Self Learning Material

Communication-II (BSBC 201)

Course: Bachelors in Computer Applications

Semester-II

Distance Education Programme

I.K. Gujral Punjab Technical University

Jalandhar

Syllabus

I.K. Gujral Punjab Technical University

BSBC 201COMMUNICATION –II Objective & Expected Outcome: The objective of this course is to make students understand

the value of business communication, written & presentation skills in professional life. The

students should be well equipped with business & written communication with effective

presentation skills.

SECTION-A Introduction to Business Communication (09) Meaning

and Definition; process and classification of communication; elements & characteristics

of communication; barriers to effective communication in business organization; Formal

and Informal communication; grapevine, importance of effective communication in business

house; Principals of effective communication

SECTION-B Writing Skills (09) Inter-

office memorandums; faxes; E-mails; writing effective sales letters - to agents; suppliers;

customers; report writing; project writing.

SECTION-C Curriculum Vitae (CV) (09) Drafting

a CV; writing job application and other applications; do‟s and don‟ts while appearing for

an Interview; types of interview.

SECTION-D Presentation Skills (09)

Introduction; need of good presentation skills in professional life; preparing a good

presentations; group discussion; extempore speaking.

Suggested Readings / Books:

1. Effective Business Communication - M.V. RODRIGUEZ 2. Business Communication -Meenakshi Raman, Parkash Singh, Paperback Edition,

Oxford University Press

Table of Contents Chapter No. Title Page No.

1

Business Communication- An Overview

1

2 Communication – An Analysis of Basic Constituents

24

3 Communication- An Extended Exposition

46

4

Essentials of Business Writing Report Writing and Project Writing

64

5

Report Writing and Project Writing

99

6

Effective CVs – An Analysis

138

7

Winning at Interviews—A Perspective

161

8 Presentation Skills

184

9

Effective Group Discussions

203

10

The Art of Extempore Speaking

218

Written by:

Col.D.S.Cheema, Punchkula, Haryana

Reviewed by:

Dr.Rachna Tuli,Associate Professor

G.N.Khalsa College, Daroli Kalan, Jalandhar

© IK Gujral Punjab Technical University Jalandhar

All rights reserved with IK Gujral Punjab Technical University Jalandhar

Lesson Plan –Lesson 1

1.0 Objectives

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Information and its types

1.2.1 External Information

1.2.2 Internal Information

1.2.3 Sources of Information

1.3 Process of Communication

1.3.1 Sender or Transmitter

1.3.2 Message encoding

1.3.3 Channel

1.3.4 Message decoding

1.3.5 Feedback

1.3.6 Noise

1.3.7 Medium of communication

1.4 Shannon and Weaver Model of Communication

1.4.1 Sender

1.4.2 Encoder

1.4.3 Decoder

1.4.4 Receiver

1.4.5 Practical Example of Shannon-Weaver model of Communication

1.4.6 Criticism of Shannon-Weaver model of communication

1.5 Classification of Communication

1.5.1 Based on channel of communication

1.5.2 Based on direction of communication

1.5.3 Based on method of communication

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1.5.3.1 Oral communication

1.5.3.2 Written communication

1.5.3.3 Non-verbal communication

1.6 Summary

1.7 Glossary

1.8 Answers to check your progress/Self assessment questions

1.9 References/Suggested reading

1.10 Model questions

Lesson -1 Business Communication- An Overview

1.0 Objectives

After studying this lesson, student will be able to :

Understand the Importance of Communication

Know the basics of communication

Understand the Process of Communication

Differentiate between various Classifications of Communication

1.1 Introduction

Communication is considered a mother skill which one picks up as a natural process

of physical and mental growth. It is the process of sharing information. It is the

transfer of information and understanding from one person to another person. It is a

way of reaching others with facts, ideas, thoughts and values. Communication of

thoughts, ideas, feelings and emotions is so fundamental that nothing in this world is

possible without it. It is so vital that it is said that all problems of the world are either

because of lack of communication or because of bad communication. What ever may

be the views of different people on communication, one thing is certain and that is

that it is the basic need of mankind and is the foundation of any civilised society. Can

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you imagine any activity taking place in the world if people did not communicate? All

the progress made by human beings has been made possible because of their ability to

communicate. It must be very clearly understood that communication is vital in every

part of life, be it private and personal, social, professional and business.

Effective communication skills are on the priority list for most employers today.

Management and leadership are all about getting things done and showing the way for

innovative approach to work. Without an ability to effectively communicate, tasks can

neither be performed nor the teams can be led. Communication skills have a wide

rang and each of its units is as important as the other. It is important for you to master

your communication skills.

The following standard definitions of communication should help the reader in

understanding the concept of communication.

According to Oxford English Dictionary, Communication is, “the imparting,

conveying or exchange of ideas, knowledge etc, whether by speech, writing or signs”

“The word communication describes the process of conveying message (facts, ideas,

attitudes and opinions) from one person to another so that they are understood” MW

Cummins

“In its every day meaning, communication refers to the transmitting of information in

the form of words, or signals or signs from a source to a receiver” Keith and Gubellini

“Communication is the transfer of information from one person to another, whether or

not it elicits confidence. But the information transferred must be understandable to the

receiver”

There is some difference between general and technical communication. General

communication is as the name implies „general‟ in nature. It takes place when two

friends discuss a hockey match or husband and wife discuss their relationship or when

one buys grocery or share the idiocrancies of your boss with your colleagues. How

ever, technical communication is the transfer of technical or professional information

from one individual or group to another. It is the process of communicating a specific

message to a specific audience with a specific purpose. It is special in nature and has

certain special characteristics which differentiate it from the general communication.

1.2 Information and its types

Since communication is the process of sharing information, let us understand a bit

more about information. Information can be sub-divided in the following two forms:

1.2.1 External Information

It has the following elements:

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Information related with policies of the governments at the Centre or State

level which effect the conduct of business

The type and size of consumers in the area of operation. How the customers

and consumers respond to the quality of goods and services and their prices.

Availability of financial support for setting up and running business activities.

Policies of the governments at Centre and State level to finance business

activities through various means like Industrial Financing, loan from the

banks, other financial institutions, Non Banking Financial Companies

(NBFC) Policies about Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), current equation

between Euro, Dollar, Pound, ADR, GDR etc.

Information about supply and demand of various types of raw materials

required. The quality, price, transportation facilities like containers, rail

wagons etc, credit norms in different industries.

Promotion and advertisement and state/efficacy of print and electronic media.

Information related with gender divide standard of education, quality of

labour, standard of living in various parts of the country

Information about the rural population vs city population, availability of link

routes and other communication channels between cities and rural areas.

Level of basic research and applied research, science and technology levels

which may be used in business.

1.2.2 Internal Information

It has the following elements:

Information of vision, mission, objectives, strategies and policies of the

organization

Information about all members of the organisation, their job responsibilities,

levels at which they are operating, their strengths and weaknesses, their areas

of operation, competencies, experience and potential etc.

Information about rules, regulations and procedures which a company follows

for governance

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Information about the hierarchy of the organisation, like Board of Directors

and other decision- makers

Information about the availability of physical assets like land, storage

capacity, facilities for different level of workers, and existing level of raw

materials

Information about the status of plant, machinery , equipment , their

maintenance schedule, literature like technical and operating manuals

o Information about the existing availability of financial resources, in

cash and bank. cash flows, expansion plans and expected future

availability of finances

1.2.3 Sources of Information

Important sources of information are ,Government repositories, libraries etc, which

are the primary sources of information, Internet search engines, Private libraries,

historians and authors.

1.3 Process of Communication

It is important that a student understands the basic process of communication and

what are the various types of communication. To understanding basic process of

communication in the form of Sender, Receiver and the Media is very important How Noise

can play havoc with communication must also be known to make communication more

effective. Normally, oral/verbal communication is given a lot of importance and non-verbal

communication gets neglected. Non-verbal communication plays very important role in

professional communication as well as in personal relationships. These are discussed in

details in the lesson.

Most of our communication depends on combination of verbal and non-verbal

communication ie the symbols. In many cases, these verbal symbols can be totally

eliminated from certain acts of communication without any loss in the reconstruction of

intended message provided the content of the non-verbal communication is rich enough.

The richer the non-verbal component, the less the need of verbal symbols. The weaker the

non-verbal component, the greater the need for elaborating the verbal symbols. Let us take

an example. If you want to buy a railway platform ticket, you approach the counter clerk and

push through a five-rupee note through the window. The clerk takes the note and hand over

the ticket and any cash to be given back. Here the whole communication act has taken place

without either of the parties exchanging even a single word. How ever , in this process the

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desirable aspect of common courtesy of ,”A plat form ticket please” is lacking. Though this

communication does not add any vital information to the act of buying a ticket. All it does is

to make the transaction a little polite. These words won’t be necessary if you were buying

the ticket from a ticket-vending machine.

The greater the need for elaborating verbal speech, the more abstract , and therefore, the

more difficult the process of communication

Communication involves the following elements .

1.3.1 Sender or Transmitter

The communication process starts with a sender, also called the transmitter or the

source. The sender can be one individual, a group, a machine, in fact, any one who

acts as the source of communication. Before communication takes place, the sender

may or may not have prepared the message ie the thoughts, ideas, feelings or

experiences etc which are to be communicated to others.

1.3.2 Message encoding

The process of encoding takes place after the sender has made up his mind of what

ideas , feelings, thoughts etc he wants to communicate. Encoding simply means

converting ideas and thoughts etc in a language or symbol, which can convey those

exactly to the receiver so that the receiver can understand and act on that.

After the message has been encoded, it is transmitted ie sent to another person, groups

, organizations etc. by different ways and means. Transmission could take place by

face-to –face talk, through telephone, by writing a letter, using fax, internet or by

means of signals, symbols or body language.

1.3.3 Channel

The medium through which the message is transmitted is called channel and it is a

link between the sender and the receiver. The ways of transmission of message can be

many . . How ever, the communication to be as perfect as possible between the sender

and the receiver, an appropriate and suitable channel has to be selected by the sender.

Taste and smell are also channels of communication. Some other examples of

channels are the air that carries the sound waves, telephone system, TV transmission,

internet etc. It is well known that if a vacuum is created in a room, oral

communication is not possible

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1.3.4 Message decoding

Decoding of message takes place when it is received by the receiver. When the

receiver gets the same meaning of the message, which was meant to be converted by

the sender, the communication is successful and useful. Words, symbols and signals

etc are coded back to the thoughts, ideas and feelings. Different words in many

languages have different meaning for different people. Trunk or boot may mean a part

of car for storage in one language and culture but have entirely a different in Indian

languages. Similar is the case with signals used by Armed Forces; like closing fingers

of one hand and keeping the hand on the head, can be interpreted as asking all to

reach the place from where the signal is being given from, by only those who have a

background knowledge of the signal.

1.3.5 Feedback

Communication can become a two way process only if the receiver of the message

decides to response. In such a case, the role of the sender and receiver is reversed. It is

only with the help of feedback that the sender of the message gets to know whether

the message was correctly received by the receiver and interpreted or understood in the

manner it was meant to. The very purpose of communication is to get the desired response

from the receiver and if it is not achieved, the communication fails. If a professor conveys to

the student to be at a particular place, day and time to attend a seminar and if they are nit

there, the desired response, which the message intended, has not been received. Hence,

feedback enables the source to know whether the message has been received and interpreted

correctly.

1.3.6 Noise

Noise is something that reduces the accuracy and effectiveness of communication. Noise can

be in or because of all the elements discussed above and can distort or disturb the message

being sent by interfering in the communication process. Sender or receiver may not be able to

encode or decode the message properly, channel may have physical disturbances and the

feedback may not be accurate and useful.

1.3.7 Medium in communication

Medium used in transmission of message plays a vital role in effective communication. Every

one knows the impact of communication received through a bad telephone line or a mobile

phone with a low battery in a basement, blurred fax message, poor internet connectivity and

so on. Of course, most important media of communication are oral or through spoken or

written words. How ever, there are many other as powerful means of communication. A

landlord with large land holding may step on land of a small farmer and may not give him just

a frown to scare him away and pressurize him to abide by his unfair command. A very senior

man may ignore the greetings of a subordinate to make the junior understand his authority, a

student may turn his face away rather than wishing him when coming in face-to-face

situation with his teacher, and so on

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Different types of media may be chosen by the sender or the source, depending on who is to

receive the message and what action and in what time-frame the sender wants it.

1.4 Shannon and Weaver Model of Communication

Communication literature discusses many theories of communication. Here we discuss the

most basic communication theory of Shannon and Weaver. In 1948, Shannon an American

mathematician and electronic engineer and Weaver a scientist, joined hands to write an

article in “Bell System Technical Journal” called “A Mathematical Theory of

Communication”. The model suggested in the paper is called “Shannon-Weaver model of

communication”.

This model is specially designed to develop an effective communication between sender

and receiver. Also they found factors which affect the communication process and called

it “Noise”. At first the model was developed to improve the technical communication.

Later it‟ was widely applied in the field of all types of communication.

The model deals with various concepts like Information source, transmitter, Noise,

channel, message, receiver, channel, information destination, encoding and decoding

Information source Transmitter Reception Destination

Sender-------------- Encoder-------- Channel--- -Decoder ----------Receiver-

Noise

<-------------------------------- Feedback---------------------------------------------<

Shannon-Weaver Model of Communication

1.4.1 Sender : The originator of message or the information source who selects

the desired message to be sent.

1.4.2 Encoder : The transmitter which converts the message into signals.

The sender‟s messages are converted into signals like waves or Binary data which is

compactable to transmit the messages through cables or satellites. For example, in

telephone the voice is converted into wave signals and is transmitted through cables.

1.4.3 Decoder : The reception of the signal which converts signals into message. A

reverse process of encoding.

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The receiver converts those binary data or waves into message which can be interpreted

by the receiver. Otherwise receiver can‟t receive the exact message .

1.4.4 Receiver : The destination of the message from sender.

Based on the decoded message the receiver gives the feed back to sender. If the message

is mutilated by noise it will affect the communication flow between sender and receiver.

The messages are transferred from encoder to decoder through different types of

channels. During this process the messages may distracted or affected by physical noise

like horn sounds, thunder and crowd noise or encoded signals may distract the channel

during the transmission process which affect the communication flow or the receiver.

1.4.5 Practical Example of Shannon-Weaver model of

Communication:

Thomson made call to his assistant “come here I want to see you”. During his call, noise

appeared (transmission error) and his assistant received “I want” only. Again Assistant

asked Thomson (feedback) “what do you want Thomson”.

Here, different elements of the Model are as follows:

Sender : Thomson

Encoder : Telephone (Thomson)

Channel : Cable

Noise : Distraction in voice

Reception : Telephone (Assistant)

Receiver : Assistant.

Due to transmission error or noise, Assistant is not able to understand Thomson‟s

messages.

1.4.6 Criticism of Shannon-Weaver model of

communication:

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One of the simplest models and is generally applied in various

communication theories.

The model which attracts both academics of Human communication and

Information theorist to help them in further research in communication.

It‟s more effective in person-to-person communication than in groups or in

mass audience.

The model is based on “Sender and Receiver”. Here sender plays the

primary role and receiver plays the secondary role

Communication is not a one way process. If it were so, it would lose its

strength. For example, an audience or receiver who is listening to a radio, is

reading a book or is watching television is a one way communication

because of the absence of feedback.

Understanding Noise helps to solve various problems in communication.

1.5 Classification of Communication

As far as communication is concerned, it can be in the following forms as shown

below:

Types of Communication

Type of channel Direction Method

Formal Downward Oral

Informal Upward Written

Horizontal/Lateral Use of body language

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1.5.1 Based on channels of communication

Formal Communication

In formal communication who will communicate with whom in an organisation is

determined by the policy laid down by the management. The policy takes in to

account the authority, status or position of the persons involved ie the sender and the

receiver. Formal communication, in fact, enforces and establishes a working

relationship between different members of the organisation.

Informal Communication or Grapevine

The other information system which is always there in addition to the formal system

discussed above is the informal communication. It is there whenever two persons or

groups interact with each other. This also comes in to play when the formal system

does not work properly ie there are problems in the formal system and the workers or

juniors cannot express themselves properly.

There are four types of grapevine; they are:

Single stand Here each person communicates with other in order of sequence

Gossip In this type of informal communication one person tells some thing

to others

Probability Here one individual communicates with others on random

according to law of probability

Cluster One person communicates with others on selective basis ; the

person may interact only with such a person whom he trusts‟

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Whenever there is some special occasion, informal communication passes freely

between the people who are present in that place. Also grapevine or informal

communication becomes very active when there are any activities in the organisation

that generate insecurity amongst members of any organisation. Grapevine has certain

characteristics, these are:

Grapevine provides feedback to managers which is generally not possible through

formal communication channels.

It travels much faster than the formal communication

Grapevine can penetrate the best of security systems

Grapevine functions as a carrier of rumours

1.5.2 Based on Direction of Communication

Downwards communication

Main purpose of downwards communication is to control all aspects of the

functioning of any organisation. It is essential for any organisation to share

information, give instructions, give proposals and advice etc. Downward

communication must take in to account the feelings and aspirations of the

subordinates before the higher management issues any orders, instructions. If orders

are issued unilaterally, they will have no meaning as they may not be obeyed causing

many other disciplinary problems. Getting feedback through different methods,

considering them carefully before passing any instructions is in the interest of any

organisation. A good manger will always like to know how his juniors feel in place of

work ie the type of work environment, basic facilities like wash rooms, toilets,

medical help, canteen etc. Only then it will be possible for him to motivate workers to

perform well and increase their productivity through their best efforts. Downward

communication is used for the following purposes:

To communicate policies, procedures, practices, rules and regulations

To give specific job instructions

To provide feedback to the employer or the worker

To motivate for improving productivity

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To prepare for changes

To discourage rumours and gossip- mongering

Downward communication can be made more effective by the following means:

Plan orders

A superior must always plan his orders which should fit in the overall strategy of the

concerned organisation. Planning involves very clear understanding of the task, the

employee‟s ability, availability of resources and the time required to carry out the

task. Un planned orders can harm the interest of all organisations in addition to

harming the personal reputation of the person giving such orders.

Must know facts, figures and related information and knowledge

The person who issues orders must himself be very clear what he wants to be done..

He must possess sufficient, if not complete knowledge about the job to be done. He

should be able to answer all queries related with the job which any employee or

subordinate will like to be clarified if he has to perform the task to the entire

satisfaction of his superior. Span of knowledge of the superior has to be more than

that of the subordinate, though it is possible, he may not possess the skill of that level

because he does not himself carry out the task.

What media should be used and how communication is to be passed on to the

subordinate ?

There will be any number of situations where the order cannot be passed orally and

has to be given in writing. For example, if an enquiry order is to be given to a General

Manager for bringing out the fact why a particular marketing manger accepted a gift

from a vendor supplying equipment and spare to the company, against the policy of

the company, the matter may be so serious breach of company policy that only a

written order will be issued by MD to the GM

Superior must know the impact of the order on the employees and its far

reaching implications.

A thoughtless order of shifting the scooter or car parking of the junior staff, while

sitting in the office and looking at the blueprint of the plan of the factory, is sure to be

disobeyed causing many discipline related problems. They may resent and even

protest against the order and it may end up in the form of a strike by them. It is a good

idea to take feedback from various sources like informal leaders, union leaders,

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supervisors and even some workers at random to know what goes on in their minds. A

good manager or leader will never like his orders disobeyed or not followed in letter

and spirit.

The order-passing style should be appropriate

Any order which is issued with conviction and given in a manner that the receiver

finds acceptable will be followed by him. The choice of words used, whether verbally

or in writing should be such that they are firm yet polite. Certain superiors are in the

habit of being arrogant and authoritative while passing on any instructions. When

giving orders verbally, one must watch out ht e associated body language, while in

writing the choice of the words used should be such that the recipient does not find

them offending.

Keep empathy at the back of the mind while issuing any orders or instructions

Empathy simply means putting oneself in the shoes of the other person. The person

giving orders must place himself at the receiving end and appreciate how will the

order received by the juniors

Upward communication

It refers to the communication from lower levels to the higher levels. This pattern of

communication is, perhaps is the most important aspect of any organisation. It is the

flow of information from lower levels ie workers and other subordinate staff to higher

level ie managerial personnel. This is a method through which any worker can bring

to the knowledge of his superiors his problems related with job performance or even

personal difficulties due to which he cannot give his best. It is a method of feedback

for the superiors about the junior‟s performance level, work environment, the policies

and procedures adopted by the organisation and so on. Feed-back in different areas of

functioning can only be receiver from the workers, supervisors and managers through

a formal hierarchy of flow of information from bottom to upwards. Unless upward

communication methods are mad effective downward communication cannot become

useful, , is it reasonable and fair under the circumstances. When ever in doubt, one

must apply the criteria of reasonability and fairness.

Upward communication is necessary for:

To create a feeling that juniors are also heard by the superiors in the

organisation

This helps in improved work environment and motivation of the employees which

ultimately helps in increase in productivity.

To evaluate the functioning of the communication system

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If there are any concessions and award schemes which are announced as company

policy how many people actually give suggestions will be an indicator of the morale

of the workers. The management may feel the need of modifying the system or

increase the incentives and so on.

To get new ideas

Many a time, the employees working at lower levels , come out with many brilliant

ideas as they are the ones who actually use plant, machinery equipment and perform

other tasks at operational level. It is a good idea to get regular feedback from them

about production quality and processes and suggestions for improving the overall

system.

The organisation may use the following media for upward communication:

Face-to-face

An employee or junior level worker seeks an interview or meets the senior person

informally to share his views, concerns, difficulties and grievances etc. Many

companies encourage their employees to avail of any opportunity to meet the top boss

when he goes around the organisation. This healthy exchange of information can give

excellent real time information to the management which can be used for the benefit

of the employees as well as the organisation.

Group meetings

Management can plan to have department-wise meetings in the company. GMs of

Accounts, HRD, Marketing, Production etc may invite all members of their

departments, once in a month to know them better, find out any such issues which

may have the potential to become a major trouble in due course of time, if not handled

immediately. Such meetings would reveal events, places and happenings which are

trouble spots and if not tackled the smoke can become a disastrous fire.

Grievances Handling Procedures

Committees

There is a statutory requirement that companies employing large number of workers

must have an appropriate grievance handling method in their organisation. Generally,

a committee is formed which is headed by a senior person, usually from HR

department and representatives from different departments are the members.

Counselors

A counselor is like a trained friend expected to have periodical meetings where all

complaints and problems are discussed and remedial actions are recommended to the

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top management for appropriate action. There may be a separate women cell,

depending on the strength of female employees, which can tackle special issues like

gender bias or harassment of women at the hands of male employees.

A counselor is the one who understands the work condition, educational, cultural and

social background of the workers and helps them in tackling their personal and

professional problems. Labour officers, welfare officers can also be used to the

benefit of the organisation. They can give a very useful feedback about the overall

health of the organisation. The top management must listen to such feedback with

patience and take suitable remedial measures.

Horizontal/Lateral communication

This type of information flows between the persons at the same level in any hierarchy,

whether they are from the same department or from other departments. Without

horizontal communication, the coordination and cooperation between the

Staff working at different levels will not be possible. It helps in promoting group

coordination. All this leads to better functioning of any organisation. Basic objectives

of the lateral communication are:

Coordination and cooperation amongst peers or persons working at the same

level in any organisation

There are many persons working at the same hierarchical level, ie there may be

manager grade level persons in HRD department, Accounts, Marketing and

Production. They are all mangers and are treated by the management equal in status

etc. in formal meetings. Some communication which is meant for mangers may be

issued only for their consumption ie the company head may decide that all mangers

at a particular level would adopt a particular dress code and they may also be asked to

wear name tags and so on.

Emotional and social support for motivation, loyalty etc.

When a group of people is given different, only for them treatment they identify with

each other emotionally and socially. Such people associate their position and status as

very special for the organisation, They get treatment from the management based on

the same principle, they face similar problems and become socially close to each other

It should be noted that the need of horizontal communication increases as

organisations become more specialised and departments tend to work in water-tight

compartments. Specialised work procedures leaves hardly any time with the peers to

interact with each other unless there is a meeting or conference or there is a training

session or a social get-together. It is more of an informal meeting than a formal one. If

head of particular department wants particular information relate with the company

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affairs, he may ring up head of another department, who he thinks has that

information. Such an exchange at the same level helps in increase in efficiency and is

a tool in the overall effectiveness of the organisation. A particular level of person does

not have the authority and liberty to ring up his colleague and get information unless

it is related directly with the job responsibility he has been assigned or a specific task

he is performing for the company. But a colleague operating at the same level as his is

easily accessible.

Lateral communication is easier and simpler because hierarchy and authority does not

remain an issue.. Most likely, all of them will have some authority for granting leave,

release of imprest to persons working directly under them, sanctioning or

recommending loans, or authorising people for duty move etc.

In good organisations these systems are managed so that organisation runs like a well

oiled machine

1.5.3 Based on Method of Communication

Method of communication is very important as this is how the message gets delivered

to the recipient. Various methods are discussed below:

1.5.3.1 Oral Communication

Oral Communication consists of the following:

Presentation Techniques

Interviews

Group Discussions

Meetings and Conferences

1.5.3.2 Written Communication

Written communication could be of general nature or it could be technical writing .

The following are the types of written communication:

Basic General Writing

Technical Writing

Précis Writing

Letter Writing

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Memos, Office Circulars, Notices,

Press Release, E-mail and E-mail Etiquette, News Letters

Resume Writing

Technical Proposals, Technical Reports ,Research Papers, Dissertation and

Thesis

Instruction Manuals, Technical Descriptions, Creating Indices, Preparing list

of References and Bibliography

1.5.3.3 Non- verbal Communication

Communication also takes place when not a word is spoken. Communicating without

words can sometimes become a very useful and powerful tool. Non-verbal and non-

written communication sends very powerful signals, which if interpreted correctly can

convey much more than the words, whether spoken or written. Well-known

management consultant Nancy Austin has this to say about this form of

communication, “When people don‟t know whether to believe what they are hearing

or what they are seeing, they go with the body language- it tells the truth. You can

play fast and loose with words, but it is much more difficult to do with gestures.”

Psychologists feel that though human beings speak with their vocal chords, they

communicate with their face expressions, their tone of voice, and their whole body.

Importance of non-verbal communication cannot be over-emphasised as it has

immense practical use. It is the communication without the use of written or spoken

words, like body movements, voice patterns and touch etc. It has immense practical

application in business world. Consider the statement of psychologist Marilyn Maple,

“When you cannot consciously „read‟ what others are saying unconsciously, you can

deal with issues at work and at home-before they become problem” It is well-known

that most of the non-verbal communication at work place revolves around power.

Power is the capacity of a person to influence the actions of others-as perceived by

others. Power gives individual authority and status-consciousness. Those who have

power are seen by others as superior, bigger, larger than life and stronger and this

creates an aura around them. People behave in respectful and fearful manner in their

presence; they fold their hands for greetings and touch their feet spontaneously. In

business world, when the boss arrives every one becomes more attentive to work,

employees move about an orderly and respectful manner, they get worried and

anxious when the boss calls them and so on. On the other hand people who feel

powerless and without any authority or status, their entire lifestyle changes and they

give entirely different kind of body signals. Professor Albert Mehrabian has illustrated

this point by giving an example of an officer-soldier relationship in army. He says,

“Status manifests subtly in a relaxed posture and way of interacting. The classic

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example of a soldier standing at attention in the presence of a superior officer. His

body is extremely tense and in perfect symmetry-signs of subservience” Similar kind

of situation prevails in any organisation when a junior employee is called by a senior

executive. Because of their status and role relationship one is in control of situation,

gives instructions and other notes them down carefully and respectfully and sets to

implement them without raising an enquiry.

A child is less sensitive to changes in expressions of others or their body language

because his interpretation of those signals is not very mature. How ever as human

beings grow to adulthood and develop the ability to analyse, they become highly

sensitive to even very minor changes in gestures, expressions, postures, movement of

others and relate different meaning to them. Frank Trippeti has this to say, “Homo-

sapien as communicator does not seem to have come all that far when grunts and

gesticulations were the main way of getting message across. Both individuals and

groups still send vital messages by gestures, by dramatics- by a dizzy diversity of

what scholars call non-verbal communication. It is felt that total impact of a message

is about 7 percent verbal, 38 percent vocal and 5 percent non-verbal. Roger E. Axtell

highlights the importance of this type of communication by saying, “As the global

village continues to shrink and cultures collide, it is more and more essential for all of

us to become erigarde, figuratively speaking, to the myriad motions, gestures and

body language that surrounds us each day”

There are many types of Non-verbal Communication

Some of the benefits and Limitations of Non-Verbal Communication are :

Body language is the most visible aspect of communication.

It, therefore, helps the receiver of the message in decoding it properly.

It complements verbal communication.

Especially in face-to-face communication, no message can be completely understood

if it is not accompanied by facial expression and gestures.

It adds substantially to the process of communication.

In the absence of any gesture, change of posture, proper eye contact, any

communication will appear bland and insipid.

Just imagine human beings not using any body language gestures while speaking and

you will understand how bland it will appear.

As people care for body language and try to use it for their advantage, it goes a long

way to improve the overall atmosphere and appearance of the organisation.

Facial expression, gestures and postures cannot be wholly relied upon

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Body language may not always be taken serious as compared to the written or spoken

words.

People belonging to different cultural backgrounds send out different body signals.

These can, therefore be misunderstood. Hence, one has to be very careful in using

body language.

Body language is ineffective in a large crowd or when people communicating are at a

far off distance.

1.6 Summary

Communication as a subject has assumed a lot of importance in recent years. It is

often seen that lot of weightage is given to the functional and hard skills but soft skills

get relegated. There were times when soft skills as a whole including the

communication skills were thought of only as poor cousins of hard or functional skills

in the supporting role. Every student and professional spent considerable time in

acquiring the functional skills, but he ignored the soft skills. All type of

communication, are of utmost importance in modern business world.

Functions and types of communication networks and flow of communication have

been discussed in details in this lesson. Important role played by downward and

upward communication has been discussed. It has been seen why informal

communication is equally important for feed back in the interest of any organisation

1.7 Glossary

Formal Communication Formal communication, in fact,

enforces and establishes a working relationship between different members of the

organisation.

Informal Communication or Grapevine. It is there whenever two persons or

groups interact with each other. This also comes in to play when the formal system

does not work properly ie there are problems in the formal system and the workers or

juniors cannot express themselves properly.

Single strand grapevine Here each person communicates with

other in order of sequence

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Downward Communication Where the communication flows

from a higher to lower authority level; it is usually in the form of directives from the

higher management to the subordinates, including the shop floor employees.

Horizontal Communication Communication that takes place

between colleagues at the same level, that is, supervisors in one department

communicating with supervisors in another department.

Diagonal Communication Communication which takes place

between with persons from one department to another but at the same level and who

are not in direct reporting relationship.

Management Communication Communication among

management personnel.

1.8 Answers to check your progress/Self assessment

questions

1. Explain the process of communication in as simple a manner as you can. Give

suitable examples

2. How can you classify the types of communication? Explain various types of

communication

3. Narrate an example of failure of communication in your institution/place of work

and the reasons thereof.

Answers:

1.

Communication is the process of sharing information. It is the transfer of information

and understanding from one person to another person. It is a way of reaching others

with facts, ideas, thoughts and values. Communication of thoughts, ideas, feelings and

emotions is so fundamental that nothing in this world is possible without it. It is so

vital that it is said that all problems of the world are either because of lack of

communication or because of bad communication. What ever may be the views of

different people on communication, one thing is certain and that is that it is the basic

need of mankind and is the foundation of any civilised society. Can you imagine any

activity taking place in the world if people did not communicate? All the progress

made by human beings has been made possible because of their ability to

communicate. It must be very clearly understood that communication is vital in every

part of life, be it private and personal, social, professional and business.

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2.

As far as communication is concerned, it can be classified as shown below:

Types of Communication

Type of channel Direction Method

Formal Downward Oral

Informal Upward Written

Horizontal/Lateral Use of body language

The details can be discussed by the students as given in the text of the lesson.

3.

Hint: The student should take any live situation from daily life in the institution.

He/she will realise that communication fails almost on all situations.

1.9 References/Suggested Reading

1. Business Correspondence and Report Writing by R C Sharma and Krishna

Mohan, Published by Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd, New Delhi

2. Effective Technical Communication by M Ashraf Rizvi Published by Tata

McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd, New Delhi

3. Business Communication by Homai Pradhan, D S Bhende and Vijaya Thakur,

Published by Himalaya Publishing House , Mumbai

4. Business Communication Skills by Col D S Cheema, Published by Laxmi

Publications Pvt Ltd , Delhi

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1.10 Model Questions

1. What is the basic process of communication? Give real life examples in your

answers.

2. What are the different methods of classifying communication. Support your

answer with appropriate examples.

3. Do you think Downward Communication is more important than the Upward

Communication? Why so?

4. Can Informal Communication become more important in certain situations?

How? Give suitable examples

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Lesson Plan-Lesson 2

2.0 Objectives

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Functions or Objectives of Communication

2.2.1 Inform and share

2.2.2 Promote

2.2.3 Educate

2.2.4 Organize

2.2.5 Relate

2.2.6 Entertain

2.2.7 Motivate

2.2.8 Report

2.2.9 Analyse

2.2.10 Orders

2.2.11 Instructions

2.2.12 Advise

2.2.13 Counseling

2.2.14 Persuasion

2.2.15 Suggestions

2.2.16 Warning

2.2.17 Morale-booster

2.4 Levels of Communication

2.4.1 Communication with our self takes place in the form of

2.4.2 Communication with others takes place in the form of

2.5 Result-driven communication framework depends upon:

2.5.1 The basic things to remember are

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2.6 Fundamentals and Principles of an Effective Communication

2.6.1 Is the media used for communication the most appropriate to achieve the

objectives of the communication?

2.6.2 The principle of „need to know‟

2.6.3 Aim of communication

2.6.4 Keep it simple

2.6.3 What is the Knowledge of the receiver, his educational and cultural background,

his attitude, special circumstances in which he operates in personal and professional

life etc.

2.7 7 Cs of effective communication

2.7.1 Candid

2.7.2 Clear

2.7.3 Complete

2.7.4 Concise

2.7.5 Concrete

2.7.6 Correct

2.7.7 Courteous

2.8 Improving the Quality of Communication

2.8.1 Combine written /oral communication with visual display for maximum effect

2.8.2 Writing clearly and concisely

2.8.3 Repeat to ensure message is driven home

2.8.4 Recognise the uniqueness of individual for good communication

2.8.5 Communication and confidence level

2.8.6 Communication by setting a good example

2.9 Effective Listening as a Communication Skill

2.9.1 Some of the factors, which can help in effective listening, are

2.10Summary

2.11 Glossary

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2.12 Answers to check your progress/Self assessment questions

2.13 References/Suggested reading

2.14 Model questions

Lesson -2 Communication – An Analysis of Basic

Constituents

2.0 Objectives

After studying the lesson, student will be able to :

U n d e r s t a n d t h e i mportance of effective communication in business

activities

Understand various principles of communication

Learn about the elements involved in communication process

Know different characteristics o f Communication

2.1 Introduction

Communication is an essential element in any form of human organization, whether

business, political, religious, or other. There is no doubt individuals communicated in

one form or the other even in a primitive society where a simple form of hunting and

agriculture dominated. Otherwise there would not have been any progress.

