KAZIAN GLOBAL SCHOOL OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

MARKS: 80 COURSE: DMS

SUBJECT: Business Communication

N.B: 1} Attempt all the questions

Name: Aluthwatha Mananage Janith Chadnrakantha Reference Number: KP-00913-2010781

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CASE NO. 1 (Marks 20) ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS ALL AROUND THE WORLD “He wouldn’t look me in the eye. I found it disconcerting that he kept looking all over the room but rarely at me,” said Barbara Walters after her interview with Libya’s Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi. Like many people in the United States, Walters was associating eye contact with trustworthiness, so when Qadhafi withheld eye contact, she felt uncomfortable. In fact Qadhafi was paying Walters a compliment. In Libya, not looking conveys respect, and looking straight at a woman is considered nearly as serious as physical assault. Nonverbal communication varies widely between cultures, even between subcultures, and the differences strongly affect communication in the workplace. Whether you’re trying to communicate with your new Asian American assistant, the Swedish managers who recently bought out your company, the African American college student who won a summer internship with your firm, or representatives from the French company you hope will buy your firm’s new designs, your efforts will depend as much on physical cues as on verbal ones. Most Americans aren’t usually aware of their own nonverbal behavior, so they have trouble understanding the body language of people from other cultures. The list of differences is endless. * In Thailand it’s rude to place your arm over the back of a chair in which another person is sitting. * Finnish female students are horrified by Arab girls who want to walk hand in hand with them. * Canadian listeners nod to signal agreement. * Japanese listeners nod to indicate only that they have understood. * British listeners stare at the speaker, blinking their eyes to indicate understanding. * People in the United States are taught that it’s impolite to stare. * Saudis accept foreigners in Western business attire but are offended by tight – fitting clothing and by short sleeves. * Spaniards indicate a receptive friendly handshake by clasping the other person’s forearm to form a double handshake. * Canadians consider touching any part of the arm above the hand intrusive, except in intimate relationships. It may take years to adjust your nonverbal communication to other cultures, but you can choose from many options to help you prepare. Books and seminars on cultural differences are readily available, as are motion pictures showing a wide range of cultures. You can always rent videos of films and TV shows from other countries. Examining the illustrations in news and business magazines can give you an idea of expected business dress and personal space. Finally, remaining flexible and interacting with people from other cultures who are visiting or living in your country will go a long way toward lowering the barriers

presented by nonverbal communication. Career Applications : 1. Explain how watching a movie from another country might help you prepare to interpret nonverbal behavior from that culture correctly. 2. One of your co-workers is originally from Saudi Arabia. You like him, and the two of you work well together. However, he stands so close when you speak with him that it makes you very uncomfortable. Do you tell him of your discomfort, or do you try to cover it up ?

Section B (Marks 30) Barry and Communication Barriers One common complaint employee’s voice about supervisors is inconsistent messages – meaning one supervisor tells them one thing and another tells them something different. Imagine you are the supervisor/manager for each of the employees described below. As you read their case, give consideration to how you might help communicate with the employee to remedy the conflict. Answer the critical thinking questions at the end of the case then compare your answers to the Notes to Supplement Answers section. Barry is a 27-year old who is a foodservice manager at a casual dining restaurant. Barry is responsible for supervising and managing all employees in the back of the house. Employees working in the back of the house range in age from 16 years old to 55 years old. In addition, the employees come from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. For many, English is not their primary language. Barry is ServSafe® certified and tries his best to keep up with food safety issues in the kitchen but he admits it’s not easy. Employees receive “on the job training” about food safety basics (for example, appropriate hygiene and handwashing, time/temperature, and cleaning and sanitizing). But with high turnover of employees, training is often rushed and some new employees are put right into the job without training if it is a busy day. Eventually, most employees get some kind of food safety training. The owners of the restaurant are supportive of Barry in his food safety efforts because they know if a food safety outbreak were ever linked to their restaurant; it would likely put them out of business. Still, the owners note there are additional costs for training and making sure food is handled safely. One day Barry comes to work and is rather upset even before he steps into the restaurant. Things haven’t been going well at home and he was lucky to rummage through some of the dirty laundry and find a relatively clean outfit to wear for work. He admits he needs a haircut and a good hand scrubbing, especially after working on his car last evening. When he walks into the kitchen he notices several trays of uncooked meat sitting out in the kitchen area. It appears these have been sitting at room temperature for quite some time. Barry is frustrated and doesn’t know what to do. He feels like he is beating his head against a brick wall when it comes to getting employees to practice food safety. Barry has taken many efforts to get employees to be safe in how they handle food. He has huge signs posted all over the kitchen with these words: KEEP HOT FOOD HOT AND COLD FOOD COLD and WASH YOUR HANDS ALWAYS AND OFTEN. All employees are given a thermometer when they start so that they can temp food. Hand sinks, soap, and paper towels are available for employees so that they are encouraged to wash their hands frequently.

