Business Communications

Business Communications
Assignment # 1
Assignment # 1
Business Communication (525)
Semester: Spring 2010 – MBA
SUBMITTED TO: MRS. TASLEEM KIANI SUBMITTED BY: AH524979
Date: 28thAugust, 2010
Table of Contents
Question # 1: ..................................................................
...............................................................................
1 THE SEVEN C’S OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION .......................................
........................................................... 1 C O M P L E T E N
E S S ..........................................................................
....................................................... 1 C O N C I S E N E S S
................................................................................
.................................................... 4 C O N S I D E R A T I O N
...............................................................................
................................................ 6 C O N C R E T E N E S S .....
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............................................ 9 C L A R I T Y ...................
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......................................... 12 C O U R T E S Y ...................
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..................................... 14 C O R R E C T N E S S .................
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................................ 16 Question # 2(a):............................
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............................... 18 THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE ......................
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...................... 18 CULTURAL VARIABLES ...................................
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............... 20 N A T I O N A L C U L T U R A L V A R I A B L E S ...........
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.. 20 I N D I V I D U A L C U L T U R A L V A R I A B L E S ....................
...................................................................... 23 Questi
on # 2(b): .....................................................................
..................................................................... 27 PERSONA
L ETHICS .......................................................................
................................................................ 27 F A M I L Y
I N F L U E N C E S P E R S O N A L E T H I C S ( P E O P L E ) ................
............................................ 28 R E L I G I O U S B E L I E F S
I M P A C T P E R S O N A L E T H I C S ( R E L I G I O N ) ....................
....................... 28 C U L T U R E A F F E C T S E T H I C A L N O R M S (
C U L T U R E ) ...............................................................
... 28 E X P E R I E N C E C A N S H I F T Y O U R E T H I C S ( L A W ) .......
.............................................................. 28 I N T E R N A
L / P E R S O N A L R E F L E C T I O N ( P H I L O S O P H Y ) ................
......................................... 29 Question #3:.......................
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......................................... 29 VARIOUS CHALLENGES THAT BUSINESSES
FACE IN HANDLING NEW TECHNOLOGIES ..............................................
.... 29 C H A N G I N G T E C H N O L O G I E S I N T H E N E W W O R L D ......
............................................................. 29 T E C H N O L O
G Y A C C E P T A N C E I N P A K I S T A N I S C E N A R I O .................
........................................ 30 T Y P E S O F C O M M U N I C A T I
O N B A R R I E R S ............................................................
....................... 30 A D O P T I N G N E W T E C H N O L O G I E S – R I S K
S I N P A K I S T A N ..................................................... 31
F I V E B I G G E S T C H A L L E N G E S I N P A K I S T A N ..................
............................................................. 32 M U L T I N A T
I O N A L S I N P A K I S T A N ...............................................
................................................. 33 D E V E L O P A N I N F O R
M A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y C H A N G E M A N A G E M E N T P R O G R A M .
......... 33 Question #4(a):....................................................
................................................................................
........ 36 EXCHANGE RATE ......................................................
................................................................................
... 36 FLUCTUATIONS IN EXCHANGE RATES ..........................................
...................................................................... 37 REPORT
: ..............................................................................
...................................................................... 38 P R O
B L E M S T A T E M E N T ......................................................
............................................................ 38 E F F E C T S O
F E X C H A N G E F L U C T U A T I O N S O N B U S I N E S S ..................
...................................... 38
F O R E I G N E X C H A N G E R I S K M A N A G E M E N T ......................
........................................................ 39 C O N C L U S I O N
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................................................... 41 Question #4(b): .........
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.................................................. 41 SOLICITED LETTER .........
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............................................... 41 D I S A D V A N T A G E S T O
T H E S O L I C I T E D L E T T E R ...........................................
.............................. 41 UNSOLICITED LETTER............................
................................................................................
........................ 42 GUIDELINES THAT SHOULD BE ABSORBED DURING WRITING TH
ESE LETTERS ............................................................. 42 G U
I D E L I N E S F O R W R I T I N G U N S O L I C I T E D L E T T E R S .......
...................................................... 42 G U I D E L I N E S F
O R W R I T I N G S O L I C I T E D L E T T E R S ..............................
..................................... 43 Question #5(a):........................
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.................................... 44 PROPOSAL ...............................
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.................................. 44 B U S I N E S S C O M M U N I C A T I O N
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....................... 44 P R O P O S A L I N C O M M U N I C A T I O N .......
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......... 45 S Y S T E M I N P A K I S T A N ...................................
................................................................................
46 KINDS OF PROPOSAL ..........................................................
.......................................................................... 47 Qu
estion #5(b): ..................................................................
......................................................................... 49 ORG
ANIZATIONAL PLAN FOR MESSAGE USING DIRECT APPROACH .............................
........................................... 49 D I R E C T A P P R O A C H .....
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................................... 49 NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION..................
................................................................................
.................... 50 C U L T U R A L D I F F E R E N C E S I N N O N - V E R
B A L C O M M U N I C A T I O N ........................................... 52 R
EFERENCES ......................................................................
............................................................................. 57
Business Communication (525) – Assignment # 1
Question # 1: To compose effective written or oral message, one must apply certa
in communication principles. These principles provide guidelines for choice of c
ontent and style of presentation called the seven C’s. Explain each in detail with
appropriate examples. Answer:
THE SEVEN C’S OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
To compose effective written or oral message, one must apply certain communicati
on principles. These principles provide guidelines for choice of content and sty
le of presentation adapted to the purpose and receiver of your message, called t
he seven C’s. These seven C’s are: 1. Completeness 2. Conciseness 3. Consideration 4
. Concreteness 5. Clarity 6. Courtesy 7. Correctness The seven C’s of communicatio
n are applicable to all forms of communication, from mere utterances and sentenc
es to complete documents or presentations. They can be applied to both verbal an
d written communication. To some extent the principles overlap because they are
based on a common concern for the audience, whether that audience consists of li
steners or readers.
COMPLETENESS
The message should be complete to bring desirable results. It should include eve
rything the reader needs for the reaction you desire. You must know what informa
tion our reader wants or needs. You should be able to know the reader s backgrou
nd viewpoint needs attitudes and emotions.
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1. Provide all necessary information. 2. Answer all questions asked. 3. Give som
ething Extra, when Desirable. Completeness offers various benefits. It helps in
bringing out the desired results without extra cost other number of messages. It
also helps in building goodwill and a sense of concern for other party as both
the reader and sender may have different background, culture, viewpoint, needs a
nd experience.
A) PROVIDING ALL NECESSARY INFORMATION
It means to provide entire information keeping in mind the readers point of view
for their better understanding. It can be done by answering all WH questions i.
e. who, what, when, where, why and other essentials like how?
B) ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS ASKED
A reply or reaction to a incomplete reply is most likely to be unfavorable. Not
answering all the questions builds an image of being careless or trying to hide
some weak spots, leading to question on our tact’s and honesty.
C) GIVE SOMETHING EXTRA, WHEN DESIRABLE
It refers to providing some extra information related to the question asked by t
he opposite party. Giving a satisfactory reply is the main issue which would att
ract the opposite party for an interaction. For example if a new member in your
society wants to know about the place where the next meeting will be held? So yo
ur reply should not only consist of the place where the meeting would be held it
should also consist of other information relevant to the meeting like at what t
ime, where, when, objective behind the meeting should be mentioned and an invita
tion to him in the end will make the reader more eager to attend the meeting.
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EXAMPLE OF USAGE OF COMPLETENESS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Incomplete letter to a new savings depositor:
Thank you for the confidence you have shown us by the account you recently opene
d. All our facilities are at your disposal, and anytime we can be of service, pl
ease call on us. Our appreciation is best expressed by our service being of to y
ou.
Revised, complete letter to the new savings depositor:
Thank you for the confidence you have shown in us by opening the savings account
. Our goal is to make all our services available to you both helpful and pleasan
t. Your account offers you the following benefits: • • YOUR PASSBOOK DEPOSITS EARN 7
% interest compounded half-yearly BETTER-THEN-CHECKING facility helps you make o
nline transactions and even 24 hour ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) You are most
welcome to come in whenever we can assist you. Please consider this association
as your financial head-quarters for your savings and borrowing needs. Waiting ea
gerly to see you in our premises In a complete message, the audience has everyth
ing they need to be informed and, if applicable, take action. • • Does your message
include a "call to action", so that your audience clearly knows what you want th
em to do? Have you included all relevant information – contact names, dates, times
, locations, and so on? Bad Example Hi everyone, I just wanted to send you all a
reminder about the meeting we re having tomorrow! See you then, Chris
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This message is not complete, for obvious reasons. What meeting? When is it? Whe
re? Chris has left his team without the necessary information. Good Example Hi e
veryone, I just wanted to remind you about tomorrow s meeting on the new telecom
muting policies. The meeting will be at 10:00 a.m. in the second-level conferenc
e room. Please let me know if you can t attend. See you then, Chris
CONCISENESS
Business executives are dead-busy. They don t have time to go through unnecessar
ily lengthy messages. The writer is also a loser if he writes wordy messages bec
ause it involves more time and money to type and read. Conciseness makes the mes
sage more understandable and comprehensible 1. Eliminate wordy Expressions. 2. I
nclude only relevant material. 3. Avoided unnecessary Repetition. Conciseness re
fers to saying whatever we want in fewest in possible words without sacrificing
the other C qualities. A concise message saves time and expense for both sender
and receiver. Conciseness refers to elimination of unnecessary words and inclusi
on of interesting topics for the recipients.
A. ELIMINATING WORDY EXPRESSIONS
It refers to replacing of long wordy expressions by shorter terms of same meanin
g and avoiding overusing empty phrases and limiting the use of passive voice Exa
mple: Situation 1 • • Wordy: At this time Concise: Now
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Situation 2 • • Wordy: She bought desk that are of executive type Concise: She bough
t executive-type desks
B. INCLUDE ONLY RELEVANT MATERIAL
The effective message should not only omit unnecessary word expression but also
irrelevant material. It can be done in the following manner: 1. Stick to the pur
pose of the message. 2. Delete irrelevant words and rambling sentences 3. Avoid
long introductions, unnecessary explanation, excessive adjective 4. Omit obvious
information to the receiver Example: • • Wordy: We hereby wish to let you know that
our company is pleased with the confidence you have reposed in us. Concise: We
appreciate your confidence.
