might
perceive the world differently.

What is Perception?
Perception can be defined as the process by which we become aware of changes through the senses of
sight, hearing, etc.; the act or power of perceiving. Thus, perception can be understood as the facility of
recognizing the 'truth'—it is an interpretation or impression based on one's understanding of something.

Perceptions, thus, vary according to people's social conditioning. At times, one might
even have 'fixed' opinions, framed by our experiences or the representations and
projections of the print or the electronic media's and the Internet. For example, notice the
shift in print and electronic media's representation of the modern Indian woman as — a
working woman, wearing western clothes, using a laptop and taking the time to attend a
function at her child's school. Thus, from being perceived as the ideal mother and wife,
the Indian woman is now perceived as one who can balance the demands of work and
family effectively. Some men might perceive this change of roles as automatic, while
some women might perceive this as a stressful transition. This perception is as demanding
on the woman as the earlier one was; in fact, the 'performance pressure of perfection' in all
spheres has taken a heavy toll. You will learn more about gender issues in Chapter 7.
Since our own culture comes to us through lived experience and the culture of others,
through representation, we tend to prioritize our own systems of belief. This leads us into
the danger of stereotyping and ethnocentrism.
For instance, a senior's perception of a fresher in college, a young child's perception
of the world, a parent's perception of her teenage daughter's language, might offer us
contrasting views of ideas or events. To the senior, the fresher is ignorant; while the
child's world might just be his parents, siblings, toys and a warm, secure place called
home. The parent might be horrified at what her teenage daughter thinks is 'cool language'
—it might actually be indecent or abusive language. So, when Susan O'Brien's daughter
calls her 'mouldy', adolescent slang for the older generation, you can imagine her reaction.
A lot of these images and perceptions lead us to prejudiced behaviour and this affects our
expectations and reactions.

WHAT IS A STER EO TYPE?

The word 'stereotype' comes from the process of printing. The printing plate is cast from the mould of a
piece of printing set in movable type. The figurative meaning is, (of phrases, ideas) fixed in form; used
and repeated without change. Thus, a stereotype is a belief or image held by a group of people, based
upon insufficient evidence or knowledge, and therefore, often oversimplified and false.
 CONVENTIONS, PERCEPTIONS AND VALUES

Stereotypes may be about another group of people with different religious or cultural
beliefs, a profession, any particular part of the world or even at times, about the colour of
the skin or gender. Girls from the North East are all called 'Chinkis' in Delhi, due to their
distinctive features, dress and language. Unfortunately, they are treated as foreigners in
their own country and are stereotyped as being 'rich', 'out to have a good time', and 'not
serious about studies'. This stereotype creates prejudice which makes Delhi landlords
suspicious, and the authorities, like the police, easily dismiss their complaints of
harassment. These girls unfortunately easily invite more unwanted attention in public
places than the other Delhi girls. Such behaviour can never be condoned. '
A lot of jokes and humorous anecdotes rely on stereotypes, some of which are based
on regional identities. City-bred youngsters are stereotyped as spoilt, selfish, outspoken
and devoid of values by people from small towns. In India, for some people there is
mutual stereotyping based on language. Hindi speakers perceive English as the language
of the elite and affluent and, therefore, look at English speakers as arrogant. For the
English speakers, Hindi speakers or speakers of regional languages are labelled as 'semi-
literate', gullible fools who can be easily duped by city-slickers. Such stereotypes are
really dangerous in any society. For some Indians, all foreigners are rolling in money, and
it is 'all right' to cheat them. Though South India comprises four states and people speak
six to seven different languages, for the rest of India, everybody south of the Vindhyas is
stereotyped as one. All are 'Madrasis', all speak Tamil, and every South Indian eats idly,
sambhar and vada.
Labelling people using stereotypes severely restricts one's perception of other people.
Holding on to such perceptions can become a major impediment to business relations and
workplace communications.
Gul Pandit hails from a small village in the Jammu district and as her professional
record testifies, she is hard working and dynamic. But Hari Tiwari, who has lived in Delhi
all his life, always thinks that he knows better than her, and this combination of gender
and regional stereotyping has disastrous consequences for their day-to-day
communication. Hari Tiwari's attitude of treating people disrespectfully overlooks
individual merit. The ensuing conflict and miscommunica-tion might derail projects and
business deals. Usually, stereotypes lead to prejudice and prejudice can lead to conflict in
interpersonal relationships. Prejudiced or biased opinions are usually negative; hence, it is
very important to stay away from prejudiced or biased judgements. When Santosh Seth
has to recommend one of the line supervisors for training in Singapore, you can be sure
that Hari Tiwari will not even be considered. Moreover, if Rohit Bhalla gets wind of this
parochial attitude, he is likely to take disciplinary action.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Apart from the danger of stereotyping, one also needs to be wary of the danger of
ethnocentrism. In a multicultural workplace, such intolerance of differences in cultural
values can cause severe misunderstanding, if not breakdown of communication.
Ethnocentrism is the belief that one's own culture group is superior, and hence,
should be given precedence over the other. This severely restricts acceptability of the
other. It reduces diversity into the mode of binary opposites: right-wrong, good-bad, ours-
theirs. For example, Malayalees and Bengalis take pride in their intellectual superiority,
and may underestimate all non-Malayalees and non-Bengalis. Convent school educated
children look down upon and at times, even ridicule the language skills of those studying
in government schools. There is even a hierarchy of professions and languages in our
multicultural, multilingual society. Ask any media person from a vernacular or regional
language newspaper and s/he will testify to the difficulties they face while communicating
with their English-speaking colleagues from the metros. These 'discriminatory'
distinctions can be attributed to ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism can be based on race, social
or economic class across the world. In India, it can be the high caste marginalizing the
low caste. Deviations or differences of cultural behaviour should not be ridiculed. Since
these differences are invisible and can go unnoticed, they should not be allowed to create
conflict situations or misunderstanding.
What do you see in Fig. 5.2? Two people from very different cultures are meeting for
the first time. The American is extending her hand for a handshake while introducing
herself, while the Indian is folding his palms in a namaste. One who is aware of the
variation in convention will see this situation as a reaching out across

Figure 5.2: Cultural clash: different forms of greeting

 CONVENTIONS, PERCEPTIONSAND VALUES ; 79

cultures —both are involved in the same activity of greeting each other. Through this
chapter you have learnt how culture defines and sets parameters for interpersonal
behaviour.

Cultural sensitivity helps you to see the diversities and variations not as potential areas of conflict, but
rather as an innate human desire to reach out and connect.

Societies and people across the world function on certain premises of basic human
and social values. For successful cultural communication, one needs both to acknowledge
and accept these 'differences' in conventions and value systems, and view them from the
right perspective. You will learn more about the impact of cultural variables at the
workplace in the next chapter.

Case Study

Puneet Garg, the chief accounts officer of SWITCH2CFL, visited Abu Dhabi recently with his family. The
trip was a combination of business and pleasure as Sarabjit Singh had asked him to check out the
lighting systems, while shopping at the local malls. As soon as they checked into the hotel, Puneet's son
decided that he would like to visit the local market where the young people hang out. Is Puneet worried
because his son knows no Arabic and only enough French to ask for water? But since his son is very
expressive and eloquent, Puneet is confident that he will be able to communicate with expressions and
gestures. In the process, his son learns a lot about local customs and is also able to create a very good
impression about Indians. This is because Puneet is sensitized to communicate across cultures. Like
Puneet, his son begins all interactions with the universal language of a smile.

India's diverse and multicultural social fabric can be taken as a case in point when
one is dealing with intercultural communications. Since time immemorial, our society has
been multicultural and multilingual. The spirit of social acceptance and assimilation has
kept this multiplicity alive. One comes across people from diverse backgrounds working
together, without conflict or disharmony. To generate ideas and encourage creative
problem solving, SWITCH2CFL cultivates and embraces a diverse working environment.
People from diverse regional, cultural and even linguistic backgrounds have been
recruited to work as one team with a common goal. So, the company has Susan O'Brien
who is from Bangalore, N. Lalitha who has lived all her life in Dimapur, Rohit Bhalla
whose family lives in Thanjavur, Rinchen Dorjee who has taken premature retirement
from the Army, Jaideep Das who is from Gangtok and Runa Banerjee who has studied in
Jaipur. All of them work under the able leadership of Ms Indira Ahmad who is from
Aligarh. Reaching out across such diversities enriches the co-workers, brings varied
perspectives on board and benefits the organization.
The challenge of communication across cultures can be met with sensitivity to the
nonverbal and cultural component of communication. Since business commu-
ENGLISH

nication is dominated by a specific purpose, the channels of communication need to be

kept clear of avoidable hindrances. You will learn more about hindrances later in this unit.
The global trend of multicultural workforce has clearly complicated the challenges of
coping with diversity issues. These new demands are changing the face of companies,
business houses and organizations right across the board. The onus of dealing competently
and sensitively across cultural variations falls on the individual as a colleague, manager,
counsellor, business representative or even client. The pressures of globalization have also
changed the face of today's corporate offices and business organizations. These changes
occur not only on account of accommodating diversity, but also due to new demands on
corporate and organizational culture. As defined earlier, corporate culture reflects the
company policies and workplace or internal management attitudes. Thus,
SWITCH2CFL is concerned with projecting an image of harmonious heterogeneity.

Corporate Culture and Corporate Values

Every organization develops its own core values which help it to function. These values
get projected in the company's image. Competent companies today uphold values like
integrity, honesty, being open and respectful, accountable for commitment, treating the
customers and partners as their primary concern, and are focused on personal excellence
and self-improvement. These values and beliefs of the management describe the way the
organization works.

^J Activity
• How is the experience of eating out in a road-side eatery different from eating at
McDonald's? Does the degree of cleanliness, service and setting make any differ-
ence?
• What makes the customer's experience of buying from a large mall different from
going to the local grocery store?

For the employees, the corporate culture impacts the work environment, dress codes,
social events, architecture, interior design, in-house facilities like cafeteria, washrooms,
medical rooms, etc. The organizational values also reflect the attitude to diversity
management, equal opportunity, concepts of work-life balance and other benefits. These
values tell us if the company is focused on customer satisfaction, brand image, building of
trust or professional growth or any other goal of the organization. These issues are
addressed by corporate culture.
Today's multinational companies and business houses are not only turning global in
outlook, they are also redefining their social responsibilities. The changes then are both
internal and external. Thus, the corporate culture of the organization has adapted itself to
the current need for sensitivity to difference and diversity of origin, skills and beliefs. To
build a healthy work environment and inculcate
 CONVENTIONS, PERCEPTIONS AND VALUES

positive interpersonal attitudes and erase 'cubicle divisions', SWITCH2CFL organizes a

Let's Celebrate Our Differences day every quarter. These informal relationship building
days are celebrated with funny rules like 'no oral communication, only nonverbal', 'no
designations' and other such initiatives.

Internal Changes

Internal changes involve breaking down of strict hierarchical structures to accommodate

multilevel communication. What was once regarded as a threat to or questioning of
authority, getting feedback and seeking responses is today encouraged as it is very
empowering, highly motivational and helps in participative management. This has
positively influenced workplace atmosphere, easy flow of communication, and addresses
employees' needs for involvement. Remember the typical government office or
department where the officer would never be available, no one attended to the telephone,
and documents had long shelf lives? Today, the state machinery seems well oiled, with
most offices appointing a public relations officer. The office space has also changed
dramatically, probably to keep in step with the times. The new corporate culture, which
equates happy customers or clients with happy employees, has realized that if it keeps its
employees satisfied, this positive feeling will be communicated to the clients.

External Changes

Corporate houses today have to think far above and beyond their balance sheets and audit
reports. Global business aspirations take into account corporate global citizenship in the
backdrop of issues concerning the environment, rising population, depleting resources and
large-scale urbanization. Global vision of international business can succeed today only if
it learns to reach out to local concerns. For example, western concepts cannot be replanted
on Indian soil: A popular western foodchain's entry into the Indian market was initially
threatened due to its apparent disregard of local sentiments. Another multinational
foodchain had an easy success because it suitably Indianized its products: beef was
replaced by chicken and mutton, and vegetarian products were popularized. All
companies, big or small, have to engage in collaborative efforts to benefit or improve the
local communities. Indira K. Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of Pepsico believes: 'Private
enterprises ... have the responsibility of being a good citizen of the community it operates
in.' According to her, Pepsico's performance is satisfactory —but more so because '[they]
have done this with a heart, with purpose. This involves giving back to the community
and making the environment even better than what it was earlier.' SWITCH2CFL realizes
the importance of giving back to the community through its various community-
enrichment programmes. They have dedicated teams which assess local needs and
feasible measures which can benefit the local
82 BUSINESS ENGLISH

society. The facilitator is their Community Outreach Programme Director — N. Lalitha.

She is a reputed social worker who has successfully created awareness of health and
sanitation and stressed upon the importance of educating children. The success of these
programmes can also be attributed to the infrastructure facilities provided by the
company. Of course, the ecological concern is an important issue and is dedicated to
creating a cleaner and greener environment. Green issues or 'going green' is not just the
buzz word, but crucial for sustainable development. Since SWITCH2CFL is committed to
energy conservation, as part of her community outreach programmes, N. Lalitha organizes
a competition for children every 14 November. Last year, she organized a collage-making
competition on the theme 'A unit of electricity saved = a year's supply of energy'. The
rules were that only waste materials were to be used for making the collage. The winner
was awarded a gift hamper of environmentally friendly stationery and each participant
was given a CFL reading lamp.
Awareness, after all, is the first step towards making a difference — as individuals
and as organizations.

Learning Outcomes

In this chapter you have learnt:

• About culture—its definition and impact on communication
|»3|* How to build your culture quotient
**~ • That stereotyping and ethnocentrism are ways of perception
• About social culture, corporate culture, social responsibility

• The necessity of dealing with people from other cultures respectfully

Hi Exercises QUESTIONS FOR

DISCUSSION

1. What is the significance of culture in business communication?

2. List some dangers of stereotyping and ethnocentrism. Give examples to illustrate
your answer.
3. Why is diversity management an important issue today?
4. How does the corporate culture impact the working life of employees?
 CONVENTIONS, PERCEPTIONS AND VAL

Word check: Look at the lists and circle the word that is different from others. Then, give
reasons why.
1. Mashed, frozen, french fried, baked________________
2. International, global, multinational, corporate__________________
3. Stereotype, perception, ethnocentrism, culture__________________
4. Diversity, multicultural, multiracial, ethnic______________■
5. Work culture, corporate culture, office culture, social culture__________________

ACTIVITY CORNER

1. Write down four ways of greeting people from diverse cultures.

2. Compare and contrast the different ways in which organizations —across the world
handle customer complaints.
 Chapter
CULTURAL VARIABLES

Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
expatriate
After studying this chapter you will be able to:
inculcate
• Understand cultural variability
dominate
• Identify religion, food and dress as cultural variables persona
• Understand the notions of public/private, time and hierarchy miscommunication
across cultures
bilingual
multilingual ,
sensitivity
Pre-reading Activity harness
In Chapter 5, you have been introduced to the concept of culture. You now elitism
know that it is socially learned behaviour which is extremely diverse across the social parameters
world. Many subcultures can be a part of a dominant culture. Subculture is the inhibitions
slight variation in cultural practices, and is followed by a smaller group or faux pas
community within the larger group. Thus, all humans might carry out the same cue
tasks, but in different ways because behaviour is learned from the local group plurality
or community. These different culture-specific cues are called cultural hierarchy
variables. These bring in the social and cultural variations in the way we
restrictions
talk, eat, dress, and conduct business, or even how we conduct
ourselves. secularism
vegan

H
iconic
ave you noticed how children imitate their elders? If we see children as
volatile
carriers of culture, the manner in which they learn the 'right cues' can tell
us how culture is passed on from generation to generation. Children are guided
by their families and also by the community or the culture group they 'belong to':
but they cannot be kept away from outside influences. In multicultural societies,
keeping close to the roots of one's tradition can become a challenging task. For
example, an Indian expatriate family living in America tries hard to inculcate
'Indian values' in their children. But the children want to 'just eat, dress and talk'
like other American children they meet everyday. So, they develop multiple
identities and become Indian Americans who also show some typical regional
traits. Thus, certain features dominate our social persona —as distinct markers of
culture. So, though one might be doing the same social activity, certain gestures
or signs can stand out as different or even unique. For the
 CULTURAL VARIABLES

smooth flow of communication across cultures, one needs to understand these 'different'
as well as 'unique' expressions of universal human conduct. These differences are 'inbuilt'
in our social behaviour and get reflected more in our nonverbal communication than in
our use of language.

Case Study

As a goodwill gesture, Mr Jaideep Das, Industrial Sales Manager with SWITCH2CFL, invites Mr David
Jones to his house for dinner. Mr David Jones is quite pleased and reaches at the appointed time.
Imagine his shock when the door is opened by a young boy who greets him by touching his feet. And, as
he is welcomed in, he catches sight of a woman hurriedly retreating dressed in casual clothes and
unkempt hair. The same lady, who happens to be his hostess, shows up well groomed in a beautiful silk
saree to welcome him—almost 20 minutes later. Soon, they are joined by Mr Das and their two children,
who are both in school. Mr Jones is in for another shock when the two youngsters address him as 'uncle'.
Mr Jones does not show his confusion on being addressed as 'uncle'and presents a bottle of perfume
as a gift to Mrs Das. He cannot imagine what could be wrong with his gift when it is politely accepted but
left unopened on a side table. Except for these little faux pas, the evening is well spent, with Mr and
Mrs Das's warm hospitality and good Bengali food. Thankfully, language was not a problem in this get
together.

• Can you identify the incidents of miscommunication due to variations of culture?

• What impression do you think Mr Jones creates with his choice of gift?
In the cross-cultural context, Mr Jones has been unable to read certain Indian cultural
symbols displayed by the Das family. He interprets the cultural cues through his own
cultural filter. In India, touching the feet of an elder is a traditionally acceptable sign of
showing deference. To anyone from the West, however, it is a meaningless or a
mystifying gesture. There is no equivalent gesture available in other cultures of this
gesture, so it leads to bewilderment. Hence, cultural cues might be completely overlooked
at times. For example, some women cover their heads as a mark of respect to elders,
married women wear toe rings or apply vermilion on their foreheads —cultural symbols
which are absent in the West. In America and Europe, it is acceptable to welcome or greet
each other with a hug or a kiss. In Asian countries, such cultural cues are too intimate for
comfort. Scratching one's head, for example, is generally seen as an expression of
confusion, but in Japan, this same gesture expresses anger.
This is why Mr Jones is caught on the wrong foot. He was not aware that Indians
have a casual attitude to time. It is almost inconsiderate to show up at the host's door 'on
time'. It usually catches the hosts unprepared. Secondly, kinship terms in India are
multiple and not just reserved for immediate family. Hence, it is acceptable to address
neighbours and even acquaintances in various kinship terms
BUSINESS ENGLISH

according to age and gender. Vibha didi, Rafiq bhai, Sameer bhaisahab, Mamta bhabhi or
even 'chacha' and 'mama are quite commonly heard terms of address. As the English
language and culture have no similar kinship equivalents, 'uncle' and 'aunty' have
conveniently replaced the Indian terms. For Mr Jones, it is an uncomfortable situation
where language is imposing cultural conventions and therefore, forming unexpected
relationships. So what is considered 'naturally,' suitable and, therefore, welcoming in one
culture can easily be unwelcome and even insulting or annoying in another culture.

COMMUNICATING ACROSS CULTURES "^^^^^f^f^.'^^^^m.

Language can pose a challenge in intercultural communications. In India, bilin-gualism

and multilingualism is a common feature, so communication is not really hampered.
However, at times, even a common language may become a barrier if the communicators
come from different backgrounds. The accent or pronunciation might communicate
erroneously. For example, an Indian from a particular region may be heard saying 'The
snakes are in the hole' and the Canadian listener might get scared and start looking for
snakes, while the man just meant to say 'the snacks are in the hall'. Language can be
acquired by anyone who is willing to learn. It is the nonverbal, culturally specific mode of
communication which cannot be easily acquired. It is important to remember that it is this
nonverbal component which forms the larger chunk of all communications. One cannot
'become', say, an 'Italian' or an 'Indian' by just acquiring a particular language. It is true
that language acquisition can give you some knowledge of the culture, and it can be an
effective tool in cross-cultural communications, but it cannot give you the 'lived
experience' of culture as it would give to a native speaker. It cannot automatically imbibe
in the learner the value systems or perceptions of the new culture. Luckily, you do not
need to become an Italian or an Indian to be able to build professional or social bridges
across cultures. Awareness and sensitivity to the cultural variables will go a long way in
paving smooth communication channels and establishing good professional and social
relationships.

Sign Language

As you have studied in Unit I, some visual or audio symbols used are universally
common. For example, traffic and road signs, signs for public utility and public services,
which need to be easily understood by both literate and non-literate, as also across various
linguistic groups. In order to reach a wider audience, most of the audio or visual signs do
not fall under the category of cultural variables though
 CULTURAL VARIABLES

they are the oldest forms of nonverbal communication. Most of these signs are widely
used today. It is the language used in audio-visual signs, especially in the creation of
advertisements for circulation through the living or print media, that needs to be
understood as a cultural variable.

Language Used in Audiovisual Signs

Advertisements communicate messages to an audience using the shortest possible space

and time. India has been a traditionally multilingual country, yet Hindi and English had
for a long time maintained their distinct identities. An advertisement in English would
reach a limited English-speaking group, and might indirectly be seen to be campaigning
for an upmarket/high-end or even a luxury product. The advertisement in any Indian
language would reach out to the masses, both in cities and villages — all the way to the
hinterland. It might be seen to be marketing a low-end product. After all, what use will a
village with no electricity have for, say, a vacuum cleaner or any kitchen appliance? For a
company like SWITCH2CFL, however, advertising is not restricted to either one or the
other — they advertise equally aggressively in English and all the Indian languages since
their target audience transcends linguistic, social and all other divides as the environment
is everybody's concern.
The change in the use of language over the last decade or so, the 'new' phenomena of
'Hinglish' —FM style —a hybrid of English and Hindi, is also reflective of the cultural
change. The people of the Hindi hinterland are adjusting to the language and also to the
culture of the British and meeting it half-way. Is it little wonder then that the advertisers
are harnessing this new language form of 'Hinglish' in a big way — as it conveniently
multiplies the audience they can reach. 'Yeh hi hai right choice baby!' as one
advertisement jingle tells us. This might explain the demand for brand names—Nike,
Reebok, McDonald's or roadside mobile kiosks selling 'peeza', not pizza and 'bargar' not
burger. Of course, this feature of language use is unique to our country. Even today,
English or, more appropriately, western terms, still lend to any product or service the
stamp of elitism. Swank large hoardings of 'Orange County,' 'Boulevard,' 'Rodeo Drive,'
'Park Land' almost transport you to American or English locales —but these are actually
properties and buildings on the outskirts of a metro city.

Body Language

Fidgeting, sitting cross-legged, or with one foot at a higher level, putting one's arms
around the companion's shoulder or waist, all convey nonverbal messages. How these
cues are interpreted by the parties involved depends on individual culture conditioning.
Indian culture in the era of globalization and economic liberalization is changing at a fast
pace. And yet, these changes are not uniform across the
 BUSINESS ENGLISH

geographical or social parameters of the country. Tradition and heritage still

define India as much as the BPO sector or IT revolution. For the international
onlooker, we are Indians, but for each other, we 'belong' to unmistakably distinct
religious, social, linguistic and regional groups. The diversity of our identities is
maintained in the workplace as much as in our personal lives. We show these cul-
tural markers by our dress and food preferences: the sacred thread we might wear
around our body or the food we eat at festivals.

Case Study

All employees at SWITCH2CFL look forward to festival times as most of them are celebrated with fervour
and gaiety. It is on such occasions employees across the board and religious backgrounds freely inter-
mingle, accompanied by their families. The Hindu festival of colours 'Holi' is specially popular as every-
one 'gets into the lively spirit'. On this day, workplace inhibitions take a backseat. The managers and
supervisors are seen joyfully putting colour on each other and their juniors. Some youngsters are even
seen dunking coloured water on unsuspecting co-workers. Soon, Ms Indira Ahmed, MD, walks in with
her family. Ms N. Lalitha and Cyrus Tata are also with her. All the people present extend their greetings,
but instead of dousing the ladies with colours, the younger men respectfully sprinkle some 'gulal' on the
senior ladie's feet while the women courteously put 'tika'on Indira Ahmad's and N Lalitha's forehead. In
India, physical contact and eye contact—both are still subject to age and gender restrictions. Also, hard,
drinks or alcohol is generally not consumed in some communities in the presence of seniors or women.
 Thus, the Indian value system still guides behaviour patterns. On the one hand, India
Inc. is acquiring global firms, like the Tata's takeover of Corus, and ushering in a
corporate culture which seems homogenously western in outlook. On the other hand,
conventions and perceptions are not easy to change. Let us look

Figure 6.1: The corporate sector today is more sensitive to the sartorial differences due
to cultural variability
 CULTURAL VARIABLES
89
at some features of body language like gestures, use of interpersonal space, eye contact as
practised in various parts of the world.

Handshake A traditional and widely used form of greeting in the West, it is gaining
popularity in India too. But it is done differently across the world.

Spaniards It must last six to seven strokes; less than that is seen as rejection.
Chinese As people here dislike touching, they might give a 'weak' handshake.
Americans Firm handshake is acceptable.
Middle Easterners Gentle, frequently repeated handshakes.
French Light, quick, repeated upon arrival and departure, not offered to superiors.
German Brusque, firm.
Asians Gentle, still an unfamiliar mode of greeting for many.
Indians At the workplace, among English speakers, firm; for others, it is of short duration
and is usually not offered to seniors or women. In personal relationships, Indian
forms of greeting are still preferred across gender and age.

Eye Contact and Eye Movement In America and Britain, maintaining eye contact during
formal speeches is acceptable. It denotes honesty and transparency in business dealings.
In many Asian countries like Indonesia, Japan and China, keeping one's eyes lowered is a
sign of respect. In India, this rule of not looking into the eyes is especially observed when
dealing with seniors and women. Staring in any part of the world is, of
course, considered rude. However, a westerner might interpret lowered eyes
as a sign of dishonesty or deceit.

Saying Yes/No It is one of the most common responses in all

communication, and yet surprisingly ways of saying 'yes' or 'no' also
vary across cultures. For example, people in Japan move their right hand
to say 'no'; Americans and Canadians shake their heads back and forth,
and people in Bulgaria nod up and down. For most north Indians,
Figure 6.2: The usual move-
moving the head from left to right indicates denial, while moving the
ments of the head saying 'yes'
head up and down means 'yes'. For some South Indians, both assent and
and 'no'
dissent are conveyed by a sideways movement of the head.

Some Commonly Misinterpreted Social Cues Sometimes, Filipinos

smile and laugh when actually they are angry. Using the left hand to receive
or give money or gifts is considered insulting in some Asian cultures as the
left hand is considered to be 'unclean'. No such 'taboo' exists in the western
cultures. A smiling, nodding face of a Japanese might be perceived as
comprehension and acceptance of the message while the gesture actually
indicates that the person is still listening. The popular sign of 'okay' with the
Figure 6.3: The popular
thumb and forefinger together
sign for 'okay'
 BUSINESS ENGLISH

might be considered obscene in parts of Italy, and rude and insulting in Russia, Germany
and Brazil. The Japanese read this gesture as a sign for money, and might interpret it as
the requirement of a bribe at the end of a contract!

Perceptions of Interpersonal Space

For Indians, spatial distance maintained between two people indicates the level of
formality, informality, intimacy, as also the category of relationship. Generally speaking,
with seniors, elders, strangers and members of the opposite sex, one keeps a respectful
distance; while with friends and colleagues, the 'arm's distance' rule is relaxed. In fact, it is
commonplace to see peer groups walking hand-in-hand or with an arm across the other's
shoulders.
Looking overseas, one will find that Arabs and Latin Americans prefer to stay close
during a conversation, while a distance of less than five feet during a business
conversation is considered uncomfortable for Canadians and Americans. People from
Japan and Germany prefer their business counterparts to be standing even further away.
Clearly, a person who is unaware of these cultural variations might give offence where
none was meant. The Arab might perceive the American to be disinterested on the basis
of the distance maintained by the latter, while the Indian might be standing too close for
the comfort of the Japanese businessman.

SOCIAL VARIABLES

Social variables divide people into larger groups. People who 'belong' to a particular
social group can be identified by the religion they practise, the social norms of dress,
food preferences, etc. These in turn define their 'world-view', that is, the person's
attitude to public and private, kinship value, hierarchy, status, etc. These attitudes go on
to influence their business practices, decision-making patterns, concept of time, etc. As
culture cues are learned from one's immediate social environment, let us now turn
to these important parameters of social behaviour and identification.
Religion

Figure 6.4: Identity In India, as in some areas abroad, almost all homes and commercial estab-
traits. lishments have a suitable space reserved for images or symbols of the deity. All
believers routinely seek God's blessings —especially before beginning the day,
a new project and entering new premises. Some people might publicly follow certain
rituals, while others might be more inclined to keep their faith private. A traditional
shopkeeper in India might keep a customer waiting for a few minutes, while he is
performing his daily ritual. Most north Indians ward off evil
 CULTURAL VARIABLES [91

by donating some coins dipped in mustard oil or getting green

chillies and a lemon strung on a thread, and tied up at the door
on every Saturday. To a foreigner, this spiritual symbolism of
1 _. . I
green chillies and lemon might be difficult to understand. Ortho
dox communities impose certain restrictions on dress, food, so-.
cial behaviour or even business practices. The Tamilians will *f
rarely be seen without the sacred white mark on their forehead.
Married Maharashtrian women often wear nose pins. Being a
multi-religious, multicultural society since time immemorial, In
dians are quite familiar with this plurality of belief, and indi
vidual faith does not usually interfere with their business or per
sonal relations with fellow-Indians. Figure 6.5: Warding off evil

How Religion Influences Business

Case Study

Mr Jones is in for a surprise when the date for the first financial transaction with SWITCH2CFL is post-
poned because the proposed date falls on a Saturday! He is told that it is inauspicious to begin transac-
tions on a Saturday. He is unaware of the religious importance attributed to almost each day of the week.
In the western society, Friday the 1$h is not considered very auspicious.

Certain business ventures are restricted by religious beliefs. Where alcohol and meat,
or specific meats like pork or beef is not permitted, the believers of that religion will not
even commercially deal in those items. In Jewish stores, 'kosher7 and 'non-kosher' mean
pure and impure: non-kosher products are strictly avoided. Moneylending is also not
favoured by certain communities. Most people profess secularism and are tolerant
towards various beliefs and religions, but it is sensible to follow the aphorism: 'When in
Rome do as the Romans do'—that is, respect and adapt to the religious and cultural cues
in your environment.
Religious holidays might affect international communication. Such 'breaks' in the
calendar might interrupt schedules or even delay responses to requests. All multinational
concerns need to keep in mind that India is traditionally a multi-religious country. Also,
religious beliefs are more overtly displayed and celebrated in India as compared to the
more covert religiosity of the West.

Food

Food is not only necessary for survival, it forms the most diverse and thriving example of
cultural variety. The idiom 'One man's food is another man's poison'
BUSINESS ENGLISH

quite accurately explains the social and cultural value humans have attached to food. Raw
fish might be seen as a delicacy in Japan, while its sight and smell might be repulsive to
people from certain other parts of the world. Traditionally, social groups and communities
were conservative in their approach: they stuck to their 'traditional food'. While
vegetarianism or 'turning 'vegan' (a vegetarian who abstains from animal and dairy
products) might be a fad in the West, in India it is a way of life. The Indian ethos of
spiritualism forbids killing for food. Hence, Indians are famously known to carry their
food abroad. Various emigrants, for example, in their desire to maintain their links with
tradition and culture, have established 'little Indias' or 'little Chinas' outside their own
country. These pockets cater to almost all the cultural practices which help to maintain the
parent culture.

How Food Affects Business Practices

The modern approach to food is revolutionizing the food culture. People are now open to
experimentation with cuisines across the world. It also introduces us to social practices,
etc., of other nations. India itself has an amazing diversity and variety to offer across its
various regional, linguistic and geographical divides. Of course, some people have not
given up their religious taboos to certain foods and drinks, yet foods have become an
iconic symbol of developing intercultural relations in a globalized world.

Figure 6.6: A business lunch: breaking the ice

Earlier, inhibitions discouraged or limited social interactions between business

partners, but now, as a routine, executives meet over lunch or dinner to 'break the ice' and
cement the bond. By being served a Bengali meal, for instance,
 CULTURAL VARIABLES

Mr Jones also gets to know something about the Indian culture in a social and friendly
atmosphere. Though Mr Jones was caught unawares by his hostess who kept refilling his
plate in a typical display of Indian hospitality. In the West, no one will offer you food
once you refuse. In India, hospitality means not taking 'no' for an answer as far as food or
drink is concerned. Refusal by the guest is perceived as a sign of his modesty and is
completely ignored.

Dress

The way one dresses is a reflection of one's personality and culture. Traditional forms of
dress are easy and immediate identifiers of cultural moorings. As with food, dress was
once dictated by the geographical, climatic, social and even religious considerations.
Today, one sees more and more people adopting western or cosmopolitan modes of
dressing because it is seen to be more convenient and allows greater mobility. Yet, ethnic
and national conventions have a certain say in the local dress code. The headscarf or
Muslim veil, the Sikh turban and the Arab headgear are highly visible, culture specific
parts of dress. Traditionally accepted in all cultures, the stress on visible secularism has,
however, made these symbols unacceptable in certain western countries like France and
Britain.

How Dress Affects Business Practices

To bring uniformity and a cosmopolitan look in the workplace, many business

organizations or MNCS have clear codes of formal and informal dressing. Power dressing
seems to be the new buzzword. Adhering to such dress codes apparently reflects a high
degree of 'professionalism', and a mark of loyalty and pride of the

Figure 6.7: Dress: a reflection of one's culture

94 BUSINESS ENGLISH

employee. But it can create a conflict in certain situations. A professionally qualified lady,
for example, after being selected for a job in an MNC, could not join office as she refused
to give up the traditional headscarf for a westernised form of dress. Thus, we can see that
religion, food and dress can become sensitive issues, if certain practices are considered to
be contrary to the accepted cultural norms and conventions in a multicultural workforce.

How SOCIAL DIFFERENCES IMPACT BUSINESS PRACTICES

Sense of Public and Private

Indians are known for their warmth, their friendly attitude to strangers and almost never
seem to be too busy for their family and friends. Indians are seen to be driven more by the
'heart,' while western society places greater value on the 'head' and rational thinking. Also,
like other Asians and even people of the Middle East, for Indians, the family and the
community usually comes before the individual. For Indians, relationships are not fixed or
mutually exclusive categories. Our sense of public and private is hence quite diffused.
Our colleagues are welcomed home and family matters might be discussed with
colleagues in the office. The western sense

Table 6.1 How do these concepts of public and private affect business practice?
West
1. Individualism allows privacy
2. Criticism can be direct and explicit
3. Private space is highly respected, intrusion
is not accepted.
4. Making requests, especially asking for personal
favours, is not heard of in the workplace.
. 5. Saying no comes easily and it is usually not
negotiable.
6. Merit is promoted; no negative implications
attached to hire-and-fire policy.
7. Individual is alone—no cushioning is available
in times of need.
8. Both giving and asking for help is difficult.
East
1. Hardly any privacy is allowed
2. Very difficult to criticize. If done, it is sugar-coated
or indirect. Seniors are never spoken against
openly.
3. At home and at work, colleagues feel free to walk
in and out of private space, without an
appointment. Only juniors are seen to intrude.
4. Making requests, asking for personal favours is
a common feature. People who are professionally
successful are expected to help others.
5. Almost impossible to refuse. Sometimes, one is
forced to accept requests and this may cause
complications at the workplace.
6. Merit might be bypassed in favour of nepotism,
especially in family-run businesses. Firing a
person is almost seen as a heartless act.
7. A system of trust and faith is built up through
multiple relationships—usually an adequate
support system is readily available in times of
crisis.
8. Giving or asking for help comes easily and
readily.
 CULTURAL VARIABLES

of relationships is almost the opposite - except for the family's photograph at the
'workstation,' the family is private, not to be mixed with the public domain, which is the
workplace. For Mr Jaideep Das, merging his personal and professional life is not a
problem. In fact, it is a genuine pleasure for him and his family to get a chance to know
the foreign business partner, Mr Jones. One must remember, however, that the boundary
between the public and the private in both the East and the West has become more fluid as
a result of globalization.
In the West, privacy is treasured, while in Eastern societies, allowing the public and
private to intermingle is an accepted social convention. Indeed, the world is seen as one
large family. Of course, for both the East and the West, the difference in attitudes have
resultant benefits and problems.
Let us now understand the overall impact of the cultural variables, different
conventions and perceptions on attitudes which affect business:

Time/Punctuality

Differences in perception of time as seen and practised by different cultures make this
issue rather volatile in cross-cultural interactions. Misunderstanding and disappointment
are seen as 'familiar' fallouts. 'Time is money' this value is ingrained in the western culture
where time is viewed as a strictly linear, limited resource. Punctuality is fundamental in
their lives and anyone who maintains this concept is seen as a complete professional—9
a.m. means 9 a.m. sharp —there is no 'give and take' a few minutes. We Indians work and
live at our convenient pace. In fact, in certain situations, being late marks the degree of
importance a person might have. Trains, buses and even bridegrooms are 'expected or
known to be following the 'Indian Standard Time' which perpetually runs behind
schedule. In cross-cultural context, it is important to be aware of this variation in
perception of time to avoid misunderstandings. To the Indian, Mr Jones' desire to 'stick' to
the schedule might be seen as impatience, while to Mr Jones, overshooting of deadlines
will be seen as unprofessional and frustrating. While dealing with westerners, it makes
good business sense to take schedules and appointments seriously. Efficiency is a desired
virtue in today's globalized world.

Hierarchy, Status and Materialism

Notions of hierarchy, social status and attitude to materialism also differ across the world.
Social class and family name still carry weight in our culture, as in some other cultures.
People are addressed according to their status. Use of first name is reserved only for
family and friends. In the West, even children address unrelated adults by their names. In
India, such a form of address will be seen as being disrespectful. Hierarchy is highly
valued in our families and workplaces. Traditional wealth is suitably admired against
new-found riches. Social class is also valued in the French society. America has built its
image around the concept of the 'American dream', that is, anyone can 'make it' to a
respectable position by sheer hard work. Money is seen as a symbol of achievement and
success in the West,
BUSINESS ENGLISH

while Indiais at the other end of the spectrum. Traditionally, the Indian society has been
seen as non-materialistic.
In a culture where seniority, age and status are seen to go hand-in-hand, the Indian
'senior' official might resent reporting to a 'younger' organizational head of the overseas
office.
• In India, titles are meant to be used; tags of 'Sir' or 'Madam' are quite expected.
For Indians, use of first names, becomes uncomfortable when it cuts across hierarchy.
• Top managers in the US are addressed as 'Mr Michael' or 'Ms Steele'.
• Business people in China are addressed according to their official titles as
'President Xian' or 'Manager'.

Decision-making Patterns

Where time is equated with money, decisions need to be taken quickly. Mr Jones, in his
first business meeting in India, fails to understand why negotiation with his Indian
counterparts does not seem to be going anywhere. In business settings, decision-making is
a very critical issue for the parties involved. In some cultures various factors influence
this process: concept of time, hierarchical structuring, ethical and legal issues, as well as
effective communication of the terms and conditions. One of the Internet sites actually
forewarns business people from abroad, who are planning to deal with Asian companies:
'Do not expect to fly in, sign documents and fly right back'. Indians, Japanese, Koreans,
etc., are seen to be 'dragging their feet' by their western counterparts.
• 'Getting down to business is seen as a typical trait of the western culture. People
from Scandinavia, Switzerland, America and even the Germans deal in this manner. This is
possible because only one or two people are involved in the process.
• For Asians, it is a participatory or group issue, time is no constraint. In India, we
are quite familiar with the 'framing of various committees'. Most decisions either depend upon or
constantly seek support from people in authority.
An awareness and understanding of the 'other' culture can prevent miscom-
munication and breakdown of negotiations. Across culture it becomes important to know
the value given to fine print.
In dealing with multicultural societies or international organizations, awareness of
cultural variables can equip you with the required pattern of communication and
behaviour. By seeing the 'other' in the right or neutral perspective, being alert to culture
cues — one can win half the battle in cross-cultural communications.
This helps in building of confidence in interpersonal relationships, leading to success
in business dealings.
 CULTURAL VARIABLES 97

\l/\ Checklist: Best Practices for Organizations

People-to-people networking adds value to all other networks

• Follow open door policy.
• Allow direct and indirect flow of communication within the organization.
• Designate a PR as in-house facilitator who can circulate and communicate
ideas right across the board.
• Implement recruitment policies which are diversity friendly — across gender,
race, community and even for the disabled.
• Widely notify through notices, posters, slogans the company's core values: it
is motivational and elicits sense of commitment and responsibility.
• Managers should be suitably alert towards diversity issues and stereotyping.
• Corporate social responsibility should be practised in word and deed.

0 Checklist: Best Practices for

Individuals

• Be receptive to people.
• Build a positive outlook in all intercultural communications.
• Avoid discussing religion, personal matters or even politics in intercultural
situation.
• Do not interrupt or unduly impose your ideas on the other person.
• Find out about the other's culture and try to understand culture cues in their
context.
• Be aware of culture specific gestures and avoid gestures which might confuse
or annoy.
• In intercultural communications, attitude to time, sense of acceptable space,
acceptable dress, manners and notions of hierarchy play a very important role.
Be appropriately informed to ensure smooth communication.
• Remember, across all languages and cultures, it pays to be polite.
• Respect all differences and never ridicule the other's culture.
• Stay away from stereotypes and prejudices.
• Avoid sexist language or behaviour.
• Avoid all discriminatory practices.

Contd.
ENGLISH '

• Remember, equal employment and access to opportunities is everyone's right.

• Keep close to your own behaviour pattern and even the English you use —
aping the westerners' gestures or their accent is not very well taken in intercultural
communications.
• Be honest to yourself and others, you will be respected for it.

)TBJK Learning Outcomes

In this chapter you have learnt:

• How to deal suitably with intercultural cues
• To read sign language, gestures, eye contact and notions of space
across cultures
• How religion, food and dress can influence business practices
• About attitudes to punctuality, public/private space, hierarchy and status, their
impact on business

R§ Exercises QUESTIONS

FOR DISCUSSION

1. SWITCH2CFL has organized an international conference on renewable energy.

You have been assigned to receive the delegates from the airport and make their
stay comfortable. Which of the cultural variables will you keep in mind for
extending a warm welcome to the American, Saudi Arabian and Japanese
nationals?
2. Some employees in certain MNCs have been asked to resign from their jobs for
wearing talismans, nose pins, a headcover or even the auspicious white/red mark
on the forehead. What is your view on this suppression of individual cultural
identifiers for the sake of homogeneity?
3. How is the Indian society different from the western society? Give some examples
to illustrate your answers.
4. How do different decision-making patterns impact business communication? What
should be done if there is a clash of conventional practices between cultures?
 CULTURAL VARIABLES I

1. Indira Ahmad is hosting a special Indian dinner for the delegates of the
international conference. You are expected to familiarize the guests with
the Indian dishes. Write names of six popular dishes and describe them to
the foreigners in English.
a) ...........................................................................•..........•..................................
b)..............................................................................................................................
c)..............................................................................................................................
d)..............................................................................................................................
e) .............................................................................................................................
f) ............................................................................................................................
2. Test your socializing skills across cultures by providing suitable replies:
a) How was your first day in China?
b) Do you speak Italian?
c) You haven't got a light, have you?
d) Are you an Indian?
e) Have you met Ms James before?

ACTIVITY CORNER WKKHKUKSS^Si^^jmmmm

Mr Bakshi is late for his appointment with business executives from Europe. Frame a brief
conversation relating how he will explain himself to the visitors.
 Chapter
BENDER SENSITIVITY
7

Vocabulary
§\ Learning Objectives
gender
After studying this chapter you will be able to: gender stereotype
♦ Understand about gender discrimination
deviant feminine
♦ Understand the impact of gender at the workplace
masculine
♦ Know about gender-based discriminatory practices
polarization
♦ Deal sensitively with gender issues trivialize
privileging
patriarchy glass
Pre-reading Activity ceiling
harassment
You have learnt that our social identity is shaped by cultural values,
perceptions and hence, varies from nation to nation, and region to region, disparity sexist
forming separate communities. Another very important factor that is even language/
more basic to the framing of our identity is gender. The norms of behaviour, behaviour
the dress we wear, the preferences we might have, our sense of personal
space, are all decided by our gender. For example, women all over the world
will avoid looking into a stranger's eyes—while men do not even notice it as a
concern for safety in terms of social behaviour. Clearly, men and women lead
separate lives. Let us look at how we generally identify women and also how
we mark gender divisions.

I n traditional modes of identity, the roles of mothers, wives, daughters and

sisters firmly place women in the social hierarchy and in various relationships
to men, and of course, to each other. Indeed, one cannot but help agreeing with
Simone de Beauvoir: 'One is not born, but rather becomes a woman'. The truth of
this statement is borne out by women in a wide spectrum of human experience.
One is born a biological male or female but becomes a man or a woman through
an elaborate system of cultural learning. How does this form of identity affect the
lives of women and men? How and why is it a different human experience?
What is the importance of understanding gender? In this chapter, you will look at
how people are put into the two categories of male and female, and how subse-
quent cultural perceptions of men and women affect the workplace.
What does it mean to be a woman? Look around you. Are there more girls than
boys in the classroom? As per the CBSE results of Class X
 GENDER SENSITIVITY ll)l

and XII, girls usually outshine boys in academic performance every year. So, if job
selection depends on merit, why are more men employed than women? Let us look at
some figures.

Women make up more than half the world's population, yet perform two-thirds of its work, receive one-
tenth of [world] income and own less thai one-hundredth of world property. This was reported by Secre-
tary General Leticia R. Nairobi to mark the United Nations Decade for Women, 1976-1985.
(UN Chronicle 1985)

In a world where no country has yet achieved gender equality even today, (Hausmann
2007) this is not just statistical data but a sad reflection of the status of women. It exposes
the huge gender gap in world economy, and the denial of certain rights to women. It also
speaks of the traditional attitudes towards women. This traditional attitude reflects the
popular convention that women 'belong' to the domestic space, where they function as
mothers, wives or daughters. This, in turn, leads to the perception that women are best
suited for nurturing roles as they are kind, sensitive, emotional and caring. Understanding
gender will help you to see how men and women are projected, and how society perceives
them, or how it wants to perceive them. The traditional pattern which sees woman as a
mother or as a wife —within the domestic space —is just one way of viewing women.

UNDERSTANDINGGENDER

Oxford English Dictionary defines gender as grammatical grouping of words (nouns and pronouns) into
classes—masculine, feminine, and neuter—accordingly as they are regarded as male, female or
without sex.

A definition which is used commonly in language study it has larger implications

when it is transferred to the extended meaning in society.
Gender is not to be confused with male or female sex. Gender is to be understood
as the social and cultural construction of roles in modern society which are given to
the two respective categories of male and female. Gender then determines our
behaviour, activities and attributes, that a given society considers appropriate for
men and women, respectively. Male and female are biological categories, masculine and
feminine are cultural categories. These roles are also hierarchically arranged, where the
male is coded by society as superior and the female is coded as inferior.

How isBEING A MAN DIFFERENTFROM BEING A WOM AN?

The roles given to men and women in society seem to be mutually exclusive and just as
binary opposite as categories of male and female are. Even a child is
11021 BUSINESS ENGLISH

conditioned to respond as, 'Papa goes to office, Mummy cooks at home'. Conventionally,
man is the bread winner, woman is the nurturer, who looks after the family. Once born as
a female, the 'girl' is taught about her feminine responsibilities, guided towards her future
role so that when she grows up, she becomes a woman who fits into the traditional
structure of society. Socialization of roles begins at an early age. So, girls are expected to
play with dolls, soft toys, that is, play-act as their mothers; while boys are expected to
prefer engines or other mechanical toys, imitate their fathers, be physically active, fight
and generally be loud. Notions of masculinity and femininity are then 'developed'
according to expected patterns. Look at the representation of men and women in a popular
advertisement for aerated drink. The macho, tough, strong and powerful men climb steep
cliffs, run against motor vehicles, jump from great heights, all as part of their rough sport.
The woman is not even part of any such 'manly' activity. She is attractively dressed in
western attire and is at hand to provide whatever the man needs. Such perceptions lead to
building of stereotypes. The woman is here seen as a passive entity. Gender stereotypes,
like any other stereotype, influences relationships and leads to biased behaviour. Such
stereotyping or fixed categorization is harmful and detrimental to both men and women.

Do you think language, like social behaviour can also be gender specific? Have you ever noticed who
uses swearwords or abusive language around you? In some cultures, gender specific ways of speaking
are more pronounced than in others. Such speech forms imply or denote the power equations and social
status of the speaker's gender. A higher level of politeness is generally expected of women than of men
in many societies. Let us look at some examples. In the Japanese language as in Korean, multiple
pronouns of self-reference are gender specific. 'Boku', a first person pronoun in Japanese is reserved for
male speakers. It is unconventional for women to use it. The Greek language is described as moderately
masculine. Women speakers tend to express disagreement indirectly. The English pronouns I, you, me
or myself are neutral. This neutrality reflects the higher level of equality in gender relations. And yet,
certain terms denoting masculine and feminine genders in English are not so neutral. The term 'master'
connotes ownership, control, and authority; connotations for the feminine 'mistress' are not the same.
The Hindi language also has gender specific markers and terms.

To understand gender and how it impacts the workplace and lives of women, take a
look at one day in the life of Ms Ratna Malik, Sales Manager with SWITCH2CFL.

Case Study

9.30 a.m.
Ms Ratna Malik is driving her new car to office. She is very happy as she has just been promoted as
Sr. Sales Manager, something she had been working very hard for. Unfortunately, her upbeat mood
takes a beating not just due to chaotic traffic but also because of the insensitive and biased remarks men
freely throw her way. 'Slow drivers go back to driving school'; 'Hey babe! Do you know you are driving a
real car' Even the parking attendant muttered something about her parking skills.
 Clearly, Ratna Malik's sincerity, hard work and desire to excel are being overlooked
by her boss at BCE Industries. Why is she being short changed in her workplace? The
major roadblock to her career advancement lies in the traditional attitude towards her
gender. Even 30 to 40 years ago, very few Indian women were seen working. Those who
did work, were mostly employed as teachers, doctors, nurses, secretaries, receptionists or
telephone operators. As part of the administrative or support staff of offices and factories,
women employees remained in low-paying, low-status jobs, as compared with men. So, in
the 1970s, when a woman as a qualified chartered accountant, faced the interview board
for a job, the board members could not deny her the job but did not know what to do with
her because there were no other women employees in the firm. It was the time when terms
like business woman or woman entrepreneur were almost unheard of. Banks were wary of
financing projects that were headed by women. Such a bias in job opportunities was not
even identified as discriminatory till recently. Many women took this attitude as a
challenge and financed their dreams through alternate means. The Lijjat Papad and SEWA
initiatives are good examples of finding alternate avenues.
 GENDER SENSITIVITY 103

What a beginning for a day at work!

• Have you heard similar remarks for men at the wheel, even for men who blatantly
flout traffic rules?
• How many women drivers have you heard of being booked for rash or drunken
driving?
• What do you think gives men the 'freedom' to be rude to women?
In some societies men are still not used to seeing women at the wheel. By tradi-
tionally denying women the skill of driving, men had earlier ensured women's dependence
and also curtailed their mobility. In today's world, although women have broken this male
bastion by driving cars, buses, trains and even piloting planes, but the age-old perceptions
are still hard to break.

Case Study

On reaching the office Ms Malik is in for a surprise as she is welcomed by the staff who congratulate her
on her promotion. What a far cry from her previous job. At BCE Industries she had been a sincere worker,
thinking of innovative ways to clinch sales for the company and spearheading brand promotion strate-
gies, but nothing seemed to be good enough for the Chief Manager. To add insult to injury, he would allow
more professional visibility to her colleague, Mr P. Singh, by sending him for important client meetings
and business lunches and dinners. The boss even sent Mr Singh to Singapore as a delegate to a confer-
ence on sales strategies!
il04j BUSINESS ENGLISH

WH A TIS A GE N D E RST E R E O T Y?P E J

S t
As referred to earlier in the unit, a stereotype is a radically reductive way of representing
whole communities of people by identifying them with a few key characteristics.
As a way of 'seeing' or perceiving someone, by limiting the characteristics,
stereotyping excludes or rejects everything which falls outside the stereotype. Hence, the
subject gets categorized by normal read acceptable and abnormal read unacceptable or
deviant features. When applied to gender, this tool produces the most insidious results
because as in the case of race:
(a) Men and women are easily identified as separate categories.
(b) The category of gender divides human society into its largest groups.
(c) The two gender categories are polarized as opposites and therefore, the ground
work is laid for an unequal power relationship.
Since gender is the most visible sign of difference it becomes very easy to stereotype.
One could say, for example, that men are often stereotyped as being aggressive and risk
takers, while women are stereotyped as being docile and cautious in their attitude. When
these stereotypes are allowed to function at the workplace, the implications hugely
disadvantage the woman. Leadership skills are said to include imposing stature, the ability
to order the subordinates and get things done; it involves assertiveness and toughness
enough to push through deals and negotiations. As a result of the feminine stereotype of
women being kind, sensitive and emotional, and also passive and lacking in leadership
qualities, many women, despite their qualification and calibre, are not picked for top jobs.
This popular perception of women being the 'weaker' sex, when combined with the social
space granted to them, restricts their potential and raises doubts about their capacities. A
conventional CEO might not easily assign an important task to a woman because he has
internalized the stereotype and believes that a woman's domestic responsibilities
compromise her effectiveness at the workplace.

Impact of Gender Stereotyping

Lower your voice Don't be a sissy

Be ladylike Boys don't cry

Oh, you are so sweet and delicate Be a man
Your dress should reveal your modesty, nothing else. You have to shoulder your responsibility.
family's

From boyhood, males are suitably trained and expected to be in complete control of
themselves and the situation. To show their manliness, or masculinity, they are
consciously exhorted to be unlike women. This develops the male stereotype of being
disengaged, authoritative and rational. Conforming to this stereotype leads
 GENDER SENSITIVITY 105

to high stress levels in adult lives, as men are denied the safety of expressing their natural
emotions. On the other hand, for young girls, notions of feminine beauty and docility
might be enhanced at the cost of intellectual development. So, while men are supposed to
think from their minds, women are expected to 'think' from their heart. How do you think
people respond when stereotypes are broken? What about the lone boy who develops a
passion for classical dance and is never seen on the sports ground or roughing it out with
the other boys? All forms of creative arts are supposed to be 'feminine' activities. In an
Indian home, how many mothers are happy with their son's interests in cooking or dress
designing, and the daughter's interest in football or in bicycle repair? Bringing the
National Women Hockey Team on centre stage, the popular Bollywood movie Chak De
deals sensitively with the issue of gender stereotypes.

GENDER ISSUES AT THE WORKPLACE

Dealing with Stereotypes

If men and women are perceived to be so different, how does this difference impact the
workplace equations? With more and more career-oriented women joining the workforce
today, have the perceptions changed? Let us look at some informal thoughts or exchanges
of colleagues at the workplace.
Mr Iraj Kumar, secretary to MD and Ms Maya Singh, personal assistant to Rohit
Bhalla, work at SWITCH2CFL. This is how the grapevine works around them:

Mr Kumar is not in his cubicle Ms Maya Singh is not found in her office
lio6 BUSINESS ENGLISH

Mr Kumar is seen with moist eyes Ms Maya Singh is seen with moist eyes

Mr Kumar displays his family Ms Maya Singh displays her family

photographs on his desk photographs on her desk

Figure 7.1: Grapevine at work

C\ Activity
Analyse these reactions and show how they relate to gender stereotyping.