Business operates in a complex environment, in a society which is advanced in

science and technology. These changes and complex situations call for a better

understanding and use of communication. According to Murphy and Peck, “Effective

communication is the „life blood‟ of every organization and a key to success in your

business as well as in your personal life” Murphy and Peck add that any organization

is composed of people: a business is one type of organization. Thus, the activities of

business require human beings to interact in many ways: to exchange information,

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plans and proposals; to co-ordinate; to make decisions. The necessity of effective

communication is to achieve these objectives need not be over emphasized.

Do industries have an adequate communication flow? Can the existing patterns of

communication be improved? There should be a proper study and and observation of

the existing systems of communication with a view to assess their shortcomings and

improve them.

There is no such thing as „perfect communication‟ in any industry and a systematic

study of communication can be conducted to improve present communication.

Therefore, those involved in running of business organisations patterns must first of

all recognize the need for an effective communication among the various individuals

involved, so that each one can understand what the other is doing, and how it is being

done. Communication among management personnel is vital. Information reaches the

employees through management personnel and unless there exists a proper channel

through which information reaches employees or those at the lower level of

management, appropriate decisions cannot be made.

We need good communication skills to:

Share our thoughts, feelings and ideas and experiences with others

Get things done from others

Know about things of our interest

Put across to others what we want

Develop satisfying relationship with others

It is not possible to have total perfection in communication as human beings are

involved and human beings are bound to commit some mistakes. The sender of

information and the receiver of communication or message are human beings.

Message is framed and sent though a channel or medium by a human being, this is

received and interpreted by another human being. It may be appreciated that many

uncertain and imponderable factors are involved in any human activity. How ever,

every effort must be made to make communication as perfect as possible. T o that

extent, the receiver and the sender should make all out effort to improve the quality of

communication.

To be able to master the most important skill in life, you must remember the

following details.

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2.2 Functions or Objectives of Communication

The purpose, objectives or functions of any communication are:

2.2.1 Inform and Share

Any data, information or knowledge of any kind to be passed to others, is possible

only through communication, whether general or technical. It may be verbal or non-

verbal, written or through gestures or through body language etc. Teacher cannot

teach students , senior business person cannot share the strategies of business, captain

of the aircraft cannot receive or provide information to Air Traffic Control(ATC) Job

–seekers cannot appear in interviews, salesman cannot sell his products and so on ,

without communicating

2.2.2 Promote

If any idea is to be promoted, it has to be shared with others. If any service or goods

are to be advertised or promoted, it can only be done through communication through

print or electronics media

2.3.3 Educate

Communication is necessary for giving lessons to educate others in any discipline

under the Sun, whether it is educating a primary school student, an engineering /

management/ medicine/IT student or teaching nuclear or space technologies or to give

a clear picture of plan of action or selling strategic information. Education can be for

the general public, management or the workers.

2.3.4 Organise

Even if a small birthday party has to be organised, a number of organising activities

have to be performed. One has to call for cake or drinks, a tent may be required to be

pitched, guests have to be invited and so on. Meeting any organising needs is not

possible unless and until verbal or written communication takes place.

2.3.5 Relate

Relationship between different people performing different types of tasks in any

organisation is possible only through communication. Persons at different levels relate

to each other as juniors , colleagues or seniors through some means of

communication. In personal relationship, husband and wife or mother and children

relate with each other through sharing information, ideas , thoughts , emotions and

feelings.

2.3.6 Entertain

Can you imagine how boring the world would be if you could not watch the TV and

movies or other entertainment programs, hear any music or read a magazine?

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Entertainment industry is totally dependent on communication process. There are

people who don‟t leave home to watch a favourite TV show. They communicate with

the characters of the program through letters , telephone calls. letters etc..

2.3.7 Motivate

Motivation is the process of making others want to do what you want them to do. It is

a very slow, cumbersome and difficult process and needs continuous interaction with

persons who have to be motivated. It may be done verbally by addressing such

persons or they may be given written material, case studies may be discussed with

theme and so on. Achievement goals are set before the workers and they are given

monetary and other benefits to achieve them. All this can be done only through

various communication methods.

2.3.8 Report

When ever there is a requirement of submitting ideas in a formal manner, a report has

to be prepared. It may be feasibility study report for a project or one page on the spot

assessment report, a senior may have demanded.

2.3.9 Analyse

Analysis of any situation or problem requires discussions, views of others and inputs

from different sources. It is possible only by telling others what to do, write down the

requirements, record the views of others, organise brain-storming sessions and so on.

All this needs different types of communication.

2.3.10 Orders

Order is a communication which is given by seniors in position of authority to juniors.

Orders are given from top to bottom to do something or not to do something. There

are different types of orders, specific, general, procedural, operational, mandatory,

and discretionary and so on. But all orders can be passed only though some kind of

communication.

2.3.11 Instructions

It is an order which also provides guidance and help to carry out the order. Details of

how a particular job is to be carried out are also provided and person who issues

instructions is always there to help the person, who has to carry out the instruction.

2.3.12 Advice

An important purpose of communication is to give and seek advice. Today‟s business

world is very complex and no single person can have all the knowledge, skill and

expertise required. Seniors, experts, consultants, advisors give advice; similarly,

junior, middle, supervisory and operational levels have to give advice to promote

understanding at the work place.

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2.3.13 Counseling

It is an advice by a professional counselor. Personal problems of the workers have

direct impact on their performance in the work place. Hence, good organisations

appoint counselors to handle such problems; they may be psychologists, doctors,

social workers etc who are suitable trained in counseling.

2.3.14 Persuasion

Persuasion plays an important role in our personal and professional lives. Human

nature acts favourably to a gentle persuasion rather than strict no-nonsense army type

orders. Parents can persuade their children to shun bad habits of smoking, drinking

and indulging in un-protected sex. Similarly, teachers, parents and social workers can

persuade younger generations to develop good habits and value systems.

2.3.15 Suggestions

Getting useful suggestions can be very useful in conducting the affairs of any

organisation, whether it is government or private entities. In business world it is being

taken very seriously and suggestions are invited to improve the functioning of

different departments. Suggestion schemes offering rewards and incentives for good

practical solution to the organisation‟s problems are introduced based on those

suggestions. Good business organisations attend to the complaints of the customers

very seriously and learn from them. It is sais that dissatisfied customers who give the

feed-back are the best friends of any organisation.

2.3.16 Warnings

Workers in any organisation need to be told about their short comings and the

consequences of not improving an undesirable behaviour. There are situations where

the management of any organisation has to issue warnings to the workers or junior

staff to act in a desirable manner. Habitual late-coming, absenteeism, insubordination,

undesirable conduct at work place etc attract warning from the management. It has to

be kept that warnings are fair and not result of any bias or prejudice. Warning or

admonishing must always be done in private. All warnings should have only one

purpose, the well-being of the organisation.

2.3.17 Morale-boosting

Morale is a state of mind and when one has a high morale, one can do or achieve

anything. Similarly, when one has a low morale, nothing is possible. Effectiveness

and efficiency are the direct result of high morale of any worker. Communication

plays a very important role in raising the morale of juniors or followers. Leaders in

various organisations adopt different strategies to improve the morale of workers and

followers.

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2.4 Levels of Communication

Communication takes place at two levels:

Communication we have with our self

Communication we have with others

2.4.1 Communication with our self takes place in the form of

The Thoughts that we have

The Meaning that we give to our thoughts

What we say to ourselves/ Manner in which we talk to ourselves on regular

basis

2.4.2 Communication with others takes place in the form of

The extent to which we Listen to others.

The Meaning that we give to what others say

What we Say to others

The Manner in which we talk to others.

2.5 Result-driven communication framework depends

upon:

Target Who do I want to communicate to?

Motive What do I want to communicate?

Outcome What is the result I want?

Message What is my key message?

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Delivery How do I deliver my message?

Timing When do I want to deliver my message?

2.5.1 The basic things to be remembered are:

Put across the purpose of communication clearly and at an early stage

Learn to empathise with the person you want to communicate with

Try to listen and not hear

Make the other person comfortable to talk

Keep quiet and give other person the opportunity to speak

Arguments and criticism lead nowhere

Understand people and human nature

Read body language

Keep the communication as simple as possible.

Remember what Nelson Mandela said, “If you talk to a man in a language that he

understands, that goes to his head, if you talk to him in his language that goes to

his heart.”

2.6 Fundamentals and Principles of an Effective

Communication

Certain principles, if followed, can help in improving the quality of communication.

These principles cover all areas of communication eg message quality, channels of

communication and conditions relating to receipt of message etc .An effective

communication is very essential

According to Levine and C Rom

“Here are the first steps to successful communication, follow them and you will be

on your way:

Make communication a top priority

Be open to other people

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Create a receptive environment for communication‖

As has been brought out earlier communication is complete only when the receiver

gets exactly the same message as was intended by the source or sender. To make the

communication effective, the following fundamental things must be kept in mind:

2.6.1 Is the media used for communication the most appropriate to

achieve the objectives of the communication?

If it is plain simple exchange of information, may be a word on telephone is good

enough but if information, knowledge or wisdom is ment to be conveyed to a large

group of audience seated far away from the source, a different kind of medis should

be used to make the communication (and resulting impact on the behaviour of the

receiver) as perfect as possible.

2.6.2 The principle of ‗Need to Know‘

This is important in case of organisations etc. where every information cannot be

passed on to every one else and the principle of „need to know‟ assumes great

importance. A circular from the head office increasing the fuel allowance of certain

category of executives need not be communicated to Grade IV employees of the

organisation. Similarly, increase in the EPF rates need not be communicated to those

whom it is not applicable ie employees with pay lesser than Rs 10000/- How ever,

increase in the Diwali bonus, availability of new /two wheeler park, must be made to

every one. This is related with „costliness‟ of the decision to share information, in

case of military secrets, it could result in catastrophic situations.

2.6.3 What is the Knowledge of the receiver, his educational and

cultural background, his attitude, special circumstances in which he

operates in personal and professional life etc.

This is of utmost importance. If a person communicates with the other one without

knowing his level of education, cultural background and attitude a big communication

gap will remain between the two; the sender of the information and receiver.

2.6.4 Aim of the communication

What is to be achieved by a particular communication? It is very important, as unless

there is a specific aim of the communication as a purpose of, it is useless and be

avoided.

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2.6.5 Keep it simple

The acronym KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid), tells it all. We should not expect the

receiver of the communication to labour to get the meaning. Many a good content are

lost because the author has tried to weave the magic of the words, creating confusion

and loosing the essence of simple straight forward communication. Often, a simple

sentence of common words can make more sense than long sentences with number of

commas and semicolons. Clarity of thought is reflected in the clarity of words.

Keeping the communication simple, concise, and clear, whether oral or written, is

easier said than done. Some of the authors are more readable than others, when one

reads them one feels as if what is being read is actually happening in front of the

reader. It should be remembered that ultimately the reason for any communication is

to express the ideas, thoughts and feelings and not to impress the receiver with one‟s

knowledge of words.

2.7 7 C‘s of Effective Communication

According to Francis J. Bergin, communication should be:

2.7.1 Candid

According to Gay Handricks, and Kate Ludeman, “ If you make sure you are telling

the truth, you , you won‟t ever have to worry about people listening to you. When

people do not listen, it is usually because the speaker‟s got some thing else ot he or

she is communicating besides the truth.”

It means that if communication is to be effective the message should be straight

forward without hiding any truth.. The message should not be deceptive or untrue in

nature and what ever is to be conveyed should be done in a frank and honest manner.

The communicator of the message should be very clear about the terminal result he

wants ie, quality of communication should be so good that the designed message is

conveyed faithfully.

2.7.2 Clear

Clarity is the most important factor in communication. Clarity not only means clarity

of expression but also clarity of thought process, What ever be the form of the

message it should be clear and unambiguous. Clear message can only be created by a

clear mind. It is said that everything in the world is created twice; first it is created in

the mind and then the physical expression is given to it. The sender must be very clear

about the message to be conveyed and the level of the receiver, so that when the

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receiver decodes the message, there is no doubt or confusion in the mind of the

receiver. For clarity, one should keep the following in mind:

Clarity in expression, whether in spoken or written words can come if one uses the

most appropriate word. This warrants good vocabulary. Only precise and concrete

words should be used. There is no point in using difficult words when other simple

words conveying the same meaning are available in English language.. For example,

it is better to use „get‟ rather than „procure‟ etc.

2.7.3 Complete

This is the third C. It is obvious that incomplete message has no meaning. It can only

result in ambiguity and any number of inquiries from the receiver; this will result in

wastage of time and inconvenience to all concerned. While designing the message, the

transmitter of the message must keep in mind the entire message, its logic and

sequence so that the receiver gets exactly what he wants him to get. Time spent in

planning the message is worth the while because the receiver will understand it

clearly and suitable action will be taken immediately.

About the completeness of the message, Herta A. Murphy, Herbert W. Hildebrandt

and Jane P.Thomas, have this to say:

“Completeness offers numerous benefits. First, complete messages are more likely to

bring the desired results without the expense. of additional messages. Second, they

can do a better job of building good will. Message that contains the information that

receiver needs show concern for others. Third, complete message can help avert

costly law suits that may result if important information is missing. Last,

communication that seems inconsequential can be surprisingly important if the

information they contain is complete and effective.”

You may keep the following in mind to ensure that message is complete in all

respects:

There are five Ws and one H which if answered, the message will be complete. These

are; Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. Prepare a check list to be sure that

you don‟t miss out on anything.

Put yourself in the place of the receiver and think what could be asked by him.

Include everything that can come up in the mind of the reader.

Don‟t try to be precise at the cost of completeness.

2.7.4 Concise

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Message should be framed by using the most appropriate words. The message should

use as few words as possible. Unnecessary details and beating about the bush is very

annoying for the reader. The receiver is a busy person and has no time to go through

stories which do not contribute to the content of the message. Many people tend to

give detailed background or introduction when none is necessary. Concise does not

mean that essential details are missed out. To be able to do that the person who drafts

the message must have clarity of the subject and what is expected of the receiver. It is

possible to use simple words instead of long phrases. If some information is already

known to him or you have already forwarded to the receiver, there is no point in

repeating it.

2.7.5 Concrete

This C means that the information should not be vague but specific in nature. Some

people purposely tend to be vague as they do not have complete information or do not

want to commit a specific thing to the receiver. Rather than saying that there are lakhs

of unemployed youth in Punjab, it is better if specific number can be given. The

receiver of the message will respect your information more as it will be more useful to

him.

When formal business letters, memos and advertisements have to be given the facts

must be sated rather than giving generalised information which is bound to confuse

the receiver. A developer saying that his project is few minutes away from airport is

incomplete and misleading information and any consumer can take him to the court

of law. It is better to state that the project is 15 minute by road.

In this regard the views of Herta A. Murphy, Herbert W. Hildebrandt and Jane

P.Thomas, are; “……concrete messages are more richly textured than general or

vague messages; then they tend to be more vivid, dynamic and interesting”

2.7.6 Correct

Decisions are taken based on information provided by various sources of information.

If the information is incorrect in language, grammar, facts and figures etc. it will lead

to wrong decisions and may even be disastrous for the organisation. Imagine while

placing the order for some spare parts which are to be imported, an extra zero being

added to the order. Incorrect messages in the form of statement, balance sheets etc can

tarnish the image of the organisation which issues them. Correctness of message

which is transmitted is, hence, of utmost importance.. The following system may be

adopted to make the message correct:

Always cross check facts and figures for correctness and where ever necessary,

mention it in figures and words

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Ensure that the type of and level of language used is the right one.

Check the sentence formation, grammar, spellings and punctuation etc. for its

correctness.

Always read and re-read the message after drafting it.

2.7.7 Courteous

This may be last C , but has very powerful impact on communication. Basic courtesy

and decency cannot be forgotten even if you do not have the best of business relations

and are fighting a law suit. You write “Dear Sir” even in such cases as per the norms

of formal correspondence. The point is that one should try and create a healthy and

friendly environment in business dealings. Adopt the following rules:

Never issue out any communication when you are in foul mood. Relax and think

positive before drafting any communication.

Always adopt a polite and respectful language in all types of correspondence, internal

as well as external

Let there be generous use of words like “thank you” and “please”

Never try to be sarcastic and admonishing and don‟t- undermine

the self respect of the receiver

2.8 Improving the Quality of Communication

The following will help you improve the quality of communication:

2.8.1 Combine written /oral communication with visual display for

maximum effect

Impact of any communication whether written or oral, formal or informal is enhanced

when it is supported by LCD projector/visual presenter displays on the screen.

Anything seen is recorded better and retained better by the human brain. All

presentations should be made with the help of display as facts and figures, diagrams

and sketches, photographs etc. intricate and complex circuits can be understood much

easily with such aids. Many people often keep a white board and markers at hand to

explain their point to seniors/colleagues, juniors, clients, vendors, in fact any one who

is interested in information or knowledge they have. It is good idea to combine the

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effect of one‟s vocabulary, tone, modulation of voice, body language and visual

display for successful expression of what one wants to convey.

2.8.2 Writing clearly and concisely Who are the authors whose books make record sales? Not the ones with the best of

plots and stories but the ones whose writing is concise, clear, simple and readable.

Those who write difficult language to prove their literacy excellence may get awards

but their creations do not get noticed by the common reader. Any ambiguity kills the

very purpose of communication. Writing in a language to express is an art and can be

developed with practice. It involves the following:

(a) What is to be expressed?

(b) Who is the receiver of the written communication

© What kind of language needs to be used?

(d) Any visual support needed?

(e) What else can be done to make the written communication more

readable, better understood and acceptable by the reader?

2.8.3 Repeat to ensure the message is driven home

There would be times when the level of the receiver the message needs to be drilled

over and over again to ensure that it is driven home. It will depend upon the

importance and urgency of the situation and the advantage the sender wants to get by

being absolutely sure that no ambiguity can reduce the impact of the communication,

whether oral or written. In written communication, thee same idea is repeated with

the help of different examples, sketches, diagrams, photographs etc. In verbal

communication, the speaker repeats message by laying extra stress on words and

sentences, lowering and raising the voice, asking questions, providing clues, using

hands and gestures etc. Leaders repeat their vision, mission and goal to the masses on

every available opportunity. CEOs and leaders in business organisations put across

the core values to their workers and clients again and again. In Armed Forces, it is a

drill to repeat the message till it is understood absolutely clearly. A manger tells a

worker, “Well done and keep it up in future as well” and continues to reinforce the

message again whenever the worker does a good job, to ensure that the positive and

good feeling by the worker motivates him to do still better work. A mother or a coach

supporting good conduct and achievements is able to prompt the child or player to

make more effort. Message may be repeated till one gets the desired result.

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2.8.4 Recognise the uniqueness of the individuals for good

communication

It is an every day experience that the receiver does not get exactly what the sender

transmits and there are many reasons for this. The sender and receiver are unique

individuals with different backgrounds, value system etc. as also they are unique in

their personality types, which is decided by factors like their „nature‟ and „nurture‟.

Human beings differ in their psychological types, and this has major influence on the

communication process as encoding, decoding and interpreting the message for

different types of personalities is different. Experts tell us 16 possible types based on

four psychological preferences, like Extroverts and Introverts, Sensors and Intuitive,

Thinkers and Feelers, Judging and Perceiving types. If such psychological preferences

of sender and receiver are taken in to account, the communication can become more

useful. Extroverts and Introverts have different communication styles as compared to

Sensors and Intuitive. For example, introverts tend to remain shy , speak less and

respond less, whereas extroverts talk more, listen less, try to become the centre-stage

of all activities, are quick to pass judgments etc. These two types of individuals are

bound to behave in entirely different manner while sending, receiving and interpreting

the message. The knowledge of the personality type of the sender and the receiver

helps one in understanding and interpreting the communication in a much better

manner.

2.8.5 Communication and confidence level

A confident speaker making a presentation to his clients or a politician insisting the

voters to vote for him or a salesman wanting to clinch an important deal is bound to

be a winner .How ever, he must possess the conviction of his ideas, thoughts, and

feelings, sentiments and emotions etc which must be aligned towards the goal he

wishes to achieve, get elected, win a contract, get purchase order etc. If one is not

convinced about the quality of one‟s product himself, he may try any hard, he cannot

succeed in the absence of his conviction that the product or the service he is selling is

the best

Confidence is also a personality trait and is part of one‟s attitude, some people are

born losers and some others are born winners, they get their attitude in the DNA (no

doubt attitude can be modified, though it is very slow, time-consuming and

cumbersome process). Some people ooze confidence in the way they walk, talk, shake

hands and act on proposals, some others spread the negative aspects of their

personality, anyone who comes across them. One must remember that the negative

emotions are infectious and spread mush faster than the positive ones.

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2.8.6 Communication by setting a good example

This best communication is done through ones own action, which other‟s can follow.

Self example is the best example as preaching anything is much easier than actually

implementing it .A corrupt politician cannot solicit support from generally good

voters, a poor military leader cannot lead troops to victory and a lusterless CEO

cannot take his company to new heights.

There is story about Mahatma Gandhi, which illustrates this point very clearly. It is

said that in pre-independence days, people had so much faith in Gandhi that they their

personal problems also to Bapu for finding a good solution. One lady whose grown up

son was sugar-addict, took him to Mahatma and asked him to do something about it.

Bapu asked the woman to come back after two months. When she went back to him

after two months, he just told her son that too much sugar was bad for health and he

should not consume the „white poison‟. The woman felt very uncomfortable by this

solution and asked Bapu that why could he not this tell this to her son the first time

they had come to him two months back. Mahatma, it is understood told the lady, that

since he did not preach what he did not practice and he was himself eating too much

sugar two months back, he could not have told her son to take sugar. He had left the

consumption of sugar only after the woman approached him and only then he had

realized what it felt like leaving or reducing sugar intake.

2.9 Effective Listening as a Communication Skill

The Chinese sage who made this statement hundreds of years ago, “Speech is

difficult, silence is impossible” , perhaps realised that people find it very difficult to

listen to others. At the same time, active and empathetic listening is the ultimate

complement one can pay another person. Few of us do it because it is very, very hard.

Listening may be considered as the mother of all speaking. That is why one must

understand the anatomy of poor listening and identify the barriers to good listening.

Listening, the process of „hearing with a purpose‟ is the communication skill which

most people lack. .Charter (1974) defines listening as „intellectual and emotional

process that integrates physical, emotional and intellectual inputs in a search meaning

and understanding”. Many problems, personal and professional, may get

automatically resolved if one resorts to listening.

In organisations, people at different levels of positions have different types of

responsibilities and they are so much engrossed in them that they tend to shut

themselves off from the outside world. Routine impose so heavy constraints of time

on most of the executives that they tend to ignore importance of listening and

misunderstand their hearing of the problem as listening.

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2.9.1 Some of the factors, which can help in effective listening, are

One must not get prejudiced about a subject even before it has been discussed

or presented as uninteresting and useless for one‟s needs. One should make an

effort to find interest in the subject of conversation, discussion etc.

Many a time people are more interested about the way a person is talking, his gestures

and body language rather than focusing on the contents of the subject matter. It is

more important to concentrate on „what‟ part rather than the „how‟, as long as the

message has been received correctly.

There is a tendency on the part of many an audience to show their knowledge

about the subject being talked and they tend to pre-empt the speaker, interrupt

him again and again with the aim of passing judgement based on their

personal opinions. This kills any worth while inputs from the speaker and the

communication may even breakdown.

Listening is an art and one has to make special effort to listen. It involves hard

work to be able to focus on everything that is being said. In the

communication model, noise has been shown to intertere in the process.

Distractions like people moving in and out, telephone and cell calls being

answered, drinks and eatables being asked for etc. are all noise and hamper

communication. Controls of these are absolutely essential.

Respect the individuality of the individual. Give it to the speaker that he has

put in effort to explain his point of view, putting him down by ignoring his

point of view without any reason, can create emotional distrust, which is

harmful for effective listening.

One‟s body language speaks a lot about one‟s attitude towards the speaker.

One should be careful not display any emotion through the gestures of hands,

face etc. In fact, one should intentionally adopt a body language, which the

other party finds encouraging and motivating to express his point of view.

Never offer any unsolicited advice or solution and if one does offer one, it has

to be in the best interest of the other person who has come to narrate a

problem to you. Paying attention to the problem for which a solution is being

asked for from you in first place, saves a lot of time and embarrassment to

both the sender and the receiver.

Getting impatient and expecting or even hinting to the speaker to finish can be

disastrous. Let the speaker have his say if you have chosen to listen to him

and have allotted a particular slot of time for that process.

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Listener‟s role is only confined to concentrating on the issue and interpreting

correctly what the speaker says, not distracting him. Listeners must not

become talkers.

2.10 Summary

Effective communication is essential in personal as well as professional life. That is

why organisations lay a lot of emphasis on quality communication skills of their

employees.

There are certain fundamental principles which if followed, the communication can be

very good. 7 Cs of effective communication have been discussed in the lesson. There

are a number of problems because of which quality of communication suffers.

Methods of improving the quality of communication have been discussed at length.

Listening is also communication, but unfortunately this is the least effective. Most of

the people only hear but don‟t listen. This creates a lot of long term problems which

waste a lot of time, energy and effort of individuals and organisations. There is a need

to train people to listen on the same lines as companies train their employees for

developing good quality oral and written communication skills.

2.11 Glossary

Principles of communication Certain fundamental rules which if followed ,

good quality communication is possible

7Cs of communication Effective communication is possible if

one follows the 7 Cs ie Candid, Clear, Complete, Concise, Concrete, Correct and

Courteous

Effective Listening Listening is hearing with a purpose,

effective listening is when the listener gets exactly what the speaker wishes to convey,

words as well as feelings and emotions.

2.12 Answers to check your progress/Self Assessment

Questions

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1. State whether the following statements are true or false. Justify your answer in

at least fifty words each.

(a) Communication basically means “Sharing”

(b) There is hardly any difference in general and technical communication

(c) Communication can be made very impressive if your vocabulary is

powerful

2. What are the fundamental principles of effective communication and give

examples of the importance of feedback

3. Why is listening so important? What can be done to improve quality of

listening?

Answers:

1.

(a) True

(b) False

(c) False

2.

Fundamental principles of effective communication are the 7Cs discussed in the

lesson. Explain them with examples.

Feedback is of utmost importance in the basic process of communication. Unless the

sender knows whether the message he wishes to convey to the receiver is being

received exactly in the same manner as he wanted it, communication will serve no

purpose. As is well known communication suffers because of any number of reasons

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in the sender , the receiver and the medium. The sender must get feedback from the

receiver whether the message has been correctly received by him or not.

3.

Listening may be considered as the mother of all speaking. That is why one must

understand the anatomy of poor listening and identify the barriers to good listening.

Listening, the process of „hearing with a purpose‟ is the communication skill which

most people lack. .Charter (1974) defines listening as „intellectual and emotional

process that integrates physical, emotional and intellectual inputs in a search meaning

and understanding”. Many problems, personal and professional, may get

automatically resolved if one resorts to listening.

In organisations, people at different levels of positions have different types of

responsibilities and they are so much engrossed in them that they tend to shut

themselves off from the outside world. Routine impose so heavy constraints of time

on most of the executives that they tend to ignore importance of listening and

misunderstand their hearing of the problem as listening.

2.13 Reference/ Suggested Reading

1. Business Correspondence and Report Writing by R C Sharma and Krishna

Mohan, Published by Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd, New Delhi

2. Effective Technical Communication by M Ashraf Rizvi Published by Tata 1

McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd, New Delhi

3.. Effective Technical Communication by M Ashraf Rizvi Published by Tata

McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd, New Delhi

4. Business Communication Skills by Col D S Cheema , Published by Laxmi

Publications Pvt Ltd , Delhi

2.14 Model Questions

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1. What does one mean by candid communication? Can it not hurt the other principle

of being courteous?

2. What is the importance of media in communication? Explain with the help of

suitable examples.

3. How does effective listening improve the quality of communication? Give suitable

examples.

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Lesson Plan-Lesson 3

3.0 Objectives

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Classification of barriers

3.2.1Mechanical barriers

3.2.2Status barriers

3.2.3 Inter-personal hostility barriers

3.2.4 Barriers due to complexity and movement of information

3.2.5 Cultural attitudes barriers

3.3 Another method of categorization

3.3.1Interpersonal barriers

3.3.2 Difference in perception

3.3.3 Wrong assumptions

3.3.4 Difference in backgrounds of the sender of the message and the receiver

3.3.5 Physical

3.3.6 Filtering

3.3.7 Organisational structural hierarchy

3.3.7.1 Semmantic barriers

3.3.7.2 Difference in perception barriers

3.3.7.3 Stereotyping

3.3.7.4 Halo effect

3.3.7.5 Cultural background

3.3.7.6 Barriers due to lack of mutual trust

3.4 Psychological barriers

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3.4.1 Self-fulfilling prophecy

3.4.2 Individual factors like emotions and attitudes

3.4.3 Barriers due to casual approach and inadequate attention

3.4.4 Barriers due to difference in knowledge level

3.4.5 Lack of common language

3.4.6 Drawing wrong perceptions

3.4.7 Attitude of “I know all”

3.5 Interpersonal barriers

3.5.1 Ineffective communication skill

3.5.2 Limited vocabulary of sender

3.5.3 Poor listening skills

3.5.4 Noise in channel

3.5.5 Organisational barriers

3.5.6 People with personality that has strong emotions

3.5.7Self-centrednessnd obsession with self

3.5.8 Laziness to make effort for good communication

3.6 Summary

3.7 Glossary

3.8 Answers to check your progress/Self assessment questions

3.9 References/Suggested reading

3.10 Model questions

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Lesson 3- Communication- An Extended

Exposition

3.1 Objectives

After studying this lesson, student will be able to :

Understanding the reasons why communication fails or quality of

communication suffers

Learn various types of barriers

Learning what can be done to ensure barriers do not affect the quality of

communication

3.2 Introduction

Communication is the heart and soul of individuals and organisaions. , how ever there

are a large number of factors which hinder the proper flow of communication and

deliberate has to be made to keep this flow going. One must understand the factors

that affect communication, so that CEOs, managers and even husbands and wives

know what to do and what not to do to maintain an effective of flow of

communication in all directions in the interest of the organisations and human

relationships. Peter F. Drucker, one of the greatest Gurus of management, has

observed, “We have more attempts to communicate today, more attempts to talk to

others, yet communication has proved elusive. The noise level has gone up so fast that

no one can really listen any more to all that babble about communication. But clearly,

there is less and less communication. The communication gap within the institutions

and between groups in society has been widening steadily- to the point where it

threatens to become an unbridgeable gulf of total misunderstanding.

3.2 Classification of Barriers

Following are some of the categories of barriers to communication:

3.2.1 Mechanical Barriers

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Such barriers are like channel noise, channel breakdown, delay in receiving and

sending written communication etc. The control of these barriers is very simple and is

within the hands of sender and receiver.

3.2.2 Status Barriers

These could be between superior and subordinate, between rich and poor, one cast

and religion and the other. Such barriers are more prominent in poor under- developed

and developing counties.

3.2.3 Inter- personal hostility barriers

Such barriers come up when one party does not want the other party to get the

satisfaction of admitting that the other party has a good idea.

3.2.4 Due to complexity and movement of information

Barriers may also due to the type of information and the quality of cannels used.

Communication can be diluted, distorted and delayed.

3.2.5 Cultural attitudes

Like being tough and strict, mild and accommodating, being rational and logical, not

getting emotional in professional matters and so on.

3.3 Another method of categorisation

Another method of categorisation is as follows:

3.3.1 Intrapersonal Barriers

All individuals are created unique. It is so because having two exactly psychologically

similar human beings is against the laws of nature. Hence people have different

idiosyncrasies. This difference is caused because of unique personality each

individual possesses; they are different in their education, economic background,

values and beliefs and experiences. Because of this reason, people tend to interpret the

same event or happening in different ways. The causes of intrapersonal barriers are

discussed in succeeding paragraphs.

3.3.2 Difference in perception

It is discussed elsewhere in detail. How ever, you may recall the story of six blind

men and their description of the elephant. Their description f elephant as a fan, a rope,

a wall, a sword, a snake and a tree were all right as that is what they perceived the

elephant because of their touch. This is how different individuals perceive reality.

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3.3.3 Wrong assumptions

Many a times people assume that the other person understands fully what we are

trying to tell him. This may turn out to be wrong assumption and the communication

gets mutilated. Imagine a doctor telling a poor patient from village background to take

the medicine, “BD” or ”OD” or “SOS”. This will make no sense to him unless the

doctor explains the meaning eg. Once a day, twice a day and as and when required.

The sender must understand the background of the receiver of the message and only

then speak in a particular language, jargon or acronyms etc. A skilled communicator

should never assume that his audience will understand everything he is going to say.

That is why good speakers check up about the level and experience of the audience

before they address them. Political leaders are expert in this aspect; they bring

themselves down to the level of their target audience and even dress themselves

accordingly. Some leaders behave in the manner and style of their audience.

3.3.4 Difference in backgrounds of the sender of the message and the

receiver

Understanding the background of your target audiences is of importance if correct

communication is to take place. An IT professional understands the language of

software very well but if he starts using it while addressing a group of civil engineers

or doctors, they will miss the communication. Imagine a professor explaining his

experience of visiting US and narrating the culture, etiquette and manners and the

type of jargon used by the Americans, to seventh class students of a village school. Or

an army officer giving details of a battle using the typical army language, the students

who have no idea of such situations may not understand much and there will be large

number of gaps in the communication.

Some other common barriers to good communication are discussed here.

3.3.5 Physical barriers

Since communication is a two way process between the sender and the receiver,

sometimes physical distance becomes a barrier. So much so that studies indicate that

if people are more than 10 meters apart, the probability of communicating at least

once a week is only 8-9 percent vs. 25 percent at 5 meters. In certain companies, they

are getting rid of little four-person round tables and replacing them with army mess

tables, long rectangular ones, which are likely to be used by strangers and not just by

four people who already know each other.

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3.3.6 Filtering

It refers to people at different levels manipulating information to please their seniors,

WC Bennis says “communication gets distorted particularly ass it goes up the

hierarchy”. If the number of layers are more, the communication is likely to get

distorted at every level as every as person/level interprets it differently depending

upon their own perceptions, experiences etc. Good and accurate flow of

communication is possible if the organisation structure is simple.

Juniors distort the information to get a favourable response from the boss. It is well

known that many juniors want their seniors to see only that which will please them. In

situations facts and reality become causality. In organisations where the hierarchy is

long, this is a pronounced problem.

3.3.7 Organisation structure hierarchy barriers

3.3.7.1 Semantic barriers

Semantic is the science of meaning. It is a common experience that one word or

symbol may mean different things of different people. Since the meaning or

interpretation attached to a particular word or symbol may be different by the sender

and the receiver, the communication is likely to fail. Words like trunk, boot, toast,

drink, can mean different things to different people depending upon their education

and experiences etc. So, the sender must be careful in choosing the words keeping in

mind the background of the receiver.

3.3.7.2 Difference in perception

There are many factors which contribute to difference in perspective; the social,

economic , cultural and educational background in which one has grown up in, one‟s

personality, temperament, religion and political views , values and beliefs and

personal experiences etc. Every one develops a perspective of the world in which he

lives ie how one looks at the world as a whole Because of the human nature,

heredity, grooming and environment etc., individuals tend to interpret same things in

different manner. What the sender transmits is according to his own understanding,

experience and interpretation and what the receiver interprets is based on his

background and a large number of personality traits. Perception of the receiver about

the sender is also an important factor, if a dishonest politician preaches his voters to

be honest; most of the voters are not likely to take him seriously. Similarly, an

incompetent superior or a poor leader of men will not be taken seriously by hi

subordinates and men.