C. AVOID UNNECESSARY REPETITION
Sometimes repetition is necessary for emphasis but when same thing is repeated t
wo or three times without any reason the message becomes wordy and boring. These
can be done by sticking to the following points. • • • Use of shorter name i.e. for e
xample if once you have mentioned Tomas College of Commerce and Economics once,
you can write Tom.com instead of such a long name in later. Use pronouns or acro
nyms or initials rather then repeating long names i.e. for example you should wr
ite ICC instead of writing International Cricket Council again and again. Cut ou
t all needless expressions and repetition of phrases of sentences
When you re concise in your communication, you stick to the point and keep it br
ief. Your audience doesn t want to read six sentences when you could communicate
your message in three.
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•
Are there any adjectives or "filler words" that you can delete? You can often el
iminate words like "for instance," "you see," "definitely," "kind of," "literall
y," "basically," or "I mean."
• •
Are there any unnecessary sentences? Have you repeated the point several times,
in different ways?
Bad Example Hi Matt, I wanted to touch base with you about the email marketing c
ampaign we kind of sketched out last Thursday. I really think that our target ma
rket is definitely going to want to see the company s philanthropic efforts. I t
hink that could make a big impact, and it would stay in their minds longer than
a sales pitch. For instance, if we talk about the company s efforts to become su
stainable, as well as the charity work we re doing in local schools, then the pe
ople that we want to attract are going to remember our message longer. The impac
t will just be greater. What do you think? Jessica This email is too long! There
s repetition, and there s plenty of "filler" taking up space. Good Example Watc
h what happens when we re concise and take out the filler words: Hi Matt, I want
ed to quickly discuss the email marketing campaign that we analyzed last Thursda
y. Our target market will want to know about the company s philanthropic efforts
, especially our goals to become sustainable and help local schools. This would
make a far greater impact, and it would stay in their minds longer than a tradit
ional sales pitch. What do you think? Jessica
CONSIDERATION
Consideration refers to you attitude sympathy the human touch and understanding
of human nature. Consideration means the message with the receiver in mind. You
should try to visualize your readers their desires problems emotions circumstanc
es and possible reaction to your request. 1. Focus on you instead I & We 2. Show
reader benefit or interest in reader 6|Page
3. Emphasize Consideration means preparing every message keeping the message rec
eiver in mind; Being considerate means you don’t loose your temper, you do not acc
use or charge them without facts, in other sense consideration covers other six
C’s of effective communication
A. FOCUSING ON “YOU” INSTEAD OF “I” AND “WE”
The message should focus on how message receivers will be benefited, what they w
ould receive and what they need to know should be emphasized. Many people have i
deas of individual gain for better standard of living. Example:
•
We-attitude: I am delighted to announce you that we will be extending our hours
to make shopping more convenient.
•
You-attitude: You will be able to shop in evenings with the extended hours.
B. SHOWING AUDIENCE BENEFITS OR INTEREST IN THE RECEIVER
If possible you must show how your receivers will benefit from whatever the mess
age asks or announces. Receiver will be more likely to react favorably and do wh
at do you suggest if you show that benefits are worth the effort and cost you ar
e asking them.
C. EMPHASIZE POSITIVE, PLEASANT FACTS
A third way to show consideration for your receivers is to accent the positive.
This means stressing what can be done instead of what cannot be done, and focusi
ng onwards your recipient can consider favorably. Example: Situation 1:
• •
Unpleasant: We don’t refund if the returned item is soiled or unsalable. Pleasant:
We refund when the returned item is clean and resalable.
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Situation 2: • • Unpleasant: When you travel on company expense, you will not receiv
e approval for first class fare. Pleasant: When you travel on company expense, y
our approved fare is for tourist class
When your communication is coherent, it s logical. All points are connected and
relevant to the main topic, and the tone and flow of the text is consistent. Bad
Example Traci, I wanted to write you a quick note about the report you finished
last week. I gave it to Michelle to proof, and she wanted to make sure you knew
about the department meeting we re having this Friday. We ll be creating an out
line for the new employee handbook. Thanks, Michelle As you can see, this email
doesn t communicate its point very well. Where is Michelle s feedback on Traci s
report? She started to mention it, but then she changed the topic to Friday s m
eeting. Good Example Hi Traci, I wanted to write you a quick note about the repo
rt you finished last week. I gave it to Michelle to proof, and she let me know t
hat there are a few changes that you ll need to make. She ll email you her detai
led comments later this afternoon. Thanks, Michelle Notice that in the good exam
ple, Michelle does not mention Friday s meeting. This is because the meeting rem
inder should be an entirely separate email. This way, Traci can delete the repor
t feedback email after she makes her changes, but save the email about the meeti
ng as her reminder to attend. Each email has only one main topic.
CONCRETENESS
The business writing should be specific definite unambiguous and vivid rather th
an vague and general The following guidelines lead to concreteness. 9|Page
Business Communication (525) – Assignment # 1 1. Use specific facts and figures 2.
Put action in your verb 3. Choose vivid image building words.
Concreteness refers to being more specific, definite, and vivid rather than and
general and repetitive. The main benefit of being concrete is obvious that the r
eceiver knows exactly what is required or desired. The other benefit of being co
ncrete is that the reply might be in the same way that may be interrupted by you
as the receiver.
A. USING SPECIFIC FACTS AND FIGURES
Whenever possible use specific, exact, precise statement or figure instead of ge
neral words which helps in making your message more concrete. Examples:
•
General, Indefinite: She’s a brain; Concrete, Precise: Her percentage have increas
ed from 84% in S.S.C to 88% in H.S.C
•
General, Indefinite: Eastern Europe is making progress in obtaining investments;
Concrete, Precise: In 1990, investments in Eastern Europe were about US $30 mil
lion; today that figure has increased by 12%.
But sometimes when you don’t know the exact figures and want to be concrete you ca
n write as “half the committee was present”
B. PUT ACTION IN YOUR VERBS
Verbs can bring your concreteness back to being alive and more dynamic. Use of v
erbs especially the active verbs make your sentence more Specific, Personal and
Concise. Even the passive verbs are more useful sometimes when you want to avoid
any Personal or accusing comments. Examples:
• •
“The Principal Has decided” is more specific then “A decision has been made”. “You will no
te” is both personal and specific than “It will be noted”.
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C. SELECTION OF MORE VIVID AND IMAGE-BUILDING WORDS
This section refers to the use of language or words which are capable of creatin
g an atmosphere in the mind of the reader that he imagines himself, being, in th
at situation rather than using words which would bounce over the gray matter. Th
e inclusion of vivid words also helps in creating a scenario that the writer or
speaker has a wider scope of imagination instead having an image of sticking to
the basics. Examples: No Literal and dull More vivid and image-builder
• • •
His work in group was exemplary He could be called the “The spark plug of the grou
p” The results are very good this year and are expected to be very good next year.
The results this year have been excellent and we expect them to touch the mount
ain in the coming year.
When your message is concrete, then your audience has a clear picture of what yo
u re telling them. There are details (but not too many!) and vivid facts, and th
ere s laser like focus. Your message is solid. Bad Example Consider this adverti
sing copy: The Lunchbox Wizard will save you time every day. A statement like th
is probably won t sell many of these products. There s no passion, no vivid deta
il, nothing that creates emotion, and nothing that tells people in the audience
why they should care. This message isn t concrete enough to make a difference. G
ood Example How much time do you spend every day packing your kids lunches? No
more! Just take a complete Lunchbox Wizard from your refrigerator each day to gi
ve your kids a healthy lunch AND have more time to play or read with them! This
copy is better because there are vivid images. The audience can picture spending
quality time with their kids – and what parent could argue with that? And mention
ing that the product is stored in the refrigerator explains how the idea is prac
tical. The message has come alive through these details.
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CLARITY
Clarity demands that the business message should be correct concise complete con
crete and with consideration 1. Use the right level of language 2. Proper punctu
ation make the writing clear 3. Check accuracy of fact figure & Words
Getting the meaning from your head to the reader’s head accurately is the purpose
of clarity. Of course, you know it is not simple. We all carry around our own un
ique interpretations, ideas, thinking, experiences associated with the words.
A. USE THE RIGHT LEVEL OF LANGUAGE
Clarity is achieved in part through a balance between precise words and familiar
words. Defining the above sentence, example, although it is appropriate to use
technical terms and business jargon s in professional institutions but they need
to be avoided when communicating with a person who is not acquainted with the t
erminology. Example:
•
Possibly unfamiliar: Assessed valuation; Familiar to the layperson: Property val
ue for tax purposes.
•
Possibly unfamiliar: Charge to your principal (banking); Familiar to the laypers
on: Increase the balance of your loan.
• •
Possibly unfamiliar: Buyouts; Familiar to the layperson: Purchase by other compa
ny. Possibly unfamiliar: People plying on skywalk; Familiar to the layperson: Pe
ople moving on over bridge
B. PROPER PUNCTUATION MAKE THE WRITING CLEARS
In this important characteristics to consider are length unity and coherence.
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•
Length: Generally short sentences are preferred, the suggested average sentence
length should be about 17-20 words, because longer sentence may cause lack of co
ncentration in sentence.
•
Unity: In a sentence whether it is simple, compound or complex the link i.e. the
unity matters which means to have one main idea traveling through the entire co
nversation. Every sentence or word must be closely related to each other.
C. CHECK ACCURACY OF FACT FIGURE & WORDS (COHERENCE )
Coherence in sentences means the words should be correctly placed or arranged so
that ideas clearly reflect the intended meaning.
•
Emphasis: It refers to the quality that gives force to important parts of the se
ntences and paragraphs. The writer must know when and where the emphasis is requ
ired which helps in making the letter more clear along with other C qualities
When writing or speaking to someone, be clear about your goal or message. What i
s your purpose in communicating with this person? If you re not sure, then your
audience won t be sure either. To be clear, try to minimize the number of ideas
in each sentence. Make sure that it s easy for your reader to understand your me
aning. People shouldn t have to "read between the lines" and make assumptions on
their own to understand what you re trying to say. Bad Example Hi John, I wante
d to write you a quick note about Daniel, who s working in your department. He s
a great asset, and I d like to talk to you more about him when you have time. B
est, Skip What is this email about? Well, we re not sure. First, if there are mu
ltiple Daniels in John s department, John won t know who Skip is talking about.