Gender bias at the workplace is unfortunately a common sight. But what if these
stereotypes are challenged or broken? Let us look at some more examples. One day, Mr
Kumar needs to leave early for his daughter's birthday party.
 GENDER SENSITIVITY

Response 1: Where is his wife? Can't she handle things hersetp^'0^'" im*"~* ^~"* * ''
Response 2: Congratulations to you. Mrs Kumar is really lucky to have such a caring
husband.
Response 3: Didn't you remember you have to be present for the board meeting at 6.30
p.m. ? You had prior information as it had been scheduled earlier.

One day, Ms Maya Singh needs to leave early for her daughter's birthday party:

Response 1: Madam Maya, just last week you had left early because your son wasn 't well
You can't be so casual with your work.
Response 2: Congratulations! It is an important day for you! Don't worry, you can e-.
mail the report to me once you are free.
Response 3: It would be better if you do not allow your personal life to interfere with your
work schedule. Organizational deadlines cannot be jeopardized.

x\ Activity
Which of these responses do you think is gender sensitive/gender insensitive and why?

As we can see from the above examples, both men and women are subject to gender
stereotyping and it is equally debilitating for both. However, it is true that it is the
working woman who is in a double bind: she has to function equally well as a wife and
mother and as a professional career woman. If a man shares any domestic chores with his
wife, it boosts his image of dependability, but if a woman is seen as more committed to
her career than her family, she is subject to criticism for failure in her domestic duties.
However, her professional commitment and capabilities are immediately put under the
scanner if the woman tries not to neglect her parental or domestic responsibilities.

What Privileges One Gender has Over Another?

Since time immemorial, societies across the world have adopted the bipolar division as
illustrated above. It has granted public space to men (men as the traditional bread-
winners) and limited the woman to the private, domestic space where the woman
functions as the nurturer and homemaker. Space is thus gendered, that is, divided on the
basis of gender.
Although man and woman both belong to the same species, conventional structuring
of society and clear division of gender-based roles has created two worlds. This
framework of society, which privileges men over women, controls
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Table 7.1 Gendering of space

1 Man's world Woman's world Woman's world
Public space *» Private space (Modern view)
f (Traditional view)
Area Non-domestic Domestic Public and private space
Work Economic activity Non-economic activity Economic and
non-economic
Identity and Related to work, Dependent on the status Professional identity and
status economic condition, of males and also the status along with marital
achievements relationship to men— or maternal status
and skills as wife, mother or sister
Gender Decision-maker One who abides by those Economic independence
equation decisions (willingly or empowered woman to
unwillingly) take her own decisions,
though other personal or
social factors might
influence some of those
decisions.

women by limiting their boundaries and restricts their access to opportunity, is

called patriarchy. The position of the male becomes the site of authority and power in
society. It is also the system which functions in other power equations as master-servant,
wealthy-poor, and white-black. When applied to gender relations, patriarchy also explains
the deep roots of gender bias, the age-old notion of the 'weaker sex'. Thus, biological
differences are converted into social limitation by patriarchy. So, even before women
were given the benefit of education and learning, or, given a chance to prove their
potential, they were confined by the demands of domesticity. Domestic labour or
responsibility was never considered 'work' because it was 'unpaid' for, therefore, a non-
economic activity. Is it any wonder then that 'working woman' is a relatively new concept
and that no language or culture has its parallel term, 'working man'? The assumption is
that men have always 'worked' since work is defined primarily as an income-generating
activity outside home. In keeping women away from the economic sphere, men have kept
for themselves the tools to control and manipulate.
Table 7.1 will help you to understand the consequences of the conventional
gendering of space and its impact on the workplace.
In gender relations, men have dominated in the family as well as in the public sphere
of work, politics and culture. Women's awareness of their rights and the demand for
modernization have caused an unprecedented upheaval in the social structure.
Compare the third column of Table 7.1 to the first one. In today's world, the apple
cart of male dominance has been upturned. Surrender or loss of one's territory has never
come easily to anyone. Women's entry into the workforce is met
 GENDER SENSITIVITY

Figure 7.2: Division on the basis of gender

with resistance and resentment. Today, men have to compete with highly qualified women
for jobs. For women, success in the public arena is a matter of will and determination to
compete with men on their own ground, and against all odds. Ironically, women's entry
into the economic field has created new problems for them as men in general find it
difficult to accept a woman as a colleague or a boss. This traditional attitude and
patriarchal notion of gender conflicts with the new gender role. It leads to:
1) Gender discrimination at the workplace
2) Glass ceiling or sticky-floor syndrome
3) Sexual harassment.

Gender Discrimination

Any discrimination practised on the basis of race, gender, class, caste or disability is an
offence the world over. And yet, it continues to be a sad reality for those who do not
belong to or conform to the dominant group.
Thus, power equations have always benefited the majority and disadvantaged the
racial, ethnic or gender minority. Such disadvantage can be in the form of denial of basic
rights, suppression, exploitation, harassment or even violence. For example, denial of
education and employment to the visually impaired has been practised all over the world.
It is only at the behest of social rights groups and government intervention that today,
they have access to education and
11101 BUSINESS ENGLISH

employment and a chance to prove their potential. Sometimes, a wealthy woman might
misuse her economic power to keep a working class man subservient to her in social
interactions.

What is Gender Discrimination? Treating men or women unfairly or with prejudice

just because of their gender is termed as gender discrimination. It may
be an expression of male resistance to women colleagues or women's suspicion of men.
Gender discrimination is caused by internalization of age-old perceptions of gender roles.
The roots of such discrimination against men and women lie in certain cultural and
religious practices. Such practices and orthodox beliefs have kept men and more notably
women in varying stages of restrictions and oppression. For example, Rassundari Devi
(1800-1890) is the first Indian woman to write her autobiography. She had to teach herself
in the privacy of her kitchen because she was denied a formal education. She had to steal
and hide the tools of learning even from her son and husband! The ancient belief that if a
woman learned to read and write, she would be inviting bad luck and would even become
a widow, kept her in constant terror of being found out. Though women have proved their
mettle and come a long way since the 1890s, it is the mindset and stereotypes which is
hampering the progress of men and women even today.

In The Subjection of Women (1869), John Stuart Mill has pointed out that gender discrimination and
artificial hierarchies have a deleterious impact on society as a whole. According to him, the principle
which regulates the existing social relations between the two sexes is wrong in itself and is now one of the
chief hindrances to human improvement.

Ms Ratna Malik was a victim of gender discrimination at BCE Industries. However,

in SWITCH2CFL, she is in a more positive environment. Let us now look at some other
ways of how gender discrimination is still practised in organizations all over the world.

How Does Gender Discrimination Work? Financial discrimination is the most

widespread and blatant form of discrimination. In the entertainment industry, for example,
superstars, leading men and male models are paid much more than actresses and women
models. The unorganized sector and even the small scale sector are quite exploitative of
all workers, especially women. For the same job, it is considered acceptable to pay less to
the woman than the man. Pay averages still show a gender gap across the world.
• Though many companies today implement women-friendly policies such as
maternity leave packages and flexi-time, women who opt for these benefits might stagnate professionally.
• Top-level management jobs are usually denied to women if they ask for flexible
working hours. \
 GENDER SENSITIVITY 111

• Transfers and relocation also becomes a significant issue if the woman employee
is married and is raising a family. It is rare for a husband to relocate for his wife's
job.
• Male-dominated management teams and the traditional hierarchical patterns also
become an impediment to a woman's professional progress.
Despite legal and constitutional safeguards for women, discrimination is still
practised in many forms. These laws address issues of overt forms of discrimination but it
is the subtle form which is difficult to nail, and is more damaging. Some examples are
given below:
1. Being the traditional bread winners, men have to be achievers and this is as much
a pressure on them as it is on women to remain in the background.
2. Ambition is seen as a masculine trait; certain cultures frown upon ambitious
women.
3. Social and cultural restrictions are also gendered. Both men and women have to
comply with restrictions that are the result of social prejudices regarding gender
and identity. This greatly hampers professional choices available to both.
4. Characteristics which are required for top management or high profile jobs are
conveniently closer to masculine traits or male stereotypes. One needs to be
aggressive, assertive, bold and tough to be able to head corporate and business
houses. So, men who do not have these traits are as unlikely as women to get the
top job.
5. An individual is considered successful if s/he is in a good job with a five figure
salary. Men and women who cannot achieve this are looked down upon as
'failures'.

The Glass Ceiling

Though women today have made enormous progress in the economic sphere, and have
more access to career advancement opportunities, educational benefits, their overall share
of management jobs rarely moves beyond 20 per cent. Today, women across the world are
Heads of States, CEOs, Commissioners; yet these women are the exception rather than the
rule. As women represent more than 40 per cent of the world's labourforce, the gender gap
in top positions is a matter of serious concern. The denial of top jobs to women on the
basis of gender is equated to hitting the glass ceiling.

The glass ceiling is defined as the invisible artificial barriers created by attitudinal and organizational
prejudices that bar women from top executive jobs.
112 BUSINESS ENGLISH
Factors Responsible for the Glass Ceiling Syndrome
1. Women have reached managerial positions in traditional 'women-oriented jobs'
like education, health services, finance, banking, administrative, communications,
personnel support and other services. Gender stereotyping keeps them away from
male-dominated professions like manufacturing and construction.
2. A practical constraint for women is the disproportionate responsibility they still
have for looking after family needs.
3. The long hours required to gain professional recognition and eventual promotion
pose a challenge.
4. Younger women are viewed as potential mothers; hence, managements avoid
investing in their training and providing career growth opportunities.
5. Senior positions are more demanding in terms of responsibility, travel and
relocations — all women are perceived to have similar limitations, and thus denied
the top jobs.
6. Individual acumen or even ambition is overlooked by the stereotype of the
incapable woman or one who is seen as unwilling to take on responsibility and is,
hence, denied challenging professional exposure, hands on experience of strategic
and wide ranging areas of organizational activity, etc.
7. Women have to work harder and perform better than their male counterparts in
managerial positions.

While in the West, the 'glass ceiling' is a gendered phenomenon, in a country like India we should also
think about this as a socio-economic phenomenon as membership of caste and class has been a major
impediment to professional opportunity and success.

Sexual Harassment

Of all the ways in which discrimination is practised on account of gender, sexual

harassment is the worst because it not only violates the individual's sense of dignity and
right to earn a living, but is also an assault on the person's sense of self-worth. Such an
unfair and derogatory practice is a measure of gross insensitivity towards the victim and
should be suitably dealt with.
Such harassment exposes the deepest form of gender prejudice against a colleague or
subordinate. It especially reflects the highly stereotyped patriarchal attitudes of male
superiority and power over a submissive female. Sexual harassment can also be directed
by a woman against a man. Any misuse of power, be it by a woman or a man, is equally
objectionable.
 r— — * ■
• GENDER SENSITIVITY ! 113

Gender bias or discrimination in any form bases itself on the continuity of gender
stereotypes. Under the guidelines of the Honourable Supreme Court of India, the National
Commission for Women has formulated guidelines on sexual harassment at the
workplace, which defines the offence and offers a code of conduct and also provides
measure of redressal against such practice.
It was issued in 2001 and highlights the serious impairment or threat to equality in
employment when a man or a woman is subjected to gender specific violence. As per the
above mentioned guidelines, sexual harassment is defined as

...[Any harassment which] includes such unwelcome sexually determined behaviour

(whether directly or by implication) as:
a) Physical contact and advances
b) A demand or request for sexual favours
c) Sexually-coloured remarks
d) Showing pornography
e) Any other unwelcome physical, verbal or nonverbal conduct of a sexual nature
... it is discriminatory for instance when the woman has reasonable grounds
to believe that her objection would disadvantage her in connection with her
employment or work including recruiting or promotion or when it creates a
hostile work environment. Adverse consequences might be visited if the vic
tim does not consent to the conduct in question or raises any objection
thereto. (Parthasarthi 2001:8-9)

The guidelines also include preventive steps as well as steps to redressal of

grievances, legal provisions and a code of conduct at the workplace, with explanations
and other details. India is a signatory to many international conventions, including the
United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW), which it ratified in 1993. The principle of gender equality is
enshrined in the Indian Constitution (Article 11 and Article 15), which not only grants
equality to women but empowers the State and makes it obligatory for it to adopt
measures of positive discrimination in favour of women. As a woman never accept
demeaning behaviour: speak up against any trespass of personal space.
Laws relating to sexual harassment vary from one country to the other depending on
their distinct cultural practices; however, certain kind of behaviour is frowned upon,
globally.
:
114 BUSINESS ENGLISH

IHiwNawSffibEtf SENSitiWYIN tHE 21ST CENTURY

M^T Case Study

Ms Ratna Malik is immensely relieved after joining SWITCH2CFL because she has escaped the biased
and discriminatory atmosphere of BCE Industries. Her career is finally looking up. Thankfully for her,
such gender bias is a thing of the past. The corporate culture at SWITCH2CFL is very gender friendly
and it consciously follows the policy of inclusion. Under the able leadership of Ms Indira Ahmad, MD,
Ms Malik knew she is in good hands. In fact, each employee feels in the same way. Ms Indira Ahmad is
a true visionary whose philosophy of team-based management, combined with shrewd business acu-
men has given the company a professional edge over its competitors. Each employee is made to feel
special and an important contributor to the company. The MD strongly believes that teams, and not
individuals, turn ideas into success. A work environment that encourages active participation and gen-
eration of ideas is definitely a place conducive for growth.

Everywhere, women are rising to the challenges, creating a niche for themselves, and
excelling in various professions. In certain sectors, there has been a gradual shift in favour
of women who are considered more disciplined and more reliable than men. Look at the
list of our own women achievers: Indira Gandhi, Kiran Bedi, Indra Nooyi, Naina Lai
Kidwai, Sunita Williams, Kalpana Chawla, Shabana Azmi, Renuka Chaudhary,
Mahashweta Devi, Arundhati Roy, and Barkha Dutt. These are some of the women who
are shining in their chosen fields, which are as diverse as entertainment, art, banking and
finance, academics, medicine, journalism, space, and IT. These women are regularly
featured in the Fortune and Time list of most influential persons or most influential
business women. These achievers have broken stereotypes and are inspiring more and
more women to take up careers as businesswomen, professionals, and entrepreneurs.
Today, parents are keen to educate their daughters along with their sons.
Globalization and the need to cater to multicultural societies and markets are making
companies rethink their recruitment policies. Gender disparity is being seriously
addressed by adopting gender-friendly policies. India Inc. is rolling out the red carpet for
professional women by training and investing in gender diversity programmes. Under the
pressures of globalization, companies are striving hard to remain competitive in today's
marketplace and employing women is giving them the positive edge. Women are sought
after not for the stereotype of beautiful/attractive face of the company but because women
represent a large pool of untapped talent; women bring a new dimension to the
management groups. The alternative perspective brought to the negotiating table is a
gender specific contribution. Thinking out-of-the-box, innovating, multitasking might be
taught in management school board rooms; but these features are part of everyday reality
and

i
 GENDER SENSITIVITY 115
Table 7.2 Some Gender-specific and Gender-neutral Terms
Gender-specific Terms Gender-neutral
Terms
Businessman Business person/business executive
Waiter/ waitress Wait staff/server
Maintenance man Maintenance staff
Delivery man Delivery clerk
Fireman Firefighter
Craftsman Craftsperson
Housewife Homemaker
Spokesman okesperson Scholar/
Man of Letters intel I ec tu a I Staffing
Manning the office the office

experience of women all over the world. Without these skills, which home can run
smoothly? Bringing new perspectives, displaying lateral thinking and opening up creative
view points are the new mantras which lend a competitive advantage to companies
needing to manage a diverse team and respond to global client-customer bases.
And yet, professionally, even by sheer numbers, women are still a largely dis-
advantaged group. Although various gender friendly national and international policies
and legislations have been formulated and implemented, equal opportunities commission
have been setup, the gender gap in employment is still a matter of serious concern.
Gender gap is the glaring difference in the number of men employees and women
employees. In India, one in six working woman still does not have a say in how her
earnings are spent. Decision-making is still largely a male prerogative. Use of sexist
language and show of sexist behaviour is a reflection of patriarchal attitudes.
Sexist language or behaviour is one which either calls unnecessary or unwanted
attention to gender, or is demeaning to one gender. In language, use of masculine pronoun
for general reference to people is now either pluralized or 'he' or 'she' is specifically used.
Terms such as chairman, stewardesses and policemen are now addressed in gender neutral
forms of chair, flight attendants and police officers, respectively.
In a study conducted by the World Economic Forum (WEF), India, despite being a
signatory to many international conventions and ensuring gender parity in its
Constitution, stands at a dismal rank in the bottom 10 of an international list on women's
participation in the economy.
The gender gap is more shocking because none of the other countries are anywhere
near the high economic position that India is in today. This ranking is compiled by WEF.
Now look at some other statistics, dated 8 November 2007:
• India stands at 114 out of 128 countries in achieving gender parity in economic,
political, educational and health spheres.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

• Economic gender parity is a low 39.8 per cent.

• Wage equality is better at 67 per cent but for professional and technical par-
ticipation of women, India is again low at 27 per cent.
(Hausmann et al 2007)
Clearly, what the law has granted, society has failed to honour —women's equality to
men. These figures expose the patriarchal mindset which still cannot accept women as
colleagues or bosses. Such an attitude can be detrimental because the demands of
globalization and surging economies make it imperative for nations not to neglect almost
half of their human resource. A country that does not fully capitalize on the potential of its
women will run the risk of undermining its competitive potential.

How TO BR ID GETHE GEN DERGA P AND DEVE LOPGEN DERSEN SITIV ITY

• Gender sensitivity cannot be just a matter of individual understanding.

• Organizations and managements need to be gender sensitive and adopt gender-
friendly policies.
• Gender disparity in employment should be routinely monitored and rectified.
• Honour the law of equality in word and spirit.
• What employers and organizations can do
i) Bring requisite changes in recruitment policies, ii) Check discriminatory
practices, be it against men or women, iii) Follow diversity in employment, iv)
Provide gender-friendly benefits like maternity leave and child-care
facilities at the workplace, v) Flexibility in work hours, parental leave, equal
treatment, social protection and income security for women should be accepted as
new demands of a diverse work force —and not seen as impediments to
organizational goals, vi) Avoid all sexist language or behaviour.
vii) Encourage male employees also to avail of parental leave, family friendly policies.
Legislations and regulations alone cannot change mindsets. Gender sensitivity needs to be
developed in the context of social culture. What might seem as conservative in one society
may be seen as modern or even radical in other. Inter-cultural communication and
behaviour needs to keep the context of local values and cultural practices in mind.
Perceptions of modernity vary from place to place and culture to culture. For example,
women from the Middle East are stereotyped by the West as being weak, passive, always
veiled. But women hailing from the UAE can drive, join the army and have a say in
decision-making, while Kuwaiti
 GENDER SENSITIVITY 1117

women live within strictly conservative norms —they still do not have the right to vote.
Although the Holy Koran grants equal rights to men and women, women are still
segregated in countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Turning to Japan, though 45-50 per
cent of the employees are women, yet women find their career path blocked by marriage
and motherhood. Women and girls today are no longer willing to accept a traditional
social order and are speaking out. They refuse to be subservient to social structures and
obscure their individuality. Male superiority cannot be accepted by the modern, educated
and articulate woman. Though empowerment across the board is still a distant dream, men
need to modify their attitudes and bring about behavioural change at places of work.
Of course, overnight changes in cultural and behavioural patterns are neither expected
nor feasible. Yet, concerted efforts need to be put in place to establish a conducive
environment in order to address gender issues. Gender sensitivity will help in rebuilding
social identities — women deserve to be much more than mothers, wives, daughters and
sisters. Similarly, men should feel comfortable expressing their emotions. Developing
gender sensitivity can help in challenging the patriarchal mindset and give women and
men their due as equal citizens in a globalized world.

Learning Outcomes

In this chapter you have learnt: ' iB

• About the role of gender division in our society How patriarchal attitudes have
an impact on the lives of working women and men
Stereotypes of men and women
Workplace gender issues like gender discrimination, glass ceiling and sexual
harassment

B Exercises QUESTIONS FOR

DISCUSSION

1) Why is it important to be gender sensitive?

2) The proverbial battle of the sexes is a battle of stereotypes. Comment.
3) What do you understand by discrimination? Give two examples to highlight how
gender discrimination is practised at the workplace.
4) You are one of the board members conducting job interviews. What arguments
will you use for selecting a woman manager? And, how will you counter the
gender prejudice of other members "on the board?
BUSINESS ENGLISH

5) To stay in the race and gain a competitive edge, BCE Industries is going in for
major policy changes. What measures would you suggest for incorporating
diversity and becoming gender sensitive?

TRY THIS OUT

Sahil Thyagarajan has just relocated to Europe. He finds that his male and female
colleagues often touch his arm or hands while chatting casually. Though he is aware of
the difference in behaviour patterns, he is uncomfortable with the situation as he comes
from a conservative background. How do you think he will deal with the issue? Also,
frame an e-mail that he will send to a friend back home regarding this issue.
Project: Conduct a research on the gender neutrality of the IT services and prepare a
short report.

CLASSROOMACTIVITY

One morning you wake up to find your mother getting ready for office/a day out and your
father is in the kitchen. Give an account of the entire day in this switching of roles.
 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 121

the number of levels, the higher the chances of distortion, dilution and ""^Blv
filtering of the message. Since the message travels through several sets Hierarchical/
§
of senders and receivers, each one of them have the opportunity of Organizational
-
bringing about a 'change' in the message, as deemed necessary from Barriers
his or her own specific location. The original message and the final one
,,,, , , ,.,, , . , , , • Directional channel
could therefore have differences of meaning, intention and emphasis.
• Message planning
For checking distortion down the hierarchical route: # Tareet

• Reduce number of levels of hierarchy. orientation

• Use of multiple channels like notices or circulars to directly * Adjustment to
reach the intended receiver. organizational
change
Subordinates might hesitate to share critical information for fear of
authority and respect for organizational rank. For ensuring free flow of
upward communication:
• Filtering and sifting of information helps immensely.
• This processing reduces information overload.
• Information overload might make the senior wary of the subordinate's genuine
feedback.
• Use of diagonal communication and information channel is a useful solution to
vertical directional problems.
• Diagonal channels employ mechanisms like grievance committees, external
ombudspersons, or even organizational devices like open door policies.

Message Planning Organizational communication needs to have clarity and must be free
of errors. Message planning makes these tasks easier since it prepares the message in a
logical, organized and coherent manner. Impromptu or hastily prepared messages create
ambiguity and confusion. Planning eliminates these problems by deliberate and careful
drafting of the message, using appropriate medium and channel, and above all, by
focusing on the purpose of the message.

Target Orientation Communication in an organization must fulfil the very purpose for
which it is made. It is necessary to have a certain determined goal for the message and the
efficiency of the communication is directly related to the accomplishment of the task. The
close association with performance of task requires a target orientation for the message.
The target itself determines the formulation of the message so that organizational goals
are met. Teachers, for example, are adept at target orientation: they need to keep
switching between proficient learners to good learners and also move on to average or
poor ones: all in the same day, in different classrooms.

Adjustment to Organizational Change During periods of transition, either of

change of management or introduction of new technology, a sense of insecurity and lack
of confidence may affect the employees. Speculation on uncertainty of
nss ENGLISH

tenure or a perceived inability to handle new situations creates self-doubt. Employees

require preparation time to be receptive to new circumstances. This helps in removing
misconceptions about the likely fallout, be it fears of retrenchment or sense of
inadequacy. Care in communicating patience towards adjustment to change is necessary
so that workers do not suffer from despair driven by rushed deadlines. Innovation in
management and technology is an important aspect in business but could be
counterproductive if suitable adjustment time is denied. Assuring and confidence-building
in the workforce — that they are capable of switchover to change —helps in making the
new situation acceptable. Additionally, the rationale for change and how it may benefit
people also needs to be communicated persuasively. For example when offices were
being computerized, the change created apprehensions of retrenchment, leading to trade
union protests. However, today we find technology well-assimilated in business
operations and poses no such threats of job loss.

Psychological Barrier

Perceptions of Reality Just as beauty is said to lie in the eyes of the beholder, perception
of reality also varies from individual to individual. To the farmer, timely rain brings cheer
for his crop, while the same rain might confront an office goer with waterlogged roads,
traffic jams and delay in reaching office.
The differing perceptions of reality have their impact on communication at both the
sender's and receiver's ends.

Figure 8.2: Same reality, varying subjective perception

 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION 123 i

While a range of signals may become available for our senses to

perceive, this variety would convey no additional relevance, as Psychological
they may not have logical links. Certain perceptions are prioritized Barriers i
and given precedence over others so as to make communication _ ,. , ...
r
° • Perceptions or reality
possible. After all, a message must necessarily be a logical state- ,-,',.■
r
° J O . Selectivevs.compre-
ment or else the communication itself would suffer. Abstraction hensive perception
and evaluation of perceptions are important steps towards process- . Emotions J
ing of reality to make it suitable for communication. . Socio-psvchological
'■'
If abstraction and evaluation help to frame the message at the attitude and opinion
sender's end, so does inference and conclusion at the receiver's end to make the message
meaningful. This decoding of the message is in terms of the receiver's own perception of
reality as determined by socio-cultural, linguistic and other situations that surround him.
Both the sender and receiver might assume commonality of purpose. For effective
communication keep in mind the following:
• Assumptions are speculative and, therefore, must be avoided as far as possible.
• Keep subjective perceptions at bay.
• It would be by far better to get matters clarified in case of doubt or ambiguity so
as to eliminate the scope for misinterpretation.

Selective Vs. Comprehensive Perception When we perceive, we ordinarily focus

on something so as to grasp its entire meaning. This focus could make our perception
singular and selective, that is, it may make us choose one phenomenon over all the others.
However, what we may gain by way of concentrating on one, we lose by ignoring the
impact of the others.
• As receivers of communication, we should avoid limiting our focus through
selective listening.
• In communication, it is pertinent to keep in mind that our perceptions should be
comprehensive so that we attend to all the signals simultaneously.
• In face-to-face communication situations, for example, we should not only listen
to the words used by the speaker, but also notice the accompanying body language,
paralinguistic features like voice, tone, pitch, etc. This would provide a more complete
message.
As a beginner, each aspect of driving a car — clutch, release of break, change of gear
—seems like separate activities. But once you are adept, you synchronize those very
movements so well that you almost do not notice them. Similarly, learn to assimilate the
message in its entirety.

Emotions It is said that one should not communicate in an emotionally charged state of
mind. In such conditions, the mind tends to suspend its rational faculties
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Figure 8.3: Control your emotion even when you do not agree with the other
person

and is likely to commit errors of judgement. In a too excited or happy state, we might
overlook the obvious and probably make a fool of ourselves. Feeling of dejection might
lead to disinterest or lack of commitment to the message conveyed. Of all the emotional
states, the greatest barrier to communication that one should be conscious of is anger.
When we become angry, we get carried away by our own self-righteousness and forget
that we are using verbal violence that is bound to offend the receiver and provoke
him/her. This would then lead to a flaring up of tempers, leading towards a total
breakdown of communication. Haven't we seen instances of road rage on the city roads
where a minor accident first leads to abusive exchange of language and then goes on to
actual physical violence? Anger is a complete no-no when it comes to communication. A
skilful communicator will observe the following:
• Be wary of emotion as it might expose the speaker to the listener.
• It is best to regain self-control and composure: do not shout or use bad words.
• In business negotiations, do not allow emotions to contradict or be at variance
with your actual message.
• Wait till the temporary phase of high emotions is over and you are able to think
rationally.
• Till then, do not speak.
Control your emotion, show external calm, do not shout or use bad words and until
you are able to do these, until you are able to think logically, just keep your mouth shut.
 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Sodo-psychological Attitude and Opinion Communication is not a simple transmission of

facts. Along with the factual, there is always the way in which the message is carried
across, which adds meaning to. the message. The paralanguage features are the markers of
attitude of the speaker and may reveal a message that may be at variance with the actual
verbal language. Humour, irony, wonder, interrogation, etc., are presented through change
of voice, intonation, pitch and volume. What gets revealed is the attitude of the speaker
even as s/he passes on a message.
Similarly, a message will also carry opinion. There is nothing that can escape the
point of view of the speaker because there is no neutral location from where s/he can utter
his/her message. Communication will always have a degree of subjectivity since at any
given point of time, the speaker is exercising choice in the selection of words, gestures,
etc., to make the communication happen. Opinion gets expressed, even if by implication
and one must identify the point of view expressed in the message because this alone
would give us an indication of the stand taken by the speaker.
Attitudes and opinions are often based on a person's social, educational, cultural and
economic backgrounds. It is very important that we sensitize ourselves to the diversity of
people in an organization. Being sensitive creates harmony since you would not want to
hurt somebody by certain attitudes and opinions that may be based on generalizations or
unsubstantiated hearsay. In the modern workplace, for example, we need to be conscious
of this plurality so that we do not express sentiments that discriminate on the lines of
gender, caste, race, region, language or religion. Control over one's expressions is all the
more necessary in contexts which are plural and diverse, for inappropriate articulations
may create complete breakdown in communication.

Cultural Barriers

Culture is the continuum within which all communication takes place. Communication
needs a certain platform shared by the sender and receiver. Culture is this platform which
makes sharing of cultural codes, values, icons, and symbols possible and meaningful. The
medium of communication is after all a system of cultural codes that the sender borrows
to express his/her ideas. The receiver must understand these codes in terms of the culture
from which they have been borrowed and it is only then that s/he would derive maximum
sense from it.
Culture plays a major role by adding significance to apparently arbitrary conventions.
Take the case of body language and the variations available in different cultures. Cultural
conventions determine the way we communicate, how we communicate and what we
communicate. If the conventions are broken, communication suffers a disjunction and
there is great scope for ambiguity. Familiarity with the cultural codes enhances
communication skills and allows people in that cultural context to exchange messages that
are clearer and more complete.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Cultural Diversity Diversity in culture is a phenomenon that has to be taken into account
in communication in a globalized world. More and more people are interacting with each
other across the world. They are carriers of their cultural baggage and yet there has to be a
common ground, a global culture so to speak that allows interaction despite the
cosmopolitan nature of communicators. Greater awareness of other people's cultures is
necessary so that we do not slip up on cultural codes. A 'thumbs up' in the western context
is a positive gesture, whereas in the traditional Indian context it is considered to be thenga
dikhana, an insult. The same would be the case with colour codes: while the western
colour of mourning is black, the Indian equivalent is white. People visiting a church
would remove their hats as a mark of respect, while those entering a mosque or gurdwara
would cover their heads for the same reason.
In the workplace, too, one has to be attentive to aspects of culture. The modern
workplace is often multicultural and there would be a need for commonality so that
everybody can interact fully. At the same time, there has to be sensitivity to the unique
features that each culture may have. Once again, we need to be wary of cultural
stereotyping and generalizations that might cloud our vision. This casting of people in
cultural moulds denies the individual of his unique attributes by not recognizing his
professional worth. Cultural prejudice must be avoided and discouraged in an
organization particularly because of its divisive potential.

Values: Ethics and Credibility Communication is based on a concept of sharing between

at least two parties: the sender and the receiver. The sharing needs to be

Figure 8.4: Misleading clients with deceitful projections only leads to loss of
credibility
 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION [127

genuine so that each can trust the other. If it were not so they would
hold back information due to potential fears of betrayal of trust. Values Cultural Barriers
are important while communicating because it is the expression of , crural diversity
these values that lends credibility to the message. Ethical communica- . values* ethics and
tion becomes even more important in the context of business because it credibility
involves matters of public and consumer trust. Shareholders must re- • Trust
ceive proper information about their company's financial condition '---^«sa«*HBBB(i
and a fabricated good health in the audit report would amount to an act
of fraud. Similarly, an advertisement of a product should convey its true value and '
not promise features that may mislead a potential customer. Communication
should not fail in matters of trust because the credibility of a company is at stake.

Trust The ability to keep promises is trust. When commitments are made, they need to be
respected. When deadlines are given, they have to be adhered to. When promises of
quality are made, they must reach that benchmark. Communication must be followed up
with appropriate action because it is only when one sees substantiation of verbal
commitments that trust develops. Business can be understood as a fair exchange of values
where the fairness is measured in terms of trust. If the seller delivers what he has
promised and the buyer delivers the promised payment in lieu of that delivery, then there
is a fair exchange. This entire exercise is facilitated through trust in each other. Business
would surely suffer if either of the parties feels cheated.
Communication, therefore, needs to articulate only that which can be delivered, and
not, that which gives a false impression of grandeur, because once the promises remain
unfulfilled the element of trust would disappear. Reputed companies and brand names
base their businesses on trust and reap benefits by not indulging in false promises. People
start to trust them and this translates into business profit.

Linguistic Barriers

Conventions of Meaning The more sophisticated communication requires the verbal

medium as complex ideas can only be conveyed through language. Words are essentially
audio or visual signs that allow the possibility of conveying meaning. The relationship
between words and their meanings is not without problems though, as meanings are
basically conventional and if these conventions are not shared between the sender and
receiver, the message would fail to convey its meaning accurately. Common, shared
experience of a referential world provides for a base that both sender and receiver can
refer to and this allows the meaning to be transferred. While the connection between a
word and its referent object is arbitrary, the meaning is a matter of usage. The meaning is
also derived from the context and manner in which the word is uttered. Workplaces
develop their own specialized usages and particular words are coined or used which are
specific to that
128 BUSINESS ENGLISH
...................j

■x~~r* ''•' -' ""'■........~~~
Linguistic Barriers
• Conventions of
meaning
• Denotative and
connotative
context. Acronyms, technical words and shortened words abound,
often providing a unique linguistic environment that is intrinsically
connected with the professional roles of the language users.
Conventions develop in a cultural continuum over a period of
time. Words simply refuse to remain limited to single referents and
mis plurality of meaning may confuse a receiver. Consider for ex-

• Semantic problems: ample, a statement like, 'Flying planes can be dangerous.' Depending
oca u ary an Qn wjie^.]ier we consider the word 'flying' as a verb or an adjective,
encoding
„ ,. . , the meaning of the sentence itself would change. This indeterminate
• Faulty inference: , , - , , ,-, — , ,,
problems of quality of words robs a message of clarity. The ambiguity needs to be
decoding arrested by rephrasing so that the receiver may not need to choose
• Feedback between possible meanings.
• Transmission losses Conventions of meaning are open to change particularly when
• Style of presentation language is used figuratively, that is, when there is a difference in the
^g. literal sense of the word and the implied sense as in the case of meta
phors. If the receiver is not familiar with the rhetorical devices avail
able in a language, it would create misunderstanding of the code. A similar prob
lem arises due to conventions like idiomatic expressions. The meaning would re
main unclear if the idiom is not recognized as one.

Denotative and Connotative Words may be denotative, that is, they may denote or
directly relate to the idea or thing being referred to. Ordinarily, denotative meanings are
literal meanings and are free of value-judgement, for example, 'boy', 'smell' or 'house'.
Connotative meanings are those that provide additional sugges-tiveness to the meanings
and may also express value orientation of the message. The connotative evokes qualitative
judgements through the choice of terms used. Take for example, the same words
mentioned above in denotative, revised as 'brat', 'stink' and 'home'. You may notice that
these words have their denotative meaning. But additionally, they also express an opinion
apart from their referential reality, a qualitative description about a fact, and this is the
words' connotative meaning.
Connotative words generally project the sender's opinion or attitude to an objective
reality and could be negatively or positively construed. Some words have an inherent
connotation of negativity, like, 'manipulation', 'bribe', 'cheap', etc. Similarly, others are
understood as positive: 'processing', 'consideration', 'economical', etc. Yet, there are still
others where even opposite terms have similar connotations: 'slim chance' and 'fat chance'.
In communication, it is proper that adequate care is taken while choosing words
keeping in mind their connotations and acceptability to the receiver. Connotations may
suggest some unintended meaning or opinion to the receiver which may offend his
sensibilities. Connotations may also have euphemistic dimensions and one needs to be
cautious about its use.
 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Semantic Problems: Vocabulary, Encoding Semantics is the study of meanings.

Some words have several meanings and this could leave a receiver baffled with the range
of possibilities. Meanings for a simple word like 'set' has 36 options as a verb, 24 as a
noun and eight as an adjective, according to Concise Oxford Dictionary*. Words also
acquire new meanings in course of time, for example, 'net', 'surf, 'cell', etc., are related to
new developments in human civilization for which new meanings had to be created out of
existing words.
Conventions of meaning are also open to alteration due to certain cultural encounters
that take place between different people across the world. A renewal of vocabulary takes
place when both new meanings and new words enter a language. Words have sometimes
entered the English language from the misunderstanding of a root word's meaning, for
example, 'preponement'. The 'post' in 'postponement' was understood to be an indicator of
what happens afterwards and thus 'pre' seemed to suit the purpose for what happens
before. Several such words were coined in the interaction of the English with the Indian
languages and their idioms. Apart from word meanings, Indian words have also entered
the English language. Indian usage and grammar have had their own role in shaping the
kind of English spoken across the subcontinent.
Due to multilingualism, in India the oral language has acquired a hybrid nature.
Communication here is a mix of English and the local language or languages, where there
is an immense flexibility in terms of syntax and vocabulary. It may not be the 'perfect'
language in terms of grammar and diction, but nevertheless, it is the most preferred
language of communication. The reason is perhaps linked to the specific requirement of
any communication, that the message must make its meaning clear, and it does not matter
how this purpose is fulfilled —with 'pure' language or by a hybrid one. So long as the
receiver understands the message clearly, it hardly matters in communication, whether we
are expressing linguistic loyalty to a particular language. However, multilingualism makes
messages acquire a degree of informality and is, therefore, restricted largely to oral
communication. For formal messages, like written documents, single-language texts are
preferred.
When a sender encodes a messages, he has the responsibility of choosing the
appropriate vocabulary, keeping in mind the comprehending capabilities of his receiver
and take sufficient care in expressing clearly his/her intended purpose. Encoding should
also be sensitive to the communicative environment within which the sender and receiver
are situated. Since meaning is both conventional and contextual, the sender as the initiator
of the communication process has a greater responsibility to ensure that the message is
understood in the spirit in which it was made.

Faulty Inference: Problems of Decoding On the receiver's side, the message must
be decoded in a manner that the intended meaning can be extracted. The receiver shares
the experience of the code with the sender and employs this experi-
' 130. BUSINESS ENGLISH *

ence to unravel the meaning of the message. There are cases when s/he often has to fill in
the 'gaps' in communication. There are portions that s/he assumes and this could lead to a
faulty inference or conclusion. In any communicative event, there is always some
meaning which is lost in transmission, largely because of semantic problems. The
decoding by the receiver is subject to the combined effects of language skills,
communicative context, assumptions and transmission losses. The receiver's inference is
largely based on searching the logic of the message that s/he receives and processing of
that information. If the message itself is ambiguous, badly phrased, incomplete or
embedded with unfamiliar codes, decoding becomes a problem. The best solution of
decoding problems is seeking clarifications on any point of doubt through the feedback
route.

Feedback Feedback serves two important functions. First, it allows the receiver to get
doubts cleared so that s/he can grasp the message clearly and not make wrong
assumptions on the basis of guesswork. Second, it gives an opportunity to the sender to
know whether the receiver has understood the intended purpose of the message. For
feedback to be successful the sender must be receptive to it, that is, s/he should be
prepared to take further queries from the receiver. In the organizational set-up, feedback is
also linked to the hierarchy. If the communicators are in unequal positions, the senior of
the two must encourage and assure the usually diffident subordinate to provide feedback.

Transmission Losses Transmission losses are unavoidable. Some intended meaning that
the sender wants a particular message to convey may not get included in the words that
s/he uses. There is also the matter of the receiver's own interpretation and assumptions
which may overlook the intended meanings of the sender. Some part of the message may
never be available to the receiver due to his own linguistic limitations. Transmission
losses can, however, be reduced by encoding messages in simple, direct and denotative
words. The sender should also pay attention to the details of the message. The receiver
must also avoid making too many assumptions to fill in the gaps in the message. When in
doubt s/he should seek further clarifications.

Style of Presentation Along with the content of a message, the presentation too, has an
important role to play. A message must make apparent its logical links so that the
argument is clear to the receiver. In oral communication, appropriate paralanguage and
body language should complement the verbal message. Taking turns in conversation,
listening attentively, providing encouragement through feedback are some of the other
issues that determine the quality of the communicative act. Similarly, while using the
written medium, the sender must display organization of thoughts, neatness, clarity, etc.,
and help the receiver not only to grasp the meaning better but also create a positive
impression about the sender's organization. There is a public relations function in
organizational communication and the style and mode of presentation project the image of
the company. A message is
 Chapter
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
8

Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
message planning
After studying this chapter you will be able to:
tenure
• Identify the impediments to communication
retrenchment
• Break through these barriers counterproductive
• Understand the components of effective communication, that is, the 3M deadlines
Approach
rationale
selective
comprehensive
Pre-reading Activity abstraction
Communication may occur spontaneously all the time between people. But often,
ambiguity
it is miscommunication or inadequate communication, largely because we are not misinterpretations
sensitive or attentive enough when we are sending or receiving messages. It is simultaneous
possible to make communication effective by consciously and deliberately pertinent
keeping in mind a few basic requirements. It is important to remember that behind continuum
any communication is a purpose that the message fulfils. Communication is illogical
successful when that purpose is served by the message. Certain difficulties and disjunction
obstacles frequently come in the way of smooth transaction of information. There
diversity
could be problems of transmission losses or misunderstanding of messages.
Overcoming these difficulties is necessary to make communication have its
equivalent
desired result. Effective communication occurs when a message is transferred to prejudice
the receiver in a manner originally intended by the sender. credibility
global

F
decisive
ulfilling the needs of the receiver is an essential requirement for effec tive attributes
communication. The sender must be sensitive to the receiver's cultural, acronym
psychological and situational contexts so that there is a common zone within denotative
which communication can occur and be comprehended in the spirit in which it is connotative
made. The sender must necessarily encode the message in a manner that is both manipulation
acceptable and easy to comprehend. Decoding becomes easier when the message consideration
is created keeping in mind the abilities of the receiver. provocative
phenomenon
BUSINESS ENGLISH

DIFFICU LTIESIN COMMUNICATIONAND THE WA Y OUT

Effective communication is dependent on several factors. These factors are often related
to the barriers or obstacles that could occur at the levels of the sender or receiver, the
medium, channel or direction, or even the environment within which the communication
occurs. The smooth flow of messages may face obstacles that are physical, psychological
or hierarchical in nature. The removal of these difficulties would allow effective
communication. However, it may be impossible to remove some of these barriers
completely since they are beyond the control of the communicators. With some care and
conscious strategy though, the impact of these barriers could be controlled or greatly
reduced. The following section deals with some of the prominent barriers and overcoming
these barriers is the key to effective communication.

Effective Communication

Difficulties in How to Make

Communication Communication
and the Way Out Effective

'
J '
■
■

The 3M Approach
Hierachical Psychological Cultural Linguistic Physical
Noise

Mind Medium Message

Figure 8.1: Effective communication

Hierarchical/Organizational Barriers

Whenever we think of communication in an organization, we must keep in mind the

structure and hierarchy of the place. There are certain typical issues that would affect
communication in the context of the workplace. Organizations have people at different
levels with different roles and authority. These are central as far as the functioning and
structure of the organization is concerned. When we interact with others in a professional
capacity, communication gets determined by the requirements and definitions of the job or
role within the organizational hierarchy.

Directional and Channel When information travels downwards, along the hierarchical
route, it may have to pass through several intermediate levels. The greater
 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

not just an aggregate of information, but one must also bear in mind how the information
is arranged to create a positive impact in the mind of the receiver. The quality of
receptivity is central to a message and communication strategies should be geared towards
this goal.
Communication must also avoid offensive language or expressions that may hurt the
sensibilities of the receiver. Provocative expressions are directed at the emotional faculties
and not the rational ones. It would only prompt animosity between the communicators
without the possibility of rational solutions.

Physical Barrier: Noise

Physical barriers are those that affect the quality of the message transfer due to physical
factors related to the environment, the participants' dispositions or the organization's
hierarchy. Some have a completely physical dimension like noise, while others also
overlap with other barriers like psychological or behavioural.
Noise is one of the commonest physical barriers. Imagine how irritating a phone call
is when the line has 'noise', or when you are trying to make a call there is some loud
music playing in the background. Noise interferes with the transfer because it drowns
your message with other sounds that are irrelevant thus making the ultimate message
confusing and maybe, even inaudible. Noise also tends to distract attention and lose focus
affecting concentration and logical thinking. This in turn affects both encoding and
decoding of messages making the task of communication difficult.
Often, noise can be shut out by switching off the source itself, for example, a music
system. It may also be corrected by repair, as in the case of a faulty telephone. But the
toughest one is a source of noise over which you have no control, for example, a work
manager on the factory floor. In such an instance, where it is not possible to switch off the
noisy machines, so that he may speak, the manager may find it more useful to speak at a
different less noisy venue, for example, call the person over to his office.

How TO MAKE COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVE

The 3M Approach: Mind, Medium, Message

There are three important aspects of communication that help us to focus on how the
process can be made effective: the mind (of the sender who encodes his thoughts or that
of the receiver who decodes to understand the received message), the medium (chosen by
the sender to encode his ideas so as to appropriately convey the message) and the message
(the combination of meaning and medium). The 3M Approach of Mind, Medium and
Message is discussed in the following section.
 BUSINESS ENGLISH

The Mind
The Mind
• You attitude ^ne mm(^s °fme communicators are the sites where the process of com-
• Satisfying the munication starts and ends. The ideas that need to be expressed are pro-
needs of cessed and encoded in the mind of the sender. The mental attitude and
the receiver logical faculty of the sender shapes the message. The reception of this
• Attentiveness message is followed by decoding it in the receiver's mind. For both the
and alertness sender and receiver, the mind becomes the seat of creation; transfer and
• Presence of mind comprehension of the message. Some factors, which are linked to the
ohteness mental aptitude of the communicators, are as follows:
• Organized
thoughts You Attitude 'You attitude' is the preference for the second person pro-
v • Sense of time 0 noun over the first person T'. This use of 'You' helps us to visualize the
presence of the receiver even as we draft the message. The very quality of the
message then becomes more inclusive of the receiver, particularly in situations where the
receiver is not present before the sender, as is the case of written communication. When
we write letters, for example, it would be far better to say, 'You will be glad to know ...'
rather than T am happy to inform ....'. The former is an expression of the receiver's
inclusion in the letter, which directs the contents towards the receiver and not to the
sender himself.

Satisfying the Needs of Receiver The needs of the receiver should be kept in mind and all
the tools of proper comprehension of the message should be made available.
Completeness of the message is necessary in this regard. It would spare the receiver from
either assuming the missing portions or seeking further clarifications. The sender must
place himself in the position of the receiver, visualize his information requirements and
accordingly prepare his message.

Attentiveness and Alertness, Patient Listening, Retention Attentiveness is a

crucial aspect of communication, particularly when the medium is oral. One needs to
listen carefully so that the verbal cues are not lost especially where spoken words convey
the message. Active listening helps in the reception of the message and allows the
meaning to sink in.
The ability to remember things heard is the quality of retention. Memory is of great
help to communication because data that is easily drawn out from it, allows speed and
precision to communication. It also ensures spontaneity, presence of mind and accuracy of
facts stated. However, the problem with retention is that not all of us are gifted
handsomely or equally with this faculty. For those of us who are prone to forget, making
notes, making entries in our calendar, etc., are ways in which we may help ourselves.

Presence of Mind Presence of mind allows the communicator to respond quickly to

emergent situations in a dynamic environment. The mind can work very fast but
sometimes it may happen that a person is at a loss of words. At such moments it is
The Medium
Encoding is as much a process of representing ideas as is choosing the medium for the
message. The medium is as important because it determines the very nature of the
message itself.

Appropriate and Purpose-oriented The medium chosen has to be appropriate, that is, it
must satisfy the requirements of the message encoded. The medium gets determined
depending on the complexity of the task.

Voice and Tone Voice and tone give the necessary emphasis to oral i|fHff~ communication.
The very essence of speech is in the paralanguage em- ju^ Medium ployed. Effectiveness of
oral communication depends to a great extent on the mastery of voice, tone,
pronunciation and delivery. Appropriate and
Purpose-
oriented
Proper Selection of Channel Channel selection helps movement of messages in
Voice and tone
an organization. Proper channel selection is dependent on what the message
Proper selection
aims to fulfil and how fast it needs to travel to the intended receiver (see
of channel
Chapter 4).
Good vocabulary
and use of
Good Vocabulary and Use of Language If the medium chosen is verbal, a language
good vocabulary is a must. The availability of the correct term in a
 EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

commonsense that comes to his aid. Quick responsiveness shows mental alertness
and is a great asset for communication. Wit and humour are useful in lightening
up a sombre situation. The ability for diplomatic responses may be necessary for
certain occasions but could also signify evasiveness.
Politeness Politeness in communication makes the message more acceptable and
helps in maintaining dignity and seriousness of purpose. Even in trying or
provocative situations, it is advisable to control one's expressions and not fall prey
to the use of intemperate language.
Organized thoughts While drafting a message one needs to organize one's
thoughts so that the internal logic becomes clear to the receiver. The message can
be understood better when there are rational linkages between the units of
thoughts. A well-planned message would satisfy all the requirements of effective
communication listed above.

Sense of Time Punctuality delivers a silent but powerful message about the seri-
ousness with which a person handles time. It is important to be on time for ap-
pointments and meetings since being late would make the conversation start on a
note of apology or defensiveness. Being on time, on the other hand, would make
communication confident and well-spaced. It would also reflect a person's regard
for professionalism.
134' BUSINESS ENGLISH

person's known range of words would spare him/her the trouble of using too many words.
Roundabout expressions make messages tedious. Brevity and clarity of a message is best
served with a good vocabulary.
Use of language must be simple, direct and to the extent possible, free of jargon.
Given a choice between two terms which mean the same, the simpler one should be used,
for example, use 'red' instead of 'scarlet' or 'crimson'. Rules of grammar and syntax must
be respected.

The Message

The message is what actually gets transferred to the receiver. It must be well-crafted
because if it is not, the inadequacies would be difficult to alter.

Clarity The message must have clarity. As have been mentioned earlier, lack of clarity
would mar the very purpose of the message itself. The receiver would have to tackle a
confused or ambiguous message. A message must clearly point out its purpose and use
denotative terms as far as possible.

Completeness All the necessary details must be incorporated in the message. An

incomplete message suffers from the same shortcomings as that of an unclear one.

Precision There are several advantages of a message that is brief. Precision makes the
message readily understandable. It saves time and has a direct approach. Since people in
business are rushed for time, a brief message is always appreciated.

Confidence and Credibility Effective communication must project confidence. If I am

sharing some information with someone, I will need to show that I am confident about the
veracity of my claims. This will provide credibility to the message.

Correctness of Information Special care needs to be taken to verify facts.

The Message
Communication must be error free to the extent possible. If information is found
Should Have to be incorrect, the trust of the receiver would be lost. Communication has to be
• Clarity reliable.
• Completeness
• Precision Objectivity Except in some cases, where opinion is asked for, objectivity must be
• Confidence and maintained in business communication. Subjectivity may bring out biases or
credibility prejudices in a person and communication that is opinionated may not provide a
•Correctness of balanced view.
information
• Objectivity Relevance Sticking to the main agenda of a message makes it relevant and to the
• Relevance point. It keeps the message brief and does not lose focus. Irrelevant information
is distractive and wasteful.
 EFFECTIVECOMMUNICATION 1135.

Learning Outcomes

§/n this chapter you have learnt:

About the difficulties in business communication
The means to tackle those barriers which can be hierarchical, psychological,
cultural, linguistic, or physical like noise
To be equipped with tools to make communication more effective
About the 3M Approach: mind, medium and message: appropriate handling of
these three factors will help you sail through communications at all levels

Kg Exercises QUESTIONS FOR

DISCUSSION

1. List down five main obstacles to communication. Explain them with examples.
2. The UK and the US are said to be divided by a common language. Comment in view of
the linguistic barrier.
3. What do you understand by the 3M Approach? Elaborate your answer with some
examples.
4. What are the features of effective verbal communication?

TRY THIS OUT

On the basis of effective communication practices, give two examples of good

practice and two examples of poor practice in hierarchical communication.
Communication is the lifeblood of an organization. In this section you will learn
about the various kinds of challenges and opportunities that an organization
faces in its correspondence—internally and externally. As you read this section
on correspondence, keep in mind the cultural components of communication you
learned about in the previous section, so that your messages are encoded in a
manner that reflects your social and cultural sensitivity and concerns.
Beginning with a reinforcement of the importance of communication ■ for
the effective functioning of an organization, we will look at the basic distinction
between interactive and non-interactive techniques of correspondence. We will
then try and understand the internal structure of an organization to get an idea of
the dynamics of internal correspondence as also the communication concerns of
both management and workers as they strive for the fulfilment of a common goal.
The primary internal written communication opportunities in an organization are
circulars, notices, memos and office orders; all of which are examples of
downward, non-interactive communication. For each of these kinds of
communication, you will learn about the occasions when such correspondence is
ROUTINE BUSINESS CORRESPOND ENCE
BUSINESS ENGLISH

undertaken and also about the formats that are conventionally followed for drafting these
messages.
You have already learned about problem solving in groups in Unit I of this book.
Now, we will try and look at the communication needs of one of the most important group
decision-making techniques in an organization—meetings. We will begin with an
understanding of how we plan for a meeting by sending out a notification and agenda. We
will then proceed to the actual meeting where you will see how minutes are written and in
the process, also learn about the techniques of note taking and summarizing.
Once we have understood the internal communication network of an organization, we
can now move on to the need and importance of external correspondence. We will
identify the various opportunities for both solicited and unsolicited external
correspondence and also learn some basic formats we can use to write effective letters.
Depending on the likely response to our letters, we will also learn the direct and indirect
approaches for good and bad news messages, respectively.
The foremost example of external communication is sales correspondence. In this
you will learn about various kinds of sales letters relating to enquiries and replies, the
placing and fulfilling of orders, responding to and following up complaints, and
responding to requests received. As part of our training to become effective
communicators, we will also learn how to draft mail shots, circular letters and tender
notices.
The next important kind of external communication undertaken by an organization is
financial correspondence in which we will learn how to write collection letters to
customers who default on payment; and also how to write to banks and insurance
companies for the fulfilment of various requirements. As part of financial correspondence
you will also acquaint yourselves with the kind of correspondence that import and export
involves.
The final chapter in this unit will help you with all the employment related
correspondence you will need to undertake when you are applying for a job. We will
guide you about the best way in which you can write an effective bio-data and also give
you some hints about how you should draft a job application letter.
Once you have mastered the art of effective written correspondence using con-
ventional media, you will be ready to learn about correspondence using the electronic
media.
 INTERACTIVE AND NDN-INTERACTIVE CORRESPONDENCE: Chapter
NEED, IMPORTANCE
AND TECHNIQUES

Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
causative
After studying this chapter you will be able to:
complementary
♦ Understand the need for communication in an organization
hierarchical
♦ Evaluate the growing importance of correspondence in business
instrumental
♦ Know the differences between interactive and non-interactive interactive
techniques of correspondence
interchange
interdependent
mutual
Pre-reading Activity non-interactive
What are the points you need to keep in mind while writing to a friend? reciprocal
How is writing a letter of complaint different from writing to a friend?
Do you think that the written word is important in a business
organization?
WH Y SHOULD WE COR RESPOND?