Steven Covey , of Seven Habits of Effective People fame, narrates a thought-

provoking experience he had on a New York Subway one Sunday. A man and his

children entered the quiet subway car. The children started running up and down,

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yelling back and forth, throwing things and grabbing people‟s papers. The man sat

quietly with his eyes closed, oblivious to what was going on . The other passengers

were irritated and angry that the father wasn‟t doing any thing to control the unruly

kids. So after a while Steven Covey turned to the man and asked him if he couldn‟t

control his children a bit more. The man readily agreed with Covey but added that

they had just come from the hospital when his wife-the children‟s mother- died an

hour before. He didn‟t know what to think; the children didn‟t know how to handle it

either. The new information, says Covey, brought about paradigm shift in his mind.

He started looking differently at the man, the children and their behaviour. The

children‟s behaviour and the father‟s inaction had been inexcusable from Covey‟s

perspective as a passenger. Now their behaviour made sense to him. But for that piece

of information, which he sought and got, he would have gone away with a very

different picture of what had happened there.

When the young children speak of the „generation gap‟, it is because of the difference

in their perspective and that of their parent‟s or grand parent‟s perspective. Is it not

strange that the parents who have raised the children and have intimately seen them

growing during all the stage, should be told by the same children that they (Parents)

don‟t understand them. Parents have also gone through the same stages when they

were as irresponsible as their children are today, but they expect the children to

behave In a more mature manner. The reason is simple; they look at their children

only as parents and miss out on the children‟s point of view.

3.3.7.3 Stereotyping

It refers to the impression about a particular group of people. It is often seen that we

tend to categorise people according to some general and popular belief, which are re-

enforced by our own experiences of life. A man from a particular class is seen with

the same characteristics, which we associate with that category of people. A person

from Bengal may be seen as well-read with understanding of art, music and so on.

How ever, one from Punjab may be seen as tall, handsome, well-built, fun –loving but

not highly educated and lacking manners and etiquette. Such classification of people

makes our assessment biased in relation with gender, caste, community and religion,

status etc.

3.3.7.4 Halo effect

Halo effect is created by one person by the other about him. It basically means

judging the other because of some personality traits, happening, and events etc.

perception. If an executive from military background, who values discipline,

punctuality and integrity as the most important traits of the personality of a

professional, he may rate a subordinate as very good even when he is not competent

and effective in his work. Once an individual frames a particular type of impression

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about the other based on a particular personality trait, he will always see the person in

the same light in all situation.

3.3.7.5 Cultural background

Verbal and non-verbal communication is affected by the cultural differences also.

Whereas people from Lucknow use very courteous and polished language, people

from Punjab are highly energetic and warm in their relationship and this is shown in

their interaction with others. Similarly, people from Japan and Russia have specific

type of greetings symbols and behavioural patterns in formal and informal meetings.

This can create confusion in the minds of the people who are not aware of such

things and they may misunderstand many situations. For example, it is common

practice in Western countries for men and women to kiss each other when they meet,

however, this may be considered highly objectionable in our culture.

3.3.7.6 Barriers due to lack of mutual trust

Lack of mutual trust between the sender and receiver can be the cause of poor

communication. Free exchange of ideas feelings and thoughts is possible only when

two parties believe as true what is being communicated between the two. If one

suspects the other to be hiding information in conveying some thing, the other reacts

in a similar fashion which may create a credibility gap and the quality of

communication suffers.

3.4 Psychological barriers

Individuals suffer in their psychological reactions to a threatening situation because

of a number of reasons. But it is natural for them to resort to a defensive mechanism

or display anxiety- reducing behaviour when they perceive a threat. A junior manager

is known for his competence, when produces a substandard piece of work and is

confronted by his superior, may deny that he did it, as it will affect his self image in a

negative manner. He may come out with any number of arguments to justify hi

position, ass he cannot let the boss go with the feeling that he could also do a shabby

job.

It has been established that behaviour of people is because of their expectations and

outcome from individuals, events etc. It is also called the Pygmalion Effect based on

story of a Greek sculptor who made the statue .of a beautiful woman and fell in love

with it hoping and expecting that it would one day of life. According to mythology,

the statue did come to life after the sculptor waited for a long time. If a father expects

his son to become a doctor, he would start seeing the qualities of a good doctor in him

and will promote and defend him to a doctor to all costs. The father‟s all verbal and

non –verbal communications will convey to his son of his expectations from him.

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3.4.1 Self-fulfilling prophecy

What you think will happen , actually happens. So one must think positive so that

positive only happens.

3.4.2 Individual factors like emotion and attitude etc.

Personality traits of individuals have impact on the quality of communication. One‟s

birth, grooming, the surroundings he has grown up in, in fact, all factors related to

„nature‟ and „nurture‟ effect the way of people communicate. Deeply religious people,

sensitive, and emotional people, people with rigid and fixed predispositions about

various things and issues, communicate in different manner. Similarly, introvert and

extrovert people communicate in different styles. Emotions like joy, anger, jealousy

usually overtake rationality. Inability to find suitable words to express happiness or

sadness, not being able to convey what one wants to when he is angry and hurt are

witnessed by us in our daily routine. A psychologically weak person may see a dead

body and may start crying whereas another person may take it very calmly as a reality

of life. A confident person shows through his enthusiasm, expressions in words and

body language as being on top of the world, another person may feel threatened under

slight pressure of work like meeting deadlines.

3.4.3 Barriers due to casual approach and inadequate attention

All the people do not pay equal attention to all the matters. A hockey player may feel

very happy and may catch the point straightway if examples related with his favourite

game are used by the speaker. A student may not read notice boards of school or

college because of his casual approach towards studies. A busy man may land up on a

wrong day or time in a party he has been invited to. If the receiver of the message is

casual or pays little attention to the message, the communication is bound to be

misunderstood.

3.4.4 Barriers due difference in knowledge levels

About knowledge it is said, “the more you know, the more you realise how little you

know”. There is so much to know that no one can know every thing about every thing.

Different people have different type of knowledge. Some one may know a lot about

space technology but knows nothing about astrology or literature; similarly another

person may be a great writer but does not know much about physics as a subject.

When we communicate the level of knowledge of the parties involved plays a vital

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role. A professor of Thermodynamics from MIT should not speak to a tenth class

student about physics unless he can bring himself down to the level of the student.

Knowledge is not what is learnt in the class room. Most of us actually learn from our

experiences more than what can be learnt from years of school, college or university

teaching. But there is no doubt is knowledge makes us understand the ways of the

world, what is happening around us. The difference in knowledge of people can create

major road blocks in communication between them. A short story, by an unknown

author will help you to understand how difference in levels of knowledge can create

misunderstanding.

“I have learnt some of white man‟s magic,” said the African chief on returning to his

country after a brief stay in England,”

“What?”, asked his brother.

“I know how to make rain. First, you must make a smooth piece ground and get grass

to grow on it. Then you carefully tend the grass. After that you place some sticks in

the grass, and get some men to put on all-white clothes. Two of the men have to carry

pieces of wood called „bats‟ and another man has to carry a red ball. After a bit of

running about between the sticks by two of the men and some throwing of the red

ball, it will rain”

Though two persons with knowledge may be speaking about the same thing but they

will stick to their version to be true and the other person‟s view as wrong. When you

go to different doctors, an allopath , a homeopath or a ayurved , they may explain the

same symptoms of the same disease in different ways, as one does not understand)or

does not want to understand) the other person‟s view either because of lack of

knowledge or his professional ego. In fields of science and technology, variation in

knowledge cause a lot of communication problems.

Every organisation worth its salt has a Vision, Mission, Strategies and Values and

Belief statement prepared and displayed prominently. The top management may be

very clear about what such statement mean, but at operational level such things make

no sense. Similarly, the problems at the worker‟s level are not understood by the top

management in the right perspective. The worker at the operational level may not be

able to make his superiors understand the problem because of the difference in the

knowledge of the two. In a family of 4-5 members there may be vast difference of

knowledge. In olden days when the mothers were generally illiterate, it was very

difficult for the children who were educated, to communicate with her.

In A Doctor’s Odyssey, Victor Heiser says that in the 1930‟s doctors and health

workers in the Philippines found it difficult to persuade the Filipinos to boil their

drinking water. One day took a tour of some houses in a district. In each house he

asked if they used boiled water. He was surprised to get an unhesitant „Yes‟ in each

house. When he got the same answer in the fifth house, he decided to delve a bit

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deeper. “How do you use the boiled ware?” he asked. “We take tea spoonful three

times a day,” back came the reply.

3.4.5 Lack of common language

If some one speaks to my illiterate mother in English language, she will be bewildered

and get nothing out of spoken words. Similarly, if you speak to me in Russian, I will

hardly be able to make sense of it. In India, languages and their dialects change every

few hundred km. As a matter of fact, in Punjab alone there are so many dialects that it

sometimes becomes difficult to understand the complete sentences without clarifying

certain words.

Use of slangs and jargon by different people can also create confusion in the minds of

the people. The words, phrase, shortcuts and electronics and internet jargon used by

the young generation is not understood by their parents and other elderly people. In

fact, many young boys and girls fool their parents and grand parents by speaking in a

particular „lingo‟ in the presence of others. When you tell some one to burn the CD, it

is not that you want him to destroy it with fire but to write it on another CD.

Similarly, words like “trunk”, “boot” and “dicky” have different meaning for different

people. “I will give you a ring the moment I reach home”, is a very commonly used

sentence to convey that telephones call will be made. The word „ring‟ here is for

giving a phone call and does not have a literal meaning.

3.4.6 Drawing wrong inferences

Some times people tend to draw wrong inference from what they have been told by

others or have seen themselves and use that information to take decisions and for a

follow up action. There is a story about the CEO of a company who went abroad to

learn about the concept of MBO (Management By Objectives). He learnt everything

that was to be learnt and was so impressed with concept that he wanted to apply it to

his own organisation. While in the flight back home, he utilised the time to jot down

what tasks should be allotted to whom out of his senior executives. The executives

were shocked when they were allotted the tasks as many a task was not practically

viable. The CEO had forgotten the basics of MBO, “Participation”, which is the blood

that flows in the veins of the concept. Drawing such wrong inferences could be

disastrous for the organisation

3.4.7 Attitude of ―I know all‖

There are people who think they know everything that are to be known. They live in

the cocoon of self-sufficiency and behave with others as if every one else except them

is ignorant. They tend to impose their views on others and don‟t understand the point

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of view of others. They forget that, “The more you know, the more you realise that

how little you know” While negotiating, it is important that you give the other person

to put forward his point of view before you give your point of view. It gives you the

benefit of knowing the other person‟s strategy in negotiating and then forming your

own strategy to convince him about your point.

3.5 Interpersonal Barriers

These barriers are because of an individual‟s knowledge, skill, competency, attitude,

habits, etiquette and manners, type of body language etc.

3.5.1 Ineffective communication skills.

Delivery of the message to the audiences is important. This may happen due to any of

the reasons discussed in succeeding paragraphs.

3.5.2 Limited vocabulary of the sender

Poor vocabulary is one of the important reasons in not being able to make good

communication, whether it is verbal or in writing. The idea is that the sender should

be very clear which word would be most suitable and best understood by the receiver.

Good vocabulary is one thing; ability to use it is another. Good vocabulary and proper

formation of sentences which are delivered confidently can leave very good

impression on others.

Difference in speed of thinking and speed of speech is yet another reason. There are

people who tend to make non-coherent speech due to lack of coordination between

their speed of thought and speed of speech. Overzealousness on the part of the

speaker to speak fast thinking that it will impress others must be curbed.

Inability to analyse and frame the ideas in a logical and sequential manner Some

people have limited intellect and are not able to comprehend and analyse a situation

so that only correct things are spoken or written.

3.5.3 Poor listening skill

Those who want to speak and don‟t have the patience to listen, end up as poor

communicators. Most of us hear; the difference between hearing and listening being

that listening is hearing with purpose. Unless you are very clear about what others

have to say, you cannot answer the queries appropriately. When you hear, the

problems don‟t get solved; they are perhaps put under the carpet for some time. But

when you listen, the problems get solved for ever. Business executives should be

good speakers as they have to interact with large number of people orally, how ever ,

they should be better listeners.

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3.5.4 Noise in channel

Any interference in the sent message not being received by the receiver in the exact

form, is because of many factors; one of them is „noise‟. Noise here refers to

breakdown in communication or poor communication. Noise may occur due to

technological errors or physical reasons, these can be rectified easily. Physical noise

of machines, human words at high pitch, sound of loud music, workers holding union

meetings in which tempers run high and so on.

3.5.5 Organisational barriers

Barriers are not limited only to individuals and groups of people; organisations also

have barriers which result in poor communication. Every small or big organisation

has a culture of its own which has been developed over the years. The good practices

which many companies use may restrict the functioning of a pro-active executive. The

type of hierarchy used in the company can also dilute the quality of communication.

In certain organisations, a worker at the operational level may have access to the MD

in important matters, where as in some others they must follow the upward channel of

communication rigidly and any one violating it may be punished.

In big organisations, people may be shifted from one location to other quite often.

While the transfer of the person may be in the interest of the company, the aspect of

human emotions and inconvenience also must be kept in mind while ordering such

transfers. In certain organisations, the superiors are not respected but are feared by the

juniors. A junior person may postpone giving information or even hold it back

permanently as he is scared of being admonished or punished. Free flow of

information, on the principle of „need to know‟ is very important. For want of correct

and timely feedback, certain opportunities may be missed and the organisation may

loose big profits. Encouraging the juniors to give innovative ideas without any fear

can benefit the organisation hugely.

Some organisations create unhealthy competition because of wrong policies,

procedures, rules and regulations, biases and prejudices etc. Introducing incentives

and awards or policies of punishment must be done very carefully. As a golden

principle, appreciation must be done in public and criticism must be done in private.

The type of media which is used for internal and external communication in the

organisation also plays an important role in improving the quality of communication.

Information processing methods may also cause information over load and result in

poor quality of communication. Organisations must keep in mind type of message,

intended audience, time and cost at the back of their mind while choosing the right

media. Usually, it is a mix of different type of media which is used.. It may be

promotional articles in newspapers, advertisement in print and electronic media or

email/SMS messages.

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3.5.6 People with personality that has strong emotions

Too much of any emotion can make one blind of the actual reality. It is said that love

is blind, how ever , in practice hatred, jealousy, introvertedness, extrovertedness,

anger etc can all make one blind. When one is ceased with rage, no rational decision

can be taken . We read about the example of road rage, where the commuters shoot

each other dead. Similarly father shoots a son or daughter or a son murders his

mother, father and brother. When one commits such heinous crimes, he is in the grip

of anger and rage does not see any logic or reason. When one is angry, his non-verbal

communication in the form of body language conveys a lot of negativity. An angry

person loses coherency of speech, his blood pressure goes up , he clinches his fists in

threatening manner and so on. Management of emotions is the key to mange

relationships and hence stress.

It is known that our feelings and emotions are generated by thinking. There are five

major recognised feelings of happiness, anger, sorrow, fear and anxiety. Other

feelings like guilt, jealousy, resentment, self-pity etc. are variations or combinations

of these. We may go through same incident or happening but each one of us will have

different feelings associated with that happening. Emotions are essential part of our

lives and are aroused to different levels depending upon many complex factors related

to our heredity and bringing up. It is common to see people getting in to different

moods and feelings like, anger, anxiety, love, hate, fear, joy, sadness, happiness and

so on. All emotions have impact on our behaviour.

People who display very strong emotions are not able to community accurately as the

„heat of the moment‟ does not let them act rationally.

In his book Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman writes an experience of 1963

about „emotional hijacking‟. A man called Richard Robes who was a criminal and had

been jailed was granted parole. He had decided to quit the life of crime but he broke

in an apartment to get some money for his girl friend and his three years old daughter.

Out of the two women who lived in the apartment one was at home when Robes

committed the crime. He tied her up and looted the house. While he was about to

leave the other woman also came in. He decided to tie her up as well. One of the

women told him that she will not get him go free as she remembered her face and she

will surely get him jail. Since Robes wanted to lead a life of peace and did not want to

go back jail, he murdered both women in a fit of anger. When he was asked why he

committed the double murder, he said, “I just went bananas. My head just exploded”.

Goleman calls such emotional explosion as neural hijacking.

3.5.7 Self-centeredness or Obsession with Self

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Human nature is being selfish. Every one looks for something for him in everything

that happens. No one looks at world in an objective manner. Being selfish is not bad

as unless people are selfish there would be no progress in the world. As long as the

selfishness and self-centered approach is within the limits , it is not damaging. This

should be checked on the test of being reasonable and fair. Self-centered people

strongly believe in their own logic and decisions. Such people have very short vision

and don‟t look beyond their personal interest. They are not concerned with the

poverty and miseries of the people and are happy too spend crores on their personal

pleasure even when people are dying around them. They believe in “I, Me and

Myself” philosophy and go to any extent to make illegitimate profits at the cost of

others. In recent times, when Uttaranchal was struck with disaster, there were many

who were looking for opportunity to make quick money. Some seniors, who are

bothered only about their own ambitions and promotions, treat their juniors very

badly but bend backwards to meet any demand of their seniors.

3.5.8 Plain Laziness to make effort for good communication

Good communication does not come easy; one has to make special effort to do that.

It is difficult to communicate properly because one has to find most appropriate word

to write or speak, one must be careful about how it is spoken or written. Also, the

body language or the non-verbal aspect has to be kept in mind. Even with good

intentions, one may convey something bad or evil if the language and words are not

chosen carefully.

Laziness leads to mediocrity; it sacrifices excellence .A casual and lazy approach to

anything in life does not help one to move ahead in life. One does not plan any

activity including the activity of communication. Many people find short-cuts yo

anything they do. Rather than doing it himself, an executive may delegate work to a

junior even when it is known that the person does not have the competence to take up

that task. Have you not noticed that while speaking on phone people keep watching

TV or reading a newspaper or a book? When some one wants some information, we

may give it depending on our memory and not make the effort to find the right

information.

3.6 Summary

The importance of quality of communication is realised when you see so many

problems around the world, whether there is a problem between the nations,

organisations or individuals. There are so many reasons because of which

communication is not perfect. The concept of „perfect communication‟ is that the

receiver gets exactly what the sender transmits. There could be intrapersonal barriers,

interpersonal barriers and organisational barriers. Individual personality plays a very

important role in the quality of communication.

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Different types of barriers have been discussed in detail in this lesson.

3.7 Glossary

Intrapersonal Barriers .People with unique personalities tend to interpret the

same event or happening in different ways. Barriers created by uniqueness of

individual interpretation is called intrapersonal barriers

Interpersonal Barriers These barriers are because of an individual‟s knowledge,

skill, competency, attitude, habits, etiquette and manners, type of body language etc.

Physical Barriers These are the barriers because of distance or disturbance in the

media

Stereotyping It refers to the impression about a particular group of people

3.8 Answer to check your progress/Self Assessment

Questions

1. Identify the communication barrier which describes each of the following issues:

(a) Professor: “Students who have not submitted the Project Report within

30 days as instructed will lose points in the assessment.”

Students: „Sir, but you asked to submit the Report within 45 days”

(b)“Senior Executive to the Administrative Officer of the company: “Are

you giving this horrible room as office where one cannot work peacefully?. I will not

use it.”

© Vice-president of the company: “Every time he calls me the boss does

not listen to my point of view”

2. Explain the following terms :

(a) Organisational barriers

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(b) Noise in the channel

(c) Halo Effect

3. Identify the type of communication barrier in the following situation:

“I asked all the middle level managers to meet me in the conference room at 3 PM

on Tuesday. It is already 4PM and none has turned up , I think I have lost my

authority in the organisation.”

Answers:

1

(a) It could be due to difference in perception of the professor. It could also be due to

casual approach or not paying enough attention to the subject.

(b) It is the barrier of obsession with self

© Difference in perception , cultural background or difference in the level of

knowledge/competence

2.

(a) Every small or big organisation has a culture of its own which has been developed

over the years. The good practices which many companies use may restrict the

functioning of a pro-active executive. The type of hierarchy used in the company can

also dilute the quality of communication. In certain organisations, a worker at the

operational level may have access to the MD in important matters, where as in some

others they must follow the upward channel of communication rigidly and any one

violating it may be punished

(b ) Any interference in the sent message not being received by the receiver in the

exact form, is because of many factors; one of them is „noise‟. Noise here refers to

breakdown in communication or poor communication. Noise may occur due to

technological errors or physical reasons, these can be rectified easily. Physical noise

of machines, human words at high pitch, sound of loud music, workers holding union

meetings in which tempers run high.

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© Halo effect is created by one person by the other about him. It basically means

judging the other because of some personality traits, happening, and events etc.

perception. If an executive from military background, who values discipline,

punctuality and integrity as the most important traits of the personality of a

professional, he may rate a subordinate as very good even when he is not competent

and effective in his work. Once an individual frames a particular type of impression

about the other based on a particular personality trait, he will always see the person in

the same light in all situation.

3.

It is a barrier due to a personality with strong emotions.

3.9 References/ Suggested Reading

1. Technical Communication by Meenakshi Raman and Sangeeta Sharma, published by

Oxford University Press , New York

2. Business Correspondence and Report Writing by R C Sharma and Krishna Mohan,

Published by Tata Mcraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd, New Delhi

3. Effective Technical Communication by M Ashraf Rizvi Published by Tata

McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd, New Delhi

3.10 Model Questions

1. What are the types of barriers in communication?

2. Why does communication suffer due to difference in perceptions?. Give

suitable examples.

3. What is the role of Halo effect on the type of communication? How can this be

rectified?

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Lesson Plan-Lesson 4

4.0 Objectives

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Writing skill

4.2.1 Importance of writing skill in business

4.2.2 Types of writing skills

4.2.3 Paragraph writing

4.2.3.1 Types of paragraphs

4.2.3.2 Techniques pf paragraph writing

4.3 Memos, Fax, E-mails

4.3.1 Memos

4.3.2 Fax

4.3.2.1 Fax glossary

4.3.3 E-mails

4.3.3.1 Advantages of E-mails

4.3.3.2 Limitations

4.3.3.3 E-mail etiquette

4.3.3.4 E-mail format

4.4 Formal letters

4.4.1 Functions of business letters

4.4.2 Principles of business writing

4.5 Structure ad layout of business letters

4.6 Specimen business letters

4.7 Summary

4.8 Glossary

4.9 Answers to check your progress/Self assessment questions

4.10 References/Suggested reading

4.11 Model questions

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Lesson 4 Essentials of Business Writing

4- 0 Objectives

After studying this lesson, student will be able to :

Understanding the importance of writing skills

Learning the art of writing

Improving writing skills through understanding and practicing Paragraph

Writing as the basic writing skill

Learning to write Memos, Fax, E-mail

Understanding the need of formal business letters, types of letters and their

formats, the art of writing effective business letters to agents, suppliers and

customers

4.1 Introduction

The significance of writing skills cannot be overemphasized as it is of vital

importance to all professionals in all fields of activities. A student needs to learn the

writing skills to be able to appear in examination, prepare project reports, write class

notes so that they become useful to him at a later stage and he may be required to

write summaries, synopsis, précis, abstracts and so on. Similarly, a working

professional is required to submit a feasibility report, write notes of a seminar,

workshop or a symposium. Professionals are also required to write official and Demi

-Official (DO) letters, memos, e-mails, reports , proposals , summaries etc

No business transaction can take place without successful correspondence at some

point. Enquiries must be answered, quotations given, orders placed, complaints dealt

with, transport and insurance arranged and accounts settled. Letters must be written to

customers, salesmen, agents, suppliers , bankers, and many others, they cover every

conceivable part of business activity. Business letters are a company‟s silent

salesmen, and often enough, represent only contact with the outside world. Hence, the

need to write various types of letters.

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Commercial writing is a skill and like other skills it must be learnt. People need to be

trained so that business communication is effective. Business letters are an important

part of business communication in every organisation whether big or small.

In modern organisations, a number of means of communication are adopted for

correspondence within the organisation and with outside agencies. In big

organisations, there are a number of hierarchical steps and maintaining a good level of

communication with all its employees is a big challenge. Business organisations have

to remain in constant touch with outside agencies like suppliers of materials,

customers, government agencies etc. Manufacturing companies get their raw

materials of components and sub assemblies from a number of vendors: domestic as

well as foreign. Correspondence has to be made with them about the requirements in

terms of numbers required specifications of quality standard, date and time deadlines

to be met etc. Similarly, the company‟s customers must be informed of the time their

requirements have been despatched, the details of means of transportation of the

goods being sent and the terms and conditions of payments to be made

4.2 Writing Skills

All types of communication is important. Writing skill is necessary for professionals

and businessmen.

4.2.1 Importance of writing skills in business

For requesting quotations/soliciting inquiries, forwarding of catalogues

placing orders.

Correspondence regarding delay, wrong dispatch, equipment/machine not

in order.

Payments schedules, payment delays, seeking special concessions,

discounts etc

Purchase of raw materials, components, subassemblies/assemblies from

different vendors

Keeping the customers and potential clients in picture about the new

products.

Maintaining good public relations, extending greetings, etc essentially

remaining in touch with people who can be helpful in business activities

of the company

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.Remain in contact with government agencies in context of many

stationary requirements, like PF, ESI etc

4.2.2 Types of Writing Skills

A list of writing activities which one must learn as a student and as a professional to

be able to excel in their respective areas is given below:

General writing skills

Personal requirements of writing letters, sending e-mails ,letters to newspapers,

articles for publishing in magazines or newspapers, preparing comments or notes etc.

Academic writing skills

Class notes, lab reports , thesis , dissertations, notes for declamation contests, notes

for making presentations , project reports, examination etc.

Professional writing skills

Official /DO letters, memos, reports of different types, formal business letters,

preparing minutes, notes of conferences and meetings, sending official e-mails,

writing resumes and job applications, etc.

4.2.3 Paragraph writing to learn basic writing skills

A paragraph is a short composition which consists of a number of sentences linked

together and all relating to one topic .Writing prose is of utmost importance for

communicating one‟s ideas , feelings, thoughts and emotions. All great authors write

their entire book on any issues, which may consist of a number of paragraphs.

To write a good paragraph, one must keep the following in mind:

The paragraph should be short although there are no rules about the length of a

paragraph

It should deal with one topic or idea. It is a good idea to state the topic

sentence or idea in a single simple sentence eg. it is the mad craze for money

that has made human beings so greedy.

The sentences must be in logical order. The most important ones are the first

and the last. The first sentence is usually the topic sentence. This should be

able to rouse the interest of the reader. The last sentences should sum up the

idea which was developed.

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The sentences that follow the first ones should generally develop the idea in

some kind of logical sequence. These sentences form the main body of the

paragraph.

There should be a variety in construction of sentences. Avoid unnecessary

reptilian of words and you should ensure that all sentences are of different

types and length. It should be clearly understood that a paragraph follows all

the rules of good writing

.

4.2.3.1 Types of paragraphs

Broadly paragraphs may be classified in the following two ways:

Descriptive Paragraph

In these paragraphs, the writer describes a certain situation or event. For example if

the writer has visited a hill station in summer, he may explain the details of journey

and the beautiful scenes of nature which he saw at a particular hill station. It is the

description of something which has actually happened or about a particular person or

event/situation etc. When a student is asked to write a paragraph on how he spent his

summer vacation, he describes the experiences he has actually gone through. Quality

of a good descriptive paragraph is that the reader actually goes through the experience

which the author of the paragraph describes in the paragraph. Autobiographies,

biographies and travelogues are examples in which descriptive paragraphs are used.

Imaginative Paragraph

Here the writer of the paragraph imagines a particular scene or situation and writes

that. There is unlimited scope for the writer to imagine anything and put it in such

words that the reader becomes a part of the story even when he knows that it is purely

fictitious. Here the author of the paragraph takes liberty with thoughts , feelings and

emotions of various characters of the situation. To make the text interesting and

readable, the author may imagine certain things which the reader may not identify

with real life but still likes to read. Such writings are the best friends of the reader.

Novels are composed of such paragraphs

4.2.3.2 Techniques for paragraph development

One can develop the central idea of the paragraph through various techniques. But the

commonly used techniques are :

Illustration Providing examples to explain the main idea

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Comparison and contrast Bringing out similarities and differences to

develop the idea

Cause and effect Explaining the reasons for the end result

Classification Breaking the main idea in to specific

categories

Problem and solution Discussing the solution to the problems posed

Principles of paragraph writing

Strive to follow the given hints of writing to excel at it.

Do not start writing at once. Think of the paragraph in totality. Plan a

framework you can note down the points you want to give in the

paragraph.

Give a brief introduction of the topic. Otherwise the start will be very

abrupt. Follow it with all the relevant information. Conclude the discussion

in the end

.

Be precise and direct. Develop your points into thoughts logically. Ensure

that no significant aspect is left out. Collection of unconnected thoughts

only leads to confusion.

Language is paramount importance in writing an essay. Convey you

thoughts through appropriate words and short sentence. Do not use high

sounding words just to show off your knowledge.

Be careful about grammatical rules. The paragraph should be punctuated

properly. Write in standard English Avoid slang.

Do not break the subject matter into smaller paragraphs

The students will be provided basic outline of paragraph. They can develop it

themselves. Few outlines have been provided for practice paragraphs can be

related to-

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Scientific issues

Educational social issues

Reflective issues

Economic issues

Political and current issues

Based on idioms

Based on technology

4.3 Memos, Fax, E-mails

4.3.1 Memos

A memo is a formal written message written in a conventional form for others to meet

specific needs of the organisation. It is a dialogue where the initiator of the message

conveys something and expects the receivers to take actions as required. Hence ,

memo is an important part of internal communication and every individual must know

the basics of writing a good memo.

Purpose of business memos

The purpose of any communication within the business entity to solve various

problems and business memos play the following role:

To describe and explain the problem

Ask for more information

Ask for additional resources

Share proposals or ask for proposals

Explain various policies and any changes made in the policies

Explain working procedures and methods

Requesting the receiver to take action as asked for

Ask the reader to attend a meeting or conference or be present at a particular

place

Ask for feedback, suggestions, comments, recommendations etc.

Provide feedback and suggestions ,advice etc.

Seek views explanation for not doing some thing or not achieving a target

Issuing polite reminders

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Memos like other communication may be downward, upward or horizontal in nature

depending upon the need to communicate.

Downward memos

They are used for the purpose of:

Convey to the juniors routine information about the company

Share matters relating to personnel, promotions, transfers, incentives,

punishments etc

Give instructions for performing specific tasks

Seek explanations or clarifications

Give feedback about their performance and other related matters

Upward memos

As the name conveys this is the communication from junior levels to the higher

levels, They are generally in the following form:

Grievances, complaint

Feedback regarding implementation of a policy or procedure

Giving suggestions and new ideas to the seniors

Informing the seniors about problems like shortage of manpower, non-

availability of power etc

Horizontal memos

These memos are sent to people who are at the same level in the organisation. The

basic purpose served by these memos is :

Coordinate issues with others

Seek cooperation from peers

Persuade colleagues‟ to support a particular project or be present a t the

presentation etc.

Difference between letters and memos

The broad differences are:

Letters are used for external communication but the memos are for internal

communication

The format used by the two is different

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Letters are more formal than the memos

Memos are not as well structured as the letters

Memos because of their very use need not go into the background or provide

any introduction

How to write effective memos?

Memos are an important part of internal communication. They should generally

follow the rules of good writing . Specifically, they should:

Clarity

Any vague memo may confuse the reader , so , clarity is of utmost

importance.

Conciseness The message while being shared internally should be as

concise as possible

Unity of theme What good is any information which is not coherent?

The memo must be coherent without sacrificing the basic theme.

Informal tone Although a memo is a formal document , yet it is

less formal tan other forms of communication. Since it is an internal

communication, the writer and the receiver are likely to know each other

. In such environment , an informal tone of the message will be much

better. Very formal tone may appear to be intimidating in nature.

Form and Structure of a memo

Like any other communication , writing a memo demands special effort and should

not be taken casually. As far sa possible a standard format should be used.

There are four segments of a memo as shown below:

Heading

It includes the date , the recipient‟s name and designation, the sender‟s name and

designation and the subject. Here is an example:

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15 March ,2014-04-04

To : Mr. Rs Bhatti, Additional Director

From: D S Sandhu, General Manager (HR)

Subject : Promotion, Mr g. Swaminathan as DGM (Marketing)

May I request you to forward suitable recommendation report in respect of Mr.G.

Swaminathan, as it is required to be put up to the CEO before 18 March .

Please treat it as urgent.

Opening

Most memos include a short purpose of writing the memo. The opening sentences

include the central theme of the memo. The opening must answer the following:

(a) What is the problem?

(b) What led to the need of this memo?

(c) What is the purpose of the memo?

An example of an opening for a memo is as follows:

We are conducting a special training program for Grade 3 officers of the company on

20 April, 2014

Our latest product “Wonder Smile” which was launched in Jan 2013, has surpassed all

records of sales. I am enclosing the sales report of the product till 31 March, 2014.

Body

It contains the message of the memo. It includes all these details that support the

central idea of the memo. It may contain some recommendations etc.

Closing

Like all other forms of written communication, memo should also be closed in a

courteous manner. While stating what action is required to be taken by the receiver of

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the memo, do not forget the decency and courtesy. Here are a few examples of a good

„closing‟:

(a) Would you be kind enough to discuss the matter with other senior members

of your staff and send me your views by 10 May , 2014 positively?

(b) I feel that you would appreciate the new policy which is employee-freidly and

will motivate them to perform still better. Kindly forward your comments by

10 April, 2014-04-04

Optional Elements

There may be the need to attach some documents like references to other memos,

circulars , reports etc.

Writing strategies for a good memo

The following steps can help in organising a memo in a systematic manner:

Analyse the problem and purpose of writing the memo

Determine the needs of the reader

Determine the scope of the message

Organise the message

Write the first draft of the message

Revise , review and edit the message

Prepare the final draft

A model memo

Please study the following model memo to be ale to write effective memos:

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Steadfast Consultants Pvt Ltd

SCO 6789, First Floor, Sector 234, Chandigarh- 100166

Interoffice Memorandum

Date: 04 April, 2014

To : Miss Ishy Yadav, Sr Training Manger

From : R C Bhargava, Managing Director

Subject: Training in self-management for senior managers of Punjab National Bank

Please refer to the proposal dated 20 Feb , 2014. I am happy that you are organising

the program in the premises of PNB.

I feel you should include one session on, “Self-management and its contribution to

organisational effectiveness”

R C Bhargava

4.3.2 FAX

In 1843, a man named Alexander Bain first patented the design of a facsimile for

transmission of text or graphics over phone line.

It is the process of making an exact copy of a document made by electyronic scanning

and transmitted as data by telecommunication links. It is a short form of Facsimile

and is also called tel-ecopying or telefacsimile It is the process of transmission of any

message which is in the written typed form, drawings, pictures, graphs etc. in fact any

message on a piece of paper which cannot be sent though, telephone, tele-printer etc.

can be sent through a Fax.

Technology used is the conversion of ink in to electrical impulses which at a distances

are converted back in to the original image. It is one of the fastest means of

communicating written information. In a few minutes large data of any type can be

faithfully received in any part of the world . Hence, any business information is as

good with any one using it in any part of the world. It is most widely used by media

but has tremendous potential in business world.