Next, what is Daniel doing, specifically, that s so great? We don t know that ei
ther. It s so vague that John will definitely have to write back for more inform
ation.
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Last, what is the purpose of this email? Does Skip simply want to have an idle c
hat about Daniel, or is there some more specific goal here? There s no sense of
purpose to this message, so it s a bit confusing. Good Example Let s see how we
could change this email to make it clear. Hi John, I wanted to write you a quick
note about Daniel Kedar, who s working in your department. In recent weeks, he
s helped the IT department through several pressing deadlines on his own time. W
e ve got a tough upgrade project due to run over the next three months, and his
knowledge and skills would prove invaluable. Could we please have his help with
this work? I d appreciate speaking with you about this. When is it best to call
you to discuss this further? Best wishes, Skip This second message is much clear
er, because the reader has the information he needs to take action.
COURTESY
Courtesy is more important and advantageous in business writing than it is in fa
ce to face communication or conversation. Courteous message strengthen present r
elations and make new friends. It is a goodwill building. 1. Answer your mail pr
omptly 2. Be sincerely tactful thoughtful and appreciative 3. Use expressions th
at show respect True courtesy involves being aware not only of the perspective o
f others but also their feelings. It is merely politeness and mechanical inserti
ons of “please” and “thank-you”.
A. BEING SINCERELY TACTFUL, THOUGHTFUL AND APPRECIATIVE
•
Tact: Though few people are intentionally waiting for someone to argue, so being
tactful avoids any cause of discourtesy and avoiding any negative feedback from
the sender. Example: “Clearly, you did not read my latest fax” can be written as “Som
etimes my wordings are not precise; let me try again”.
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•
Thoughtfulness and Appreciation: It means bringing a thought in the entire conve
rsation and appreciating the reply from the other party.
B. USE EXPRESSIONS SHOWING RESPECT
No reader wants to receive message that offends. This can be done by eliminating
irritating expressions and Questionable humor because humor to one person may b
e disgust for another as everyone has different sense of humor.
C. ANSWER YOUR MAIL PROMPTLY
Another requirement for courtesy is the use of nondiscriminatory language that r
eflects equal treatment of people regardless of their gender, race, age and phys
ical features. Some of the examples are given below: Situation 1
• •
Questionable: Each customer will have the new changes noted on his bill. More de
sirable: Customers will have the changes noted on their bill.
Situation 2
• •
Questionable: Our criteria are firm; he is to be a scholar, he is to be a good t
eacher. More desirable: Our criteria suggest he or she is supposed to be a schol
ar and a good teacher.
Courteous communication is friendly, open, and honest. There are no hidden insul
ts or passiveaggressive tones. You keep your reader s viewpoint in mind, and you
re empathetic to their needs. Bad Example Jeff, I wanted to let you know that I
don t appreciate how your team always monopolizes the discussion at our weekly
meetings. I have a lot of projects, and I really need time to get my team s prog
ress discussed as well. So far, thanks to your department, I haven t been able t
o do that. Can you make sure they make time for me and my team next week? Thanks
, Phil
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Well, that s hardly courteous! Messages like this can potentially start officewi
de fights. And this email does nothing but create bad feelings, and lower produc
tivity and morale. A little bit of courtesy, even in difficult situations, can g
o a long way. Good Example Hi Jeff, I wanted to write you a quick note to ask a
favor. During our weekly meetings, your team does an excellent job of highlighti
ng their progress. But this uses some of the time available for my team to highl
ight theirs. I d really appreciate it if you could give my team a little extra t
ime each week to fully cover their progress reports. Thanks so much, and please
let me know if there s anything I can do for you! Best, Phil What a difference!
This email is courteous and friendly, and it has little chance of spreading bad
feelings around the office.
CORRECTNESS
To be correct in communication the following principles should be borne in mind.
1. Use the correct level of language 2. Include only facts words and figures 3.
Maintain acceptable writing mechanics 4. Apply the following qualities 5. There
should be proper grammar punctuation spelling and paragraphing
At the core of the correctness is the proper use of grammar, punctuations and sp
elling. A message may be perfect grammatically and mechanically but still insult
or lose a customer.
A. USING RIGHT LEVEL OF LANGUAGE
There are different levels of languages which may be formal, informal, and subst
andard. Formal writings are usually associated with the scholarly writing, legal
documents, and other documents where formality is the style in demand.
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Examples: Formal and Informal Approach
• •
More Formal: Participate. Less Formal: Join More Formal: Interrogate. Less Forma
l: Question
More Acceptable and Sub stand
• •
Substandard: Can’t hardly, More Acceptable: Can hardly Substandard: I regardless,
More Acceptable: regardless
B. CHECKING ACCURACY OF FIGURES, FACTS, AND WORDS
Many a times it is impossible to convey the message directly from the sender’s hea
d to the receivers head. So this can be done to an extent by including figures a
nd facts like as follows: 1. Verifying your statistical data 2. Double-checking
your totals 3. Avoid guessing of laws that have an impact on sender or receiver
4. Determine whether a fact have changed over a time. Other factor is the inclus
ion of words that don’t confuse for example the following will help in clearing th
is topic. Example 1: Accept-Except: Here accept means to receive and except mean
s to omit. Example 2: Biannually-Biennially: Biannually means 2 times a year and
biennially mean every 2 years.
C. MAINTAINING ACCEPTABLE WRITING MECHANICS
This topic relates to the proper use of words and spellings. But in today’s world
writing have been more easier, since, spell-checkers and various kinds of word f
ormatting are available When your communication is correct, it fits your audienc
e. And correct communication is also errorfree communication.
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• • •
Do the technical terms you use fit your audience s level of education or knowled
ge? Have you checked your writing for grammatical errors? Remember, spell checke
rs won t catch everything. Are all names and titles spelled correctly?
Bad Example Hi Daniel, Thanks so much for meeting me at lunch today! I enjoyed o
ur conservation, and I m looking forward to moving ahead on our project. I m sur
e that the two-weak deadline won t be an issue. Thanks again, and I ll speak to
you soon! Best, Jack Miller If you read that example fast, then you might not ha
ve caught any errors. But on closer inspection, you ll find two. The first error
is that the writer accidentally typed conservation instead of conversation. Thi
s common error can happen when you re typing too fast. The other error is using
weak instead of week. Again, spell checkers won t catch word errors like this, w
hich is why it s so important to proofread everything! Question # 2(a): Define t
he concept of culture. Also describe the national cultural variables and individ
ual cultural variables with examples. Answer:
THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE
Culture refers to the behavioral characteristics typical of a group. This defini
tion implies that communications, oral and nonverbal, within a group also are ty
pical of that group and are often unique. There is not one aspect of human life
that is not touched and altered by culture. This means personality, how people e
xpress themselves (including shows of emotion), the way they think, how they mov
e, how problems are solved, how their cities are planned and laid out, how trans
portation systems function and are organized, as well as how economic and govern
ment systems are put together and function. It is the least studied aspects of c
ulture that influence behaviour in the deepest and most subtle ways.
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Culture refers to the following Ways of Life, including but not limited to: a. L
anguage: the oldest human institution and the most sophisticated medium of expre
ssion. b. Arts & Sciences: the most advanced and refined forms of human expressi
on. c. Thought: the ways in which people perceive, interpret, and understand the
world around them. d. Spirituality: the value system transmitted through genera
tions for the inner well-being of human beings, expressed through language and a
ctions. e. Social activity: the shared pursuits within a cultural community, dem
onstrated in a variety of festivities and life-celebrating events. f. Interactio
n: the social aspects of human contact, including the give-and-take of socializa
tion, negotiation, protocol, and conventions. When we discuss communication and
culture, we should be aware of the total spectrum of communication including lan
guage, non-verbal communication, customs, perceived values, and concepts of time
and space. Do all tourists identify with Canadian traditions and values? Likely
not. But the more interesting question is: Why not? The answer lies in the simp
le fact that most tourists come from different cultures: some vastly different l
ike those from Japan and China, others less different, such as tourists from Eas
tern Canada or the United States. Even if tourists share the same language, they
may have much different customs and values. What happens when people from diffe
rent cultures interact face-to- face? One way to appreciate the impact of cultur
al differences is to look in the mirror. When Americans and Canadians travel to
other countries, they look for Cokes, steaks and hamburgers and the same ameniti
es in hotels and other accommodations that they are used to at home. While the h
ost country may offer an authentically different culture, which is one of the re
asons people travel, North Americans tourists are notorious for wanting the comf
orts of home wherever they may be. In many third world countries, North American
s seek out joint venture hotels to enjoy North American food and lodging and to
be served by people who speak English. Strangely, what we expect for ourselves i
n travel is not deemed to be reasonable when we’re the hosts dealing with tourists
from other countries.
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CULTURAL VARIABLES
The message sender and the receiver, both are affected by external and internal
stimuli. When communicating with business people in a foreign country, you must
realize that overall national and individual cultural differences within the cul
tures further affect those stimuli.
Country I Country IV Country II
Major Cultural overlap Core Similarities
Little Cultural overlap
Country III
NATIONAL CULTURAL VARIABLES
An entire country may have a series of cultural norms; individual ethnic groups
within that country may accept most of those norms as well as adding their own.
National cultural variables are: a. Education b. Law and Regulations c. Economic
s d. Politics e. Religion f. Social Norms g. Language
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Business Communication (525) – Assignment # 1 CULTURAL VARIABLES National Variable
s Education Time Law and Regulations Space Economics Message Senders Politics Ac
ceptable Dress Social Norms Manners Language Decision Making Food Message Receiv
ers Individual Variables
Overlapping Cultural Variables A. EDUCATION Management education-including train
ing in business communication-is more prevalent in the US than in other countrie
s. Some countries have no academic courses in communication training. Asian and
Chinese managers have less formal education than US managers. Keeping China as a
n example; Chinese managers lack extensive education. In relation to its size, C
hine does not have many institutions of higher education. China is an agrarian e
conomy, over 800million people live in the countryside and 69% of the labor forc
e is agricultural. Education, according to some earlier Chinese leaders, was not
required in such an environment. So whenever communicating with such country, i
t should be kept in mind that the manager should have the knowledge about the te
chnicalities also, because his education won’t matter but his experience will.