C ommunication is the process by which operations are led and coordi nated,
and results fed back. In an organization, the primary tools of interaction on
a daily and long-term basis are verbal or oral and written. Communication is of
prime importance to be able to do the following:
• Anticipate problems.
• Control and check results, and receive feedback.
• Coordinate and connect employees and departments towards a common goal.
• Develop strategies for positive outcomes.
• Forecast organizational objectives and policies.
• Impress all stakeholders with the efficiency and integrity of the company.
• Organize — set behaviour patterns for effective functioning.
• Plan programmes, procedures, budgets, etc.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

• Respond to the needs of individuals and the market.

• Supervise.
Each of these is of crucial significance if the company is to be a site of dynamic
interaction among its employees, all of whom work towards the fulfilment of a common
objective and target. For this interaction to be meaningful, it is important that we first
understand what function is performed by the 'messages' that we transmit both internally
and externally in an organization. Messages in order to be effective must don this CAP
and be concise, audience-centred and purposeful. Effective messages must also be
-planned so that they:
• Are clear, convincing and accurate.
• Clarify and condense information.
• Describe accurately and clearly what the situation is and what needs to be done.
• Discuss alternatives and respond creatively to problems.
• Explain the context in which action/response is required.
• Give facts rather than impressions, by using concrete language.
• Highlight and focus on key issues and concerns.
• Persuade you to change your behaviour.
• Provide practical information.
• State precise responsibilities.
Effective communication provides the focus for the members of the organization
through interpersonal interaction both internally and externally. It also determines,
develops and maintains the formal relationships among employees, management and
stakeholders.
Communication skills are therefore vital for effective management. Management is a
complex process and involves the organization of capital, labour and material resources in
order to achieve the efficient production and distribution of goods and services. The first
job done by the management is to fix its organizational objectives and frame appropriate
policies for their fulfilment. There also has to be a system in place, by which these
production and distribution processes can be guided, coordinated and controlled to ensure
that the stated targets and goals are met.
When the organization has an effective communication network in place, this in turn will
facilitate:
• A clear understanding about roles and responsibilities.
• A sense of belonging and commitment.
• Empowerment of employees with information on developments and
activities.
• Enhanced job performance and effectiveness.
 INTERACTIVE AND NON-INTERACTIVE CORRESPONDENCE: NEED, IMPORTANCE AND TECHNIQUES

• Motivation and a sense of identification with the goals and targets determined by
the management.
• Smooth effecting of changes in policies and procedures.
• The dissemination of information that will convince employees about the reasons
guiding changes and decisions. (Chaturvedi and Chaturvedi 2004: 43-45)

WH Y IS COMMERCIALCORRESPOND EN CESO IMPORTANTIN TODAY'S BUSIN ESSENVIR ONMEN?T

'Commercial correspondence refers to all kinds of written communication used for conducting different
types of exchanges and transactions within and outside an organisation.' (Kulkarni 2006: 315).

The important functions performed by commercial correspondence are:

• Reference and record of day-to-day administration.
• Legal, documentary evidence to be used in case of conflict and litigation.
• Sales and promotion.
• Promotion of goodwill.
The importance of commercial correspondence is evident from the above functions
and can be understood in the following manner:
• Every business activity involves frequent correspondence between the parties
concerned.
• Communication is a valuable instrument for initiating, maintaining and concluding
business transaction and relations.

Figure 9.1: Culturally diverse workforce

: 142, BUSINESS ENGLISH

• Written communication facilitates positive, unambigt ous and interactive

communication, globally
Today's workplace is beset with multiple communication challenges, which has made
our understanding of the theory and practice of correspondence even more crucial. Some
of these communication challenges are:
• The size and spread of organizations that have resulted from globalization and led
to the creation of a culturally diverse workforce within an organization.
• The advances in technology which have had a great impact on the speed,
frequency and reach of communication.
• The concept of human capital wherein the employees' attitudes, interests and
welfare are a vital part of managerial concerns and need to be addressed.
• The need to practise economical means in terms of time, manpower and money.
• The importance of having an environment that is professional and personalized.
• The importance of training in corporate etiquette.
• The need for displaying social responsibility in terms of employment and trade
practices.
• Team-based collaborative work in place of the conventional command-and-control
management structure.

^INTERACTIVEAND NON-INTERACTIVETECHNIQUESOF CORRESPONDENCE

?

The word 'interactive' can best be understood if we look at some of its synonyms:
reciprocal, mutual, interchange, interdependent, exchange, complementary, analogous,
instrumental, causative, information, acquaintance, knowledge, etc.
From this list it is clear that when we interact we do so as interdependent equals. We
expect a response that is displayed in an action and in a written 'code' that is in the same
domain as our message. When we use the word 'non-interactive' in the context of business
correspondence we are implying that the 'feedback' to our message will primarily be
consequential, that is, have an impact on the future behaviour or actions of an individual
or a group of individuals, to whom the message was transmitted.
Both interactive and non-interactive correspondence are sequential and are used to
facilitate:
• Conflict resolution
• Coordination
 INTERACTIVE AND NON-INTERACTIVE CORRESPONDENCE: NEED, IMPORTANCE AND TECHNIQUES 1143'

• Information sharing
• Problem solving
Non-interactive correspondence can be defined as that which is internal to the
organization, is formal and written and follows the chain of operational command and
function that characterizes the structure of a particular company. When we correspond
'non-interactively' we are sending a message that is in response to a particular need in the
functioning of the organization.
Some of the common forms of non-interactive correspondence include memos and
office orders that concern individuals, and notices and circulars that are addressed to a
group of individuals within the organization.

Table 9.1 Business correspondence

Internal External
Circulars, notices, memos and office orders Circulars Means
Notification, agenda and minutes Enquiries, replies and orders, letters

Formal Non-interactive Interactive

Causative —> action Causative —» reply and action
Planned Planned
Among insiders Among outsiders Features
Horizontal - interdepartmental Horizontal - reciprocal interchange
Vertical - downward Mutual exchange
Follows chain of command Interdependent
Face-to-face, e-mail and telephone Face-to-face, e-mail and telephone Means

Informal Casual Casual

Interactive Non- Interactive Features
hiera rch ical Non-hierarchical
All four kinds of business correspondence are causative and consequential and
demand a response normally in the form of action. Other kinds of non-interactive
correspondence include communication related to group decision-making in the
organization, when the message is sent in the form of notification, agenda and minutes.
This latter kind of correspondence primarily performs the function of information.
However, it also has a catalytic function as it leads to participation by concerned
individuals and also keeps all stakeholders informed about decisions and changes in
policy and procedures.
Interactive correspondence is carried out between the organization and its
customers/buyers. While being formal and written, is also mutual and interdependent
since it hopes for a positive written as well as action-oriented feedback in terms of
patronage and procurement.
j 144 i BUSINESS EN GUSH

Learning Outcomes

In this chapter you have learnt that:

• Correspondence is important for the functioning, growth and success of an
organization
• Today's global work environment has made communieation even more
challenging due to a number of- reasons: technical, economic, social and
psychological
• Communication is always a two-way process: internal correspondence is nor-
mally non-interactive in nature and flows in the downward direction from man-
agement to employee(s); external correspondence is interactive in nature and
sets up a series of interactions between the organization and the potential/
existing consumers of its goods and services

Exercises

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Briefly explain the need for the continuous flow of communication within an organization.
2. What are the factors that have contributed to making communication vitally important for
organizations doing business today?
3. Comment on the different intended outcomes of interactive and non-interactive correspondence.

APPLY YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Look up the website of any multinational organization and note down its organizational structure. Then,
study the internal structure of a shop that you visit for your daily needs or the one that provides a personal
or professional service. Think about what these two have in common as far as internal and external
correspondence are concerned. Also, think about the different challenges that both face in terms of survival
and success, and how these are expressed in the different kinds of correspondence undertaken by both.
Discuss your findings in the class.

PRACTISEYOUR UNDERSTANDING

Make a note of all the notices on the student notice board of your college and try and separate the
interactive ones from those that are non-interactive, based on the definitions of both given in the chapter.

INTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

A clear organizational chart lessens the likelihood of confusion among all concerned; it will also help you to
plan for future expansion with greater success.

WHAT IS A BUSINESSOF

A n organizational chart clearly identifies a company's characteristics to enable both

employees and bodies external to your company (customers, suppliers, etc.) to
identify the make-up of your company. It identifies the number of people working in your
company, what your company hopes to achieve and its line of command. By clearly
outlining an organizational structure you will be identifying:
• Who is responsible for what areas of business.
• Who is responsible to whom.
• Who to go to when problems or queries arise.
• Why the company exists and what it hopes to achieve.
When you are planning this chart you might want to keep some of these in mind in
addition to the points mentioned above:
• What rules and procedures have been conveyed to each employee with regard to
their roles as employees within your company?
• As you now know who is in charge, you can draw a flowchart to indicate the line
of command.
• As you now know what roles each of your employees play, you can place each of
them in little boxes and give them a job title, which will complement their contract
of employment to define their exact roles.

INDIRA AHMAD
Managing Director

SUSAN a BRIEN -*- ROHIT BHALLA -*■ CYRUS TATA -*- -*- N. LALITHA
VP Finance ■*-VP Production VP Marketing VP Community Outreach

SABARJIT SINGH -*- -+- SANTOSH SETH -*- ■ RATNA MALIK RUNA BANERJEE
Sr Accounts Manager Sr Plant Manager -Sr Sales Manager Sr Manager, HR and AD

PUNEET GARG
Chief Accounts
Officer

PETER TOPNO**RINCHEN DORJI**HARI TTWARI JAIDEEP DAS - ■ BHA VIK TAKIA SANJEEV NAIR - GUL PANDIT
Line A Line B Line C Industrial Retail Sales Advertising Projects
Supervisor Supervisor Supervisor Sales Manager Manager Production Chief Supervisor

Figure 10.1 Structure and internal communication network in SWITCH2CFL.

l^ol BUSINESS ENGLISH

Expanding your business is simplified as you can simply add new employees and
lines of command as your business expands with ease.'

What are the primary communication concerns in an organization and what are the specific dynamics in
internal correspondence?
'Communication in an organization is not just linear information flow, it is a dynamic, interpersonal process
of behaviour exchanges.' (Kulkarni 2006: 67)
'The most important audience for a company's correspondence is not the customer as it is commonly
believed, but the employee.' (Chaturvedi and Chaturvedi 2004: 42)

BASICS IN INTERNAL ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION

Most experts on organizations, management and leadership, assert that effective

communication is the foundation for effectiveness in any type of organization. They assert
that there cannot be too much communication. Some leaders misinterpret communication
to be the same as paperwork or bureaucracy and so they are averse to a high degree of
communication. As leaders and managers mature, they realize the need to effectively
convey and receive information, and efforts at communication (internal and external)
increase substantially. Communication is also one of those topics that tend to leave people
feeling somewhat confused or sometimes bored. People get confused because
communication is such a broad topic and it seems to somehow relate to everything.
People, who get bored, assume that they have been communicating since childhood so
why bring up the topic of communication. It may, therefore, be useful to start with
understanding the common pitfalls in communication and then thinking about a range of
items that can be used to enhance this process. Many organizations take a deliberate,
formal approach to ensuring sound communication, (both internal and external) by
developing a communication plan.
The premise on which the concern expressed above is based, is that
...in business organizations, the effectiveness of a communication system
depends on the extent to which necessary information {required for decision-
making) reaches the concerned person (who needs that information) at the
right time {when the information is needed).
This network of information supports the overall functioning of
management by integrating and coordinating the workforce for achieving
organizational objectives.
Hence, every organization creates a network {channel) for informa
tion to pass through its different levels of authority and functional
heads and units. The flow of communication follows the structure of
the organization. (Chaturvedi and Chaturvedi 2004: 53)
 INTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

There are some assumptions and pressures that inhibit the smooth flow of communication
in an organization and if anticipated and addressed on time. These can be prevented.
■ If I know it, then everyone must know it.
Perhaps, the most common communication problem is managements' (leaders and
managers) assumption that because they are aware of some piece of information, then
everyone else is, too.
• We hate bureaucracy—we're 'lean and mean.'
When organizations are just getting started, their leaders can often prize themselves
on not being burdened with what seems as bureaucratic overload, that is, extensive
written policies and procedures. Writing something down can be seen as a sign of
bureaucracy and to be avoided. As the organization grows, it needs more communication
and feedback to remain healthy, but this communication is not valued. As a result,
increasing confusion ensues — unless management matures and realizes the need for
increased, reliable communication.
• I told everyone, or some people, or...?
Another frequent problem arises with the management's assumption that
communication just happens. So, they are not aware of what they told whom, even when
they intended for everyone to know the information.
• Did you hear what I meant for you to hear?
With today's increasingly diverse workforce, it is easy to believe you have conveyed
information to someone, but you are not aware that s/he interpreted you differently than
you intended. Unfortunately, you would not be aware of this problem until a major
problem or issue arises out of the confusion.
• Our problems are too big to have to listen to each other!
Particularly when personnel are tired or under stress, it is easy to do what is
urgent rather than what is important. Usually this problem also gets discovered too late.
• So what is to talk about?
Communication problems can arise when inexperienced management interprets its
job to be solving problems and if there are no problems/crises, then they feel there is
nothing that needs to be communicated.
• There is data and there is information.
As organizations grow, their management tends to focus on matters of efficiency.
They often generate systems that produce substantial amount of data, raw information,
that does not seem to be really important.
ENGLISH

• If I need your opinion, I will tell you.

Lastly, communications problems can arise when the management simply sees no
value whatsoever in communicating with subordinates, believing subordinates should
shut up and get on with the job.

KEY PRINCIPLES TO EFFECTIVE INTERNAL ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION*

• Unless the management comprehends and fully supports the premise that
organizations must have high degrees of communication (like people needing lots
of water), the organization will remain stilted. Too often, the management learns
the need for communication by having to respond to the lack of it.
• Effective internal communication starts with effective skills in communication,
including basic skills in listening, speaking, questioning and sharing feedback.
These can be developed with some concerted review and practice. Perhaps the
most important outcome from these skills is conveying that you value hearing
from others and their hearing from you.
• Sound meeting management skills go a long way toward ensuring effective
communication.
• A key ingredient to developing effective communications in any organization is
each person taking responsibility to ask when they do not understand a message,
or to suggest when and how someone could communicate more effectively.

Basic Structures/Policies to Support Effective Internal Communication

Downward Communication
• Ensure every employee receives a copy of the strategic plan, which includes the
organization's mission, vision, value statement, strategic goals, and strategies
about how those goals will be reached.
• Ensure every employee receives an employee handbook that contains all up-to-
date personnel policies.
• Develop a basic set of procedures for how routine tasks are conducted and include
them in the standard operating manual.
• Ensure every employee has a copy of their job description and the organization
chart.
• Regularly hold management meetings (at least every two weeks), even if there is
nothing pressing to report. If you hold meetings only when you believe there is
something to report, then communication will occur only when you have
something to say — communication will be one way and the
 INTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

organization will suffer. Have meetings anyway, if only to establish and affirm that
things are on course, and that there are no immediate problems.
• Hold full staff meetings every month to report how the organization is doing, its
major accomplishments, concerns, announcements about staff, etc.
• Leaders and managers should have face-to-face contact with employees at least
once a week. Even if the organization is large, the management should stroll by
once in a while,
• Regularly hold meetings to celebrate major accomplishments. This helps
employees perceive what is important, gives them a sense of direction and
fulfilment, and lets them know that the leadership is on top of things.
• Ensure all employees receive yearly performance reviews, including their goals
for the year, updated job descriptions, accomplishments, need for improvement,
and plans to help employees accomplish these improvements.

Upward Communication
• Ensure all employees give regular status reports to their supervisors. Include a
section for what they did last week, will do next week, and any actions/issues to
address.
• Ensure all supervisors meet one-on-one at least once a month with their employees
to discuss how it is going, hear any current concerns from the employee, etc. Even
if the meeting is an informal chat it cultivates an important relationship between
supervisor and employee.
• Use management and staff meetings to solicit feedback. Ask how it is going. Do a
round table approach to hear from each person.
• Act on feedback from others. Write it down. Get back to it—if only to say you
cannot do anything about the reported problem or suggestion.
• Respect the 'grapevine.' It is probably one of the most prevalent and reliable forms
of communication. Major 'movements' in the organization usually first appear
when employees feel it safe to express their feelings or opinions to peers.
• Develop a Basic Communications Plan: Whether planning your internal or
external communication efforts, it helps a great deal to develop a communications
plan, either informally or formally. For example, consider:
i What key messages do you want to convey?
ii Who are the key stakeholders (e.g., consider clients, funders, community leaders,
service providers, etc.) to whom the key messages need to be conveyed? iii What is
the best approach to reach each key stakeholder, including
who/how should the message be conveyed? iv How will you know if you are
reaching these stakeholders or not?
ENGLISH

A common model of internal communication is what is referred to as the LSM

(Line and Staff Management) model. This is used in large organizations
comprising line managers and staff managers. Line managers are responsible for
the main activities of the company, such as manufacturing and sales, and staff
managers control the support and service areas such as accounting, distribution
and personnel. A network of relationships between members in the line
(functional) management and staff (support) management is created by means of
an effective internal communication network. As shown in Fig. 10.2, the internal
communication system can be divided into two categories— formal lines of
communication and informal lines of communication. The formal lines, which are
our primary concern, are:
• Line Relationships. Here, the line of authority, which sets down the path of
communication, is from superior to subordinate and vice versa. All official
communication, orders and instructions move downward from superior to
subordinate and all follow-up actions, compliance and execution-information and
reports, move upwards from subordinates to superiors.
• Functional Relationships. This is interdepartmental communication.
• Staff Relationships. This-supports line management, but does not have authority

Management

1 I
■ \

Line/Functional Staff Grapevine

1 \ \
Marketing Manager Finance Across all departments
Area Sales Manager Personnel
Product Manager Administration
Personnel Manager Public Relations

Figure 10.2: Internal communication systems

Broadly, all business communication is geared towards the fulfilment of one or more
of the following five types of information needs:
• Statutory information — that which must be conveyed to all employees such as
terms and conditions of service.
• Regular work-situation information—regarding routine policies and procedures.
• Major policy or operational change information— that which will impact on a
large number of employees and stakeholders.
• Information bulletin—periodic updates about events and happenings.
 INTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

Communication by expectancy — information about critical changes that must be

conveyed before major changes are made or decisions taken so that employees are
prepared and expect the change and will adapt to it better. (Chaturvedi and
Chaturvedi 2004: 53-61)

Learning Outcomes

In this chapter you have learnt that:

For the efficient management of a company, an organization chart helps in the*
coordination and control of activities.
In an organization, communication is the lifeblood that circulates in all direc-
tions and keeps the whole structure dynamic.
There are eight primary problems in the smooth flow of communication within
an organization.
There are four key principles of effective internal communication. A
communication plan is a great help while planning internal and external com-
munication.
The line and staff management model is one by which the dynamics of internal
communication can be understood.
Most business communication is directed towards fulfilling one or more of the
five basic information needs.

H Exercises

QuEsnoi

1. Look at the organizational chart of SWITCH2CFL on p. 147. Now, see if you can
use the chart to answer the questions listed at the beginning of the chapter.
2. What are some of the basic premises on which internal organizational
communication is based?
3. Identify some of the assumptions that inhibit effective communication in an
organization.
4. Give some practical examples of how internal communication can be made more
effective and efficient.
5. Give examples of the five primary information needs that communication seeks to
address.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Prepare an ECAP — an 'Effective Communication Audit Programme' — for an orga-

nization by giving 10 criteria on which the quality of internal communication can be
evaluated. Relate your criteria especially to the kind of language that is appropriate for
effective internal communication.

Your college is an educational organization that functions on the line and staff model of
management. Make an organizational chart for the different levels in the hierarchy of the
internal organizational structure of your college along with the areas of responsibility and
authority of the different areas of functioning.

Interview an employee working at any level in an organization. Ask her/him to give you
examples of the different kinds of internal correspondence s/he has received in the last
one month. Then, ask her/him to comment on the significance — professional and
personal — of each.
 SECTIDN B: CIRCULARS AND NOTICES

Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
urgency
After reading this section you will be able to; • Understand the formality
purpose of writing circulars and notices Familiarize yourself with the complexity
appropriate language and formats Learn how to draft effective circulars confidentiality
and notices emotional content
cost
audience
Pre-reading Activity expectation
descriptive label
Once we are conscious of all that needs to be kept in mind while encoding our bias-free language
messages, we can try our hand at drafting a circular and a notice in response to a information needs
situation, like the one described below.
At its annual general body meeting held on 31 March 2008, the Board of
Directors ofSWITCH2CFLunderthe chairmanship of Managing Director
Indira Ahmad took the following decision:
July 2008 will be celebrated as 'Ethics Month' so that the employees'
involvement and passion in the Management of Business Ethics
(MBE) can be reinforced. The month will start with each employee
taking the Ethics Pledge followed by various activities like a skit
competition, poster making, etc. A significant milestone in the MBE
process is the decision of the Board of Directors to adopt and
implement the 'Whistle Blower Policy' in the Company. The policy
encourages employees to raise their concerns, without fear, to the
Ethics Counsellor, N. Lalitha, who is also the Vice President of
Community Outreach. The policy also provides for protection of the
Whistle Blower by a 'Whistle Blower Protection Committee' headed
by Gul Pandit, the Projects Supervisor. Various channels are
provided to the employees to report concerns and a mechanism will
be put in place to ensure that the concerns are resolved
expeditiously.
In order to effectively deploy the SWITCH2CFL code of conduct, the
Company, to ensure uniform understanding by the employees regarding
acceptance of gifts, will also adopt a Gift Policy. Various steps will be taken
to create awareness among the employees about this policy.
At the end of the year, the effectiveness of communication and deploy
ment measures will be evaluated by analysis of the concerns received
and also the extent of the understanding among the employees regard
ing these new initiatives. (Tata Steel 2006: 22)
156 BUSINESS ENGLISH

Taken from the Latin 'circularis', that is, a circle, the circular disseminates information in a circle to a wide
audience. It is addressed not to an individual, but to a large number of persons, through a written adver-
tisement, directive, or notice, and is intended for mass distribution. A notice is also a form of written
communication and is intended for public transmission and response.

NOTICE Given the multiplicity of dimensions and directions of written correspondence in

an organization that you are familiar with by now, we can classify circulars and notices
as written correspondence that is:
• Internal
• Non-interactive
\7 • Downward. While planning to compose and transmit your message in the form of a
circular or notice, keep in mind that your primary purpose is to inform your intended
Figure 10.3
readers and that you control the content. So, the onus of the effectiveness of the
communication rests solely on you. As Bovee et al. point out,

'all business messages have a general purpose: to inform, to persuade, or to

collaborate with your audience. This overall general purpose determines both
the amount of audience participation you need and the amount of control you
have over your message... (in order) to inform your audience, you need little
interaction. Audience members absorb the information and accept or reject it,
but they don't contribute to message content; you control the message. ...
Business messages also have a specific purpose ... to help you define the
specific purpose of your message, ask yourself what you hope to accomplish
with your message and what your audience should do or think after receiving
your message/
(2006:81)

While the circular and notice share the same communication purpose, a possible
distinction between the two is that a circular may be physically distributed to all the
concerned employees of a company, while a notice may be posted on the notice board or
company website for viewing. In this case, the descriptive label of the message would be
one or the other. Whichever form you choose to transmit your message, keep the
following factors in mind to determine which one would be the most effective in terms of
reception and response:
• Urgency
• Formality
• Complexity
• Confidentiality
• Emotional content
 INTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

• Cost
• Audience expectation
• Your need for a permanent record.

Circulars and notices are written in response to a need to inform the employees of the
company about changes in policy and/ or procedure or about a new direction being taken
by the company. The first thing to keep in mind, therefore, is to ensure that the
information needs of your intended audience are met and, in order to do this effectively,
your message must be very carefully planned, composed and completed.

|%/] Checklist: Planning Business Messages

A. Analyse your purpose and audience

1. What is the purpose of your message— information, persuasion or col-
laboration?
2. What is the specific response you want from your audience?
3. Is your purpose worthwhile and realistic?
4. Is this the right time to transmit this particular message?
5. Is your purpose acceptable to your organization?
6. What is the composition of your primary audience — size, level of under-
standing, expectations and probable reaction? <
B. Satisfy your audience's information needs
1. What does your audience need to know?
2. What does your audience want to know?
3. Have you provided all the necessary information and made sure that it is
accurate, pertinent and ethical?
C. Adapt your message to suit your audience and your purpose
1. Select the most effective channel and medium.
2. Consider factors like urgency, formality, complexity, confidentiality, emotional
content, cost, audience expectation and your need for a permanent record.
f

3. Adopt the audience-centred 'you' approach and emphasize the positive aspects
of your message— demonstrate the benefits to responding positively to your
message.
4. Establish your credibility to gain confidence and achieve compliance with your
purpose.
ENGLISH

5. Use a polite tone and show sensitivity by using bias-free language.

6. To ensure that all your audience's information needs are met, try the journalistic
approach and see if your message answers — who, what, when, where and how.
7. Project the company's image. .

\*/\ Checklist: Composing Business Messages

1. Understand the importance of good organization of your message for your

company and your audience.
2. Define the main idea of the message by making a specific statement about the
topic.
3. Limit the scope of the message by adjusting the space and detail you allocate to
major points, which usually vary from three to five a number.
4. Group the points by constructing an outline to visualize the relationship
between the ideas and the supporting material.
5. Choose either a direct or an indirect approach depending on what you think the
reaction of the audience will be to the message—positive, negative or neutral.

Checklist: Completing Business Messages

1. Evaluate content, organization, style and tone.

2. Review for readability. ;

3. Edit for clarity and conciseness.

(Bovee et al 2006:101; 136; 155)

Now that we know the theory of the 'why' and the 'how' and have read above the
'when', let us try our hand at composing a circular and a notice. At first, familiarize
ourselves with the formats that can be divided into six parts:
1. The letterhead of the company,
2. The descriptive label of the message,
3. The date,
4. The subject line of the message,
5. The text of the message, and
6. The details of the sender of the message. These are most commonly arranged the
following way in the circular and notice, respectively.
 INTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

The numbers in the format are for your understanding and you do not need to number the different
sections when you write your circulars and notices).

1) SWITCH2CFL
15, ASPIRATION TOWERS
GURGAON, HARYANA 123456
INDIA
PHONE: 2345678; E-MAIL: SWITCH2CFL@ENERGYSAVING.ORG

2) Circular No. MBE/1/08 3) 2 April 2008

4) Subject: Ethics Month

5) Text of message.......................................................................................................

6) Santosh Seth
Senior Plant Manager

1) SWITCH2CFL
15, ASPIRATION TOWERS
GURGAON, HARYANA 123456
INDIA
PHONE: 2345678 E.MAIL: SWITCH2CFL@ENERGYSAVING.ORG

2) NOTICE

3) Subject: Gift Policy '

4) Text of message.........................................................................................................

5) Santosh Seth
Senior Plant Manager

6) 2 April 2008

£ Activit
y
In the light of the decision taken at the annual general body meeting of the Board of
Directors of SWITCH2CFL, the Plant Manager has been asked to prepare a circular re-
garding all that needs to be done for the observance of 'Ethics Month' in July 2008 and a
notice about the 'Gift Policy' scheme being introduced by the company.
ENGLISH

Use the formats given above and draft the circular and the notice, keeping in mind all
the hints given to you about effective messages. Ask yourself the following 10 questions
while planning and composing the messages:
i. Why is the circular/notice being written at this time? ii. Who is my intended
audience? iii. What does the company want them to know and why? iv. What does
the company expect as a response? v. Have I communicated the message clearly
and concisely? vi. What are the possible benefits for the employees in following these
new initiatives? vii. Have I formatted the message in such a way that it will draw the
attention of those
for whom it is intended? viii. Is the language that I have used appropriate to the
context and the audience?
ix. Have I clearly stated what I would like the readers of the message to do in terms of
action and response?

A NOTICE/CIRCULAR

About Notices and Circulars

Notices and Circulars can serve a number of purposes

• Announce Social Events

• Report on matters of interest to the staff
• Inform staff about new procedures and policies
• Advertise schemes
• Advertise posts for internal appointment
• Remind staff of company procedures
(Taylor 2005: 203)

A SAMPLE CIRCULAR AND NOTICE A

CIRCULAR

GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL CAPITAL TERRITORY OF DELHI

TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT
(STATE TRANSPORT AUTHORITY)
5/9 UNDER HILL ROAD, DELHI - 110054

For the Information of all City Bus Commuters

The recent spate of fatal accidents involving private (Blue Line) buses in Delhi has attracted
considerable public concern and criticism in the manner these buses are generally operating.
Since 9 July 2007 massive checking by the Transport and Police
 INTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

departments jointly of these buses have been launched to ensure strict compliance with the
provisions of law and specific directions of Courts for road safety. As a result of this drive
nearly 700 buses out of a fleet of nearly 3,900 buses have been impounded for violating
permit conditions and traffic regulations. Consequently, a majority of the other private buses
have also gone off the roads on the pretext of rectifying the violations to avoid seizure by the
enforcement teams. This has caused considerable hardship to the city bus commuters.
However, in the interest of road safety and the need to avoid loss of innocent lives, the
enforcement action will be continued relentlessly. We expect the buses to be back on the road
soon. However, in case they do not come back on road, the Government will not hesitate to
take the strictest possible action to curb any intransigence in the larger public interest.
Meanwhile, to meet the exigency arising out of the situation, the DTC has mobilized
additional buses to augment city services by redeployment. Nearly 700 buses have been
introduced on busy routes for the ease of the commuters. All the DTC buses will operate for
extra hours to maintain the minimum services on all major routes. State Transport buses from
the neighbouring States are also being mobilized. The government is also taking other
contingent action to augment the fleet on the road by giving authorizations to other category
of buses in case the Blue Line buses do not resume operations. Metro services are also being
augmented. The inconvenience caused is deeply regretted.
State Transport Authority
DIP/0631/2007-2008
(State Transport Authority 2007)

A NOTICE

GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL CAPITAL TERRITORY OF DELHI

TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT
{STATE TRANSPORT AUTHORITY)
5/9 UNDER HILL ROAD, DELHI 110054
PUBLIC NOTICE

Delhi, the 13th July 2007

In compliance with the direction by Hon'ble Lt. Governor of Delhi, it has been
decided that all the drivers of blue Line Buses (Heavy Transport Passenger Transport
Vehicles) are required to undergo a one-day driving test on simulators. All the permit
holders of Blue Line buses are directed to ensure their authorized drivers undergo a
one-day prescribed driving test in the following institutes:
1. Automobile Association of Upper India
C-8 Institutional Area (behind Qutub Hotel)
New Delhi -110016
Contact Person: Sh. M. K. Aggarwal
BUSINESS ENGLISH

2. Driver Training Institute

Transport Authority Complex, Burari, Delhi
Contact Person: Sh. B. B. Rathi
For this purpose permit holders are directed to contact these institutes for registration
of their authorized drivers.
It will be mandatory for drivers of Blue Line buses to produce authorization card
along with certificate of training of simulators issued by these institutes.
Secretary State Transport Authority DIP/0641/2007-2008
(State Transport Authority 2007)

Learning Outcomes

In this chapter you have learnt: J • Circulars and notices are examples of written,
downward and non-interactive s internal correspondence. They are primarily written to
fulfil 'information' needs f and their primary purpose is to inform and encourage
compliance.
• Since they are meant for mass distribution, circulars and notices are not addressed
to an individual receiver.
• Great care needs to be taken to plan, compose and complete these messages for
optimum effectiveness. \ .■•
f • Both circulars and notices have a six-part format that can be used for optimuf visual
impact and effective transmission of content.
• Since the primary purpose of circulars and notices is the giving of information,
! the sender of this kind of message must have all the details, enjoy credibility
and also adopt a concise and courteous tone for the effective reception of the
• message and the generation of appropriate feedback.

Exercises

QUESTIO

1. Define 'circulars' and notices'. What kinds of correspondence are they?

2. What is the purpose for which circulars and notices are written?
3. What should be kept in mind while planning, composing and completing these business
messages?
4. What is the importance of the audience profile for the effective encoding and transmission
of circulars and notices?
 INTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

5. Look at the sample circular and notice given above and discuss the differences
between the two, given the fact that the situation in response to which they have
been written is the same one. Note how the circular is addressed to the general
public affected by the situation and the notice is addressed to those who, it is
believed, are responsible for the situation and they are being given directions on
how to resolve the problem.

APPLY YOUR UNDERSTANDING

1. Substitute a better word/phrase for the following to make your communi

cation more courteous:
a. It is not our policy to
b. You failed to do the needful
c. For a tribal from a backward area, Maggie is certainly quite efficient
d. He is old and disabled, but Surinder is still a good salesman
e. She is stupid, incompetent, stubborn and dumb and we are planning to
dismiss her.
2. Prepare an 'effectiveness audit' to evaluate written internal correspondence
in the form of circulars and notices. Keep in mind that all messages do not
give 'good' news to the employees, and some messages may meet with
resistance and objection and need to be dealt with even more carefully.

PRACTISEYOUR UNDERSTANDING

As Secretary of the Students' Union of your college, it is your responsibility to draft all
the notices and circulars for the students about college rules, activities and procedures.
The Annual Festival is approaching. Draft a circular, giving details of the theme for this
year's festival — 'Saving for a Sustainable Tomorrow' — and also give reasons for the
choice. Draft a notice inviting comments and suggestions about how this year's festival
can be made environmentally friendly: you know that a lot of paper and fuel is used every
year for the designing and distribution of posters and invitations. Offer an incentive for
the most sustainable idea.

Collect copies of all the circulars and notices transmitted in your college over one term.
Analyse each for effectiveness in terms of composition and impact.
 SECTIDN C: MEMDS AND OFFICE ORDERS

Vocabulary
|\ Learning Objectives
hierarchical
After studying this section you will be able to: ' Understand the purpose of addressee
writing memos and office orders * Familiarize yourself with the addressor
appropriate language and formats Learn how to draft effective memos record
and office orders reference
instruction
suggestion
Pre-reading Activity explanation
rights
In the beginning of Section B, you read about the decisions regarding Ethics routine
Month, the Whistle Blower Policy and the Gift Policy, taken at the Annual General
Body Meeting of SWITCH2CFL.
One month after the initiatives were taken and the staff informed about them,
a chain of events ensued:
1. Santosh Seth, the Senior Plant Manager, complained to Rohit Bhalla, the
VP, Production, that the Line B and C supervisors, Rinchen Dorji and Hari
Tiwari, had been taking extended lunch breaks for the last one week and
spending this time in the canteen. They were apparently inciting the staff to
resist the code of conduct guidelines and also refuse to take the Ethics
Pledge, as they believed that this was the management's way of laying
down a punitive and unfair system of functioning.
2. Susan O'Brien, the VP, Finance, made a surprise check of the month's
balance sheet and found that Rs 51 lakh were unaccounted for.
3. Jaideep Das was asked to take on the additional responsibility of retail
sales for one month while Bhavik Takia was on leave.
4. Sanjeev Nair was able to show that within a month of the launch of the
recent advertising campaign, the company had made a monthly profit of 15
per cent. For this, he was given a bonus of Rs 50,000. < •-*
All four situations need to be dealt with by the concerned departments.
Following the chain of command and the operational lines of formal
communication, each situation needs a form of correspondence.
Think about the following:
• Who are the senders and receivers of the four messages?
• What kind of correspondence does each situation require? Answer
according to what you learnt in the first chapter of this section.
 INTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

• Are all the messages going to meet with a positive response from the receiver?
• What kind of feedback will each message anticipate?

Memos and office orders are forms of written, internal correspondence that flow in the
'downward' direction and follow the formal channels of hierarchical communication in an
organization. While memos are primarily addressed to concerned individual receivers,
office orders are about the individual who is the intended receiver of the action being
taken. Copies may also be sent to other individuals in the organization for purposes of
reference and necessary action. These are not written about routine matters but are
specific responses to a particular situation that demands action. At the same time, both are
non-interactive insofar as they do not usually lead to a written response from the receiver.
They are, however, planned so that the outcome is a change in policy, procedure or
behaviour.

A 'memo' is short for 'memorandum' that comes from the Latin word memorare that means
to mention or tell. By definition,

'A memo is a short, official, written statement prepared for a specific person or a committee within the
organization, in order to give information about a particular matter'.
If/.-!"-'- ■ •'. ' •'. '. .' •' ■ (Sinha 2001: 101).

Being written, a memo is a permanent record and reference about whatever is

communicated.

Why are Memos Written?

A memo is written to fulfil the following needs in the daily working of an organization:
1. To provide information
2. To issue instructions
Figure 10.4
3. To convey a policy decision
4. To offer suggestions
5. To record or report an agreement
6. To seek an explanation
7. To request action, information or suggestions.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

How are Memos Written?

Most organizations use printed memo sheets, the format of which can be divided into 10
parts, arranged as shown in the box below:
1. The company letterhead
2. The descriptive label for the communication—in this case 'memorandum'
3. The reference number of the memo
4. The addressee(s) — the person(s) for whom the memo is primarily intended
5. Date
6. The addressor —the person writing the memo
7. The subject line — what is the memo about?
8. The text of the message, normally divided into points, beginning with the most
important and so on
9. The signature of the addressor.
10. The names and designations of those to whom copies of the memo are being sent

1) SWITCH2CFL
15, ASPIRATION TOWERS
GURGAON, HARYANA 123456
INDIA
PHONE: 2345678; E.MAIL: SWITCH2CFL@ENERGYSAVING.ORG

2) MEMORANDUM
3) No. 4) Date:
5) To:
6) From:
7) Subject:......................
8a)
b)
c)
10) cc. To 9) Signature
a)
b) ' •

Use the situations 1 and 2 described on p. 164 and draft a memo in response to each.
Notice that situation 1 may require two memos to be sent.
 INTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

Here are some tips to help you organize the information in the memo: •-,,.- ,
• Tell the readers exactly what they need to know. s -
• Explain the reasons for suggesting a particular course of action.
• Tell the receiver clearly, what needs to be done and when. J
s

• Organize the information in one of the following ways:

i. Chronologically - 'first A happened, then B, then C. Therefore, D needs to be done'.
ii. Big picture to smaller picture—'The Company is committed to ethical practices, so Ethics
Month is being observed' iii. Cause and effect—The decision of the Board of Directors to adopt
and implement the 'Whistle Blower Policy', which encourages employees to raise their concerns,
without fear, has led to the appointment of N. Lalitha as Ethics Counsellor. iv. Act I, Act II, Act III
—Just as with a play—the problem is stated, analysed and a solution suggested. 'The reluctance
of the employees to sign the Ethics Pledge, the reasons for their hesitation, the steps taken by
the management to address these concerns and reassure the ". , employees'.
(Dobrian 1998:48-49)

AM OFFICE ORDER— DEFINITION, PURPOSE AND FORMA-What

is an Office Order?

An office order is written, formal downward communication; non-interactive according to the definition we
arrived at in a previous chapter. It is normally written when the correspondence relates to the service
conditions of an employee. It relates to the employees' rights.

Why are Office Orders Written?

Office orders are normally written when one or more of the following needs to be
communicated to the concerned employee.
• Withdrawing rights
• Imposing restrictions
• Making postings and transfers
• Promotions
• Retrenchment
" Granting annual increment
• Withholding annual increment
• Disciplinary action.
Notice how some office orders may be bad news messages for the receiver. Be
especially careful while drafting such messages so that you do not offend the
BUSINESS ENGLISH

receiver. The purpose of the message is behaviour modification and the ultimate goal is a
harmonious and productive working environment. In such a message, make sure you lead
up to the action you propose to take, by first clarifying the situation and also
demonstrating how you are left with no other option but to take this particular action.
If your order is good news begin by giving the good news to the receiver and then
give the background.

How are Office Orders Written?

While drafting an office order, in addition to using the format given below, choose your
tone and language very carefully. Some of the things to keep in mind are:
• Be courteous
• Use clear and concise language
• Give facts and reasons
• Be objective—no personal comments and biases.
The office order, unlike the memo is not addressed to the concerned receiver, but it is
about her/him. So, the third person is used and details are given about the person and the
action being taken. While drafting an office order, it would be useful to keep in mind,
whether you have answered the following questions:
• Who?
• What?
!
• When? ■
How?
The office order, written in the following format, which can be divided into seven
parts:
1. The company letterhead
2. The reference number of the order
3. The date
4. The descriptive label for the communication—in this case 'office order'.
5. The text of the message, which should follow sequence of information regarding
the 'Who', 'What', 'When' and 'How'.
6. The signature of the addressor.
7. The names and designations of those to whom copies of the memo are being sent
 INTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE [I69

1) SWITCH2CFL
15, ASPIRATION TOWERS
GURGAON, HARYANA 123456
INDIA
PHONE: 2345678; E.MAIL: SWITCH2CFL@ENERGYSAVING.ORG
2) No. 3) Date:
4) ORDER
5) Text of message.......................................................................................................

7) cc. To 6) Signature
a)
b)

Now draft two office orders, in response to situations 3 and 4 described on p.

164 of this book.

Learning Outcomes

this chapter you have learnt: «■■««■*«•««»«■»•* ■ * ~ >•**«•***•«■>

Memos and office orders are examples of written, downward and non-interactive
internal correspondence. They are primarily written in response to particular
situations and their primary purpose is to take action in response to this situation.
Both memos and orders are formal correspondence and are written
;
according to a format.
The memo is addressed directly to the receiver and is written in the second
person. The office order is written in the third person since it concerns the rights of
an employee, but is not written to her/him directly.
Both need careful drafting, especially in case the message is 'bad news' for the,
receiver and is likely to cause anger or distress.

Exercises

QUESTIONS

1. What kind of correspondence are memos and office orders?

2. Describe the purposes of writing a memo, with suitable examples.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

3. When are office orders normally written? Explain with suitable examples.
4. What needs to be kept in mind while drafting 'memos' and 'office orders'?

Look at the list of words and phrases and separate them into two columns based on
appropriate and inappropriate language to be used while composing messages for
correspondence:
cheap, heretofore, redundant, empowerment, information, suggestions, orders,
feedback, participation, competition, motivated, aggressive, lazy, elderly, stupid,
retarded, failure, despicable, ridiculous, unsatisfactory.
Give reasons for your answer.

You work for Cyrus Tata, the VP, Marketing of SWITCH2CFL. Next month, from the
15th to the 20th, there is going to be a sales meet at Hotel Oberoi Maidens for all the
members of the sales team. Draft a memo that will be sent to all the salespersons, telling
them about the meet and also asking them to bring the following with them:
• Details of their individual performance over the last one year.
• Ideas about how performance can be enhanced.
• Incentives that they feel will help them to work harder.
• Their response to the Ethics Pledge and how they can contribute to fulfilling the
company's goals in this regard. ■

EX P A N YDO U RUN D E R S T A N D I N G HHHIHilHI

Read the business section of the newspaper over one week. Make a list of good and bad
business practices that have been recorded. What are the kinds of correspondence that
each will require making sure that the good practices are encouraged and bad practices
discouraged?
l?£ BUSINESS ENGLISH

2. The agenda for the meeting—a detailed outline of the issues to be discussed
at the meeting.
The notification and agenda are prepared by the secretary of the organization
in consultation with the chairperson. Since a meeting of this kind is a part of the
formal channel of communication in an organization, there is a predetermined
procedure for the conduct of such a discussion.

A meeting is presided over by the chairperson who is assisted by the secretary. When
Indira Ahmed holds the meeting, she will preside and will be assisted by Iraj Kumar, the
Secretary.

What is the Role of the Secretary in the Meeting?

It will be Iraj's responsibility to conduct the meeting by ensuring the agenda is followed
and completed and also taking detailed notes about the deliberations, decisions,
agreements and dissent, etc.

What are Minutes?

When the meeting is over, Iraj will compile these notes in the form of Minutes.

A Minute is defined as 'a note to preserve the memory' and the minutes of a meeting are a faithfully
written record of the proceedings of a meeting. <.--••

If the group which is scheduled to meet on 31 March has already met earlier, when
Iraj sends out the notice for the meeting, he will also enclose the Minutes of the previous
meeting with the notification.

Preparing the Notification and Agenda for a Meeting

Before we look at the meeting in progress, let us first understand how the notification and
agenda are prepared. You will see that the format includes the following nine items:
1. The letterhead of the organization
2. The date on which the notice is sent out
3. The descriptive label 'notice'/'notification'
4. The message of the notice
5. The descriptive label 'agenda'
 SECTION D: NOTIFICATION , AGENDA AND
M INUTES

Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
meeting
After studying this section you will be able to:
notice
• Understand the purpose of writing notification, agenda and minutes.
agenda
• Familiarize yourself with the appropriate language and formats. minutes
• Learn how to draft effective notification, agenda and minutes. deliberations
dissent
reported speech
Pre-reading Activity preside
ratification
You read in Section 'B' p. 155 about the Annual General Body Meeting of the
Board of Directors of SWITCH2CFL, held on 31 March 2008, under the interaction
chairmanship of its Managing Director Indira Ahmad at which certain decisions
were taken regarding the Management of Business Ethics in the company.
Group communication in an organization is conducted in a planned manner
and one of the ways in which this planning is done is during the preparations for a
meeting. For the meeting mentioned above, the chairperson would have planned
the meeting by considering the following:
• Who all should attend the meeting?
• What needs to be discussed?
• When and Where should the meeting be held?
To ensure that all the members attending the meeting contribute their
optimum to the deliberations, it is necessary that they are informed about the
meeting in advance so that they can come prepared.
As part of the preparations for the meeting, business messages in the form of
Notification and Agenda are written and this is what we will consider now.

NO T IF IC A T IOANN D AG E N D A

A s specified by company laws, a notification is an advance notice of a meeting

to all the members of the group. This notice is sent well in advance and
contains the following information:
1. The details of when the meeting is scheduled, at what time, where it is to be
held and how long it is expected to continue.
 INTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

6. The content of the agenda

7. The designation and name of the sender, in this case, the secretary
8. Details of the receivers of this message — names and designations
9. The enclosure being sent with the notice.

1) SWITCH2CFL
15, ASPIRATION TOWERS
GURGAON, HARYANA 123456
INDIA
PHONE: 2345678; E.MAIL: SWITCH2CFL@ENERGYSAVING.ORG
2) 28 February 2008

3) NOTICE

4) The twenty-fifth meeting of the Board of Directors of SWTTCH2CFL Ltd. will be held in
the Conference Room of Hotel Business Redefined, Sun City, Gurgaon, on 31 March 2008 at
11.00 a.m. The meeting is expected to last for two days, so all those requiring assistance with
transport and accommodation should contact the undersigned so that suitable arrangements
can be made. The meeting is being held to transact the following business:

5) AGENDA

(i) Ratification of the minutes of the meeting held on 31 December 2007

(ii) To decide how Ethics Month should be celebrated in July 2008
(iii) To deliberate on the adoption of the Whistle Blower Policy
(iv) To appoint an Ethics Counsellor
(v) To form a Whistle Blower Protection Committee
(vi) To work out the modalities of the Gift Policy
(vii) Any other matter with the permission of the Chair
(viii) Vote of thanks
(ix) Date of the next meeting
7) Secretary Iraj Kumar 8)CC:
i-
ii. etc.
9) Enclosure: Minutes of the meeting held on 31 December 2007

As mentioned earlier, Iraj Kumar, who is the secretary to the chairperson, will take detailed
notes on the day of the meeting.
These notes will then be compiled by him in the form of minutes, which will then be sent to all
the members who attended the meeting, after they have been approved and signed by the
chairperson Indira Ahmed.
ENGLISH

Writing the Minutes

The primary skill needed for writing the minutes of a meeting are note taking, the use of
reported speech and the techniques of summarizing.
It will be necessary for Traj to convert all the discussion held during the meeting into
reported speech, and also sequence the suggestions, ideas, deliberations, etc., in a logical
manner. The minutes, when they are finally ready, should follow the sequence of the
agenda. This will ensure that the members are reminded of the outcome of the discussions
held regarding the different issues under consideration.
When Iraj is drafting the minutes he will need to keep the following in mind:
• The minutes are written in the third person and in the past tense
• The names of the contributors to the discussions need not be mentioned in the final
draft.
■ The minutes must include the outcome of the discussion of each matter on the
agenda.
• Agreements, decisions and resolutions should be stated verbatim.
• Either the block or continuous paragraph format can be followed.
There are basically two ways in which the content of the minutes can be arranged:
1. Minutes of Narration:
In this kind of structure, the leading points of the discussion are arranged in the
following manner;
a) The title of the point on the agenda
b) The statements of the chairperson regarding the matter under discussion
c) The ideas, suggestions, agreement and dissent of the various members
d) The final resolution.
This is the sequence that would be followed for each point on the agenda.
2. Minutes of Resolution:
In this kind of structure, only the title of the item on the agenda and the
decision or resolution agreed upon would be included.
The following is the standard format followed in the drafting of minutes:
 INTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

SWITCH2CFL

Minutes of the meeting held in the Conference Room of Hotel Business Redefined, Sun City,
Gurgaon, on 31 March 2008 at 11.00 a.m. Members present:
i. Ms Indira Ahmed, Managing Director SWITCH2CFL and Chairperson of the Meeting
ii.
iii.
iv
v.
vi. Iraj Kumar, Secretary
The Chairperson called the meeting to order, and after the minutes of the meeting
held on 31 December 2007 had been approved and signed, she suggested that the
suggestions be made regarding the matters on the agenda.

It was decided that the next meeting be held on 15 April 2008. The
meeting ended with a vote of thanks to the Chair.

The following is the order of the different activities before, during and after a
meeting
The need for a meeting —> Notice and Agenda —> Proceedings —> Attendance —
> Reading of Minutes -> Passing of the Minutes —> Discussion —> Action Plan —>
Resolutions —> Date of Next Meeting —> Minutes —> Notice and Agenda. (Kulkarni
2006: 303).

Learning Outcomes

this chapteryounavefearhnhaff
• Meetings are an important group decision-making technique in the organizatic and
need careful planning in terms of who, what, when and where.
• A notification is advance information about a meeting sent to all the members. It
contains details of when and where the meeting is to be held and also how long it is
expected to continue.
■ The notification of the meeting also includes an agenda that gives a list of all the
matters to be discussed at the meeting.
• The meeting is presided over by a chairperson who is assisted by a secretary.
The secretary prepares the notification and agenda, in consultation with the
chairperson and sends it to the members in advance of the meeting. %1
1^6 BUSINESS ENGLISH
During the meeting, the secretary takes detailed noteWiffraiSompiles these
the form of minutes.
Minutes are the official record of the proceedings of the meeting, as well as the
resolutions adopted and the action plan decided upon. Minutes are written in
reported speech and can follow the narrative or resolution structure.

Exercises

1. What are the different kinds of written communication used in the conduct of
meetings in an organization? .
2. Define 'notification', 'agenda' and minutes' and comment on their importance for
optimizing the effectiveness of meetings.
3. What is the role of the secretary in the conduct of meetings in an
organization?

APPLY YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Change the following to reported speech:

Sutradhar: These are all Brahmans from Poona. Who are you?

One Man: A Vedantic scholar

Sutradhar: You?
Second: A Vaidya doctor.
Third: A logician.
Fourth: An astrologer. \
Fifth: A linguist.
Sixth: I am a baron.
Others: I come from Shringeri.
I come from Tanjore.
I come from Rameshwaram.
I come from Kumbhakonam.
I come from Banaras.
We are Poona people.
Sutradhar: Good, Good, Good!
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

Turn back to both those sections for a moment, to refresh your

memory, before we go any further.
In addition to these points we need to think about
• Why am I writing this letter?
Before we think about things like structures and formats,
we need to ask ourselves this basic question, to which we are sure
you will have as an answer, the content. But in order to make our
letter most effective, we need to begin with this question at a more
general and global level.
When we do that we realize that our answer could be one of the
following: Figure 11.1: Ponder over the
• I am writing this letter to inform ' • I purpose
am writing this letter to persuade
• I am writing this letter to inform and persuade
Look at the list below to see what answer you will give to the question 'Why am I
writing this letter?'
i. Do I want to clarify an idea, a process or a procedure? ii. Do I want to
explain how something works? iii. Will my reader 'understand' what I
want to convey? iv. Do I want to gain support for an idea, a product or a
service? v. Do I want action as an outcome of my letter?
vi. Will my reader modify her/his behaviour after reading my letter —do something
differently?
(Murphy et al 2000: 414)
Depending on which one of these six, in isolation or in combination, you want, your
answer will be one of the three options, that is, to inform, to persuade and to inform and
persuade.

BASIC STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVENESS

You have already read about how business messages should be planned to optimize
effectiveness. In this section we will look at some useful tips regarding the writing of
letters.

The AIDA Technique

This is a result-oriented technique and relates to the format of the letter as a whole and
each letter of this acronym refers to what outcome each part of the body of your letter
should have:
BUSINESS ENGLISH

A — "represents 'attention' and asks you to plan the opening section of your letter
carefully in order to attract the attention of the reader. I — represents the 'interest'
that your letter should generate in the mind of
your reader. D — represents 'desire' and encourages the reader to participate in your
point
of view.
A — represents 'action' and is a clear indication of the kind of feedback you want, that is,
what you want the reader to do in response to your letter.

The 'Effective Ending' Approach

To make the ending of your letter effective and get the feedback and 'action' you
want, the following should be a part of the final paragraph of your letter:
CSAD — clear statement of action desired
EA — easy action, within reach and possibility of the addressee
DA — dated action, by when the feedback should be received
RB — reader benefit — how the action performed will benefit the addressee
(Murphy et al 2000: 205)

Informative and Persuasive Letters

• Routine
(i) Enquiries
(ii) Quotations and tenders (iii)
Orders (iv) Payment
• Special Purpose
(i) Circulars
(ii) Personnel — employment (iii) Agencies —
banks, insurance agents
• Sales Letters
(i) Offers ,
(ii) Promotions
(iii) Replies to queries
(iv) Resale
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

• Problem Letters
(i) Complaints and follow up (ii) Concessions
(iii) Overdue accounts — collection letters
• Goodwill Letters
Once you know why of writing the letter, you are ready to think about the how.

Most business letters have the following parts:

1. Heading - Letterhead
This as we have seen earlier will include the name and contact details such as
telephone and fax numbers and e-mail or website address of the 'sender' of the
letter.
2. Date
Since we correspond in a global environment, and different parts of the world
follow different conventions to write the date, we suggest you follow an
alphanumeric format like '15 September 1992' for your letters.
3. Reference Number
This again is an alphanumeric notation and helps in the filing of the letter and is
also useful for reference in future correspondence in which it can be quoted to
help the receiver. This is a descriptive label and will be named in the letter.
4. Inside Address
This will include the name (optionally) and the address of the proposed addressee
of the letter. Remember to include the designation along with the name if your
letter is meant for a specific individual.
5. Subject Line
This should be a short phrase that indicates the purpose or desired outcome of
your letter, clearly. This is a descriptive label and will be named in the letter.
6. Salutation
You can choose to use 'Dear' or simply write Madam/Sir or the name of the
addressee. Remember to use the surname since this is formal communication.
7. Body
8. Complimentary Close
You can use 'Truly' or 'Sincerely', but will use 'Yours', only if you used 'Dear' in
the Salutation. Remember 'Dear' and 'Yours' are always together and a letter does
not have one without the other.
ENGLISH

9. Signature Area
Remember to sign, write your name in block letters below your signature and mention your
designation. 10. Enclosure Notation
This is a descriptive label and will be named in the letter.