4.3.2.1 Fax glossary

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Fax Broadcast Sending messages to several people at once

Fax on demand/ Fax Retrieval A system that can be set up to request a fax using

a touch- tone phone

Fax/Modem Device that allows PC to fax to send and receive fax

documents

Fax Mode Mode that allows fax modem to send and receive files in a

fax format

Fax Server A computer dedicated to sending / receiving faxes for a group

of network computers

4.3.3 E-mails

Last decade has seen very rapid growth in the use of internet by Indian companies. E-

mail use has become so wide spread that it has changed the way the companies

communicate today. There are good chances that the reader of this lesson would have

his personal e-mail ID and perhaps one for the position in which he works for in the

organisation. Most of the companies and other organisations encourage us of e-mails

as a means of communication. All internal communication within the company which

may have many branches spread in India and abroad, is though e-mails only. E-mails

offer many advantages over other means of communication.

E-mail has its own language and acronyms, vocabulary etc. And with the help of this

language and vocabulary, you can do so many things instantaneously. While e-mail is

one of the best ways of communication, it also has its limitations. Though modern

technology offers many ways of maintaining the confidentiality of the message being

sent, yet all such methods can be corrupted by a determined trouble-maker and certain

other means may be more suitable

4.3.3.1 Advantages of E-mails

One can communicate instantaneously with any one across the globe. It

reaches the recipient in a matter of seconds and minutes

The message can be sent simultaneously to as many people as you want; you

have to know only the e-mail addresses of the concerned parties. Amailing list

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may be maintained in the computer which allows fast distribution of message

to all.

One can use e-mail to access large amount of data available with any one

anywhere

One can easily save thousands of e-mail messages in small space and search

them electronically as and when one wants

E-mails messages can be picked up from any where and pasted anywhere

else.

One can use the „reply‟ button to include part or all of the original message in

the reply message. Reply to some one‟s e-mail can be sent immediately

without the need of composing the address and the subject

All types of files, pictures, sketches, drawings, sound and video clips can be

attached with e-mail

You don‟t have to disturb the person you are wanting to communicate with.

He can open his mailbox at his convenience and take suitable action.

When you get the e-mail message, you don‟t have to worry about being

disturbed or interrupted if you are already sending or receiving another

message. The message will be received in your mailbox and you can see at

your convenience.

It is the most cost-effective method. In fact , it is so inexpensive that it can be

used by any one. The cost does not depend on the distance between the sender

and the receiver or the size of the message.

4.3.3.2 Limitations

E-mails received by any one can be edited by any of the recipients.

When you receive the message , you are not sure whether it is the

original message or some one has intentionally or inadvertently edited it.

It cannot be retracted or called back. Once the „send‟ button is pressed ,

it is gone.

It is very difficult to track e-mails

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It is possible to forge e-mails

You are subjected to junk mails from all over . If your e-mail ID is

known any one can send you any message whether you like it or not

It can become a habit which can become a disease People start spending

too much of time in collating the e-mails and do not invest time with

their colleagues, and others.

Human touch , empathy and emotions get relegated and mechanical

interaction takes over.

4.3.3.3 E-mail Etiquette

Many organisations have devised their own e-mail guidelines or rules. Some of the

generally accepted e-mail etiquette are as follows:

Answer promptly. The very purpose of this type of communication

will be lost if you don‟t respond quickly.

Do not always as a matter of practice „Reply to all‟

Use proper structure and layout. It is more difficult to read the

message on screen as compared to reading it on a peace of paper.

Hence, use simple language in small sentences and small paragraph,

leave enough space between two paragraphs and number the

different points you wish to make.

It is a good idea to identify yourself . Rather than just giving your e-

mail in „From‟ write your name as well

Try and address all possible queries in your reply. If you don‟t do it ,

the other party will keep raising more and more queries wasting

your time.

Your e-mail should be as concise as possible. It being difficult to

read on screen , a long e-mail would not be welcome.

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Use of correct grammar, spellings and punctuation. These are

important for any written communication but are more so for e-

mails. Use the spell-check option often.

Do not use capital letters. It looks as if you are shouting. This can

be highly annoying and an irritated reader may send you a mail

which you may not like,

As far as possible , use active voice rather than passive voice.

Saying, “We welcome your enquiry” sounds much better than,

“Your enquiry is welcomed by our organisation”

Language should be gender-neutral. Don‟t use „he‟ or „she‟. It is

good to use „the sender‟ or „the user‟

Maintain coherence

Attach only limited files/data

Always read the e-mail before you press the „send‟ button

Do not use abbreviations and acronyms which are not in common

use and the receiver of the mail may not be conversant with them.

Avoid using „high priority‟ option as much as you can . Only really

important messages should be marked such.

Do not reply to „spam‟ as it is not meant for you.

Use it carefully and appropriately as it is not private. Working

people should be very careful in using e-mail, if used

inappropriately they can even be fire

.

4.3.3.4 E-mail Format

Although , the system provides us a ready made format, there is a need to use certain

conventions and use the format effectively. It includes the following:

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Heading It includes the following:

Date Sat, 05 March, 2014 12:42:10

From colcheema1942@gmail.com

To ramesh. vinayak@hindustantimes.com

Subject Book Review for publishing

CC Cc:yojana.yadav@hindustantimes.com

BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) Bcc: rahul.tanwar2hindustantimes.com

Salutation Rules of salutation are the same as in any written

communication. Examples are as follows:

Dear Dr SP Singh,

Dear Mr S K Vashisht.

Dear Yojana

Body It mentions, describes and explains the

central idea of the purpose of writing the mail.

4.4 Formal Letters

Letter writing is an important business activity.

4.4.1 Functions of business letters

As discussed earlier, business letters perform an important function in business

activities. They are an accurate and an inexpensive way of communicating with

vendors, customers, employees of the company, shareholders, government agencies

and so on. Some of the useful purposes the business letters perform are:

Maintaining good public relations.

For keeping records and maintaining references.

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Record of contracts with different agencies. Maintain contacts where

physical contact is not possible. .

4.4.2 Principles of Business Letter Writing

For writing effective business letters, one should follow certain principles. Some of

them are discussed here.

Courteous and Considerate

All business letters must be courteous and considerate in their language and style.

Though business letters are dictated by the head not by the heart; they are

calculated in every respect, yet there is need to be considerate and courteous, so

that it creates a favourable impact on the person who receives the letter. There

would be many unpleasant and difficult exchanges through letters because of the

business interaction, but that does not mean that either of the parties should forget

the basic courtesy which should be extended to each other. It is important for all

organisations which wish to thrive in business that goodwill amongst those with

whom they have business relationship, is one of the most important elements of

growth. This gets translated to good business at one point of time or either.

Courteous and considerate communications with all concerned can help build

good will for the company. Some common courtesies which may be exchanged

are:

(i) Thank you very much for your letter, dated 10 March, 07.

(ii) We are pleased to receive your enquiry.

(iii)We regret we have not received your letter under reference, can you be

kind enough to forward it again.

(iv) We are sorry to learn that you did not receive the machine on time for the

inauguration. We assure you that this will not happen in our future

dealings.

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(v) I am very pleased to receive D O letter, dated 15 April, 06 from your

honourable Managing Director.

(vi) We are pleased to receive the payment so promptly and thank you for the

same.

It is advisable to avoid the use of following expressions in all business

communications:

(i) It is surprising that you have not received our letter dated 10 January, 07.

(ii) We do not expect you to ………..

(iii) I must very clearly mention that ……

(iv) You can do what you please, however……

(v) It is difficult to believe that----------

(vi) We are not bound to do what you want us to do

(vii) We are unable to meet your unreasonable demand

.

(viii) You can go ahead with whatever actions you wish to take.

(ix) We refute your claim as ……………..

All business correspondence should be made keeping in mind what the reader will

think of the individual signing the letter or the organisation he represents. Courtesy

cost, nothing but creates a very good impression on the recipients of the

communication. Correspondence shows the attitude of the person initiating it. The

person who drafts or signs the letter from a position of authority in his organisation,

often forgets the impact it is going to have it on the person dating it.

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Good organisations are always careful in drafting, typing and following the principles

of good communication. The company cannot afford to forget business interest, which

is very important for it in any case, but not being curt and rude and not forgetting

decency and courtesy of civilised behaviour is also important. It is always helpful to

be human in personal as well as business correspondence.

Direct Approach and Conciseness

Many forge the basic aim of the letter and try to make use of beautiful but

inappropriate words and sentences. They keep beating about the bush and do not

convey the message directly. This must be avoided. You must remember that the

recipient of the letter is a busy person and would like to know the message of the

letter straightway. Avoid unnecessary details and come to the point directly.

While courtesy must not be forgotten, the writer of business letter should focus on

the message.

Avoid Verbosity

. Most of the business correspondence has un- necessary phrases and words which

become an irritant to the reader. It must be remembered that the best communication

is the simple, straight- forward communication, using minimum words.

Participial Ending

Certain sentences at the end of the letter do not convey anything essential, they

just add to the length of the letter. As far as possible, that should be avoided.

a. Hoping you will continue to show your interest in our products in

future as well.

b. We trust that the information provided will meet your requirement;

otherwise you are welcome to revert back to us.

c It goes without saying that we shall be delighted to get a communication from

you in this regard.

Positive and Direct Statements.

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In any correspondence, negative expressions create avoidable

confusion. It is best to make a positive and direct statement. Some examples are

given below:

Please let us know instead of you have failed to inform us

We will be happy to help you if … instead of We are not in a position

to help you unless……..

We will appreciate to hear from you instead of We have not heard from

you for the past six months

Brevity and Clarity.

Through brevity is very important but it must not be at the cost of clarity. A clear,

simple and straight-forward style of writing always achieves more than ambiguous,

beating about the bush style. Clarity is in the attitude of a person who is sure of what

he wants the communication. As started earlier, good and effective business

communication is a skill which needs to be acquired through training.

4.5 Structure and Layout of a business letters

Over a period of time business letter have evolved a definite pattern as far as

structure and pattern is concerned.. Following a logical and commonly used pattern,

following the Do‟s and Don‟t‟s discussed earlier, give the letter a neat , clean and

readable look. Good companies are very careful while sending letters to the outside

agencies as they care for their reputation and good will.

Essential parts of a letter are:

Heading or the head address

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The date

Reference number

The inside address

Attention line

Salutation

Subject

The body of the letter

The complementary close

The signatures

The identification marks

The enclosures

Each of the above parts is discussed here.

Heading or the head address The name and address of the company is placed in

the centre or to the right of the sheet. This contains the complete address along with

telephone number, e-mail, fax , website etc. below the name of the company. Since

companies write large number o letters, letter heads are printed. Good companies get

the design of their company name and logo etc designed from good artists. This may

consume about one-fifth of the total page. An example of the letter head is shown

below:

Goodhealth Medical Systems Ltd

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Manufacturers of X-ray and C-arm machines

Registered Office 999, Sector 32 A , Chandigarh

Works Plot No. Industrial Area Phase II, Chandigarh

Telephone 0172 -2666677 Works 0172-2666678

E-mail good health2222@gmail.com Chandigarh 160009

The Date Date is generally written 2-5 spaces below the

head address on the right hand corner of the sheet. It should not be written in numbers

as 12.3.2014 but as follows:

12 March 2014 or March 12, 2014-03-31

Reference No. It is written on the left side of the paper in the same line as date.

Some letters may have two references including the other party‟s also. In that case , it

is written as „your reference‟ and „our reference‟ . It may also be written in the body

of the leatter as , “Thank you for your letter No. dated “ How ever

the method of writing on to should be preferred..

The inside address Complete address of the person or company to which

the letter has to go must be written carefully containing all the details so that letter

reaches the right destination. It may take the following forms:

Generally when writing to a company for the first time, an individual of the company

is not addressed.

Messers or M/s should be written only if the name of the company contains a person‟s

name

Messers or M/s R C Paul and sons

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1234, Okhla, New Delhi Pin code

„M/s All Engineers Company is incorrect”

If the letter is written to an officer by name , the following should be observed:

Mr or Sri or Sri before the name. In case of unmarried women “Kumari or Kum” or

Miss is written, In case of married women, “Shrimati or Smt or Mrs” is written

If a person holds a special title , the title is written before his/her name as follow:

Dr. S P Singh, Dr.( Mrs )Ramandeep Cheema Badwal, Prof. A K Handa, Col (Mrs)

G K Randhawa, Prof (Smt) Neena Singh, Maj P C Sethi

Only suitable observations well recognised and accepted should be used, like „Prof‟

for Professor, and „Col‟ for Colonel

Some times , the degrees and department to which one belongs is also written. Here is

an example.

Prof K N Pathak Ph. D, D. Litt, Vice-Chansellor

Col D S Cheema , M. Tech, (EME)

Attention Line Some times a business letter is marked

for the attention of a particular functionary of the organisation as follows:

Attention: Mr K N Reddy, MD

Salutation Below the attention line if it is there or

below the inside address , the complimentary greetings which is called „,Salutation‟

is written . Common forms of salutations are as follows

In formal business letters, use only “Sir: or “Madam”

If the letter is written to any officer the salutation will be, “Dear Mr. Vipin Bassi”

The salutation is less formal if the writer knows the addressee personally, then the

salutation will be, “My dear Mr. Sandhu”

If the person to whom the letter is going is a close friend, the salutation may be, “My

dear Ramesh”

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The caption line or subject The idea of writing the subject line is

to let the recipient know about the subject matter at the out set; it saves time. Here is

an example.

All Well Medical Corporation

12753 Darya Ganj

Delhi -110002

Attention: The Regional Sales Manager

Subject: Receipt of poor quality raw material

The body of a letter The body of the letter should be

broken in to three parts as follows:

The opening or the introductory part which attracts the attention of the reader and is

only a few lines or a small paragraph.

The main communication which may take the form of many paragraphs

The closing part of the body which is again in the form of a paragraph and refers to

the action the writer expects the receiver to take.

The complementary close It is in the form of saying good bye

or a courteous way of seeking leave of the receiver of the letter.It will take the

following form:

Salutation Line Complementary closing line

Sir Yours faithfully

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Dear Sir/Dear Madam Yours faithfully or Yours truly

Dear Mr Bhatia Yours sincerely

My dear Harsh Yours sincerely or yours ever

Dear Member/Dear Customer/ Dear Reader Yours sincerely

When you write to a teacher or Principal, “Yours respectfully” is used but never in

business letters.

When you write to a high official , this close may be used:

His Excellency, Lt Gen (Retd) A K Mohan Yours respectfully

Governor of -----------

While writing the complementary close, „y‟ has to be capital and no apostrophy in the

word „yours‟ before „s‟

Signatures It is the signed name of the writer of the

letter and is placed 2-3 spaces below the complementary closure. Some examples are

given below:

Yours faithfully,

(R D Singh)

Regional Manager

Yours faithfully,

( M K Nagra)

Managing Director

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Identification marks reference initials These are used for the

identification of the person who has typed the letter. It may take the form as below:

TRC/LP, the letter has been dictated by Mr T R Chadha and Leela Pillai has typed it.

Enclosures Enclosure is the material that has been

enclosed with the letter and is written on the left side below the signature line. See the

example below:

Encls:

1. MOA1 dated 17 Dec 2006

2. Cheque No. 02346 dared 10 Oct , 2014 of SBI, Chandigarh

4.6 Specimen Sales Letters

Sales is perhaps the most important activity of any business organisation. A large

number of goods are manufactured and services are prepared business entities for

making profits; unless the goods are sold and services are offered to people, the very

purpose of business gets defeated. Though no letter is unimportant in business, sales

letters assume a lot of importance and it tests the skill of any writer of the letter at any

level.

The basic purpose of any business letter is to offer the sale of goods and/or services to

perspective customers so that sale is effected. It is commonly observed that business

entities devote a lot of time, energy and effort on sales talks but not that much of

importance is given to sales correspondence. Organisations my loose a number of

customers because they do not draft suitable sales letters. Hence, persons with good

vocabulary and ability to draft good sales letters are an asset to any business

organisation.

Any letter reflects the personality of the writer; it is so in all types of sales letters also.

The receiver of the sales letter should get a good feeling and should be ready to place

an order. The letter should be as convincing to the receiver as he would be when the

salesman makes the sales offer in person. No sales letter can be equally appealing to

all the recipients as it is not possible to tailor-make letters to suit every person‟s

personality. There would be different reactions of the persons receiving the letter but

it should be drafted by keeping all the principles of good written communication in

mind. Generally the companies send a large number of letters to numerous individuals

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and organisations for effecting sale of a product or selling a service. Depending on the

quality and other features of the product and its sales offer price, it may suit one party

and not the other

The following must be kept in mind while drafting sales letters:

The writer of the letter should be very clear of the purpose he or she wishes to

achieve . Some letter are meant for the purpose of creating awareness about

the range and quality of products where as the others are targeted for

finalising the outright sale.

The letter writer should know all the facts like features of the product, its

price , discounts etc.

One should be able to visualise about the personality of the reader, ie how

will he or she react to the type of letter received by him.

Understand what is likely to appeal the maximum to the receiver of the sales

letter

The reader should be able to interpret the logic of argument in a very clear

manner; there should be no ambiguity of any kind.

The writer of the sales letter should follow the principle of drawing

„Attention‟, create „Interest‟ and „Desire‟, and finally help in „Action‟

India Forge Limited

256 Ashiana Road , Mangolepuri

New Delhi-110037

Reference : IFL/218/14 31

March, 2014

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The Managing Director

Amartext Garment store

1012, Industrial Area

Chandigarh-160089

Dear Sir,

We are pleased to introduce ourselves as the largest manufactures of quality garments

for men, women and children since 2002. All reputed garment stores of North India

take pride in being our stockiest. It gives me pleasure to enclose our catalogue which

provides details of the range of our products and the prices. It goes without saying that

if we enter in arrangement to supply you our garments, your esteemed organization

will be entitled to special discounts.

Our North India Sales Manager, Mr Surinder Singh will be happy to visit your office

during the last week of April 2014, after you express your willingness and date and

time convenient to your good self.

I hope you will be kind enough to consider our company as one of your major

suppliers of garments. I assure you , that once you try us out, we will have a long term

association.

Assuring you of our best services.

Yours faithfully,

(P N Mohindra)

Enclosure: General Manager

Catalogue

Girdhari Lal and Sons

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111, Netaji Subhash Chander Road

Jhansi---200856(UP)

M/S Metalwares Pvt Ltd

8 Hazrat Ganj,

Lucknow (UP)

Dear Sir,

May I take this opportunity to introduce our company as leading

manufacturers/suppliers of various types of metal products? We have many reputed

clients the list of which is enclosed for your kind information.

It is my privilege to enclose a catalogue of our well-known products containing

colored actual photographs of our products. The prices quoted are only indicative and

we shall be pleased to offer generous discounts to your esteemed organization. You

are welcome to ask for any other information which you wish to have.

Looking forward to a positive response from you.

Thanking you. Yours faithfully,

(Roshan Lal)

For Girdhari Lal and

Sons

2.

Dear Sir,

Let me avail of this opportunity to introduce my organization as a reputed and well-

known Solar Heating equipment manufacturer. We have created a niche for ourselves

with international standards of quality and after-sales service. I invite your kind

attention to our website which provides details of our manufacturing facilities and

esteemed customers who have imposed faith in us since our establishment in 1986.

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You may appreciate that solar heating is a cost-effective means of keeping your home

warm in extreme winter conditions. Our research team has already tested the heating

systems in northern most parts of UK, and interiors of Leh and Ladakh. Our R and D

department has brought the cost of the equipment as well as its maintenance cost to

half of what it was just three years back

I am enclosing a CD of the details of fixing the equipment, its maintenance process

and other details you may like to know before investing your hard0earned money.

Thanking you.

Yours faithfully,

4.7 Summary

Written communication has certain advantages over other types of communication.

Writing is an art and Paragraph writing is of specific importance in business

communication skills as every correspondence is a group of paragraphs. In this lesson

characteristics of a good paragraph have been discussed. Also, step by step process of

writing a paragraph has been provided. Since a paragraph is the basic unit of written

communication , all professionals as well as students must attach a lot of importance

to be able to write good and effective paragraphs.

Skill of writing internal as well as external documents is important in the business

world. In this lesson writing of Fax, E-mails, have been explained,

Writing formal letters is another important aspect in business. The skill of writing

formal letters has been explained in detail. Sample letters of different types have also

been given.

4.8 Glossary

Personal letters Personal letters are written to our acquaintances or with we

either have or had relationship or we wish to maintain some relationship

Business letters These letters are written purely as a business activity. The

objective of such letters is selling, purchasing, seeking information about products ,

goods and services etc.

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Formal letters These are an accurate and an inexpensive way of communicating

with vendors, customers, employees of the company, shareholders, government

agencies and so on

Sales Letters Letters which are addressed by business entities to potential or

perspective customers for creating awareness or effecting sales of their goods,

products or services.

4.9 Answers to check your progress/Self Assessment

Questions

1. Write important Dos and Don‟t‟s of any business correspondence.

2. What kind of planning should go in to writing a business letter? Explain

Answers

1.

Commercial or business correspondence is a skill which can be acquired through

training and constant practice. Here are some import and Dos and Don‟t‟s for business

correspondence:

DO‘s

Ensure that the paper used for correspondence is of good quality

The letter head must contain the logo if you have one, full and complete

address, telephone , Fax, E-mail and website details

Companies may have many addresses, like registered office, head office,

works, go downs, dealers etc. You must make it very clear to the recipient of

your correspondence, where should they reply to you.

All correspondence should be neatly typed and should look pleasing to the

eyes.

Be courteous, what ever may be the provocation from the other party

Always check letter before it is signed and dispatched

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See physically whether all the enclosures mentioned in the body of the

correspondence are actually attached.

Date in the letter is often forgotten. If you are signing , you may put it in your

own hand.

Stick to the fundamental rules of writing ie accuracy, brevity and clarity

Avoid long sentences, jargons and slangs

Paragraph your writing when ever there is a break in the thought process

Type the envelop of the letter clearly with complete address

Be very clear or sure about the mode of dispatch

Reply all correspondence as promptly as possible.

Don‘t‘s

Do not delay reply to the correspondence unnecessarily

Do not be rude in your language and your attitude

Never forget to remain firm and polite

Do not be unfair as a principle of business dealing

Never make a personal attack on any individual or criticize him/her

Do not write to wrong authority or wrong person

Do not use jargon, slangs, long sentences to convey your thoghts and feelings

Do not violate any of the Do‟s written above

2.

The need of planning in every activity one undertakes, needs no emphasis. It is often

seen that we waste a lot of time and effort while executing a task because no planning

has been carried out before starting to do it. When ever a problem or event is to be

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addressed, planning how to go about it is of utmost importance. Relatively little time

spent in planning can save a lot of precious time while executing the task.

Planning is essential in letter writing too. A letter written without planning and a

serious thought cannot convey the intended message and hence is just waste of time

and effort. Many a times the recipient of the letter comes to know about the letter

writer and his organization only through the means of the letter and the first

impression which he gets by reading that letter. There are different kinds of situations

which have to be handled in business world and hence different type of planning

would be needed.While forwarding a catalogue of products, perhaps a simple letter is

good enough but while forwarding a proposal for undertaking a project, a lot of

thought and planning the presentation of the proposal has to be gone into. Planning

any official business correspondence comes as a habit with good organizations.

Steps in planning a business correspondence

Planning may be the most important activity , yet it is not given its due importance by

most of the business organizations. The following steps can be a help :

Treat business correspondence as an important business activity

Allot appropriate time for handling correspondence

Understand the purpose behind each correspondence you make with any

outsider or within the organization

Collect as much information as is required before you start any action of

writing

Always organize your letter etc in a logical manner

Ensure the use of write language and tone in every correspondence

4.10 Reference/ Suggested Reading

1. Technical Communication by Meenakshi Raman and Sangeeta Sharma, Published

by Oxford University Press

2. Business Correspondence and Report Writing by R C Sharma and Krishna Mohan

published by Tata McGraw- Hill Publishing Company Ltd, New Delhi

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3. Effective technical Communication by M.Ashraf Rizvi , published by Tata

McGraw- Hill Publishing Company Ltd, New Delh

4.. Business Communication by Varinder Kumar and Bodh Raj , published by

Kalyani Publishers

4.11 Model Questions

1. Read the following statements about the business memos and write True or False

against each statement:

(a) The purpose of a memo is to tell others what you want from them

(b) To determine the scope of a memo, one should select what should be included

out a vast range of information

(c) One need not conduct a brain-storming session before writing any memo

(d) The most important aspect of a memo is the format it follows

(e) Reviewing after drafting the memo is the process of finding out whether the

memo will achieve its purpose

2. Write a model memo about anything or matter which you can use as a training aid

for the junior staff of your company

3. What are the limitations of e-mails? Suggest methods to overcome them.

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Lesson Plan-Lesson 5

5.0 Objectives

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Reports

5.2.1 Types of reports

5.2.2 Reporting frequency

5.3 Technical reports

5.3.1 Steps involved in writing a technical report

5.3.2 Styles of writing a technical report

5.5 Sample technical report

5.6 Writing a project report

5.6.1 Characteristics of a research paper

5.6.2 Components of a research paper

5.7 Dissertation

5.7.1 Essential features of a dissertation

5.7.2 Action plan for writing a dissertation

5.7.2.1 Selection of subject for study

5.7.2.2 Process of narrowing down and selection of the topic of dissertation

5.7.2.3 Structure of dissertation

5.8 Thesis

5.9 Summary

45.10 Glossary

5.11 Answers to check your progress/Self assessment questions

5.12 References/Suggested reading

5.13 Model questions

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Lesson 5- Report Writing and Project Writing

5.0 Objectives

After studying the lesson, the student will be able to :

Learn about different types of Reports

Understand how to write a good Report

Learn the skill of good Project Writing

5.1 Introduction

A “Report” which literally means a description or account of an opinion, situation or

happening, is necessary in any business activity fo various reasons. The word „report‟

owes its origin to the Latin word “reportare” which means to „to carry back‟, „re‟

means „back‟ and „portare‟ means „to carry‟ . Hence, report is an account, description

or statement of anything or about anything which is ;carried back‟ to some one who

was not present on the scene of the event or happening.

In business the reports are required for various reasons. In broad sense of the word ,

the news items, memoranda etc are all reports. Reports are required at different levels

of Management which help in designing a suitable Management Information System

(MIS). The top level management needs certain reports like decrease or increase in

levels of production, whether sales targets are being met or not, feasibility of

expansion of business in other unrepresented areas etc. Middle level and operational

level mangers and supervisors need more detailed reports for planning and executing

routine production activities.

Companies need to prepare annual reports to appraise their share-holders of the status

of the health of the company. Companies also are required to submit various reports

to government agencies; these may include the compliance of various statutory

requirements. TDS , Service Tax,, Pf , bonus , minimum wages etc. In ultimate

analysis all the reports help the management to take rational decisions which have far

reaching implications for any organisation.

5.2 Reports

Different types of reports are discussed here.

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5.2.1 Type of Reports

Though it is difficult to list all types of reports used in business, some categories of

reports are provided here.

Oral or written reports

Oral reports are the face-to – face communication from the person who has some

information which has to be given to others who have to use it for business purpose.

Oral reporting is resorted to when there is an emergency or the need to take

immediate action to correct the situation. The receiver of the information has to very

carefully listen and understand what is being said. If the report is not accurate it will

leave the ambiguity because of the poor communication skills of the person

presenting the oral report. No record can be held unless it is taped. To that extent , it

is mere an informal report. Against this, a written report has a lot of advantages as a

record can be maintained and such reports also give the finding and recommendations

to help the decision maker. The reader of the report may read what he thinks is

essential and may leave out the non-essential. It is a forma document which can be

used for legal purpose or can be handed over to some one.

Formal Reports

Formal reports are written communication which is presented in a structured manner

according to certain established rules. Formal reports differ according to the specific

requirement of purpose or content, like technical feasibility report, pollution clearance

report land use report and so on. A written report can be sometimes informal and may

not follow a structured format. An authority from HQ visiting various branches may

give the written report the MD in the form of points along with his comments.

Statutory or non-statutory reports

Statutory reports are the ones which fulfill a legal requirement. .Foe example Section

165 of the Companies Act, a company must hold a meeting within six months of its

incorporation of the company and must submit it to the Registrar of Companies

(ROC). Similarly annual reports and reports like deduction of PF and on payment of

minimum wages or the reports by government appointed inspectors are the statutory

reports. Non-statutory are the reports which the company is not legally bound to

submit to any authority but reports can also be categorised on the frequency of

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preparing the report. Such reports are prepared them from time to time to help them in

effective functioning.

5.2.2 Reporting frequency

Certain reports may be needed on daily basis , for example , the MD of the company

would like to know the payments received against sales Similarly , some reports may

be on the weekly or monthly basis as the need be. A monthly sales report and the

Annual General Meeting (AGM) are the other examples. There may also be special

reports which are not as per any fixed frequency. Such reports are prepared on as

required basis and not on regular basis. The Board Of Directors (BOD) may ask GM

(Administration) to submit a report on the causes of the strike due to which the

company lost crores of rupees. BOD may also ask the MD to recommend action

against a senior employee of the company who has brought disrepute to the company

because of his conduct.

5.2.3 Functional needs reports

Reports can also be classified based on the purpose a report is required to serve. Some

such reports are:

Informational Report

Such reports just present the factual information without analysis, findings and

recommendations etc. Monthly sales reports, spares availability in the store and stock

taking report fall in this category.

Analytical Reports

These reports not only collect data but also analyse it, draw inferences and give

recommendations. Examples are, “Recommendation Report”, “Initial Feasibility

Report‟, “Technical Viability Report” and so on.

Program Reports

These reports, as the name suggests are prepared to report progress of various

activities like production, sales, payments received, new employees joined in the

company etc. These are generally prepared by the juniors for the information of their

seniors. Such reports may be a regular feature and a set frequency, say, monthly or

may be prepared on special occasion. For example, progress of the new project may

be prepared by a junior manger to brief another manger visiting from outside who has

joined the company recently.

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5.3 Technical Reports

There are certain key features which every technical report must have. These are:

Designed for quick and easy communication of information

There are many ways of communicating information, but when it comes to technical

or scientific communication written reports are the best methods. Here, the reader can

quickly glance through the contents, decide what to read and what to omit and

depending upon his background knowledge and experience can get the desired

information.

Designed for selective reading

Technical reports are not meant for every one. These are of no use to the level of

people who cannot understand them as they may contain a lot of technical and

scientific information using terms which are not understood by every one. They are

written for a target reader who can use them for planning activities of the organisation

or taking decisions

Have sections and sub-sections with numbered headings and sub-

headings

Clarity of what is being presented in the report is of utmost importance. A jumbled up

report with no headings and sub-headings will make no sense and confuse the reader.

The content is very important but the way it is presented is of equal importance.

Use figures/diagrams/illustrations and tables etc to convey data and

information.

The very nature of a technical report demands a lot of data and information regarding a

specific subject. For ease of comprehension by the reader, there may be the need of using,

sketches, diagrams, illustrations, photographs, even videos and tables

5.3.1 Steps involved in writing a technical report

Following steps are involved:

Create an outline, complete with headings. An outline blueprint will give you

the overall picture of what all is to be included and serve as a check list also.

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Write your introduction. You should let your readers know right away what to

expect from the report. Highlight the research methods and resources used

and state your findings. Describe the report‟s organisation so the reader can

skip straight to a specific section, if needed.

Develop your evidence. Body of your report will give the reader all the

information he needs to decide, evaluate or assess a business problem

Use the conclusions to remind you readers what the problem was and how

your evidence addresses it. Your report may identify a solution or a problem

or propose a next step.

Present your evidence. Use first hand information wherever possible. If you

are evaluating two products, use information from the manufacturers

themselves or reviews from user within your organisation.

Use charts and visuals when possible and appropriate

Use appendices for related information

Edit out extraneous text

5.3.2 Style of writing a technical report

We generally associate style with human beings when we say, “He is a very stylish

man” But in fact writing also has its own style. You may have heard people saying,

“His style of writing is highly readable” All writers have their own style of writing,

you may call it good, bad, poor personal or impersonal. Style in writing is like the

character of men or like the grain in the wood, it decides the quality of writing

Scientific Attitude

Since a technical report is required to present the facts, it should be able to command

the attention of the reader and clearly convey the message to him. For writing a

technical report the writer has to develop a scientific attitude. You need different kind

of approach for technical writing from the one used for literary writing. The language

used in such reports have to be tense, direct, informative in nature. The reader of the

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report is interested in knowing what you have to say; he is not interested in you.

Hence, you as a report writer must approach the subject with the attitude of a scientist;

you should be detached, do not bring in your personal view point and be totally

truthful. .In general, direct statements in active voice make the reading vigorous and

lively

Readability

Readability of any writing is in true sense the most important quality of writing,

because if the writing is not readable, it will not attract the reader and what ever be the

other qualities, the reader will not read it. Since a report is always written for a

specific readership, the author must keep in mind how the reader will feel when he

reads the document. Many formulae have been developed to check the readability of

any type of writing.

Improving the style of writing

Many things add to the style of writing. Some of these are discussed here:

Choice of words and phrases

It is difficult to choose the most appropriate word in a particular context, because in

English language the same word may have a different meaning in another context.

Precision

Precision comes when you have an excellent vocabulary and use a word which takes

the place of many words and at the same time conveys the exact meaning.

Conciseness

Using too many words for a thought, idea, feeling or emotion may damage the exact

meaning of that thought. Hence, you must save your writing from “wordiness”

Plainness

Plain words are usually short and easily understood. Some people have the tendency

to use difficult words which makes the reading cumbersome. One can catch the

attention of the reader more easily by using such words. Remember, the reader is not

interested in knowing how good your vocabulary is.

Use of clichés

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Indiscriminate use of clichés will make the reading difficult to understand but where

ever it fits in naturally, there is no harm in using one.

Jargon

Every profession whether engineering, medicine or management, has its own jargon.

If jargon is used in the strict sense of being a technical or special word and it conveys

the meaning better, do use it. But don‟t use the jargon to impress others, it will be

counter-productive.

Construction and length of sentences

Sentence having more than 20 words are generally considered difficult reading Long

sentences make it difficult for the reader to read a document

Construction and length of paragraphs

A paragraph is a group of sentences related to one core idea arranged in a particular

manner. Paragraphs should not be unnecessarily long.

5.4 Layout structure

Normally solicited proposals do not follow a straight or rigid layout; solicited

proposals follow a layout plan given by the agency inviting the proposal. What layout

should be followed mainly depends on the practice followed in the organisation

whose member is submitting the proposal as well as practice in vogue in the

oraganisation to which the proposal is being submitted. How ever, following is the

suggested layout of a proposal:

Title Page

It is the cover page of the proposal land must contain the following:

Title of the proposal

Name and designation of the person submitting the proposal

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Nam of the organisation the proposer represents

Date, month and year of the submitted proposal

The above should be bold and suitable separated fro each other. Since it is the first

document which is going to be read it should invite interest of the reader.

Table of Contents

When the proposal is long, say more than 20 pages only then a content table is

required. It should be prepared the way any contents are prepared for a book. The

table should clearly identify different kinds of information by using roman numerals,

italics, and capital letters and so on.