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B. LAW AND REGULATIONS Making mistakes in Communication is easy in a foreign cou
ntry. You or your legal department must be aware of strictness to the law or sim
ply meeting the letter of the law. In both the developed and developing nations,
various government regulations affect business communications and the sale of p
roducts. For instance, cigarettes- is restricted in Europe; also money spent on
advertising is limited. Other countries such as France, Mexico and the Province
of Quebec, also have a restriction on the use of foreign language in advertiseme
nts. In Iran Fashion magazines are not allowed and women are meant to wear modes
t clothes or veils. So whenever communicating with different countries, their ru
les and regulations should be kept in mind and communication should be conducted
according to those regulations. C. ECONOMICS Ability of capital and transportat
ion and the standard of living per capital vary from nation to nation. The oppor
tunity to borrow money, the rate of inflation and the exchange rates influence b
usiness and a country’s ability to communicate concerning that business. For insta
nce, Under the US enterprise system, competitors set their own prices, in contra
st, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries sets oil prices. D. POLITICS P
olitics of different nations is different. Even concepts of democracy will vary
as interpreted in Korea, the Philippines or Great Britain. Indeed, the sweeping
political changes in Eastern Europe and its altered concepts of government will
affect future business relations. Even the events in Tiananmen Square affected i
ndividual and business contacts with China; more changes will certainly occur in
the future. All such events affect communication, understanding of a country an
d a company’s willingness to do business in an unclear political environment. E. R
ELIGION Be specifically careful of religious beliefs within foreign countries. A
lthough some basic beliefs overlap, there are major differences that, if not und
erstood, can result even personal harm. In connection to the religion, there is
great need for tolerance. Buddhism, Hinduism and Muslim religions are found in
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many parts of the world. These three religions forbid consumption of alcohol; th
us no liquor is served at business meetings/affairs. Religious holidays and mont
hs also affect international communication, interrupting work schedules or delay
ing responses to requests. Religion can affect the status of women too, their po
sition within an economy and even their buying patterns and habits of dress. To
communicate well internationally, it also pays to understand the diversity patte
rns within one’s own country. F. SOCIAL NORMS National environmental constraints-
education, law and regulations, economics, politics, religionaffect a nation’s soc
ial norms. In many countries a male line of family profoundly influences some bu
siness decisions. Then the family and how its members relate to one another-deci
sions, buying patterns, pooling of resources, special interests-affects behavior
and business communication. G. LANGUAGE An important constraint that undergirds
all the preceding variables is language. Obviously, unless both sender and rece
iver understand a common language, the opportunities for successful business com
munication are significantly limited. Knowing the language of you host country i
s the most significant contributor on a personal and business level. English is
a world language- and to a major extent the language of business. But you will d
o a better job overseas if you know some basic vocabulary of your host country.
INDIVIDUAL CULTURAL VARIABLES
All people value their individual freedom. Often this freedom is expressed in on
e’s own ethnic diversity. On the micro and more personal level, are differences in
verbal and nonverbal cues, expressed through varying concepts of time, individu
al speech, food, acceptable dress, manners at home and at work, decision making
patterns and other non-verbal variations. Individual cultural variables are: a.
Time b. Space
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c. Food d. Acceptable Dress e. Manners f. Decision Making g. Verbal and Nonverba
l Communication A. TIME Time is an important variable in communication. People o
f different nations have different concepts about time, for instance, people in
Latin America and the Middle East treat time more casually then do the Americans
, who normally prefer promptness. Germans are time-precise; rarely does one have
to wait for an appointment in Germany. Similarly, in some cultures, business pe
ople take afternoon naps, close shops and postpone timings for business meetings
and dinners etc. Like in Pakistan, shops and all the businesses take gap for th
e Jumma prayers, and in Saudi Arabia businesses are closed in all the prayers ti
mings. One should plan the meeting according to the cultural time of others. Eve
n when referring to seasons of a year, countries differ. Some speak of the rainy
and dry season, some think of summer, winter, autumn and fall. When writing a d
ate and time at the end or beginning of a business letter one should keep in min
d the time variable- In Great Britain 9’o clock is referred as 900 hours and in Pa
kistan it is 9:00 am. It should not take too long to recognize which is the time
-conscious culture and which is the one less concerned with precision in time. K
nowing cultural perceptions of time helps you understand why some responses are
slow-by your standards. B. SPACE Space and environment is another very important
factor that can greatly affect the communication. Americans demand more room-bu
ffer space- between themselves and others when speaking. To some cultures, Ameri
cans who do not stand close seem cold and aloof. Conversely, some cultures consi
der those who stand close to you as intrusive, rude, pushy and overbearing. In s
ome cultures, like the one of Germans, meetings are held in closed doors where a
s some cultures prefer out door, i.e, meetings at restaurant etc. Some cultures
prefer round table, some prefer rectangle and some like to sit in groups. Theref
ore, while communicating, the space should be kept in mind.
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C. FOOD It may be a good idea prior to visiting your host country to visit vario
us ethnic restaurants in your home country. Then you’ll have an initial idea as to
the kinds of foods available: how they are served, fixed, or eaten. For instanc
e, Pork is forbidden in the Middle Eastern countries but is a part of Asian diet
and that of many other countries; beef is hard to find in India, veal is plenti
ful in Europe and rice is ever present in Hong Kong and China. In Asia, dark and
light teas are national drinks. Buddhism, Hinduism and Muslim religions are fou
nd in many parts of the world and they forbid consumption of alcohol; thus no li
quor is served at business meetings/affairs. D. ACCEPTABLE DRESS It is better to
ask about the mode of dress for an occasion in your law host country, than to r
isk making an embarrassing mistake. In America business males wear the business
suit whereas women wear dresses or tailored suits. And in great measure that “unif
orm” is common throughout the world, even in Eastern Europe as it adopts more capi
talistic methods. Some British fellows wear the bowler along with a dark suit an
d carry with a tie. In Islamic countries, women wear modest clothes and cover th
eir heads with head scarves. E. MANNERS Some cultural anthropologists suggest th
at you observe children in foreign cultures, because by watching them you learn
the behavioral habits of elders. Children shake your hand in Germany, hug you in
Italy, and often stay in the background in India. Infact, the ritual of the gre
eting and the farewell is more formal overseas with children and adults. You bri
ng a gift when visiting most homes in Europe. If you bring flowers you avoid gif
ts of red roses in Germany, or white chrysanthemums in France, Belgium, and Japa
n. Adopting the manners of a country may mean a 23 hours lunch in Europe is acce
ptable, if you can call up your patience. Be prepared to sit close together in A
sia: twelve people at a whether small round table, eating chopsticks, is not unu
sual.
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F. DECISION MAKING Patience above all is needed in intercultural communication,
in doing business with other countries are typecast as moving too quickly in ask
ing for a decision. Give more thought to inductive communication. Americans get
to the point quickly, i.e. take decisions and make plans quickly – unlike the Germ
ans who take time and do group consensus and then moves towards a decision. G. V
ERBAL AND NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION Verbal Communication: Regardless of culture, a
kind of verbal sparring occurs when strangers meet, each seeking to determine w
hich topics are acceptable and non controversial. Additionally, the tone of voic
e of one’s initial words can influence your initial perception of whether the meet
ing is positive or negative. Even the oral phrase “How would you like to” can have e
ither a direct or an indirect meaning; it could be a command or a question. In A
ustralia it is taken as a request and not a question, in US it’s a question. We ju
dge people to a great extent by their voice. Some people native languages demand
many tonal variations, giving the impression to a nonnative of loudness even ar
rogance. Nonverbal Communication: A handshake is a traditional form of greeting
in West. Facial expressions vary across cultures. You could get the wrong impres
sion when some Filipinos smile and laugh when underneath this behavior they are
angry. Or, the inscrutable facial expression of the Japanese does not suggest di
sinterest, whether an unwillingness to make public one’s inner thoughts. A myriad
of nonverbal symbols exists for every culture, even in sub cultures. Knowing the
major desirable and undesirable cues helps knowing both intended and unintended
communication errors.
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Question # 2(b): Your personal ethics are shaped by five major influences. Descr
ibe each in detail. Answer:
PERSONAL ETHICS
Personal ethics act as the foundation for your moral compass; the internal guide
that tells you what’s right and wrong. They drive your actions and, to a certain
extent, your emotions, on a daily basis. But where do they come from? And why do
people who appear similar sometimes have completely different sets of personal
ethics? You may not realize that the ethical principles you’ve built your life on
are not an established set of rules handed to you at birth. They grow and develo
p with you over time and many things influence how they’re crafted. The five major
influences of personal ethics are: a. Family influences (People) b. Religious b
eliefs (Religion) c. Culture d. Experience (Law) e. Personal Reflection (Philoso
phy)
Religion
Philosophy Personal Ethics
People
Culture
Law
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FAMILY INFLUENCES PERSONAL ETHICS (PEOPLE)
While your parents can’t dictate your morality, they are typically the first to vo
ice and demonstrate ethical boundaries for you. Most parents consider it one of
their critical jobs to instill a strong sense of right and wrong in their childr
en. When parents tell their children that stealing is wrong, they are building a
foundation for their child’s personal ethics. How parents behave has a strong imp
act as well. Children absorb the actions of their family, which contributes heav
ily to their sense of morality.
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS IMPACT PERSONAL ETHICS (RELIGION)
Religious beliefs have a unique impact on personal ethics. In general, religion
allows people to accept an established set of moral rules. By following these sp
iritual laws, people feel they are behaving ethically. Religion often promises r
ewards in the afterlife as motivation for following the “rules”. Interestingly, reli
gion can inspire all kinds of acts, including violence. Some devout followers ca
n come to embrace an ethical code that allows for incredible cruelty to be done
in the name of a greater spiritual being.
CULTURE AFFECTS ETHICAL NORMS (CULTURE)
Culture can dictate the ethical norms that people are used to and come to expect
. The culture you live in may impact your ethical code more than you even realiz
e, simply because it surrounds you. The customs and traditions of the society yo
u inhabit become ingrained in your psyche, and the ethics of the group are gener
ally accepted. Racism, gender discrimination and other forms of prejudice can be
come an accepted part of a person’s ethical standards when surrounded by people wh
o do it and allow it.
EXPERIENCE CAN SHIFT YOUR ETHICS (LAW)
The events that happen in your life can also impact your ethics. Emotion and per
sonal understanding may cause a powerful shift in beliefs. For example, many peo
ple claim to be against the death penalty. However, if a loved one is murdered,
they may find themselves feeling differently when looking into the eyes of the p
erson responsible. Codes of ethics of various professions, such as accounting, l
aw, medicine etc requires to be followed.