Let us look now at the different ways in which the letter can be formatted. I. FULL BLOCK

FORMAT

1) SW1TCH2CFL
15, ASPIRATION TOWERS
GURGAON, HARYANA123456
INDIA
PHONE: 2345678; EMAIL: SWITCH2CFL@ENERGYSAVING.ORG

2) 29 February 2008 . :

3) Reference Number: AND/007/2008

4) Ms Shamita Sen
Senior Sales Manager -t
Office Supply Corporation
11 Annie Besant Road
Mumbai - 22000022

5) Dear Ms Sen

6) Subject: Order for 250 File Folders

7) ................................................................................................................................

8) Yours Sincerely

9) Abhaya Kumar (ABHAYA

KUMAR) Manager, Procurement
Division
10) Enclosure(s): i)
ii)
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Learning Outcomes

this chapter you have learnt that:

• Every organization has to correspond externally with other organizations,
agencies and individuals for a variety of purposes
• Letter can be good news, bad news or neutral depending on the impact on the
receiver i
• You write primarily to inform and/or to persuade
• Two effective techniques you can use for writing effective letters are the AIDA and
the effective ending techniques
• Some common information and persuasion tetters are routine letters— enquiries,
quotations, orders and payment; special letters—circulars, personnt letters—
employment, and letters to agencies—banks, insurance agents; sales letters—
offers, promotions, replies to queries and resale; problem letters-complaints and
follow up, concessions and overdue accounts; collection letters! and goodwill letters
• A business letter normally has 10 parts to it which can be arranged in a block or
modified block format

fm Exercises

QUESTIONS

1. List some of the receivers of the external letters sent out by an organization.
2. What are the primary global reasons for which letters are written?
3. What are some of the questions that Will help you to decide the larger purpose of
your communication in the form of letters?
4. Identify the two primary strategies that help to make letters effective.

APPLY YOUR UNDERSTANDING

1. Keeping in mind what you have learnt about the barriers to effective
communication and also how these barriers can be overcome, make a list of all the
preparatory steps you would undertake before sending out a letter from your
organization, so that the letter has optimum effectiveness.
2. Look carefully at the punctuation used in the two formats of letters given in this
chapter. Do you notice any difference? Discuss possible reasons for the
differences if any.
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE
183
II. MODIFIED BLOCK FORMAT
1) SWITCH2CFL
15, ASPIRATION TOWERS
GURGAON, HARYANA 123456
INDIA

PHONE: 2345678; E.MAIL: SWITCH2CFL@ENERGYSAVING.ORG

2) 29 February 2008

3) Reference Number: AND/007/2008 -

4) Ms Shamita Sen
Senior Sales Manager
Office Supply Corporation
11 Annie Besant Road
Mumbai - 22000022
5) Dear Ms Sen, 6) Subject: Order for 250 File Folders

7)
.......................................

8) Yours Sincerely,
9) Abhaya Kumar
(ABHAYA KUMAR)

Manager, Procurement Division

10) Enclosures: i)
")

Keep the following guidelines in mind if you have an opportunity to suggest or change the stationery your
organization uses:
• The quality of the paper used
• The colour of the paper and the ink—black on white or cream is the best for readability
• Careful labelling of the envelope with all the information complete and arranged in an internationally
acceptable manner with your address on the top or bottom left hand corner, and the name and
complete address of the addressee in the centre.
 SECTIDN B: PLANNING BUSINESS LETTERS

Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
good news
iAfter studying this section you wilt be able to: " '* *"
bad news
• Learn the different approaches to writing letters—direct and indirect
deductive
• Plan your content ., , s
inductive
indirect approach
resale
Pre-reading Activity reader benefit
If you look back at Chapter 11, Section A, you will see a list of the different kinds buffer
of letters that SWITCH2CFL will be sending and receiving in the course Qf its solicited
business transactions. You will notice that among these letters: unsolicited
• Some are good news letters and the receiver will be happy to receive them
• Some are neutral letters and the receiver will be informed by them
• Some are bad news letters and the receiver will be unhappy to receive
them

While the good news and neutral message letters follow the 'direct
approach', for the bad news letters we use the 'indirect approach'.

Let us look at these two approaches now in terms of the following:

• How should we start the letter?
• What should we say in the body of the letter?
• How should we close the letter?

T he direct approach is also known as the 'good-news' plan and basi cally has
three parts to it: i. Beginning : The main idea — the best news
ii. Middle: The explanation—necessary details, educational information, resale
and sales promotion
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

You have been asked to correspond with a customer who wants to know how
SWITCH2CFL can help him to make his office more environmentally friendly. Draft the
concluding paragraph of the letter using the strategy of effective endings.

Collect at least five different kinds of letters sent out by your college to various people
outside the institution. Analyse the letters to identify:
(a) What is their primary purpose? *
(b) Has this purpose been effectively communicated?
(c) Have the letters been carefully formatted?
(d) What are some of the ways in which you would improve on the letters?
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE Chapter
SECTION A: NEED, FORMAT AND
STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVENESS 11

Learning Objectives Vocabulary

) After studying this section you will be able to: inform
if ♦ Understand the need and nature of external correspondence persuade
!s ♦ Identify the various purposes for which external correspondence AIDA technique
?. is executed " effective ending
Familiarize yourself with some formats of letters {Analyse how to approach
make your correspondence most effective. salutation
enclosure
routine
Pre-reading Activity personnel
promotion
SWITCH2CFL, the organization whose internal communication opportunities and subject line
challenges we have been looking at, will have numerous reasons for
corresponding externally with other organizations, institutions as well as
individuals. All these occasions will require the planning, drafting and transmitting
of letters. These letters can originate from SWITCH2CFL, that is, the organization
can initiate the communication interaction, or the letters written, could be replies
to letters received.
Make a list of all the kinds of correspondents SWITCH2CFL is likely to have.
i. Notice that these will include customers, suppliers, banks, insurance
companies, advertising agencies, governmental and non-governmental
agencies, the general public as well as potential employees.
ii. Notice also how the nature of the message can be in the form of 'good
news', that will have a positive response, 'bad news' that will have a
negative response, and 'neutral news' that is not likely to affect the reader
at an emotional or psychological level.

THE NEED AN D NATUR E OF

I n Chapter 9, p. 143, you have already read how letters come into the
category of communication that is interactive, formal and the direction
is horizontal. And later in Chapter 10, Section B, pp. 157-158, you also
learnt about how business messages are planned and completed.
 INTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

A Brahman from one side of the swaying human curtain of people stealthily tries to sneak off
the stage.

Sutradhar: Wait now, wait now. Hold your horses! Must you go?
Brahman: Forces? Whose forces? Foreign? English? Sutradhar: Not
forces! Hold your horses! Brahman: So I'm stopped. What do you have to
say?
(Tendulkar 2000:12-13)

1. Draft the notification and agenda for the meeting scheduled for 15 April 2008, as
decided at the meeting held on 31 March.
2. In your tutorial group, decide on an agenda for a meeting to be held to discuss
your plans for celebrating the annual day of your college. Appoint a chairperson
and a secretary and decide on your respective roles and designations. Draft the
notification and agenda for the meeting. At the next tutorial conduct the meeting
and then compile the minutes. ;

Read the annual report of a company. See how plans are made and also how their
implementation and success are reported to all the stakeholders of the company.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Ms Sen could give Abhaya Kumar details of the other products being sold or
manufactured by Office Supply Corporation. She may mention these products in the body
of the letter, and refer to the brochure enclosed with the letter.
The concluding paragraph of the letter, as you saw in the AIDA approach (p. 179-
180), must provoke action by the reader. For this you can use the effective ending
approach that we talked about in the previous chapter.

THE INDIRECTAPPROACH

A letter giving the reader 'bad news' is much harder to compose than one giving 'good
news'. You know that your reader will be disappointed or angry and you have to work
hard at composing such a letter so that it conveys the unfavourable message in the most
courteous manner possible. For these letters, the first thing to do is to use an appropriate
tone. Be sensitive to the reaction of the reader and avoid accusing, pointing out errors or
condemning actions.
Some of the techniques that are useful while composing such letters are:
1. Put yourself in the reader's place and empathize with her/his possible
reaction to your letter. This will help you to convince the reader that in spite
of your letter being contrary to what s/he wanted or expected, you had to
take the decision not to comply.
The reasons for your news should be fair, necessary and reasonable.
2. While citing company rules and policies, give some further explanation to
demonstrate that your action is in the larger or long-term interest of the reader and
your customers in general.
3. Show confidence in the reader's understanding of the situation and her/his genuine
desire to do the right thing.
4. Use impersonal constructions while criticizing or pointing out mistakes. For
example, when you want to mention that the customer has sent the wrong
payment, instead of saying 'You have not sent the correct amount', you might want
to say, 'Please check the amount sent by you, as there seems to have been some
oversight in the calculation'.
5. Be courteous and tactful and talk to, and not down to the reader. For example,
imagine a situation where you have received a letter demanding replacement of 50
CFL bulbs ordered and find that they malfunctioned because the customer did not
use them properly. Do not say, 'If you had read the instructions carefully, nothing
would have gone wrong'; but rather say, 'Voltage fluctuation will not normally
fuse the bulbs. However, as stated in the information booklet, if you forget to
insert the bulbs properly in the holder, they might burn out'.
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

iii. End: The concluding statement —positive, friendly, clear statement of future action
desired, motivation for future action and appreciation.
The opening paragraph of the letter, as you saw in the AIDA approach pp.177-80,
must attract the attention of the reader. In the direct approach this means that you must
begin deductively by announcing the reader-benefit of your letter. Give the good news that
you are offering a product, service or information that will benefit the reader.
The body of the letter, as you saw in the AIDA approach, must generate interest
and evoke desire in the mind of the reader
Let us spend some time with the body of the good-news/neutral message letter and
try and understand what all we should include in it.
1. What do we mean by necessary details?
By this we mean the why, what, when, where and how of the main idea.
Necessary details pertain to the explanation we cite for giving the reader good news
or useful information. In this we would include: facts and figures, terms and conditions,
and other details that relate to the news given in the opening paragraph of the letter.
In his letter to Ms Shamita Sen, ordering 250 file folders, Abhaya Kumar will give
the details of the order and specify the dimensions, quality, colour, etc., of the file folders.
In her reply Ms Sen would indicate clearly the date when the consignment was sent and
give details of delivery and payments.
2. What do we mean by educational information?
This pertains to the details of how the customer can derive optimum benefit from the
product, service or information that you are offering. It is also related to maximizing the
mutual benefit for the sender and the receiver, from the relationship that has been
initiated.
In her response to Mr Kumar's letter, Ms Sen may want to draw his attention to some
special features of the file folders being sent. These may include colour coding for easy
identification, expandability, multiple uses, etc.
3. What do we mean by resale information?
This would include favourable information about the product or service that is being
talked about or about the organization in general.
Both Abhaya Kumar and Shamita Sen could use this communication opportunity to
talk about their organizations and pave the way for a continued relationship. Ms Sen
might want to send some details of how popular their file folders are and mention some
comments by satisfied customers.
4. What do we mean by sales promotion?
Provide some additional information about other products or services that may be of
interest to the customer.
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

The Indirect Approach is also known as the 'bad-news' plan and basically has four parts to
it:
i. Beginning: A buffer statement ii. The Explanation:
Analysis of circumstances
iii. The Decision: Either implied or stated, with resale and/or helpful suggestions
iv. End: The concluding statement — positive, friendly, clear statement of future
action desired, motivation for future action and appreciation.

The Buffer

The indirect approach begins inductively and uses a buffer to prepare the reader for the
bad news. The opening of the letter should be pleasant, relevant, honest and neutral in
tone. Some useful ideas for buffer statements are:
1. Agreement: Find a point of mutual agreement with your reader, terms and
conditions, prices, etc., to establish that you are not enemies but are working
towards the common goal of a mutually beneficial relationship.
2. Appreciation: Thank the reader for her/his information, application, request,
inquiry, or whatever is pertinent.
3. Assurance: Assure the reader that you have carefully considered her/his request
and have given honest explanations for your inability to do what s/he desires.
4. Compliment: Find something complimentary to say to the reader about your past
association with her/him.
5. Cooperation: Demonstrate a genuine desire to be as helpful as possible.
6. Good News: If there is any part of your reader's request that you have been able to
grant, begin with that,
7. Understanding: Display your sympathetic understanding of the reader's problem or
concerns.

The Explanation

While writing a negative message, explanations are crucial to the effectiveness of these
messages, because they lay the ground for a continued relationship and ensure that the
communication interaction does not become a cul-de-sac but remains open.
It is important for you to give honest and convincing reasons why you have handled the
matter differently from what the reader had expected or desired.
190| BUSINESS ENGLISH

Some of the things you may want to keep in mind while drafting the explanation and
analysis for bad news letters are:
1. Convince the reader that you are acting in her/his best interests in the long run or
according to a policy that applies equally to all. This will demonstrate your
organization's commitment to its customers and clients.
2. Courteously explain all the relevant facts that prompted your decision.
3. Show that careful consideration was given to the matter, keeping in mind the
interests of the reader and your company.

The Decision

Your decision, either stated or implied, must be conveyed clearly, positively and
concisely. Here are some alternatives that you could use:
1. If the reasons are self-evident and you know that the reader will understand that
you had to take the hard decision and refuse her/his request, you can omit all
negatives and make the bad news decision clear by implication. So, for example,
if Ms Sen will be unable to supply the file folders ordered because they have been
discontinued, that is all she needs to say and Abhaya Kumar will understand why
his order is not being fulfilled.
2. If you think that your implied decision may be misunderstood, state it immediately
after the explanation. Be careful not to mislead the reader, since that is also
discourteous. Do not give your decision in an independent paragraph, but rather
place it somewhere in the middle of the body of your letter.
3. See if you can offer a compromise, a counterproposal or an alternative course of
action. If you can the focus of your bad news will shift from what cannot be done,
to what can be done.
4. Include resale information, if desirable, to keep the channels of communication
open and show the reader that you have a continued interest in doing business and
that this is only a temporary setback.

A Friendly, Positive Close

End on a positive note, using some of these ideas to help you:

1. Offer the assurance that you value the relationship with your reader and would
appreciate a continued interaction.
2. Invite future patronage, cooperation, suggestions. If you think the reader will
respond favourably this is the place to include some mild, non-pressure sales
promotion information.
3. If the reader needs to take some action, make the 'when' and 'how' of what needs
to be done, clear.
BUSINESS ENGUSH

unsolicited. This means that you may be writing your letter in response to a letter
received, or you may be initiating the correspondence by sending a letter to a prospective
client or customer. In either case you will need to persuade action by the reader.
Some of the possible kinds of unsolicited requests that we may routinely make are:
1. Requests that require the receivers' time or personal contribution
2. Requests about products or services
3. Requests for information from a seller
4. Requests for claims and adjustments
5. Requests for credit
6. Requests for changes in policy.
Notice that while (b) and (c) are fairly routine requests and are unlikely to merit an
unfavourable response, letters (a), (d), (e) and (f), need more thought and must be
carefully drafted. In the next two chapters, we will be looking at these letters in greater
detail, but for the moment here is:

[Zl Checklist: Composing Persuasive Messages

1. Attention (promise, start) — Introduction of relevant reader benefit or interest . 2.
Interest (picture, chain)
a) Introduction of product, service, problem, project, unique selling point (USP)
b) Appeals — direct or indirect benefit for reader '. , , * .
3. Desire (proof, chain)
:
a) Development of description and benefits ; ;: •
' b) Anticipation of possible objections ;- - -=
c) Confidence of quality and price , ■■ • * ~ 7 _ • <•'; / \
4. Action (push, hook) ;•>. ; ., , '-•";-•', \ *
a) Clear statement of action desired
b) Easy action "
J
c) Dated action ' V ; ; :
d) Reader benefit .. . '
•'.'■'•'. (Murphy et al 2000: 276-277)
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

4. Express sincere concern for the reader's continued benefit and wishes for success
with alternatives. There is no need to repeat the bad news here.

In addition to conveying good, bad or neutral news, you often need to persuade your
readers to do something: to act, accept your point of view, follow your requests, respond,
change their behaviour or attitude, etc. In order to bring about this behaviour modification
in your readers, you need to persuade them.
We will now look at two kinds of strategies for composing persuasive messages.

Direct Requests

When we are making routine personal requests, we can use the direct approach format.
This approach, as we saw earlier, has three main parts:
1. The main idea: Your request or question, statement or reason.
2. The explanation: The details the reader needs so that s/he can consider your
request. \
3. The conclusion: A courteous request for compliance with the request.

Indirect Requests

Other kinds of requests, again unsolicited, may lead to some conflict or objection and
these need to be framed more carefully. These non-routine requests or favours most often
work better with the indirect approach. This, as we have seen, has four parts:
1. Buffer opening
2. Explanation
3. Request or concern
4. Courteous close, with a last request for action.
Whether the direct or the indirect approach is made, while asking favours or making
requests, we can use the AIDA strategy we have discussed earlier to make our letter more
effective and optimize the chances of receiving a positive (good news) response.

Solicited and Unsolicited Letters

Let us think about another way to classify letters, in addition to the good/ bad/ neutral
responses we have been talking about. Your letters may be solicited or
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

Learning Outcomes

In this chapter you have learnt JftaffI0VffffIIfISERRmmtl9ffflf1 ll • Depending on the

possible reaction of your readers, letters can be classified as-; good news, bad news or
neutral messages
• While writing good news letters we use the direct approach
• The direct approach has three parts arranged in the following sequence—th best news;
the explanation with details, educational information, resale and sales promotion; and,
the courteous close and call for action 4

' • While writing bad news letters, we use the indirect approach %
p * The indirect approach has four parts arranged in the following sequence—the
buffer; the explanation and analysis; the decision; and the courteous close
• Persuasion is an integral part of correspondence and we need it for bothj
I solicited and unsolicited letters •1
• Routine enquiries and requests for information use the direct approach, while
special and out-of-the-ordinary requests may need the indirect approach to bm
effective . n

Exercises

QUESTIC

1. What are the two ways in which you can classify letters? Give examples in support of
your answer.
2. What is the direct approach to writing letters? When is it used? Describe the format of
a direct approach letter.
3. What is the indirect approach to writing letters? When is it used? Describe the format
of an indirect approach letter.

4. What do you want to achieve when you write a persuasive message?

(OUR UNDERSTANDING

Read the following 10 statements used in a letter and rearrange them according to the
sequence in which they would appear in a letter.
(a) I hope to hear from you soon.
(b) I have enclosed a brochure giving details of prices and other particulars of our
products.
(c) A discount of 10 per cent will be given for all orders received before 30 March 2008.
194 BUSINESS ENGLISH

(d) We manufacture CFL bulbs in a variety of sizes and colours.

(e) We have received your letter dated 7 February 2008, asking for information about
our products and services.
(f) We accept orders from individuals and organizations.
(g) SWITCH2CFL is committed to environmental protection.
(h) Delivery of the consignment will be made only after the order is confirmed in
writing, (i) We are happy to offer you interest-free credit for three months on an order
of over Rs 1,00,000.
(j) We look forward to your patronage.

You have been asked to write a bad news letter on behalf of Bhavik Takia, the Retail
Sales Manager of SWITCH2CFL; informing a customer, Mr Sushil Kansal of Sansar
India Limited, that due to non-payment of the earlier bill, no further transactions will be
done with his organization. Make a draft outline of the letter, using an approach you think
will be most effective.

Look at the checklist for persuasive messages. Expand the checklist to identify the various
kinds of reader benefits that you can offer as part of the 'desire' section of your letter. List
at least 10 benefits to explain how the product or service will be of immediate and long-
term, personal and professional benefit, to the reader.
 SECTION C: SALES CDRRESPDNDENCE

Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
potential
After studying this section you will be able to; . Understand the
enquiry
different kinds of sales letters Learn how to write enquiries
orders
and replies Learn how to place orders and respond to
adjustment
orders received Learn how to respond to complaints and
complaint
their follow-up Learn how to respond to requests for
follow-up
concessions Learn how to draft circulars, mail shots and
prospective
tenders mail shot
tender
bid
Pre-reading Activity
SWITCH2CFL is a manufacturing unit and has to correspond regularly with its
customers, both current and potential, and also with its various suppliers. In this
section, we will look at various kinds of sales correspondence undertaken by the
organization. Given the competitive market environment it is important that
SWITCH2CFL drafts effective letters to retain its client base and also build a
larger one. Ratna Malik, the Senior Sales Manager, Jaideep Das, the Industrial
Sales Manager, and Bhavik Takia, the Retail Sales Director, will be the main
correspondents for the sales activity that SWITCH2CFL participates in.
SWITCH2CFL could initiate the correspondence interaction by sending out a mail
shot or circular letter to a host of potential customers giving information about its
products or put an advertisement in the print or electronic media. In many cases,
this organisation would need to correspond with manufacturers of products that it
may require for its own use.
We will look in some detail at the kinds of correspondence opportunities
when SWITCH2CFL is the supplier of a range of lighting products. If the situation
is reversed and SWITCH2CFL is the buyer of a product, the same suggestions
about optimizing effectiveness of communication would apply.

hen SWITCH2CFL receives an enquiry about its products, it could be from

one of the following: 1. A potential customer who has heard about the
company and wants some information about its products.

w
196] BUSINESS ENGLISH

2. A customer who is responding to an advertisement or a mail shot

that has been initiated by SWITCH2CFL.
3. An existing customer who is making a routine business query.
4. An existing customer who is asking for some concession —
special price, credit, modification in terms and conditions, etc.
'■ ■

To facilitate understanding, let us begin with the first scenario.

SWITCH2CFL has received this letter in the mail.

Figure 11.2: Exchange of

letters is an important way of
communication in business

The United India College

University of Bharat
502 Swatantra Marg
New Delhi 110077
PHONE: 24682468; e-mail: educationforall@unitedindia.in
29 February 2008

Reference Number: UIC/123/2008

Retail Sales Manager, .

SWITCH2CFL,
15, Aspiration Towers,
Gurgaon, Haryana 123456,
India.
Dear Mr Takia,

Subject: Enquiry regarding alternative lig hting systems

We have recently celebrated our silver jubilee as a premier residential institution of

higher learning in the National Capital Region. In our endeavour to promote
sensitivity towards the environment among our students and staff, we have decided
to allocate resources in the next financial year to make our campus energy efficient.
Towards this end, we are seeking information regarding alternative lighting systems.
Your company has the reputation of manufacturing superior quality CFL products
and we would like you to send us detailed information about your range of products,
along with prices and payment options.
We look forward to hearing from vou at the earliest to enable us to make the
necessary decision and arrangements.
Yours truly,
( Animesh Khatri
(Anirnesh Khatri)
i
Estate Manager
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

Here is the reply sent by Bhavik Takia to Animesh Khatri.

Notice how the AID A technique has been used for effective persuasive commu-
nication, along with the Effective Endings techniques for positive feedback:

SWITCH2CFL
15, ASPIRATION TOWERS
GURGAON, HARYANA 123456
INDIA
PHONE; 2345678; e-mail: SWITCH2CFL@ENERGYSAVING.ORG

15 March 2008

Your Reference: UIC/123/2008 Our

Reference: S2CFL/123/2008

The Estate Manager, The

United India College,
University of Bharat, 502
Swatantra Marg,
New Delhi 110077.

Subject: Alternative lighting systems

Dear Mr Khatri,
Thank you for your letter dated 29 February 2008, enquiring about alternative lighting
systems for your college. You have made the right decision by deciding to shift to CFL in
your campus and are sending out a message to the community that your institution teaches
important lessons even beyond the classroom.
You will be happy to know that we are currently promoting the switchover to this
environmentally friendly technology and, as an incentive to our customers, have an attractive
offer for you. In addition to fulfilling your order, we will be happy to offer you, free of cost,
appropriate holders for the CFL bulbs. Our technician will come at a time convenient to you
and change all the light fixtures in your college and you will have no trouble for life. We also
provide a replacement guarantee on our products for two years. I have enclosed our latest
catalogue giving our range of products along with prices and payment options.
I urge you to place your order at the earliest. For your convenience, I have also enclosed
an order form that you can mail or fax to me at your convenience.
I look forward to receiving an order from your institution and can promise that you will
not regret your decision. Not only will you save electricity and reduce costs, but also find this
lighting alternative very convenient as you do not need to change the bulbs frequently. CFL
bulbs last ten times longer than ordinary bulbs.
Yours truly,
Bhavik Takia
(Bhavik Takia)
Retail Sales Manager
Enclosures:
i) SWITCH2CFL Catalogue
ii) Order Form
198 BUSINESS ENGLISH

Notice in the letters above, that Animesh Khatri clearly stated the purpose of his letter and also indicated
what was required as response. This helped Bhavik Takia to respond appropriately. He replied promptly
indicating that the business was welcome and also made a reference to Animesh Khatri's enquiry. The
effectiveness of Bhavik Takia's letter will be judged according to whether SWITCH2CFL gets the order.

PLACING AND FULFILLINGORDERS

The chain of communication initiated by Animesh Khatri and carried forward by Bhavik
Takia will move forward if an order is placed.
If United India College feels that SWITCH2CFL is the best supplier to fulfil their
requirements, the order will be placed. When placing an order, the letter must include:
1. A reference to the seller's letter — reference number, date, etc.
2. A reference to the catalogue enclosed
3. Specific details regarding the quantity and nature of goods required
4. Directions regarding delivery, clearly indicating the mode of delivery to be used
5. Instructions regarding packing, insurance, etc.
6. The preferred mode of payment
7. The time period being given for the fulfilment of the order.

V Activity

On behalf of Animesh Khatri, write a letter to SWITCH2CFL, placing an order for CFL
bulbs for United India College. Make sure to include all the details given above.

If Animesh Khatri chooses to use the order form sent by Bhavik Takia along with the
reply to the original query, he will still need to send a covering letter with the form and
include any details not covered in the form.
When the order is received, it must be promptly acknowledged. For this, either a
printed acknowledgement card can be used or a letter sent, giving the following details:
i. Reference to the date on which the order was received ii.
Gratitude for the order received
iii. Legal acceptance of all the details mentioned in the order iv. Clear statement of the
details of the fulfilment of the order, in terms
of delivery v. An expectation of continued business
dealings.
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

\ Activity

On behalf of Bhavik Takia acknowledge the order received and include all the points
mentioned above in your letter.

In the placing and fulfilling of orders, some of the barriers that can affect a mutually
satisfactory communication interaction are:
1. The order received may be incomplete
In such a case, the seller will have to write to the buyer asking for clarification and
assuring her/him of her/his willingness to fulfil the order as soon as the details
have been clarified.
2. The item ordered may be out of stock or may have been discontinued
In such a case, the seller will have to write to the buyer either asking for a
concession of time to fulfil the order, or offering a substitute with the assurance of
its suitability.
3. The buyer may owe the seller some money for a previous order
In such a case, the seller will politely request the buyer to settle the outstanding
amount and assure her/him that once that is done, the order will be immediately
fulfilled.

Even when we take utmost care to fulfil the orders received to the satisfaction of the
buyer, there are occasions when the buyer could have cause for complaint. Some of the
situations that can cause the buyer to complain are:
1. When the order is incomplete
2. If the goods were received in a damaged condition
3. If quality of the goods was not as specified
4. If there is a mistake in the invoicing
5. If the after-sales service is poor.
While making complaints, the following points need to be kept in mind:
1. Since this is a bad news letter, the indirect approach should be used.
2. The tone should be courteous and the request for adjustment reasonable.
3. The details of the faulty order or merchandise must be clearly indicated — date, order
number, invoice number, delivery date, etc.
4. Exact details of the nature of the problem should be provided.
5. Reference to the inconvenience caused and the loss of time, money, goodwill and/or
reputation incurred.
6. Suggestions for what compensatory action can be taken to rectify the situation.
§00 BUSINESS ENGLISH

7. The letter should close with easy, dated action and an expression of faith in the
seller's consideration.
When the seller receives such complaints from the buyer; there will be an immediate
follow-up and there are two possible responses that the seller can make:
1. The seller may grant adjustment — compensate for the loss caused to the buyer
and offer a replacement or a redressal of the complaint.
2. The seller may not grant adjustment — may not be able to offer a redressal of the
buyer's complaint.
In either case it is important to retain goodwill so the letter sent in response to the
complaint has to be very carefully drafted. When the reply to the complaints is being
drafted, keep the following in mind:
1. If you are giving good news use the direct approach for your letter; but if you are
writing a bad news letter, use the indirect approach.
2. You will need to apologize for the inconvenience caused due to the order not
being fulfilled as desired by the customer, so your tone will be one of regret.
3. Promptly acknowledge the complaint and thank the customer for bringing the
problem to your notice.
4. If the fault is yours, acknowledge your mistake and assure your customer that you
will do everything necessary to make amends.
5. Specify what action you intend to take.
6. Close the letter with a reiteration of regret and an assurance that such problems
will not recur.

y\ Activity
Ratna Malik has received a complaint that there is a problem in an order placed with
SWITCH2CFL. The order had specified 200 CFL bulbs of 50 watts each, while what were
received were 150 bulbs of 30 watts each. In addition to that, the order was received a
week after the delivery had been promised. While as per company policy, the bulbs can
be replaced in number and wattage, however, the delay was not the fault of the supplier,
but of the receiver who had not accepted the delivery on time.
Using the cues given above, draft a reply on behalf of Ratna Malik.

The letters we have been talking about above are all solicited correspondence and are
sent in response to a letter received. SWITCH2CFL would also send out unsolicited
letters inviting patronage from prospective clients and these are the kinds of letters we
will look at now.
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE i2Qlj

CIRCULARS AND MAIL SHOTS

Sales letters sent out to existing and potential customers are called circulars or mail shots.

Circulars are normally sent to existing clients/customers informing them about some
change or initiative taken by the company. You might want to let your regular clients
know when your address changes, when you open a new retail outlet, if you are launching
a new product or are making a special offer.
(Do not confuse these circulars with those that form a part of the internal corre-
spondence of an organization.) A mail shot is normally a cold call letter in which you
send out letters to prospective customers.
The primary purpose of this kind of communication is publicity and advertisement of
the products or services offered by an organization and the anticipated feedback is an
increase in the client base. These letters follow the format of the indirect, persuasive letter
since the aim is turning a non-user into a user of a product or service.
These letters have certain important characteristics:
Length
As compared with other solicited communication, which are direct and to the point, these
letters tend to be much longer since they need to persuade the reader to become a
customer. For this, a whole host of arguments have to be marshalled to prove the
credibility of the seller. As Gartside says, 'The purpose of this letter is to persuade the
reader that he needs what you are trying to sell and to get him to buy it. You take
something attractive and make it seem necessary, or you take something necessary and
make it seem attractive.' (Sinha 2001: 367). Focus on a specific segment of consumers
Although the letter does not have a single addressee, but is created for a host of readers, it
is directed at a particular section of the population for whom the product or service is
likely to be of interest. This directed communication makes the transmission more
efficient as we are more likely to receive positive feedback unlike if we send letters
indiscriminately, and waste time, money and paper. Specialized Information
Two of the elements of correspondence we learnt about in Chapter 11, Section B, were
necessary details and detailed information. While writing these letters we must make sure
to include all the necessary technical details about the product to make our claims of its
utility more credible. We could also include supplementary literature with the letter so
that the clients can satisfy themselves about all the details of the product or service.
ENGLISH

DO YOU CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?

LIGHT MORE FOR LESS
SWITCH 2 COMPACT FLUORESCENT LIGHT BULBS

If every Indian home replaced just one light bulb with SWITCH2CFL bulb, we would
save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than Rs 600
crore in annual energy costs, and prevent green house gases equivalent to the emissions of
more than 800,000 cars.
CFLs use about 75 per cent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to
10 rimes longer. Save about Rs 300 or more in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime.
Produce about 75 per cent less heat, so they are safer to operate and can cut energy costs
associated with home cooling. They are available in different sizes and shapes to fit in almost
any fixture, for indoors and outdoors.
How to Choose and Where to Use CFLs:
CFLs provide the greatest savings in fixtures that are on for a substantial amount of time each
day. At a minimum, SWITCH2CFL recommends installing CFLs in fixtures that are used at
least 15 minutes at a time or several hours per day. The best fixtures to use qualified CFLs in
are usually found in the following areas of your home: family and living rooms, kitchen,
dining room, bedrooms, and outdoors.
How to Choose the Right Light:
Matching the right CFL to the right kind of fixture helps ensure that it will perform properly
and last a long time.
For example, CFLs perform best in open fixtures that allow airflow, such as table and
floor lamps, wall sconces, pendants and outdoor fixtures. For recessed fixtures, it is better to
use a reflector CFL than a spiral CFL since the design of the reflector evenly distributes the
light down to your task area.
To choose the CFL with the right amount of light, find a qualified CFL that is labelled as
equivalent to the incandescent bulb you are replacing. Light bulb manufacturers include this
information right on the product packaging to make it easy for consumers to choose the
equivalent bulb. Common terms include 'Soft White 60' or '60 Watt Replacement.' You
should also check the lumen rating to find the right CFL. The higher the lumen rating, the
greater the light output.
CFL Disposal — Closing the loop:
CFLs contain a small amount of mercury and should be disposed of properly, ideally
recycled.
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE »

Striking Opening
You are already familiar with the AIDA technique for effective communication
and an eye-catching opening is vital to get the attention of the reader, particularly
since these letters are unsolicited.
Appeal
Since this is persuasive communication, you need to appeal to the reason and/or
the emotions of the reader. Emotional appeals are those that are directed at our
senses — smell, taste, touch, sight and hearing—and are designed to provoke an
emotional reaction. Rational appeals are directed at the intellect and reason, and
appeal to the need for economy, efficiency, profit, progress, prosperity, etc.
Style
The style of these letters is conversational and the most preferred pronoun is 'you'.
Urging Action
Again, in keeping with the AIDA technique, such letters urge action or positive feedback by
the reader.
Here, is a sample of a mail shot by a company like SWITCH2CFL that manufactures
alternative lighting systems.

Tenders are invitations to contractors giving details of construction or engineering works

to be done and asking for interested parties to submit estimates for the completion of the
job. Invitations to bid, ask suppliers to send in estimates for supplying specific specialized
goods or services detailed in the bidding documents. Interested enquirers/parties will
write and ask for the tender bidding documents in which complete details of the
requirements will be set out and from which they can work out the cost, time, material,
etc., that they will require to complete the work or supply the goods or services asked for.
(Sinha 2001: 569)
The practice followed is to wait for all the tenders and bids to be received before they
are opened. A comparative analysis is done and the contract normally given to the
company that can fulfil the requirements in the most efficient and economical manner.
Since this correspondence is initiated by an organization or institution that needs a
product or a service, it would be desirable to draft the tender and bid notices and
invitations carefully. This would ensure that the message would be directed at those
concerned with it and in a best position to respond.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Here is a sample of a tender notice put in the newspaper by SWITCH2CFL

SWITCH2CFL
15, ASPIRATION TOWERS
GURGAON, HARYANA 123456
INDIA
PHONE: 2345678; e-mail: SWITCH2CFL@ENERGYSAVING.ORG

NOTICE INVITING TENDERS: No. SFL1/2008/011 Sealed tenders are

invited on behalf of the project director SWITCH2CFL for the internal sanitary installation,
water supply, drainage, development works and internal electrical installation at its new plant in
Sector 100, Kamal Bypass Road; from only the agencies who have executed similar work
during the last three years. The composite estimated cost of the project is Rs 1234567 and the
earnest money to be deposited is Rs 100000. The period of completion of the project is 200
days. The tender forms will be available with the administrative officer of the company, and
can be obtained on all working days from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on payment of Rs 1,000 by
cash or demand draft drawn in favour of SWITCH2CFL and payable at New Delhi. The forms
will be available until 31 March 2008.
The last date for receipt of completed tenders, on the firm's letter head, is 1 May 2008 up to
5:00 p.m. The tender documents will be opened on 15 May 2008 and the processing of the
applications completed by 30 May 2008.
The vendors may also download the tender documents containing detailed technical
specifications, and terms and conditions from our website www.energysaving.org.

)Tjggf Learning Outcomes

In this chapter you have learnt
;^
^H I^
H
• That enquiries about products and services are an important segment of the
letters received and sent out by an organization
> * That replies to enquiries must be prompt and follow the AIDA and effective ending
techniques
f • When orders are placed clear instructions need to be given regarding the exact
nature of the goods or services required, the quality and quantity, delivery and I
insurance instructions, and payment option agreed upon
• When the order is accepted by the seller, the process has legal validity, and the
seller is obliged to honour her/his commitment
^ • That a buyer who is dissatisfied with the product or service will complain and the
• complaint needs to be followed up by the seller
i • If the seller is granting adjustment asked for, the direct approach of good news
letters should be used; if the seller is not granting the adjustment asked for, the
; indirect approach of bad news letters will be used
r • That an organization also drafts persuasive unsolicited circulars to be sent to
I existing customers and mail shots for transmission to prospective customers
\ . * That tendering and bidding is an important part of the external correspondence
||||l undertaken by an organization .......
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

1. What are the kinds of customers from whom SWITC2CFL will receive enquiries
about its products?
2. What should be kept in mind while making an enquiry?
3. What are the techniques that would be useful while drafting a reply to an enquiry?
4. What are the details that need to be included in the letter, while placing an order?
5. How should an order be acknowledged?
6. Identify the reasons for being unable to fulfil an order.
7. What are some of the reasons why customers may complain?
8. How will you respond to a request for adjustment that you are refusing?
9. What are the important characteristics of circulars and mail shots?
10. Define tenders and bids and list the important points that should be included while
drafting a notice for tender/bid.

Look back at the different kinds of letters and correspondence you have learned about in
this chapter. Identify some important points of grammar that will help you to write these
letters effectively — voice, pronoun, etc.

1. Make an enquiry to SWITCH2CFL about the bulbs you wish to replace in your
house.
2. Draft a complaint regarding the bulbs you purchased from the retail outlet of
SWITCH2CFL in your locality.
3. Draft a reply to the complaint on behalf of SWITCH2CFL.
4. Write a circular to your existing customers informing them about a new outlet you
have opened in Select City Walk Mall.
5. Draft a bid notice on behalf of the administrative, officer of your college, inviting
quotations for desks and chairs for the classrooms in your college.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Can you prepare an effectiveness checklist for sales correspondence? Collect as

many samples of sales correspondence as you can and analyse them for
effectiveness of communication. What changes would you make to enhance their
communication quotient?
 SECTION D: FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENCE

Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
default
After studying Wssection you wmhe able TO:
collection
• Understand the different kinds of letters relating to financial dealings
reminders
• Learn how to write collection letters
last resort
• Learn how to write letters to banks and insurance companies j»f
insurance
Learn how to correspond while undertaking export and import
risk
compensation
claims
Pre-reading Activity appeal
SWITCH2CFL is a growing organization with an annual turnover of Rs 500 crore. conscience
It has customers across the length and breadth of the world and corresponds
regularly with banks and insurance agencies for its financial needs and claims,
and also undertakes import-export related correspondence.
While there are customers who make payments regularly, there are also
defaulters who fail to make their payments on time.. Ratna Malik as the Senior
sales manager is constantly confronted with complaints from industrial sales
Manager Jaideep Das and Bhavik Takia, the Retail Sales Manager. Let us now
look at how Ratna Malik deals with customers who default on their payments.
O:«L Six*

CO LLECTIONLETTERS

T he collection department of SWITCH2CFL will correspond with defaulting

customers. It is important to retain goodwill, so the letters will be courteous
and cordial. For these letters, we will use a combination of the direct and indirect
approaches.
The letters are normally written in three stages, progressively, depending on
the response received: Mild Reminders -> Persuasive Letters -> Last Resort
Letters.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Stage 1: Mild Reminders

This is also known as the will pay stage, as the company is confident of receiving the
payment. This letter is a reminder to the customer and will be a 'direct approach' letter and
will include the following points:
i. Details of the transaction: date, size of consignment, a copy of the invoice/
statement of account, ii. This is the first reminder, so the words 'please' and 'just a friendly
reminder' can be used. iii. The letter closes with easy, dated action, asking for the
payment. iv. The concluding statement reiterates the appreciation for the business and the
anticipation of continued interaction. Two or three such mild reminders may be sent,
depending on company policy and the past record of the customer. Each successive letter
will, in addition to the above points, make a reference to the letters already sent.

Stage 2: Persuasive Letters

This is the should pay stage and is needed if no reply has been received to the mild
reminders sent. At this stage, we need to persuade the customer to make the payment and
will need to appeal to her/his conscience, concern for reputation. Since this is a persuasive
letter, it will use the 'indirect approach' and we can offer an incentive or concession to
motivate positive action.
When we reach this stage, we have not received any reply to our mild reminders and
will need to be as persuasive as possible. We can include the following points, in this
sequence, in these letters, to make them more effective:
i. The buffer: an attention getting opening —an attractive incentive or offer
ii. An appeal to the receiver: conscience, social prestige, reputation in the market, etc.
iii. A suggestion to help the customer solve any problem that is causing nonpayment iv. A
mention of the mild reminders sent earlier v. A clear request for payment vi. A courteous
close with easy, dated action. Again, depending on company policy and the importance of
the customer to the affected organization, two or three such persuasive letters may be sent.

Stage 3: Last Resort Letters

This is the final stage in the correspondence relating to collection of outstanding payments
and is known as the must pay stage.
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

We reach this stage when all reminders, appeals and suggestions have failed and we
have no resort but to write a 'direct approach' letter, giving the defaulting customer one
last chance to pay. This letter will be short and to the point and will include the following
points;
i, Details of the transaction and the amount outstanding ii. Mention of the reminders and
offers made iii. A final chance to make the payment immediately iv. The future course
of action if the payment is not made —legal action,
collection agency v. A courteous close
with easy action.
As in the case of the reminders and persuasive letters, every organization has its own
policy regarding collection of outstanding payments.

CORRESPONDENCE WITH BANKS

As SWITCH2CFL expands its operations, it needs financial support

and for this it relies heavily on banks. In addition to generating funds,
the company will need to regularly correspond with its bank for various
commercial transactions. Some of the situations that demand
correspondence are:
1. Opening a Current Account
2. Stopping Payment for a Cheque
3. Request for an Overdraft
4. Request for a Loan
5. Request for a Bank Guarantee Figure 11.4: Correspondence
with banks is an integral part
6. Request for a Current Accounts Statement of business communication

7. Request for the opening of a Letter of Credit.

These are normally direct approach letter and depending on the credit worthiness of
an organization, a 'good news' response can be expected. Most of these are fairly routine
requests that the bank will have no hesitation in agreeing to. In some cases, however, the
bank may send a 'bad news' letter, in which case the company has to make the necessary
effort to persuade the bank to comply with its request. For this, the company will need to
prepare the necessary proof of its credit worthiness to receive a 'good news' response. In
such a situation, the letters will follow the persuasive 'indirect approach', in hope of
positive feedback.

Since SWITCH2CFL is an expanding organization and caters to a global need for energy
conservation, it has dealings with suppliers from overseas and also has
ENGLISH

customers in countries across the world. Part of its external correspondence, therefore,
relates to import and export and that is what we will look at now.
Import-Export correspondence has many stages as there are many financial agencies
involved and there are governmental regulations that have to be followed. We looked
above at some of the correspondence that the organization has with its bank. In addition to
the situations mentioned, all financial dealing with both importer and exporter would have
to be done through a bank. Let us look at some of the important stages of import-export
correspondence.
• Enquiry sent to a supplier or received from a customer.
This is a routine enquiry letter of the kind you learned about in Section C and the reply
would also be drafted in a similar manner as that used for a sales enquiry.
• The Letter of Credit
An 'irrevocable letter of credit', as it is called, is the most frequently used mode of
payment for import. The company that is exporting the goods can be assured of payment
when the goods have been dispatched and the importer has proof that the goods have been
sent according to their specifications. This letter is an interbank correspondence between
the importer's and the exporter's bank.
Here is the sequence of events that will be followed when SWITCH2CFL orders
electrical circuits from WeLightLives in Turkey:
1. Both SWITCH2CFL and WeLightLives agree upon a sales contract and the terms
of the Documentary Credit.
2. SWITCH2CFL asks their bank, UCO Bank, the issuing bank, to open a
Documentary Credit in favour of WeLightLives.
At this stage, SWITCH2CFL needs to give the following information to UCO
Bank on a printed application form that contains the following sections: i. The
name and address of the exporter - WeLightLives, 15 Pamuk
Street, Ankara, Turkey, ii. The
expiry date of the contract
iii. Precise instructions regarding when the payment is to be made, that is, after
all the necessary documents have been received.
iv. The terms of the contract and shipment—FOB (Free on Board), CIF (cost,
Insurance and Freight), etc.
v. The type of credit — revocable (which can be cancelled) or irrevocable, vi.
The amount of credit and in which currency, vii. The name and address of the
importer — SWITCH2CFL, 15, Aspiration
Towers, Gurgaon, Haryana 123456. viii. The name of the party in the bills of
exchange where instructions have been given to the bank regarding amount and
date of payment, to be made. This also includes whether they are to be at sight
(when the ben-
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE 2U

eficiary presents the documents to the bank) or of a particular tenor (according to

certain conditions of manner or time), ix. A brief description of the goods covered
under credit. x. Whether the credit is available for one or several payments.
3. UCO Bank sends letter of credit to Deutsche Bank in Ankara, the bankers of
WeLightLives and the advising bank.
4. WeLightLives presents the shipping document to Deutsche Bank as proof that the
shipment has been dispatched to SWITCH2CFL. If everything is in order
WeLightLives is paid for the order.
5. Deutsche Bank sends the shipping document to UCO Bank.
6. UCO Bank then sends this document to SWITCH2CFL who uses it to receive
delivery of its order.
If SWITCH2CFL is the exporter, rather than the importer, it would have to undertake
all the correspondence that WeLightLives had to carry out.
Let us look at some of the technical terms associated with import-export
correspondence: .
1. Port of Discharge: The port at which the cargo is unloaded —in this case,
Mumbai.
2. DDP: Delivered, Duty Paid.
3. Ex-Ship: All the charges after the ship reaches Mumbai, which SWITCH2CFL
has to pay.
4. Bill of Entry: A form used by SWITCH2CFL to declare the information regarding
the goods entering Mumbai Port, to the Ports Authority of India.
5. Bill of Lading: A document giving details of the goods that are being shipped by
WeLightLives. This is also an acknowledgement from the shipping company that
it has received the goods on board.
6. Insurance Policy: Marine insurance that is mandatory for international trade.
7. Invoice: A document prepared by WeLightLives, giving complete details of the
goods being exported, and sent to SWITCH2CFL.
8. Certificate of Origin: A certificate given by WeLightLives that the circuits were
manufactured in Turkey.
9. D/P bill or D/A bill: Documents against payment/acceptance.
10. Shipping Advice: The letter sent by WeLightLives to SWITCH2CFL informing
them that the goods have been dispatched and also giving details of the ship and
the forwarding of documents through Deutsche Bank.
11. Letter of Credit: The letter issued by UCO Bank to SWITCH2CFL, who send it to
the Indent House or WeLightLives.
12. Indent: The order placed by SWITCH2CFL, to WeLightLives.
13. Indent House: The agent or middlemen in the importing of goods, who have
offices in Turkey.
212 BUSINESS ENGLISH

By definition, Insurance is an agreement that in return for small, regular payments

made, the agency will compensate the company for loss, damage, injury or death.
(Sinha 2001: 455) .,.--.,.
The four main kinds of insurance are:
1. Fire insurance
2. Accident insurance
3. Marine insurance
4. Life insurance.
Every organization, takes out an insurance policy for its business transactions, its
premises and its employees. This removes the element of uncertainty from business and
allows the organization to take some commercial risks with the confidence of a 'cover'.
Insurance is also an incentive for employees who dedicate their lives and efforts to the
company. Insurance correspondence normally relates to three kinds of needs:
1. Asking for a policy to be prepared for a specific need
2. Asking for an assessment to be made of loss suffered
3. Asking for settlement of a claim or compensation.
While most of these are routine letters and follow the direct approach, sometimes
persuasive letters need to be written, using the indirect approach. The most important
element of insurance correspondence is clarity about facts and figures. These facts and
figures will make your letter complete and ensure that you get positive feedback from
receiver of your letter.

Learning Outcomes

.this chapter you have learnt that: Collection letters are written to customers who
default on their payments. The three stages of correspondence relating to collection
of outstanding payments are: the mild reminder—will pay stage; the persuasive
should pay stage; and, the last resort—must pay stage.
Organizations correspond regularly with banks for their financial needs and make
requests for opening an account, for statement of accounts, for a loan or overdraft,
for a guarantee, and also for their import-export correspondence. Import-export
correspondence involves correspondence not only between importer and exporter,
but also with banks, insurance agents, shipping companies, indent houses, etc.
There is a predetermined sequence of letters, with formal requirements for import-
export correspondence.
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

• Organizations correspond with insurance agencies for policies regarding their

employees, premises and commercial transactions. Insurance is taken out for
loss, damage, injury and death. The-correspondence relates to the preparation
of policies, the assessment of damage and the settlement of claims. Fidelity to
facts and figures is an important element of insurance correspondence.

1. What are collection letters and why are they written?

2. What are the three stages of writing collection letters? Explain each stage, giving
details of what you would include in each letter.
3. When does an organization need to correspond with its bankers?
4. What are the stages of correspondence that takes place between an importer and an
exporter?
5. What is insurance and why does an organization have insurance policies?
6. What are the kinds of insurance correspondence that a company needs to undertake?

Look at the kinds of correspondence you have studied about in this chapter. Divide the
letters according to whether they require the 'direct' or the 'indirect approach'.

1. Write three collection letters to Mr Sushil Ohri, the proprietor of Home Decor Ltd.
This is regarding an order of 5,000 CFL bulbs supplied by SWITCH2CFL. The
order was dispatched on 25 March 2008 and no payment was received till 25
September 2008. Begin with a mild reminder, go on to the persuasive reminder
and finally write a last resort letter.
2. Write a letter to The Manager, UCO Bank requesting for a loan of Rs 5 crore to
help SWITCH2CFL expand its present operations and open a new manufacturing
plant in Faridabad.
3. Write a letter to the insurance company 'We Take the Risk', requesting them to
send an agent to assess the damage caused by a storm at sea in which the
ENGLISH

ship carrying your import order from Turkey capsized and all the goods on board
were lost. Include a request for speedy settlement of the claim in the same letter.

1. Visit your telephone service provider and find out about their policies regarding
collection of outstanding payments.
2. Visit your bank and collect the papers relating to loans, overdrafts, opening of new
accounts and letters of credit.
3. Visit an organization that has business overseas, or is an importer of goods from
overseas. Request them to share some of their import/export correspondence
experiences.
4. Speak to an insurance agent and ask her/him to give you details regarding health
insurance for your family.
 SECTIDN E: EMPLDYMENT RELATED
CDRRESPDNDENCE

Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
resume
After studying this section you will be able to:
testimonials
♦ Identify the most effective approach to external correspondence
skills
relating to employment
accomplishment
♦ Learn how to respond to a job advertisement
interests
♦ Learn how to write a resume/bio-data/curriculum vitae
values
t_ ♦ Learn how to write a job application letter
self-analysis
data
easy action
Pre-reading Activity classified
The following advertisement appeared in the classified section of Times of India
on 20 January 2008.
wh iwddkw SALES EXECUTIVES Swadesh Estates Pvt.Ltd. 24-
wh iwddkw minimum 3 yrs. Exp.In same field D,Block-B,Gurgaon. Kapil
wh iwddkw COMPUTER OPERATOR Arora: 9897435678
wh iwddkw Female
wh iwddkw
wh iwddkw Real Estat
in GURGA
REQUIRES
Company
Team for
URGAON
SENIOR
EQUIRES
minimum
ANAGE
Reat Estat
erience
SALES E
sultanq
minimum
CUTIV a me
COMPUT
ft R-Fem,
Gurgaon r
ence on1
Swadesh
Pvt.Lt-
24-D,Bloc
Gurgaon1
Kapil Aror
7435678'
Modular F
Result Ori
3-4 years
ture Com
Interiors I
ted MBA's
good Lead
xp. in Fu
Marketin
ndustry h
M8A{ fresh
hip Quali.
and fluent
eting Pe
Showroo
hers) you
Mm.exp. 4
fluent in m
smart and
Maria 4-5
year t and
flue
SWITCH2CFL
15, ASPIRATION TOWERS
GURGAON, HARYANA 123456
INDIA
PHONE: 2345678;
E.MAIL: SWITCH2FCL@ENERGYSAVING.ORG
REQUIRES
Senior Accounts Personnel
The candidate should have good communication skills
and be a Graduate/Post Graduate in Commerce
with 1-2 years experience in Project Accounting
and other accounts related Jobs.
Purchase Assistant
The candidate should have good communication skills
and be a Commerce Graduate
wfth 1-2 years experience in
accounts related jobs.
Apply within ine week to Sarabjit 5ingh,
Accounts Manager.
Enclose a copy of your resume
and two testimonials.
 PERSON
or a having knowledge in Materials Handling Equipment for our
SALES Northen Region Office. Age

Figure 11.5
BUSINESS ENGLISH

• Study Figure 11.5

• Choose one of the two jobs advertised, that you would wish to apply for.
• What are the essential qualifications for this job?
• Do you have the necessary qualifications for the job?
• How would you prove that you are the best candidate for the job? Let us
familiarize ourselves with the job application process.

The first step in the job application process is for you to analyse yourself carefully in
terms of the following:
• Skills
• Accomplishments
• Interests
• Personal values.
This self-analysis will help you to decide what kind of work you would like to do and
also to communicate your suitability for a particular job in a competitive employment
environment. Let us look at each of these in turn.

Skills

These indicate the areas of your professional and academic expertise and will help you to
match your qualifications with the requirements of the job. Here is a list of useful verbs
that you can use to enumerate your skills. These are illustrative and you can replace them
with other appropriate verbs. The important thing to remember is to begin with the verb
and follow it with a statement elaborating on the action implied.

Analysing
Administering
Consulting
Planning
Evaluating
Coordinating
Negotiating
Mediating
Creating
Speaking
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

y\ Activity
Now, write 10 sentences about your skills, beginning each with one of the verbs given
above.
For example: While I was secretary of the College Commerce Association, I negotiated
with the management for an additional commerce wing in the library.
In addition to making a list of your skills, you should also look honestly at your
strengths and weaknesses. When you have completed the list, rank your skills in terms of
their strength. The skills that are the weakest are those you should work on.

Accomplishments

Even as a fresh graduate, you would have a host of personal and academic, even
professional accomplishments that you can write about, in support of your application.
The important thing to do is to state not only your accomplishment, but also its outcome.
For example: Joining the National Service Scheme in college helped me to become
sensitive to the needs of those less fortunate than me.
Notice in the above sentence, you have not only talked about an accomplishment, which
is joining the NSS, but also talked about how this contributed to the development of your
character. Here is an illustrative list of verbs to help you write about your accomplishments:

Winning
Joining
Increasing
Obtaining *
Travelling "
Reading
Studying
Starting
Completing
Learning »

y\ Activity
Using this list of verbs, write 10 sentences about your accomplishments. Here again,
analyse your confidence and satisfaction in relation to each of your accomplishments.
The areas of insecurity and dissatisfaction are those that you need to work on.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Interests

Analysing your interests, preferences and attitudes will help you to decide for which type
of job you can best use your skills. Here are some questions you can ask yourself:
(a) Which jobs have I most enjoyed doing and why?
(b) Do I prefer to work with figures, machines, people or ideas?
(c) Which things have brought me the most satisfaction?
(d) Which hobbies have I enjoyed the most?

Personal Values

Every good organization has the commitment to create an ethical working environment.
You will have your own ethical parameters and entering the job market is a good time to
think once again about your personal values. Remember that every organization is as
good as its employees and you can make a significant contribution by enriching the
organization with your values. Some of the important personal values are:

Altruism
Prestige
Adventure
Harmony
independence
Power
Variety
Physical activity
Money
Egalitarian ism.