Executive Summary/Abstract

It is the gist of the entire proposal. Many senior and busy people would like yo go

through a page of summary to understand whether the proposal meets their

requirement and should go through the entire details. Many a times a summary may

be sent earlier or circulated to the people who have to evaluate the proposal. It is the

condensed form of the entire proposal.

Introduction

This is an important part of the report as the reader will get an idea of what is the

background, what is the problem and how have you addressed it. The writer of the

report may have to give what work has already been done, how it meets the present

needs partially or does not meet at all and why a fresh look at problem solving was

required.

Main body of the report

As the name suggests, complete details of the report in form of different chapters

having headings and sub-headings are given in the main body of the report

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Conclusion

This may or may not form apart of the report depending on your need to reinforce

certain important aspects. If you wish to once again make it clear what benefits the

organisation will accrue if the project is implemented and any other implications.

Appendices

When there is some information which lends support to the argument but if written

along with main text can hamper the flow of the report, some information is put in the

appendices. Appendices must be suitably marked as “A”, “B” etc and page numbered.

Bibliography/Information sources

This information is very useful for the reader of the report. It also brings transparency

in the report. The reader can refer to any quoted material for further use. Different

methods of referencing are used depending on the type of document. But one thing is

certain that what ever the type of referencing used, the writer must provide the

complete source of information used by him. Bibliography is used generally for

reference to the published books used. It has to include the name of the author, the

title of the book and the publisher details. The following example illustrates the book

reference method:

Rizvi, Ashraf M. Effective

Technical Communication Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Limited, New

Delhi,2005

It may be noticed in the above example that the name of the author begins with the

last name, the name of the book has been given in italics, followed by the complete

name of the publisher and the place of publishing, last is the year of publishing In

case of multiple authors, names of both the authors are written in the same manner,

with the main author‟s name written first.

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Reference for journals

This includes the name of the author, name of the article/paper, name of the journal,

volume number and issue number, page number and date of issue. An example is

Col D S Cheema, “Knowledge as an intellectual Asset”, The Competition Master 3

(June 2009) 83 , 01 June , 2009

Reference for magazines and newspapers

It includes the name of the author, name of the article, name of the newspaper and date of

publication. Here is an example;

D S Cheema, “Building good character”, The Tribune, 08 Nov, 2011

5.5 Sample Technical Report

A sample technical report is shown here for the student‟s benefit.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Report

On

The Effects of Increased Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

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Submitted to

Depart of Pollution Control

Government of Punjab

Patiala

Submitted by

M/s Pariyavaran Pvt Ltd

Plot No. 123, Industrial Area, Mohali

The report examines the effects of increased CO2 concentration in the earth surface--

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Table of Contents

List of illustrations iii

Abstract iv

1. Introduction 1

2. Natural Weather Patterns 3

3. Mechanism of Greenhouse Effect 11

Natural Greenhouse Effects 11

Radiation Absorption by CO2 and Water Vapours 19

Positive Feedback Mechanism 32

4. Carbon Cycle 42

CO2 from Fossil Fuels 42

CO2 Produced by Different Types of Fuels 59

Future Levels of CO2 78

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5. Climatic Effects of Increased CO2 Concentrations 82

Changes in Local Weather Patterns 82

1930 as Climate Analog 103

Drought 123

Increased Tropical Storm Activity 127

Sea Level Increases 132

6. Ways to Reduce Greenhouse Effects 133

Conventional Methods 133

Latest Developments 142

7. Appendices 159

8. Bibliography/Information Sources 160

List of Figures and Tables

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Figures

1. Combined Effects of the 180-year cycle 4

and increased CO2 Concentration

2. Growth Rate of Fuel Use 78

3.

4.

Tables

1. Estimated CO2 added to the Atmosphere 73

by burning of Fuels

2. Atmospheric CO2 by Region 74

3.

4.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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5.6 Writing Project Reports

Any systematic investigation in to any field of study to increase the available

knowledge may be termed as research. Mankind‟s growth and advances in technology

are directly related to the research work carried out by great inventors and scientists.

Research is also carried out by students at level of higher education. You may carry

out a research to verify the conclusions already drawn and accepted but new

knowledge throws more and different light on the same subject. A research may come

to some inferences in a particular social and cultural environment but the same may

not hold good in another operating environment. Research is generally carried out by

going through already available study material like national and international

journals, knowledge repositories of knowledge in different fields maintained by

government agencies , research libraries etc and experiments carried out by the

research team. Often the research is carried out in a laboratory at a small level and

then it is extended to larger areas. Research may be Basic Research or the Applied

Research, the main purpose of any research is to find solutions to the problems of

mankind

It is a document which contains information regarding the research carried out. It may

be in the form of a formal report which is submitted for a superior to assess and

recommend actions or it may be used for patenting a particular method or process for

finding some solutions to a problem. Research paper can be written in any field or

area, since it is basically an enquiry and analysis which results in drawing some

inferences.. Research paper can help peers to

Assess observations

To repeat experiments

To evaluate intellectual processes

5.6.1 Characteristics of a Research Paper

It is like a formal report in its style, structure and approach and as such most of its

characteristics are the same as that of a formal report. How ever , a report is basically

prepared for the purpose of making rational decisions and the research paper is for

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dissemination of specialised knowledge. Given below are the major characteristics of

a research paper

A research paper is a scholarly document of knowledge based on analysis of

previously available knowledge, observations and experiments. It may be

written on social, technical, cultural, agricultural aspects, science and

technology etc.

It has a specific style and contains definitions, classifications, interpretations

etc related with the area of research.

It is factual and objective in nature and the presentation of information is

accurate , to the point and specific, precise , direct and unambiguous.

It has all the characteristics of a technical report

The research paper contains technical and scientific data presented with the

help of aids like Gantt charts, pie charts, figures, sketches and uses specialise

vocabulary

It is a composite one –peace document which contains information related to

a particular area in which a study has been done after observations and

experimentation.

5.6.2 Components of a Research Paper

It is a highly structured document and has the following components:

Title The name which is given and describes the contents in the

minimum possible words

Names and addresses of the authors It gives the identity of the authors

and the addresses for further use

Abstract This is to identify the basic purpose of research.

Many national and international journals want that before the detailed paper is

submitted for publication. Characteristics of a good abstract are:

(a) It should be as concise as possible and should not exceed 3% of the total

length of the paper

(b) It must be self-contained

(c) It does not contain any bibliography, figures, illustrations or references

(d) It is written after the paper has been prepared

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The steps involved in preparing the text are:

(a) Read the introductory paragraph of the paper to identify the objective

(b) Scan the summary and conclusions at the end for noting the main findings

of the study or paper

(c) Read through the text for information on methodology adopted, new data

and any other information

(d) Prepare a draft arranging the various items in the correct order: objective,

new methodology or equipment employed. Data of fundamental value and

major inferences or correlations drawn

Introduction It gives the background for undertaking the research

work and helps the reader in understanding the entire report.

Materials and Methods It provides the details of experimental techniques

used and the methodology used so that if some one wants to verify or repeat

the research, it should be possible.

Results This is the core of the paper as it represents the data in

different forms, it may be tabular form. In text form or in an illustrative form

Discussion Here the data is interpreted and highlights the significant

features of the data and possible causes of these features

Conclusion All the significant findings are once again written . No

additional data is introduced at this stage.

Acknowledgements

Here the author (s) thank any person or organisation from whom they have received

any significant help. It is a simple courtesy shown to those who have helped you. The

authors would definitely like to acknowledge any previous research material used by

them or data taken from any government or private source etc. It has no financial

implications, but the authors must thank any grants received contract or fellowship

given and so on.

Symbols and abbreviations used

All reports use many symbols , acronyms and abbreviations in the interest of

conciseness of the report. Only standard and commonly used/understood should be

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used. Where ever there is likely hood of any ambiguity or confusion, it must be

clarified.

References and Bibliography

The authors use books, journals, published articles in newspapers, websites, papers

presented in seminars etc for writing their research papers. The purpose of providing

the references and bibliography is to help the reader in looking up the original text

which the authors have quoted. Since any research paper is not copied from any

where, all the information used to support the research paper must be very clearly

acknowledged and reference provided.

5.7 Dissertation

It is the presentation of a candidates research work in a proper format. It should

include the following:

Context of any candidate‟s intellectual or other work and any development

related with that work

The dissertation should include the critical appreciation of the research work

and not only the description of what has been done

It should also include the references of the work ie background about the need

of the paper, how it was undertaken and what are the recommendations etc

5.7.1 Essential features of dissertation

Any dissertation is worth presenting and reading only if it is an original work and

shows the intellect and scholarship of the author. It should have the following

essential features:

It must be an original work done by the author or authors

It must show the following;

(a) Extensive relevant research work in a useful subject or issue of important

nature

(b) The ability of the author to collect, collate data in a logical manner

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(c) Analysis of the above data in a logical manner to draw suitable

conclusions

(d) The ability of the author to present the data and knowledge contained in it

in a suitable manner

(e) The ability to report effectively

Follow the norms and conventions of research

5.7.2 Action Plan for writing the Dissertation

You must prepare an action plan before you set out on writing the dissertation. Follow

the steps given below:

Decide the title /name of the dissertation and discuss it with your guide or

supervisor

Finalise the research methodology

Draw up a schedule which you can conveniently follow

Finalise what equipment , material or access to resources is to be sought

Set up the project and start collecting data

Collate and sort out the data so that it becomes information which can be analysed

Carry out analysis of the data to interpret the inferences

Set up an outline for writing the dissertation

Prepare first draft

Discuss with guide /supervisor and others who can provide genuine criticism for

improvement

Prepare the final draft after including inputs received from others

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Submit it with the guide or the relevant authority

5.7.2.1 Selection of the subject for study

The idea is to find a solution to a problem, so look for a subject which has not been

attempted. Of course, it must interest you. Consider the possibility of attempting the

subject based on the following:

Access to websites

Availability of the guide/supervisors

Other support like literature and library etc. available

Equipment required

Costs involved

Usefulness of the topic

Any ethical or moral consideration involved

Time –frame in which it can be handled

Problems you anticipate in doing this project

The guide /supervisor can help you in selecting the suitable title of the subject you are

interested in.

5.7.2.2 Process of narrowing down and selection of the topic of

dissertation

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Select a broad area of your interest

Out of the above broad areas pick up one which is of your interest

Identify the „Purpose‟ of the study

Ask yourself the five basic questions (who, what , where, why and how of the

study) to be able to narrow down to specific area of study

Repeat the above to refine the specific area

Finalise the title using positive terms like Evaluate, Examine, Measure etc.

5.7.2.3 Structure of dissertation

It is like a formal report and includes the following:

Title Page

Acknowledgements

Contents pages which include the Chapters, Appendices, tables , figures

etc.

Abstract

Summary

Outline of main findings

Recommendations

5.8 Thesis

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It is a long research report and is written in the same manner as we write a research

report. It answers three questions:

What are the problem(s) in your area of research?

What is already known about it ?

What has been your contribution in solving the problem(s)?

What is the interpretation of results achieved?

Thesis should not be understood as an answer to an assigned question. The Person

who sets the problem for a student or some other person to find a solution not already

known is the one who reads what is presented as a thesis to him. When a university

professor sets up a topic of thesis, he expects an original contribution to human

knowledge; the research must discover something new.

5.8.1 What should be the structure of a Thesis?

A thesis should have a structure as follows:

An outline

It is in the form that you know how many Chapters will be there, what Heading and

Sub-headings in each chapter and what would be the length of each chapter. You

should also make separate notes and comments to include what you want in each

chapter.

Organisation

You are advised to open a word processor file system for each Chapter and one for

„Reference‟. Keep putting the text in each chapter and if there is a need to back to the

previous chapter it can be easily done. You must always keep a back up of the file.

Timetable

Your thesis has to be a time-bound document. After consulting your guide /supervisor

, decide the dates on which the First Draft , Second Draft and Final Draft has to be

submitted to him. Keep a cushion of a few days for each draft as there will be many

loose ends to be tied up at the end of each draft.

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Make it a point to write something on each sitting

Most people find it difficult to get started. We find it easy to improve something

already existing rather than writing some thing new. Prepare your draft of what you

are going to present , refine it and show it to the guide /supervisor. Word processors

are great help; you can start from any where, leave empty space etc and come back to

Add up additional information. Always take the help of spell check

Style

Normally, the thesis is written in a passive voice. It should follow all the rules of a

good formal writing ie, the rules of grammar, punctuation. Never try to use any slangs

which are used in some informal writing. Use short, simple words and sentences.

Number the points where ever you wish to highlight some issue.

Presentation

Many students and others preparing the thesis try to make it as a masterpiece of desk

top printing and put in a lot of time to make it extremely good. Though there is no

doubt that your thesis must appear neat in its presentation, you must pay more

attention to the content. Don‟t try to increase the length of your thesis by leaving big

gaps. There is no direct relationship between the length and that of quality of content

Structure

It should have the following structure:

Title Page

This may be in the form “Title, Name of the Author, and A thesis submitted for the

award of Degree of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts by Delhi University”

Certificate or Declaration

Many institutions have a standard format for this purpose. It may be like this, “This is

to certify that the thesis on the topic ------------------------------------------------------------

----------- , submitted by --------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------is an original work supervised by me (Signatures, name , degrees etc.)

Acknowledgements

Here the author of thesis thanks the people who have provided him help ; it may be in

the form of intellectual inputs or by providing boarding and lodging, grant etc.. If

some chapters have been authored by a specific person, has name must be included

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Table of contents

Normally, the pages before the introduction are marked in roman numerals

Abstract

This is the most widely circulated document out of your thesis. So, a concise

description of what is contained in the thesis should be prepare.

Introduction

What is the topic of research and why is it important, is brought out clearly in the

introduction

Conclusion

It briefly brings out what has been achieved

Suggestions for further work

Any scientific research raises new issues which are beyond the scope of present

study. Such area should be brought out by the author.

References

For any work of research, you would have referred to a large amount of literature.

Mention that in the manner it should be done.

Appendices

Appendices are such material which is part of the thesis , but if include along with the

text in the thesis, it will break the flow. These are separately presented in a different

volume.

5.9 Summary

Reports are an essential part of any business activity. Technical reports are important

for the management to take major decisions. A good technical report gives finding

after detailed analysis and can become the basis of management decisions.

Report is different from a proposal since report is prepared on the basis of present

scenario, keeping in mind the future; whereas the proposal gives recommendations for

doing some thing in future. Proposal also can become the basis of decision-making

Dissertation and Thesis are important documents used in the intellectual world.

Unless the knowledge is recorded and presented in a structured manner , it will lose

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etc relevance. Hence, a lot of stress is laid on how to organise, structure and present

research in any areas of human activity. The basic purpose of all these scientific

analysis is to find solution to a problem.

In the above text, you have read about the importance of the three types of research work.

Also, this lesson brings out in detail how to write a good research study

5.10 Glossary

Report It is a business document required for taking specific

decisions

Project Report It is a special report written / required for a specific task

assigned to any one.

Research Paper It is a document which contains information regarding

the research carried out. It may be in the form of a formal report which is submitted

for a superior to assess and recommend actions or it may be used for patenting a

particular method or process for finding some solutions to a problem.

Dissertation It is the presentation of a candidates research work in

a proper format

Thesis It is a long research report and is written in the same

manner as we write a research report. It answers three questions:

5.11 Answers to check your progress /Self Assessment

Questions

1. Keeping in mind the characteristics of a good research paper, write a paper on,

“Sustainable Development for Freedom from Poverty”

2. You are pursuing your Ph D in Management . Your guide/supervisor has advised

you to take the topic, “Benefits of Management Education for the rural poor”,

Describe the structure you will use for writing a thesis on the subject.

Answers

1.

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Sustainable Development for Freedom from Poverty

Introduction

Massive poverty and obscene inequality are such terrible scourges of our times- times

in which the world boasts breathtaking advances in science, technology, industry, and

wealth accumulation- that they have to rank alongside slavery and apartheid as social

evils.

Nelson Mandela

All thinkers since ages have agreed that ending inequality‟s „lottery by birth‟ is

perhaps the greatest global challenge of their times. In 1790, Mary Wollstonecraft and

Thomas Paine while arguing against the inequality amongst the human beings, wrote

„It is justice, not charity, that is wanting in the world.‟ Again more than 200 years ago,

noted English man of letters, Samuel Johnson said, „ Poverty is a great enemy of

human happiness, it certainly destroys liberty and it makes some virtues impracticable

and others extremely difficult.‟ Poverty was there in the past and is among us at

present. It is also clear that human creation with most inhuman and ugly

consequences. Amartya Sen rightly notes that, „Like ours, the world of 1790s was

characterised by enormous inequalities of contemporary living conditions and real

threats to the prospects of human life in future” Again, George Bernard Shaw wrote in

the preface to his 1907 play Major Barbara, more than 100 years ago that, “The

greatest of evils and the worst of crimes is poverty”. These great thinkers may have

chosen very strong words to describe the ill effects of poverty, but underlying such a

choice of words must be their concern for the poor and a wake-up message to those

who govern nations. The poor have been marginalised and disempowered since ages,

the richer classes rob them first of their identity and then of their resources. Poverty is

being fought by different countries by empowerment of the people through many

unique methods; and the helpless deprived people keep hoping for some miracle to

happen. Yet the problem is as old as the mountains and different ways and means of

removing deprivation has still left millions of poor peoples in a badly organised

world. Poverty is still a global phenomenon; there are more than 1.5 billion people

living on less than US dollar 1 per day. Tribal people are the worst effected,

globalisation is continuing to do what colonisation had earlier done for decades,

divesting them of their right to natural resources and making them poorer.

Unfortunately, most of the corrective actions taken by the governments for poverty

removal are in terms of economic growth only when a collaborative social action is

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needed. What needs to be done is to enhance the power of the people, especially of

the afflicted people, to make sure that the facilities are expanded and the deficiencies

removed. The common view that poverty is just a shortage of income is so well

established in our minds that we refuse to understand that poverty ultimately should

be seen as lack of freedom; freedom from lack of minimal living conditions. Amartya

Sen in his book, Development as Freedom , argues that sustainable development

should not see poverty in an economic context alone but also as „capability

deprivation‟

India is a very big and complex country with a great and enviable history. It has been

written off many times and yet it is challenging the great economic powers of the

world. V S Naipaul called it a wounded civilisatrion . The unique thing about India is

that in twenty first century, the same old eternal India seems to just go on. Foreigners

look at the myth of India as a mystical poverty –stricken land and yet view its

progress with popping eyes as skyscrapers exist along with the chawls and jhuggi-

jhoprie where life is at the lowest levels of human existence. Great management guru

Peter F. Drucker felt that even a modest six percent sustainable growth could soon

make India the third biggest economic power after America and China. There is

something which makes India going despite a very poor record of governance

According to Amartya Sen., we are only technically free and not truly free. In his

well acclaimed book, „Development as Freedom‟, he quotes the eighteenth century

poet William Cowper on freedom, “Freedom has a thousand charms to show, that

slaves, however contended never know”. Although the poverty ratio has declined

since the onset of economic reforms, the number of people below the poverty line still

remains high. For sustainable economic development, the quality and quantity of

human capital must be taken in to account by the central and state governments.

India must target the eight Millennium Development Goals set by 2000 UN Summit.

The first goal is the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. The key target in this

goal was to halve the proportion of the people who suffer from hunger by 2015. It is

unfortunate to note that India is yet no where near the target.

The Science and Art of Governing 125 crore People

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India is also a land of contradictions; we worship goddesses but every minute a

woman is raped somewhere across the country, we are very good in hard or functional

skills but are very poor in soft skills, we add billionaires faster to our count than any

other country in the world but more than 80 percent population does not get clean

drinking water, there are many islands of excellence amongst the vast herds of

mediocre. To every similarity, there is a unique difference.

No doubt, there is a new India rising up the horizon of the world and it has the

potential to change the world. In today‟s India, activities in the manufacturing sector,

in infrastructure, in engineering, medicine and IT, start-ups are mushrooming in the

remotest of areas and innovation is becoming a way of life for many business entities.

Those who are witnesses to the recent extraordinary and unexpected recent history of

the country have no doubt that the sleeping elephant is emerging as a tiger which is on

a fast track from a third world country to a world leader. If any one is interested in

understanding the great enigma that is India will be able to view it only with an open

mind. Many reports on BRICs ( Brazil, Russia, India and China), estimate that Indian

economy will surpass that of US by 2050. This will be possible with India having the

largest population of young people. By 2020 half of the under twenty-five population

will live in India. The new India, where one –sixth of the world population is

dreaming to shape its destiny, is a vibrant, fast-moving, dynamic and innovative

country.

Having seen the brighter side of India story, one cannot ignore the magnitude of

problems it faces. Certainly, the potential and promise of India appears to be

unlimited , yet along with it comes the gigantic task of moving one –third population,

a whooping 40 crore from the below poverty line to a hunger-free life and give them

the right to live a life of dignity and self-respect. To be able to do that India‟s

politicians, bureaucrats and other policy-makers must understand how to make use of

India‟s strengths, which is its people; diverse, open , practical, innovative and service-

oriented. They must relaise that an average Indian‟s creative energy which was lying

trapped under slavery and foreign rule, is ready to be tapped for the good of the

common man. Paradoxes of the personality of an Indian need to be examined and

used for his benefit. Indians are multidimensional, multi-tasking, multi-processing and

highly innovative entrepreneurial minds. The challenge is for the India-mangers to

cash on it and put India in forefront of nations of the world.

In an economy characterised by higher values of the aggregate elasticity of

substitution, a higher level of development with more entrepreneurs and smaller firms

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may be expected. In recent years , economists have come to recognise the input-

completing and gap filling capacities of entrepreneurial activity in innovation and

the significant contribution of innovation and growth to prosperity and economic

welfare, In India there is a dearth of quality personnel and demand for higher level of

entrepreneurship generates new scopes for growth. Results of the 66th

round of

National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) show that unemployment figures in

2009-10 were as high as 8.9 million, one million more Indians joining the ranks of the

unemployed between 2007 and 2010. The rate of employment generation has declined

from 2.7 to 0.8 percent during the period. This slowdown in employment generation is

evident across both rural and urban areas, though it was specially marked in rural

areas. This dismal situation needs special focus by the government.

India has the potential to become home to 30 of Fortune 100 companies, the world‟s

largest pool of technically trained manpower and Nobel Prize winners in arts, science

and literature. All this is possible with good governance. Unfortunately, this is no

priority for governments at Centre as well as in the States. For any development, a

nation needs to adopt the well known principle of common thought which must get

converted in to a national philosophy of development with a vision, mission, purpose,

values and goals which are supported by suitable implementation strategies. Mandela

explained the essence of democracy while delivering the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation

lecture in 1995, “Jawaharlal Nehru taught us that the right to a roof over one‟s head

and affordable services, a job and reasonable income, education and health facilities is

more than just a bonus to democracy. It is the essence of democracy itself”

Meeting the Basic Needs like Water and Sanitation

Access to clean drinking water and sanitation is the basic right, which a large number

of our countrymen are denied and because of this single reason they cannot live a life

of self-respect and dignity. Nearly 4000 children die across the globe due to dirty

water they drink. This has made preventable diarrhoea the biggest killer of children in

Africa. Some figures related with clean drinking water and sanitation are shocking to

read; 890 million people still have inadequate access to drinking water and three

billion lack basic sanitation, across the globe.

In such a scenario as described above the women and children of the poor have to

bear the maximum brunt. They have to resort to back-breaking toil for hours to fetch

water for the household needs. In equality in access to water and sanitation is extreme.

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Most of the poor are affected by these. The case for urgently doing something about

such a pathetic situation is undeniable.

Democracy and Development

Any democracy involves competing ideologies and interests, conflicts, competition

and fierce power struggle. Reforms in such a scenario are a tough and complex issue.

Reform is a continuing process and there can never be a stage where the objectives of

development have been fully achieved. Democracy must ensure that a nation is built

in such a way that it becomes effective and accountable to their citizens. Reforms

should seek human development, quality of life, and a life of dignity for every citizen.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in its report on Human

Development, 1991, underscores the importance of human development in the growth

process, as it is the end and economic growth is the means. So, the purpose of growth

should be to enrich people‟s lives. For sustainable economic development, the quality

and quantity of human capital matters far more than those of physical capital. To

achieve those goals, we have yet to come out with right policy priorities. In ultimate

analysis, improving governance is the only key to any reform.

Education for Sustainable Development

It was Indira Gandhi who said, “Education is a liberating force, and in our age it is

also a democratising force, cutting across the barriers of cast and class, smoothing out

inequalities imposed by birth and other circumstances” It is indeed an indispensable

means to provide all human beings in the world a capacity to own their own lives, to

exercise personal choices throughout life without geographical, political, cultural,

religious, linguistic or gender frontiers. It is unfortunate that since WWII, sustainable

development has been identified with economic progress only, economists and

thinkers talk of economic advancement but are silent on equal distribution of

economic resources. In 2005, the United Nations declared the beginning of the

Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD 2005-14). The website of

UNESCO emphasises, “The overall goal of the DESD is to integrate the principles,

values, and practices of sustainable development in to all aspects of education and

learning. This educational effort will encourage changes in behaviour that will create

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a more sustainable future in terms of environmental integrity, economic viability, and

a just society for present and future generations.” Education and sustainable

development are not merely concepts but are intervening tools as well. Sen shows the

role of education in alleviating poverty and in sustainable development by

foregrounding cast, class, region, gender, and other markers that act as „glass ceiling‟

in the development of the marginalised. Of course, education should have a higher

common goal to nurture the common bonds of all human beings to the planet earth.

Rights for Poverty Alleviation

The feeling of having the right is much more important and powerful than simply

needing or wanting it. Rights are guarantees which poor and the marginalised get

from those who are in power. It means the people in power have to respond to the

demands of the poor. Those in power have the responsibility to respect, protect and

do everything in their authority to fulfil those demands .

How ever, it must be understood that rights alone are not enough. According to

Amartya Sen, individuals need capabilities ie the rights and the ability to exercise

them. This ability is undermined when a person is poor, uneducated, sick, cannot get

required information or is in fear of violence. It is the capability which determines

what a person can do and who that person can be. We already have some very

important rights like RTI, RTE, Food Security, Right to Service and so on given to the

ordinary citizen. But these are not good enough unless the person is empowered to be

able to use them. Hence such rights and many others have little meaning when one in

seven people in the world, about 900 million people, experience discrimination on the

basis of ethnic, linguistic, or religious identities alone. In India this number will be

much higher.

Property Rights and Development

A major problem the poor face is not having secure rights to their houses and land,

something which is taken for granted by the rich. Property rights are not included in

human rights treaties, but the right is acknowledged in Article 17 of the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights; „Every one has the right to own property alone as well

as in association with others. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property‟

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It should be understood that while talking of property rights for all, the most

important aspect is women‟s property rights. Property rights have been seen as a

means to an end- a way to reduce the vulnerability of the poor as rich have other

means to defend their property. As discussed elsewhere, having a right and not being

able to exercise due to many other reasons does not serve the purpose at all. The

impact of denial of property rights affects every woman.

Access to Information and Knowledge

Francis Bacon said, „Knowledge is power‟. Today every one understands that

knowledge is indeed power. Unless a person has access to information and

knowledge, he/she can never be empowered. This is related with making maximum

number literate by having good primary and secondary schools. Though the private

sector can play a very important role in educating the poor, basic responsibility should

be fulfilled by having quality government run schools. Knowledge alone can expand

horizons and enable people to make informed rational choices. It prepares the poor to

demand their rights and fight for them if they are denied. It enables them to raise their

voice against injustice and inequality. Though rising literacy levels and TV, mobile

telephony etc have improved the situation, a lot more needs to be done.

Access to Justice

It is easy to understand that a strong relationship exists between development and

institutions like law enforcing agencies and the judicial system. The poor suffer the

most at the hands of the police and the courts. A gulf exists between laws and

practice since poor people face difficulties in getting the judicial system to take up

their cause. Nevertheless, access to justice, in the shape of law and courts can be a

vital tool for empowering the poor people.

Corruption and Poverty

It is well known that India ranks very high on the Corruption Perception Index,

according to Transparency International. Corruption is an anti-poor and anti-

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development phenomenon, which can only be tackled by better governance. Apart

from the moral and ethical dimension, corruption is the major cause of poor becoming

poorer and the rich getting converted in to super rich or filthy rich. In a democratic

set-up and in a plural society like ours, every one is guaranteed the right to grow to

one‟s potential and create wealth by legitimate means. How ever, corruption of any

kind deprives the common man and specifically the poor from climbing the next

ladder and they continue either in the same state or slide further down to a more

pathetic condition. Any thin that is anti-poor and hence anti-social must be on top of

the government‟s agenda to rectify the situation but in a country where populism

takes priority over good governance.

Risks and Vulnerability of the Poor and Social Protection

There are multiple risks in the lives of poor men and women. They face risks on daily

basis and also suffer shocks from disasters like draughts and sudden catastrophes such

as earthquakes and even wars. Helping the poor to mitigate such risks is a major

challenge for any government. The poor are vulnerable to all such risks as compared

to those who have money and can handle such situations much better. Here

vulnerability refers to reduced ability of people and households to cope with events

and stress to which they are exposed. Such stress can be „everyday disaster‟ like

sickness, death in the family, loss of a job, robbery, loss of a crop, or death in the

family. These events can tip poor families over the edge in to a downward spiral of

increasing vulnerability and poverty.

Crimes against Women

It is the poor women who are the targets of various types of crimes against women

more than the upper strata women as they are helpless when they approach the law

and order agencies and do not have the will to go through the notorious judicial

system .Domestic violence at the hands of their husbands and other male members,

rapes and throwing of acids etc are the common problems a poor woman faces almost

every day. Such crimes and the threat of violence against women constraints the

hopes and choices of such women. Crimes and violence against children is even more

widely accepted in poor families. The notion that children are individuals with rights,

as enshrined in international law since 1989 under the UN Convention on the Rights

of the Child, has still to permeate to the poor people, leaving the children as the most

powerless. Deadly violent crime is closely associated with poverty and inequality.

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Attitudes and Beliefs

Development is closely associated with the attitudes and beliefs of the people who

govern and the view and values that underpin those who are governed. Unawareness

and insensitivity to issues by those in power is a major reason why they don‟t do

anything to help the poor get out of their misery. One must be sensitive to the

problems of poverty, illiteracy, terrorism, and environment and so on. Insensitivity

leads one to be casual, careless or indifferent. Selfishness is the other reason. Human

beings, by nature are selfish, but being selfish at the cost of others is the worst thing

that can happen to them. All the common resources of nature and wealth generated

out of them must be shared, in all fairness. Faulty reasoning is yet another reason

why the rich and powerful do nothing for the less privileged. Reasoning and logic

should be used to support a fair and reasonable argument. How ever, most people tend

to use their analytical ability to support what they think is right and not what is

actually right.

Role of Active Citizens

Though justice claims to be rule-based and blind, in practice activism is often

essential to force the law enforcing agencies and judicial system to respond.

Information required in the courts is difficult to get, the police is generally hostile or

indifferent and judges are more likely to help the rich and powerful. This problem is

more acute in the case of women and ethnic minorities.

Active citizens use the rights given to the people to improve the quality of life of the;

„have-nots‟ through collective action. Rights and obligations link any individual to its

state; active citizens become crusaders to get these rights to those who are denied such

rights.

Conclusion

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It is unfortunate that poverty and hunger exists in a world of plenty when worldwide

improvements in crop yields have run ahead of population growth. It simply means

that there is enough food for every human being. Yet the hunger and poverty are stark

realities. All human beings dream of living in a utopian world; the Ram Rajya, where

every one is equipped with education, enjoying good health, with rights, dignity and a

voice to be able to change their destiny. Only effective and accountable governments

can ensure a fair distribution of wealth and hence alleviate poverty. It is the

responsibility of the government to reduce the ever-deepening gulf between „haves‟ of

wealth, land, water, technology etc and „have-nots‟ the poor and the destitute. In the

effort to end gross inequality and thus poverty, the most important role can be played

by effective states and active citizenship. For this purpose, the governments must

explore new approaches and analytical tools.

References and Bibliography

1. Development as Freedom, by Amartya Sen

2. From Poverty to Power by Duncan Green, published by Academic Foundation,

New Delhi

3. Education for Sustainable Development, Edited by Anastasia Nikolopoulou, Taisha

Abraham, Farid Mirbagheri. Published by Sage Publications India Pvt Ltd, New Delhi

4. Think India by Vinay Rai and William L. Simon, published byPenguin Group, New

York for Rai Foundation

5. Corruption in India by Bibek Debroy and Laveesh Bhandari, published by Konark

Publishing Pvt Ltd, New Delhi.

6. Entrepreneurship Development in India by Noboru Tabe and Somu Giriappa,

published by Kalpaz Publications, Delhi

2.

A formal document like a thesis should have a proper structure. Suggested structure

for a thesis is as follows:

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An outline should be developed first and foremost It is in the form that you

know how many Chapters will be there, what Heading and Sub-headings in

each chapter and what would be the length of each chapter

.

For proper Organisation of the entire thesis ,you should open a word processor

file system for each Chapter and one for „Reference‟. You must always keep a

back up of the file.

Chalk out a proper Timetable to meet the deadline Your thesis has to be a

time-bound document. After consulting your guide /supervisor , decide the

dates on which the First Draft , Second Draft and Final Draft has to be

submitted to him. Keep a cushion of a few days.

Make it a point to write something on each sitting Since it is easier to improve

something already existing rather than writing some thing new, you should prepare

your draft of what you are going to present , refine it and show it to the guide

/supervisor

Style Write the thesis is in a passive voice. It should follow all the rules of a good

formal writing ie, the rules of grammar, punctuation.

Presentation Though there is no doubt that your thesis must appear neat in its

presentation, you must pay more attention to the content. There is no direct

relationship between the length and that of quality of content

Structure Any thesis should have the following structure:

Title Page

This may be in the form “Title, Name of the Author, and A thesis submitted for the

award of Degree of Philosophy in the Faculty of Arts by Delhi University”

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Certificate or Declaration

Many institutions have a standard format for this purpose. It may be like this, “This is

to certify that the thesis on the topic ------------------------------------------------------------

----------- , submitted by --------------------------------------------------------------------------

----------is an original work supervised by me (Signatures, name , degrees etc.)

Acknowledgements

Here the author of thesis thanks the people who have provided him help ; it may be in

the form of intellectual inputs or by providing boarding and lodging, grant etc.. If

some chapters have been authored by a specific person, has name must be included.

Table of contents

Normally, the pages before the introduction are marked in roman numerals

Abstract

This is the most widely circulated document out of your thesis. So, a concise

description of what is contained in the thesis should be prepare.

Introduction

What is the topic of research and why is it important, is brought out clearly in the

introduction

Conclusion

It briefly brings out what has been achieved

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Suggestions for further work

Any scientific research raises new issues which are beyond the scope of present

study. Such area should be brought out by the author,

References

For any work of research, you would have referred to a large amount of literature.

Mention that in the manner it should be done.

Appendices

Appendices are such material which is part of the thesis , but if include along with the

text in the thesis, it will break the flow. These are separately presented in a different

volume.

5.12 Reference/Suggested Reading

1. Technical Communication by Meenakshi Raman and Sangeeta Sharma, Published

by Oxford University Press

2. Effective technical Communication by M.Ashraf Rizvi , published by Tata

McGraw- Hill Publishing Company Ltd, New Delhi

5.13 Model Questions

1. What is the difference between Technical Proposal and Technical Report?

2. What are the essentials for writing a good dissertation?

3. How will you prepare your thesis for M Tech in computer science? Explain the

procedure.