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INTERNAL/ PERSONAL REFLECTION (PHILOSOPHY)
Personal ethics are also developed by our feelings. When we do something that is
against our moral code, we feel bad, guilty or ashamed. Likewise, when we do so
mething that fits into our ethical idea of “right” we feel good, proud or happy. Thi
s causes a sort of immediate feedback for creating our moral standards and makin
g ethical decisions. The concept of personal ethics is incredibly complicated. I
t develops from a variety of factors and deserves in-depth exploration. Question
#3: Describe the various challenges that businesses face in handling new techno
logies in managing their information for greatest productivity inside and outsid
e the organization. Answer:
VARIOUS CHALLENGES THAT BUSINESSES FACE IN HANDLING NEW TECHNOLOGIES
The organizations face great challenges when they opt to change and try new tech
nologies in managing their information. The basic issue that arouse when new tec
hnology is implemented is of training of the employees of the organization. On t
he first place, the employees do resist the change in any case because they do n
ot understand that the change is for their betterment and to make their processe
s easy to operate by introducing new and advance technologies.
CHANGING
TECHNOLOGIES IN THE NEW WORLD
Today, one of the subjects that is been taught in universities for the business
administration students is Change Management. This training or course is for the
organization development practitioners who are actually the trainers and provid
e services to different organizations for bringing change for better in the orga
nization. One thing that we should always keep in mind is that the change should
not be for the purpose of change only. Sometimes what happen is like the organi
zations try to adopt new technologies of new ways of working just because they w
ish to change. But this is harmful for both the organization and the employees.
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TECHNOLOGY
ACCEPTANCE IN
PAKISTANI
SCENARIO
In a country like Pakistan the people are reluctant to change. One reason is the
new technologies are not easily understood by the employees due to lack of I.T
knowledge and less awareness of high-tech equipments. Technologies if not unders
tood properly by the employees also create an instinct of dissatisfaction in the
ir mind and this is one of the biggest issues if we look on to the new technolog
y adaptations in the human resource management perspective. At any point in the
communication process a barrier can occur. Barriers keep us from understanding o
thers ideas and thoughts. Barriers can appear at any point of the communication
loop.
TYPES
OF
COMMUNICATION BARRIERS
There are two types of Barriers: a. Internal b. External 1. INTERNAL BARRIERS Ex
ample of internal barriers are fatigue, poor listening skills, attitude toward t
he sender or the information, lack of interest in the message, fear, mistrust, p
ast experience, negative attitude, problem at home, lack of common experience, a
nd emotions. 2. EXTERNAL BARRIERS Example of external barrier includes noise, di
stractions, email not working, and bad phone connection. When communicating watc
h out barriers. Monitor the actions of the receivers. What is body language; che
ck to make sure the message receiver received is the one sent ask questions and
listen. Because of rapidly changing technology can development, a business manag
ers now have to know something about information technology in order to manage i
t as effectively as a manager manage people and products.
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ADOPTING
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
– RISKS
IN
PAKISTAN
There are several risks involved in adopting new technologies in organizations w
orking in Pakistan. Following challenges are faced by businesses in handling new
technologies: Risk of failure Heavy investments Risk of non-acceptance Risk of
commercial failure of product Risk of non transformation of technology into an a
cceptable product. In the beginning of the information explosion, this was not t
rue, technical specialist and consultants (commonly known as OD practitioners in
Pakistan) handle all the necessary detail and problems. But with a chain brough
t about by a personal computer and individual access to information to anywhere
in the world information technology in now in everyone s business. Additional ch
anges and of all requirements in computer literacy even entry level position and
changing individuals work demand and expectations. All these factors may genera
te more suggests as the amount and speed of available information eliminates the
time for reflection that borders, slower system allowed. A fit into this little
, a manager will need to understand and manage the transitions facing you as a m
anager in business operations. According to summary such as the problem is not s
o much technical since the technology itself has become increasingly easier to u
se, but other organization and because new structures must be set to manage info
rmation in the world for ever change it by it. Information Technology: it impact
s all individuals in organization, from data entry clerk to decision making mana
gers, through to top executives. These impacts range from setting new standards
for communication on an organizational basis to dynamic changes which technologi
cal advances are having on the workforce. However, these often dramatic changes
can cause a type of shock to many workers; some how reject any kind of change,
and other who do not feel comfortable with the new wave of technological adva
nces.
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FIVE
CORPORATE CULTURE
BIGGEST CHALLENGES IN
PAKISTAN
Corporate organization and department culture in Pakistan all flows from the top
down. The written and unwritten rules, policies and philosophy of a manager or
the organization all eventually find their way into the attitudes and performanc
e of almost everyone in the organization. One of the critical things to remember
when dealing with people in Pakistan is: you get the behavior you reward. If th
e culture directly or indirectly rewards a certain type of attitude or behavior,
you are, by your actions or inactions, probably reaffirming that these are acce
ptable. If you want to change behavior of a workforce of any country especially
Pakistan, you must first evaluate the culture that is in place that may be rewar
ding the type of behavior you are getting but don t necessarily want. COMMUNICAT
ION STYLE Rumors, gossips, memos, emails, meetings, individual counseling sessio
ns and bulletin boards all have one thing in common - they communicate informati
on - some more effectively and timely than others. If communication in an Pakist
ani organization is all top-down, you can be assured that you are not in touch w
ith the realities of your organization, the marketplace, your customers or suppl
iers. ORGANIZATION DIRECTION One of the biggest challenges Pakistani managers fa
ce today is effectively communicating corporate direction with clarity and consi
stency to all employees who have a right and need to know. Most organizations do
a poor job of this at best. One way to find out what your people believe is to
conduct an anonymous survey of attitudes, perceptions and opinions. DECISION MAK
ING Many managers in Pakistan make decisions that other employees will either ha
ve to implement or that will affect them. If these decisions are made without bo
ttom-up feedback, you can guarantee that the outcome of the decisions will be le
ss than desired or expected.
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FEEDBACK MECHANISMS Employees want to know how they are doing - whether poorly o
r well. Failure to give them the feedback they need is to keep them in the dark
regarding the assessment of their performance and how and where they need to imp
rove.
MULTINATIONALS
IN
PAKISTAN
New technologies have either made the business operations and communication quit
e easy or they have made them tough to do in traditional ways. Newer technologie
s are giving some industries edge over the others using older technologies. So i
t is becoming more and more compulsory to keep oneself quite auto update about t
echnologies to remain in the business and make operational edge over the others.
But there are a number of problems which the businesses are also facing with th
e new technologies. The first problem is that after implementation of the new te
chnology the HR creates problems for the company. Company has to provide the ski
lls to the employees to use the technology, which can be again costly for the co
mpany. You can take the example of Pakistan where there are a number of multinat
ional companies which have the problems in hiring people skilled in using new te
chnologies.
DEVELOP
AN
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
The purpose of the Change Management Program (CMP) is to assure that the negativ
e impact of changes to a company’s Information Technology system is minimized by u
sing a standardized process of governance. Some changes are not optional. If, fo
r example, the bar code standard is changing, you must adapt; if a tax withholdi
ng structure changes, you must have a change. Nevertheless, all changes of this
kind are still subject to governance. It must never be the case that ad-hoc chan
ges are made to the system or to procedures without some oversight. This idea mu
st originate with senior management and be passed down, with no exceptions, to e
veryone in the company. Without backing at the highest level, the CMP is a usele
ss waste of time and money. With proper backing, this program will save your com
pany from some very costly errors.
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DEVELOP A REQUEST FOR CHANGE (RFC) This may originate from problem management wh
ere an issue, or a series of related issues, is identified and a mitigating chan
ge is necessary to prevent (or minimize) future effects. The RFC may also origin
ate as a result of a business decision that will require some modification (add,
delete, change) to the supporting technology. An RFC may also be necessary due
to outside influences (i.e. governmental regulations or changes made by business
partners). OBTAIN BUSINESS CHANGE ACCEPTANCE The decision to make a change is t
ypically a business decision where costs vs. benefits are weighed. Even in situa
tions where the change is strictly infrastructure oriented (component or system
failure) the decision to spend money resides with the business, not with the IT
department. There are occasions when procedures are developed in advance to prea
uthorize changes such as emergency system maintenance, but regardless of the tim
ing of the authorization, the decision still rests with the business management.
INITIATE THE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT Development of the change (including testing)
is an IT-guided function. In the event of an emergency change (server is down) t
hose functions are typically predetermined. When a new system is to be developed
, there is a collaborative effort between the business users and the IT team. Th
e systems are designed by IT, the design is approved by the business partners (u
sers), developed by IT, tested by a combination of IT and the users, and the fin
al product is approved by both. Careful attention must be given to ancillary eff
ects the new change may have on existing systems PASS THE CHANGE MANAGEMENT GATE
The Change Advisory Board (CAB) reviews all changes before they can be put into
production. Normally, the CAB will consist of a group of people with different
perspectives, backgrounds and areas of expertise. Their function is to review th
e change from a process and governance standpoint to assure that all foreseeable
risks have been identified and mitigated, and that compensatory techniques are
in
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place for any elements of exposure (things that could go wrong). The development
team and the change sponsor will present the change to the CAB. Evaluation of r
isk will be the focus. Implementation strategies, communication to affected stak
eholders, backout plans and post-implementation monitoring are elements on which
the CAB is required to focus. The CAB is not responsible for determining if the
change is appropriate – that decision has already been made. The CAB is also not
responsible for determining if the change is cost effective. Again, that is stri
ctly a business decision. IMPLEMENT THE CHANGE If the CAB does not approve the c
hange, the reasons are listed (this is always because certain risks have not bee
n mitigated or communications have not been planned) and the development team wi
ll be given time to fix those issues and reschedule a meeting before the CAB. If
the change is approved, the implementation is scheduled. It is not normally the
case that the CAB is represented at implementation although it is possible that
some members of the CAB have expertise that is necessary during the implementat
ion, but they will not be present as official CAB representatives, but rather as
subject matter experts (SME). How the change is implemented, the checklist and
steps, are predefined and were presented to and approved by the CAB. The entire
process must be thoroughly documented and the approved process must be precisely
followed. REPORT THE RESULTS Either the change was implemented successfully wit
h no issues, the change was implemented with issues that were corrected during i
mplementation, the change was implemented with issues that were deemed acceptabl
e, issues arose that were unacceptable and the change was rolled back, or in the
worst case the change was implemented with unacceptable issues and could not be
rolled back. Whatever the result, that is documented and returned to the CAB. T
he CAB is then responsible for distributing that information to the stakeholders
and for storing and maintaining those results in the Change Management system (
that may either be an automated database or a paper filing system, but the docum
ents must be maintained for audit purposes). LINK PROBLEM MANAGEMENT TO CHANGES
Issues that arise should be compared to the CAB documentation of changes so any
unanticipated adverse effects of a change can be isolated. It is often the case
that undesirable effects of a change are
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not noticed immediately, but are identified by the emergence of problems in anci
llary systems. For example, the addition of several fields to a database might n
ot have a direct negative effect on the users but could impact network performan
ce that would be apparent to other users who are not directly involved with the
modified system. PERIODICALLY AUDIT THE CMP At least once each year an audit of
the CMP should be conducted to assure that all change documentation is maintaine
d and available. Every change approval document should be examined to assure tha
t the proper signatures are in place and that the results of the implementation
are properly documented. Question #4(a): You are working in a company which has
been dealing in foreign exchange. Your company has seen the effects of recent ex
change fluctuations and its impact on business. Your managing director has asked
for your advice in the matter and requested for a brief report on the subject.