(Murphy et al. 2000: 504-507)

V \ Activity

Make a profile of your personal value system using some or all of the words given above.
You could also arrange them in descending order of priority, beginning with the value you
consider most important.
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

Resume or bio-data is a necessary annexure to any job application. It is a document that

lists the personal details, objectives and achievements of a person in a simple format.
There is, as such, no standard format for a resume. The most important thing to remember
while drafting a resume is the purpose — the task that you expect the resume to
accomplish. Therefore, apart from being informative, the resume must also be persuasive.
This is not an overt persuasiveness, rather the arrangement of data in a manner that makes
the document focused and convincing. You could consider the following points to make
the resume effective:
1. Use headings for the separate sections of the resume
2. Use phrases in point form rather than full sentences
3. Refer to those aspects first which have a direct relationship with the application
that you are preparing
4. Be positive in the choice of terms, not hesitant
5. Arrange those items first where you have more achievements.
The resume could be thematically arranged under different headings or be
chronological, that is, the entries could be organized according to dates. In the latter
aspect, the preference may be given to reverse chronology, that is, the latest entry is listed
first. Consider these headings for a basic resume for job applications:

Persona! data
Contact information
Statement of professional objectives
Work experience
Academic and professional qualifications
Extra-curricular activities
References

• Personal Data
Under this heading include:
1. Name
2. Date of Birth
Note: Writing parents' name is increasingly becoming obsolete and may be avoided.
Similar is the case with some other details like marital status, etc., as more and more
organizations become equal opportunity firms.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

• Contact Information
The thumb-rule here is to include all the contact data that can help reach you fastest. The
easier it is to respond, the greater the chances of the receiver contacting you.
1. Contact address
2. Telephone: landline, mobile
3. E-mail
4. Fax.
• Statement of Professional Objectives
Mention your career objective in a short statement on the basis of your own self-analysis
as well as the job you are applying for.
Note: The next section depends on whether you have more things under work experience
or educational qualification. Whichever has greater significance comes next.
• Work Experience
List your work experience starting with your current job first, mentioning the name of
organization, position held, nature of post, work responsibilities, period of work and pay
package (optional).
• Academic and Professional Qualifications
Arrange your academic qualifications and professional qualifications separately, again
with the most recent ones coming first. You should mention the name of the course, the
examination passed, and year of passing, institution and results. Any special distinction
achieved may also be pointed out. You could use a tabular format, too.
• Extra-curricular activities
Under this heading list all those activities and achievements which help in projecting you
as a person with a range of interests. Remember to include awards from school and
college, positions held, social service initiatives taken and publications.
• References
Do not give too many references. Two or three should suffice. You should seek the prior
consent of your references before you actually give their names. Provide their postal
addresses, e-mail, telephone numbers, etc., so that they are easily contactable. Try and
provide a variety of referees from your teachers, supervisors in the workplace or business
friends. Do not include relatives.
Resumes may be customized for particular purposes. They could also be styled in
ways to project textual aesthetics of the applicant. Provided below is a sample resume.
Vi.
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE 221
RESUME

Personal Data
Name SANJEEV NAIR
Date of Birth 14 February 1969

Contact Information
Address 14/1, Park Road
New Delhi 110 002
Telephone: 011-24385674 (Landline)
9868754321 (Mobile)
Fax 91-11-24386985
E-mail sanjeevnair@switch2cfl.com

Objective A management position in production

Work Experience

Educational Qualification

Extra-curricular Activities

References

Signature

Date:

WRITING THE JOB APPLICATION LETTER ..-/:.

You have already learned how to write your resume. Along with the resume you will need
to send a covering letter. Its purpose is to attract the interest of your prospective employer,
to call you for an interview. While writing this letter, we will follow the format we have
already learned. We will keep the tone reader centred and also include evidence to support
all the claims we are making.

The Opening—Favourable Attention

Among the many possibilities available, contemporary communication theories support

these three as being most effective for beginning a job application letter:
1. A Summary Opening Give a two-three sentence summary of your most outstanding
qualifications related to the job you are seeking.
ENGLISH

For example: Energy Savers', 'A Better World' — both these organizations gave
me the opportunity to apply the accounting skills learned in college. For two years,
I was also given the responsibility of being the secretary of the college commerce
association and this gave me the opportunity to hone my communication skills.
2. A Source Opening A reference to how you learned about this job opportunity. For
example: Your advertisement in the Times Classified Section of 20 January 2008,
suggested the need for a purchase assistant. My academic training in commerce
and work experience in the field of purchase and procurement makes me a suitable
candidate for the job.
3. A Question Opening You can begin with a question that demonstrates your
understanding of the company's need and your ability to fulfil that need. For
example: Is SWITCH2CFL in need of a good purchase assistant? I am
a commerce graduate with very good communication skills. I have also worked in
the field of purchase and procurement and this make me a suitable candidate to fulfil
this need.

Middle Paragraph—Data and Details

The middle paragraph of your letter will be divided into three sections: (i)
Education (ii) Work Experience
(iii) Personal Details - attitudes, interests, activities, qualities. Let us now look at each of
these in turn to see how we can communicate this personal data in the most effective
manner possible, (i) Education
• How did your overall education prepare you for the work you seek?
• Demonstrate a broad-based understanding of the discipline (commerce)
along with an in-depth knowledge of certain areas (accounts and
communication).
• Give details of any extra educational qualifications you have in addition to
the course you graduated in. Did you do any courses that complement your
knowledge in the areas of accounts and communication?
(ii) Work Experience
• State how you gained practical experience in addition to your education.
• How did you adapt to different working environments?
• Did you accomplish anything special in any of the tasks assigned to you?
 EXTERNAL-BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

(iii) Personal Details

• How well do you work in a group, towards the fulfilment of a shared goal?
• How can you prove your sustained interest in your chosen field?
• Can you demonstrate any special commitment or quality that shows
determination, initiative, integrity, etc.?

Closing Paragraph

Easy action makes it clear that you are asking for a call for an interview. Give details of how
and when you can be reached —by phone, fax, e-mail, etc.

1^1 Checklist: An Effective Job Application Letter

Here are a few essential themes and layout tips that can help you in creating a good
cover letter:
• Read the advertisement carefully and understand what the company is
looking for in the prospective job candidate.
• The cover letter should be concise and to the point (usually one page).
• It should be addressed formally and to the most appropriate person in the
organization. ,
• The letter should be formatted well with proper spacing.
• Leave about six or seven lines blank at the top of the page.
• If you know who should be contacted, mention the person's name beginning
with 'Dear'. If not, address and begin your letter with 'Dear Sir or Madam' and
end with 'Yours faithfully'.
• Pay attention to the heading of the cover letter: as it informs the reader
which job you are applying for. Use bold for this line.
• In the first paragraph, you should introduce yourself and say why you are
writing to them and why you want to work for them. Further, you should
include the most promising points from your CV which will help you to
market yourself.
• Mention some of your most relevant job experiences which can show that
you have experience in the field and skills to match the requirements.
• Remember: The covering letter is supposed to create an interest in the reader
to study your CV. So do not go overboard and mention everything again in
your cover letter.
224 BUSINESS ENGLISH

• Show the employer that you are interested in being interviewed for
the advertised position by mentioning something like —'I look forward to hearing from
you'. I • Add your contact details on the cover letter so that the employer can
contact you easily without having to hunt for your details. Include your address, phone
no., email ID.
• Since you are attaching your resume with the letter, it is a good practice
to mention 'Enclosure: Curriculum Vitae' on the last line of your cover
letter. Now, sign and date your letter.
It is always best to go through the letter a few times before making the final draft.

Learning Outcomes

In this chapter you have learntwaV

• The first thing to do in the job application process is self-analysis to list your
strengths and weakneses with regard to your skills, accomplishments, interests
and values.
" • An effective resume gives a summary of your qualifications and your wof^ experience
and also provides the necessary personal details about you. *j||
• The job application letter accompanies the resume.
• The opening paragraph of this letter should get favourable attention. You can use
one of three openings—summary, source or question.
• The middle paragraph of your letter contains data and details relating to education,
work experience and your personal details like attitudes, interests, activities and
qualities.
• The closing paragraph asks for easy action—the call for an interview.

Exercises

QUESTIO

1. What do you understand by self-assessment and why is it an important part of the

job application process?
2. What are the essential components of a resume?
3. What is the importance of the opening paragraph of your job application letter?
What all would you include in this paragraph?
 EXTERNAL BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE

4. What is the importance of the middle paragraph of your job application letter? What
all would you include in this paragraph?
5. What is the importance of the concluding paragraph of your job application letter?
What all would you include in this paragraph?

1. Go back to the advertisement at the beginning of the chapter. Make a list of all the
qualifications that SWITCH2CFL has listed for the applicants.
2. Also, make a note of any deadlines you need to watch out for.
3. Have you been asked to send anything with the letter?
4. If your answer to Question 3 is in the affirmative, how will you go about fulfilling
this requirement?

1. Create a resume for yourself, keeping in mind all that you have learnt and following
the format suggested in this chapter.
2. Draft an application letter in response to the advertisement.

From the weekly employment supplement of the newspaper, or from the internet, collect
five advertisements that are related to the kind of job you are interested in. Make an
outline of the resume and application letter you would send for each. Would you need to
customize your resume, according to the job you are applying for? Would all the letters be
identical in content? Would you need to modify the letter according to the specific
requirements of the organization you are applying to?
Living in a civilized society, it is essential to learn how to interact in a way that
reflects our positive attitudes. That is why manners, etiquette and other social
skills form an important part of our upbringing. Effective communication,
whether it is verbal, nonverbal or written, is an art that requires learning and
assimilation. With changing times and advances in technology, methods of
communication have changed in more ways than one. Pick up a telephone and
you are connected to your friends or relatives immediately. Write an e-mail and
the message is transmitted within a few •seconds. One of the common methods of
communication that is very popular and quick is the electronic medium. In the
earlier unit you learnt about written business communication. In this unit we shall
deal with the electronic medium of communicating in the present business
environment. Along with e-writing, other modes of communication like
groupware, telecom technology, e-commerce, etc., will be discussed in detail in
this unit. When e-communication takes place through writing, it
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228 BUSINESS ENGLISH

is called 'e-correspondence'. Just as we try to maintain order and live amicably with others
in the real world, it is important to follow certain rules and guidelines in order to achieve
discipline and order in the virtual world. After this unit on e-communication, you will go
on to the oral method of communication.
 PRINCIPLES DF CDMMUNICATIDN AND Chapter

12
E-CQRRESPDNDENCE

Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
communication
After studying this chapter, you will be able to: • • • «- • <„,.**
correspondence
Understand what e-correspondence is and the
language
principles governing it Understand the principles of
tools
effective communication Understand how to write a
clarity
business communication
correctness
conciseness
Pre-reading Activity consideration
courtesy
All living creatures communicate in some way or the other. How do completeness
human beings communicate with each other by and large? hardware
How does this make us different from other creatures? software
Why do we need to communicate? format
Can you think of two kinds of technologies that enable us to standard English
communicate?

COM MUNICATIO NAND LANGUAG E

I n the competitive business climate prevalent today, it is important to

communicate quickly, clearly and efficiently as organizations have to build
products, run operations and deliver services in a way which is better, faster and
cheaper. Modern technological tools enable us to perform in an efficient manner.
Their level of efficiency and effectiveness depends upon how we use them. Not
only do they help both individuals and groups to deal with routine writing tasks,
these aids enhance and assist our creative thinking process.
We use language for various purposes, which include communicating
information, ideas and emotions. The chief aims of writing are:
1. To interact and get along with each other.
2. To inform, that is, to tell or/and sell something to the receiver.
3. To find out information in which the ability to ask questions comes into play.
BUSINESS ENGLISH
i

Figure 12.1: Communicating information

4. To influence other people through the use of words which can either persuade
directly, or indirectly, without the receiver being conscious of it. Advertisers and
politicians often use language in the second way.
5. To regulate our actions. For instance, teachers and doctors often tell us what to do.
6. To entertain through the humorous, poetic use of language.
7. To record something in a way that helps us to organize our work. It could be a
shopping list, a ledger or an attendance register, or even a diary.

Constructing Your Messages

What are the guidelines you should keep in mind before beginning to write a com-
munication in English? The question arises which English should be used? Are we talking
of an English language which has been changing and growing over 1500 years of its
development? Though a large number of dialects of the language exist there is a standard
English which is widely used in writing and formal speech. However, do not think of
standard English as something fixed and unchanging: it has evolved over the years and
acquired a social prestige far more than the other dialects of the language. The same
thought can be expressed in different ways. An example is given below:

Standard English : extremely frightened

Informal English: scared stiff/scared to death/scared the wits out of me

t ■■ - -

Regional dialect: frit

Taboo/slang: shit scared *
(Seely 2007)
 PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION AND E-CORRESPONDENCE

The phrase 'extremely frightened' in standard English will always be acceptable and
inoffensive. The informal phrases are on the way to becoming a part of standard English.
The phrase in the regional dialect is hardly known or used, whereas the last one, though
unacceptable today may become acceptable tomorrow.

V \ Activity

The sentences given below may/may not have an error in them. Correct them wherever
necessary.
1. Several of my friends, including Shaleen, has decided to study hard this year.
2. I'll meet you when I shall go to Bangalore.
3. None of my friends likes Rock music.
4. I'm really impressed of his impressionist paintings.
5. There are less Parsis living in Delhi than in Mumbai.

. It is clear after doing the above activity that knowledge of grammar is essential for
writing or speaking.

H ow TO CO N STR UC TYO U R MESSAI

1. Planning: Begin by deciding the key points you wish to convey to your reader.
Using this hierarchy of ideas you can begin outlining/detailing what you have in
mind. There are personal information management systems, which help to
organize your time for completing extended writing projects. These time
management tools are excellent for planning your writing. They remind you of the
tasks to be completed and the number of days left for a document to be completed.
One such tool is Microsoft Outlook.
2. Gathering information: Today, one has to combine manual research with
electronic searches. For this, google.com, yahoo.com and others, which are ac-
tually search engines, are efficient researchers. The information is generally stored
in databases which may be internal or external to the organization in which you
are working. If you are using material from the Internet, then be selective and
careful.
3. Analysing your audience: You have to write your messages according to the
reader's age, status, characteristics and attitudes. This is especially important when
writing to a person belonging to a different culture. Keep a watch or check on the
tone, content and format of messages.
4. Analysing your purpose: What do you want your reader to know? Or, what kind of
action do you want the reader to take?
232; BUSINESS ENGLISH

5. Choosing your document type with care: Letters are best for formal situations.
Faxes and memos are less formal and e-mails least formal. However, these kinds
of writing tasks require accuracy and professionalism. You should also think about
the medium by which you wish to transmit your message.
6. Drafting the document: After deciding on the main points, you must clearly state
or write your purpose. Use headings, summarize your message giving adequate
background, highlight actions taken in present and past or to be taken in future,
thereby developing a satisfactory pattern. You can also ask for a discussion to be
organized around the topic (if required). Break your writing into paragraphs
through which your argument flows clearly.
7. Formatting the document: By and large, use a conventional format. Pay attention
to the layout as your presentation should be easy on the eyes as well as read well.
Adapt your format to meet the special needs of your audience, purpose and
subject. Use appropriate courtesy title and proper salutation at the beginning and
the end of writing. Use proper tone.
8. Revising your document: Proofread it several times. Wait for two-three days or
give yourself some time to rethink before sending the message. Check your
writing in terms of clarity, style, vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Avoid jargon and cliche. Reread to see that your intention and purpose are clearly
conveyed. You must also think about the suitability of your writing in terms of the
audience and the recipient of the message/document. In case the reader of your
message/document is a person from a different culture, then you should have your
draft reviewed by someone belonging to that culture. This would help you to
anticipate the reaction of your reader.
There are three major revising tools: spell-checkers, grammar checkers, and
thesauri (plural of thesaurus). A spell-checker calls for attention when a word that
is not in its dictionary is used by the writer. If you want, you can add the word to
the electronic dictionary. Grammar and style checkers help to identify and sort
out potential grammatical and stylistic posers or difficulties such as wordiness,
subject/verb disagreement, use of passive voice and double negatives. Some of
them even point out abstract words and suggest more concrete, specific ones or
recommend non-sexist alternative terms in place of sexist terms. A thesaurus
provides synonyms or related words. When you right click against a word, a
window pops up with the suggested synonyms.

To send a message, one has to make hardware and software choices

i
 PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION AND E-CORRFSPONDF-NCE

Software

There are two ways of publishing a document—in print or in the electronic form. For
print publication, desktop publishing software is available as well as word processing
software. The former is useful in the presentation of long documents where text, graphics
and design become important, as in long reports, newsletters, manuals and proposals.
Word processors can perform 80 per cent of the tasks desktop publishing can do.
Electronic publication also uses these programs to create files in hypertext markup
language (html) or portable document file (pdf) format. Such documents may also
have additional features like links, audio and video elements. Writers can decide the
layout of the message. Word processing software is the most common writing tool being
used today. It helps the writer to edit, manipulate, and revise her/his messages. Other
features are search and replace facility (used to find a word, name or place and if required
replace that word/ place/ name with a new one), basic maths (allows the user to enter
columns or rows of numbers) and simple sorting (permits the user to enter columns or
rows of words and arranges information in an organized manner). Word processing has
another feature which is the hidden text or comment feature. By inserting proper symbols,
comments made on a certain report or document will be recorded but not printed unless
you command the software to do so.
The word processing software has other features like QuickCorrect and AutoCorrect,
headers and footers, merge and macros. QuickCorrect and AutoCorrect allow you to
take shortcuts. When you have to enter long, difficult terms and phrases repeatedly, then
you can simply enter the shortcut. The program replaces the term or phrase with a suitable
substitute. Headers and footers are used to enter repeated information at the top and
bottom of the page, and count and print the page numbers as well. Merge permits the
combination of one kind of document with another having variable data. It is useful in
documents where the names and amounts are variable but the content is the same.
Macros assist you in entering characters you want to call up at the command of a few
keystrokes. The other tools that assist in writing are spell-checkers, electronic thesaurus,
grammar and style-checkers and electronic references (software that gives you reference
books such as dictionaries, postal code directories, style manuals, etc.).

Hardware

Since the presentation of a message or document also conveys a message, the hardware
you choose is an important consideration. The hardware should be compatible with the
software being used. If your software has features that the printer or any other output
device cannot transmit or print, then the features are of no use. The reverse is also true.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

V Activity

The writer of the paragraph given below is a little confused. Can you arrange the para-
graph in the correct order and find out why writing in paragraphs is important.
1. The process by which thought is translated into written sentences is not easy to
analyse or explain.
2. It could be argued that writing consists of no more and no less than adding one
sentence to another, but that would be a misleading oversimplification.
3. It is easy enough to write one sentence and then write another.
4. The problem is how to judge whether the two sentences you have written fit
together properly, or whether you need to adjust one or both of them—or even add
a third to help them out.
5. What is missing is a guiding principle, and that guiding principle is the paragraph.
6. It is rightly said that if you look after the paragraphs, the sentences will look after
themselves.
7. If you are able to understand how to write paragraphs through which your argument
and meaning are conveyed clearly, then composing individual sentences should
not create a problem.
8. If you do not pay attention to paragraphs while writing, you can write the most
beautiful sentences in English language but your writing will convey hardly any
coherent thought or meaning.

"PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATIO

There are certain principles of communication to be applied while composing effective

business messages. These principles furnish guidelines for choosing the content and style
of presentation, which are suited to the purpose and receiver of the message. The Cs of
communication (Murphy et al 2000: 31), which form the backbone of any kind of writing,
are given below.

Clarity

Be clear about what you want to convey to your intended recipient. Then, select your
words carefully in order to make sense and sound appropriate to the reader. Do not use
complex or high-sounding and pretentious words which may be unfamiliar to the reader.
Your sentences should be of 17-20 words in length. Use paragraphs to state your views
clearly so that no one has to read it twice to understand it. Each paragraph should convey
one thought and also be linked to the next paragraph by means of a common thread of
thought. Avoid using vague,
 PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION AND E-CORRESPONDENCR

out-dated phrases like 'We beg to acknowledge the receipt ...' or 'It will be our earnest
endeavour'; instead use phrases like 'We have received ...' and 'We will try/do our best
to...', respectively.

Courtesy

Politeness or courtesy marks the progress of a civilization. Use the appropriate level of
formality. Business communication usually requires a moderate or highly formal style.
Begin all correspondence with a salutation suitable to the status of the reader and end
similarly. Be tactful, thoughtful and respectful. Use non-discriminatory expressions that
reflect equal treatment of people regardless of gender, race, colour, ethnic origin and
physical features. Cordial, courteous messages build up goodwill and esteem for the firm.
This is worth more than thousands of rupees. Be especially careful when communicating
with people of other cultures. Asians like a soft, polite approach in both oral and written
communication. In modern western culture, the use of the word 'man' is connected to
'male human being'. Hence, English language has come up with alternative gender-neutral
expressions for 'man'. For instance, the word 'manpower' is less used; instead words like
'workers', 'employees' and 'workforce' are being used. For a long time, the head of a
company was called its chairman, now s/he is called 'chairperson'. 'Humankind' is slowly
replacing 'mankind'.

Conciseness

This quality is a prerequisite for business communication. It is important to use fewer and
effective words rather than be verbose and wordy. Conciseness saves time and money of
both reader and sender. Therefore, include only relevant material and avoid any
unnecessary repetition. You can use 'take this opportunity' instead of 'avail yourself of this
opportunity', 'in Delhi' instead of 'in the city of Delhi'; 'because' instead of 'due to the fact
that', etc. Some more examples are given below:

Wordy Concise

" 1) In due course Soon

2) Please find attached the file you requested.
3) It was realized by Mr Dutta that we must
reduce inventory.
4) There are four rules that must be observed.
5) The issue of most relevance is teamwork.
The file you requested is attached.
Mr Dutta realized, we must reduce
the inventory.
Four rules must be observed.
The most relevant issue is teamwork.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Con crete n ess

This means being specific, definite and vivid rather than vague and general. The receiver
of the communication should know what is required, desired or intended. Use active verbs
more than passive ones in your writing. Compare the following examples:
Active : Mr Cyrus Tata inaugurated the opening of the new retail outlet.
Passive : The opening of the new retail outlet was inaugurated by Mr Cyrus Tata.
The active voice sentence emphasizes the agent while in the passive voice the subject
receives the action. Active verbs help to make sentences more specific, personal and
emphatic. However, in some cases it may be more appropriate to use the passive voice,
especially when it may be rude or unwise to specify a particular person (instead of writing
'you failed to include...', you could say 'The final report was not included with the other
papers'), or when the agent or the doer is less important than the action (e.g.'The first
consignment of CFL was delivered this morning'), or when the agent has nothing to do
with the action {e.g.'Employees/ workers are required to attend both workshops on
language learning'). Put action in verbs rather than in nouns (instead of 'Workers held a
meeting in the factory premises', you can write 'Workers met in the factory premises') or
infinitives (instead of 'The security guard has to keep awake the whole night', you can
write 'The security guard keeps awake the whole night').

Consideration

It means writing all messages with due consideration to the reader. You should keep in
mind the problems, circumstances, emotions and probable reactions of the reader to your
request. This is called the 'you attitude' wherein the focus is on the reader, that is, 'you',
instead of T and 'we'.
A 'we' oriented statement: I am happy to announce that we will be extending our hours to
make shopping more convenient.
A 'you' oriented statement: 'You will be able to shop in the evenings with the extended
hours'.

Completeness

A business message is complete when it has all the facts and data the reader requires for
the reaction you want or desire. This offers the benefit of generating goodwill, averts
expensive lawsuits that may result if complete information is missing. Answer all
questions that have been asked and provide all necessary information the reader needs for
correct understanding.
 PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION AND E-CORRESPONDENCE

Correctness

This requires using proper grammar, spelling and punctuation in business com-
munications. It also means using accurate facts, figures, and words, as well as using the
right level of language. Hence, honesty is definitely the best policy while writing any
business communication.

Comprehensiveness

This means that you should write in a way that discusses all ideas you wish to
communicate, answers all queries and doubts (if raised), and the reader is able to grasp
the main points of the message/document.

Checklist: Features of Business E-correspondence

The following qualities should be a part of any business e-correspondence —

1. The language should be simple, vivid and appealing in nature.
2. A dull, stilted and stiff tone is likely to put off the receiver. Instead, use a friendly
conversational tone.
3. Be clear in your thought and expression.
4. Project a 'you' attitude. Write all communication keeping the reader in mind.
Show interest in her/him.
5. Use polite expressions and a courteous style.
6. Adopt a persuasive tone.
7. Do not use jargon, cliches and slang.
8. Use active voice as far as possible.
9. Your business communication should reflect your sincerity and honesty.
10. Your choice of words should reveal a positive attitude.
11. Highlight all important facts and points.
12. Your writing should be coherent, meaningful and comprehensive.
13. Your writing should reflect your genuine feelings.
14. Avoid culturally insensitive words.
[23p BUSINESS ENGIJSH

1) What are the chief purposes of using language?

2) What are the guidelines regarding the writing of messages?
3) What is e-correspondence?
4) What are the principles of effective correspondence?
5) How will you construct a business message?

Choose the correct word from the alternatives given below:

1) This action will not {affect/effect) my confidence in the firm.
2) Enclosed (please find/is) my payment for Rs 10,000.
3) The man (will/which/who) was crossing the street was struck by a car
(who/which/that) Mr Das was driving.
4) The conclusion of the detective novel is a secret between Ratna and (I/me).
5) Your carpet should (lie/lay) (smooth/ smoothly) on the floor.

A. Complete the letter using the correct word or phrase from the list below —

Dear Ms. Banerjee,

......................(1)........ our telephone con
versation today,..........................(2)............that I will be in Delhi from 16th-20th July.
....................................(3)..........................if you could arrange for me to visit your
SWITCH2CFL factory during my stay.......................(4).........., I would also like to meet
the Managing Director, Ms. Indira Ahmed.
 PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNICATION AND E-CORRESPONDENCE

.................(5)................send me a list of hotels near the head office that you would
recommend, and I will make the bookings from here through the Internet?
.....................(6)..............................
...........(7)..................
M.N. Naik

I would be grateful... If possible

Thank you for your help. I am writing to confirm...

Could you possibly...? With reference to...

Regards

Now, write a short essay on 'e-writing' using at least three paragraphs. Each paragraph
should clearly convey an idea. Remember, there should be a smooth transition between
two consecutive paragraphs.
 THE INTERNET Chapter

13

Learning Objectives Vocabulary

After studying this chapter you will be able to Internet
understand: The Internet and its characteristics The World World Wide Web
Wide Web and its difference from the Internet The business Internet Protocol
use of the internet Communication through the internet Internet Service
Internet security Provider
browsers search
engines
Pre-reading Activity directories
indexes web
Why are computers and internet so popular? pages HTML
Can you use the internet for purpose of study? http blog
What are the other benefits of Internet? Domain Name
What are the disadvantages of the Internet? * System client
server . URL
intranet extranet
hink about the following situations which can occur to anyone, any
e-commerce e-
where and at any time: You had purchased a removable hard disk drive mail e-learning

T
about seven months ago and it has crashed and is no longer e-resume e-
workable. You have to contact the company and get it repaired or memo
replaced if it is under the warranty period.
You have visited the Auto Expo 2008 and cannot make up your mind
about which car to buy. You have the address of an online automobile
buying service. You want to know how to go about buying your new car.
You need information and pictures of Leonardo da Vinci, the great painter
and mathematician, for a written assignment and project work.
You have been studying for three hours for tomorrow's accounting exam
and need to relax by chatting online with your friends.
 THE INTERNET

All the above situations/instances have one thing in common —they illustrate our need
for information and devolve around computers and the Internet. With the advent of the
Internet, information has become a mass resource, that is, it is available in abundance.
Now, the problem is that of dealing sensibly with the vast array of information and how to
use it. There is also the need to update one's skills whether you are hunting for a job, or
working at a job or even if you have your own concern or business set-up. It is important
to have secure, relevant and accurate information in your field of specialization and to
share this information with others. However, there is no cause to get seriously worried
about how to go about it. Help is at hand with the use of Internet, which is sometimes
called simply 'the Net'. It is a worldwide system of interconnected computer networks —a
publicly accessible 'network of networks' that transmit data by packet switching using the
standard Internet Protocol (IP). Through a computer, modem and an Internet Service
Provider (ISP), i.e. a company which provides access to the Internet, one can reach the
Internet. Thus, users of any one computer can, if they have the required permission, get
information from any other computer (and sometimes, talk directly to users of the other
computers). There are different ways of reaching the Internet Service Provider. Many
people use the standard telephone line or the dial-up connection; others pay more for the
speed of a cable connection or a digital subscriber line (DSL) which is a high speed
phone line that carries both voice and data. As more and more sophisticated applications
like the graphical World Wide Web browser or the CU-SeeMe video conferencing, are
used, more bandwidth is required to access the Internet. Something 'completely different'
like digital signal-

Figure 13.1: Through Internet you link to a vast information base

242 BUSINESS ENGLISH

ling in the form of Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is

While it took the radio 38 i used to achieve high speed accessing (up to 128 Kbps). You can also
r
years to achieve a 30 per I . t . T\ L u-, t_ • i_-i i. ■
connect t0 the klternet whlle bein moblIe b usin either a
cent share of the United | S y S States households and 1 handheld
computer or a cellphone that is set-up for wireless access.
television 17 years to I It is difficult to study business communication without an un-
achieve a 30 per cent I derstanding of the Internet. The Internet is a 'voluntary, cooperative
share, it has taken only 1 , . . . , ,„ . . ___, _,.,
seven vears for the 1 undertakinS (Bovee et al 2006:364) as no one owns it nor governs it.
Internet to accomplish 1 There are, however, some organizations that supervise and stan-
the same feat. (Laudon I dardize all that happens on the Internet and assign IP addresses and
and Traver 2006: 56) 1 domain names, such as the National Science Foundation, the
^mmmmmmwmmmmmmmmr Internet Engineering Task Force, The Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers (ICANN), the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), Internet Network
Information Center (InterNlC) and the Internet Architecture Board. The Internet is a vast
system containing information in millions of computers worldwide and permits exchanges
of all types of information as well as conducts many kinds of business transactions such
as online banking, shopping, and other e-commerce activities. The other uses of the
Internet are sending and receiving mail, transferring files between computers, having
access to news, music and videos, searching for information and participating in group
discussions. Much of the information available here is too new to be available in the
printed form. This is responsible for the extraordinary popularity and growth of the
Internet.
However, the large amount of information available on it is neither neatly nor
logically organized to make searching and accessing a painless experience. There are
different search sites available on the Internet. They fall into two categories —
directories for browsing the Internet and indexes for searching specific information. Web
directories are hyperlinked lists of websites which are categorized in a hierarchical
manner. You can find common information in these directories quickly and easily. Some
examples are—-Google directory (www.google.com/ dirhp), Free website directory
(www.freewebsitedirectory.com/), directory of official website of government of India
(www.goidirectory.nic.in/), etc. Web indexes are large, voluminous databases (generated
by computers) containing infor-

Table 13.1 World internet users

Asia 37%
Europe , .,.. ,,. .. 27%
North America . ''['.'. 19%
Latin America/Caribbean A ' * ] : 10%*
Africa '.£ , ; 3%
(All figures are approximate) Source:
www.intemetworldstats.com Copyright © 2008,
Miniwatts Marketing Group
 THE INTERNET

mation on millions of web pages. With the use of keywords or phrases you can access and
retrieve lists of web pages that contain information on your topic. Once your command is
executed, you will find the list of Internet addresses or Uniform Resource Locators
(URLs) related to your topic displayed on your computer screen. If you want to go to a
particular site you have to simply click on its URL. Some examples of web indexes are —
Internet Web Text Index (www.december. com/web/text/), .Librarians' Internet Index
(www.lii.org/), Web Index (www.utk. edu/alpha/).
The language most commonly used for communication on the Internet is English.
The origin of the Internet in English speaking countries and English being the lingua
franca may be responsible for this. It may also be related to the incapability of early
computers to handle characters other than those in the basic Latin alphabet. After English
(30 per cent or more of Web visitors) the most-requested languages on the World Wide
Web are Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese, Korean, Italian and
Arabic. Reasonably good facilities are available for development and communication in
most widely used languages. This is because of the advances made in Internet's
technologies in the recent years. However, some problems such as mojibake (incorrect
display of foreign language characters, also known as kryakozyabry) still remain.
The World Wide Web is the most popular service on the Internet and a reference
resource that is unrivalled in both the virtual and the real world. It is the 'killer application'
that has made the Internet commercially viable. It emerged in the early 1990s and hence it
is more recent than the Internet. It is the Web which provides access to over one billion
pages or documents through the medium of the Internet, and is created in a language
called HTML (Hyper Text Mark-up Language). These pages contain information—which
includes text, graphics, animation and other objects. Internet Explorer or Netscape
Navigator, are browsers, which access Web documents called web pages that are linked
to each other via hyperlinks (highlighted words or images). The Web is just one of the
ways by which information can be disseminated over the Internet. In fact, it has added
colour, voice and video to the Internet as well as created or generated an infrastructure of
communications and information. The Internet is used for other services, too, like e-mail,
news groups, instant messaging, file sharing and File Transfer Protocol (FTP). So, the
Web is just a part of the Internet, albeit a large one, but the two terms are not
synonymous and should not be confused. Search engines, like Yahoo! and Google, and
keyword based Internet research, help millions of people worldwide to have easy, instant
access to a vast and diverse range of online information. The World Wide Web has
created a sudden and extreme decentralization of information and data as compared with
traditional libraries and encyclopaedias.
 BUSINESS ENGLISH

The Internet is a massive group of interconnected computer networks that are

linked by copper wires, fibre-optic cables, wireless connections, etc. On the other
hand, the Web is a way of accessing information through the medium of the
Internet. It is an information sharing model or an application layer built on top of
the Internet.
The Internet consists of an infrastructure of networks linking millions of
computers all over the world. Whereas, the Web is a collection of interconnected
documents and other resources, linked by hyperlinks and URLs. It is one of the
services available on the Internet, along with other services including e-mail, file
sharing, etc., mentioned earlier.
Information travels over the Internet through various languages called protocols.
The Web uses only one language, that is, http protocol which allows data
transmission and applications to communicate in order to share information and
exchange business logic.

Blogs
They are like online diaries which can be easily updated whenever required or desired. 'Web logs' or
blogs can be used by individuals, groups or even companies. For instance, the company SWITCH2CFL
encourages its employees to write about their expert knowledge in their field of specialization so that
visitors to the company website are impressed and they are interested enough to come back a second
time and invest in its products.

INTERNETPROTOCOL(IP): DOM AIN NAM E SYSTEM (DNS)

In its early days, one computer could connect to another by providing the IP address of
the latter, which would probably read like this —212.26.21.154 (this is a fictitious
number). At that time computers were connected together with modems and telephone
lines. However, with the increase in the number of hosts or online systems it became too
cumbersome to manage this task. The solution to this problem came in the form of
maintaining a simple text file that mapped names to IP addresses. With the passage of
time, even this text file became too large to wield. The use of the Domain Name System
(created by the University of Wisconsin in 1983) made it easy to connect to other
computers as this system automatically maps text names to IP addresses. Now, you need
to remember the web address only, that is, www.SWITCH2CFL.com instead of its IP
address.

WORM RESOURCELOCATORS

When you visit a website, the first screen that you see is the home page. Each page in a
website has a unique address known as the Uniform Resource Locator (URL).
 THE INTERNET

Consider the example, of the company SWITCH2CFL whose web address is <http://
www.SWITCH2CFL.com>. The first part, 'http' is the abbreviation of hypertext transfer
protocol, that is, the communications protocol that helps in navigating the web, 'www'
defines its location on the World Wide Web. The next part of the address is the registered
domain name, that is, 'SWITCH2CFL.com'. The top level domain (TLD) name or first-
level domain name is written after the period, in an abbreviated form, i.e. '.com'
(company). Some other TLDs are:

info (general information) edu

(education) coop (cooperative) .
gov (government) net (network
resources) org (non-profit
organizations).

The e-mail address of a company, for example, <jaideepdas@SWITCH2CFL. com>

also contains the domain name. Whenever the domain name is used, the Internet's servers
translate the human-readable domain name to the machine-readable IP address.

All machines operating on the Internet are either servers or clients. Machines that provide
services to other machines are servers while those that are used to connect to different
services are clients. There are web servers, e-mail servers, FTP servers amongst others,
which help to serve the needs of Internet users globally. Suppose, you go to the company
website, www. SWITCH2CFL.com, you are a user sitting at a client's machine and
accessing the company's web server. This server locates the page you are searching and
sends it to you.

LOCAL AREA NETWORK (LAN)

Though the Internet has grown at a phenomenal rate, local area networks still remain
distinct. These are computer networks that extend to a few kilometres and are cost-
effective and efficient as they do not require setting up of all the features associated with
larger networks.

Intranet

The Internet uses a set of protocols called TCP/ IP (Transmission Control Protocol/
Internet Protocol). There are two recent adaptations of Internet technology — the
BUSINESS ENGLISH

intranet and the extranet—which make use of these protocols. The Intranet is a private
internal company-based network which can be accessed only by members or employees
of an organization, regardless of their actual location. Anyone surfing the Net cannot get
into such a company-bound site. The reasons for the popularity of intranets are more than
one. The need to have more information about the company, the flexibility and
convenience of use, and the desire to share global knowledge, has fuelled the movement
to intranets. For example, SWITCH2CFL has installed intranet technology to enable its
employees all over the world to collaborate in real time over new designs and new
innovations of such lamps. Employees can also communicate through e-mail as well as
fill in electronic forms and reports using this facility. The company's phone directories
and newsletters can also be published on this site/network. The business use of intranets
includes the following:
• The company can publish the latest version of its policy manuals so that
employees can access them without having to resort to reprint manuals.
• The employees can find out about benefits provided by the company and
reorganize their funds accordingly.
• Information about job openings within the company can be posted on the intranet.
• The presentation materials used by the marketing and sales departments can
be downloaded at customer sites by sales representatives -of the company.
• Company records and related information can be made available on the
intranet. The company can store on it company directories, customer information,
employee skills lists, project status reports, company calendars and events and
other records so that they are accessible from anywhere in the world using an
Internet connection and a password (Bovee et al 2006: 367).

Extranet

The extranet 'is an external Intranet that allows people to communicate and exchange data
within a secure network' (Bovee et al. 2006: 367). It permits other qualified people from
outside (other than employees) such as suppliers and customers, to access this network
using a password. Thus, extranets can save companies a lot of time and money because
they favour quick and easy communication with clients, suppliers or colleagues.
Employees travel less frequently as face-to-face meetings are not required. Moreover,
updated information is available on time besides being easily accessible.
 THE INTERNET

BUSINESSUSE OF THE INTER!

1. Gain access to global information.

2. Share text, photos, video clips, slides and other data within and outside the
organization.
3. Its flexibility and access permit employees to work away from office. They can
work from home, while being on the move or across the country.
4. Conduct e-commerce activities (for more details refer to Chapter 15).
5. Locate possible customers/ suppliers (both domestic and international), and new
business partners.
6. Collaborate with business partners locally or within the country and even across
the world.
7. Keep investors, industry analysts and government regulators informed about
business developments.
8. Conduct electronic learning or e-learning through the use of computers and
Internet. It is a way of teaching and learning which lends itself naturally to
distance learning and flexible learning. However, a judicious mix of e-learning
and face-to-face teaching or learning (termed as blended leant' ing) can be
effectively used.

According to Naidu, 'E-learning is commonly referred to the international use of networked information
and communications technology in teaching and learning. A number of other terms are also used to
describe this mode of teaching and learning. They include online learning, virtual learning, distributed
learning, network and web-based learning.' (2006:11)

The term is used extensively in the business sector where it generally refers to online
training in a cost-effective manner which organizations conduct for enhancement of
skills and upgradation of knowledge of employees. 9. Post e-resumes on the Web.
This means an electronic resume which is designed for use on a computer and can be
published on the Web via the Internet. Its advantages are:
• Can be read on a computer screen
• Can be saved on a computer hard drive or portable disk
• Can be sent over the Internet
• Can be located and used by search engines
• Can be searched for keywords
• Can be converted into other electronic file types such as database files
• Can be printed to paper
 BUSINESS ENGLISH

Most people think that online resumes are vastly different from print versions.
This is not correct as differences lie only in the formatting of the document. The
different formats in which resumes may be kept are:
• In print form which uses bullets, italics and other highlights and can be
posted or mailed.
• In plain text/text only form which is ready to be copied and pasted into
Remember to pay
close attention to the online forms or posted to online resume databases.
format and details of • In a form that can be scanned. This permits bulleted lists but no fancy
your resume. Check highlights.
your grammar, spell-
ing, punctuation for • In e-mail format which is a plain text/text only document specially tailored
"correctness and en- to be incorporated within e-mail form with its restrictions of line lengths and
sure that all headings characters. It would be advisable to make your resume a part of your e-mail
and lists are instead of sending it as an attachment as most companies are wary of viruses
formatted properly. entering through attachments.
sUpdate it regularly.
• In Rich Text Format (RTF) which can show most of the visually appealing
features of the original document but may not exhibit columns and tables. It
is created by saving the original document as Rich Text with a file extension
of '.rtf. It can be sent as an attachment especially when you do not know the
file preferences of your prospective employer.
• In Portable Document Format (PDF) which has the advantage of making
your file invulnerable to virus and the original presentation of the
file/document is maintained.
• In Web ready form which can be published on the Web on your personal
page if you have one or at some other site.
10. Post e-memos so that company employees, even those at remote locations, are notified
about relevant and important information quickly and easily. All of the above uses of the
Internet are possible because communicating through the Internet is fast, easy and cheap.
Communication technologies may be grouped under two headings — asynchronous
or synchronous. You can carry out asynchronous activities by using technologies such as
blogs, wikis, and discussion boards so that all participants need not be involved at the
same time when the exchange of ideas or information takes place. Electronic mail (e-mail)
is also asynchronous in this respect. Synchronous activities involve one or more
participants at the same time as in a face-to-face discussion/meeting. An online chat
session, video conferencing, or a virtual classroom or meeting is an example of
synchronous activities using e-technologies. Virtual classrooms and meetings can often
use a mix of communication technologies. The different modes of e-communication are as
follows:
• E-mail helps users to write, send and read written messages on the computer. An e-
mail message may consist of simple text or it may even include complex files or
programs. (For more details refer to Chapter 14)
 THE INTERNET

• World Wide Web (discussed earlier).

• Discussion mailing lists are discussion groups to which you can belong by
sending a message to the group's e-mail address. They are also known as listservs.
Any message sent to this address will be automatically forwarded to all members
subscribing to it.
• Newsgroups consist of messages and responses on a particular subject posted to a
particular site/address by people with similar interests. This site can be accessed
by using a news reader program.
• Remote Access allows computers to connect to other computers even though
may be located in a remote area.
• Collaboration permits exchange of ideas, thoughts, skills and knowledge easily
and instantaneously. The cheap and accessible nature of the Internet allows such
groups to be formed, which can collaborate upon a project from beginning to end.
• Instant messaging and chat are methods of keeping in touch with colleagues and
friends even while working during the day. Though e-mail is a popular method of
messaging, it may not be possible to know if the person you want to write a mail
to is online or not. Even if the person is online, it takes more than a click and some
time for the mails to go back and forth. Then, even e-mail is not quick enough.
That is why Instant Messaging (IM) has become so popular. With this technology
you can have a list of people with whom you interact. If the person is online, you
can IM with anyone on your buddy list or contact list. Basically, you type
messages to each other on a small window that shows up on both screens. Yahoo
Messenger and MSN Messenger provide this facility.
!
Instant Messaging has the following features: „ • *•".
*"• Instant messages—Write notes back and forth with a friend who is online r
Chat—Create a chat room with friends or co-workers * .;
!
Web links—Share links to your favourite websites " ~! :
.
Video—Send and view videos, and chat face-to-face with friends * ,.
Images—Look at an image stored on your friend's computer - ;;
Sounds—Play sounds/music for your friends '.••'''-
Files—Share files by sending them directly to your friends .
Talk—Use the Internet instead of a phone to actually talk with friends < ••
Streaming content—Listen to real-time or near-real-time stock quotations and news as well as
Internet 'feeds' of live audio and video streams of radio and television broadcasts
Mobile capabilities—Send instant messages from your cellphone. . •. • -
(Tyson and Cooper 2007)
ENGLISH

• Video conferencing (this has been discussed in detail in the chapter on 'Other
Communication Technologies').
• Telnet can be used to communicate with other computers on a remote network
even though your computer may not be a permanent part of that network. For
example, you can access the local library's electronic card catalogue from your
home computer by using telnet.
• Voice telephony or VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) allows you to use the
Internet to converse with your friends over the Web. In this, voice calls are
converted to digital signals and sent over the Internet. This is less expensive than
standard traditional calls over phone lines. It can also be more efficient. (Valdes
and Roos 2001)
• File transfer is an Internet service called file transfer protocol (FTP). The use of
this technology enables you to download and upload files, attach formatted
documents to your e-mail messages, send compressed (or zipped) larger files, etc.

CH ALLEN G ESTO TH E INTE RN E T

• Information overload has seen organizations being flooded with documents of all
kinds so much so that employees are unable to discriminate between important,
useful and useless information.
• Data security is a matter of grave concern. When files were on paper, it was
easier to secure important documents by locking them and taking adequate
security precautions. Few people had access to such information. But with
electronic data management, it is becoming increasingly difficult to secure vital
information. More people have access to crucial information thereby posing the
threat of damage to such files through alteration and destruction. Attempts are
always made to infiltrate company networks from outside in order to steal, destroy
or change data. This is called hacking and those who attempt it are called
hackers. When company networks are invaded for non-destructive reasons, that
is, for showing off one's talent or playing a trick, it is called cracking. Another
serious threat is cyber-terror-ism — when company or government networks are
broken into for political or economic reasons.
• Cyber-slacking has led to decreased employee productivity because employees
are using company resources and time for personal purposes.
• Electronic traffic jams are also a cause for concern. Information overload and the
need to move large amounts of information quickly slow down the Internet. As a
consequence, businesses suffer.
• Another threat is the disruption of computer operations by cyber criminals who
use technology to destroy company websites, steal credit card num-
 THE INTERNET

bers from intranets and extranets by introducing viruses and worms. Viruses are
programs that can alter or destroy files or programs. They are introduced by hiding them
in legitimate software or in files transferred from one computer to another. Worms are
programs that replicate over and over again. They are usually sent by e-mail and they
send more worms to everyone in the recipient's e-mail address book. Such replicating
programs take up precious space and cause traffic jam on networks. To meet these
challenges, companies have to take adequate security measures.
1. Software programs can be used to screen e-mail messages from cyber threats.
2. All computers should have proper password protection.
3. Outsiders to the company office or factory should be carefully checked for proper
identification.
4. Companies should install anti-virus software/programs to eliminate the incidence
of viruses entering computer files.
5. Security software such as firewalls can be installed so that only those users who
present the proper password and system identification can access the company
networks.
6. Companies should also screen their own employees and decide which of them
should receive passwords for accessing vital company information.
7. They should also check the antecedents of all new employees.
8. They should adopt a security policy which requires employees to use passwords,
switch off computers when not in use, encrypt sensitive e-mail and enforce
adequate security measures to safeguard trade secrets.
9. Companies should develop a plan for data recovery in case the system crashes or
fails. Data back-ups should be maintained and kept safely.

Learning Outcomes

In this chapter you have learnt

• The meaning of Internet and its various features
• About the World Wide Web and its difference from the Internet
• How businesses use the Internet
• How to communicate through the Internet About
the challenges facing the Internet . What is
Internet Security , .. : , .
BUSINESS ENGLISH

1. What is the Internet? What are its features and components?

2. What is the World Wide Web? Is it the same as the Internet?
3. Define the following terms—blog, domain name, URL, clients and servers, Intranet
and Extranet.
4. Enumerate the business use of the Internet.
5. What are the challenges to the Internet?
6. How can organizations protect themselves against cyber threats?

I. There are three business people at a meeting. From the information given below,
find out their names, regional identities, positions and where they are sitting.
• The Managing Director (MD) is at the head of the table.
• The persons come from three different States.
• They hold different positions. One is an MD, the second a Vice President {VP)
and the third an Area Sales Manager (ASM).
• The person from Bangalore is sitting to the left of the MD.
• The VP is from Delhi.
• Mr Nariman is from Mumbai.
• The ASM's name is Mr Singh.
• Ms Mitra is sitting opposite the man from Bangalore.
II. Complete the passage by putting 'is', 'has', 'was', 'are' correctly in the blanks:
The Internet..........................created history by virtue of its speed, flexibility
and convenience. Its popularity...................a measure of its success. It....................
only later that the World Wide Web developed in the early 1990s. Numer
ous and diverse groups have estimated there.........................between one billion
and two billion web pages in the year 2000. The World Wide Web conjures
up images of a giant spider web where everything............................connected to
everything else, and you can go from one side of the web to another by just
following the right links. In the 'small world' theory of the Web, every Web
page................thought to be separated from any other Web page by an aver
age of about 19 clicks. The small world theory.......................supported by early
research based on a small sampling of websites. Recent research discovered
 THE INTERNET

that the Web.................. not like a spider web at all, but like a bow tie. The
picture of the Web that emerges from this research........................ quite different
from earlier reports and claims. The notion that most pairs of Web pages
..............separated by a handful of links, almost always under 20, and that
the number of connections would grow exponentially with the size of the
Web................not supported. In fact, there.....................a 75 per cent chance that
there.................no path from one randomly chosen page to another. With
this knowledge it now becomes clear why the most advanced web search
engines only index about six million websites, when the overall population
of websites.................over 70 million.
 E-MAIL Chapter

14

Learning Objectives Vocabulary

After studying this chapter you will be able to understand: e-mail
• What an e-mail is correspondence
• How and when to write an e-mail internal
• Advantages of e-mail -',;„_ i| • E- external
mail etiquette subject line
revise
netiquette
Pre-reading Activity e-mail etiquette
e-learning
The internet has revolutionized the face of communication. jargon
• Do you correspond with your friends by regular post (snail mail) or by slang
e-mail?
cliche
• Which mode do you find easier and why?
forward
• Do you think e-mail should be used for business correspondence? reply
• What are the advantages of using e-mail for such correspondence? correct salutation
appropriate formality

R ead the conversation given below and note the important points being
made about e-mail.
Ahmad : Hello Ira, where have you been? I have had no news of you for a long
highlighted

time.
Ira: Oh, hello Ahmad. I have been so caught up in work and problems that I
haven't been able to stay in touch with my friends.
A : Come on, don't you use e-mail for your correspondence?
/: No, I've heard a lot about it but I haven't actually used it.
A : It's difficult to believe you are not using e-mail. However, let me tell you
what it is and why it is so popular.
1; Okay, I'm all ears.
A : First of all, e-mail means 'Electronic mail/message' which is sent through a
computer to another computer. This process takes place within minutes or even
seconds.
 E-MAIL 255

/: Wow! That's incredible.

A : Yes, and believe it or not, you can virtually send any data that can be stored as a
computer file, for example, words, tables, pictures, sounds, etc. The best is yet to come —
it costs very little money, time and energy to send and receive mail to and from anywhere
in the world. The beauty of it is that you can do this at your convenience. And, it's a pretty
safe method, too.
/ : This is great news! You have virtually convinced me. Now, I'm going to be a regular e-
mail user and be in touch with you and everyone else.
A : The next time I meet you, I want it to be on the computer screen and very soon, too. I
am counting on e-mails to stay in touch with you.

Did you know?

The first e-mail message was sent in 1971 by Ray Tomlinson, an engineer by profession.
The power and advantages of e-mail over other forms of correspondence has won millions of users
and the tribe is increasing. At Microsoft Corporation alone, in 2001, there were more than 4 million
internal and external e-mails passing through its systems every day (Monippally 2001:184)
This has created a problem of plenty as far too many junk mails clog our mailboxes. . .
If your e-mail is not reader friendly, it stands a great chance of being sent to the trash bin.
Subscribers to e-mail services are called 'users'.
The components of an e-mail system include—user, messages, sender's and recipient's addresses,
protocol, messaging transports, gateways, value-added networks and directory systems.
The e-mail system consists of two different servers running on a server machine—the SMTP server
(Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) handling outgoing mail, and the POP3 (Post Office Protocol) or
IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol) server, both dealing with incoming mail.
E-mail has the characteristics of both writing and speaking. Hence, the correct use of language is
important to communicate effectively. , ... •',,,..•-
To write a smart mail is a real challenge.

& Activit
y
1. By now, you must be aware of what an e-mail is and what its benefits are. Can you
add a few more? See the end of chapter for more advantages.
2. What are the disadvantages of e-mail?
[Hint: You may find the answer as you continue reading this chapter].

WHAT CONSTITUTESA GOOD E-MAIL?

In order to make the Internet experience an enjoyable and pleasant one, it is important to
follow certain practices known as netiquette. This is a set of rules to be adhered to while
sending e-mails, chatting online or blogging.
 BUSINESS ENGLISH

Some rules have to be observed while writing e-mails. These guidelines constitute 'e-mail etiquette'.

Observe the Following:

• Make your mail easy to read.

• Use the subject line to tell the recipient the purpose of the message. Have one
subject in each mail.
• Use concrete words that avoid negative connotations. Be aware of the positive and
negative meanings, that is, know the denotation (meaning) and connotation
(implication beyond meaning) of the words used. For example, the word
'temporary' is a neutral one. A positive word for this would be 'alternate' and the
negative 'makeshift'. Another neutral word is 'end'; the positive word is 'finished'
or 'conclude' whereas the negative word is 'abandon' or 'terminate' (Booher 2007:
251).
• Use short, focused paragraphs. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence,
related sentences and transitional elements. In business writing, the topic sentence
should usually come at the beginning of the paragraph.
• Quote previous e-mails when responding to questions or requests.
• Respect other people's electronic space by sending messages only when necessary.
• If you are sending e-mails within your organization, know and follow its rules for
using this facility. Do not write anything in a way that could become embarrassing
for you or your organization.
• Use the appropriate level of formality. If you are writing to your boss, be as formal
as you would be in printed letters. Read your fellow employees' e-mails to inform
yourself about the organization's approach.
• Write in a clear and organized manner. Use short and simple sentences. Use
correct spelling and basic grammar.
• Write in the active voice mostly. For instance, instead of using the passive voice
'The reports are to be submitted by the employees to Mr Jaideep Das before 5.00
p.m.', write in the active voice as 'Please submit your reports to Mr Jaideep Das
by 5.00 pm'.
• Generally, the length of your message should be kept to one screen only. If there is
a file or document you want your reader to view, send it as an attachment with
your e-mail.
• Respond to e-mails within a day or two.
• Use a salutation (even if it is only the recipient's name) and a closing (even if it is
just your name).
 • Start your message with the most important information you want to exchange
with or receive from the recipient.
• Use conventional rules for punctuation and capitalization. Do not write in upper
case letters as this denotes shouting/screaming. This is also called 'flaming' and
considered bad manners. Using all lower case letters may indicate tndecisiveness
in taking positions or decisions.
" Use bullets/markers/numbers so that the recipient can focus at once on the
important details.
• Be sure of the recipient's e-rnail address. A mistake in a single letter will send it to
the wrong person.
• Check that the computer's internal clock and date settings are correct.
• Keep your hands off the keyboard when angry. The free nature of e-mail can set
off people to vent rude behaviour through it, in much the same way as road rage
takes over people while driving. (Young 2006:115)
• Adopt the 'you' attitude, emphasize positive points, be polite, use unbiased
language and project the company's image (use more of 'you' and 'yours' instead of
T, 'me', 'mine', 'we', 'our', etc.)
■ Revise your letter after writing it. Use the computer's grammar and spell-checkers.
Learn to look up the computer's thesaurus to use suitable words and avoid
repetition. But do not leave all revision to the computer as it has its limitations. If
you have doubts about the content, then save it as a draft and rethink, Send only
when you are absolutely sure.