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Lesson Plan-Lesson 6 6.0 Objectives

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Resume Design and Parts of a Resume

6.2.1 Any resume must answer the following questions

6.2.2 Parts of Resume

6.2.2.1 Heading

6.2.2.3 Career objectives

6.2.2.4 Professional summary

6.2.2.5 Education

6.2,2.6 Work experience

6.2.2.7 Special Skills, abilities, and aptitudes

6.2.2.8 Activities and interest

6.2.2.9 Achievements/Accomplishments/Honors

6.2.2.10 References

6.3 Tips for Writing Good Resumes

6.3.1 Be factual, correct and complete

6.3.2 Always write specific details

6.3.3 Use a simple , lucid and readable writing style

6.3.4 Resume must have professional look

6.3.5 Be particular about the grammar, vocabulary, punctuations etc.

6.4 Styles of Writing Resumes

6.4.1 Chronological resume

6.4.2 Functional resume

6.4.3 Combination resume

6.4.4 What to avoid in a Resume?

6.5.1Application for

6.5.2 Writing Job Applications

6.5.2 Cover Letter

6.6 Summary

6.7 Glossary

6.8 Answers to check your progress/Self assessment questions

6.9 References/Suggested reading

6.10 Model questions

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Lesson 6- Effective CVs – An Analysis

6.0 Objectives

After reading this lesson, the student will be able to :

Appreciate why Resume writing has assumed such an importance

Learn to write job applications

Understand the essential ingredients of a resume

Learn how to right a good resume and get what the student wants

6.1 Introduction

Resume or the personal data sheet as many call it is an inventory of the applicant‟s

personal details, educational qualifications,, specialised training, experience,

references, and any other relevant information. According to Mary Ellen Guffey, “A

resume packages your assets into a convincing advertisement that sells you for a

specific job”.

A resume is a selective record of an individual‟s background. It is basically a

professional employment-seeking document that presents a summary of an

individual‟s education, professional training, experience, skills, abilities,

achievements, and references. It introduces the individual to a potential employer. A

resume is sent to prospective employers when an applicant is seeking job interviews.

So, the main objective of a resume is winning a job interview by highlighting the

applicant‟s fitness for a particular position.

Writing an effective resume that represents one‟s current skills, abilities, and

background is a challenge faced by all candidates. As a well-written persuasive

resume tailored to a specific job position immediately grabs the attention of an

employer, it should therefore, be made as persuasive as possible. The following

section represents techniques and suggestions for creating persuasive resumes.

6.2 Resume Design and Parts of a Resume

There is no one right design for a resume. The design of a resume largely depends on

a person‟s background, employment needs, career goals, and professional conventions

in the area of specialization. For best results, a resume must be designed to reflect the

candidate‟s personality, employment goals, and his/ her career aspirations. A resume

should be original. Although resume-writing software may be used to design a resume

or it may be written by a professional resume writer/resume-writing service, it should

be designed according to individual needs.

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Resumes may have to be written for every new job application because every job has

its own requirements. Keeping a resume job-specific gives it the required focus and

makes it more effective. The contents of the different resumes prepared by a candidate

might be roughly the same, but the organization, format, structure, and emphases

could be quite different.

6.2.1 Any resume must answer the following questions:

How can the employer contact the candidate?

What are his/her career objectives?

Which institution has been attended?

What courses (academic or professional) has been completed?

What is his/her work experience?

What are his/her career achievements?

What are his/her special skills or capabilities?

What are the/her awards or honors that he/she has received?

What are his/her activities/special interest/hobbies?

Who are his/her references?

Answers to these questions will provide the employer with all the relevant

information needed to assess an applicant‟s suitability for a particular position. These

answers may be integrated to these questions into different parts of as resume.

6.2.2 Parts of Resume

The standard parts of a resume include the heading; position sought, career objective,

education, work experience, specific skills, achievements, activities, interests, and

references.

6.2.2.1 Heading

The heading of a resume includes contact information, which contains the

applicant‟s name, full postal address with pin code, telephone number with area

code, fax number, and e-mail address.

6.2.2.2 Position sought

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If applying for a solicited job position, the position sought should be mentioned

so that the employer is able to distinguish the application from those who might

have applied for other positions available in the company/organization. However,

it is not necessary to include this part in the resume if the application is for an

unsolicited job position.

6.2.2.3 Career objectives

Career objective is a special part in a resume. It occurs just above the main experience

and education parts. If responding to an advertised job position, the resume should

include the applicant‟s career objective, which should be tailored to the position

he/she is seeking. Thus, it should be a specific one-sentence focused statement

expressing his career goals in relation to the targeted position. It should convey

his/her motivation and interest in the job he/she is seeking. The following are some

examples:

To work as a system manger in a leading IT company where I will have

opportunities to use my experience with VB, ASP, NET, XML, and SQL

Server.

To obtain a challenging position in a large software consulting

organization providing business consulting, application development, and

product engineering services, where understanding and experience of

business process modeling and organizational change management to suit

customer needs can be used to achieve set targets.

To contribute to the growth of a high technology engineering enterprise

by working in a position where I will have opportunities to utilize my

exposure and experience in modeling and designing steel structures, and

my hands-on experience in using FEM/FEA software.

To work as a product architect in an innovative software company where I

will be able to use my experience in the areas of product and system

architecture with expertise in enterprise applications.

If you are just exploring a job position by sending an all-purpose resume, you may use

a general statement as your career objective. It would just express your general career

goals and tell the potential employer the sort of work you are hoping to do. Study the

following examples:

Seeking a suitable position in design/project management.

Challenging position in maintenance of computer printers and

peripherals.

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Position in academic administration.

Faculty position in Computer Aided Design.

Sales position in electrical products.

6.2.2.4 Professional summary

Some resumes may include a professional summary in place of career objective. It is

a one-sentence statement listing the applicant‟s most important qualifications, his/her

essential skills, and his/her key work experience. This part should be included in the

resume if the applicant wishes to highlight the relevance of his/her qualifications,

special skills, and key work experience to the position he/she is applying for. The

following are some examples:

Six years experience in providing customer support to users of the

industry‟s leading network routing, switching, security, and VOIP

technology as a CCNA professional at CONVERGYS.

Four years of experience as production engineer with thorough

understanding of weld technology and design and sound knowledge

about trouble-shooting, fool proofing of processes, cost saving

through process improvement, and low cost automation.

Over eight years of training and experience in testing, commissioning

and integrating of the GSM & CMDA nodes like IN, GPRS, EDGE,

MMS with expertise in IP products and networking.

Five years of experience in sales of spare parts for central air

conditioning equipment with extensive knowledge of spare parts of

Carrier for Bahwan Engineering Group, Muscat.

6.2.2.5 Education

In this part of resume, specific details regarding the applicant‟s education and

professional training must be included. The name and location of the

school/college/university/institute attended, dates of attendance, major areas of study,

degrees/certificates received should be mentioned. The applicant‟s grade point

average/class/division if it is on the higher side may also be mentioned. Relevant

training programmes, special courses, seminars and workshops that the applicant

might have completed, attended, or conducted should also be included. Reverse

chronological order is used to list educational information, that is, starting from the

most recent educational information.

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6.2.2.6 Work experience

This part of the resume should provide a brief and specific overview of the applicant‟s

work and professional experience. As prior work experience is a vital part of any

hiring decision, the applicant must draft this part of the resume very carefully. If

he/she has impressive work experience relevant to the position he/she is seeking, it

makes more sense to mention it before providing the educational information.

Work experience should be given in reverse chronological order, by listing the most

recent employment first. Title of the position, employer‟s name or name of the

organization/company, location of work (town, state), dates of employment, and

important Job responsibilities, activities, and accomplishments should be included.

Emphasis should be placed on those aspects of the applicant‟s experience and

employment achievements that illustrate his/her capabilities and positive personality

traits such as motivation, willingness to learn, positive attitude, confidence, ability to

get along with others, and communication and interpersonal skills.

6.2.2.7 Special Skills, abilities, and aptitudes

In this part of the resume, the applicant‟s special skills abilities and aptitudes that are

of significance and of direct relevance to the job applied for are listed. Examples of

learned skills include computer programming, computer processing, data processing,

foreign languages, machinery operating, consulting, drafting, technical writing, and so

on. It is necessary to be selective and specific, highlighting only those skills and

talents that are relevant to the targeted job

6.2.2.8Activities and interests

Extra-curricular, co-curricular, professional activities, and hobbies and interests must

be mentioned. These activities must show that the applicant is a dynamic and

energetic person who can accept challenges. Companies prefer such people.

6.2.2.9 Achievements/Accomplishments/Honors

The applicant‟s achievements, accomplishments, and awards distinguish him from the

rest. They convince employer that he/she is an achiever and therefore worth hiring.

This part should include scholarships, fellowships, awards, distinctions,

commendations, certificates, or anything that shows achievement or recognition.

6.2.2.10 References

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Some employers need references from persons who know the applicant‟s work or

professional competence through formal and professional interaction with him/her.

When applying for a solicited position where the employer wants references, the

names of three persons who can give letters of recommendations or references should

be mentioned. These persons may include the applicant‟s previous employer, teacher,

immediate supervisor, research guide, colleague, subordinate, and so on. The name of

the reference must be mentioned, his or her designation, and full contact address wit

telephone number, fax number, and e-mail address should be given.

6.3 Tips for Writing Good Resumes

A good resume is a treat to look at and joy to read. It is an important document which

can , if properly presented help the job-seeker a lot.

Keep the following in mind, if you want to write a good resume:

6.3.1 Be factual, correct and complete

Many a times, a candidate in his anxiety to impress the interviewer write certain

things which are not factually correct. This the worst thing a candidate can do.

Remember, it is a record which has been authenticated by you and any wrong

statement will amount to cheating and fraud. Qualifications and experience etc.

should be verified for accuracy Also, be very particular to check the facts and figures

like dates, postal or e-mail addresses, addressees and contact Nos. of the references

telephone, mobile and FAX numbers etc. A careless or casual attitude can cost you

very dear.

6.3.2 Always write specific details

Some persons have the tendency to beat about the bush and write generally to increase

the length of their resume. This is a bad habit and you must shun it. Be very specific

in what ever you say. Use appropriate key words to emphasise your skill set or

positive personality traits like belief in ethics and value system etc. While mentioning

the education and experience, be certain to write as per the certificates you possess.

6.3.3 Use a simple , lucid and readable writing style

Basic principles of business writing are applicable to resume writing as well. One

wants to include maximum possible information in the resume but at the same time it

cannot be very long. As a compromise, many tend to use a curt style which is

irritating for the reader. Using “Responsible for marketing operations in J and K” is

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ok in place of, “I was responsible for operations in the entire state of J and K”. But

more precise and curt language may lose the readability of the resume which is very

important. The best test is to put yourself in the place of the reader and judge the

impact.

6.3.4 Resume must have professional look

A suitable resume style should be chosen depending upon what aspects you want to

highlight, what are the employers looking for, the reputation of the organisation for

written standards and their professional approach etc.It should be structured as

headings , sub-headings etc. leaving enough space to differentiate the various parts. It

should be neatly typed on good quality of paper without any decorative borders. The

reader should like to read the entire document in one go.

6.3.5 Be particular about the grammar, vocabulary, punctuations etc.

Simple sentences which use day-to-day vocabulary and are grammatically correct

leave much better impression than long sentences using high-fi words and phrases

but lacking punctuation.

6.4 Styles of Writing Resumes

Many styles of writing the resume are used. It depends upon the personal choice of

the person as also on his/her qualifications, experience and career goals. Here are

some styles for you to consider.

6.4.1 Chronological resume

It is the most common style. In this style the writer focuses on education and

experience. Educational qualifications and work experience is provided in the reverse

chronological order ie. Beginning with the latest and ending with the most recent. An

example of such a resume is given below.

Alok Saxena

O-234/1, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi=135673

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E-mail: alok4567saxena@gmail.com, Mobile No. 09878021341

Position sought General Manger – Project

Career Objectives To contribute extensively to the organisation using

my qualifications, experience and maturity. To accept challenges and prove my

mettle in handling them in the best interest of the company I serve

Experience Project Manager

Worked with distinction with M/s All Well Developers

and Engineers, a reputed construction company of Noida from 2009 till present

Assistant Project Manager

Assisted the Project Manager in the well known construction company, ABC

Promoters of Gurgaon from 2003 to 2009

Qualifications M.Tech (Civil) from Punjab Technical University in

2012

B. Tech(Civil) from BITS , Pilani in 2003

Special skills Computer savvy

Excellent people skills

Very good communication skills in English and

Hindi

Undergoing course in French

Memberships and other activities Member Institution of Engineers

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Member Lucknow Management

Association

Interests and hobbies Writing for professional journals

Playing hockey and badminton

6.4.2 Functional resume

In this type of resume, the resume writer lays emphasis on skills and

accomplishments. Here the writer wants to demonstrate his/her skills in handling the

type of challenge in the job. Some employer are more interested in the problem

solving ability of the candidate rather than the qualifications etc,. Here is an example

of such a resume.

Alok Saxena

O-234/1, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi=135673

E-mail: alok4567saxena@gmail.com, Mobile No. 09878021341

Position sought General Manger – Project

Career Objectives To contribute extensively to the organisation using

my qualifications, experience and maturity. To accept challenges and prove my

mettle in handling them in the best interest of the company I serve

Project Management

Supported the Project Manager in project planning activities

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Coordinated with architects and structure engineers

Helped complete the project before the dead line set by the management

Customer Relations

Was assigned the task of customer relation in the absence of the professional.

My outstanding contribution was recognised by the management

Special Skills

Excellent problem solving skills

Excellent people skills

Experience Project Manager

Worked with distinction with M/s All Well Developers

and Engineers, a reputed construction company of Noida from 2009 till present

Assistant Project Manager

Assisted the Project Manager in the well known construction company, ABC

Promoters of Gurgaon from 2003 to 2009

Qualifications M.Tech (Civil) from Punjab Technical University in

2012

B. Tech(Civil) from BITS , Pilani in 2003

Special skills Computer savvy

Excellent people skills

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Very good communication skills in English and

Hindi

Undergoing course in French

Memberships and other activities Member Institution of Engineers

Member Lucknow Management

Association

Interests and hobbies Writing for professional journals

Playing hockey and badminton

6.4.3 Combination resume

As the name suggests, it is a combination of the Chronological Resume and the

Functional Resume

6.4.4 What to avoid in a Resume

The following must be avoided in a good resume:

Do not write the word „Resume‟ at the top

References, unless asked for

Do not include anything that could be thought to be controversial

Personal information unless asked for

Too much of information regarding past jobs

6.5 Writing Job Applications

First step of applying for a job is to prepare a Curriculam Vitae or a Resume. Most

people think of it as a odious work and go about it with a lack of enthusiasm, little

realizing that that it plays an important role in their acquiring a job. No doubt,

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preparing a Curriculam Vitae or Resume is a laborious task but it can be mastered

with diligence.

When ever a post or job is advertised a large number of resumes are received. The

weeding criterion followed by the company ensures that only a few remain for the

final call letters. Therefore it is important to capture the interest of the perspective

employer by sending only a good resume. Usually, it is accompanied withn a covering

letter. Letter of application can be solicited or unsolicited. A solicited letter is sent in

response to an advertisement. An unsolicited letter is a self-initiated proposal. Either

way , they must be well written , otherwise they will be ignored. Some people merely

mention the degrees acquired, where as if one mentions the skill sets which have been

acquired or work experience, one has a better chance of catching the attention and

interest of the perspective employer.

Job application form is a very important document. A candidate has to very carefully

prepare this document. Here is a sample job application format which a candidate may

use to his advantage.

6.5.1 Application for Employment

Position Applied For Photograph

A. Personal Data

1. Name in full

2. Present Address

3. Permanent Address

4. Date of Birth Place of Birth

5. Marital Status

6. Children No. Age

7. No. of Brothers Sisters Others

( If living in joint family)

8. Nos. of earning members in the family

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9. Contact Nos. for contacting in case of emergency

B. Physical Data

10. Height Weight Blood Group

11. Handicap

(In case there is some physical handicap)

C. Education

12.

Name of school Address Period Attended Courses Taken Degree/Diploma

/university From To

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13. Specific subjects studied /Training undertaken

14. Particulars of scholarships/special merit awards

15. Extra curricular activities during school/college and positions achieved

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16. Subjects/activities that interested you the most in school/college

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17. Games played in school/college and position achieved

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18 Hobbies

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19. Apprenticeship in plant training etc

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D Employment References

20. Contact No. for enquiries from present employers

21. Previous Employment (starting with present employment)

Name of the Duration Description Salary Reason for leaving

Employer and From To Basic Allowances

address

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22. Why you consider yourself suitable for the position applied

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E General Information

23. Languages

Language Speak Read Write

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24 Magazines and newspapers you read

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25. Membership of professional bodies/institutions

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26. Any relatives/ acquaintances working in this organization

27. Consolidated gross salary expected

28. Present salary details

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Present basic DA HRA Conveyance Others Total Bonus LTA Remarks

I hereby certify that above statements are true and correct

Signatures Date

6.5.2 Cover Letter

A resume should be accompanied with a covering letter. Some people believe that

cover letters are not read by the perspective employers, so they need not be sent.

Never the less when the cover letter accompanies the resume, it must be well drafted

and printed on a good quality of paper.

General hint for writing a cover letter

Give your address and contact number at the top right corner of the letter

Modified block form of letter writing is the most suitable for covering

letter

Address the letter as indicated in the advertisement

If a hand-written application is asked, write neatly in dark blue ink.

6.6 Summary

Resume writing has acquired a lot of importance because Indian companies are

becoming more and more professional in their approach towards hiring. They have

realised that they have to be very careful in selecting an employee as a lot of time,

money and effort may be wasted if an unsuitable person gets entry in their

organisation.

For writing a good resume, the applicant must keep many aspects in mind. The lesson

brings out the method of preparing a good resume. A few sample resumes have also

been provided for the reader to learn from them.

6.7 Glossary

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Resume It is the personal data sheet as many call it is an inventory of

the applicant‟s personal details, educational qualifications,, specialised training,

experience, references, and any other relevant information.

Functional Resume In this type of resume, the resume writer lays emphasis on

skills and accomplishments

Career objectives It is a specific one-sentence focused statement expressing his

career goals in relation to the targeted position. It should convey his/her motivation

and interest in the job he/she is seeking

6.8 Answers to check your progress/Self Assessment

Questions

1. You have just passed your MBA(Marketing) from PTU and are looking for a

suitable opening. Prepare a resume highlighting your strengths.

2. You have seen an advertisement in a national daily for a System Analyst for a

reputed company based at Gurgaon. Prepare your resume to meet the specific needs of

this job.

3. Read carefully the resume given below and identify what type is it:

Alok Verma

1234 Sector 88, Noida-201 301

E-mail :alok_verma@gmail.com

Skills Expertise in structural designing of high –rise buildings

Have worked as Project Management Consultant

Good problem solving ability

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Excellent people skills

Good written and oral communication skills

Experience Project Manager of --------------------- for 5 years

PMC for 2 years

Supervised mechanical and civil works for 2 years

Assistant Project Manager

-----------------------------------

---------------------------------------

Education I I T Roorkee, B.Tech in civil engineering ,year-------

Symbisis, Pune, Master in Business Administration, year-

Activities Member Institution of Engineers, Chandigarh

Member, Chandigarh Management Association

Hobbies and interests Play regularly at Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Academy,

Member Golf Club, Chandigarh

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Answers

1.

Alok Saxena

O-234/1, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi=135673

E-mail: alok4567saxena@gmail.com, Mobile No. 09878021341

Position sought General Manger – Marketing

Career Objectives To contribute extensively to the organisation using

my qualifications, experience and maturity. To accept challenges and prove my

mettle in handling them in the best interest of the company I serve

Work Experience

Was awarded the best marketing executive in the first year of joining the

company in 2002

Launched a new product , „You Win‟ in Andhra Pradesh in 2005, which is

now a household name in South

Presented a Paper, „ Rural Marketing-The New Horizons‟ in an international

seminar conducted by CII at Chandigarh in 2013

I have led a team of marketing and sales professional and increased the

market share of a product by 2.2 percent

Customer Relations

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Was assigned the task of customer relation in the absence of the professional.

My outstanding contribution was recognised by the management

Special Skills

Excellent problem- solving skills

Excellent people skills

Qualifications M.B A ( Marketing) from Punjab Technical

University in 2001

Special skills Computer savvy

Excellent people skills

Very good communication skills in English and

Hindi

Memberships and other activities Member Chandigarh Association

Interests and hobbies Writing for professional journals

Playing hockey and badminton

2.

Alok Saxena

O-234/1, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi=135673

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E-mail: alok4567saxena@gmail.com, Mobile No. 09878021341

Position sought System Analyst

Career Objectives To contribute extensively to the organisation using

my qualifications, experience and maturity. To accept challenges and prove my

mettle in handling them in the best interest of the company I serve

Experience Team Member in the System Analysis department of

M/s ABC Software Pvt Ltd , Bangalore from 2004 t0 2007

System Analyst with Genpack Softwares Ltd, Gurgaon

Since 2007

Qualifications MCA from Punjab Technical University in 2004

Special skills Excellent people skills

Very good communication skills in English and

Hindi. Undergoing a course in French

Memberships and other activities Member Institution ofElectronics

Engineers(I)

Member Gurgaon Management Association

Interests and hobbies Writing for professional technical

journals

Playing hockey and badminton

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3.

It is a functional resume

6.9 Reference / Suggested Reading

1. Technical Communication by Meenakshi Raman and Sangeeta Sharma, Published

by Oxford University Press

2. Effective technical Communication by M.Ashraf Rizvi , published by Tata

McGraw- Hill Publishing Company Ltd, New Delhi

3. Business Communication by Varinder Kumar and Bodh Raj published by Kalyani

Publishers

6.10 Model Questions

1. What are the types of resumes and what is the basic difference between them?

2. How do you balance your qualifications and the experience in a good resume?

3. You have acquired special skill of writing for magazines and newspapers . How

will you highlight in your resume?

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Lesson Plan-Lesson 7 7.0 Objectives

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Special advantages of Face –to –face interview

7.2.1 Issues difficult to justify

7.3 Types of interviews

7.3.1 Classification according to the structure

7.3.2 Classification according to the purpose of an interview

7.3.3 Classification according to Content of the Interview 7.4 Steps to be followed in any interview

7.4.1 Introduction or initiation of the interview based on the information of the

candidate available with the interview board

7.4.2 Developing a rapport by asking the candidate questions related with interests

and hobbies

7.4.2.1 Questions related with hobbies

7.5 General personality traits assessed by the interviewers during the interview

7.5.1 Important traits that define you

7.5.2 Correct method of entering the interview room/hall

7.5.3 Right method of sitting in the interview

7.5.4 When you leave the interview room/hall

7.6 Handling Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

7.7 Sample interview

7.7.1 Questions based on general awareness of the candidate 7.7.2 Initiation of the interview through qualifications and academic record of the candidate 7.7.3 Initiating the interview by asking confusing or odd questions

7.7.4 Assessing the candidate‟s attitude and psychological make-up

7.7.5 Assessing candidate‟s hard or functional knowledge and skills relted with it

7.7.6 Winding up of the interview process

7.8 Summary

7.9 Glossary

7.10 Answers to check your progress/Self assessment questions

7.11 References/Suggested reading

7.12 Model questions

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Lesson 7- Winning at Interviews—A Perspective

7.0 Objectives

After reading this lesson, the student will be able to :

Learn about the main purpose of conducting interviews

Understand the basic process of interviews

Know what the interviewing board looks for in a candidate

Understand how to prepare for interviews

7.1 Introduction

An interview is a process followed after the recruitment process has been completed.

The basic purpose of any interview is to get information from the applicant and

provide her the information in a face- to- face physical interaction to assess the

interviewee‟s suitability and potential for a specific purpose. The idea is the

interviewee should fit in the vacancy available in the organization. It is formally

arranged and planned conversation in which the interviewer evaluates the suitability

or otherwise of the candidate for a particular position. According to Pauline V.

Young, “An interview may be regarded as a systematic method by which a person

enters more or less imaginatively in to the inner life of a comparative stranger” In

fact, interview should be seen as an unrehearsed face to face communication between

two or more individuals where both the parties can get immediate feedback and have

the opportunity to change or modify the question asked or response give. According

to Dale Yoder, author of one of the earliest books on personnel management,

Personnel Management and Industrial Relations, Prentice Hall 1942, in interviews

“attention is usually directed to the background and education of the applicant, his

work history his interests and avocations, his family and friends, his personal habits

and his views and attitudes” The basic idea is to have face-to-face free-flow of

information which can help the candidate to know the organization better and the

interviewer is able to assess many personality traits which can help the organization.

Though interview may be conducted only by one person, but in the interest of

objectivity, more than one person who are experts in their relevant fields are involved.

The organizations and the interviewers always try their best to make the interviews as

objective as possible, how ever, the interview remains distrusted as a reliable and

valid means of selection, due to many reasons. Obviously, for good selection, the

information about the applicant should be both valid and reliable. There are many

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methods of ensuring as much objectivity in the process as is possible and these will be

discussed in later chapters. However, expecting any interview to be fool-proof is a

fallacy.

Essential system and method of interview may remain the same but there will be

variations depending upon the level or specific position for which a person is being

interviewed. For example interview for a supervisor‟s job will be relatively simpler as

compared to that of a top level position. How ever, every employee hired or promoted

by any company must go through some type of interview process by one or more

people.

7.2 Special advantages of Face –to –face interview

The organization gets the opportunity to clarify /check certain information in

person which may not be clear from the application form

Applicant gets an opportunity to put across certain points which could not

have been included because of the design of the application format or the

candidate did not want to include them

Certain type of information can be best obtained only in personal meetings.

Enthusiasm, zeal, motivation, commitment, pro-active approach and hopes and

aspirations of the candidate can be best judged in face-to-face meeting.

7.2.1 Issues difficult to justify

No doubt, interview is the most used method of selection because of many

advantages; yet interview throws up some issues which are difficult to justify. These

are:

Any interview is highly susceptible to, subjectivity, distortion and bias. Since

interviews are conducted by human beings, it is impossible to make any

interview bias –free. Companies do make effort to train the interviewers in

various techniques and expect them to be totally objective, but it is easier

said then done.

It can never be an exact job-fit ie in spite of all the efforts made to put the

right man at the right place, inaccuracies, are bound to creep in the system.

All selections are subject to legal attacks and challenges by those who don‟t

make it. To avoid such situations, companies prepare very elaborate HRD

policies. How ever, no policy can ever be fool-proof.

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Personal interviews always tend to infringe on the privacy of an individual.

As the companies don‟t hire only the brain and hands of the employees, they

get them as complete packages; employee‟s own and her relatives‟ physical

and emotional problems also come with her.

Many people feel that there is too much of dependence shown by the employers on

the results of the interview. A candidate can hide her weaknesses and put her best foot

forward during the duration of the interview and as such her true worth may not be

known. That is where the experience, maturity and knowledge and skill of the

interviewer come in to play.

7.3 Types of Interviews

There are different types of interview techniques used in business houses depending

upon the type of interaction the recruiting companies want to have with the candidates

who apply for vacancies in their organisations.

Broadly, the interviews may be classified as follows:

7.3.1 Classification according to the structure

Unstructured Interviews

This type of interview is also called Non-directive Interview. Here, there are no

specific types of questions which are planned to be asked from the candidate. Hence,

the interview may take any direction; that is why it is also called non-directive. There

is no formal board of interviewers to assess specific personality traits of the

candidates who is encouraged to express himself , explain his background,

experiences in general, his strengths and weaknesses, motivation and aspirations etc.

Lack of any formal structure allows the interviewers to relate their questions with the

last statement made by the candidate and develop the interview as it progresses. Same

or similar type of questions may not be asked from candidates appearing for the same

job. No formal time limit is laid and the interview may last for a duration depending

upon the interaction with the candidate

Structured Interviews

Such interviews involve a lot of planning regarding the type of questions to be asked

and responses expected from the candidate. The candidate is assessed and rated on the

basis of correct or appropriate responses. Since such interviews are structured to a

high level of accuracy and precision, these are also called the standardised

interviews. An interview guide is prepared which includes the following:

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Personal Information Name, education, marital status, age , number of

dependents, hobbies and recreation needs, willingness to travel and willingness to

work overtime

Job Interest Position or appointment applied for, expectation from the

work involved, how important the job is for the candidate, salary expected,

knowledge about the company, reasons for applying for job in a particular company

Current Work Status Employed at present or not, if employed how long with the

company, if not employed how long has the candidate been without the job, if already

working, reasons for changing the job, availability for joining the position

Work Experience Details of current or last employer, name of postion held,

duties and responsibilities allotted in the job, who was the immediate superior, what

did you like the most about the job, what did you not like about the job, the reasons

for seeking another job

General Any plans the candidate has for improving himself

during next one year, what do you understand by success and how important is it for

you, what are you mostly criticised for, importance of planning in your life and how

you intend to plan your work, what are the types of situations in which you feel

highly stressed, any high pressure responsibilities handled by you in your previous

employment

Structured vs Unstructured Interviews

Both types of interview techniques have their merits and demerits. In unstructured

interviews different types of questions may be asked from different candidates and to

that extent there is no standardisation in assessment. How ever in structured

interviews same standard question are asked from all the candidates which lends

uniformity to the system. It reduces subjectivity and personal biases of the

interviewers. As such they are more reliable and valid. But such interviews don‟t give

the flexibility to the interviewers to probe more and more to extract the maximum out

of the candidate. Interviewers cannot pursue points of interest as the interview unfolds

and develops.

7.3.2 Classification according to the purpose of an interview

Stress Interviews

Here the main purpose is to assess the suitability of the candidate under stressful

situations. It assesses the behaviour of the candidate when placed in work situation

which are highly stressful. The interviewers purposely simulate the situation by

harassing the candidate, try and annoy him, frustrate him and do everything so that he

looses cool and takes unwanted actions. Different people react in different ways to

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such situations, they show up different type of reactions. Imagine a situation, when

the interviewer keeps silent for unduly long period, interrupt the candidate again and

again, criticise him or say any illogical things. This interview is also very difficult to

conduct as only very mature and experienced person can conduct it.

Appraisal Interviews

Such interview are conducted after performance appraisal has been carried out and the

concerned person has to be given feed back on his rating or any remedial counseling.

Exit Interviews

When any employee leaves a job for what ever reason, the organisation carries out

exit interview to understand any problems for which corrective action can be initiated.

Such interviews are generally conducted by HRD department to get an insight in to

the functioning of the company.

7.3.3 Classification according to Content of the Interview

Situational Interview

In this type of interview, such question are asked from the candidate as to assess his

behaviour in a particular type of situation

Job-related Interview

The idea here is to assess what type of behaviour will the candidate show when he is

actually performing the job. The questions are based on the past behaviour in a

particular job. Job –related question are asked to find out a candidate‟s ability to

handle the problems on actual job.

Behavioural Interviews

Here the candidates are asked how exactly they behaved in a particular situation. In

situational interviews the candidates are asked how they would react to a particular

situation in future where as in behavioural interviews the candidates are asked how

actually they behaved in any specific situation.

Psychological Interviews

Such interviews are conducted by trained psychologists to assess certain special

personality traits like dependability, reliability and ability to withstand stressful

situations.

7.4 Steps to be followed in any interview

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Introduction or initiation of the interview

Getting to know from the candidate some pre –determined information that is

required as per the job responsibility

Assessing the candidates knowledge and hard skills

Assessing the candidate‟s soft skills knowledge

Assessing the candidates certain personality traits; the most important being her

psychological behaviour.

Winding up the interview

Making up the mind about candidate‟s suitability or otherwise for the position

Let us discuss these with the help of suitable examples.

7.4.1 Introduction or initiation of the interview based on the information of the

candidate available with the interview board

Before the candidates comes for the interview she has already responded to either the

recruitment process followed by the company or forwarded the Resume, CV or Bio-

data based on some other information about the requirement of the organization. The

candidate hands over the bio-data to the company either personally or forwards it

through post, e-mail etc. In any case, the bio-data should have a covering letter. Many

a times the candidates approach the organization and fill up a standard application

form available with the company, in anticipation. The interview board, whether

comprising of one person or a number of persons, goes through the bio-data of the

candidate before she is called in the interview room. If there are more than one

interviewer in the board, the senior most person is nominated as the President or

Chairman of the board. It is normal practice that the senior most person calls the

candidate by any of the following ways:

“Please come in, Miss Shalini”

“Welcome, Miss Pooja Agnihotry”

“Miss Shaloo, please come in”

The idea is to put the candidate at ease and develop a rapport with her. It is essential;

otherwise, the board cannot get the best out of the candidate. Members of the board

adopt all kinds of methods to put the candidate at ease. They must not forget the

anxiety and worry of the candidate who is going to see their faces for the first time in

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a strange environment. In any case, the candidate knows that the board members

know a lot more than her and holds them in high esteem. And then, of course there is

this important factor of how desperately the person needs the job, which makes the

candidate nervous. In order to make the candidate comfortable, board members

generally call her by her first name and engage her in conversation such as knowing

the meaning of the name. Since many of names in our culture are related with

historical and mythological persons, every candidate must be clear about the history,

background and meaning of her name. If asked to give out the name, it should be done

with confidence and in loud enough a voice for every member to hear it clearly.

Candidate must love her name and take pride in being addressed as such. Please go

through the following example to understand fine points about how the interview is

initiated.

Example

President/Chairman: Welcome, Miss Ramandeep . It is a very nice name

Candidate: Thank you sir/madam

One of the members: Will you be comfortable if we call you only as Raman?

Candidate: You are welcome sir/ madam. You may call me Raman.

Another member: Please tell us Raman, what is the meaning of your name?

Candidate: Sir/ madam, as you know Raman stands for Sun, the source of tremendous

energy. So, I suppose my parents expected me to turn out to be a brilliant person.

President/Chairman: Thank you Raman. I think yours is a wonderful name and you

will definitely come up to the expectations of your parents.

7.4.2 Developing rapport by asking questions related with candidate‘s interests

and hobbies

Candidates find the part of writing their interests and hobbies as most confusing to

compose. As mentioned earlier, the effort of the interviewing board is to make the

candidate as comfortable as possible so that they are able to find the most suitable

person for the job. So, the interviewers will not purposely try to trick and trap you in a

difficult situation unless you have hidden some vital information or told a lie at

certain places. Be sure with their experience, they will definitely be able to see

through in such a case. So, the best policy is to write the facts without any

manipulation.

7.4.3 Questions related with hobbies

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Gone are the days when the employer was happy with the „hard skills‟ or professional

domain alone of the perspective employee. These days there is much broader

approach to the whole concept of hiring candidates and the employer also looks at the

„soft skills‟ of the candidate in addition to the qualifications, skills and experience of

the candidate. So, it has become important that the candidate mentions her hobbies

and interests in the application form. Many employers specially look at this part of the

resume to understand what kind of interests a candidate has before calling her for the

interview. Hence, suitable hobbies and interests as mentioned in the bio-data may as

well become the first step towards selection of the candidate. Application forms

always have a space where the candidate is expected to write her areas of interest and

hobbies. There can be no person who does not pursue something apart from doing

something for making a living. Many candidates commit the mistake of writing

something to impress the interviewer, even when they are not actually good at it.