Write such report. Answer:
EXCHANGE RATE
The exchange rate (also known as the foreign-exchange rate, forex rate or FX rat
e) between two currencies specifies how much one currency is worth in terms of t
he other. It is the value of a foreign nation’s currency in terms of the home nati
on’s currency. For example an exchange rate of 91 Japanese yen (JPY, ¥) to the Unite
d States dollar (USD, $) means that JPY 91 is worth the same as USD 1. The forei
gn exchange market is one of the largest markets in the world. By some estimates
, about 3.2 trillion USD worth of currency changes hands every day. The spot exc
hange rate refers to the current exchange rate. The forward exchange rate refers
to an exchange rate that is quoted and traded today but for delivery and paymen
t on a specific future date.
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FLUCTUATIONS IN EXCHANGE RATES
A fluctuation in exchange rates is the change in an exchange rate. If the Britis
h pound is worth $2 on Monday and $1.80 on Tuesday, a (somewhat dramatic) curren
cy fluctuation has occurred. Currency fluctuations happen constantly and occur f
or all floating currencies. For example, if demand for a particular currency is
high because investors want to invest in that country s stock market or buy expo
rts, the price of its currency will increase. Just the opposite will happen if t
hat country suffers an economic slowdown, or investors lose confidence in its ma
rkets. A market based exchange rate will change whenever the values of either of
the two component currencies change. A currency will tend to become more valuab
le whenever demand for it is greater than the available supply. It will become l
ess valuable whenever demand is less than available supply (this does not mean p
eople no longer want money, it just means they prefer holding their wealth in so
me other form, possibly another currency). Increased demand for a currency is du
e to either an increased transaction demand for money, or an increased speculati
ve demand for money. The transaction demand for money is highly correlated to th
e country s level of business activity, gross domestic product (GDP), and employ
ment levels. The more people there are unemployed, the less the public as a whol
e will spend on goods and services. Central banks typically have little difficul
ty adjusting the available money supply to accommodate changes in the demand for
money due to business transactions. The speculative demand for money is much ha
rder for a central bank to accommodate but they try to do this by adjusting inte
rest rates. An investor may choose to buy a currency if the return (that is the
interest rate) is high enough. The higher a country s interest rates, the greate
r the demand for that currency. It has been argued that currency speculation can
undermine real economic growth, in particular since large currency speculators
may deliberately create downward pressure on a currency by shorting in order to
force that central bank to sell their currency to keep it stable (once this happ
ens, the speculator can buy the currency back from the bank at a lower price, cl
ose out their position, and thereby take a profit).
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REPORT: PROBLEM STATEMENT
The company has been dealing in foreign exchange since last few years, and is pa
ssing through a hard time because of the effects of recent exchange fluctuations
. The business has been affected badly as it had to suffer from a major cash out
flow. Due to the business contracts with the sellers, it had to pay more for the
currencies that were taken for less, and similarly the custom duty VAT etc that
is directly linked with such currencies had to be paid more. In short the busin
ess suffered from an extreme Exchange Risk.
EFFECTS
OF EXCHANGE FLUCTUATIONS ON
BUSINESS
Currency and Political risks are often the main risks that are feared in any bus
iness. Currency Risks is generally associated with adverse currency movements th
at negatively affect purchasing or pricing power. Merchants that accept and hold
foreign currency lose purchasing power when the value of that foreign currency
falls against their home currency. Meanwhile, businesses that offer goods and se
rvices overseas are unfavorably affected by increasing domestic currency values
that raise the prices for exports. Whereas, in Political Risks all international
operators are challenged by political risks, which impede the flow of global bu
siness. Exchange rates for domestic currency have a bilateral cause and effect r
elationship with the home government. First, political unrest and instability wi
ll cause currency values from that particular nation to fall. Second, the nation
s citizenry will pressure leadership to action if they feel that foreign exchan
ge and trade are not being coordinated effectively. The upheaval may result in t
rade wars, excessive taxes on international commerce or the outright seizure of
foreign assets. Exchange Fluctuations can have many affects on business; some of
them are listed below; Due to fluctuations in the currency market, foreign curr
ency risk has been a major concern in the abilities to trade overseas. The Excha
nge fluctuations can threaten our ability to trade overseas. Exchange fluctuatio
ns can cause increase in shipping costs (26 per cent) and the payment of additio
nal import and export duties (24 per cent) as significant threats to the cross b
order trade. Currency fluctuations can negatively impact on the profitability up
to 42 per cent. Uncertainty in the foreign exchange market can hamper the abili
ty to plan for the future
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Businesses make payments in foreign currency on an ad hoc basis, any fluctuation
in the foreign currency would affect the business dealing directly or indirectl
y
FOREIGN EXCHANGE RISK MANAGEMENT
We are in a new economic era where all the businesses have to work even smarter
in order to gain a competitive advantage. It is important that smaller importers
and exporters up their game when it comes to managing their finances, including
the area of foreign currency risk management. It is impossible to eliminate all
risks, but negative exchange outcomes can be anticipated and managed effectivel
y by individuals and corporate entities. It can be achieved by becoming familiar
with the typical foreign exchange risks, demanding hard currency, diversifying
properly and employing hedging strategies. Risk aversion in the forex is a kind
of trading behavior exhibited by the foreign exchange market when a potentially
adverse event happens which may affect market conditions. This behavior is cause
d when risk averse traders liquidate their positions in risky assets and shift t
he funds to less risky assets due to uncertainty. In the context of the forex ma
rket, traders liquidate their positions in various currencies to take up positio
ns in safe haven currencies, such as the US Dollar. Sometimes the choice of a sa
fe haven currency is more of a choice based on prevailing sentiments rather than
one of economic statistics. An example would be the Financial Crisis of 2008. T
he value of equities across world fell while the US Dollar strengthened. This ha
ppened despite the strong focus of the crisis in the USA. Stop Losses should be
activated when Critical levels in the rate being monitored are reached, which cl
early tell that the view held has been proven wrong. The factors/ assumptions be
hind a view either change or are proven wrong. The Exposure Manager should be ac
corded flexibility to set appropriate Stop-Losses for each trade. The Exposure M
anager should, however, make sure he has set a stop-loss for positions he enters
into, on an a priori basis. Stop Loss is nothing but a commitment to reverse a
decision when the view is proven to be wrong.
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HARD CURRENCY Foreign exchange risk can be minimized by demanding that all trans
actions are settled in hard currency. Hard currency is associated with the indus
trialized, group of seven (G7) nations. The G7 is made up of the United States,
Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. The currencies employe
d are the U.S. dollar, Canadian dollar, British pound, Euro and Yen. Hard curren
cy values are relatively stable as they are associated with strong economies and
political regimes that protect individual rights. DIVERSIFICATION All currencie
s fluctuate in value over time. Diversification allows people and businesses to
neutralize the risks of holding currency that deteriorates in value, by carrying
competing currency that is gaining in value. Doing business within several diff
erent countries, converting profits into separate foreign currency reserves and/
or coordinating cash flow with basic hedging strategies are ways to achieve dive
rsification. HEDGING STRATEGIES Currency futures contracts trade at the Chicago
Board of Trade. Hedging strategies related to foreign exchange are executed to s
mooth currency fluctuations by anticipating and locking in exchange rates. Finan
cial managers hedge against currency risks with futures contracts and currency s
waps. Currency futures are contracts entered into by traders that set a fixed fo
reign exchange rate between currencies into the future. Currency swaps allow sep
arate parties to switch the principal and interest payments upon debt that is de
nominated in one currency for that of another. Lenders use currency swaps to ens
ure that loans do not lose value. Borrowers use currency swaps to hedge against
the risk of loans becoming more expensive to pay off in foreign currency. Of cou
rse, hedging strategies carry the opportunity cost risk of losing out on currenc
y movements that are actually favorable.
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CONCLUSION
We are in a new economic era where all the businesses have to work even smarter
in order to gain a competitive advantage. It is important that smaller importers
and exporters up their game when it comes to managing their finances, including
the area of foreign currency risk management. In order to reduce the affects of
foreign exchange fluctuations on a Business, the managers or decision makers sh
ould make a Foreign Exchange Risk Management plan. Question #4(b): Differentiate
between solicited and un-solicited letters. What guidelines should be observed
for writing these letters? Answer:
SOLICITED LETTER
A solicited letter is written when a former employer, professor or person you ve
had a business relationship is asked by you if they will write you a letter of
reference sometime in the future. Normally if they consent to do so, you should
assume they will write you a good letter which highlights all of your real quali
ties and glosses over any imperfections you may have. When you get the job inter
view and are told that you will be hired providing your references are good, you
give the name and phone number or email address of the person(s) who agreed to
write the letter and they are contacted by the prospective employer directly and
the person who solicited the letter (i.e. the one who asked the employer if the
y d write a letter sometime in the future), never sees it.