Avoid the following:

• Do not treat e-mail as casual conversation. This may lead to including comments
or remarks that one would not dream of saying in person or typing in a letter,
thereby creating inter-personal conflicts and tensions. Do not use jokes or personal
comments in business e-mails. Being gender sensitive helps. Instead of addressing
a female colleague as 'Hello Cupcake' or 'Hi honey', begin with 'Hello
Ratna/Susan' or 'Dear Ms Malik/O'Brien'.
• Do not use jargon and slang. Some people use jargon in order to impress others;
some use it when they have nothing to say or want to hedge or cover up their lack
of knowledge; still others use it because they are sublimely unaware that their
intended recipients would not understand it, At times, technical jargon may be
used when communicating with colleagues of your own profession as they would
understand the terms. However, if an accountant describes a financial package in
technical terms, you may not understand it at all, if you do not have commerce or
accounting background.
ENGLISH

• Messages should not be highlighted as 'Read now', 'Extremely urgent' or 'Top

priority' unless absolutely necessary.
• Do not send sensitive, critical/confidential company information through e-mail
which may harm the company's interests.
• Do not think that the e-mail is a private affair. Some people send information to
recipients who should not read, receive or do not need it as they are careless about
screening their electronic mailing lists.
• Do not overuse e-mail because it is cheap and easy to send. This contributes to
hundreds of junk mail that executives receive everyday and may overload
company networks, resulting in system crashes and/or lost messages. Excessive
use of e-mail may also prompt the recipient to press the 'delete' button.
• Do not think that just because you have deleted e-mail it has been destroyed
permanently. It can still exist in the computer's hard drive and backup storage
devices at both sender's and receiver's locations.
• Avoid using the 'Reply all' button unless necessary.
• Do not send large files without prior notice.
• Do not overuse e-mail acronyms or abbreviations.
• Do not use exclamation marks in every important sentence. This is too informal as
is the use of emoticons in business letters.
If you are forwarding or replying to a mail, keep the following guidelines in mind:
• Delete the previous message if the recipient does not need to know about it.
• Make sure to change the content in the subject line.
• While forwarding messages, write a brief note at the beginning of the forwarded
message to explain why you are sending it and what action you wish the recipient
to take.
• Avoid forwarding messages which are inappropriate. You may lose your job for
doing so.
E-mail is less formal than a printed business letter. Ask yourself the following questions
before sending an e-mail:
• What is the time frame involved? How soon do I need to reply to another person's
message?
• Who is the recipient — a friend, a boss or a total stranger?
• Am I on equal terms with the receiver?
• Do I need to meet my colleague or my boss to discuss issues?
• Given the situation, would a phone call or a formal printed letter be more
effective?
E-mail acronyms and abbreviations (Some of them are used in other places, too)
ASAP : As soon as possible BBL : be back later
BTW : By the way BFN : bye for now
cc : copy to (carbon copy) e.g.: for example
etc.: etcetera NB : please note (nota bene)
pes: pieces Pis : please
PS: post script qty : quantity ' . ' * ~ •••'/,
:
i.e.: that is to say (id est) Re : regarding
Ref ; reference ~ ' RSVP : please reply (repondez s'il vous plait)
tbc : to be confirmed Lol: laughing out loud/lots of love
FAQ : frequently asked question FY1: for your information
IMHO : in my humble opinion TTFN : ta-ta for now
TIA: thanks in advance FWIW : for what it's worth >

Step 1. First, log on to a computer and open an e-mail program (or e-mail client) like
Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora or Pegasus (these are standalone e-mail
clients). Those who have free e-mail accounts with Hotmail, Yahoo, Rediffmail, Google,
etc., use an e-mail client that appears in a web page. Whichever e-mail client you may be
using, it performs the following four functions:
• It shows you a list of all messages in your inbox by displaying the message
headers.
• The header shows the sender of the message, the subject as well as time and date
of the message (and even the size of the message). You can select a message
header and read the body of the e-mail.
• It lets you create a new message and send it.
• It allows you to add attachments to your messages as well as save the attachments
you receive.
Step 2. Click on 'Create/New Mail'. A fresh page for writing a new mail will open. Step 3.
Bring the cursor to the 'From:' line. Write your e-mail address here. Step 4. Bring the cursor to
the 'To:' line. Write the e-mail address of the person to whom you want to send an e-mail.
Step 5. Bring the cursor to the 'cc:' line if you want to send the same e-mail to a second or
third person. Write their e-mail addresses on this line.
Step 6. Bring the cursor to the 'Subject:' line. Write an effective subject heading so that
the reader knows what the mail contains and what action(s) is/are required of her/him.
Step 7. Now, come to the body of the message. Begin with a salutation. Keeping e-mail
etiquette in mind, compose your message in clear, concise and grammatically correct
paragraphs. Close with a salutation.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Step 8. After completing your message, proofread it and go through the computer's
grammar and spell checkers. If you are unsure about the contents or about the feasibility
of sending the mail, keep it as a draft and give yourself time to think it through.
Step 9. If you have to send a file along with your mail, click on the 'attach' key and then
on the name of the file you want to send as attachment. The message will show the
attachment icon.
Step 10. Once you are confident of sending the mail, click on the 'Send' button. Step 11.
Your e-mail client will connect to an e-mail server and pass to it the name of the
recipient, name of sender and the body of the message.

A poorly written e-mail which has disorganized ideas and grammatically incorrect
sentences is a reflection on you and your organization. This is true of other business
communication as well. Any written communication (including e-mail) is also a measure
of evaluation of a company's capability and credibility. Bad writing suggests to clients
and outsiders that your product and/or services are bad as well. Your relationship with
fellow-workers or customers may depend on your e-mail exchanges. Hence, you must
reflect on your own and your company's image by writing responsible, organized and
well-crafted e-mails.

E-mail requires as much attention and organizing as your other business messages.
• Begin with an effective subject heading. You have 25-40 characters to capture the
interest and attention of the reader.
Lifeless subject tines Effective subject lines
March sales figures. Send figures for March sales
Tomorrow's workshop/meeting Bring powerpoint presentation/report to
Friday, 13 July meeting

• In the first few lines tell your reader what you need, what you are providing or
what you want her/him to do.
• If you are responding to a question or a request for information, begin your mail
by inserting the original query in your reply. Most e-mail software programmes
automatically include the sender's original message when you press the reply or
forward key. Or, you can cut and paste the message yourself. But use this facility
with care. (-
 • If you are putting in a request for information, clearly spell out the type of
response you need. Make it easy for your reader to respond by writing your
queries in a numbered series. If you have compound requests, split them into
several single topics.
• Word your requests clearly and simply so that the reader can answer with a yes or
no.
• Make your e-mail easy to follow and respond. Use a logical format. Limit lines to
80 characters (60 if e-mail is to be forwarded) and e-mail to one screen only. If
your message is longer, write like a reporter — beginning with the main
issue/headline and adding relevant details in descending order of importance
(Bovee et al 2006:133) so that your main point is noted early in the message.
• Your e-mail should follow the same pattern as other business letters —like using
conventional greeting, business language, formal headings, respectful style and
formal yet personal closings.
• It should be emphasized again that correct spelling, grammar, proper punctuation
and capitalization should be used in e-mail.
• Use simple English and write in the active voice (mostly). Use concrete words that
avoid negative connotations.
• Rely on nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.
• Write short, focused, organized paragraphs.
• Each paragraph should have a topic sentence, related sentences and transitional
elements.
• Highlight key points through sentence style; give important points more space.
• Develop your point through illustration, comparison, contrast, etc.
• Let your mail 'age' for a day or two (unless an immediate response is required)
before sending it.
Fig. 14.1 is a bad example of an onscreen e-mail:
1. The subject line of the original message does not specify what is required of the
recipient.
2. The reply lacks a salutation or greeting. It is a matter of courtesy to address and
greet your reader respectfully, especially if s/he happens to be your senior in the
organization.
3. It gives unnecessary information and makes excuses for what is clearly his own
negligence.
4. Some words have not been used properly. He could have used 'inform' instead of
'notify'.
5. The whole of the original message is given. Only relevant lines could have been
given to save time of the reader.
ENGLISH

rf* ReXhennai Report

File Edit View Insert Format Tools Message Help

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From; • JoideepDG5<jflideepdag@switch2cfl.com
I To: lRatnaMaik<ralnarri3lik@switch2cfl.comi

|C =: T
Subject: Re:Chenrai Report

Arial B / U A ■= *=- += =

• I am sorry the report hasn't reached you.

• I have investigated the reason behind the delay. It
seems that the person preparing the report has been
on leave for a week. However, the report will be given
to someone else to do the needful.
- The report will then be sent to you ASAP.
< I'll notify you as soon as it is sent.

Jaideep

On 16/7/2007, Ms Ratna Malik<ratnamalik@switch2cfl.com>

wrote:
Dear Mr Das
The Vice President (Marketing) requires the final draft of the
report of the Chennai meellng held on 131h & 14th of June
2007.This report along with your dept.'s inputs should have
reached me by last Thursday. It is Monday today & I have
not yet received it. Pis send it ASAP without further delay so
that our marketing dept. can also add its comments/recom-
mendations before preparing the final draft for the VP. Kindly
let me know as soon as you send it. Thanks Ratna Malik

Figure 14.1

Fig. 14.2 is a good example of an onscreen e-mail:

1. The original message has a clear subject line. It specifies what is required.
2. The reply contains a personal salutation.
3. It has the right tone of apology.
4. It has a short paragraph containing a positive response.
 E-MAir. 26?

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Dear Ma'am
I am sorry about the delay in sending the report. However, I
assure you that a copy of the report with our dept.'s inputs
will be on your table on Wednesday morning. Pis let me
have a copy of the final draft prepared by your dept.
Thanks.
Regards
Jaideep Das

On 16/7/2007, Ms Ratna Malik<ratnamalik@switch2cfl.com>

wrote:
Dear Mr Das
The Vice President (Marketing) requires the final draft of the
report of the Chennai meeting held on 13th & 14th of June
2007. Pis send it ASAP without further delay so that our
marketing dept. can also add its comments/recommendations
before preparing the final draft for the VP. Kindly let me know
as soon as you send it.
Thanks
Ratna Malik ,

Figure 14.2

5. The receiver knows when to expect the report.

6. Words have been chosen carefully. Proper punctuation, capitalization, and
grammar have been followed.
7. The reply has a formal yet personal closing.
8. The original message has been edited and made shorter in order to refresh the
memory and save time of the recipient.
i204] BUSINESS ENGLISH

There are many topics which should not be discussed over e-mail primarily because of
their sensitive nature as misunderstandings/misinterpretations could easily occur. This
could lead to serious consequences. Some subjects that should be dealt with outside e-
mails are:
• A personal complaint
• A disciplinary action
• Any kind of concern about co-workers
• Conflict over promotions, personal information or allocation of grades
• When e-mail exchanges have turned into a conflict, it is best to stop writing and
talk or meet in person.

By virtue of its accessibility and convenience, e-mail is a global tool for communication.
Though English is widely used by business houses globally, it may not be the first
language of your business counterpart. Hence, a little knowledge of your
client's/counterpart's cultural practices and attitudes helps in corresponding with her/him.
Keep in mind the following bits of advice while writing global e-mail or 'g-mail':
• Begin with a salutation (such as 'Dear Ms Brown') and a friendly opening
paragraph {'I hope you are fine...') before you begin your business talk. End on an
equally friendly note (T look forward to hearing from you again. With regards or
Best regards')
• Use simple language. If using acronyms, initialisms or technical terms, explain
them. Your intended reader may not be familiar with such abbreviations. Hence,
give their full form.
• Avoid cliches (stereotyped phrases) and slang (words not accepted for dignified
use). Use original wording rather than cliches.
• Some people may not check their mail regularly or know how to use some features
of e-mail. Check and ensure that your message has been understood and reached
the right person.
• Do not send confidential information in e-mail as confidentiality may mean
different things in different cultures. Write by the assumption that your mail can
be read even by the person who should be the last one to see it.
• Read between the lines or try to gauge what the writer intends to say, when you
receive e-mails from non-native English speakers. Do not try to correct her/his
spelling or grammar. Let your reply do that indirectly by using correct terms,
spelling and grammar.
 E-MAIL

V \ Activity

Your company would like to be the sole distributor of a Japanese company's products.
You have to write an e-mail to the business head, Mr Yashumo Issike explaining your
proposal.
(Hint: Read Chapter 2 on communicating across cultures carefully and compose your e-
mail accordingly, keeping in mind the above guidelines.)

Learning Outcomes

In the chapter you have learnt:

• What an e-mail is. You afso know how to write an e-mail, its guidelines and the '
step-by-step process of sending it.
• The advantages and disadvantages of e-mail
• E-mail acronyms
• The importance of using correct language in an e-mail
• How to organize your e-mail
• When not to send an e-mail
• What is global e-mail or 'g-mail'

Exercises

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSS!

1. What are the advantages of e-mail over other forms of communication?

2. List some rules/ guidelines (at least 8) to observe while writing an e-mail.
3. Write down the steps to follow from the time you log on to the computer till you
complete writing.your e-mail.
4. Discuss some of the disadvantages of e-mail.
5. Is global e-mail different from normal e-mail? How and why?
6. What are some of the things you must keep in mind while organizing your e-mail?
7. There are times when sending an e-mail is not the right response. What are these
situations? What should you ask yourself before dashing off an e-mail?
BUSINESS ENGLISH

ACTIVITIES/BRAIN TEASERS
1. Give the full form of the following abbreviations: NB
Pis PS pes cc ASAP BTW Ref Re BFN
2. Match the two halves of these sentences:
i) If someone reads my mail, ii) I a) I would join Microsoft.
would join the company, b) I wouldn't employ a
consultant.
iii) If I had the right qualifications, iv) This c) if it paid me a lot of money.
product will do well, v) If I knew how to d) I would be very angry.
solve the problem, e) if it is marketed in the right
manner.
3. Complete the following e-mail choosing suitable words from the ones given below:
Reflects Devise Have Would Are committed Can Come up
Regards Providing Send report on marketing methods for new product

From: Cyrus Tata (VP Marketing) <cyrustata@switch2cfl.com

To: Ratna Malik (sr. Sales Manager) <ratnamalik@switch2cfl.com

Subject: ..........(i)..........

Dear Ms Malik,
Following our recent conversations, it is clear that we have to........................(ii)..........a
new and strong marketing strategy for our new product, CFL 2000 series.
I ..........(iii)..........like to know if your dept. has (iv) with fresh ideas. We at
SWITCH2CFL ...........(v).......... to ...........(vi).......... people with quality products
and easing the burden of heavy electricity bills. This also........................(vii)..........our
concern for our environment. All these factors ....................(v'ii)........... to be incorpo
rated in our advertisements and other marketing strategies. Pis let me know
ASAP when you have a new methodology in place so that we..........................(ix)..........
meet and decide on a particular modus operandi. -

Thanks

.(x)
Cyrus
 E-MAIL

An e-mail setting up or cancelling a meeting.

An e-mail to a real-life company asking about products or services that you
are interested in.
An e-mail to a new customer giving information about products or services of
your company.
A short e-mail (in about 50 words) asking for travel or hotel information. Take
any printed business letter and rewrite it as an e-mail. The content should be the
same, but the e-mail will be shorter, simpler, more direct and less formal.
 E-CDMMERCE: THE REVOLUTION Chapter

15

Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter you will be able to understand:
■• E-commerce—its definition and characteristics
E
• Aspects of commercial activity and its difference from e
M" E-business and e-commerce
■-• Types of e-commerce
commerce
• Advantages of e-commerce
e-commerce
B• Factors inhibiting the growth of e-commerce
e-business
k Pre-reading Activity internet
P® What is commerce? web transaction
What are the traditional ways of commercial transaction? global reach
What does the term 'e-commerce' suggest to you? availability
Do you think commerce and e-commerce mean more or less the universal standards
same thing? marketspace
interactivity
information density
B2C
B2B
C2C
P2P
m-commerce

I n the 1990s, people were not acquainted with e-commerce or electronic

commerce. At that time, it was unimaginable that consumers would spend
more than $250 billion and businesses over $5.4 trillion in online transactions.
From 1995, e-commerce became an established business practice. It is forging
ahead and, at this rate, it seems inevitable that e-commerce shall take over all
commerce or all commerce may became e-commerce by the year 2050 (Laudon
and Traver 2006:46).
E-commerce has a history which can be divided into two phases: E-
commerce I and E-commerce II. The E-commerce I period was one of explosive
growth. It began in 1995 when the Web was used extensively to advertise
products and ended in 2000 when the stock market value of dotcom companies
crashed. The E-commerce II period began in January 2001 after a serious re-
assessment of stock valuations by e-commerce companies.
 R- COMMERCE: THE REVOLUTION
269

Before we begin to understand e-commerce, it is important to be clear about the meaning

of commerce. We see millions of examples of commerce around us. The simple act of
buying something from a person/place is a form of commerce. A commercial activity that
involves exchange or the buying and selling of goods and services usually for money, is a
commercial transaction.

E-commerce is a commercial transaction which is mediated by digital technology. This includes the use
of the Web and Internet to transact business. It may, therefore, be referred to as 'digitally enabled
commercial transactions between and among organizations and individuals.' (Laudon and Traver
2006:46-47)

Any commercial activity involves buyers, sellers and producers. Buyers are those
people who have the money and are interested in buying goods or services. Sellers offer
goods and services to the buyers. They can be recognized in two forms — as retailers
who sell directly to consumers, and wholesalers and distributors who sell to the retailers
and other businesses. Producers are the people who create/manufacture goods and
services that sellers offer to buyers. They are, perforce, sellers. They sell their products to
wholesalers, retailers, or to buyers directly.
Before the advent of e-commerce, the process of selling and marketing of products
was done through the use of sales personnel and mass marketing strategies. Consumers
were lured to products through advertising campaigns that were aimed at influencing their
perceptions about products and their purchasing behaviour. They were also limited by
geographical and social boundaries as well as insufficient information about comparative
prices and quality. E-commerce has changed and challenged traditional methods of
business transactions.

A typical commercial activity, like the selling of a product by a producer to a customer,

involves the following elements —
1. First of all, you need a product or a service to offer or sell.
2. Then you need a place from where to sell your product/service. This could be a
store or a shop, a phone number, or a mail order form.
3. The next important step is the marketing of the product. The problem is how to
attract customers. For this, you can have a store in a busy shopping/ commercial
complex, or send out a mail order catalogue with form, or you can even advertise
by making a man in a Charlie Chaplin suit stand at the corner of the busy road, and
hand out flyers about your product. For
ENGLISH

instance, the company SWITCH2CFL uses a man dressed as a CFL bulb who
stands at places that have a high volume of human traffic, like a popular shopping
mall. Every hour, he also shows people a short video presentation about the
company's products and their advantages.
4. After this, you have to find a way to accept orders. In a store, it is done through
the check out line. A mail order company would receive orders by mail or on the
phone which would then be processed by its employees. SWITCH2CFL accepts
orders over the counter directly or by phone.
5. Then, you need to find a mode of accepting payment in return for the goods/
services offered. At a shop, this is usually through cash, check or credit card.
Business to business transactions use purchase orders. In some cases, immediate
payment is not required for goods/services offered. For instance, water and power
are continuously provided and does not require immediate payment. This requires
generating bills and collecting the amounts due at the customer's end on a monthly
basis. You must be familiar with the monthly BSES electricity bill or the MTNL/
Airtel/ Vodafone/ Tata telephone bill that arrives at your house regularly.
6., The next operation is delivery of the product or service. It is also referred to as
fulfilment of order. In a store, the customer usually picks up the product of her/his
choice, pays and walks out of the shop. For mail order customers, business houses
have to package the product and mail it to the customer.
7. If the customer is not happy with the product, then you have to find a way
to accept returns.
You may or may not decide to levy return charges.
8. At times, products may fail or break down, and then you need to honour
warranty claims. Usually, most products come with a warranty tag which
specifies the time period during which the company replaces/repairs the
faulty/damaged product free of cost. Retailers usually leave this to the producers.
9. Many products require after sales service and technical support departments to
help customers use them. For instance, computers often require such support and
service.
In an e-commerce activity, you find all the elements of a commercial transaction in a
slightly changed manner. It is true that you need a product or a service to sell/offer.
However, in e-commerce, the place to sell the product is a website which displays the
product(s) in some way or the other. Here too, you need to bring customers to visit your
website. Orders are usually accepted on-line through a form. Payment of money may
also be done online through credit card or debit cards. This requires a secure and safe
order-taking page and a connection to a bank. For delivery or fulfilment of the order,
the product is shipped to the address of the customer. In the case of software and
information, orders can be fulfilled through a file download over the Web. It is very easy
to book railway and
 E- COMMERCE: THE REVOLUTION

air tickets through e-ticketing. Have you tried booking a railway ticket on the Internet?
Such a ticket is called an e-ticket and you can do this by going to Indian Railways website
and following their instructions. This kind of transaction is a good example of e-
commerce. The latter also provides for ways of accepting returns and honouring
warranty claims. It provides customer service through e-mail, on-line forms, on-line
knowledge bases, and FAQs. In addition, it is flexible enough to allow other business
functions or practices to be integrated into it. For example, you may like to show the
exact status of an order. Such practices help to ensure the satisfaction of the customer.

1. The global reach of e-commerce is phenomenal. Commercial transactions now

can cross cultural and national boundaries conveniently and cost effectively in
comparison to the earlier methods of commerce. The online population of the
world is the potential market size for an e-commerce business.
2. It is a market which is present everywhere and at all times. It is not restricted
by physical space or geographical boundaries." Hence transaction costs, that is, the
cost of participating in a market, are greatly reduced. If an e-commerce site is
implemented properly, then order-taking costs and after-sales service costs can be
decreased by using automating processes.
3. E-commerce follows universal standards for conducting business practices.
These technical standards are followed by countries all over the world and have
lowered market entry costs, that is, the amount merchants have to pay to bring
their goods to the market. At the same time, costs for searching

Figure 15.1: With e-commerce you can shop from home!

LISH

suitable products are decreased for consumers. For instance, if you want to buy a
suitcase, you can enter the VIP company website and look for a suitable product.
After that, you can compare it with similar suitcases manufactured by other
companies. A few clicks of the keys and you can see and compare prices and
quality of suitcases of different companies before placing an order. With the
creation of a single global marketspace, the prices and descriptions of products are
displayed to all viewers. Furthermore, it has become easy to find several suppliers,
prices and delivery terms of a specific product anywhere in the world. However,
this may not be true for all products in the present e-commerce world.
4. E-commerce technologies provide increased information density. Infor
mation density is the total amount and quality of information available to
all its market participants, consumers, and merchants. The new technolo
gies enabling e-commerce reduce information collection and storage, pro
cessing, and communication costs. They also provide more accurate and
timely information. This has made prices and costs more transparent and
the consumer can find out the variety of prices prevailing in a market as
well as the costs merchants have to pay for products. Sellers can also find
out more about their customers/consumers and they are able to engage in
price discrimination, which means selling the same goods to different
groups of customers at different prices. For instance, a travel agency,
'Travel Guru', offers differential pricing strategies to different customers
while selling vacation plans. It sells exotic holiday packages at a higher
price to those customers who are willing to pay anything for them. Those
who are price-sensitive are offered more or less the same plan at reduced
rates.
5. More purchases can be made with each transaction. The book company,
Amazon, not only describes the books available online but also shows what
other people purchased along with the book(s) they ordered. It also gives
a review of the selected book and invites more reviews of it. Features like
these attract the customer to buy more than what s/he would in
a normal bookshop.
6. Integration of other business functions/information into a well-implemented
e-commerce site. For instance, the FedEx (Federal Express) company provides
customers with the facility of e-tracking, i.e. seeing online the status of their
package. Dell, the computer company, allows the customer to track the progress of
her/his order, from manufacturing to shipping stage. In this way, the seller gives
the buyer access to more information.
7. E-commerce enables companies to create larger catalogues of their products.
Amazon has a vast catalogue of its books which would never fit into a mailbox in
its printed version.
8. It creates better and more fruitful customer interaction. With advanced
automated tools, it is possible to interact with a customer in different ways
 E-COMMERCE: THE REVOLUTION

at no extra cost. A company may inform the customer about

How is e-commerce different
her/his confirmed order, its execution and exact delivery from e-business?
through e-mail. This makes the customer feel special and E-business refers to processes
privileged. A happy customer will go back to the company and transactions that take place
to buy something else as well as advertise the fact to others. over the Web within the firm. It
This is free publicity for the company. does not necessarily include
commercial transactions involv-
9. Shopping has become easy and comfortable. E-commerce ing an exchange of value across
affords the experience of shopping in your pajamas. As there is organizational limits. E-busi-
no physical marketplace, it is possible to shop from your home or ness will become e-commerce
desktop. The traditional boundaries of a marketplace have been when such exchanges of value
take place. Its primary concern
extended beyond its geographical location. Instead, a is the application of digital tech-
'marketspace' has been created, and its all-time availability has nologies to business processes
made it possible to shop anywhere and at any time. Now, a within the firm.
person can also shop in different ways as websites offer new
features such as, the facility to build an order over several days; to customize
orders, including the complicated ones; to compare prices of different sellers of
the same product; to configure products and see their actual prices; and even to
search large catalogues easily.
10. E-commerce allows people to create and set up new, innovative and profit-
oriented business models. It cuts costs of engaging staff to take orders, and distribute
catalogues. This enables the company to offer products at a lower price than what is
available at malls or through mail order forms. {Brain 2000) However, this is not to
privilege e-commerce over other business transactions. It has its own difficult aspects
like:
• How to attract people to its website and tempt them to visit it a second time in
order to make purchases?
• How to make itself different from scores of other such sites so that customers are
lured into buying something from the website?

TYPES OF E-(

There are different types of e-commerce depending on who is selling to whom. They are
Business-to-Consumer (B2C), Business-to-Business (B2B) and Consumer-to-Consumer
(C2C). However, there are exceptions like Peer-to-Peer (P2P) and M-Commerce (Mobile
Commerce) which are based on technological differences.

B2C or Business-to-Consumer E-commerce

This is the most common business form in which online businesses try to reach individual
customers. There are different business models in this category like
274 BUSINESS ENGLISH

portals (Yahoo.com, MSN.com), online retailers or e-tailers (Amazon.com, Dell.com),

content providers (CNN.com, Sportsline.com), transaction brokers (Monster.com, E-
Trade.com), market creators (eBay.com, Priceline.com), service providers (myCFO.com,
xDrive.com) and community providers (About.com, BlackPlanet.com).

B2B or Business-to-Business E-commerce

This is the largest form of e-commerce in which businesses target other businesses for
selling their products/services. A number of models have developed in this category, like
e-distributors (Grainger.com), B2B service providers (Employeematters.com),
matchmakers (iShip.com) and information mediators or infomediaries (DoubleClick.com)
who have greatly increased the use of B2B e-commerce.

C2C or Consumer-to-Consumer E-commerce

In this form, consumers are able to sell to each other, with the help of an online
market maker. An example of this is the auction site e-Bay.com, which provides
search engines, catalogues and facilities for clearing transactions so that the prod-
ucts of consumers can be displayed and bought with ease.

P2P or Peer-to-Peer E-commerce

This kind of technology enables those who use the Internet to share files and resources
directly without the intervention of a market maker. Take the example of Gnutella, which
is a software application. It allows users to exchange musical tracks directly without any
charge. Many entrepreneurs have attempted to mould this technology into Peer-to-Peer e-
commerce. LimeWire.com and FastTrack.com are two such free music service providers.
KaZaa.com and MusicCity.com also permit these kinds of exchanges on their sites.

Mobile Commerce or M-commerce

When wireless digital devices are used for transactions on the Web, it is called m-
commerce. They use wireless networks to connect cellphones and hand-held devices to
the Web where people can transact different functions including stock trading, price
comparisons, banking, travel reservations, etc. This form of e-commerce is widely
prevalent in Japan and Europe (especially Finland) where cellphones are more prevalent
than in other parts of the world.
 E-COMMERCE: THE REVOLUTION

• The penetration of PCs in homes is not growing rapidly. About 48-50 per cent of households
have PCs.
• Using the Internet requires having a PC (worth about Rs 30,000) and Internet connection
(approximately Rs 300/month).
• Complex operating system and application software have to be installed in ' order to use the
Web. These may be more difficult to use than a TV or a telephone.
• Even the skills required to use the Internet and e-commerce facilities and operations
effectively are more complex and sophisticated than using a TV or a newspaper.
• The social and cultural aspects of shopping cannot be realized in e-commerce. The experience
of meeting the merchants and other consumers face-to-face cannot be achieved or duplicated
in the digital form.
• Even now, most of the people in the world do not have access to telephone services, PCs, or
cellphones.

Learning Outcomes

1. What is e-commerce?
2. What are the different aspects of a typical commercial transaction?
. 3. How is an e-commerce transaction different from the traditional methods of conducting
business?
4. Enumerate the various advantages of e-commerce.
5. How is e-business different from e-commerce?
BUSINESS ENGLISH

6. Name the different kinds of e-commerce and explain them briefly. Give examples.
7. What are the major limitations on the growth of commerce?

ACTIVITY CORNER

1. Match the terms in column A with their meaning/definition in column B:

A B
(a) E-commerce The application of digital technology in
B2B i) business processes within a firm
(b)
Yahoo.com
ii)
(c) P2P iii) Digitally enabled commercial transactions
between and among organizations and
individuals
(d) B2C E- iv) eBay.com
(e) business Businesses focus upon selling to other
v) businesses

(0 Portal vi) Internet users share files and resources

directly without the presence of a market
maker
(g) Market Creators vii) Online businesses try to reach individuals
. viii) Consumers are able to sell to each other with
the help of a market maker

2. Circle the odd man out:

(a) buyer seller marketplace resources
(b) Web Internet television e-commerce
(c) disadvantages global reach universal standards information
density
(d) B2B B2C C2C ; P2P
(e) cellphones handheld m-commerce e-business

3. Read the paragraph below and cross out the words which are not correct.
Example: How frmch/many cellphones do you have?
There are many/much kinds of e-commerce activities, but one needs at least/a
minimum of a computer and an Internet connection to carry out these operations.
The question is how many/much does it cost to buy and keep these things? One
has access to more/ less information with the advent of digital technology.
However, it is important to use these discoveries with great/less care.
 TELECOM TECHNOLOGY Chapter

16

Learning Objectives Vocabulary

After studying this chapter you will be able to understand: messages
• Different kinds of telecom technology telegram
• What is a telegram and how to write one telex
• What is a telex and how to write one fax
• Facts about fax transmission
• Voice mail communication
I*** Cellphones and the use of SMS. telephone
cellphones
voice mail
Pre-reading Activity language
teleconferencing
• Do you think today's communicative technology is a vast improvement on technology
the earlier methods of communication? SMS
• Which is your favourite mode of communication?
• What are its advantages?
• What are its disadvantages?

T here are different ways of transmitting messages. The medium in which you
choose to send a message, signals to the recipient the importance you attach
to the message. Usually, a written message gets more importance than an oral
one. That is why a special delivery message will be treated as high priority rather
than an ordinary message. The client who sends a document/mail electronically
will be perceived differently from the one who sends it on paper through DHL or
Blazeflash courier service or express. Knowledge of these technologies in order
to send or receive messages will help you to decide which medium to use. The
older forms of electronic communication that operate on same wires and satel-
lites set-up for the telephone systems are telegrams and telexes. Along with faxes
or telefaxes, they have been in use for years ever since speedy transmission of
messages was required.
'2 BUSINESS ENGLISH

TELEGRA

A telegram does not require detailed description as it is an older form of telecom

technology. There are other faster and comparatively easier ways of sending/receiving
messages. While drafting a telegram or a telex, it is important to be brief and economical
with words as you have to pay for each word that you use. Keep the following guidelines
in mind when composing a telegram:
1. Write the receiver's address first, then the text of the message and your
(sender's) name in capital letters on a prescribed form.
2. The address should be abbreviated as much as possible.
3. Time should be written according to the 24-hour clock and all figures to be written
in words. For example, twenty-one thirty, zero zero forty-five, etc.
4. Brevity and clarity go together in a telegram.
5. Break one sentence from another by using the word 'STOP' in place of
regular punctuation.
6. You can ignore normal grammar and punctuation. Leave out articles (a, an, the)
and prepositions (on, before, after, etc.).
7. Each telegram should be followed by a letter that should elaborate the matter
referred to in the telegram.

Some words that express urgency are given below: -

Soonest/ASAP for as soon as possible

Expedite for , speeding up the process
Essential for - without delay
Imperative for .- compulsory or important
Indispensable for cannot do without it
Improbable for - • • • least likely to occur
Impossible for » not possible
Unavoidable > for ';'*•' ' cannot be avoided/ignored
Unavailable for not available

A Sample Telegram

A retail shop owner, Mr Harry Herman, has been waiting for a long time to receive goods
from his supplier, 5WITCH2CFL Company Limited. So he sends the following telegram:
 TFXEOOM TECHNOLOGY

SALES MANAGER
SWITCH2CFL
ASPIRATION TOWERS
GURGAON
SEND IMMEDIATE DELIVERY OF GOODS STOP IF IMPOSSIBLE CANCEL
ORDER STOP
HARRY HERMAN

The address of the sender is required to be given in the form, but it is not telegraphed
with the main message.

\ Activity

Write a telegram for the following situation:

You are handling the job applications for a certain post in your company. You have short
listed three candidates whom you wish to call for the final round of interview on 30 July
2008 at 10:00 a.m. at the Company's headquarters. Please mention that the company will
pay 3-tier AC train fare for both ways of travel.

Telexes are electronic messages that use telegraph lines for transmission. To send a telex,
you need a teleprinting machine and be a subscriber to the international telex system. This
machine is like a typewriter. No sooner does the operator type out the message than it
appears on the recipient's machine. In this operation, the charges are calculated on the
basis of the time taken by the operator to send the message. Hence, it is essential that the
language used in a telex should be clear, brief and intelligible. As it is one of the quickest
and most dependable methods for international communication, it has eclipsed the letter
as the main mode of correspondence. In fact, many companies, hotel chains, and airlines
communicate directly with their own branch offices via telex.

Why and When to use a Telex

• Send a telex when a face-to-face or telephone conversation is not possible

either because of great geographical distances and the high call charges, or
because of being in different time zones.
* A telex should be sent when you want to place an order with specific re
quirements. Orders placed over the phone are likely to be misheard or mis
interpreted or may take a long time to communicate.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

• A telex is also sent to confirm a telephone conversation so that there is a written

record of the conversation.
• A telex is preferred to a telephone conversation or a letter because of time and cost
considerations. It is not subject to aesthetic layouts or composition as a letter.
• A telex is fast in communicating messages. When an immediate answer is
required, a telex is sent rather than a letter, particularly where great distances are
involved.
• A telex is the preferred mode of communication when the sender wishes to avoid
direct verbal contact with the receiver. In a situation of potential conflict, for
example, following the failure to meet the delivery deadline, the Industrial Sales
Manager of SWITCH2CFL, (see in telegram section above) sends a telex to Mr
Harry Herman, apologizing and confirming the delivery date of the order. Here is
what his telex would look like:
(a) 310075 + CFL - IND

(b) TCI 07/07/1400 © 044065

1107 -1401
(d) 32142 - 3 HER - HA
(e) N - 19 / 241 OF 07/07/2008
(f) FST / 2030

ATTENTION: HARRY HERMAN

SUBJECT: RECONFIRM DELIVERY DATE OF GOODS

SORRY FOR DELAY IN SENDING ORDER. YOUR CONSIGNMENT SENT ON
06/07/2008. WILL REACH IN A WEEK'S TIME. PLEASE CONFIRM DATE OF
DELIVERY AT YOUR END. ASSURING YOU OF TIMELY SERVICE IN FUTURE.
SINCERELY YOURS
JAIDEEP DAS
(MANAGER)

The numbers given at the top of the telex message can be interpreted as follows:
(a) Sender's telex number and country of origin, i.e. India.
(b) TCI means Telecommunication Code for India. 07/07 is the date, that is, 7 July.
1400 — is the time that is 2.00 p.m. when the caller was connected.
044065 is the meter reading at the telex exchange.
© 1107 - is the Indian telecommunications code number for the country being called.
1401 - is the time when the transmission of the message began, that is, one
minute past 2:00 p.m.
 TELECOM TECHNOLOGY [»#lj

(d) The telex number of the company or organization to which the message is sent.
(e) Reference number of the specific telex and the date.
(f) The sender's reference number for the specific telex being sent.
(Sinha 2001: 593)

Please note that all code/telex numbers in the above telex are fictitious.

It is evident that normal sentence construction, grammar and punctuation take a back
seat in writing telegrams and telexes. But you must ensure clarity of meaning and brevity
in such messages.

The fax (short for 'facsimile' which means 'a copy') is another fast mode of commu-
nication. For many years, this instrument languished in uneasy use. However, it has now
emerged as an important tool of e-communication. Modern businesses use it extensively
because of its speed, convenience and flexibility. It may take a little time to actually
prepare the message, but the fax is as fast as a telephone call to send and, because of its
speed, it is relatively cheaper. Hence, it is not an originally created document. The word
'fax' denotes more the way a document is sent (Young 2006:137) than the kind of
document being sent. Therefore, a fax can be a letter, a memo, a proposal, a price list or
any other business document. In this process, a fax machine scans a printed page,
converts it to a signal, and transmits the signal electronically over a telephone line to a
receiving fax machine. It is more convenient than e-mail (though more expensive)
because any sheet of A4 size paper can be put through a fax machine and it can be used
by companies with no computers or Internet connections. Any document with original
signatures can be sent along with a time and date stamp, thereby indicating proof of
transaction. However, companies are setting up these systems on their Intranets so that
users can send/receive faxes from their desktops. The newest fax machines use digital
transmission, by which it is possible to use a computer program as a receiver. These new
faxes are faster, too.
Another important feature of a fax is its flexibility. It is capable of sending both text
and graphics in any format. It does not require any special hardware or software to
prepare a document which includes graphs,-photographs or diagrams; these can simply be
photocopied on A4 sheets of paper. The format of a fax varies from company to company
as each company has its own preference or software for generating a fax.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

To: Ms Diane Donovan Tel:

Fax:

New York, USA

From:
New Delhi, India. 30 July 2008

Subject:

Can't tell you much 1 enjoyed your stay us. Request, enclose for attention our price list
and catalogue. Take this opportunity draw your attention that all our products use eco-
friendly components and that we not utilize any harsh additives whatsoever.

Best

Please refer to Unit V for this topic.

A Brief History

When the cost of making calls decreased in the 1970s and early 1980s, business people
used the phone extensively for their commercial ventures. Many corporations came into
being and employees grew in number. Different time zones, fewer secretaries and
increased communication by phone led to delays in communication. This affected
businesses adversely. Initially, the system of a message centre or message desk was used
to solve this problem. The huge volume of calls did not help and messages were delayed.
Answering machines on individual phones were not suitable for the corporate
environment. In its avatar as the voice mail service (VMS) or message bank, this system
functions as a sophisticated version of an answering machine. It can answer phones, direct
calls, and take messages as well as act as voice storage equipment. It consists of a
standard telephone handset for the sake of the user and relies on a centralized,
computerized system to store messages. In this, messages in natural human voices are
recorded in a digitized form — a process similar to the way music is stored on a CD.
Voice mail lets you send, store and retrieve verbal messages. To recall a message, the
user calls the system from any phone, logs on by entering a confidential code and then
retrieves the message. The user can also retrieve messages of a particular date or from a
particular person. Many users can store/retrieve messages at the same time on the same
voice mail system. But before you leave a message on it,
 TELECOM TECHNOLOGY

Thank you for calling. Please

leave a message. In case I forget
to check my messages, send me a
fax to remind me to check my
message box.

Figure 16.1

organize your thoughts so that your message is recorded accurately and concisely. For
instance, if Mr Jaideep Das wants to leave a message for Ms Susan O'Brien, he should
first dial her number and, after getting connected to the voice mail service, he should do
the following;

" Be polite and brief. His message should not be longer than two minutes.
• Be accurate and state specifically what he wants.
• Speak clearly. He should not eat, drink, or chew gum or paan (betel leaf) while
recording.
• Clearly define the purpose of his call and the action he desires from Ms O'Brien.
• State the important part of his information or message first.
• Speak slowly, especially if giving names or phone numbers. .. • -

Advantages of Voice mail

1. It can answer many phones at the same time.

2. It can store incoming voice messages in personalized mail boxes related to the user's
phone number for future retrieval.
3. Users can annotate received messages and forward it to another person's voice mail
box.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

4. It can make calls to a telephone or paging service to notify users about messages
arriving in their mail boxes.
5. In case personal assistance is required, it can transfer calls to the relevant phone
number.
6. It can send messages to more than one voice mail box.
7. It solves the difficulties of different time zones within a country and of countries
around the world.
8. It reduces a great deal of inter-office paper work.
9. It helps to make companies more productive because it eliminates telephone tag or
delays and interruptions.
Voice mail services are used in conjunction with the office telephone system or the
PBXs. They may also be associated with residential fixed line phones or cellular phones.
Nowadays, mobile phones have this feature in their network services. The modern
upgraded systems of voice mail support fax-delivery to personal voice mail boxes for
later retrieval via the printer. They can also be integrated into the e-mail system for
sharing directories and message storage (also called Unified Messaging). The advent of
VoIP {Voice over Internet Protocol, that is, when voice is transmitted over the Internet)
and development of IP telephony applications replaced the time-honoured PBX telephony
(called TDM technologies). The integration of voice mail with VoIP and Internet'
telephony has facilitated the coming of a new generation of Unified Messaging systems. It
will be popular because it is flexible, manageable, cost effective, reliable, fast and user-
convenient. This kind of messaging convergence may include intra and inter-enterprise
contacts, mobile contacts, pro-active application information delivery and customer
contact applications.
Voice mail become a part of the corporate world just like computers, cellphones and
e-mail (to name a few). It has helped businesses to perform efficiently and profitably and
enabled the poorest regions of the world to witness the growth of commerce. It will exist
in the world for a long time in some form or the other as long as people use their voices to
communicate.

Consider the following situation:

Mr Cyrus Tata, VP Marketing of SWITCH2CFL, is on his way to the office to attend
an important meeting and he is caught in a traffic jam. He realizes that he will be late for
the meeting and this would delay the following meeting as well. What can he do to start
the meeting without him? The most logical and commonly used method would be to pick
up his palm-fitting mobile phone and call the Sr Sales Manager of the company, brief her
about the meeting and depute her to
 TELECOM TECHNOLOGY

Figure 16.2 Cellphone: a multi-faceted device

begin the meeting without his presence. With a phone like this he can reach other people just
as others can contact him.
Nowadays, cellphones provide an astonishing range of functions, and new ones are
being added with each passing day. Depending on the cellphone model, you can:
• Maintain a contact list of phone numbers.
• Make task or to-do lists.
• Set reminders in order to keep track of appointments.
• Use the calculator function for simple calculations.
• Send or receive e-mail.
• Get information {news, entertainment, stock quotes) from the Internet.
• Flay games.
• Send messages by SMS.
• Watch TV.
• Can integrate other devices such as PDAs, MP3 players and GPS receivers.
(Layton et al 2000)

It is a common feature to see people with their cellphones glued either to their ears or to
the palms of their hands. When plugged to the ears, it is a device meant to carry out a
conversation while in the hands, it is meant to send short text messages.
 1i

BUSINESS ENGLISH -■

Welcome to the world of SMS or short message service! This service permits short text
messages of 160 characters to move from one cellphone to another or from a PC or a hand
held to a cellphone. (Hord 2005)

Advantages of SMS

1. It is more discreet than a phone call.

2. It requires less time than e-mail.
3. It does not require you to be sitting at a computer like e-mail or instant messaging.
4. It is a useful method for the deaf and the hearing impaired.
5. Companies can use it to inform employees about new information.
6. It is used by TV shows to allow viewers to vote for a topic or a contestant.
However, such facilities should be used with care. Use abbreviations that can
be understood by the receiver. A wrongly interpreted message could mean losses to an
organization.

iPhones were introduced to the world in January 2007. They are more like 'a palmtop
computer than a cellular phone' (Wilson 2007). They can be used to make and receive
calls. Other features include watching movies, listening to music, accessing the Web, and
sending and receiving e-mail and text messages. The built-in camera permits photography
while photos from your computer can be transferred and organized using the iPhone's
software. The best part about the iPhone is that its interactive screen is operated by the
touch of human fingers.

Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) or handhelds or palmtops are like extensions to the
PC. They help business people to organize and schedule their day's activities. They also
enable users to access the Internet, send and receive mails, use them as Global Positioning
System (GPS) devices, and run multimedia software.

Smartphones

They are either a cellphone with PDA functions or a PDA with cellphone functions. An
example of it is the Blackberry smartphone.
 TELECOM TECHNOLOGY

Learning Outcomes

'/? this chapter you have learnt:

I • About the different kinds of telecom technology—telegram, telex, fax,
cellphones. This will help you to decide the mode of e-communication
depending on the demand of the situation at hand [" • To
be simple, clear and brief when writing a telegram
• The principles of clarity and brevity for writing a telex
• How a fax scores over the e-mail in being more authentic as it can carry trie
signature of the sender along with other kinds of texts and graphics. It
!
requires proper use of language
• About voice mail and its utility
: • That a cellphone has become a necessity. But SMS should be used with
| caution
* • About iPhones, PDAs and Smartphones

Jffl Exercises

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSIOI

1. What are the guidelines for writing a telegram?

2. How is a telegram different from a telex?
3. When should you send a telex?
4. What is a fax? What are its advantages?
5. What is voice mail?
6. How have cellphones become a necessity?
7. What precautions should you take while sending SMS?

1. Draft a suitable telegram for the following situations:

a) You have to inform a prospective employer that you will not be able to
accept their job offer.
b) You have to inform a candidate that the interview for the job has been
cancelled.
c) You have to inform your stockbroker to sell some shares/stocks.
d) You have to inform an employee who is on leave to rejoin duty immediately
as there is an emergency in the company.
ENGLISH

2. The following lines are from a fax message. Choose the correct word in each
sentence:
a) Thank you very much for sending the informative/informed brochure of your
company's products.
b) We are very interesting/interested in your products.
c) The information about your bulbs made fascinated/fascinating reading.
d) But some of the information is confusing/confused.
e) We are surprising/surprised by the part about the kind of gases used in your
bulbs.
 OTHER COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES Chapter

17

Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
groupware
After studying this chapter you will know about:
collaboration
Groupware and its utility Different types of
information
groupware electronic calendars
Synchronous groupware—whiteboard, video conferencing, electronic chat systems
meetings, chat rooms, decision support systems multi-player games
mailing lists
Asynchronous groupware—e-mails, newsgroup and mailing list, newsgroup
hypertext, workflow systems, group calendars, collaborative writing
hypertext
Factors affecting the move to groupware
asynchronous
software
synchronous
Pre-reading Activity whiteboards video
Can you think of new technologies which help in communication?
conferencing word
processor
How do they help us?
workflow e-
Have they made a difference to your life?
meeting systems

I t refers to software that lets people at the same or different locations share
information, communicate electronically and coordinate their efforts easily. It
is designed to help people who are working together on the same project/task to
achieve their purpose/goal. It is an umbrella term describing electronic
technologies that support group collaboration. To give you an example of how
groupware can help in a collaborative task is the group-authoring system which
allows collaborative writing between different people so that they can plan, draft,
revise and track a document. This program keeps an 'edit trail' of all
revisions/changes made, who made them and when. It enables a supervisor/team
manager to monitor workflow through individual computers instead of
physically moving people from one place to another or having meetings with
them. Such programs are time-effective as they reduce the need for time
consuming face-to-face meetings.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Lotus Notes is the father of such groupware products. It allows users to work together
comfortably as if they were in the same room. Microsoft NetMeeting and Microsoft
Exchange are other groupware products. Most word processing software can function as
groupware for editing team-writing projects. Other groupware services include sharing of
calendars, e-mail handling, databases access, and organizing electronic meetings to see
and display information to others. It is sometimes called 'collaborative software' because
of its very nature. It forms an integral part of the field of study known as Computer
Supported Cooperative Work or CSCW.

Advantages of Using Groupware

• Files can be shared between team members who can post files that can be viewed
or downloaded individually.
• It helps to carry out a synchronous discussion between team members by posting
comments to a discussion list. Each member can read/download these comments
whenever it is convenient and .even post further comments on the previous ones.
• The original file remains unaltered while team members attach their comments to
it.
• Announcements in the nature of schedules, changes, deadlines, and holidays can
be posted by the senior members/supervisor.
• Team members can be notified by e-mail alerts when a document has been
changed.
• Better cost control and increased productivity are the main benefits of groupware.
• There is better customer service as the organization is extended to include both
customer and the supplier.
• There is better coordination, globally.
• It is easier to integrate geographically disparate locations.
• Routine processes and tasks can be automated,
• Faster marketing of products leads to increased competitiveness.
However, certain guidelines have to be followed while coordinating a project
through the use of groupware:
• First of all, appoint a team manager who will keep track of the document/ project,
invite valid discussions on it, and edit comments whenever and wherever required.
'■
• Decide how often the document should be checked by members for changes.
• Control clutter by encouraging the use of e-mail or other communication modes.
 OTHER COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

• If you are a new user, then copy the latest file before making comments it.
• Assign e-mail IDs to all team members and provide this combined information
along with phone numbers to each participant.
Groupware technology is classified along two dimensions:
(1) According to time —'Real time'/'Synchronous' Groupware (where users are
working together at the same time) and 'Asynchronous' groupware (where they are
working at different times).
(2) According to location—'Face-to-face' groupware (where users are working
together in the same place) or 'Distance' groupware (where users are at different
locations).

Synchronous/Real Time Groupware

1. Shared Whiteboards These allow two or more persons to view and draw on a
shared drawing surface even from different locations as if they were all in a room.
These are designed for informal conversation, but they may also support
sophisticated drawing tasks such as collaborative graphic design, publishing or
engineering applications. Many computers are linked together forming a network.
The users share a common whiteboard on which data/information can be
modified. A person may be drawing or pointing— this is shown by tele-pointers
which are colour coded or labelled to identify each person. (Brink 1998)
2. Video communications/Video conferencing Systems These permit two-way or
multi-way calling with live video. In actual terms, this is teleconferencing with the
video component pitched in for good measure. The audio and video signals that
transmit live voices and images are transmitted through different media like
telephone lines, direct cable connection, microwave or satellite. It was
demonstrated for the first time in 1968. In its early days, the high cost and
compatibility problems were responsible for the limited success of video
conferencing. It was only in the 1980s that digital telephony transmission network
became popular, such as ISDN which has a minimum bit rate (128 kbps) for
compressed video and audio transmission. In the 1990s, IP (Internet Protocol)
based video conferencing system became possible and allowed desktop video
conferencing. In 1992, CU-SeeMe was developed at Cornell by Tim Dorcey et al,
and IVS was designed at INRIA. With the advent of these technological
developments, people began to have access to free services, web plug-ins,
software such as NetMeeting, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk,
SightSpeed, Skype etc. These technologies enable people to form 'virtual groups'
which can debate, discuss and deliberate on different issues.
Consequently, personal video conference systems based on webcam, personal
computer systems, software compression and broadband internet
ENGLISH

connectivity have become affordable to the general public. Moreover, the

hardware of this technology is improving in quality while prices have come down
to reasonable limits. Video becomes important when visual information is being
discussed or required. Another advantage of video conferencing is that it can also
provide overviews of activities at a remote location. However, for audio activities
only, telephones prove to be more than adequate. Nowadays, Desktop Video
Conferencing is gaining ground because of accessibility through desktop
computers and the non-requirement of special rooms to be set-up for video
conferencing. Video conferencing has become popular in recent years because of
the increasing cost of travel, more affordable transmission cost and the invention
of more effective hardware. It can also be used to share documents, computer-dis-
played information and whiteboards.

Guidelines for Conducting Video Conferences

• First plan and prepare an agenda ahead of the conference.
• Try to involve all participants.
• Speak normally. Do not shout or make any other distracting sounds.
• Provide all participants with copies of agenda, handouts, visual aids, etc., ahead of
time.
• Introduce yourself before speaking and wait until the camera is focused on you.
• If you wish to show graphics, prepare them with the video in mind. They should
be simple with readable fonts.
• Avoid sudden movements as the present technology cannot handle as many frames
per second in video conferences as television. Do not gesture or move around
unnecessarily. Maintain a quiet posture and rely more on
. your voice, than on your hands to convey your point.

Figure 17.1: Video conference: gaining popularity

 OTHER COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

Importance of Video Conferencing in Education

• It gives students an opportunity to learn by participating in a multi-way
communication platform.
• Classes in remote and isolated places can be taught by teachers from different
places.
• Students belonging to diverse background can come together and learn about each
other's culture and ideas.
• Students can visit other parts of the world through 'virtual' field trips.
• A teacher can keep in touch with the class while attending a conference.
• A researcher can collaborate with colleagues at other institutions on a regular
basis, thereby saving time on travel.

Importance of Video Conferencing in Business

• Individuals in faraway places can have meetings at short notice.
• The time and money that would have been used in travelling can be used to have
more such virtual meetings.
• Face-to-face business meetings can be held if VoIP technology is used along with
desktop video conferencing. There is no need to leave the office and this
collaborative technology is especially useful for businesses with far off offices.
• This technology can be used for telecommuting in which employees work from
home.
• Telepresence video conferencing, in which participants are able to see each other
in lifelike images and little delay in video transmission, is becoming popular for
conducting business meetings.
• This technology is being introduced to online networking websites, in order to
help businesses to form profitable relationships, quickly and efficiently without
leaving their place of work.

Electronic Meeting Systems (EMS) It means a conference system built in a room having
a large video projector and connected to many PCs. It enables businesses to have
meetings through virtual groups.

Chat Systems They allow many people to write messages in real time in a public space,
thereby creating a virtual group. As each person writes a message, it can be seen at the
bottom of a scrolling screen. Chat groups are formed by having listed chat rooms by
name, location, number of users, topic of discussion, etc. The text version of chat is useful
as it has a direct transcript of the conversation. It also allows backward referencing during
conversation, making it easier for people to drop into a conversation and to pick up the
threads of the ongoing discussion.

Decision Support Systems They facilitate groups in taking decisions. They provide tools
for brainstorming, critiquing ideas, voting, etc. It is presumed that such
BUSINESS ENGLISH

systems aid groups to arrive at more rational and even-handed decisions. They are
designed to facilitate meetings, encourage equal participation by, for instance, providing
anonymity and enforcing turn taking.

Multi-player Games They are becoming increasingly common on the Internet. The earlier
electronic games were multi-user, for example, space wars and car racing games.
Essentially, they are multi-player games in non-cooperative situations. Nevertheless, they
require a certain degree of cooperation in following the rules of the games. (Adapted from
Brink 1998)

Asynchronous Groupware

E-mail It is the most common groupware besides the traditional telephone. You have
already read all about e-mail in Chapter 14.

Newsgroups and Mailing Lists They are similar in spirit to e-mail except that they are
intended for messages among large groups of people instead of one-to-one
communication. The main difference between newsgroups and mailing lists is that
newsgroups show messages to a user only when they are explicitly requested (an 'on-
demand' service), while the mailing lists deliver messages as they become -available
(an'interrupt-driven' interface).