Candidates try and find some connection of what they mention as their hobby with the

job they are looking for, in the hope that it will increase their chances of getting

selected. The best thing is to be frank and honest about what ever you love to do.

Your favourite hobby need not be highly intellectual in nature or directly useful to

your job or the society. The point to be understood is that you will be asked questions

related with those hobbies and you cannot pull fast one on the board. For all you

know, one of the members himself may be pursuing the hobby you have mentioned

and may know much more about it than you know.

Here are some of the hobbies which candidates generally mention in their bio-data:

Reading. Reading is a good hobby and a large number of candidates mention

it in their bio-data. It is further amplified by the applicants mentioning

„reading newspapers‟, „reading novels‟ „reading biographies of great men‟,

„reading poetry‟ etc. Reading is a good hobby but it depends upon what you

read and how it contributes to overall personality. Reading good literature can

add to your knowledge which can stand you in good stead sometime. But

reading detective novels can hardly contribute to your potential as a useful

employee in any field of activity. If you have mentioned reading newspapers

as your hobby, you should know everything about that particular newspaper

like, where is it published, when was it established, who owns it, who is the

editor and in how many languages it is published in. In this case, an obvious

question is why you prefer a particular newspaper over the other. If your

hobby is to read the biographies of great men, you will be asked the latest

book you are reading and which famous personality would you like to emulate

and why.

Listening to music. It is good hobby and listening to good music can help a

person to unwind and de-stress herself. Related question are, which type of

music, which is your favourite instrumentalist or singer. This is a very

common hobby with most of the people and it highly likely that some member

of the interviewing board is himself/herself knows a lot about the music. Don‟t

get in to a trap by saying some thing which is not truer.

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Gardening. This again is a useful hobby and caring for plants can help one

distress oneself as well as help environment. No one will expect you to know

as mush about gardening as a maali or a horticulturist, but you should know

simple things like preparation of soil, the season for sowing seeds/bulbs,

watering and manure needs of various types of plants and so on. It is possible

only if you really are actually interested in gardening.

Cooking. This is one hobby about which most of the people, males as well as

females know something. Also. Chances are that the members of the board

also know only that much about cooking as you happen to know. No one

expects you to be master chef; to that extent, it is a safe hobby to be mentioned

in the bio-data.

Watching TV. This cannot be considered a hobby which can contribute much

to your personality as an individual. If you are watching History or Discovery

channels, perhaps it can be of some use. It is best to avoid mentioning this ,

how ever , if you must then remember the names of the programms, their main

characters etc

Surfing Net. The idea is what you are surfing the internet for. Today, internet

is a great source of information and knowledge. If it serves the purpose of

giving you the latest news, discoveries and other current events, may be it is a

good hobby and can help you.

In addition to above few, there can be numerous interests and hobbies different

individuals may have. Photography, fishing, writing books, playing golf , chess ,

cards, travelling to explore new paces, social service etc. can be your hobbies. There

is only one cardinal rule and that is never try to fool the board and be frank and honest

in your assertions.

Please follow the tips below to include your hobbies and interest in the resume:

If you have no hobby (which is highly unlikely) then do develop one. A

hobby is an activity which you would love to do without expecting any

monetary benefits out of it. It is human nature to get involved with some thing

more than what one does for making a living. But if you actually do not have

any particular interest, it is a good idea to be honest and say so. How ever, this

can lead to the interviewer asking you further question about how you spend

your spare time. Be prepared to answer such questions.

Write the interests and hobbies which you actually have. Don‟t get

tempted by writing some thing just to impress the interviewer. You should

have no doubt that some member of the board will definitely ask you pointing

questions related with the hobby you have mentioned. For example, if you

have written „reading‟ as your hobby, you will definitely be asked what you

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are reading currently. It is quite likely that one of the members has also read

the book you mention that you are reading. He may further prod you on about

a particular character in the book and so on. So, by telling a lie, you have tied

yourself in knots you cannot get out of. This is the sure way of getting rejected

even without reaching the stage of being asked questions related with your

functional skills.

Keep this section as simple and short as possible Candidates have a

tendency to brag about things which are only remotely connected with the type

of job they have applied for. For example, if you have applied for the job of a

junior manger, writing about a prize you may have won in „cooking‟

competition may not help you at all. „Cooking‟ can well be a hobby and you

may mention it by all means but elaborate only when asked about it.

Mention only such actual hobbies and interests which can become an

asset to your bio-data. For example, if you have applied for the job of a sales

manger, it is definitely relevant to mention about your communication skills

and achievements, if any, in that field. This compliments your skill set in a

positive manner and is likely to get you additional benefits.

Be fully prepared to answer questions related with your interests and

hobbies. As mentioned earlier, faking and writing something untrue can be

suicidal. For example, if you have mentioned that „playing hockey‟ is your

favourite sport, be sure that you will be asked questions related with hockey

and if you are not aware of the fact who Dhyan Chand is, the board will

outright reject you as being dishonest and lacking integrity.

7.5 General personality traits assessed by the interviewers

during the interview

The following factors may generally be attributed to Nature or heredity:

Values, integrity, honesty, ethics and beliefs

Motivation and passion

Self-esteem

Commitment

Willingness to learn

Empathy

Self-confidence

Responsibility

Attitude

Perseverance

There are certain factors which are learnt; these generally include:

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Communication skills

Discipline

Punctuality

Flexibility

Capacity

Skills

Ability and knowledge

Etiquette and mannerism

7.5.1 Important traits that define you

Since any interview is conducted in only in a limited time-frame, the interviewers

look for only a few of the most important traits that define how the candidate will

perform and fit in their organization. Some of the important ones are:

System of Greetings to be adopted If you are not confident of how to wish

according to the time of the day, follow the rules given here:

Early Morning to 12.00 noon: Good morning and while leaving good day

After 12.00 noon till 5.00 in the evening: Good afternoon and while leaving good

day.

After 5.00 in the evening till late night: Good evening and while leaving good

night

General appearance

Remember, you are going for a formal engagement, it is imperative that you look

your best. A pleasing personality helps one to get the job. So, shave properly,

comb the hair suitably or tie the turban so that it looks neat and clean. Never over

do things.

Dress etiquette for the interview

You are not going to a fashion show, hence dress for the occasion. A full-sleeved

light coloured shirt and a tie with a dark trouser may be good enough, these

should be clean and ironed.

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7.5.2 Correct method of entering the interview room/hall

Normally the companies depute a person who shows you the way to the place of

interview. It may be junior HR executive or even a peon. Who so ever takes you to

the place of interview; don‟t forget to thank him/her. If some one opens the door for

you, you may enter but if you are required to open the door do knock at the door

before entering. And if the door does not close automatically ie it is not fitted with a

door-closer; close the door behind you without showing your back to the members.

Walk confidently looking straight towards the table and wish according to the time of

the day. You must notice if there is lady also in the board and wish accordingly,

“Good morning ladies and gentlemen”. If the President/Chairman or other members

of the Board offer to shake hand, do it firmly with confidence. A lady‟s hand should

not be held too strongly. Remember you cannot offer your hand to shake with the

members, it is entirely their discretion. The moment you come close to the chair

earmarked for you to sit, President/ Chairman will ask you to sit down. But don‟t sit

on your own, wait for some one to ask you to sit down. And after you sit down, do

thank every one.

A lot can be read by the interview board from the way you walk after you enter the

room till you reach the table of the board. Don‟t forget every one is closely watching,

this should not make you nervous rather more confident. Take short smart step with

chest up in the manner a soldier walks. You are not doing „left-right‟ here but your

posture and bearing should be pleasing to the eye. The way you walk can give plenty

of information about your personality. A casual slouch walk will seal your fate there

and then.

Example

A candidate dressed smartly for the occasion is shown the door of the interview hall

by the peon. He knocks the door, opens it, puts forward his right foot ad asks politely,

“May I come in please?”

President/ chairman: Yes, please come in Mr Chaudhary.

(After he gets the permission to get in, the candidate walks smartly and confidently

towards the board members)

Candidate: Good morning (greeting according to the time of the day) sirs (or ladies

and gentlemen) with a pleasant smile on his face.

President/Chairman: Good morning (or greetings according to the time of the daaay)

Mr. Chaudhary, please have your seat.

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Candidate: Thank you sir/madam (The candidate should pull the chair confidently

and sit down while smiling. Any delay in sitting down or awkward way of holding the

chair will be noticed by the members)

As has been seen above, if a candidate walks in with grace and dignity, walks briskly,

holds his head high, smiles and looks in to the eyes of the members of the board, he is

likely to develop an immediate rapport. He will be perceived as a confident young

person who is ambitious and wants o get through the interview. You must rehearse

this in your own time.

7.5.3 Right method of sitting in the interview

The posture of a person, the way she stands, walks or sits reveal lot about the

personality of a person. Hence, it is very important for you to be careful the way you

stand or sit before entering the interview hall, the way you walk in when asked to

come in or the way you sit down in front of the board that is going to interview you.

Here are a few tips about the correct method of sitting in the interview board:

When you enter the hall, a chair would have been placed in front of the

interviewers for you to sit. But do not sit till you are asked to sit.

Pull the chair softly towards you, about a meter, without making a noise. One

meter is a distance from where every one can hear you loudly and clearly.

If you are carrying a file or some other documents, keep them softly on the

table directly in front.

After sitting down, don‟t forget to thank the board.

Sit straight and erect without leaning forward or backwards

Do sit smartly in an alert manner and don‟t slouch or slump in the chair

Occupy the entire chair; do not sit in a corner in awkward manner. Many

candidates think they are being respectful to the board , if they sit in the front

portion of the chair and lean a little forward. This leaves an impression of

inferiority complex and lack of self-confidence.

The best way to let the board know that you are at ease and are confident of

self is to look straight in the eyes of the members smilingly. Look at all the

members and not only President/ Chairman. They are all equally important for

you. Do not stair in the eyes of any particular person.

The chair may or may not have the arms. If the arms are available put your

elbows. If the chair is without the arms, put your hands on sides of the thighs

in a natural manner, without appearing stiff and holding fast to the thighs for

support.

Never put your hand or elbows on the table.

Do not cross your feet either from left to right or from right to left. Keep both

the feet firmly on ground with a gap of approximately 10-12 inches. It will

give you the much required confidence.

Do not fiddle with your pen, shirt-sleeves, hair, nose or turban etc. This is sign

of being shy and insecure. You should sit still without making unnecessary

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movements which will give the impression to others that you are not

comfortable.

If there is glass of water kept for you, don‟ use it

Face the questions being asked without being apologetic about any of your

replies. You must stick to your conviction and not change your stance at the

slightest hint from any member of the Board.

Never forget the purpose of your sitting in the chair. You have come to get

selected and you must do your utmost to achieve that goal.

7.5.4 When you leave the interview room/hall

Interview is not over till you have left the hall and closed the door behind you.

Some candidates have the tendency to become casual and indifferent the moment

they are asked to leave. Keep the following points in your mind while leaving:

When asked to leave, get up smartly without losing the enthusiasm with

which you had entered the hall. Thank all the members with a polite smile

before you turn around.

Don‟t forget that you are being watched when you are leaving. So, walk

back smartly and confidently, without bmaking any gesture with your

hands.

If members wish to shake hands with you before you leave shaker full

hand firmly, but don‟ keep shaking it.

After you get up from the chair, put the chair back in the original position

very carefully.

Now turn around and walk back confidently with a soldier‟s bearing.

Never look back to gauge the impression of the interviewers.

If the door does not close automatically, close it softly without making a sound.

7.6 Handling Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question 1: Please tell us something about yourself?/ Could you tell us a little about

yourself?

Question 2. Can you tell us something about any significant achievement in your life

till now?

Question 3. What do you think is your greatest strength and why?

Question 4. What is the weakness which you think may hold you back?

Question 5. Do you have any idol in journey of your life? Who is he or she and why?

Question 6. Do you have a Plan „B‟, if you don‟t make in this interview?.

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Question 7. Please give us one good reason why should you be selected for this

appointment./ Please tell us why should you not be rejected for this position./ What

sets you apart from other candidates?

Question 8. Why do you want to work for our organization/company?

Question 9. What are your career plans?/ Where do you see yourself 5/10 years from

now?

Question 10. Why do you want to leave your present job?(in case you are already

employed)

7.7 Sample Interview

President/Chairman: Mr. Roy, I have seen that you have mentioned sports as your

hobby.

Candidate: Yes Sir/Madam. I am a sportsman.

Member: Could you tell us what sport are you interested in?

Candidate: Sir/Madam, I run 100 and 200 meters and I have represented Punjab

University in these two categories.

Member: Please tell us about the fastest man on earth.

Candidate: Sir/Madam, Usain Bolt is the fastest man on earth . He finished 100 meters

in the fastest ever time of 9.63 seconds

President/Chairman: How do you rate Milkha Singh as compared to the world

standards?

Candidate: Sir/ Madam, Milkha Singh was unlucky to have missed a medal in

Olympics, even though he broke the world record. There is no doubt we as a nation

have failed to produce world class athletes because of number of reasons.

Member: Do you see any hope that we will be able to do better in 2016 Olympics?

Candidate: Sir/Madam, I am a perpetually positive person and now that wrestling is

back, I do hope that India will do much better than what we achieved last time

(It should be noticed that the candidates has highlighted his strength by mentioning

that he represented Punjab University. He has also made good impression on the

board by telling them that he has a positive outlook towards life)

7.7.1 Questions based on General Awareness of the candidate

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This type of initiation by the board members is very broad in nature and may include

almost any topic/subject. The interviewers are interested in knowing your interest in

the world around you. Many people who are very good in their domain n skills are

very ignorant about the world they live in. That is why to assess the over all

awareness of the candidate, the member may ask any question. Of course, the level of

the job a candidate has applied for is always kept in mind. This needs regular update

of national/international events. This can best be done by:

You must subscribe to a good national daily. There is a difference in reading a

newspaper in library and reading your own. When you spend money, it is

human tendency to get the best out of the newspaper. Besides, you can

underline, mark or even take out important cuttings for record. It is a good

habit to spent half-an –hour to 45 minutes in reading your favourite

newspaper. The editorial every day deals with important issues; do not skip it.

Become member of a nearby library. Read a few good magazines devoted to

current affairs; some of these are Outlook, India Today and The Week

Discuss the issues concerning India and the world with like-minded persons of

your calibre. Discussions bring out many issues in much lesser time than you

spend in detailed reading. But watch out, authenticate what others say.

Year Books published by different publishing houses are other sources of

consolidated information at one place. Any good year book can become an

excellent reference material

7.7.2 Initiation of the interview through qualifications and academic

record of the candidate

You are expected to be updated with the basic knowledge of your discipline. The

most important thing here would be to know your concepts, even if the intricate

details are not known. Some one who cannot explain the basic concept of her hard or

functional skills leaves a very poor impression on the interviewers. The idea here is to

know something about the basics of the discipline or domain knowledge a candidate

has mentioned in the resume. For example, if the candidate has passed her MBA,

“Could you explain the meaning of management in your own simple words?” A

student of economics looking for a job in the bank, may be asked<” Could you please

tell us the difference between Plan and Non-plan expenditure of Union Government?”

7.7.3 Initiation of the interview through asking odd or confusing

questions

By this the candidate by no means should conclude that the interviewer is trying to

trick or trap the candidate. The board wants to assess the overall personality which

includes a candidate‟s reaction to certain unpredictable and uncertain situations.

Remember, the interviewer is only trying to find out how you will react ia particular

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situation. The board expects fast response to such questions. Some of such odd or

confusing questions could be:

Who was the first person you met when you entered this office? What is

his/her position in this organization?

What is the fair paid for your travel from your location to this office?

What make of lift is it in which traveled to the 5th

floor?

Can you tell us about a very important landmark around this complex?

Who else has come with you for this interview and where have you left that

person?

7.7.4 Assessing the candidate‘s attitude and psychological make-up

Besides the qualification and skills, this is the most important attribute oa candidate‟s

personality and plays most important role in performing the job assigned to her. That

is why companies put a lot of emphasis on the psychological behaviour of the

potential employee. This can be done by the board members by asking questions such

as :

What according to you is the most important in any organization?

(Organisation is the most important entity as it is supreme and above the

Board Of Directors (BOD). In many companies specially the family business

companies , the owners have the misconception that they are above the

company)

As management trainee with whom will you have your loyalty, your Head of

Department or the CMD? ( Every employee’s loyalty must only be to the

organization which is supreme and not to the individuals , how so ever

important that individual may be)

What do you think is the basic reason of conflict between the employer and

employee? (Reason of conflict arises when there is disparity in the goals of the

organization and that of the individual. Management must make every effort to

fill the gap between the their goals and those of the employees)

What motivates an employee the most? Is it the monetary incentives? ( Any

worker is motivated by the work environment and opportunity for growth.

Money plays an important role in every one’s life but it is the of work one

performs and the operating environment, which are more important)

There will be situations when there will be conflict between your personal

requirements and requirements of the job. How will you handle such

situations? ( If in the judgment of the management the work is such where my

contribution will play a vital role, I will definitely give higher priority to my

organizational commitments)

In order to assess your mental toughness, consistency and behaviour related with

courtesy, etiquette and manners etc, the board members may purposely try to fire

many questions . That is where you have to keep your balance and not to lose your

sense of judgment and analytical ability by getting agitated.

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An example of such barrage of questions is given below.

Example

President/ Chairman: What do you think is Balance of Payment deficit between India

and China?

(Before you can answer the question, one of the members interrupts)

Member: What is the biggest challenge India is facing today?

(Before the candidate can answer the question another member puts another

question)

Member: What does BRIC stand for?

In such a situation you must keep your cool and submit to the President/ Chairman

very politely, “Sir/madam, I will come to the other questions later on. May I have

your permission to answer the first question related with Balance of Payment deficit

between India and China?” This will demonstrate your calmness and confidence to

handle difficult situations.

7.7.5 Assessing a candidate‘s hard or functional knowledge and skills

related with it.

There is no doubt that the organizations exist for meeting certain objectives and goals.

And for that purpose they need capable and efficient workers at different levels. The

purpose of spending so much of time, effort and money in the selection process is that

round peg fits in the round hole. You have been invited for the interview because you

possess certain qualifications and experience. These are your hard/functional /domain

skills, those supporting these to get the best out of you are the soft skills. Your

positive e attitude towards your employment will be helpful to the organization only

when you have the basic knowledge and skill required to perform the job allotted to

you. So, it is important that you know the job for which you expect to be hired. The

questions will be related with your qualification and experience in the job.

7.7.6 Winding up of the interview process

This is the last phase of the face –to-face interview as far as the candidate is

concerned. Here a question may be asked just to check- back what ever you have

already stated. So, it is very important that you stay consistent with your view or

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statements already made. Many an interviewers ask the already asked question by

wording in a different manner. Don‟t get in to the trap. If you have the slightest doubt

about the question being asked, request the person very politely to repeat the question.

Even a slight change in your stand knowingly or unknowingly can cost you dear. The

President or Chairman of the board will generally ask other members of the board if

they want to know anything more from the candidate. If no body has any additional

questions, then wait for the permission to leave. Don‟t get up on your own and start

going out assuming that since there are no more questions, you have the liberty to

leave. When permission is granted, get up smartly, thank every on e in the board and

walk out with confidence and grace. You should understand that the members are

looking at your back when you are leaving. So, don‟t slouch out of the room in a

casual manner.

Example

President/Chairman of the board: Is there any thing else any one of you likes to know

more from Miss Shruti?

Member (on behalf of all the members): No , we think there is nothing more to

ask.(During this period, the candidate must not show any eagerness or hurry to get up

and leave. Even making a gesture will be noticed)

President/Chairman: Ok, Miss Shruti, I think that is all. You may leave.

Candidates; Thank you sir/ madam (Picks up the files or papers in a neat manner

without appearing clumsy and leaves the room confidently.

7.8 Summary

The importance of interviews , whether it is a student seeking admission in a good

management institute or a senior manager in corporate world appearing for interview

for the higher promotion, cannot be overemphasized. Hence, the

need of learning the process of interviews and preparing to come out with flying

colors has assumed significance in recent years. It is more so because of the highly

complex jobs which need talent of hard skills as well as good in quality of soft skills.

The lesson above prepares you to appear any interview with confidence.

7.9 Glossary

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Soft Skills These are the skills which define your personality and

how you conduct yourself

Mock interview A simulated interview technique used for the candidates to

understand the process of actual interview

Exit interview An interview conducted by a senior HR manager to get

feedback for improvement from an employee who is leaving the organisation

Appraisal interview It is conducted by the officer/manager to whom the

employee reports to inform him of his short-comings and how to improve them.

7.10 Answers to check your progress/Self Assessment

Questions

1. How can the hard or functional knowledge of a candidate can be assessed? Give

example of such an interview.

2. How will you handle one of the most frequently asked questions, “Please tell us

something about yourself.”?

3. You are appearing for the interview of GM (Project) of a well known real estate

company. The company is known for laying specific emphasis on soft skills. How

will you prepare yourself for the interview?

Answers:

1.

An example of an interview where the board tries to assess the functional skills of a

candidate is given below:

President/Chairman: I see you did M.Com and the cleared your MBA Entrance

examination. Why did you not appear in the MBA entrance examination after B.

Com?

Candidate: Sir/ Madam, I felt my M.com knowledge will stand me in good stead

when I undergo MBA. And it did help me. As you may see, I have topped the

university in MBA

Member: Tell me, Mr Gupta why did you go for MBA?

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Candidate: Sir/madam, India is on the verge of finding its rightful place in the world

as a future super power. I felt this field will open up a lot of opportunities in the

corporate sector.

Member: What was your favourite subject in MBA and why?

Candidate: Sir/madam, I have always been interested in marketing as a subject. There

is so much happening globally that I took up the subject to innovate something in this

field in Indian conditions

President/Chairman: But I see you have scored more marks in Operations Research

(OR) than in Marketing. How is that if your favourite subject is Marketing?

Candidate: You are right; sir/ madam, as you know OR has many mathematical

solutions which helped me score better. But in Marketing I have scored 86 percent

marks.

President/Chairman: A lot of people confuse between marketing and sales. What

cording to you is the basic difference?

Candidate: Sir/ madam, Marketing is a very vast subject and includes research,

consumer behaviour etc. Sales which is getting the money for the sold item is

essentially a part of marketing as a subject.

President/ Chairman: Thank you Mr Gupta, you may leave.

Candidate: Thank you sir/ madam

2. This is one question which every candidate must be able to handle confidently and

smartly. Since it is known that this question will most likely be asked the candidate

should prepare well for it.

You should be able to briefly inform the board of your qualifications, experience,

strengths and any special achievements you have to your credit. Bring out the positive

aspects of your student days, like if you had taken up NCC or achieved distinction in

studies or sports. Similarly, do mention if you have earned any recommendation for

the good work with some other organisation.

Remember, the time is at premium here, so you should come out with everything

positive in not more than a minute or so, without exaggerating any of the

achievements.

1. Knowing that the company lays a lot of emphasis on soft skills, I will pay

special attention to the following:

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(a) The way I greet every one in the waiting area and subsequently in the

interview room

(b) I will be very particular about the dress code expected in a formal interview

© I will use my good communication skills to my advantage

(c) I will be extra cautious about the body language

(d) I will pay special attention to project a pleasing and perpetually positive

personality

(e) I will walk in smartly while going in and walk out of the interview hall

smartly

7.11 References / Suggested Reading

1. Winning at Interviews and Group Discussions by Col D S Cheema, Abhishek

Publications, Chandigarh

2. Technical Communication by Meenakshi Raman and Sangeeta Sharma, published

by Oxford University Press

3. Business Communication by Varinder Kumar and Bodh Raj, published by Kalyani

Publishers, Jalandhar

7.12 Model Questions

1 .What does the interviewing board want to understand from a potential employee?

2. What personality traits are most important for working in corporate sector?

3. What kind of preparation needs to be made a day before the interview and on the

day of the interview?

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Lesson Plan –Lesson 8 8.0 Objectives

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Presentation in abusiness world

8.2.1 Purpose

8.2.2 Strategy for presentation

8.2.3 How to find material for presentation?

8.2.4 Sources of information

8.3 Essentials of a good presentation

8.3.1 How to prepare PPTs?

8.3.2 Use of PPTs as a prop and not as a crutch

8.4 Role of body language

8.4.1. Posture

8.4.2 Eye contact

8.4.3. Voice modulation

8.4.4 Know your audience

8.4.5 Structuring a presentation

8.4.6 Use of visual aids and other supporting material/equipment

8.4.7 Presentation plan or structure of a presentation

8.4.8 Reading a presentation

8.4.9 How to select visual aids?

8.5 Check list for oral presentation

8.5.1 Organisation of matter

8.5.2 Delivery

8.5.3 Pronunciation

8.5.4 Body language

8.5.5 Audience awareness

8.6 Summary

8.7 Glossary

8.8 Answers to check your progress/Self assessment questions

8.9 References/Suggested reading

8.10 Model questions

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Lesson 8- Presentation Skills

8.0 Objectives

After studying the lesson, the student will be able to :

L earn the importance of presentation skills in professional life

Find all the information for making presentations

Learn all about presentations and their structure

Learning how to make an effective presentation

Learn how to make extempore speaking more effectively

Understand role of body language while making presentations

8.1 Introduction

Ability to express one verbally is a very important skill. Today, we are living in the

era of „survival of the fittest‟ and everyone is forced to live by „selling‟ something. In

personal life, one has to put one‟s best foot forward to create the right impression on

others. In business world the ability of a person to express one‟s ideas, feelings and

emotions verbally and present them in a proper fashion, plays a very important role.

This ability plays a more vital in getting and retaining a job than the „hard skills‟ or

functional skills. For overall growth of any individual, his professional or domain

knowledge must be suitably complemented and supplemented by oral presentation

skills.

People in business organisations are often asked to present their reports, explain their

views, conduct training, participate in meetings and discussions, organise and

participate in seminars, sales meets etc. It is a well recognised fact that an effective

speaker with command over the language which he uses, can influence decision-

making in any organisation, he is sought after men, looked up to by everyone and gets

promoted in spite of certain weaknesses in functional ability.

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8.2 Presentations in Business World

8.2.1 Purpose

There are many occasions for presentations in industry and commerce

Launching a new product/service.

Presentation of business plans.

Marketing or sales proposals

Training and development sessions.

Participation in seminars/conferences.

Specific instructions from superiors for presenting any business related

activity.

While negotiating for selling/ buying products, equipment, machines etc.

8.2.2 Strategy for Presentations

It involves the following:

Clarity about general and specific purpose of presentation. The specific

purpose of any presentation must be given due importance during

presentation. If a marketing person is making a presentation about his

company profile, his specific purpose is to influence the buyers about

company so that his products or services or sold better. The general purpose

may be information to many who may be sitting in the presentation.

What is expected from the audience at the end of the presentation? Do you

expect the information booklets of your product or service to be sold? Or do

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you expect the enquiries would be generated about the price of the product or

service.

Sometimes, presentation may be made just to access the types of potential

customers, their buying preferences, gender, age, social and financial

background etc.

Deciding the location i.e., venue, time, and the type of presentation which can

best influence the audience.

8.2.3 How to find material for Presentations?

The most important and most difficult aspect of making presentations is to collect .

collate and organise suitable material required to make a presentation. Here most of

the persons making presentation default which results in poor presentation. It must

be remembered what ever be the method of delivery using PPTs and other audio-

visuals , the basic material or the content will always remain the most important

aspect in any presentation. Hence, gathering and organising information remains an

important aspect.

Once, the purpose , topic, setting , situation and audience have been decided, the

following three steps are involved before a presentation can be made:

Decide the main theme and the objectives of making a presentation

Collect and read as much information about the main theme as possible Make sutable

notes which can be referred to

Select information out of what you have read , for using in the presentation. It will

depend upon how long the presentation is going to be. Obviously, the material and

information required for a one –hour presentation will be different than that for thee

hors.

Now decide the format ie how have you planned to make the presentation

8.2.4 Sources of information

In today‟s world , information is available in such huge quantities that information

gathering has become a major problem. As a matter of fact, there is so much of junk

information that one finds it difficult to decide the genuine or fake information.

Following sources of information may be used:

Internet/on line Information

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This is one source of information which can be used for collection of information on

any subject/topic on earth. Use of search engines for gathering information is the most

common way. Search engines like Google (http://www.google.com) and Yahoo

(http://www.yahoo.com) are very useful to search information provided one knows

how to use them. Any search will provide thousands of website for further search. It

depends how you make your search good by writing the terms and conditions in the

search engines. For example, if you are looking for a a particular person, his/her

name and place of living may give hundreds of persons with same name and place,

but if you add his/her profession, degrees , qualifications, honors and awards , in fact ,

any thing that distinguish them , the search will become well defined.

Search engines have annotated list of links of sites organised topic wise. In addition to

this, there are innumerable sites giving information on general topics

Use of libraries

Many people forget to use this excellent source of handy information in lure of using

websites. A library is a virtual storehouse of knowledge. It has books on all subjects.

Having a large number of books, library is the easiest source of obtaining material for

study and research.

Locating a book in a library

The books in most of the libraries are classified according to different systems. The

system as follows is in use:

000 Generalities ; This category has bibliographies, books on library and

information system, encyclopaedias , journalism, publishing manuscripts and rare

books

100 Philosophy; Books on paranormal phenomenon, psychology , metaphysics,

logic, ethics etc.

200Religion; natural and doctrinal theology

300 Social sciences; Law , Economics, Public Administration, Political Science

etc,

400 Language; Comparitive linguistics, etymology, grammer etc.

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500 Pure Science; Mathematics, Astronomy , Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science

and Zoology etc.

600 Technology (Applied Science); Medical Science, Engineering and allied

operations, Agriculture and related technology, Manufacturing, Buildings etc.

700 Arts , fine and decorative; Architecture, Drawing, Painting , Music and

Sculpture etc.

800 Literature; American, English and other literature

900 Geography ,, History and auxiliary disciplines

Each of these categories is further sub- divided. For example Technology (600) is

sub-divided as follows

610 Medical Sciences, Medicine

620 Engineering and allied operations

Each of these subdivisions are further sub-divided as follows:

621.381 Economics

621.382 Communication Engineering

Request for Information including through questionnaires etc.

The person who wants information can request experts to share information. Some

times a questionnaire can be sent to people to provide information. How ever , many a

time people do not respond , so this source may not be very useful.

8.3 Essentials of a good Presentation

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Spoken word can wield a power far greater than any other persuasive means. It can

usher revolution by inspiring the most timid people. A good speaker can move the

audience with his presentation. A well planned presentation delivered effectively can

have a major impact on any outcome. Some of the characteristics of a good

presentation are as follows:

A good presentation has to be well planned

Content of the presentation is the most important. Enough suitable material

should be collected and put in the presentable formats to make the right

impact

Presentation must be structured suitably, so that all the points can be brought

out and appropriately highlighted.

Suitable audio-visual aids, visual presenters, hand outs, charts, graphics etc.

must be used to make the presentation more effective

The presenter must make the presentation interesting enough for the audience

to show interest and listen to him

What ever is spoken should be brief but clear. If the speaker is clear about the

idea or emotion he expresses the audience will b e able to comprehend it

easily. The speaker should convey his point of view in as few words as

possible. Long presentations become boring.

The person making the presentation must identify his audience before hand .

His must know their age group, educational background, their social and

cultural background etc. A presentation for students of Economics Honour

School will be different from that given to students of economics studying

BCA/BBA course.

The speaker must take care of para linguistics. The nuances of the voice

should be used to an advantage. The pitch and volume can be modulated with

practice. The rate of speaking has to be optimum. Too slow a speech can

become monotonous where as a speaker who speaks too fast may not be

understood by the audience. Particular attention should be paid to articulation

of words and their punctuation.

The presenter should be careful about body language he uses

8.3.1 How to prepare PPTs?

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Use of power point slides is one of the most powerful methods of making a

presentation. It is known that when you are speaking, if you show the salient features

on the screen , it can be absorbed and comprehended by the receiver much better. Sine

the aim of all presentations is to communicate effectively, it is essential that material

for presentation is organised and presented in am manner that it is well received by

the participants.

You should understand the method of preparing PPTs. Follow the steps given below:

Step I When you open the Power Point, a window should open and you will be able

to see two boxes in the middle of the screen. One box is “Click to add title” and the

other box is ,”Click to add sub-titles” In some computers, “Project Gallery” window

should open. Or go to “File “ menu and choose “New Presentation

Step II Click the “File” tab on the left hand top corner

Step III On the vertical tool bar on the left, click the “New” tab

Step IV If you want to use the templates, click on “Sample template” box

Step V Click on a template you want to use. But if you don‟t find a suitable template

then go to Step VI

Step VI Click on “Theme” box on the “New” tab

Step VII Click the Theme template you want to use

Step VIII Click on “Click to add titles” and on “Click to add sub-titles”

Step IX Click on “New Slide”

Step X Continue adding the material as you want

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Step XI Go to “File “ and search “Save as” option and save it for retrieving later on.

8.3.2 Use PPTs as a Prop and not as a Crutch

Many speakers tend to use these slides as a crutch; it must be remembered that these

are the aids and should be used as such . Do not use them as replacement for reading.

Too many slides containing too much of data and information will make a mess of

your presentation. Here are a few guidelines:

Limit the number of slides

Too many slides leave no time for the speaker to have eye-contact and develop a

rapport with the audience. Optimum number for a 90 minutes presentation is 15, bot

never cross 20

Limit information to key issues

If you include the details in the slides . it is bound to cause confusion. Mention only

the key points which must be discussed with the audience.

Keep the slides uncluttered

Write only few words which act as a hint to the key point which you can explain

8.4 Role of Body Language in Presentation

It is a well recognised fact that in face-to-face communication, is not only the words

and sentences which are exchanged, the process involves the total personality of

individuals. Physical disposition i.e., neat dress sense, posture, general bearing, facial

expression, gestures are all important in expression of feeling, ideas, thoughts etc. A

person who is well dressed and has a pleasant mannerism is always able to impress in

the initial stages of meeting. He is able to develop an instant rapport with others,

which is very helpful in presentation.

8.4.1 Posture

When you are asked/invited to walk up to the podium and make a presentation, do not

get tense because of anxiety to impress the audience. It is natural to feel little nervous

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and excited but no one will know this state of your mind unless you let them know

through an awkward walk. Get up from your seat naturally and walk confidently to

the podiun. Remember, all this is being keenly watched by he audience. Stand erect

with your hands on side and if you have notes, these should be kept on the podium

where these can be easily seen and read. Start with wishing the audience, depending

upon the time of the day. Do use your hands to make a point but necessary and too

much movement of hands distracts the attention. Keep yourself at appropriate distance

from the microphone or hold it at a reasonable distance from the face, if a cordless

microphone is being used. Only the first few minutes are the most important, after

which you will settle down and develop a rapport with the audience and then the

going will be much easier than you imagined.

8.4.2 Eye Contact

The purpose of any communication is to get the exact message across to the listeners.

Eye contact is the most effective means of doing so. It is the eye contact through

which you develop the right rapport with them. While presenting your point of view,

look into the pair of eyes of each individual in a planned manner and do not ignore

any person. Looking left, right or up or down, creates very poor impression on the

audience and the communication will not be effective. While speaking, giving small

pauses at appropriate time is very important; it helps you to collect your thought

process and helps the audience in assimilation and absorption of what has been said.