DISADVANTAGES
TO THE SOLICITED LETTER
There are disadvantages to the solicited letter. In a professor-student relation
ship, the professor and student have similar research interests (it was why the
student did research with the professor in the first place). Unfortunately, no o
ne wants to graduate a student whose career overshadows their own. As a result,
it might take some time for someone who has gotten past the interview stage to d
etermine that one of his/her reference letter writers is damage their future pro
spects by writing uniformly nasty things
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about them or their abilities. Where 3 letters are required, it can require a le
ngthy process of elimination of first one reference, then another, and finally a
3rd. until it can be determined who is having a damaging effect on your future
job or career prospects.
UNSOLICITED LETTER
An unsolicited letter of reference is a letter of reference that tends to be see
n as quite unbelievable. People arrive at a job with a letter in hand that they
may have written themselves and it is such a glowing tribute to their work ethic
and persistence in the face of insurmountable obstacles that you re unable to a
scertain if you re not in the presence of the messiah.
GUIDELINES THAT SHOULD BE ABSORBED DURING WRITING THESE LETTERS
As a simple guideline, it is better to contact someone who is acquainted with yo
ur work who is not in direct competition for funding, grants and the like to wri
te a solicited letter of reference than someone who will turn the exercise into
a series of disappointing job refusals. The writer of the letter should attempt
to insure the recipient that he will write a good letter, I ve had situations ar
ise when after going back to someone who said they d write a good letter and I d
received a job refusal based on their letter alone, claimed they write "balance
d" letters. This was the same professor who told his undergraduate students that
getting a "B" in his course was like getting an "A" in someone else s course. A
"B" on your transcript is still a "B". Nobody knows or cares about the personal
standards of the grader except the grader themselves. Hence, be cautious. Most
companies will not accept an unsolicited letter of reference. Arriving for a job
with one in hand is not your guarantee of much more than ridicule from a prospe
ctive employer.
GUIDELINES
FOR
WRITING UNSOLICITED LETTERS
1. Letters that we write without any inquiry are called unsolicited letters. Tip
s to write unsolicited sales letters are following; 2. Your first sentence shoul
d be attention getting. Remember that your reader will not go to the middle of t
he letter of he feels that your first paragraph is boring.
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3. In your second paragraph, include some statements to make your reader realize
the need of the thing that you are offering. 4. Tell him how you are different
from the other services or goods providers in market. 5. In your last paragraph,
you should tell them an easy action. What your reader should do to buy your pro
duct or services.
GUIDELINES
FOR
WRITING SOLICITED LETTERS
1. Solicited letters are generally written in response to some specific inquiry.
Tips to write solicited sales letters are following; 2. Mention in your first p
aragraph what reader has inquired from you. 3. You should give complete and accu
rate answer of whatever has been asked. 4. After telling your reader all require
d information, you can include in your letter some information to let him inform
about some of the products that you think that he or she is not aware. 5. You n
eed to follow any business format of letter writing. We shall suggest you to use
Block Head format. NOTE:
• • • •
At the end of both letters, mention your name. Type the letter under letter head
of your organization. Type your letter and print it on quality paper. Especiall
y in unsolicited letters people see it. Proofread your letter at least once to m
ake sure that your letter persuades the reader enough to contact you.
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Question #5(a): What do you understand by word “proposal” in communication? Describe
different kinds of proposals? Answer:
PROPOSAL
A proposal is defined as a formal description of the creation, modification or t
ermination of a contract. A proposal may serve as the blueprint for a future agr
eement and may be accepted or rejected by the entity or entities that receive it
. In other words, a proposal is a description of the work you will complete on a
project. The details included in a proposal depend on the project s scope and w
ho will read the document. Typically, organizations advertise a need for proposa
ls and consultants or organizational developers respond to the need. However, as
a manager, you may determine that a problem exists, and therefore, propose solu
tions to an organization. In this case, one must first convince the agency that
the problem exists before proposing his/her solutions.
BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION
Business communication is the communication between the people in the organizati
on for the purpose of carrying out business activities. It may be oral, verbal,
written etc.. A business can flourish when all objectives of the organization ar
e achieved effectively. For efficiency in an organization all the people (inside
and outside) of the organization must be able to convey their message properly.
The exchange of ideas and understanding within and outside the organization to
achieve the business goals is known as business communication. Any business writ
er can write emails, memos, and letters - correspondence that communicates clear
ly and has impact. But that is not the actual business communication that prevai
ls in the business world. Business people do not pay heed to the ethics of busin
ess communication. Many write emails as thoughts occur to them and send emails w
ithout revising the words into coherent messages. As a result, business writing
is at times fragmented, incomplete, and full of careless language errors.
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PROPOSAL
IN COMMUNICATION
A business proposal is a written scheme from a seller to a prospective customer.
The main purpose is to fulfill the requirements of a client. A proposal include
s a company s profile as well as its products and services offered. An entrepren
eur mentions profile and other components to convince a prospective client about
the benefits of his products and services for a client. A proposal also aims to
demonstrate the credibility and authenticity of a company and its products and
services to win a client s confidence. A good proposal has the potential to port
ray a company unique and credible that gives an edge over its competitors. ELEME
NTS One should consider few vital points while drafting business proposals for a
company. An entrepreneur should know his clients very well before writing a pro
posal. You should undergo extensive study about your targeted clients. One shoul
d be well aware of the needs, wants or requirements of a potential client. This
knowledge is valuable as it can assist you to address the immediate need of a cl
ient. It helps you to maintain the focus of your proposal. CLIENT’S PERSPECTIVE A
proposal should clearly define a business problem and provide a solution to this
problem. You should write from a client s perspective and not mention about the
benefits of your products and services in the beginning. In other words, one sh
ould first focus on a client s problems. OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY After focusing the
client’s problem one can offer an opportunity to a client for finding a solution
to his problems. You should persuade the customer so that he can find solution t
o his dilemma by using your products and services. A person can do so by giving
a number of reasons. The reasons supported by facts make a proposal appear authe
ntic. A company s profile is also essential to mention. Executive Summary contai
ns the profile of a company in which one can mention nature, vision and goals of
a company.
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Mention about the credentials One should also mention about the credentials, pas
t projects and certification that gives authenticity to a company. There should
be section containing the description of deliverables. A management plan is also
a part of good business proposal that describes the plan of allocation of resou
rces and major milestones. FLAWLESS DOCUMENTATION One should prepare a flawless
document that is devoid of any grammatical error. The print of the document sent
to a client should appear lucid. Any grammatical or printing error in the docum
ent can diminish the opportunities of acceptance of your proposal. Its effective
use can bring you the best results. Good communication skills require: 1. An un
derstanding of one s audience and the subtle interactions between writer and rea
der. 2. Organizational skills to methodically progress through the necessary sta
ges of a project (e.g., writing a proposal) 3. Certain basic communication (writ
ing/speaking) skills, i.e., a facility with the basic elements of transmitting i
nformation clearly.
SYSTEM
IN
PAKISTAN
The task of writing a grant proposal in response to a specific set of instructio
ns is used to illustrate the analysis and responses necessary to complete a majo
r written communication project. The concept of focusing on and writing for the
reader (in this case, the proposal reviewer) is emphasized. Although good commun
ication skills affect life-styles, productivity, and economics in our society, t
he communication skills of the American pubic are sorely lacking even among peop
le with high levels of education because students receive little training in the
se skills in the United States educational system but not in Pakistani system un
fortunately. However, such skills can be taught to younger students as well as t
o adults.
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KINDS OF PROPOSAL
There are many types of proposal including RFP (Request for Proposal), informal
proposal, business proposal, marketing proposal, project proposal, sales proposa
l, research proposal, grant proposal, book proposal, and speculative proposal. S
ome require us to respond in very specific ways; e.g., an RFP requires detailed
responses to particular questions. Grant proposals may be similar, where applica
nts must complete specific forms. The Top 5 Proposal Types that people seek help
with online are: • • • • • Grant Proposals - For funding proposals to all levels of gover
nment. Business Proposals - For all types of business proposals Technical Propos
als - Research, academic, business and government Project Proposals - For all ty
pes of projects - all sectors Sales Proposals - For all types of products and se
rvices
In addition to the above list of most popular proposal types, Construction propo
sals, Training proposals, Thesis proposals, Book proposals, Technical proposals,
Show proposals, Building proposals, Development proposals, Network proposals, E
vent proposals, Idea proposals, Exhibition proposals, Design proposals, Sponsors
hip proposals, Museum proposals, Show proposals and more also helps in writing.
No doubt there are other types of proposals as well. These are just the ones tha
t I noticed that people who were coming to my websites have been looking for inf
ormation on. There are many different types of proposal requests created by orga
nizations for a variety of purposes. Proposal requests are useful when attemptin
g to negotiate the terms of providing a service or requesting resources for oper
ational or project needs. A proposal request is most often used to secure a cont
ract with another organization or to obtain funding for a specific purpose. The
most common form of a proposal request is a solicited request, also known as a r
equest for proposal, or RFP. This type of proposal request may be advertised in
a local or industrial publication by an entity to directly request vendors to se
nd in written proposals. This type of proposal request is often
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seen in the construction industry when building and design firms may request con
struction bids be submitted by a particular deadline. Another form of proposal r
equest is the unsolicited variety, in which the organization does not ask for bi
ds to be placed. The unsolicited request for proposal may be a standing order in
which other potential vendors or providers must always submit a request before
any contractual agreement can be considered. Unsolicited requests for proposals
are most often in the form of sales proposals or grant proposals that must be su
bmitted before any action can commence. In some cases, if the organization is se
eking additional funding or agreements with another entity, such as a government
agency or a supplier, repeat or renewal requests for proposal may be required p
eriodically. This type of RFP ensures that the organization can continue to bene
fit from the resources provided by another for a certain period of time. The rep
eat or renewal request for proposal is a written record of transactions and agre
ements made between the organizations. An additional form of RFP is the business
proposal in which one company agrees to perform a specific service or provide a
product to another for a certain price. Each company has a particular way of wr
iting and executing a business proposal. Generally, the writing of the proposal
is managed by the sales executive team or the administrative support team at the
company then submitted in accordance with the other party’s demands. When an orga
nization opts to make a change to a request for proposal or contract, this is mo
st often handled by writing and submitting a request for amendment to the contra
ct. The proposal amendment lists the change to the contract in black and white s
o that both parties are in agreement for legal purposes. The amended contract in
cluding the proposal changes then replaces the existing contract.