Hypertext This is a system which links text documents to each other. The web is an
obvious example here. Whenever multiple people write and link documents, the system
becomes a group activity/work, which is constantly evolving and responding to each
other's work. Some hypertext systems include the function that enables us to see who else
has visited a certain page or link, or at least to see how often a link has been followed thus
giving a basic awareness of what other people are doing in the system. Another feature in
the hypertext system is allowing any user to create links from any page so that others can
be informed when there are relevant links that the original author was unaware of.

Workflow Systems This allow documents to be routed within organizations through a

relatively fixed process. A common example of a workflow application is an expense
report. An employee enters an expense report and submits it; a copy is archived and then
routed to the employee's manager for approval. The manager receives the document
electronically, approves it and sends it on. The expense is registered to the group's
account and forwarded to the accounting department for payment. Workflow systems may
provide features such as routing, development of forms, and support for different roles
and privileges.

Group Calendars These allow scheduling project management, and coordination among
several people. They may provide support for scheduling equipment as well. The typical
advantages are that they detect schedule conflicts and/or find a
 OTHER COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

common time for meetings that will work for everyone and even help to locate people.
However, the typical concerns are privacy (users may feel that certain activities are not
public matters), completeness and accuracy (users may feel that the time it takes to enter
the schedule information is not justified by the benefits of the calendar).

Collaborative Writing Systems These may provide both real time and non-real time
support. Word processors function as groupware and provide asynchronous support by
showing authorship and by allowing users to track changes and make revisions/comments
to documents. They also give synchronous support by allowing authors to see each other's
changes as and when they are made.
The change to groupware and its success have been prompted by the present business
environment. Increased complexity in products available and business procedures, rise in
competition, worldwide recession and downsizing have imposed changes upon
organizations, making them more flexible and collaborative. This transformation often
requires the use of groupware. There are other factors in its favour. A network of
infrastructure for supporting groupware is now available. Companies like Microsoft,
Word Perfect, IBM/ Lotus, and Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) are increasing
awareness of these products by promoting them aggressively. Moreover, improved
performance and prices of these products have contributed to the popularity of groupware.
The move to collaboration is therefore a strong one, driven as it is by culture and
advances in technology. Where the latter is concerned, increased networks and growth of
Internet have been phenomenal, 30 per cent on an average for the last eight years. Cultural
changes have been imminent as the world comes closer to form a global village.
Nowadays, we do not have to travel thousands of miles to meet people or clients in other
countries. But with the advent or popularity of groupware tools like video and data
conferencing which are not very expensive, less time consuming and intrusive, it has
become easy to conduct such meetings. Organizations are forced to make changes after
interacting with other cultures.

Figure 17.2: Collaborative writing system enables the users to see each other's
corrections made to the same document
BUSINESS ENGLISH

The Internet is another driver that promotes collaboration. Though the 'net' and 'www'
are not fully interactive or collaborative, groupware producing companies are
incorporating collaborative functionality into new versions of web-based products, for
example, Netscape bought CoUabra so that it could adapt in CoUabrashare's collaborative
functionality into its own products. HTML 3.0 now support forms and Jet Form Company
is developing its products in such a way that these forms can be integrated into and used
in simpler and complex workflows. Lotus' Internotes Publisher 4.0 allows bi-directional
information flows between Web and Notes. Internotes also has a Web browser in its new
version.
Another factor propelling the move towards collaboration is the need to achieve
greater levels of efficiency. Groupware supports this demand and our efforts to create new
relationships and devise new ways of working. These new modes of working with
supportive tools challenge old hierarchical structures in organizations which are more
rigid than flexible. The present business climate has to handle overloads of information,
and make the 'right' decisions promptly and effectively. That is why many business
concerns are transforming or re-inventing themselves using groupware tools in order to
equip themselves to meet these challenges.

This has been available for many years. It is a powerful technology which allows us to put
loads of information in a form that is easy to access and assimilate. Information found on
CD-ROM are generally encyclopaedia, dictionary, telephone directory, articles and
abstracts on different subjects. The storage space in a CD-ROM disk is more than the disk
space on a PC. It can store more than hundred thousand pages of text, photos and other
graphics. This include multimedia applications that support video, audio, graphics, colour
and texts. In this way, CD-ROMs become important and essential where a large capacity
for storage of information is required.
 OTHER COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

Mt Exercises
1. Define groupware. Give examples illustrating the use of groupware.
2. What are the advantages of groupware?
3. What are the different kinds of groupware?
4. Describe briefly the different kinds of synchronous groupware.
5. What is asynchronous groupware? Illustrate your answer with examples.
6. What are the factors enabling the move towards groupware?

1. Group the phrases into the appropriate columns;

Could you...? Can I...? May I...?

Would you...? Canyou...? Could I,..?

Requesting others to do something for you Asking if it is all right to do something

2. Use the above phrases in sentences according to the situations given below:
Example: If you wanted to use a colleague's computer, what would you say?
Ans: May J use your computer for a while? What
would you say or ask if ... ? i. You want someone to
give you a lift home.
ii. You want to ask your boss for a day off.
iii. You want your co-worker to tell you the time.
iv. You want to borrow a book from your boss.
v. You want to tell your colleague to complete the report.
 ORAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Oral communication is vital to human relationships in all business organizations,

as well as in other social organizations. It is the oldest and most commonly used
channel of human communication. Though it is the easiest of all modes of
communication, yet it is the most difficult to master. The success of any
organization depends to a large extent on managing both the formal and informal
oral communication. Oral communication can be effective only if it is concise
and informative, clear, relevant and tactful in phraseology and tone.
Some of the various kinds of formal oral communication that I am going to
talk about are:
i. Talking over the telephone
ii. How to appear and conduct interviews
iii. Meetings
iv. Group discussions
v. Negotiations
vi. Presentations
BUSINESS ENGLISH

We will begin with the issue of how the telephone is an important mode of formal
communication in an organization. The effective use of it saves time and money together
with helping the organization to conduct its business. Teleconferencing is one such
example of it.
We will then move on to talk about how to succeed and conduct interviews, the
preparation required and the follow up after facing an interview. This section will also
talk about the basics of conducting an interview and how the role of the interviewer and
the interviewee is important for a successful interview.
Another important mode of oral communication both within and outside the
organization is active participation in meetings to resolve conflicts and arrive at solutions
to problems.
The chapter on group discussions will talk about group discussions in organizations
as well as group discussions conducted in business schools and how to participate in them
effectively.
We are negotiating about something or the other in our day-to-day lives. Negotiation
is about bargaining with another party to get something which we want. Negotiations are,
in fact, a kind of meeting to resolve a conflict, and all negotiations go through various
stages till the objective is achieved.
The last issue being discussed is presentations. It is one of the most important genres
of oral business communication. It is a situation where one person speaks while others
listen. Presentations can take place in small groups as also with a large audience. Verbal
skills are very important to be a good presenter together with the use of visual aids to
support the presentation. We will talk about the planning, structure and delivery of
presentations in this section.
There are many advantages of oral communication. It provides immediate response
and clarification from the respondent, if any, without any time lag. Messages sent orally
not only save time but also cut down paper work and maintenance of files. Oral
communication is the appropriate mode of communication if you want to take immediate
action on any issue. Communicating with colleagues in meetings and over the telephone
help in understanding each other better along with building relationships. This promotes a
positive and healthy working environment in an organization.
Oral communication is an effective tool of persuasion. It is much simpler and easier
to resolve conflicts by talking rather than writing to each other. Communicating orally
builds an environment of informality among colleagues leading to better interaction and
understanding among them. It is a cost effective device both in terms of money and time.
It also has the added advantage of adapting and improving unlike the written word.
 U SING THE TELEPHONE Chapter

18

Learning Objectives Vocabulary

After studying the chapter you will be able to:*'** confirm
•Prepare yourself before making a telephone call brevity
•Know when and how to make phone calls clarity
•Learn the etiquette for receiving and making calls precision
•Write a telephone message courtesy
Hi' Organize and participate in conference calls pleasantries
teleconferencing
consignment
Pre-reading Activity accent
professionalism
When do you generally use the telephone? verbal signals
Do you use the phone to make complaints to the electricity department, lucid
the telephone department, MCD or anyone else about some problem? auto dialling
Is there a difference in your language and tone when you speak to redialling
your friend and when you speak to a person in an office?
voice mail
What are these differences and what are the reasons for them? call transfer
indispensable
ramble

T he telephone is an important channel of communication both at the national

and international levels in today's fast moving world where time is at a
premium. It will continue to be an indispensable means of communication. It
seems to have all the advantages of a face-to-face meeting and is also an
effective management tool.

AD VANTAG ESO F USIN G A TELEPHO N E

• One of the major advantages of using the phone is the instant reactions and
consequent actions that follow it.
• There is no time lag in decisions being carried out.
• The telephone, in a way, acts like a great equalizer—here personal looks and
appearance are not important.
BQ4 BUSINESS ENGLISH

• Even a junior officer can talk to a senior officer over the phone. There is a host of
telephone services available now which make talking over the phone quick, easy
and economical.

• At times when one calls, the answering machine or the secretary becomes a barrier
to communication.
• You also have to depend entirely on voice modulation to communicate. This
requires good accent, perfect pronunciation and excellent vocabulary which may
become a stumbling block for many of us.
" The telephone network is not foolproof and the dangers of cross connection and
wrong number can also hinder communication.
• Sometimes, you may miss out or misinterpret some information which may lead to
numerous other problems. It is also not easy to ascertain the appropriate time to
call a person.
• The receiver could be in a bad mood or busy and, therefore, calling her/him would
not serve the desired purpose.
• Moreover, conversation over the phone does not provide a permanent record for
legal purposes.

Figure 18.1: Look at the cartoon. What do you imagine the two persons are saying? Say
what the problems are and how they can be avoided
 USING THE TELEPHONE

GENEF

You should be aware of the various features of a telephone set which would enable
greater efficiency. Some of them include the redialling button, number display facility,
retrieving voice mail, auto dialling if the line is busy and call-transfer facility. You should
always keep a pen and a pad near the telephone set. Before making a call keep the
following points in mind:
• Brevity and precision — your conversation should be brief and precise.
• Clarity — you should speak slowly and clearly, your tone should be cheerful and
your voice lively. To give out-names and addresses over the phone, spell them out
with familiar words to illustrate each letter. For example, if you want to spell the
name Chopra, then say C for Cochin, H for Hyderabad, O for Orissa, P for Patna,
R for Ranchi and A for Agra. .

• Before making a call you should keep in mind the appropriate time for making it.
It is always good to call in the forenoon or early afternoon as people are generally
available at that time.
• Unless you are familiar with the person you should not call at his residence no
matter what the urgency. Also, be careful of the time you call people across a
different time zone.
• The purpose of the call should be clearly defined — whether it is to give or receive
information or whether it is a confirmation of some issue. Make a brief note about
all the points that are to be discussed before dialling the number. This will not only
impress the receiver of the professionalism of the caller but will also ensure that
all important points are discussed and nothing is missed out.
• All the documents and letters concerned with the call should be kept at hand in
case you need to refer to them. Asking the receiver to hold while trying to locate
the documents may not only annoy the person but also reflect a lack of
professionalism.
• When the call is answered, greet the listener and then introduce yourself. For
example, 'I'm Sanjeev Nair from SWITCH2CFL'.
• If someone else picks up the phone, politely ask to be connected to the concerned
person after a formal introduction. You must identify yourself every time a call is
made because it is a basic telephone etiquette.
• You must sound confident, decisive and interested while making the call and all
this has to be conveyed through your voice. Putting a smile on your face always
helps while making the call.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

• Once the phone has been connected to the right person and pleasantries exchanged
ask the person if it is the right time to call. Generally, people will listen but in case
somebody would like to be spoken to later, respect her/his wishes and call her/him
later at her/his convenience.
• Be brief and clear in communicating the issue. Being lucid and conveying the
message in the right sequence helps in comprehension for the listener.
• If it is a long conversation do summarize the main points at the end before
disconnecting. Repetition of dates for a meeting or for delivery of a consignment
is always advisable.
• If the line is disconnected before the conversation is complete, do redial and
complete the conversation.
• Do not forget to thank the person before disconnecting.
• Note down the decisions taken, if any, and also the dates of the meetings, after the
call is over. File the noting in the relevant file.
• If any action is required to be taken after the call, it should be done immediately
lest one forgets.
• Be prepared to leave a message if the concerned person is not available. As a
precaution, try to draft the message before hand.
Here is an example of how to make a formal phone call:
Chetan: Hello, is that SWITCH2CFL? I am Chetan Sinha.
Receptionist: Yes, can I help you?
Chetan: Can I speak to Mr Cyrus Tata, please.
Receptionist: I am sorry, he is in a meeting. Can I take a message?
Chetan: I am calling from Ready Energy, Delhi. We had placed an order for hundred CFL
bulbs. I would like to know the status of my order. Please ask Mr Tata to call me at his
convenience, thank you.
Receptionist: I will convey your message to him. Thank you for calling SWITCH2CFL.

LNSWER A CA

Normally, when you pick up the phone, you are not aware who the caller is.
However, if your secretary picks up the receiver then she would inform you who
the caller is, which would prepare you to receive the call. You should never let the
phone ring for more than five or six times. Normally, you should pick up the
phone on the second or third ring. Allowing the phone to ring incessantly, gives
the impression of insensitivity and inefficiency.
 USING THE TELEPHONE

• You should not allow any phone in the office to go unattended even though it may
be ringing on someone else's desk. Pick up the phone and request the caller to call
up later if the person is not available, or transfer the call to the relevant person.
The caller will definitely appreciate this courtesy and consideration.
• The moment you pick up the phone, greet the caller and identify yourself or the
organization. Here is an example:
A: Good Morning, this is Delhi University, can I help you?
B: Good morning, this is Bhavik Takia from SWITCH2CFL. Could I speak to Mr
Singhal, please?
A: Please hold the line; I'll put you through to Mr Singhal.
B: Thank you.
C: Good morning Mr Takia, this is Ajay Singhal.
• Greeting and identification is essential in a telephonic conversation. This will help
both the caller and the receiver to carry on the conversation smoothly and also
avoid embarrassment if a wrong number has been dialled inadvertently.
• Sometimes, the person that the caller wants to speak to is not available in the
office. In that case, either the person who receives the call should offer to call back
when the concerned person returns, or take down the message.
• While receiving a call always keep pen and paper at hand so that all necessary
points, dates of meetings or delivery of consignments, etc., can be noted down. It
is not advisable to rely on memory if there are several points to remember.
• Any information which is required to be passed on to somebody should be done
immediately, otherwise there is a chance of forgetting it.

Taking down telephone messages requires both oral and writing skills. Always, keep a
pen or pencil and message pad near the phone set so that the message can be written down
immediately. Given below is the format of a message pad:

Telephone Message Pad

For: Time of call:

Caller: s . Company: ,'*-,,

1 s
Phone number: •* "' ' ''''•''''•"',
!
• ■

Message:
BUSINESS ENGLISH

While taking down messages do not forget to give verbal signals to the caller so that
he knows that you are on the phone and the message is being understood. Do not forget to
cross, check the information given together with the telephone numbers to avoid any kind
of miscommunication/misinterpretation. Before putting down the receiver do not forget to
exchange courtesies. A telephone message should be passed on to the concerned person
immediately, and if he is not available, the message should be placed on his desk.

Teleconferencing is a meeting or conference where the participants are sitting in

conference rooms that are located within the country and/or outside it, and interacting
with each other without being able to see each other. Though there is no visual impact
during this kind of meeting, the advantage of exchanging ideas and views without
physically having to move is one of the greatest merits of teleconferencing. A lot of
planning and organization is required to conduct a teleconference meeting.

Organizing a Conference Call

All the participants should be informed of the time and date before hand. If it is a global
teleconference then the organizers should keep the different time zones in mind while
fixing the meeting. The agenda for the meeting should be circulated well in advance. All
the participants have to be punctual for the meeting, or else the others would be kept
waiting. Once everybody is connected the host should introduce everyone by name and
designation. Moreover, a clear idea of how the conference will be conducted, i.e. in which
order the participants will be asked to speak should also be notified. Once the conference
is over the minutes of the meeting should be mailed to every participant.

Participating in a Conference Call

A member should only speak when the host requests him to do so. The participants should
take notes of what others are saying so that they can comprehend and respond in a better
fashion. Every member should go through the agenda thoroughly and have all necessary
information and files regarding the conference call. Participants should be brief and clear
while speaking; rambling is never appreciated in business calls. Members should speak
slowly so that others can understand, especially if there are participants from other
countries. One should be a good listener and no one should try to dominate the
proceedings. Only a good listener can be a good speaker.
 USING THE TELEPHONE

tz r Checklist: Commonly Used Phrases

Introducing Yourself
a. Good morning, I am ... from . . . - . • ;
a. Hello, this is...from...
b. Hello, my name is..., I'm calling from...
Saying Who You Want
a. I'd like to speak to..., please
b. Could I be connected to ... Department, please?
c. Is...there, please?
d. Could I be connected to extension number ..., please?
Stating the Reason for the Call
a. I'm calling to....
b. I'm calling about...
c. I'd like to...
d. I need some information about...
e. I'd like to confirm... -.' *'
f. I'm ringing to complain about...
g. Unfortunately, there is a problem with ...
Ending a Call
a. Right, I think that's all.
b. Thank you very much for your help.
c. Goodbye, and thanks.
d. Bye for now. ,
e. I look forward to ... seeing you/your call/your letter/your fax/our
meeting.
Leaving and Taking Messages
a. Can I leave a message for ... ?
b. Could you give him/her a message?
c. Please tell him/her...
d. Please ask him/her to call me on...
e. Can I take a message?
f. Would you like to leave a message?
g. If you could give me your number, I could ask him/her to call.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Learning Outcomes
In this chap
• The advantages of using the telephone
■ How to make and receive calls
♦ The etiquette required to make and receive calls
* To take down telephone messages correctly
^j* To organize and participate in teleconferencing

Exercises

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. The sales manager of SWITCH2CFL, Ms Ratna Malik, complains to her pro-

duction manager about the delay in the supply of bulbs to another company. Write
out a telephone conversation between them on this issue.
2. How will you prepare yourself before making a telephone call to the manager of
an organization?
3. Draw out a list of some of the bad telephone practices you have experienced both
when you make calls and receive calls. Suggest ways as to how they can be
corrected.

I. Match the comments to their replies.

1. Sorry, could you spell that?
2. Could I speak to Mrs Khosla, please? a. Yes, it's 0181 432 9191.
3. Could you take a message? t b. That's okay. I'll hold.
c. I'll call back next week,
4. I'm afraid the line is busy at the moment. then.
5. I'm sorry but he's away this week. d. Speaking.
e. Yes, of course. I'll get
a pen.
6. Could you repeat that? f. Yes, it's B-H-A-T-I-A.
II. Choose the correct words in italics to complete the telephone conversation. A: Jindal
Engineering. B: Number/ Extension 473, please. C: I'm afraid the line's broken/engaged. Will
you hold?
 USING THE TELEPHONE

B: Yes.
A: The line is free now. I'll put/connect you through.
B: Thank you.
C: Paint shop.
B: I'd like to speak to Mrs Murty.
C: Who's/Whose's calling, please?
B: Kalpana Mitra.
C: Wait/Hold on, Mrs Mitra. I'll bring/get her.
C: I'm afraid/regret she's in a meeting. Do you want to call up/back later?
B: No, it's urgent. Could you leave/take a message?
C: Yes, I will/ of course.
B: May/Could you ask her to call me back?
C: Does she have your number?
B: No. It's Kolkata-the code/areas is 033 then the number is 46 58 83 84.
Could you say/read that back to me? C:
033 46 58 93 94. B: That's right. C:
Anything /What else?
B: No, that's anything/all. Thank you very much. C:
You''re welcome /fine. Dialogue for taking down a
message
Could I speak to Mr Jain?
I'm sorry, he's not here at the moment.
Can I leave a message?
Yes, of course.
Can you tell him that Mr Jain called from Jain Computers about delivery of
computers. My number is 23978652. (after checking) Okay, I've got that.
Read the telephone conversation given above and take down the message on the
telephone message pad given below:
Telephone Message Pad
For: Time of call:

Caller: Company:

Phone number:

Message:
 INTERVIEWS Chapter

19
Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
appraisal
After studying this chapter you will be able to know:
counselling
* About the different kinds of interviews and strategies
reprimand
* How to face interviews -..*•-. ■!# How to
structured
succeed in interviews
non-structured
formal
informal
interviewer
Pre-reading Activity interviewee
What do you understand by the word interview? bio-data
Can you give a few reasons why interviews are conducted? selection
Have you ever appeared for any interview? i verbal
How did you prepare yourself for the interview? nonverbal
Is a formal interview different from an informal interview? How is it
candidates
different?

I nterviews are planned interpersonal communication with a predeter mined

purpose. All the members participating in this activity need to prepare
themselves for it. The purpose of the interview defines the exchange of
information and ideas between the participants.
An interview can also be defined as a conversation between two parties in
which at least one of them has a defined and serious purpose. It can also be
defined as a purposeful and meaningful exchange of ideas between two people.
Given below are the different kinds of interviews one has to face in an
organization.

DIFFERENTKINDS OF INTERVIEW S

1. Selection/employment interviews: This is generally conducted when a

company wants to hire people in its organization.
2. Promotion interviews: It is held when an employee wants to be considered
for a higher position in the organization. *
 INTERVIEWS

3. Appraisal interviews: This is conducted either periodically or annually by the

organization to evaluate the performance of the employees and to review the
progress or discuss the future course of action of the organization.
4. Counselling interviews: They are conducted to help employees who are facing
problems at the workplace or at the personal front, and at times, if the
performance of the employees is not up to the desired level.
* 5. Disciplinary/reprimand interviews: When an employee breaks the code of
conduct, breaches the rules of the company or does not maintain discipline of the
organization he is summoned and reprimanded by the employer for his undesirable
behaviour.
6. Grievance interviews: These interviews are conducted by the organization to
gauge if an employee has a complaint either against the organization or his senior
or junior colleagues.
7. Exit interviews: Such an interview takes place when an employee is leaving an
organization either voluntarily or through dismissal. The employee who is leaving
will be forthright and open in his comments about the organization, which will
help the organization to take corrective measures to improve itself, if required, and
generate warmth and goodwill towards the employee.
8. Stay interview: This is a fairly new phenomenon and companies are using it to
judge employees' 'expectation' and it helps them to retain their workforce by
making the employees feel appreciated and motivated.
Interviews are also conducted to measure the satisfaction, the working conditions of
the employees, their attitudes and other issues related to creating a healthy and positive
environment for them to work in.

DIFFERENTKINDS OF INTERVIEWSTRATEGIES

As discussed earlier, an interview has a well-defined purpose and structure. Like all
presentations it has a beginning, middle, and an end. Each of these stages has to be
negotiated by the interviewer and the interviewee. The two most common kinds of
interview styles are the directive and non-directive strategy. They are also called
structured and non-structured strategy, patterned and unpatiemed, and guided and
unguided strategy. In the first approach, a set of questions are prepared for the interview
and the interviewer progresses in a well defined and structured manner. The same pattern
of reference is used for every candidate who is interviewed. This kind of an approach
works very well for jobs or selection interviews. The critics of this approach feel that the
rigid format of the interview is very mechanical and may not generate the desired results
each time.
The indirect approach is more flexible in its structure and is generally used for
appraisal, counselling, grievance and other in-house interviews. It gives the
314 BUSINESS ENGLISH

interviewer the flexibility to develop questions according to the direction the inter-
view takes. This kind of a strategy gives the impression of the interview being
unplanned. The interviewer enjoys the freedom to deviate to any issue which he
thinks is appropriate at that point of time. But it lacks the reliability of a structured
interview. It is advisable to use an appropriate combination and balance both the
techniques in an interview to get positive and accurate results.

Other Interview Strategies Commonly Used

1. Depth or action interviews: These are specialized interviews where interpersonal

communication takes place to find out the personal interests of the interviewee.
The questions generally asked here refer to his family, education, interests and
hobbies and his aptitude. The rationale of this kind of an interview helps in
understanding the person as an individual apart from his other qualifications.
2. Group or discussion interviews: In this kind of an interview, several candidates
are met simultaneously to see how they interact with each other. This kind of an
interview helps in judging interpersonal skills of individuals.
3. Stress interview: This strategy is set up to gauge how well a person handles
stressful situations. The interviewer assumes a hostile approach towards the
candidates. They are asked pointed questions designed to irk, embarrass or
unsettle them. They may be subjected to criticism in the way they dress or present
themselves, deliberate interruptions, long periods of silence, abrupt and, at times,
hostile reactions of the interviewer. The idea is to find out how a person functions
under stressful conditions, and his capability to handle a crisis.
4. Situational interview: In this kind of an interview, the interviewer gives a
situation and asks the candidate how he would deal with it. People who support
this approach believe such an interview creates a real-life situation between an
employer who needs a job to be done and a worker who must be fully prepared to
execute it. A traditional interview, on the other hand, talks about the strengths and
weaknesses, accomplishments and goals achieved or to be achieved by the
candidate.
5. Video interviews: Many employers use this method to cut down cost of travel and
also to cut down on wastage of time while travelling to the organization by the
candidates. This is generally conducted to hire middle management candidates or
to interview new recruits at the university. One needs to prepare differently as
compared to a face-to-face interview. Here are a few guidelines:
• Have an initial phone conversation with the interviewer to establish a
rapport.
• Reach the venue a little before time to familiarize yourself with the
equipment and other arrangements.
 INTERVIEWS

• During the interview speak clearly and at a normal pace.

• Sit upright and look up.
• Try to show some animation but not too much.
All interviews have a common objective which primarily is to hire the right person
for the right job. Since every job has different requirements, the strategies employed by
the employer may vary but the purpose is the same, that is, to find out whether the
candidate will be effective for the job he is being hired for.
Before the interview schedule is finalized both the interviewer and the interviewee
need to plan and prepare themselves for the interview.

The interviewer has to follow certain time-honoured conventions so that he is

successful in his endeavour to select the right person. A number of arrangements
have to be put in place before the interview commences. The interviewer needs to
be clear about the purpose or objective of the interview. He then needs to
formulate the strategy that he would apply to interview the candidates. Other
administrative details such as place, time and other necessary arrangements also
have to be taken care of. Once the appropriate strategy has been decided and there
is clarity on the goal to be achieved then the length, style and organization of the
interview can be decided.
After the logistics for holding the interview have been taken care of, the
interviewer now has to start his own preparations. Depending upon the post for
which the interview is to be held, the interviewers must acquaint themselves with
the requirements of qualification, training and experience to make the correct
selection.
They should equip themselves with all the necessary details of the candidates to be
interviewed, so that there is no prejudice or bias in the selection process and the
right person is selected. If there is more than one person sitting on the selection
board, they should decide before hand who would initiate the interview so that the
interviewee is not bombarded with questions from everybody.
Every member of the interview board must have a copy of the bio-data of the
individuals to be interviewed. The interviewer must prepare an adequate set of
questions which will help him to elicit the right kind of responses to facilitate in
the selection process.
The interviewer should set the level of formality. The interviewer should make the
interviewee comfortable by asking neutral questions and help the interviewee to
relax and open up.
 BUSINESS ENGLISH

The candidate should be allowed to do most of the talking which will help in
gauging the expertise of the candidate. Use short verbal responses to as-. sure the
candidate that you are listening to him so that he can continue with his talk.
Always follow the plan that has been decided before the interview. It is extremely
important to be a good and attentive listener so that you can get maximum
information about the candidate. Try to ask questions which are neutral and easy
to understand. Arrange your questions in such a way that it helps uncover layers of
information or helps the candidate to tell a complete story.
Use different question types like open-ended questions, close-ended questions,
restatement questions and direct open-ended questions and also vary the pace of
the interview. The interviewers must learn to sieve all the information received so
that they are able to get what needs to help them decide upon making the right
choice.
The interviewer must be open and learn to appreciate the opinions and perceptions
of the interviewee and not snub her/him. They should never show their
disapproval or argue with the candidate on any issue. They should use their eyes
and ears to pick up verbal and nonverbal cues. They should maintain a record or
take notes while interviewing the candidate so that later on, they are able to take a
correct decision.
At the end of the interview the interviewers should conclude it in as pleasant and
warm a manner as they had initiated it. They should inform the candidate when
the results would be declared and if selected s/he would be informed. The
interviewee should carry the impression that s/he has been given a patient hearing
and that the selection process would be fair.
After the interview is over the interviewer needs to evaluate the suitability of all
the candidates. All the information collected during the interview needs an overall
synthesis on an intensive deductive basis which is the real significance of the
interview. A list of selected candidates should be prepared in descending order
with the approval of the other members of the interview board, if any.
An interviewee needs to prepare on a number of fronts before the interview.

Figure 19.1: Self-confi-

dence is essential for suc-
ceeding in the interview Nowadays, having the right kind of personality is important for getting
selected for a particular job. A number of companies are now looking for
what is called high EQ (emotional quotient). Candidates with high EQ
possess certain attributes like self-awareness, good impulse control,
persistence, confidence, motivation, good interpersonal skills, persuasion
powers and articulation.
- i
What's Your EQ?

• Think clearly and stay focused on the task at hand while under pressure. .
• Admit your own mistakes.
• Meet commitments and keep promises.
• Hold yourself accountable for meeting your goals.
• Seek new ideas from a variety of sources.
• Handle multiple demands and changing priorities.
• Make sacrifices to meet an important organizational goal.
• Cut through red tape and bend outdated rules when necessary. . ^i
• Seek fresh perspectives, even if that means trying something totally new.
• Operate from an expectation of success rather than a fear of failure.
• Try to learn how to improve your performance.
• Set challenging goals and take calculated risks to reach them.
(Bovee et al 2006; 625)

A candidate's personal style such as openness, enthusiasm, courtesy, sincerity, and

positive attitude are also taken into consideration while selecting her/him for the job.
For a successful interview, preparation is mandatory. The best way to prepare for a
job interview is to think about the job itself and then prepare. There are certain things that
one needs to prepare before facing the interview board.

Before the Interview

Gather information about the organization and if possible, about the members of the
interview board. Newspapers, journals, business periodicals and the Internet will give
enough information about the organization, its operations, its market, its strategies and its
financial status.
Anticipate the questions that the interviewer may ask and rehearse the answers.
You can also prepare a list of questions which you may like to ask the interviewer.
Do keep in mind the fact that asking relevant questions is as important as giving relevant
answers.
Prepare yourself with mock interviews and try to polish your interview style to create
the right impact at the interview. Pay special attention to nonverbal behaviour while
facing the interview board. Always maintain eye contact, sit in an attentive position, and
be pleasant yet not servile in your behaviour. These gestures convey that you are alert,
confident, responsible and energetic. Any cultural differences of the organization you
plan to join should be kept in mind so that no one is offended by your behaviour.
|31p BUSINESS ENGLISH

Some Common Interview Questions

1. Why did you decide to major in commerce in college?
2. Do you think extracurricular activities in college help you in enhancing your personality?
3. What jobs have you held and why did you leave them?
4. Why did you decide to specialize in this particular field?
5. What-makes you think you are suitable for this job?
6. Do you think this particular field has a bright future? :

7. What are the disadvantages of working in this area?

8. What are your salary expectations from this job? >
9. Give two good reasons why the job should be offered to you.
10. Do you like to travel to different places?
11. Would you like to be posted in any particular area of the country? If so, why?
12. Do you prefer working in a group or by yourself?
13. What kind of a boss do you like?
14. Do you think you should be paid for working overtime? •'
15. Narrate any embarrassing incident that you had to face at your workplace.
(Bovee et a! 2006: 631,

It is important to look good and presentable in front of the interview board. A

positive impression initially helps to create a positive attitude amongst the members of the
interview board. Avoid being flamboyant, either in the way you dress or talk. The clothes,
shoes and accessories you wear should not only be comfortable but also appropriate and
acceptable.
Put all your credentials in a neat file and also carry a set of spare copies. Arrive at the
venue a little before time so that you can familiarize yourself with the environment and be
relaxed.

£
During the Interview

• Enter the room with a confident smile and greet the member/members
appropriately
• Take a seat only when asked to do so.
• Do not be fidgety or nervous. Maintain a calm and composed posture.
• Do not lean on the table or sit with your hands on the table.
• Use appropriate and positive body language—neither too stiff nor too casual.
• Be a careful listener and listen to the questions carefully before responding.
• All the questions need to be answered carefully and completely. Be straight-
forward in your answers.
 INTERVIEWS

• Do not bluff. If you do not know the answers say so without sounding stupid or
unintelligent.
• Avoid talking too much or being boastful about your achievements. It is important
to prove your worth by action not words.
• Use correct expressions and language which is suitable to the occasion. Avoid
using slang and incomplete sentences and phrases when responding. There should
be clarity both in speech and thought.
• Be honest and open about your previous employer and job.
• When given an opportunity to ask questions, do so but ask questions about their
expectations from you, your responsibilities and the future potential of the
organization, among other things. Asking questions about salary, holidays and
other benefits leave a negative impression on the interviewer's mind.
• Bid a polite farewell. Thank them for considering you for the job. You can
conclude with a positive forward looking statement about your potential role in the
company.

After the Interview

• Send a 'thank you' note within two days of the interview. This gives the
impression that you are keenly motivated to take up the job and also the interview
board is forced to remember you which may work in your favour.
• If you do not receive any response within the promised time write a letter to
enquire about the results.
A good interview is one in which all the people participating in it are actively
involved. It is also important that the final result of the interview should be unbiased,
impartial, scientific and logical in its approach and conclusion.

Learning Outcomes

in this chapter you have learnt that:

• Different kinds of interviews are needed to test various abilities and fulfil specific
needs
s * Varying interview strategies are required to understand and analyse individual

• Purpose of an interview is to hire the right person for the right job *WP
• An interviewee needs to prepare himself before, during and after the interview It is
important to know your EQ, to asses and analyse yourself : ,
ja
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Exercises

QUESTIO NSFO R DISCUSSIO N

1. Look at the questions given in the box titled 'common interview questions'.
Choose any five of them and prepare written answers to each of them.
2. Imagine, that you have to appear for an interview in SWITCH2CFL for the post of
accounts officer. Write down 10 questions which you anticipate they can ask you.
3. You receive an interview call from a company. What are some of the things you
can prepare and practise to make a strong and positive impression during the
interview?
4. What are the different kinds of interviews that an organization holds and elaborate
on the different strategies they employ to get a suitable candidate for the job.

TEST YO U R LANG U AG E

I. Complete these questions with is, are, do or does.

1.................HFDC bank in the insurance business?
2. What................SWITCH2CFL manufacture?
3.................Ceat and Forrester make cars?
4.................BPL produce computers?
5.................Johnson and Thompson in the banking business?
II. Which verbs go with which words:
1. make a) a pleasure trip
2. go on b) a report
3. work c) an interview
4. go for d) a telephone call
5. write e) overtime
 MEETINGS Chapter

20

After studying this chapter you will be able to:

; ♦ Analyse the different reasons for calling a meeting Learning Objectives
♦ Know how to plan and conduct a meeting Vocabulary
l ♦ Understand the role of the chairman in a meeting
agenda
♦ Know how to participate in a meeting
relevant
reconcile
opinion
Pre-reading Activity decision
• Have you attended any meetings? elicit
• Do you participate in these meetings? evaluate
• Do you find it easy or difficult to participate in these meetings? Why? enhance
■ Why do you think meetings are called in an organization? social skills
• Is it important to follow certain rules and regulations while conducting formal
or participating in a meeting? informal
parliamentary

M
procedure
eetings are an effective and efficient tool in the process of communi quorum
cation. This helps in allowing people to come in contact with each other statutory
and at the same time it helps them to share information and ideas, make relevant departmental
suggestions, take quick decisions and consequently facilitate in the working of chairperson
the organization. convener
Meetings can be called for a number of reasons. Some of them are listed dissent
below:
1. To generate ideas and discussion on a particular issue
2. To report on some decision taken
3. To communicate some important information to people
4. To get people involved in the decision-making process
5. To elicit opinion and assistance on certain issues
6. To reconcile conflicting views
7. To create new ideas
8. To evaluate the performance of the organization
 [22 BUSINESS ENGLISH

Meetings also help in enhancing the social skills of the group. The participants can
exchange and share information about issues not related to the office. Sometimes,
meetings focus specifically on the issues of working together and celebrating
achievements. This enables the members of the group to come closer and also helps in
improving the performance of the group. A meeting should be called not because it is the
option available by default but only to achieve an objective in a specific situation.

There are generally two kinds of meetings: formal meetings and informal meetings.
Formal meetings need to be conducted according to certain rules and regulations as
laid down in their constitution or any other formal document. Certain

Figure 20.1: Types of meetings

 MEETINGS

requirements have to be fulfilled to validate a meeting which is also called parliamentary

procedure. They are:
1. Agenda to be circulated before hand
2. Quorum must be complete
3. Formal record of minutes to be maintained Some
formal meetings held by an organization are:
1. Annual general meeting
2. Statutory meeting
3. Board meeting
Some informal meetings held by an organization are:
1. Departmental meetings
2. Inter-departmental meetings
3. Working parties

PLANNING A MEETIN

Sometimes, people are not clear why a meeting is being held. To keep expectation in line with
reality, Wilson Learning, an executive training corporation, uses an established approach
called 'Purpose, Process, Outcomes' to plan meetings. Purpose: Inform participants ahead of
time about the meeting's purpose:
• Is the meeting informative?
• Are participants making decisions?
• Is it a brainstorming session?
• Is it a planning meeting?
Process: Give an overview of the plans and expectations of what will be accomplished:
• How will the meeting be conducted?
• For decisions, do participants need to reach a consensus?
• Does the majority rule, or does the leader determine the outcome based on the group's
input?
Outcomes: Identify the meeting's intended outcomes:
• What is in it for the participants?
• What will participants walk away with?
• What results do we expect?
The purpose and process can be conveyed in the memo that is sent out to announce
the meeting. If people know the purpose of a meeting is to inform, they are not going to
expect to give input on decisions that are already made. People feel embarrassed when
they go outside their boundaries; by knowing their roles
 BUSINESS ENGLISH
S?4
/" "*\ ahead of time, participants arrived more prepared and focused and
| When two men in a meet- ^ less likely to give unsolicited inputs. (Young 2006: 206)
; in8 a,ways agree, one of , Before the commencement of a meeting, the convener should lay
them is unnecessary. t down the ground rules. This helps in not only ensuring the smooth
(Monippaily 2001:132) f functioning of the meeting, but also ensures positive outcomes and
'--iiirTummirT'i^MMMMMi'.."' avoids unnecessary discussion and wastage of time. The convener
should plan the agenda according to the goals to be achieved and the
agenda should be circulated to all the members. The agenda should be followed strictly by
all the members. Any issue which is not on the agenda should not be allowed to be
discussed and it is the duty of the convener to keep the meeting on track. Any new issue
can be tackled at the end with the permission of the chair or can be postponed to a future
meeting.
The items on the agenda should follow a logical order. If there are certain items on
the agenda which require information or facts to be circulated, then it should be done well
in advance. For instance, if a meeting is being called to discuss the launch of a new
product and its sales promotion, then all the information and estimated facts and figures
regarding the product should be circulated among the members. The number of members
invited should not be too many, otherwise it would be very difficult to control and
conduct the meeting as well as achieve the goal for which it was convened. A well
prepared agenda ensures a positive direction and outcome of a meeting.

• The chairperson needs to follow certain conventions and traditions for the meeting
to run smoothly.
• First and foremost, the chairperson should arrive on time. Punctuality by the
chairperson sets the tone for successful conduct of the meeting,
• One should not wait for the latecomers, however important they may be for the
group. Besides, if a meeting is started on time in all likelihood it will also end on
time.
• Although the agenda has already been circulated yet, it is a good idea for the
chairperson to redefine the agenda for the benefit of those who may not have gone
through it earlier.
• If the meeting is started on a positive note all the members feel comfortable and
relaxed and can contribute fruitfully towards the meeting.
• It is advisable for the chairperson to be a patient and active listener and impartially
control the proceedings of the meeting.
• Sometimes, heated discussions or arguments may erupt among the members, The
chairperson has a very crucial role to play at this juncture. Not
 MEETINGS

only is he required to sort out the problem amicably, but also be impartial yet firm in
his dealings.
• The chairperson should follow the agenda strictly and if any member strays from
it, it is the duty of the chairperson to bring the meeting back on track without
offending anyone,
• Any issue, which is not on the agenda can be discussed at the end of the meeting
with the permission of the chair, or postponed for a further meeting.
• The items on the agenda should be taken up serially because they have been
arranged in a logical order. Though all the items should be discussed in complete
detail, repetition and unwarranted comments should be avoided.
• All the participants should be encouraged to give their opinion on the issues being
discussed. Some members have a tendency to dominate meetings. They should be
allowed to talk as long as they give constructive and useful suggestions, but
should be tackled tactfully if they seem to stray from the agenda or make
irrelevant remarks.
• Some members in a meeting are reluctant to contribute for some reason or the
other. The chairperson must encourage them to speak up not only to hear their
views, but at times they could come up with valid points which may help in the
resolution of a particular problem.
• The chairperson needs to control the meeting both in terms of participation and
time.
• All the items on the agenda should be discussed within the given time and goals
achieved.
• There could be a possibility that people have divergent views on an issue in the
meeting. The conflicting views of the members should also be listened to so that
people feel that the meeting is being conducted in a democratic manner.
• After each item has been discussed, the chairperson should summarize the
decision of the group both for clarity and to avoid any misinterpretation or
miscommunication.
• If an issue cannot be resolved by consensus, the chairperson can resort to voting to
resolve the issue instead of endlessly arguing about it.
• At the end of the meeting all the decisions taken should be summarized, though
the minutes of the meeting will formally provide the summary.
• Summarizing all the decisions taken also gives a feeling of achievement to the
members.
• A meeting should be concluded on time. This reflects the efficiency and pro-
fessionalism of the chairperson.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

The Chairperson's role at the start of a meeting

• Getting everybody's attention
• Welcoming and thanking everyone for coming
• Checking if everyone has a copy of the agenda and other documents
• Specifying when the meeting has to finish
• Mentioning coffee breaks, where the toilets are, etc.
• Introducing new colleagues
• Reviewing any tasks done since the previous meeting
• Giving background information
• Explaining the objectives of the meeting '
• Referring to the agenda
• Asking somebody to introduce the first item

The responsibility of a participant is as important as that of the chairman for the smooth
functioning of the meeting. The participants need to observe certain etiquette to help the
meeting run efficiently. Here are a few guidelines:
1. Be punctual.
2. Do not interrupt other speakers.
3. Be a receptive listener.
4. Do not dominate the meeting.
5. Do not deviate from the agenda.
6. Do not disobey the chair; cooperate with the chair.
7. Do not joke, laugh, or make irrelevant comments.
8. Do not talk over the phone during the meeting.
Members attending a meeting must make some positive contribution to the meeting
and not be a mere number needed to complete the quorum. The contribution of the
member will depend entirely on how well prepared he is and how he conducts himself in
the meeting.
Be familiar with the agenda. If there is need, gather more information and data
regarding any particular issue. Be a good and active listener. It is important to be
receptive to others people's ideas and opinions before giving your own views on any
issue.
Choose an appropriate time to voice your opinion so that it has an impact. Be precise
and relevant when speaking. The language used should be courteous and
 MEETINGS 1327
the tone controlled. Emotional outbursts will hinder the progress of the meeting and also
create unpleasantness.
Always keep a pen and paper at hand to note down any point or fact which seems
relevant or needs to be discussed in detail. Taking down notes, while others speak, gives
an impression that one is serious and also respects the views of the other members.
If there is a conflict in decision-making try to adopt the role of the mediator and help
the members to arrive at a decision acceptable to all. Being accommodative and
understanding are not signs of weakness but a sign of strength and maturity.

FACTO R STH AT REN DERMEETIN G SWAS TE FUL

Sometimes, meetings end with no concrete decisions taken and the whole exercise seems
to have been a waste of time and energy. There are many reasons that lead to meetings
being wasteful:
• Poor preparation by conveners and attendees
• Failure to maintain and follow up minutes
• Incompetent chairpersons who let meetings drift
• Cunning chairpersons who use meetings to delay decision-making
• Bosses who discourage dissent at meetings
• Spineless managers who call meetings even when they ought to take decisions on
their own
• Bosses who love meetings and call them when they are not needed
• Hidden agendas and shadow boxing by attendees
• Committees with too many members
• Absence of key players
• Too big an agenda
(Monippally 2001:142)

'Having served on various committees, I have drawn up a list of rules. Never arrive on time: this stamps
you as a beginner. Don't say anything until half the meeting is over: this stamps you as being wise. Be as
vague as possible: this avoids irritating the others. When in doubt, suggest that a sub-committee be
appointed. Be the first to move for adjournment: this will make you popular; It's what everyone is waiting
for.'—Harry Chapman (White 1987: 178)
BUSINESS ENGLISH

That brings the

meeting to a close!

Figure 20.2: Ending the meeting

Learning Outcomes

In this chapter you have learnt:

The different reasons for calling a meeting
The difference between formal and informal meetings
How to plan a meeting
The role of the chairperson in a meeting
The rote of other members in the meeting

Exercises

UlESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. List the suggestions
you would make to
your friend who has
to conduct a meeting in his organization.
2. Imagine, you are the manager of an organization and conducted a departmental
meeting yesterday. Two of the members monopolized the meeting and did not
allow anyone else to speak. What steps should you take to ensure that this is not
repeated in the next meeting?
3. Do you agree that anybody who wants to talk in a meeting should be allowed to do
so, irrespective of the time he takes and the issues which he raises? If not, how
should the meeting proceed?
 MEETINGS

TEST YOUR LANGUAGJ

Fill in the blanks with the correct phrases and sentences from the list below:

Can we get back to the main point? ...I didn't follow what you said.

Shall we get started? What do you mean by...?

Are we all agreed? Let's turn to...
Shall we move on? We need to discuss...

1. Right, everyone's here......................?

2. A: Our training budget is less than 5 per cent of the extra 2.5 per cent
VAT that comes on top of the original 15 per cent on the 18/300 brochures
at 2.47.
B: I'm sorry,.......................................
3. It seems then that a price use of 5.4 per cent is the best solution.
.........................................?Good.
4. A: By the way, I saw Shiva in the theatre the other day. He moved
house last weekend. Did you know? He told me....
B: ........................................?
5. Okay. We all agree on that item..................................?
6. Right then, we can offer a commission of 12 per cent.
.............................the next item on the agenda.
7. There are three items on the agenda. First,..............................the problem of
late payments.
8. A: There are some unusual things happening in the finance depart-
ment.
B: ...............................unusual?

MAKING SUGGESTIONS

Suggest three different solutions to the problems given below. If you like you can even write
out the suggestions.
1. We need to send these documents to our Delhi office before tomorrow morning.
2. We need to improve the security in the office urgently. Two thefts have taken place in
one week.
3. We need to double the sales of our products as quickly as possible.
 GROUP DISCUSSIONS Chapter

21
Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter you will be able to: • Identify the different group
kinds of groups and why they are formed Understand the need for group group decisions
discussions Conduct and participate in group discussions Understand the com munication
importance of group discussions in business schools skills
awareness
creative
|§ Pre-reading Activity initiative
What do you understand by a group? assertive
flexibility team
Do you discuss certain issues among your friends?
player
Are you able to conclude your discussion on a positive note?
professional
How important is it to be open to the viewpoints of your friends?
opinions
Is there only one solution to the issue being discussed?
implement

A group is a unit of two or more people who work together to achieve a com-
mon goal.
'A group is a collection of individuals, where the members accept a com-
mon task, become interdependent in their performance, and interact with one
another to promote its accomplishments.' -Kelly and Thibant
: (Kulkami 2006: 464)

A group is different from a class. Students belonging to the same class in a

school or a college or a professional institute cannot be termed as a group.
In effect, group refers to two or more individuals who bear an explicit
psychological relationship to one another; it reveals some amount of interaction
among its members who have definite ideas of their position and role within it.
 GROUP DISCUSSIONS
3S

Groups have an inherent or acquired nature. They function according to these natural traits.
• Some groups are extremely close-knit and are committed to common goals.
• Some groups also wield power which can help in bringing about a positive change
in the social fabric of society.
• Some groups are formed to improve and impart moral values to society.
• Groups are also formed to gather information, to negotiate issues and solve
problems and help others in the decision-making process.
In effect, groups can be formed for a variety of reasons and manners. Each is distinct
and individualistic in its own way and functions according to its needs and goals.

• Every group has a common goal which justifies their existence and motivates
them to achieve it.
• Certain norms are laid down which every member of the group has to follow.
• A hierarchal structure has to be maintained for a smooth and successful
functioning of the group.
• Group discussions are necessary to discuss issues, to solve problems, to come to a
common understanding of a problem, and to arrive at a solution by consensus.

Before getting on with group discussions, the 3Ps which constitute the ingredients of any
discussion need to be understood, namely,

* Purpose
• Planning
,t * Participation

The members of the group should be clear about of the objective of the group
discussion.
The group discussion needs to be planned well, deciding on what the participants plan
to discuss, and how they propose to do so. Every member should
BUSINESS ENGLISH

be informed about the agenda, together with the date, time and place of the group
discussion.
A group discussion itself means that all the members are expected to participate
actively in it and contribute positively to achieve the goal.
A group discussion can run smoothly only if one of the members is made the team
leader or group leader. It is his responsibility to ensure that the discussion moves in the
right direction, and every member participates in it. The ambience of group discussions is
generally informal which puts everybody at ease so that they can speak up to resolve the
issue.
(Sinha 2001: 85)

Why Decisions Made in Groups are Better than Individual Decisions

One of the most important reasons why decisions made by groups is better than individual
decisions is the range of experience, variety of opinion, development of new ideas and a
thorough probing of the problem by a group, which cannot be done by an individual.
Moreover, a decision taken by a group is readily acceptable to everybody in an
organization because people from different departments participate in the decision-
making process. It is also easier to coordinate, plan and execute the decision in the
different departments. Decisions taken by groups also ensure that the interest of the
employees is safeguarded.
Sometimes, a group is appointed to avoid any action to take place, to delay the
handling of a problem or even postpone a decision indefinitely.
Any decision taken by a group is easier to implement because it is the people who
have taken a decision and they feel it is their responsibility to adhere to it. It is not a
decision imposed by an individual and so there is no resistance from the people.
But the whole process is very time consuming and expensive. Many times, no
concrete decision is taken because of diverse ideas and views leading to a state of
indecision.
The responsibility of a decision taken is also shared by all the members of the group,
and it is difficult to make any one person accountable for the final decision. There is also
a possibility that some members with a hidden agenda can hijack the decision-making
process to their advantage.
Despite these drawbacks, a decision made by a group is always better than a decision
taken by an individual and, as the saying goes, two heads are better than one.
 GROUP DISCUSSIONS

Participating in Group Discussions

• Role of the group leader/team leader

• Role of the participants.

Role of the Group Leader

The group leader has an important and dynamic role to play to make the group an
effective instrument to take unprejudiced decisions, acceptable to all members of an
organization. He has to:
• Plan the meeting well, defining the purpose and the agenda to the members.
• Encourage every member to participate, and moderate those who talk too much.
• Summarize every member's view to arrive at a common consensus on the decision to
be taken.
• Reconcile differences between members amicably yet firmly.
• Ensure everybody observes the decorum of interaction, and should be seen as being
impartial in her/his observations.
• Coordinate the discussion by giving a clarification on any issue and help in arriving at
a decision.
• Suggest creative strategies to arrive at a decision.

Figure 21.1: Ineffective group discussion

Role of the Participants

• Communicate positively to facilitate decision-making.
• It is important to be well-informed to contribute in the discussion.
" Be a good listener and open to the ideas and views of other members. Rigidity is
never a positive trait in a group.
1334 BUSINESS ENGLISH

• Analyse coherently and argue positively to convince the other members to your
viewpoint.
• Be cordial while interacting. A hostile attitude may deter people from listening to
you, though you may make a very valid point.
• Keep a pen and paper to note down other people's views.
• Do not monopolize the proceedings. Allow everybody to talk.
• Do not bully people to come to a consensus on any issue.

Group Discussions at Business Schools

Group discussions at business schools serve a totally different purpose as compared to

group discussions in a corporate set-up. You can participate in group discussions at
business schools only after you have cleared the written test and the interview.
These are held to gauge what kind of a person you are, and whether you can adapt
yourself to work in a team, both as a member and a leader.
Group discussions are an important component of the selection procedure in
business schools. Some of the issues on which group discussions are based is team
work, and incorporating the views of different team members to reach a common
goal. Generally, group discussion in a business school is a formal discussion
involving eight to 10 participants in a group. •
They are given a topic, which they discuss among themselves for 20 to 30 minutes,
and they are observed keenly by the members of the business school to assess their
capabilities of working in a team.

In a group discussion, the team player is one who:

• Works with others
• Is open to the views of others
• Has a positive team spirit
In a group dicussion, a leader is one who:
• Facilitates the smooth functioning of the group
• Helps to coordinate the views of different members
• Contributes positively and gives valuable insights
• Inspires and motivates the other members
• Helps in achieving the goal

Here are a few traits that you need to develop or possess to be successful in group
discussions at a business school:
Flexibility: Do not be rigid and self-opinionated
Listen to the opinions and ideas of others
Show willingness to change stand to reach a consensus
 GROUP DISCUSSIONS
B3S
Assertiveness: Put forward your point with clarity and conviction
Be emphatic and positive in your approach
Do not be aggressive because it is a negative quality
Initiative: Take the initiative to begin the group discussion
Do so if you know the subject well
Contribute positively at regular intervals
Important to create a positive impression initially
Creativity: Try to give a new perspective to the discussion
Do it confidently and coherently
Able to inspire others: Help others to express their views and ideas if they are not getting
an opportunity to do so
A good listener: Listen carefully to other people
This will help to improve your own ideas Make necessary amendments if there are
faults/flaws in your ideas Awareness: Be aware of all the current issues and topics both at
the macro and micro level
Communication skills: Have good communication skills
Be confident and positive Think
on your feet

1. Why is group decision-making the best way to make an organization work

successfully?
2. How can a group leader/team leader facilitate a successful group discussion?
ENGLISH

3. How can you participate effectively in group discussions in a business school?

4. Imagine that you had to participate in a group discussion, and arrive at a decision
on whether employees should be encouraged to work overtime and get paid for it.
Write out at least five points either in favour or against this issue.

1. Complete the sentences with a word from the list given below:
gave, wasting, owed, borrowed, spent.
1. The shareholders criticized the members of the board for.........................so much
money on advertisements.
2. The government....................Rs 1 lakh to an institute to set up a computer
department.
3. The company..................over Rs 10 crore from banks.
4. We were advised to repay 20 per cent of what we......................to financial insti-
tutions.
5. The organization...................a lot of money on a research project.
2. Put the words in brackets in the correct place in the sentences.
1. I make phone calls, (sometimes)
2. We go to conferences, (often)
3. My sales officer meets customers, (once a week)
4. I work late, (never)
5. Our department goes for a picnic, (hardly ever)
 NEGOTIATIONS Chapter

22

Learning Objectives Vocabulary

After studying this chapter you will be able to; negotiate specific
Understand the need and purpose of negotiations Learn the resolution contract
different stages in a negotiation process Identify the varying commercial
outcomes of negotiations Understand the different strategies transaction conflict
required in a negotiation rigid bargain
agreement
persuasion
1*5 Pre-reading Activity concession
compromise
Mohan and Sita are siblings and both are your friends. Mohan wants to watch a
cricket match on TV whereas Sita would like to watch a quiz programme at the
mutually beneficial
same time. You are asked to sort out the conflict between them. What would you
do?
The above situation is an example of conflict and resolution which we
encounter everyday. We always try to mould the situation to our advantage by
negotiating it to suit our needs. This is an informal situation of negotiation. We
often face problems or conflicts in more formal situations which require a variety
of strategies to effect a resolution.