Questions: 1. What are the communication challenges and barriers Barry faces? 2. What are some ways Barry might use effective communication as a motivator for employees to follow safe food handling practices? 3. What Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) would be helpful for Barry to implement and enforce?

CASE: 2 (Each Question carried 05 Marks) There are several challenges in communication that take place in daily life. If we identify the challenges we can eliminate and ensure better understanding among the individuals. We shall take a case study on communication that helps in averting any misunderstanding among the people. Ken worked in a research department for a year as a researcher and he was laid off as the entire department was closed due to recession. He decided to meet the CEO for a possible outplacement as the organization had several other departments to accommodate him. However the secretary of the CEO, Diana did not permit Ken to meet by saying that CEO was busy. Ken returned without meeting the CEO. He got better employment opportunity elsewhere and joined. Ken, being a researcher, wrote an article for an international journal while working in the research department. It was published after 9 months and received complimentary copies from the publisher. Therefore, Ken wanted to share the successful publication with his former CEO and went to meet him to gift the book as a complimentary copy. Below was the conversation Ken had with the secretary of the CEO. Ken: I would appreciate if you could arrange an appointment with CEO. I want….. (Secretary interrupted) Secretary: Why did you come? We had already handed over your resume to Jim for outplacement. You may go now. Ken: I did not come for employment opportunity. Don’t assume that people would come here for employment only. I have come to gift a complimentary copy where my article featured in international journal. The CEO would be glad to share the success. Secretary: No, No, the CEO sees everything and knows everything as every article publication is known to him. Ken: It is not departmental journal. It is a prestigious journal globally and I want to inform him and gift the book. Secretary: “You will not get appointment. The CEO is busy” said firmly. Ken: I anticipated that CEO would be busy and I have already written the details of my name over the complimentary copy. Secretary: Okay, leave it and go. (She said impolitely and started looking here and there) Ken handed over the complimentary copy to Secretary. Ken: Fine, please hand over to CEO. I am leaving the place. However, I will send an email to CEO about my coming physically to gift the book. (Secretary probably worried as the Ken had already mentally prepared to send the email and keep the CEO informed. If Secretary had any intention to skip handing over the complimentary copy, CEO will know as Ken would send mail.) Ken handed over the complimentary copy to Secretary and departed the office. He sent an email to his ex-CEO about his coming and he could not meet as the latter was busy with his schedules. After 5 hours, the Secretary telephoned Ken and said firmly, “CEO told to return the book to you. You come and take the book back.” Ken replied, “It is the complimentary copy meant for the CEO only”. Secretary insisted to take back the book immediately. Ken told Secretary to courier and he was about to give his address. Secretary interrupted Ken’s conversation and replied, “No we don’t send you through courier. You have to come and

take.” Ken responded politely, “Right now, I am far away from that place. When I come to that area I would take back the book.” The very next day, Ken received email from his ex-CEO congratulating Ken for the publication and thanked for coming all the way to gift the book. Ken felt excited that his ex-CEO was pleased with publication. Questions: 1. What were the communication challenges in the above case study? 2. Was the Secretary right in avoiding the Ken who came all the way from long distance to gift the complimentary copy? 3. Was it right for Secretary in insisting to come and take the complimentary copy back physically instead of couriering? 4. Was Secretary a good listener? 5. Did Secretary empathize with Ken? 6. What were the other challenges prevented smooth communication between Ken and Secretary?