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Question #5(b): Write short notes on the following: a. Organizational plan for m
essage using direct approach b. Nonverbal Communication Answer:
ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN FOR MESSAGE USING DIRECT APPROACH
Your choice of organizational plan depends on a number of factors: how you expec
t your reader or listener to react to your message, how much this person knows a
bout the topic or situation, and what his or her cultural conventions are. For l
etters and memo, you can choose one of four basic organizational plans: the dire
ct-request, goodnews, bad-news, or persuasive-request plan. The first two plans
use the direct approach, which begins with the main idea; the last two plans use
the indirect approach, which states the main idea later. All these plans are fl
exible, guide only, not rigid rules. Your own judgment must help you decide the
best organization and content of your message, taking into consideration your au
dience’s view, conventions, knowledge, and culture.
DIRECT APPROACH
Use the direct approach when the audience is receptive to your message. When you
think your reader or listener will have a favorable or neutral reaction to your
message, you can use the direct approach. You begin with the main idea or best
news. After the opening, you include all necessary explanatory details in one or
several paragraphs and end with an appropriate, friendly closing. Use direct re
quest plan when the main purpose of your message is to make a request that requi
res less persuasion; use the good-news plan to grant requests, announce favorabl
e or neutral information, and exchange routine information within or between com
panies. The direct- request and good-news plans have three basic parts.
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Direct-Request Plan 1. Main idea a. Request, main statement, assertion, recommen
dation, question b. Reason, if desirable 2. Explanation a. All necessary and des
irable details and data b. Numbered questions, if helpful c. Easy reading device
s
Good-News Plan 1. Best news or main idea
2. Explanation a. All necessary and desirable details and data b. Resale materia
l c. Educational material d. Sales promotion material
3.
Courteous close, with motivation to action a. Clear statement of action desired
b. Easy action, dated when desirable c. Appreciation and good will
3. Positive, friendly close, including, if appropriate: a. Appreciation b. Clear
statement of action c. Appreciation and desired, if any d. Easy action, dated w
hen desirable e. Offer of further help, reader benefits
NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
A handshake is a traditional form of greeting in West. Facial expressions vary a
cross cultures. You could get the wrong impression when some Filipinos smile and
laugh when underneath this behavior they are angry. Or, the inscrutable facial
expression of the Japanese does not suggest disinterest, whether an unwillingnes
s to make public one’s inner thoughts. A myriad of nonverbal symbols exists for ev
ery culture, even in sub cultures. Knowing the major desirable and undesirable c
ues helps knowing both intended and unintended communication errors. Definition “n
onverbal communication involves those nonverbal stimuli in a communication setti
ng that are generated by both the source [speaker] and his or her use of the env
ironment and that have potential message value for the source or receiver [liste
ner]. Basically it is sending and receiving messages in a
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variety of ways without the use of verbal codes (words). It is both intentional
and unintentional. Most speakers / listeners are not conscious of this. It inclu
des — but is not limited to: touch glance eye contact (gaze) volume vocal nuance p
roximity gestures facial expression ? pause (silence) intonation dress posture s
mell word choice and syntax sounds (paralanguage) Broadly speaking, there are tw
o basic categories of non-verbal language: • • nonverbal messages produced by the bo
dy; nonverbal messages produced by the broad setting (time, space, silence)
WHY IS NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION IMPORTANT? Basically, it is one of the key aspec
ts of communication (and especially important in a high-context culture). It has
multiple functions: Used to repeat the verbal message (e.g. point in a directio
n while stating directions. Often used to accent a verbal message. (e.g. verbal
tone indicates the actual meaning of the specific words). Often complement the v
erbal message but also may contradict. E.g.: a nod reinforces a positive message
(among Americans); a “wink” may contradict a stated positive message.
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Regulate interactions (non-verbal cues covey when the other person should speak
or not speak). May substitute for the verbal message (especially if it is blocke
d by noise, interruption, etc) — i.e. gestures (finger to lips to indicate need fo
r quiet), facial expressions (i.e. a nod instead of a yes). Note the implication
s of the proverb: “Actions speak louder than words.” In essence, this underscores th
e importance of non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication is especially
significant in intercultural situations. Probably non-verbal differences accoun
t for typical difficulties in communicating.
CULTURAL DIFFERENCES
a. GENERAL APPEARANCE AND DRESS
IN
NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
All cultures are concerned for how they look and make judgements based on looks
and dress. Americans, for instance, appear almost obsessed with dress and person
al
attractiveness. Consider differing cultural standards on what is attractive in d
ress and on what constitutes modesty. Note ways dress is used as a sign of statu
s? b. BODY MOVEMENT We send information on attitude toward person (facing or lea
ning towards another), emotional statue (tapping fingers, jiggling coins), and d
esire to control the environment (moving towards or away from a person). More th
an 700,000 possible motions we can make — so impossible to categorize them all! Bu
t just need to be aware the body movement and position is a key ingredient in se
nding messages. c. POSTURE Consider the following actions and note cultural diff
erences: • • Bowing (not done, criticized, or affected in US; shows rank in Japan) S
louching (rude in most Northern European areas)
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• • • •
Hands in pocket (disrespectful in Turkey) Sitting with legs crossed (offensive i
n Ghana, Turkey) Showing soles of feet. (Offensive in Thailand, Saudi Arabia) Ev
en in US, there is a gender difference on acceptable posture?
d. GESTURES Impossible to catalog them all. But need to recognize: • • incredible po
ssibility and variety and an acceptable in one’s own culture may be offensive in a
nother.
In addition, amount of gesturing varies from culture to culture. Some cultures a
re animated; other restrained. Restrained cultures often feel animated cultures
lack manners and overall restraint. Animated cultures often feel restrained cult
ures lack emotion or interest. Even simple things like using hands to point and
count differ. Pointing : US with index finger; Germany with little finger; Japan
ese with entire hand (in fact most Asians consider pointing with index finger to
be rude) Counting: Thumb = 1 in Germany, 5 in Japan, middle finger for 1 in Ind
onesia. e. FACIAL EXPRESSIONS While some say that facial expressions are identic
al, meaning attached to them differs. Majority opinion is that these do have sim
ilar meanings world-wide with respect to smiling, crying, or showing anger, sorr
ow, or disgust. However, the intensity varies from culture to culture. Note the
following: • • • • Many Asian cultures suppress facial expression as much as possible. M
any Mediterranean (Latino / Arabic) cultures exaggerate grief or sadness while m
ost American men hide grief or sorrow. Some see “animated” expressions as a sign of
a lack of control. Too much smiling is viewed in as a sign of shallowness.
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•
Women smile more than men.
f. EYE CONTACT AND GAZE In USA, eye contact indicates: degree of attention or in
terest, influences attitude change or persuasion, regulates interaction, communi
cates emotion, defines power and status, and has a central role in managing impr
essions of others. • Western cultures — see direct eye to eye contact as positive (a
dvise children to look a person in the eyes). But within USA, African-Americans
use more eye contact when talking and less when listening with reverse true for
Anglo Americans. This is a possible cause for some sense of unease between races
in US. A prolonged gaze is often seen as a sign of sexual interest. • Arabic cult
ures make prolonged eye-contact. — believe it shows interest and helps them unders
tand truthfulness of the other person. (A person who doesn’t reciprocate is seen a
s untrustworthy) • g. TOUCH Question: Why do we touch, where do we touch, and what
meanings do we assign when someone else touches us? Illustration: An African-Am
erican male goes into a convenience store recently taken over by new Korean immi
grants. He gives a $20 bill for his purchase to Mrs Cho who is cashier and waits
for his change. He is upset when his change is put down on the counter in front
of him. What is the problem? Traditional Korean (and many other Asian countries
) don’t touch strangers., especially between members of the opposite sex. But the
African-American sees this as another example of discrimination (not touching hi
m because he is black). Basic answer: Touch is culturally determined! But each c
ulture has a clear concept of what parts of the body one may not touch. Basic me
ssage of touch is to affect or control — protect, support, disapprove (i.e. hug, k
iss, hit, kick).
54 | P a g e
Japan, Africa, Latin American, Caribbean — avoid eye contact to show respect.
•
USA — handshake is common (even for strangers), hugs, kisses for those of opposite
gender or of family (usually) on an increasingly more intimate basis. Note diff
erences between African-Americans and Anglos in USA. Most African Americans touc
h on greeting but are annoyed if touched on the head (good boy, good girl overto
nes).
•
Islamic and Hindu: typically don’t touch with the left hand. To do so is a social
insult. Left hand is for toilet functions. Mannerly in India to break your bread
only with your right hand (sometimes difficult for non-Indians)
•
Islamic cultures generally don’t approve of any touching between genders (even han
d shakes). But consider such touching (including hand holding, hugs) between sam
e-sex to be appropriate.
•
Many Asians don’t touch the head (Head houses the soul and a touch puts it in jeop
ardy). Basic patterns: Cultures (English , German, Scandinavian, Chinese, Japane
se) with high emotional restraint concepts have little public touch; those which
encourage emotion (Latino, Middle-East, Jewish) accept frequent touches.
h. SMELL • USA — fear of offensive natural smells (billion dollar industry to mask o
bjectionable odors with what is perceived to be pleasant ) — again connected with “a
ttractiveness” concept. • • Many other cultures consider natural body odors as normal
(Arabic). Asian cultures (Filipino, Malay, Indonesian, Thai, Indian) stress freq
uent bathing — and often criticize USA of not bathing often enough! i. PARALANGUAG
E • Vocal characterizers (laugh, cry, yell, moan, whine, belch, yawn). These send
different messages in different cultures (Japan — giggling indicates embarrassment
; India – belch indicates satisfaction) • Vocal qualifiers (volume, pitch, rhythm, t
empo, and tone). Loudness indicates strength in Arabic cultures and softness ind
icates weakness; indicates confidence and authority to the Germans,; indicates i
mpoliteness to the Thais; indicates loss of control to the
55 | P a g e
Japanese. (Generally, one learns not to “shout” in Asia for nearly any reason!). Gen
der based as well: women tend to speak higher and more softly than men. • Vocal se
gregates (un-huh, shh, uh, ooh, mmmh, humm, eh, mah, lah). Segregates indicate f
ormality, acceptance, assent, uncertainty.
56 | P a g e
REFERENCES Effective Business Communications by Herta A Murpgy, Herbert W. Hilde
brandt and Jane P Thomas http://www.wikihow.com http://effective-communicationsk
ill.blogspot.com http://personaldevelopment.suite101.com http://www.blurtit.com
http://www.wikipedia.com
57 | P a g e

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