WHAT is NEGOTIATION:

V irtually everything in business can be negotiated, and the ability to negotiate

strong agreements and understanding is among today's most valuable skills.

J. L. Graham defines negotiation as 'a face-to-face decision-making process

between parties concerning a specific product.' (Sinha 2001: 78)

Negotiation is the process involving at least two parties, working together to

arrive at a mutually acceptable resolution of one or more issues, such as a
contract, a commercial transaction or a deal of any kind. It is a give-and-take
bargaining process which, when conducted well, leaves
 BUSINESS ENGLISH

all parties satisfied about the result and committed to achieving it. The prime objective of
a negotiation is to arrive at a solution of the conflict if any, or otherwise to the mutual
satisfaction and benefit of all the negotiating parties.

Case Study

SWITCH2CFL has decided to sign a business contract with Mehta Energy Systems for the maintenance
and illumination of signboards on all the major roads of Delhi. The VP Finance of SWITCL2CFL, Ms
Susan O'Brien, and the director (Finance) of Mehta Energy Systems, Mr S. Ranganathan, decide to
meet in the office of SWITCH2CFL to negotiate the terms and conditions of the proposal. There is some
disagreement on sharing of revenue which needs to be negotiated for the contract to go through. While
SWITCH2CFL want is 60 per cent stakes in the contract Mehta Energy Systems wants that both parties
should have equal stakes in the contract. Ms O'Brien initially is not willing to become an equal stake-
holder in the contract. But Mr Ranganathan convinces her about the gains her company will make finan-
cially by becoming equal partners in the contract. Ms O'Brien realizes that her company will not gain
anything by taking a rigid stand and the deal may just not materialize. She ultimately realizes that Mr
Ranganathan's proposal will be more beneficial for her organization in the long run. She, therefore,
agrees to the terms and conditions of the contract. Ultimately, the crisis is resolved and both parties
amicably settle the matter to the benefit of both.

This is an example of a negotiation process between two companies and how both
companies resolve the crisis to their mutual benefit.
A negotiation can take place only if:
* There are two or more interested parties.
* There is a position of conflict between the parties.
• All parties have predetermined goals which require resolution.
• All parties believe that the conflict requires a solution or a resolution.
* All parties trust and believe that the result of the negotiation will satisfy them.
* No one is rigid in their stand and is willing to compromise to a certain extent.
* There is willingness by all parties to negotiate the deal whatever it may be.
• All parties come with a positive frame of mind to resolve the conflict.
• Parties prefer to negotiate an agreement rather than fight out the issues.
• All the concerned parties are willing to work outside the prescribed rules and
regulations to arrive at a solution.
Negotiations can take place both in formal and informal situation.
1. In a formal situation:
i. The meeting of the two parties has been decided before hand.
ii. The agenda is circulated to both parties.
 NEGOTIATIONS

iii. One gets appropriate time to prepare for the negotiation.

iv. It is easier to handle a formal negotiation because one is aware of the
situation in totality together with the strengths and the weaknesses of
the other side.
v. There may be a feeling of distrust among the negotiating parties. Formal
negotiations take place to settle labour disputes, union strikes or demands of workers.
2. In an informal situation:
i. The meeting between the persons concerned is never decided
beforehand, ii. It is generally casual and nothing is planned beforehand, iii.
The ambience is more friendly and trusting, iv. There is no opportunity to prepare
oneself for the negotiation nor to
gather information about the other side, v. Negotiations take place to settle
personal issues or problems of friends and colleagues.

The process of negotiation is a complex process which has to go through various stages
before it achieves the desired result. Most researchers agree on four broad stages in the
negotiating process. They are generally called:

• Opening a negotiation
• Exchange of information
' * Change of position
« Closing

According to J. L. Graham the negotiation process can be divided into

four stages. They are:
1. non-task sounding According to American
researchers, a typical bar
2. exchange of information gaining negotiation goes
3. persuasion through nine stages,
though it is not necessary
■ 4. concession and agreement. (Chawla 2004:117)
that all negotiations need
In the first stage, one is in the process of socializing, building to go through all of them.
relationships and acquaintances. They help in building a foundation for They are: opening, ex
future negotiations. One should try to analyse the other side in these change, first price, plan
meetings and build a social relationship. One needs to be observant and ning, discussion of prod
ucts, bargain, prices, pre-
shrewd to understand the other side, which will facilitate negotiations at a close, and close. ,j|
later stage.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

In the second stage, there is an exchange of information as well as expectations. The

issues to be negotiated are put on the table before both parties. The strength of each party
depends on its needs, resources and negotiating power.
In the third stage, the concerned parties try to negotiate issues to their advantage.
Each side tries to persuade the other to accept its point of view and to make concessions
on its stand to the benefit of the other.
In the final stage, the parties try to bargain over issues to the best of their advantage.
The attempt by both sides is to get the best possible deal. If both come with a positive
frame of mind, the result is generally mutually beneficial. There are, generally, four
outcomes to any approach in negotiations: Win-Lose Orientation: In such a situation
only one side achieves its goals and
the other side stands to lose. Lose-Lose Orientation: There is no resolution to the
conflict between the parties, leading to both parties losing the bargain. Compromise:
Both parties are willing to make some compromises to resolve the conflict. This is better
than not arriving at any resolution to the conflict. Win-Win Orientation: In such a
situation the results of the negotiation stands to
benefit both sides equally.
(Kulkarni 2006: 443)

Place of Negotiation

It is important that the place where the negotiation is supposed to take place should suit
both sides. If the place chosen happens to be your workplace, it strengthens your case.
You are more comfortable and at ease because of the familiarity of surroundings and may
be able to negotiate better. Moreover, any secretarial assistance needed is immediately
available. You can extend social courtesies to the other side which will facilitate the
negotiation process positively.

! •-■ Time
of Negotiation

The time for holding the negotiation should be agreed on by mutual convenience. There
should also be adequate time to talk and discuss all the issues as well as sort out all the
differences and explore all possible compromises. Shortage of time or a rushed schedule
can hinder the negotiation process.
There are other factors that also play an important role in the negotiation process. The
personal equation between both sides also affects negotiations. Other
 NEGOTIATIONS

issues like status of both the sides, the political and bureaucratic connections, rigidity,
personal likes and dislikes, and other social and political pressures also affect
negotiations.
Persuasion is an important factor which helps the negotiating process. The style in
which one can convince the other, coupled with a positive attitude, willingness to listen
and compromise, not having a rigid and confrontational attitude, and giving concessions
wherever possible can help the negotiation to end on a positive note.
The final agreement should take care of all the necessary issues and the conclusion
should be summarized before closing the negotiations.

There are basically two kinds of negotiating strategies, cooperative and competitive. To
achieve the best results, it is always advisable to use a combination of both wherever
required. Here are some guidelines:
• Generally, have a positive and non-aggressive attitude at the negotiating table.
• Set a tone of optimism for negotiating the deal. The focus should be on arriving at a
solution which would be mutually beneficial.
• Try to persuade and convince the other side of the gains it would achieve by accepting
your proposal.
• It is important to talk about your point of view but it is equally important to listen to the
viewpoint of the other side.

Figure 22.1: Would you advise such negotiation strategies?

ENGLISH

• A patient hearing to the other side may elicit information which would facilitate
the negotiating process.
• Do not put forward your complete proposal in the beginning. Do it slowly,
opening up the issues at appropriate intervals.
• Focus more on the points of disagreement and its resolution.
• Do not interrupt or comment in the midst of the other side's presentation.
Interruptions not only break the continuity but may also annoy the other side.
• Psychologically, maintain an ambience of cooperation and optimism. If you have
to make any query, use a neutral tone rather than an offensive or aggressive one,
• If there is a deadlock or a heated argument, take a break of a few minutes. This
will not only calm both sides but also help in looking at the proposals afresh and
reconsider one's position for the negotiation.
• There should be clarity on the objectives to be achieved by you. This will help you
to focus better in the negotiating process.
• Wherever necessary and without harming your own interests get into a
compromising mode or work in a conciliatory way. This is important when the
negotiations are ending in a deadlock and it becomes imperative to remove the
roadblocks to facilitate further discussion.
• One should be well informed on all aspects of the negotiation. According to
Reilly, 'Information is the negotiator's most powerful asset'. Chances of being
cheated or fooled will be minimized if one has adequate information about
everything.

Figure 22.2: Know your limits before you negotiate

 NEGOTIATIONS

• It is important to know the strengths and weaknesses of your adversary. This will
help you to bargain from a position of greater strength.
• Always keep the channels of communication open. Talking and listening can
actually help to clear misunderstandings if any and help the negotiation process.
• Personal likes and dislikes or egos should never affect the negotiating process. All
issues are more important than any individual or personality.
• The solution reached finally should be treated as final. There should be no
conditions or concessions after that.
• Never give the impression that the result of the negotiation is to your advantage,
even if it is so. Let the other party get the impression that he is as much a winner
as you.
■ Always look forward in a negotiating situation. Let bygones be bygones and press
forward with a positive frame of mind.
• Be tactful and gracious in your victory.
• Summarize the discussion so that there is no misunderstanding or misinformation
later on.
• The summary should be a written document so that no one can go back on it later
on.
• If necessary, put in a legal clause to ensure that there is no scope of backtracking
on the issues negotiated earlier.
• A negotiation in itself is a kind of a compromise for both sides. This issue needs to
be kept in mind while negotiating.
• It is advisable to have an expert on issues which you are not familiar with; so that
you do not agree on something which might weaken your position.
• Never let the other side know that you are desperate for a solution so that the other
side can take advantage of it and push you against the wall while negotiating.
• In a negotiation be prepared to win some and lose some. Priortize. Try not to
compromise on important issues; give up the unimportant ones.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

1. What are the different stages of a negotiation process?

2. What are the different approaches and outcomes in a negotiation process? What
according to you is the most effective approach and outcome, and why?
3. Give at least two examples of conflict and negotiation in our day-to-day life, and
elaborate on how we can try to overcome it.

JEST YOUR LANGUAGE

Insert the adverbs on the right into the correct position in each sentence.
1. There have been problems with our suppliers. rarely
2. Last year there were delays in concluding contracts. frequently
3. The company went bankrupt. nearly
4. Now, our firm is going to open a factory in India. probably
5. We would have accepted the offer. certainly
6. You don't know what we're talking about. obviously
7. The customers complain when we send Satish instead of always Ravi to the sales
conference.
8. Their operating expenses remained low. apparently
9. The liaison officer forgot to inform the export manager's PA. completely
 DRAL PRESENTATION Chapter

23

Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
iAfter studying this chapter you will be able to lea. audience
• When to deliver oral presentations seminar
• Different kinds of presentations extempore
• How to plan a presentation brevity
• The structure of a presentation strategy
• How to deliver a presentation presentation
• How to use other visual aids to support the presentation sequencing
memorizing
monotonous
Pre-reading Activity voice modulation
PowerPoint
Have you made oral presentation like a speech, or read an article or presentation
essay in school? visual aid
How did you prepare for it?
Do you think making oral presentations in formal or informal situation
vary? If so, how?

'Make thyself a craftsman in speech, for thereby thou shalt gain the upper
hand.'—Inscription in a 3000-year-old Egyptian tomb

^ENronoN - AMOD E OF COM M U NICA TIO N

A presentation is a mode of communication where you share informa tion with

the audience live, to achieve a certain objective. We make presentations to
achieve some business objective and it could vary according to the needs and
occasion. Presentations are made in the following situations:
• To introduce a new product or service.
• To present a new business plan/alternative business plan.
• To market/increase sales of a product.
• In a seminar/or a conference.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

• To give a briefing/information on any issue.

• To analyse a report or project.
We have to acquire certain skills to be a good presenter, namely,
• Skill of condensed writing.
• Skill of structuring and organizing notes. ;

• Skill of public speaking. There are

four types of presentations:
• Impromptu presentation
• Extempore presentation
• Scripted presentation
• Memorized presentation.
But generally when we talk of oral presentations we are referring to scripted and
extempore presentation.

i An oral presentation has certain

advantages over a written presentation. First, it allows dialogue between the presenter and
his audience. Second, the audience is free to ask questions, make comments or clarify any
issue. Third, the presenter and the audience have the liberty to talk before, between and
after the presentation.
We generally make oral presentation to four types of audience:
• Clients and customers
• Colleagues in your office
• Fellow-professional and colleagues
• General public.
Any presentation has three basic elements: namely, the presenter, the audience, and
the subject matter. Features of a good presentation:
1. Purpose: The purpose of the presentation should be clear in our mind.
The presentation may be given—
• To sell a product.
• To make people aware about the issue.
" To give information about a product/ service/ problem/proposal. " To discuss
and debate upon a business proposal.
• To persuade people on an issue.
• To motivate people on improving work culture.
2. To assess the audience and the contents accordingly: It is important to
know the level of the audience and if the contents match the audience
 ORAL PRESENTATION

expectation. The presentation will not succeed if the idea put across is too simple or
too difficult to communicate. Moreover, the contents should not be boring and
irrelevant for the audience. The language used in the presentation should be simple
and comprehensible. In effect, the expectation of the audience should be met in
content and language. For example, if we have to make a presentation on 'Newton's
laws of motion' to a group of science students, and a group of illiterate labourers,
obviously the presentation will be different though the topic will remain the same. 3.
Brevity: A good presentation should be brief. Generally, one is given 30 minutes to
make a presentation at a professional platform. Given below is Table 23.1 on how to
allot time to the different issues in a presentation.

Table 23.1 Time Allotment for a Presentation

Task Time (in minutes)
Introduction _
Body
First major point
6
Second major point
Third major point
6
Conclusion
Questions and answers
6
3 7-
10

4. Attitude of audience: It is important to gauge the attitude of the audience

towards the topic of the presentation — interested, unconcerned, hostile or open
minded.
5. Ideas and information sequenced well: A good presentation should have a
coherent sequence of both ideas and visuals to have the desired effect. If it is not
so, the presentation will confuse the audience, leaving them dissatisfied and bored.
6. Use of other modes to make an effective presentation: Statistical data, visual
aids and case illustrations help to make the presentation informative and
interesting.
7. Delivery: The presentation should be made lively and interesting. A confident and
enthusiastic presenter is in constant dialogue with the audience while making the
presentation. Maintaining eye contact with the audience together with appropriate
body gestures and voice modulation will add in making a positive impact of the
presentation.
8. Humour: Humour is an important ingredient in any presentation. If you perceive
that the audience is hostile, the best way to disarm them is to add humour to your
presentation. A small dose of humour in the presentation makes it interesting and
holds the attention of the audience.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

A presentation requires a lot of preparation before it takes a final shape. Depending on the
focus of the presentation, you decide the strategy or sequence of ideas. Fig. 23.1 is a
diagram of one of the most common and effective strategies used by most people, the star
strategy.

Who

N
What xr---------------' --------------7 Why

When Where

Figure 23.1: Star strategy for planning a presentation (Monippally 2001:105)

The presentation prepared by us goes through the five filters of who, why, where,
when, and what before it takes a final shape. These five filters help to polish and chisel
the presentation before it is ready for the audience.
Who: This focuses on 'who the target audience is'; what is their complete profile — age,
gender, literacy level, the language they understand, their attitudes, comprehension levels,
their values and constraints, political affiliations, etc. Knowing and understanding these
issues will help one to communicate better with them. The other point to consider is 'who'
you are to them: boss, colleague, a professional, an expert or a nobody. One needs to
blend both the 'who's to make an effective presentation.
Why: This is the second filter. You need to answer the question as to why you are making
the presentation. What is the objective and what do you hope to achieve? Is it to persuade
the audience, motivate them, educate them, convince them or give some information on
an issue? The other point which needs to be answered is why is the audience there and
what do they hope to get from the presentation?
Where: The next issue is where will the presentation take place? Will it be in a conference
hall, or a seminar room or a smaller room? Does it have all the facilities that one requires
to make the presentation such as a computer, OHP and an Internet connection? Many a
time, the best of presentations can fail if one does not
 ORAL PRESBNTATION

have the supporting facilities. This may seem a minor issue but it can make or break your
presentation.
When: It is important to know when your presentation will take place. Are there people
who have already made presentations before you and discussed some of the issues? To
hold the interest of the audience avoid repetition and adapt accordingly. There could also
be paucity of time, so one must know what to present and what to leave out without any
negative impact on the presentation.
Finally, the most important of the star strategy is the what of the presentation. Here,
one must be clear about the content of the presentation, namely, what are the issues that
will hold the interest of the audience, how important is it to go into minute detailing, and
what are the different kinds of visual aids required to support the presentation. It is a good
idea to give the participants information but overloading of information can be self-
defeating. While preparing notes for the presentation, be clear as to what you must give
them, what you ought to give them and what you may give them. This will help you to
adapt your presentation accordingly and save you from last minute chaos and confusion.

Every presentation has a classical structure that includes the following parts:
Introduction: Introduce the topic, its purpose and relevance.
Ensure that the topic is relevant for the audience. Ask questions to the
audience. Body: Focus on content and concept.
Break content into two or three major points. Give evidence of content
with relevant examples. Answer questions raised in the introduction.
Discuss main points thoroughly. Conclusion: Sum up the issues raised
in introduction and body. Summarize the major points. Clarify doubts.
Discuss the follow up action.
(Young 2006: 211)

Introduction

An introduction to the presentation needs to be imaginative and interesting to get the audience
to listen to it. You can begin in any one of the following ways:
• A startling question
• A rhetorical question
ENGLISH

• A pat on the audience's back

• A provocative quote
• An interesting anecdote
• An unexceptional joke
• The statement of a relevant problem
• A description of the topic's importance to the audience
• A piece of statistical information presented memorably
• A summary statement of the structure
• A definition of the purpose of the presentation.
(Monippally 2001:110)
Never begin the presentation with an apology. It not only undermines your
position but can also put off the audience. A good introduction will whet the
curiosity of the audience and help them to sit through the complete presentation.

Body

You need to define the scope of the presentation to yourself and decide what will go into
it together with the sequence which should be followed. Both these issues can be taken
care of if you have the answers to who, why, where and when of the presentation. The
sequencing of ideas needs to be logical. It is not a bad idea to first give the more
acceptable ideas to the audience, thus putting them into a more positive frame of mind
and then give the not so acceptable ideas which may then be accepted readily.

Conclusion

This holds as important a place as the other two. If you begin well and conclude with a
whimper, you have lost the objective with which you had started the presentation. It is a
good idea to summarize the main points here and to tie any loose ends which you may
have left while making the presentation.
• Do not end abruptly because of shortage of time.
• Do not be presumptuous and all knowing.
• Tell the audience that you have delivered what you had promised in your
introduction.
• Do not be tentative or self-doubting.
• Avoid long winding conclusions. ;
• Make a statement of the main message in strong language in the conclusion.
• End the speech on a climatic note.
 ORAL PRESENTATION 13511

Whichever method we decide to deliver a presentation, it is important to rehearse it at

least a couple of times. One is then confident, knows well the matter to be delivered, and
there are no embarrassing fumbles during the presentation.
It is important to decide the method of presentation. There are generally three
methods:

• Reading , - '"
• Memorizing
• Extempore/speaking from notes

Reading

The advantage of using this method is that the content is before you, and the chance of
missing any of the issues will be rare. But the disadvantage is that you would be so
concerned about reading each and every word that the other issues of a presentation will
get neglected. You may sound too formal and as you are concentrating on each and every
word there will be no eye contact with the audience and the delivery can become very
monotonous and boring which may put off the audience. You may miss punctuation
marks, fumble on certain words and lose control of the situation. It is advisable to read a
presentation in very formal situations, otherwise an interactive method is the best.

Figure 23.2: A presentation

method — is it appropriate?
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Memorizing

Memorizing a speech and then delivering it is an art which everyone is not adept at.
Moreover, when you memorize a speech you memorize the words rather than the
meanings. If by mistake you forget some words or get stuck somewhere, it will be very
difficult to continue after that. You may miss some words, get confused and consequently
start panicking which will ruin the presentation. As you are wholly concentrating on
trying to remember rather than trying to present, you will not interact with the audience at
all. People may not be impressed with this kind of presentation.

Figure 23.3: Another presentation method!

Extempore/Speaking from Notes

This is by far the most effective and popularly acceptable method of delivering the
presentation. You can carry a few cards or notes with the main ideas written on them. The
complete outline is there in your mind, the notes help to fill in the details if required. This
kind of a presentation sounds natural, convincing and you are able to connect with the
audience. Though the situation is formal you can make the presentation informal by your
style and delivery, and also get the audience to listen carefully and respond appropriately.
The spontaneity in this kind of a presentation has a positive impact on people. The ease of
delivery gives the impression that you know the subject and have prepared well for the
presentation.
There are other issues that you need to keep in mind while making a presentation.
 ORAL PRESENTATION

Your posture and dress are important. You should stand straight, be comfortable and
confident, and dress appropriately. Your facial expressions and body language should be
confident and enthusiastic and give the impression that you are enjoying the presentation
as much as the audience.
It is important to make eye contact with the audience. This kind of a nonverbal
communication involves the audience in the presentation.
Your voice should be loud and clear. Pay attention to pronunciation, speed and voice
modulation.
These are very small issues but they give the impression that you are relaxed,
confident and in control of the situation.

JfattfiJifltfllW^itf10 0™ER MEDIUMS TO SUPPORT THE PRESENTATION VISUALLY *^

To help people remember what you have said, use some visual aid to support the
presentation. People may forget the spoken word but rarely forget something they have
seen. Some of the visual aids that can be used are:
White Board: It is used to write important words, sentences or make diagrams. It is a
reliable aid but since all this has to be done while making the presentation, one loses
precious time meant for the presentation.
Charts: It has an advantage because it can be prepared in advance. It is effective for
small groups but ineffective in large groups.

Figure 23.4: Using visual aid —what is incorrect about this scene?
BUSINESS ENGLISH

O.H.P.: Transparencies can be prepared before hand and displayed during the
presentation. It is an effective visual aid but poses a problem if there is no electricity.
Computers and Multimedia: Make a PowerPoint presentation. Audience is exposed
both to the spoken word and the written word. It is one of the most effective visual aids in
a presentation.
Models and Real Objects: It is an excellent visual aid. The audience can see and feel it
and so it has a greater impact.
Handling the Question and Answer Session: This session is very important not only for
you but for the audience. Questions asked by the audience give you a verbal feedback of
the presentation and it gives you an opportunity to reemphasize your points and to clarify
any doubts or misunderstandings of the audience. But it is very important to tackle the
questions properly. If you are not able to satisfy the queries of the audience, it may reflect
on your incompetence and your credibility can be at stake. Lay down the ground rules of
this session at the beginning. This will help you to have control of the session.
• When responding to questions repeat them for everybody's benefit, before
answering. This will also help in not having to answer the same question
again.

Checklist: Creating Effective Slides

Use one to two slides per minute of the presentation and four to five points per
slide.
Use effective titles.
Be consistent with headings and subheadings.
Do not overload the slide with information.
Use key words and phrases.
Highlight the major points.
Avoid repetition of words and phrases.
Use graphs rather than figures and words.
Proofread your visual aids for spelling mistakes.
Except for very short titles capitalize only the first letter of the sentence or
phrase.
Choose appropriate font size (18 points type or if possible 24 points type).
Choose a readable font not a decorative one.
Use color to serve a function not to decorate.
Use animation and sound effects only if required.
Maintain a consistency in the design of the slide.
 ORAL PRESENTATION

• If you do not understand a question, seek a clarification or rephrase it before

responding to it.
• Hostile or irrelevant questions from the audience should be handled with patience
or a dash of humour. Being rude or impolite does not solve the problem.
• Avoid arguments or counter questions.
• If the audience is not enthusiastic or too timid to ask questions, motivate them to
do so.
Handling this session is an art, because things can get out of control. Do not get
flustered, maintain your cool and as the saying goes 'when the going gets tough the tough
gets going'.

Learning Outcomes

In this chapter you have learnt: ''.'.'.'*'•*'

• The need and purpose of an oral presentation
• Why oral presentations are better than written presentations p •
The features of a good oral presentation
' • The importance of planning, organization and delivery of an oral
presentation t • How to use visual aids to support the presentation

JM Exercises QUESTIONSFOR

DISCUSSION

1. Choose any topic for a presentation. Briefly describe the changes in the con
tent and delivery of the presentation for
i. An audience who is conversant with the topic of the presentation.
ii. An audience who is not familiar with the topic of the presentation.
2. What are the different visual aids you can use to support your presentation?
3. Elaborate on the 'Star Strategy', and the ways in which it helps you to make an
effective oral presentation.

TEST YOU R LANGI

I. Look at this catalogue from the Pantaloon Shop and answer the questions.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

T-SHIRTS in six colours. Material. 50% cotton, 50% polyester. All one size.
Order no. Order no.
Pink P21 76513 Green G21 76518
White W21 76523 Black BL21 76528
Blue B21 76533 Yellow Y21 76538
Quantity 25 50 100
Price Rs 225 each Rs 125 each Rs 85 each
SWEATSHIRTS Material: 100% cotton

Order no.
White W21 970054
Quantity 20 50 100
Price Rs 444 each Rs 344 each Rs 224 each
SWEATSHIRTS Material: 100% cotton ;

Order no. Order no.

Blue B21 970058 Black L21 970062
Quantity 20 50 100
Price Rs 120.50 each Rs 100.50 each Rs 90.50 each

1. In how many colours are the T-shirts available?

2. Are they available in different sizes?
3. What is the price of one T-shirt if you order 25 T-shirts?
4. What is the order number for the white sweatshirts?
5. Are the sweatshirts available in black?
6. What is the order number for the blue T-shirts?
II. In any presentation the beginning is important. Certainly, some things are essential
in an introduction and others are useful. Here is a list of what could be included in
an introduction. Mark them according to how necessary they are by using the
following scale: |
Essential Useful Not necessary
12 3
Subject/title of talk.

Introduction to oneself, job title, etc.

Reference to questions and/or discussion.
Reference to the programme for the day.
Reference to how long you are going to speak for.
Reference to the visual aids you plan to use.
 ORAL PRESENTATION

The ^cope of your talk: what is and is not included. An

outline of the structure of your talk. A summary of the
conclusions.

III. You are a project manager of PALI, a Dutch electronic components manu
facturer. You have to give a presentation to colleagues explaining the
company's decision to build a factory in India.
Important factors influencing the decision are:
1. Local employment conditions: Well-trained workforce, experienced in
chemical engineering.
2. Local economic factors and market potential: strong growth in the Indian
economy, wealth of India, good location, access to southeast Asia market.
3. Economically strong area.
4. Available subsidies, tax concessions: Government wants inward investment.
Make an oral presentation keeping these factors in mind with the help of PowerPoint
slides.
IV. Work in pairs. Each of you should suggest a possible phrase for each of the
statements below:
1. Greet your audience.
2. Introduce yourself.
3. Tell them the title of your talk.
4. Give the structure of your talk.
5. Tell the audience that they can interrupt if they want.
6. Say something about the length of your talk.
7. Inform them that a colleague will be showing slides later.
Among the different kinds of communication challenges faced by a professional,
the writing of proposals and reports is of prime significance. The report is one of
the most detailed and complex form of written communication that is undertaken
in an organization and also involves major investment in terms of time and
money. When you are asked to write a proposal or report or later on as you climb
the professional ladder and are in a position to ask for such a document to be
written, you must have in front of you the template of an effective draft against
which you can judge the efficacy of a proposal or a report.
In this unit, you will learn how to master the skill of proposal and report
writing. After you have been introduced to the different components of both and
the language and other skills you need in order to make it an effective mode of
written communication, you will learn how to go about the actual process of
compiling information and putting the proposal or report together. A proposal or
a report is normally a solicited communication and calls upon all your skills for
its presentation. It is, therefore, appropriate that this should be the final skill that
you learn, since you now have all the techniques of effective communication at
your
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BUSINESS ENGLISH

disposal and can use them to write a proposal or a report that meets all the organizational
needs for which it has been solicited.
To facilitate your understanding of the process of writing proposals and reports, you
need to first understand what they are, and when and why they are written. As you begin
this section, you will see how proposals/reports fundamentally fulfil the needs of
information and analysis and help management to take decision regarding policies,
procedures and future plans. Since your document will have a long-term impact, you thus
need to plan carefully before you begin drafting it.
The process of proposal/report writing can be summed up by the acronym RAP —
Research, Analysis and Presentation. All three stages are equally important and each of
them has been discussed in detail in this section. The first chapter will show you how to
write short proposals and the purpose and importance of writing them. This chapter also
deals with short reports and gives you all the information you require about the purpose
and format of the short report, as well as giving you tips on how to write the most
effective short reports by using a checklist of do's and don'ts. The second chapter will
familiarize you with the format and schema of the long report and give you all the
information you need to draft a long report for your organization. Abundantly illustrated
with guidelines, this section will equip you with all the linguistic and technical skills
needed for the fulfilment of this difficult, but ultimately very rewarding, responsibility of
report writing.
As a prospective proposal writer or reporter, you will also learn how to bring to your
proposal or report the objectivity and accuracy that will make its conclusions valid and
reliable. You will also learn how to make these document a valuable and constructive tool
for the effective functioning of the organization.
 SHORT PROPOSALS AND REPORTS Chapter

24

Learning Objectives Vocabulary

XfterWuayingWs cnapler you will be able to: .•-.»•.
research proposal
Understand the importance of reports and proposals for informational and
business proposal
analytical purposes
long proposal
Learn how reports and proposals help in various organizational activities,
short proposal
like decision-making, problem-solving, performance monitoring and market
surveys by making these processes more thorough and well-structured solicited proposal
unsolicited proposal
cover letter
title page
Pre-reading Activity
executive summary
What does the word 'proposal' suggest to you? introduction
How would you make/communicate a proposal—verbally or in writing? decision-making
Usually, a short report is prepared and read on the college annual day. Problem-solving
What is it about? surveys
Have you read a report published by any company? Did you find it functional
interesting? implementation
Do reports contain only facts and figures? procedural
regulatory
assessment
PROPOSALS thematic
terms of reference

P roposals are meant to persuade. They are broadly categorized into research
proposals and business proposals. Commonly, research proposals are
submitted by academic institutions while business proposals come from business
recommendations
plagiarism
table of contents
concerns. Our focus is on business proposals whose main purpose is to win background
business. Like reports, they are formal documents which may be long or short management plan
and solicited or unsolicited. procedures
letter of transmittal
body of proposal
Short and Long Proposals

It is the length of the proposal which determines its size. A single author
proposal is usually short and different from one that is long and has more than
five or six authors.
3o2 BUSINESS ENGLISH

Short Proposal Long Proposal

Usually, there is one person writing it.
• There may be no other person with whom
gto communicate.
| The same person has to decide what and
filiow to write.
J'After writing, the author has to illustrate,
liormat and prepare it her/himself. ^ ..
?ftf smUggm
I The person has to develop the proposition
• her/his own.
May have up to 30 persons writing it.
Multiple writers have to be updated and
kept in the communication loop.
Deciding and writing are collaborative
;fj exercises of the group.
After writing is complete, it is handed over
to the illustrators, desktop publishing and,
copy and production staff of the company.
As there are more resources available,
the process develops the proposal.

Solicited and Unsolicited Proposals

• When a customer/ client requires something that is not easy to procure from a
store/ vendor then s/he sends a 'Request for Proposal' or RFP, which contains a
description of the product(s) / service(s) desired. A solicited proposal is one which
is sent in response to an RFP. An unsolicited proposal is one sent to customers
even though they have not asked for it.
• When you write a solicited proposal it should contain and conform to the proposal
requirements of the customer. You should meticulously follow formatting
instructions (if specified), provide information about product/ services to be
delivered by you and deadlines to be met along with other specifications. As far as
possible, use language which is similar to the one used by the solicitor and an
outline which conforms to the specified guidelines. Similarly, when you write an
unsolicited proposal, you should write in a manner which convinces the reader or
the review committee that you are competent and qualified to solve their problem
or execute their project.

Parts of a Proposal
1. Cover letter should be addressed to your client and state the purpose. It should also
state the solutions you will provide and how they are going to benefit the
company. It should include the proposal title, name of the representative with
designation, signature and date.
2. Title page should include the proposal title, name of the person or company to
whom you are submitting your proposal, as well as the name of the person
submitting the proposal and date. If organizations specify certain infor^ mation to
be included in the title page, then make sure you do so.
3. Executive summary is one of the most important part of a proposal. It should
summarize the objectives of the proposal, the procedures to be fol-
 SHORT PROPOSALS AND REPORTS

lowed, the deadlines to be met, etc. Even a short proposal should have an executive
summary.
4. -Table of contents and list of figures are required in long proposals. Short proposals
usually do not require them.
5. Introduction contains the purpose which should be stated in infinitive form as given
in the example below:

• To supply...
• To bid for...
• To provide...
• To recommend...

The introduction should also clearly show that you have understood their
problem(s) and the way you will tackle it/them. The scope of your project should
be defined in your introduction as to the areas it will address. A long proposal
contains a list of individuals (with a brief resume of each) who would work on the
project. Some short proposals, too, have this list.
6. Background usually contains information on previous work/projects completed,
evaluation of related projects and a statement showing how you plan to undertake
this project on the basis of your experience of already completed projects. In short
proposals the background is usually omitted.
7. Procedures show your plan of meeting the requirements of the client. This is a
statement of work describing what you would do or provide to her/ him. It should
also have an implementation schedule and a description of the products/services
offered.
8. Equipment and facilities will describe the facilities required for the project and
provide the needed facts and figures.
9. Management plan which will state how work will be organized and performed.
A schedule of achieving milestones and allocation of resources should be
provided. Many companies specify how the budget should be presented. Try to
adhere to it. You should also include a 'budget justification' in order to provide a
rationale for your expenses.
10. Appendices contain additional matter like visuals and letters of recommendation and
endorsement. This section may, at times, cause a negative reaction in the reader as being
extraneous matter. This may be left out of short proposals. Short proposals usually contain
the following:
a) A letter of transmittal which is a response in the form of a cover letter to a
Request for Proposal (RFP).
b) An executive summary which should state what you intend to do/provide and
how you would meet the client's requirements within a specified deadline.
ENGLISH

w\ Checklist: How to Write an Effective Proposal

Before writing a proposal, ask yourself the following questions:
• Who is your customer and what is the requirement?
• Why do you think you are better than your competitors? Why should the client
hire you?
• What do you propose to give to your customer? What can the client expect?
You should write in a way that is clearly understood by your client. Do not use
jargon or very technical terms.
• How do you propose to deliver the product/service? Who will be involved in the
delivery? When do you propose to deliver what you have promised? How will
the customer benefit? How long would you take to deliver the goods/services?
" Where will the work be done? Where do you intend to deliver?
• When will the project start? When would the milestones be achieved?
When will the project be complete? When will payments be due?

c) The body of proposal which includes the scope and nature of products/
services offered, the contractual terms and conditions, and budgetary
considerations.
If you can answer the above questions satisfactorily, you can write a winning
proposal. Always keep the reader in mind, and cogently argue in your own favour.

Figure 24.1: Is this proposal different from the proposal that you read just now?
 SHORT PROPOSALS AND REPORTS

Write clearly, succinctly and proceed forward logically. Use jargon-free language. Write
your proposal for a global audience so that people in other countries (who may be
evaluating it) can understand it. If you need graphics to clarify an idea, use it intelligently.
Make your document error free and print it on good quality paper using a good printer.
Then, bind it to make a professionally presentable package.

The basic functional areas of reports in an organization are as follows:

Informational functions:
1. Monitoring and controlling organizational processes.
2. Implementation of policies.
3. Complying with legal, procedural and regulatory provisions.
4. Create document-base for future reference.
Analytical functions:
1. Help in decision-making by providing background details.
2. Persuade others with information and assessment, through survey reports. A few
important points may be kept in mind while preparing a report:
1. That a report is usually documentation after an event or activity, thus the use of past
tense.
2. That a report is often solicited, that is, someone has asked for the report to be prepared.
3. That it is usually upward communication within an organization, thus the tone used is
formal.'
4. A report should have conclusions, be they suggestions, recommendations or simply
advice, as per the purpose of the report.
In this section we shall discuss the short report, its format, style and purpose. Short
reports are usually less than five pages and do not need the elaborate outlines and
structuring of the long report. The three basic sub-sections are introduction, investigation
and conclusion. Simple headings and sub-headings help the reader to follow through the
text of the short report. Avoid using a running text. Instead, break up the text in terms of
its thematic units. This would also help the report from becoming visually tedious.

Preparing a Report

A good short report will require both clarity and objectivity so that the reader of the report
can see things the way you have mapped the main issues. A five-step formula may be
adopted while preparing the report.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

• Planning
• Research . t
• Drafting
• Editing
• Concluding/Recommending

Step I: Planning Depending on the 'terms of reference', that is, the task set out or the
purpose of the report, plan the basic areas of the report. It is useful to study the issue (s) in
context and arrive at a logical plan of action. Develop a working outline of the report and
research accordingly.

Step II: Research Research is both primary and secondary, In primary research data is
collected by you directly, as in the case of surveys. In secondary research, you use the
studies conducted by others. In the latter case, it is important that you reveal and
acknowledge the sources. If you do not, it is a form of stealing, called plagiarism.
Research may require Internet-use, questionnaires, oral interaction with members at the
workplace, etc. Suitable communication strategies become important so that the right kind
of information can be collected.

Step III: Drafting This step helps you in putting together in a written format all the data
that you have gathered. Follow the working plan that you had prepared in Step I. It will
help you in organizing your data. Also, see that you are stacking your points in a manner
that leads to a logical outcome, your conclusion/recommendation.

Step IV: Editing Sometimes considered less important, this step is vital to the actual
report presentation. Edit and revise so that no relevant mention is left out or irrelevant
included. This fine-tuning is necessary to keep the report focused. If need be, visual
representation, graphs, statistical charts, etc., may be incorporated. Choose the desired
tone quality. Substantiate any claims that you may make. The basic purpose of editing is
to meet the twin requirements of clarity and objectivity. Needless to add, remove all errors
of spelling, grammar, etc.

Step V: Concluding/Recommending Although all reports may not expect you to come up
with recommendations, conclusions are more than just formalities. In this section you will
interpret the data, and in conclusion, recall the objectives of the report and mention how
you have realized them. Recommendations are to be included if specifically asked for.
 SHORT PROPOSALS AND REPORTS

Seven Errors that can Undermine Your Reports

1. Lack of objectivity
Seeing only the facts that support your view and ignoring any contradictory information.
2. Hasty generalizations
Forming judgements on the basis of insufficient evidence or special cases.
3. Hidden assumptions
Hiding a questionable major premise. '„ , .
4. Either-or scenarios . .
Setting up two alternatives and not allowing for others.
5. False causal relationships
Assuming that event A caused event B only because A preceded B.
6. Begged questions
Assuming as proven what you are going to prove.
7. Personal attacks or appeals to popular prejudice
Sinking people or ideas you do not like by chaining them to irrelevant but un
popular actions or ideas. (Bovee et al 2006: 413)

Short reports could have two kinds of formats: memo style and letter style. The pattern that they
follow is derived from the letter or memo itself, but their purpose remains different. Here are two
examples: The Memo Style Report: Block Format

TO: Mr Santosh Seth

FROM: Peter Topno DATE:
7 February 2008

SUBJECT: Report on staff overtime for January 2008

As per your instruction, I have computed the number of overtime hours put in by the staff
members of the different sections and the overtime allowance due to each one of them.

Staff Hourly Wage No, of Occasions Total Hours Total Payments

1. Rajan Rs50 6 Rs 1,800
, 2. Netar Rs60 1 sRs 4,800

3- Rohan Rs80 0 iRs 2,240

4. William Rs80 7 Rs 1,600
4
TOTAL 23 27 Rs 10,440

The total expenditure incurred on overtime is likely to go up further by about 60 per cent in
the next two months as we move towards the end of the financial year and the target
deadlines have to be met.

FT
ENGLISH

The Letter Style Report:

15, Aspiration Towers

Gurgaon, Haryana 123456
INDIA

5 February 2008

Dear Mr Tata

Sub: Feasibility of CFL Lamps for Bundi Palace Hotel, Bundi: A Preliminary Study

We have conducted a feasibility study for the use of CFL lamps at Bundi Palace Hotel
in Bundi. The hotel is a heritage fort spread over 35 acres. The ancient palace has been turned
into a luxury hotel for the past 20 years. The clientele is largely foreign tourists who want to
experience the unique culture of Rajasthan.
Bundi Palace has some very beautiful frescoes painted on the walls dating back from
the 19th century. Unfortunately, these have faced a lot of damage from poor maintenance.
The lighting used in the last few years is also responsible for the fading of the paintings.
Our survey around the hotel and these painting galleries shows the usefulness of our
lamps both indoors and outdoors. Not only will it reduce the power bill but also improve the
quality of lighting inside the galleries without the consequent damage caused by filament
bulbs. We are of the firm opinion that a technical study should be conducted to assess the
areas that require a switchover to CFL.
Meanwhile, we are in the process of charting out a detailed study of the different areas
so that we may list out the types and volume of lamps that could be supplied.
Do let us know if any further matter needs to be enquired into.

Yours sincerely,

(Ratna Malik) Sr
Sales Manager

In case the report is a little longer, say, 9-10 pages, it is advisable to use a letter of transmittal
or prefatory note. These are basically forms of covering letters or covering notes and the
report becomes an attachment.

Learning Outcomes
4

In this chapter you have learnt that: • Proposals can be written for
purposes of research or business ■ Business proposals can be long
or short and solicited or unsolicited There are several components of
a proposal
 NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS

Soumitra Kumar Choudhury teaches at Sri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi. His areas
of interest are colonial and postcolonial literature, and business communication.

Anjana Neira Dev is Principal, Vivekananda College, University of Delhi. She takes interest in English
language teaching, Indian poetry in English, the postcolonial novel, Renaissance poetry, creative
writing and teaching English for special purposes. She has contributed to several journals like Book
Review, The International Journal on Humanities, India International Centre Diary, IIC Quarterly
and USI Journal. She has also co-edited Indian Literature: An Introduction for the University of
Delhi.

Archna Mathur teaches English at Bhim Rao Ambedkar College, University of Delhi. Her areas of
interest include culture studies, women studies and communication.

Tulika Prasad teaches English at Satyawati College (Evening), University of Delhi. Her areas of interest
are Indian fiction and English language teaching and testing. She has developed a course module on
oral proficiency for the campus of open learning. She is also the teacher facilitator for S.C.E.R.T.
and government schools. She has co-authored Fluency in English I for the B.A. programme of the
University of Delhi.

Tasneem Shahnaaz teaches at Sri Aurobindo College (Morning), University of Delhi. Her areas of
interest include Modern poetry, Feminism, poetry by women and English language teaching. She
writes for several journals like Book Review, PoetCrit and Contemporary Vibes. She also writes
poetry. In 2006, she won the first prize in the Indian poets category at the competition held by
Chetna Literary Society for her poem 'The Soiled Soul'.
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Wiley & Sons, Inc.
 l
>

OUTLINE AND ORGANIZATION OF LONG REPORTS

1. Define a business report. What is its utility?

2. What are the different kinds of business reports?
3. Consider the following situation:
SWITCH2CFL is planning to set up a new factory of CFL bulbs in the north-
eastern part of India. Conduct a survey through a questionnaire about the
acceptance of this technology by the people living there. Write a feasibility report
for the company on the basis of the survey conducted about the viability of the
project.

I, Rewrite each sentence, starting with the words given, so that it means the same as
the preceding sentence.
1. The company should receive the consignment by Sunday. The
consignment.................................................................................
2. They have improved the building since my last visit. The
building...............................................................................
3. The officer finally found the document under the table. The
document..................................................................................
4. We would reduce costs if we used less stationery........' Costs
5. MPR are marketing their new surgical equipment only in India. MPR's
new surgical equipment..........................................................................
II. Fill the gaps in these sentences with a suitable verb or noun + preposition from the
list given below:
1. The manager was very satisfied; he...............................my report.
2. If we want to fill the vacancy, we'll have to..................................a qualified
accountant.
3. The officer had to work long after five o' clock to deal with the
........................documents.
4. The workers.............................the subject of compensation during the
meeting.
5. The company managed to..............................the two missing packages.

account for bring up approve of advertise for backlog of

 • It states briefly the action to be taken.
• It states how it can help in any future course of action.
7. Appendix: This includes all the information and documents which you have used
during your research while writing the report but is not directly concerned with the
report. Moreover, these documents may be very long and bulky and it would not
be possible to include them in the main report. Information included in the
appendix are sample questionnaires, statistical data, statistical formulas, copies of
important documents used, other instruments of survey, etc. Each of the
appendixes needs to be numbered and captioned. The documents need to be
arranged in a logical sequence. Do not include irrelevant appendices.
8. Glossary: It is a list of technical terms used in the report.
• It is arranged alphabetically.
• It explains how the words are used.
• It can also function as a dictionary.
• It gives rules for forming and abbreviating technical words.
9. Bibliography: It is a list of secondary sources used while preparing the
report. All textual sources, whether published or unpublished, should be
acknowledged. It is generally written in the following manner:
• the name(s) of the author
• title
• name of publisher, place of publication
• year of publication and edition if any.
10. Index: It is a detailed listing of names, places, subjects, together with the page
number where they are mentioned. It is organized in an alphabetical manner. A
reader is able to locate information regarding any topic with the help of the index.
 OUTLINE AND ORGANIZATION OF LONG REPORTS

6. The actual report: The actual report has three parts to it. They are — introduction,
body, and conclusion. Introduction:
i. Purpose of the report: It tells us the main objectives of the report and its
need, ii. The terms of reference: It briefly describes the scope of the report, its
contents and limitations or problems faced, if any. iii. Research methods: It refers to
the different methods used to collect data, like sampling, fieldwork and questionnaires.
It also tells us whether the data collected is from primary or secondary sources or both,
and the different statistical tools used for analysis. Body: It gives a detailed discussion
of the results of the investigation using the different research tools. A lot of data in the
form of graphs, charts and tables help in understanding the details of the report. Avoid
being prosaic and substantiate the findings with visual inputs for better
comprehension. The body of the report is divided into a number of sections which is
further sub-divided into sub-sections. All of them will require headings and, therefore,
use the numbering system of decimals to distinguish the different sections and sub-
sections. Given below is an example:

Section headings 1 2 3
Sub-section 1.1 2.1 3.1
1.2 2.2 3.2
1.3 2.3 3.3
Sub-sub-section 1.1.1 2.1.1 3.1.1
1.1.2 2.1.2 3.1.2
Sub-section of 1.1.1(a) 2.1.1(a) 3.1.1(a)
the sub-sub-section 1.1.1(b) 2.1.1(b) 3.1.1(b)

This will help the reader to understand the report in a coherent manner and not get
confused with sections and sub-sections.
Conclusion: This summarizes the main idea of the report and gives relevant
recommendations. Use the SWOT (Strength, Weakness. Opportunities, Threats)
analysis for recommendations.
• It also gives a detailed result of the investigation.
* It also answers all the questions raised in the report initially.
• It puts forward problems, if any, in achieving the objectives.
* It gives clear and definite recommendations.
BUSINESS ENGLISH

Formal long reports have the following elements:

1. Cover page/ Title fly: It generally contains the title of the report, the report
number and the date.
2. Title page: The title page repeats the title of the report, and gives some more
information. In brief, the title page consists of the following information:
• Title of the report (short and unambiguous)
• The name/s of person/ s who prepared the report
• The name/s of person/s or organization who/which authorized the report
• Date of submission.
3. Letter of transmittal: This reads like a preface to a book. It is written in the first
person using personal pronouns and in an informal style. It talks about the
different issues handled by the report. It includes information about the scope of
the report, the methods used for the findings, and drawbacks or limitations, if any.
It also highlights the major findings of the report, necessary details, the conclusion
and the recommendations. It acknowledges the help extended by other people in
completing the report and thanks those who gave them the opportunity to
undertake the assignment.
4. Table of contents: It is a kind of a map describing the structure of the report. It is
an outline of the report, indicating the coverage, sequence and hierarchical
importance of the information in the report. The different topics in the report are
identified with their page numbers for easy access and reference. You should be
careful to list the contents with their relevant headings in the same order as they
appear in the report to avoid confusion. If there are very few visuals, they can be
put in the content list, otherwise they should be listed separately. The table of
contents is an important document because it helps people to locate specific
information in an otherwise long report.
5. Executive summary: This is placed just after the table of contents. It is an
overview of the complete report, summarizing the salient features of the document
including the introduction or the findings, the recommendations, the conclusions
and relevant illustrations of charts, graphs and pie diagrams if any. Busy
executives prefer reading the executive summary rather than the long report to get
a preview of the report.
It covers all the major points of the report including the structure, purpose,
methods and overall significance. 'A good executive summary opens a window
into the body of the report and allows the reader to quickly see how well you have
managed your message'. (Bovee et al 2006: 467)
 OUTLINE AND ORGANIZATION OF LONG REPORTS [37!3>

Reports for Complying with Government Regulations These reports are written in
response to regulations imposed by government agencies. The regulatory agency gives
instructions on how to write the necessary reports. It is, therefore, important to be honest,
thorough, and accurate.

Reports for Documenting Progress Progress reports may or may not be important. Some
are written for the sake of mere formality while others are vital in client relationship. They
are submitted on a regular basis.

Analytical Reports

Company heads also rely upon additional information, analysis and suggestions provided
in analytical reports in order to take decisive measures. Hence, such reports require a
correct representation of facts along with good insight and excellent communication
skills.

Problem-solving Reports In order to arrive at decisions, heads of companies need basic

information as well as rigorous analysis of the problem. These reports provide just the
kind of information that is based on primary and secondary research.

Whenever a report is required to be written, an individual or a team is assigned to the

task. The scope, purpose, subject and time-limit of the report is prescribed by the one who
wants the report to be prepared. One could follow a useful pattern like this:

To report on ... (subject)... as requested by ... (name and designation) on ... (date)...
!
•••'.'• ' • (Taylor2005: 131)

The process of writing a report is left to the writer. In order to write a report the
writer has to conduct research and analysis. S/he has to first investigate the problem, look
for facts, collect evidence for the facts observed, and then analyse them before presenting
observations, conclusions and suggestions as solutions to the problem. There are different
methods available to the writer for conducting research, namely, visits, interviews,
questionnaires, data banks, studying records of the organization, consulting existing
literature and documents as relevant sources of information. The writer also needs to
know the background and the context of the subject s/he is investigating. Hence, a study
of the background and collection of data are a necessary component of report writing
(Chaturvedi and Chaturvedi 2004:136).
BUSINESS ENGLISH

• A report is also written to justify the policies, need for action, and decisions taken in
controversial situations.
• A report also gives information about a company's activities, progress, plans and
problems.

Reports are broadly of two kinds:

• Formal reports that contain all the essential items of a report.
• Semi-formal/informal reports.
Reports are also classified according to their purpose and their form. Some of them are:
• Routine reports (based on frequency) are made by filling in a printed form and
submitting on a recurring and periodic basis.
• Depending upon the intended reader, reports may be internal (designed for use
within an organization) and less formal than external reports that are sent to
people outside the organization.
• On the basis of length, there are short reports that are generally of one to nine
pages and are different from long reports that are of 10 or more pages. The
former may analyse just one aspect of the problem and not require any formal
research, whereas the latter examines a problem in detail and requires more
extensive research and preparation time.
• Based on intent, reports have been divided into informational reports and
analytical reports. Informational reports present facts and data without analysis
or recommendations. They provide information to readers. Analytical reports are
written to solve a problem that convinces readers that the decisions and
recommendations reached by the management are justified based on data analysis
and interpretations presented in such reports.

Informational Reports

These include reports for monitoring and controlling operations, statements of policies
and procedures, compliance reports, and progress reports.

Reports for Monitoring and Controlling Operations These reports have to be accurate,
thorough and honest. They highlight problems and report achievements.

Reports for Implementing Policies and Procedures These reports give information in a
straightforward manner. Some of them are preserved as lasting guidelines while others are
one-time papers.
 DUTLINE AND ORGANIZATION DF Chapter
LDNG REPORTS
25

Vocabulary
Learning Objectives
business report
After studying this chapter you will be able to:
structured format
• Learn the meaning of a business report and its purpose
strategic policies
• Know about the various kinds of long reports
controversial
• Write an outline of lonq reports
situations terms
of reference routine
reports
Pre-reading Activity informational
• What do you understand by the term report? reports analytical
• What did you find in your report cards in school?
reports cover page
title page
• Was your report card different from the report you read in newspapers?
letter of transmittal
executive summary

W ritten business reports are an integral part of the functioning of any

business concern. They assist companies in solving problems and
arriving at decisions. They also function as factual, objective documents
appendix glossary
bibliography index

regarding the company or business house. Thus, a business report is a solicited

document written for a specific purpose according to the prescribed terms of
reference and designed for a specific audience. The responsibility of
communicating facts, findings, analysis and recommendations rests on the writer
of the report.

PUR PO SEO F A BUSINESSREPO RT

A business report has a structured format that will be discussed later in this
chapter.
• It provides a detailed report of the situation, a problem or of action taken
or the findings of an investigation. On the basis of such reports, the
management of a company can arrive at decisions regarding policy
matters, with full knowledge of the background facts and circumstances.
• The management can also frame strategic policies as well as keep abreast
with the latest trends and business practices.
ENGLISH

iv) You want to write a proposal for getting more business, v) A

proposal which is sent in response to a RFP.
2. You wish to send a short proposal on behalf of your engineering firm in response
to a request for proposal from a company which wants to develop unused land as a
park. What would you include in your short proposal?
3. Write down the questions that you should ask yourself before writing the above
proposal.
4. Complete the paragraph given below by choosing the correct word from the ones
given in italics:
For years Engineering Company has seen a steady/steadily rise in sales. However,
the year 2008 began with a slight/slightly fall in revenues. But as the year
progressed, a sharp/ sharply rise in sales offset/onset the losses/gains. The
presence of competitors is posing a serious/common problem to/in the company.
That is why its R and D department is working overtime to launch new/old and
better products. The sales department has also stepped up/stepped down its
advertising campaign. This has resulted in a dramatic/ dramatically rise in sales.
 SHORT PROPOSALS AND REPORTS
*• You must plan before writing a persuasive proposal.
• Reports perform two basic functions—informational functions and
analytical functions.
• While preparing a report, you must use the five-step formula—planning,
research, drafting, editing and concluding. Use past tense and a formal tone in
writing reports.
• The three main sections of a short report are introduction, investigation and
conclusion.
• Short reports can be written in two kinds of formats—the memo style and the
| letter style.

Exercises

1. Describe the different kinds of proposal.

2. What are the different parts of a proposal? Does a short proposal contain all the
parts?
3. Tf you want to write a winning proposal, what will you ask yourself?
4. SWITCH2CFL is planning to come up with a printed product catalogue for which
it has invited quotations from printers. Five quotations have been received. On
behalf of Sanjeev Nair, prepare a short memo-style report cornparing the
quotations and recommending one printer for the job.
5. Visit your college canteen or some small restaurant. Observe carefully or you can
even discretely enquire about the following: the quality of raw material used, the
hygienic practices followed, the range of dishes served, service provided and the
pricing of the products. Now, prepare a short letter-style report incorporating your
findings.

'ACTIVITY CORNER

1. Write the name of the proposal which best describes the statements given below: i) A
proposal which is sent even though it has not been asked for. ii) When there are
multiple authors writing a proposal, iii) A proposal you will write when you wish to
seek a grant for conducting academic study in response to a request or announcement
from a government or private agency.