Of course, unnecessary long intervals will cut off from your audience which will

defeat the very purpose of presentation. Eye contact helps you to get a feedback from

the audience, if they look into your eyes and if their expression and movements are

such that you are reassured that what you are saying is being understood, you have

made a good presentation.

8.4.3 Voice Modulation

You may have noticed that effective speakers always modulated their voice to create a

special impact on the audience. Good voice, is, of course, a God‟s gift but any voice

can be trained to create more impact. Only one has to make a special effort. The pitch

and modulation combined can create the desired impact. One raises and lowers the

voice to suit the kind of emphasis that has to be laid, suitable pauses and the body

language combined create a very desirable effect on the audience.

To make a presentation more effective, one must record one‟s speech and listen to it

carefully and modify wherever possible necessary. Voice modulations, pitch, body

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language, go with the kind of language, its pronunciation and vocabulary. Whenever

in doubt, one must consult a dictionary for a meaning as well as for proper of any oral

presentation.

A monotonous and dull delivery without modulation and high and low of voice

have no impact in the audience and they will not be interested in what you are

conveying. This defeats the very purpose of any oral presentation.

Some people think that if they speak fast, they are impressing the audience. Far

from truth. There has to be coherence between thought and speech. Speed of

thought is much more than the speed of speech and one may become a victim of

converting the thought quickly into speech. One should not speak faster than 130-

150 words per minute for the speech to be understood by the audience

One must be clearly heard by all present in the place where presentation is being

made. Before you start, check up with the farthest person whether he or she is able

to hear your loud and clear voice.

Pronounce every word properly with suitable emphasis. Wrong pronunciation will

make you a butt of jokes with the audience

Avoid using unnecessary words which some are in the habit of substituting as

pauses, like „Fact of the matter is‟, „I mean‟, „Do you get what I mean?‟, „Ok‟,

„Alright‟, „Now‟, „Do you understand?‟, should I repeat?” etc. These are jarring

notes in any presentation and should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

8.4.4 Know Your Audience

In business presentations, one would generally know who are going to be the audience

and how long is the presentation. So, one keeps in mind their background, gender,

seniority, status, position, knowledge etc. However, many a times, this may not be

known. In such situations, one should use one‟s commonsense and presence of mind

to size up the audience quickly. It is easy to spot friendly or hostile audience as also

their expectations, their eagerness and anxiety to get involved with the presentation.

The speaker must understand that everyone is important, how-ever, if there is a point

which is specifically applicable to a particular person or position mention may be

made of the. Each listener should get the feeling the the speaker is directly addressing

him. Some speakers unnecessarily dramatise the situation to highlight the point.

Though for inviting attention a special story or a joke or a couplet or a quotation may

be used but the focus must remain on the basic purpose of the presentation. The

subject matter of the presentation cannot always be interesting for every one to

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become keen listener, it is up to the speaker to make it interesting enough for the

audience.

A joke is often a good way of developing a rapport with the audience. But the joke

must be selected carefully and narrated in such a manner that it becomes helpful in

conveying the main purpose of the presentation. Cheap or vulgar jokes, not related

with the subject or issue will make audience to think poor of you and lose respect for

you and perhaps ant interest in what you are going to say after cracking the joke.

A good speaker does not unnecessarily get disturbed or upset by the audience

Assuming that two persons talking while you are speaking must be criticising you,

may only be fig of your imagination. Rather than asking them to stop talking and pay

attention, look in to their eyes to create a better impact and rapport. But ultimate

impact of the presentation depends on the ideas presented and the manner in which

they are presented.

8.4.5 Structuring a Presentation

No cut and dry formulae or magic tips can be given to become an effective speaker.

Good speakers make persistent effort to make their presentation as effective as

possible. A complete plan of action should be prepared under the following heads

What has to be conveyed?

How is it going to be conveyed?

A summary of what has been conveyed

A speech or presentation should never be read from the text as by doing so

one looses the contact with the audience and that is the worst thing that can

happen to a speaker. Short notes on points to be made on 3” x5” on white

thick cards which can be kept in pocket and moved to hand as and when

required. All relevant poits should be noted in the order in which they are

going to be presented. The points may be written in telegraphic language,

acronyms or assembly of letters and words which you can easily decipher

when required. Some speakers make the mistake of reading from the

material that is displayed on the screen. Remember what has been displayed

is for the audience to comprehend clearly along with what is being spoken

and it is not for you to read; you should have your own notes for this

purpose.

8.5.6 Use of visual aids and other supporting material/equipment

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To make the presentation effective, one must use various types of visual aids and

other supporting material and equipment which is available. It has been established

that we learn:

Sight 83%

Hearing 11%

Smell 3.5%

Touch 1.5 %

Taste 1 %

Also we retain information as :

10 % of what we read

20 % of what we hear

30 % of what we see

50 % of what we see and hear

70 % of what we see, hear as we talk

90 % of what see as we do a thing

Another surprising fact is as follows:

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Method Recall three hours later Recall three days later

(percentage) (percentage)

Telling when used alone 70 10

Shoeing when used alone 72 20

When a blend of telling and 85 65

showing is used

It is obvious that while making a presentation if one uses audio-visual aids and shows

what is being said the retention of the audience will be much better It is easier for a

listener to get involved in understanding a fact or figures, if it is shown on the screen

or board when the speaker is talking about the same. No hard and fast rule of for use

of visual or other aids can be laid down, as it will depend on the type of presentation.

8.4.7 Presentation plan or structure of presentation

Like any other anyb planning before execution, the advantages of planning for

presentation are plenty. Presentation will be as good as its planned presentation. A

rough plan for any presentation may be as follows:

Introduction or beginning. It should include:

Introductory remarks including any attention-gaining statement, quotation , couplet ,

remarks etc,

Main theme

Statement of objectives, giving reasons for making the presentation

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Outline of presentation

Middle or body should include:

It should be divided in short and clear sections

Every point must be illustrated with suitable examples

Allot time for each section and point, otherwise the presentation will become

unbalanced. An important point may not be allowed enough time as trivia has been

undue long time. Time limit should be prioritised

Conclusion. It should include:

Summary of what has been said earlier

Emphasise certain points

Final marks

Closing statement

8.4.8 Reading a presentation

Many people have the habit of reading the entire presentation which they have

written down. Major advantage of this kind of presentation is that facts can be

stated with authority and accuracy. Many greats use this method. For example,

Winston Churchill was reputed to have used the written script. But such master

orators keep eye contact with the audience and do not lose rapport with the

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listeners. Reading aloud clearly also needs practice and is by word, it does not

appear fresh and original to the audience. This method definitely has more

disadvantages than advantages and should be avoided.

Memorising presentation.

Many speakers are known to write down and memorise the entire speech or

presentation. Again, it is only some greats gifted with powerful memory who can

remember everything, including the emphasis and pauses and can create a

positive effect. It is not advisable to memorise the entire speech. Face-to-face

communication is most effective when the speaker uses notes or has mugged up

only the important points but presents them in a thinking-and-speaking mode.

Nothing that has been learnt by rote can be convincingly effective. One is likely

forget if one depends entirely on memorised sentences and most important

aspects may be left uncovered.

8.4.9 How to select a visual aid?

A speaker needs different types of visual aids to make his presentation effective.

Prepare a table to list the medium, advantages and disadvantages and the

applications of widely used visual aids and select one out of them depending

upon your requirement.

8.5 Checklists for Oral Presentation

It is always a good idea to prepare a checklist of points that should be kept in

mind while making an oral presentation. If presentation is to be effective, one

should plan to include all these.

8.5.1 Organisation of Matter

This is of utmost importance. All said and done, how material is collected, sifted

and organised for presentation has the ultimate impact.

8.5.2 Delivery

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What ever the material being presented, suitable delivery alone leaves the

audience with conviction.

8.5.3 Pronunciation

Bad or wrong pronunciation puts off the audience badly. Presenter should check

with colleagues or the dictionary so that wrong pronunciation of the words does

not make the otherwise good presentation a but of jokes.

8.5.4 Body language

Present a pleasing personality overall. Be properly dressed. The gesture should be

appropriate and related to what is being spoken. The speaker should also move

from place A to B. The eye contact must be made with the audience.

8.5.5 Audience awareness

Knowing your audience is very important. Try and judge the knowledge and

attention being paid by the listeners. It is easy if you maintain an eye contact.

8.6 Summary

Presentation in the business world is of utmost importance. All executive and

supervisors are expected to make presentations. The idea is to inform any

superior in the simplest and brief manner about a particular issue. As the seniors

are busy in other more important matters, they may not have time to go through

each and every matter, so they expect their juniors to collect required

information, put it in a sequential and logical manner so that they can get the

essential of the matter in minimum possible time.

It is a time –consuming exercise and has to be done effectively so that no non-

essentials are included and no essentials are left out. Presentations may be of

different types but basically these are either written or oral or verbal presentation.

Learning the art of making effective oral presentation can help a professional

climb higher rungs of his career.

Techniques of collecting information, sorting it out in logical and sequential order

, selecting suitable audio- visual aids and developing a suitable rapport with the

audience through body language have been discussed in the lesson.

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8.7 Glossary

Oral or verbal presentation A presentation made by the speaker using

audio-visual aids

Body language Gestures made by the body parts which make a

specific impact on the audience

Voice modulation Using the highs and lows of voice, pauses and

emphasis on particular spoken word to connect with the audience

Developing a rapport Knowing the audience and connecting with

them to make the presentation more effective

8.8 Answers to check your progress/Self Assessment

Questions

1. Give an assessment of audio-visual aids you can use for making presentations more

effective.

Or

2. You have just joined a company which is involved and training and development

activities for the corporate sector. Your boss asks you to put up a list of literature and

training aids required. How will you do that? Discuss the approach in detail.

Answer:

1.

Many types of aids are available to support any presentation. How ever, you have to

select the one which suits your needs the best. Here are some of them:

LCD Projectors It is a compact visual presenter which has many advanced features

It has wide applications as it can display information through your lap top or

computer. The zoom facility makes it convenient to highlight a particular point. Any

type of CD or pen drive can be used. Any video film can be played which can be

shown to the audience.

35 mm slides Portable slides can be used to display any pictures or

written information. Slides add professionalism to a presentation. It is an ideal

equipment for formal training

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Special visual presenters These are used for training purpose. Here, any

complicated wiring or drawings can be displayed in different colours straight from a

book /magazine manual. Zoom facility makes it very useful for understating a

sophisticated circuit etc

White board Different coloured markers can be used to explain a

particular point. It is easy to use and is economical

8.9 References/Suggested Reading

1. Technical Communication by Meenakshi Raman and Sangeeta Sharma, published

by Oxford University Press

2. Effective Technical Communication by M. Ashraf Rizvi, published by Tata Mc

Graw Hill Publishing Company

3.Business Communication by Varinder Kumar and Bodh Raj, published by Kalyani

Publishers, Jalandhar

8.10 Model Questions

1. What is the difference between an oral presentation and a speech?

2 .How can you make presentation more effective? Give examples.

3. What can you do when asked to make an extempore speech? Explain.

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Lesson Plan –Lesson 9

9.0 Objectives

9.1 Introduction

9.2 The importance of GD and the process of GD

9.3 What attributes does the selection penal look for in a candidate during the GD?

9.4 Questions the candidates have in their mind about GD

9.4.1 Should I be the first speaker?

9.4.2. How should I conduct myself in GD?

9.4.3 How should I conduct myself when the discussion becomes very noisy and

directionless where no one listens to no one?

9.4.4 How do I react if some one purposely contradicts my point of view and even

makes personal attacks?

9.4.5 Should I take notes of what is being said by different candidates during GD?

9.4.6 What can I do when the discussion becomes stagnant and every one is stating

similar things in different manner?

9.4.7 How should I go about in GD if I have very little idea about the topic of

discussion?

9.4.8 In GD, what is given more weightage, the content or the presentation?

9.4.9 Should I change my stance during GD or stick to my point of view even though

I know I am wrong?

9.5 Some of the commonly used evaluation parameters for GD and their weightages

9.6 GD topics for practice

9.7 Summary

9.8 Glossary

9.9 Answers to check your progress/Self assessment questions

9.10 References/Suggested reading

9.11 Model questions

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Lesson 9- Effective Group Discussions

9.0 Objectives

After reading this lesson, the student will be able to :

Understand the role of GD in supporting interview

Understand that GD can demonstrate a number of personality traits of a

candidate

Learn how to participate in GDs

9.1 Introduction

Group Discussion (GD) is a part of the recruitment and selection process of any

organization. Candidates, who qualify different type of written examinations, are

required to clear Personal Interview (PI) and GD before they are finally selected. GD

is the last step before selection and is often referred to as „dog eat dog round‟. Many

candidates feel happy and get relaxed once they clear the written entrance test. You

should not forget that getting through PI and GD is much tougher than getting through

the written tests. Though GD is not a must for every type of selection process, still

reputed organizations and institutions use it to make selection as objective as possible.

Like many other tools and techniques, GD has also been borrowed by Service

Selection Board (SSB) of the Armed Forces, Central /State services and

universities/institutions from the British Armed Forces.

9.2 The Importance of GDs and the Process of GD

As has been discussed earlier in the Interview section, PI has large number of

limitations. GD is generally used to know the total personality characteristics of a

group of candidates simultaneously. Certain qualities like leadership, cooperation and

co-ordination etc of an individual can be judged only in a group. How ever, even the

process of GD also provides only a limited time for observation and can thus be

subjective or misleading. The candidates come prepared to demonstrate certain

positive traits of their personality and some of them may be able to hide their

shortcomings by an outwardly manipulated conduct for a short duration of time. The

penal conducting the GD can at best gets some idea of the overall personality of an

individual and unless it is evaluated very carefully, they can go wrong in the selection

of the candidate. A well planned and suitably organized GD needs very detailed

preparation, conduct and administration. In spite of these limitations, it is still used as

a popular tool for selection of candidates

Let us understand how a typical GD is conducted. Generally there are 5-10 candidates

who are invited to discuss a particular issue. This number will, of course depend upon

the number of candidates but also on the fact that it is not possible to objectively

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assess the discussions if the number is more.. The time duration is approximately

between 15-30 minutes. Normally no formal instructions are issued about how the GD

will be conducted and it is left to the candidates to articulate the discussion. The

members of the penal keep observing all the candidates and make their notes

according to the parameters they have set for the selection. Each organization defines

its skills or other parameters which suits them. GD for selection of a prestigious

Management School will be different from the one conducted for selecting a junior

manger in a marketing company.

The topics given for discussion are general in nature and do not need any specific

technical knowledge. The candidates should note that he/she will get one or maximum

two chances to speak and the total time of say not more than 2-3 minutes and that too

not at a stretch. It is in this small period of time that the candidate must leave a lasting

good impression good enough to get selected. The real challenge in GD is to enter in

to the discussion, find time to speak, know when to speak and then how to present

your point of view in a short span of time. The candidate who speaks for the

maximum time may not get selected but some one, who speaks only for a few seconds

only once, may.

9.3 What attributes does the selection penal look for in a

candidate during GD?

For a candidate to prepare for GD, he/she must know what is expected out of him/her.

All organizations definitely look for the following attributes in the candidates:

Good general knowledge and high level of awareness

As mentioned earlier, in GD, the topics given for discussion are of general nature

and do not require specialized technical knowledge. How ever, what ever you

state must be based on some logic and if possible it should be supported with facts

and figures. Since there are no limits, any subject may be given for discussion,

how ever, the likelihood of current issues being thrown is definitely more.

While preparing for general knowledge and awareness aspects, keep the following in

mind:

There are always two sides of the coin.

Some one will speak for the notion and there will be some others who will oppose

it. There is nothing right or wrong about the issues; there are only different points

of view. Some one who can present his/her point of view with logic and some how

support it, will be the winner. This requires large reservoir of knowledge which

can be built over a period of time. Just mugging a few facts and figures cannot

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help you. So, be a consistent reader, record the argument and prepare point of

view to the extent of your conviction. Remember, unless you have the conviction

about an issue your superficial support will be seen through by the members of the

penal, and you will leave a poor impression.

You must support your argument with suitable examples

Suppose the GD topic is “Is freedom a roadblock for development?”, you can

quote excellent examples of certain developing nations whose development has

suffered precisely because the freedom. India is such an example. In developing

economies discipline plays a vital role. Democracies and freedom of anything

without responsibility becomes counter-productive. Amratya Sen‟s book by the

same name is a source of many good examples across the globe.

State facts and figures to support your views.

It is a fact that any one who supports his/her argument with statistics is listened to

very carefully. Such a person is held in high esteem as the facts cannot be denied

by any one. If the GD topic is, “Why is India‟s governance so poor in spite of it

having one of the best governabilty?” The person who quotes figures like the

percentage of people who don‟t get clean drinking water or percentage of the

destitute or number of unemployed youth State wise , you are not likely to be

challenged by others

Analytical Skills

If you want to make a good impression on the penal, you must have a good ability to

analyse the topic of GD and interpret in the correct manner. It is likely that that some

part of the topic has been purposely left vague and ambiguous, to assess whether the

candidates get the ambiguity clarified or not.

Some of the commonly used evaluation parameters for GD and their weightages are

given in Appendix

9.4 Questions the candidates have in their mind about GD

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Most of the candidates have certain doubts in their minds as far as the actual conduct

of GD is concerned. Some of the question the candidates have in their mind and

suitable suggestions are given here:

9.4.1 Should I be the first speaker?

Many candidates have the tendency to speak first fearing that they may not get the

right opportunity to impress the penal later on. No doubt, being the first speaker has

certain advantages, but you should be the first speaker only if you have some original

idea about the topic of GD. Otherwise, it is a good idea to let some one else speak

first. Speaking later does not have any disadvantage as long as you speak sense.

Please remember that speaking first or speaking number of times during the

discussion will not give you any benefit if you are not able to say something sensible

and substantial. In fact, if you let some one speak first and you are third or fourth

speaker, you can get ideas which can be related with the knowledge which you have

and make a very original point. Speaking first or later will also depend upon:

Level of difficulty of the GD topic. Whether you should be the first to speak or

not will also depend on the topic. If the issue is an easy one and you are

confident of handling it well, don‟t miss the opportunity to speak first. So you

should speak later if the subject is tough and you don‟t know much about it.

Behaviour of different candidates in the group. Some times, no one speaks up

after the GD topic has been thrown open. In such a situation, if you can take

an initiative and control the discussion by being the first to speak, it will be

taken as a leadership quality and appreciated. You can give direction to the

way topic is discussed by introducing the topic as you have understood it. The

other speakers after you are likely to toe the line of your thought process,

giving you a clear advantage over others. If you cease the initiative by

introducing the subject with the help of an appropriate quote/ shloka etc, you

will make a great impact. How ever, don‟t forget there will be many others

who also may be adopting the same strategy.

9.4.2 How should I conduct myself in the GD?

Some candidates tend to become aggressive and offensive while giving their

views. They give the impression that they cannot tolerate the views which don‟t

match their own. While being assertive when you have the conviction, being

aggressive will go against you. Be yourself and don‟t try to impress others by

speaking loudly, making unnecessary gestures with your hands, thumping the

table etc. You should appreciate that others may have as much or more knowledge

than you; you should be good listener and what ever point you make should carry

enough weightage. You should not interrupt some when he/she is speaking, but

note the point where you differ. Don‟t speak at any cost just because you have the

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idea and it must be spoken. At the same time you cannot remain a mute spectator,

you must enter the discussion at suitable time. Sometimes the group runs out of

ideas and no body has anything to say; that is the time for you to approach the

topic from an angle which has been missed till then.

9.4.3 How should I conduct myself when the discussion becomes very

noisy and directionless where no one listens to no one?

Such a situation can be converted to your advantage, if you can play the role of a

leader and mediator. Try to bring in some order and discipline by suggesting that the

candidates may speak in rotation, or any one wanting to speak raise his/ her finger and

the other persons respect that. You can even get up and request the person who is

creating maximum commotion by saying, “Excuse me, can you please give a chance

to others also to speak?” But while controlling the situation, you should never become

aggressive yourself. It is likely that the aggressive one‟s soon run out of ideas and

give you chance to have your say. If your efforts don‟t get any result, the best course

open to you is to have patience and don‟t be a part of the commotion yourself.

9.4.4 How do I react if some one purposely contradicts my point of

view and even makes personal attacks?

It does happen that some candidates sensing that some one is taking a lead by making

good points, start purposely contradicting your point of view and may even pass

remarks like, “What do you know about it, you thing to do in such a situation is to

keep your cool and carry on with the point you are convinced about. If you ignore the

person and his/her comments, the person is likely to stop behaving in a nasty manner.

9.4.5 Should I take notes of what is being said by different candidates

during GD?

It is a good idea to carry a small note-pad with you and make notes of key points in

telegraphic language. You should not try to note down everything, otherwise you will

miss important discussion points. Of course, it would be ideal if you can make mental

notes rather than resorting to noting down. The notes can help you in developing

counter-argument or bringing in a new point of view. Making notes also leaves a good

impression of your active involvement in the discussion.

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9.4.6 What can I do when the discussion becomes stagnant and every

one is stating similar things in different manner?

This is a situation where you can prove your original thinking or creativity. There

may be a lull in the discussion and people have nothing new to add. You may like to

summarize the discussion and ask others to think about the practical utility of the

recommendations being made. You can lay emphasis on the fact that any proposal is

useful only if it is doable. For example if the GD topic is, “Should the politicians

retire at the age of 65?”. You may come out with a new angle that let maximum of 10

percent politicians retire at 75, if their performance and contribution, as evaluated by

the Speaker of Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha and the Speakers of the State legislature is

considered outstanding.

9.4.7 How should I go about in GD if I have very little idea about the

topic of discussion?

In this kind of situation the best thing is to wait and listen to the discussion very

keenly before speaking. Plan to restructure the discussion in an intelligent manner and

put across your point in a logical order, even though you have no original point to

make. Every issue can be looked from different angles, depending upon your

qualifications and experience in a particular field. If you are from the Political Science

stream, you can always reshape the discussion from your angle. Also, take notes so

that the penal can see your interest in the discussion.

9.4.8 In GD, what is given more weightage, the content or the

presentation?

Both are important; if your content is of poor quality any amount of stylish

presentation will not make any impact and on the other hand if you have brilliant idea

but you can‟t put it across in a suitable manner, the result will be disastrous.

9.4.9 Should I change my stance during GD or stick to my point of

view even though I know I am wrong?

It is alright to change your stance if you are convinced that your initial argument was

wrong. You can always say, “When we started the discussion I was of this view, how

ever during discussion certain new facts have come to light and I would like to go

with them”

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9.5 Some of the commonly used evaluation parameters for

GD and their weightages

Some parameters and their weightages are given below:

Parameter/Factor Weightage (100)

1. Logic and strength of argument 40

Point not put forward by others 10

Developing an already discussed point 5

Repeating the existing point by rephrasing it 5

Explaining the rationale of putting across a point 5

Providing suitable examples to support the point 5

Initiative by the candidate 5

Team work 5

2. Body Language 20

The way the candidate sits 5

Eye contact when answering questions 5

Listening approach 5

Movement of hands and other parts of body 5

3. Assertiveness 20

4. Communication Skills 20

Fluency and command over language 10

Clarity, loudness and modulation of voice 10

9.6 GD Topics for practice

Some GD topics have been provided here along with „For‟ and „Against‟ arguments.

1. Fixed tenure for bureaucrats

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For:

For the sake of continuity in development and other works

Political bosses cannot play around with bureaucrats at their whims and

fancies

Against:

Can make them complacent

May breed inefficiency

May undermine political authority

2. Soft skills training for police

For:

Police is conceived as anti-people lacking empathy

People educated , have their own aspirations

Police must develop people-skills

Against:

Number of police personnel per thousand is far less

They are under paid

Not motivated due to the type of jobs they are required to do

Interference/patronage from politicians responsible for lack of empathy

3.Education can get rid of mediocrity

For:

We are in knowledge era and India has to find its rightful place in

the world

In twenty first century, the illiterates are not those who cannot read

and write but the ones who cannot learn, unlearn and re-learn

Mediocrity is a way of life

“A man must be what a man can be”

Against:

It is an attitude in a particular operating environment

System of education itself produces mediocre

4. For good governance , corruption must be eradicated

For:

Corruption is in the bone-marrow of an average Indian

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Fundamentals of good governance assume that laid down rules,

regulations and procedures are made applicable to all equally

Politician, bureaucrat and business man are mainly responsible for

corruption

Against:

Good governance depends on the integrity of individual

Professionals should be honest

All must perform their responsibilities to the best of their ability

5 .One can get anything done with a pleasing personality

For:

The word „Personality‟ must be understood correctly

Good looks and a pleasing disposition has major impact on others

Against:

Professional skills cannot be replaced with good looks and expansive

clothes

For sustainable achievements overall pleasing personality must be

supported with knowledge, skills and wisdom

The candidates are advised to write For and Against arguments as given above so that

they can develop them in actual Group Discussion

The need to bring about changes in RTI Act

Poor governance in spite of one of the best „governability‟ systems in

India

Feudal system of addressing the High Court and Supreme Court judges as

“Lordship” or “Sir” should change

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Strategies of battle can be applied to business as well

India‟s industrial growth is on the right course

India‟s manufacturing sector is facing its darkest hour

9.6 Summary

Group discussions are used to support the Personal Interviews and are considered very

important aid in understanding certain important traits of the personality of a

candidate.

Participation in GD requires certain special preparations; the most important being the

knowledge of the topic and the verbal communication skills.

In the lesson above, it has been brought out how to become an effective participant in

G Ds. Weightages for various traits have been provided as an appendix. Many topics

for practice have also been provided. In some topics the argument For and Against

has been given to help the reader.

9.7 Glossary

Group Discussion It is a systematic and purposeful interactive

oral process to determine the suitability of a person for performing a particular task

Non-verbal clues Non-verbal clues like eye contact, body

movements, facial expressions gestures can speak much more than what is said by

speaking

Articulation Articulation and quality of voice play very

important role in oral communication

9.8 Answers to check your progress/Self Assessment

Questions

Prepare the argument For and Against for the following topics:

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1 .Can Information and Communication Technology (ICT) replace class rooms?

2. Do we need the kind of judicial activism the judiciary is now pursuing?

3. India should stop all communication with Pakistan

4. China poses bigger danger than Pakistan

5 .Right to Education (RTE) Act has failed

Answers:

1.

For:

We have moved far ahead of the chalk and talk system of teaching of yester

years

Technology has made learning simple for “any one any where”

Class rooms in colleges and universities may become a thing of the past in

another 10 years in developed countries. India cannot remain untouched by

such developments across the globe.

Against:

Learners are not machines without emotions

Personal contact lets the teacher and taught share their views, thoughts

and ideas in the best possible manner.

As long as people continue learning, class rooms can never be replaced

2.

For:

In our type of democracy, the Legislature, the Executive and the

Judiciary are not permitted to perform their well-defined roles.

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When the society gets degenerated to a level that democratic

systems can no longer correct the wrong, judiciary must step in to

save a nation.

To day , common man has hope only from judiciary which is

perceived by him as non-corrupt

Against:

Activism to the extent of overzealousness can undermine

the role of the Executive

People may lose faith in democracy

3.

For:

Pakistan has been trying since its inception to bleed India

though state sponsored terrorism

Pakistan is a failed garrison state

All leaders of Pakistan spread venom and hatred against

India in the name of Jihad

Against:

All problems of the world arise from no communication

or bad communication

No problem can ever be solved without dialogue as

understanding each other point of view is a

continuous process

In the interest of lasting peace between the two

neighbours, communication must go on.

4

For:

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China‟s aspirations as a world power pushes it to become

Asia‟s biggest power

China‟s history

Against:

Pakistan‟s very existence depends upon hating India

Pakistan wants to take revenge of Bangladesh

Pakistan is certain that it will be supported by all Muslim

countries in case of any conflict with India

India‟s proximity with Afghanistan does not suit Pakistan

5.

For:

The Act has failed to ensure free and compulsory

education for all children between the age of 6 and

14

The provision of the Act are ambitious, how ever ,

the implementation strategies lack political will

Against:

The Act is a good step forward

Every new idea takes time to give the

desired results

There is a need to co-ordinate the activities

between the Centre and the States

9.9 References / Suggested Reading

1. Winning at Interviews and Group Discussions by Col D S Cheema, Abhishek

Publications, Chandigarh

2. Technical Communication by Meenakshi Raman and Sangeeta Sharma, published

by Oxford University Press

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3. Business Communication by Varinder Kumar and Bodh Raj, published by Kalyani

Publishers, Jalandhar

9.10 Model Questions

1. What is the importance of GD in Personal Interview?

Explain with examples.

2. What personality trait can be demonstrated through GD?

3. What should you keep in mind while appearing for GD?

4. You have the aptitude for picking up various languages. How will you use these to

your advantage while preparing the resume?

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Lesson Plan-Lesson 10

10.0 Objectives

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Extempore speeches

10.3 Extempore speeches as apart of selection process

10.4 Planning an extempore speech in a few minutes that one gets

10.5 Never forget the importance of fundamentals of public speaking

10.6 Tips to become an effective extempore speaker

10.7 Summary

10.8 Glossary

10.9 Answers to check your progress/Self assessment questions

10.10 References/Suggested reading

10.11 Model questions

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Lesson 10 The Art of Extempore Speaking

10.0 Objectives

After reading this lesson, student will be able to :

Understand the importance of extempore speaking

Learn how an extempore speech can be prepared

Understand how one can deliver an extempore speech

10.1 Introduction

Speech is what is spoken; a language; the power of speaking; manner of

speaking; a continuous spoken utterance etc. It is largly through speech that

people communicate. A leader or manager has to make a speech on many

occasions. Have you observed how the politicians influence the people? They are

able to motivate their audience and make them do what they want them to do.

They influence the feelings , emotions and thinking process of the audience with

the power of their speech. Through speaking only , a manger, a leader or any one

in any position of authority can get the things done the way they want. It is

unfortunate that most of the people in authority are poor speakers . They find it

difficult to say. “Thank you” on stage in front of many people. Speech-making

skills have to be acquired. Fortunately , there are many institutions which help

people to acquire this ability. Since it is one of the very important area of learning

for any one who wants to occupy a position of authority, it should be acquired at

as early a stage in one‟s career as possible.

10.2 Extempore speeches

The word ,”extempore” was generally used in the context of theatre

performances. Any performance carried out without preparation was called

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„extempore‟ or impromptu. Later on it stated getting used for any speech made

without preparation. On many occasions, a person may be asked to speak to a

large gathering without any notice or warning. That means , one does not get any

time to prepare the speech Formal speeches need a lot of preparation , it involves

research by the speaker keeping the background of the audience in mind. Many a

times, the speech for the seniors is prepared by their juniors, who may be

specially trained in writing speeches. The senior is given the written speech and

he or she goes through the contents before making the speech. Speeches may be

made for welcome or send –off of important dignitaries, or on special occasions

like inauguration etc. It must be understood by the mangers that it is a necessity

for their growth and they must prepare themselves to make formal or informal ie

extempore speeches.

Extempore speech means a stage performance without any type of preparation.

You may be called upon , all of a sudden to speak about some topic and you have

no time to prepare or organize your thoughts. Extempore is also related with

poetry discussions by generally it is understood in relation with speaking only.

Those of us who have had the opportunity and experience of public speaking,

understand that it give creeps to any one. When you are required to walk up to the

stage and the hall is full of people, your confidence is likely to shake.

10.3 Extempore speeches as part of selection process

Many organizations use extempore speeches for testing a candidate‟s ability for a

particular type of employment. The candidates may be given the subject and may

be expected to start speaking immediately as soon as the topic is announced. I

certain other cases, the candidate may be given a minute or so to organize his/her

thoughts before speaking. In any case, the idea is to test certain capabilities and

personality traits of the candidate and match them with the job specifications.

For doing well in such tests, the following tips will be helpful:

Use the few seconds of time that is taken by the speaker to announce the

subject to your advantage. As the person who is testing your ability starts

speaking, you should think and organize yourself immediately.

While thinking instantly, think logically

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You should be able to generate ideas off the feet

Carry out an analysis of the main theme of the topic given to you and use

that for speaking. Don‟t include the frivolous things.

Remember, your communication skills are also being tested when you

are speaking. So speak fluently with pauses and modulation of voice.

Don‟t start speaking too fast the moment topic is announced , take a few

seconds. During those few seconds , there should be a smile on you face

and you should appear confident.

Be careful of your body language , gestures and manners etc as they

speak a lot about your personality

10.4 Planning an extempore speech in a few minutes that

one gets

It must be understood that proper planning like a formal presentation is not

possible as you hardly get any time. How ever, whatever time one gets , one

should put one‟s thoughts together . It should be possible to plan a „Beginning‟,

„Middle‟ and „Conclusion‟ during a couple of minutes available and if possible

one should be able to list them on a small piece of paper

10.5 Never forget the importance of fundamentals of

public speaking

You must keep in mind the basics of good speech whether prepared or

extempore. These are:

Audience awareness

Any good speaker must know who is he talking to. If you don‟t know your audience

you will never be able to create the necessary rapport to leave a positive impact on the

audience. If you can get the details of their age, sex, educational background etc from

the organizers , good enough but if it is not available , you should be able to quickly

gage or measure up your audience. A lot of commonsense is required to judge the

audience and develop a suitable relationship with them. You should speak directly to

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them in the language they understand. In this context, it is relevant to mention

speakers like Lalu Yadav who develop instant rapport with their audience. You must

ensure from time to time that every one in the audience is able to listen to you loud

and clear

Body language

Your body language should be that of a confident person. The gestures and manners

while you are speaking, speak volumes about your personality and self-confidence.

In this context, the eye contact is of utmost importance. When you look in to the eyes

of the audience , you get an instant feedback of the impact of your speech. Also it

helps in understanding and developing a positive rapport with the audience. So try and

look in to the eyes of as many people as possible without staring at them and making

them uncomfortable.

Spoken delivery

How you speak, give pauses and modulate your voice as required by the

words of speech, are very important. Speaking continuously without any

modulation of voice becomes boring and the audience loses interest in the

speaker.

Avoid reference to any controversial issues.

Certain topics like religion and women are best to be left out of your speech.

Many people are allergic to such issues and you should avoid getting in to

any controversy

10.6 Tips to be an effective extempore speaker

The following tips will help you in becoming an extempore speaker:

Have confidence within

This is perhaps the most important personality trait any public speaker mut have.

The key to public speaking is the confidence. Confidence is more within than out

side. You must walk to the podium demonstrating confidence in the way you

walk , and then on reaching the stage, the way you look at the audience

confidently, hold the mike , keep your head slightly high and wish the audience

according to the time of the day.

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Opening and closing statements are very important

You must remember that the first half a minute is the most important. While

starting the speech, it is a good idea to make a famous statement or mention an

appropriate quotation to draw the attention of the audience. Similarly, when you

are winding up the speech, you should make some comment /statement/quote

which once again draws the attention of every one present and also demonstrates

your confidence in your self.

Ensure use of appropriate body language

When you use hand gestures while speaking and emphasizing a point you are

making , it makes positive impact on the listeners. Your body language should be

that you are not shaky.

Do not try to memorize anything

Speak from your knowledge and experience; do not try to memorise anything. If

you forget what you have mugged up , it makes a very poor impression on the

audience. Limit your speech to your knowledge.

Use of humour

A boring extempore speech makes people sleep . It is a good idea to use wit and

humour at appropriate places to make the speech interesting. Remember, humour

or wit cannot take the place of the „meat‟ of your speech but it can definitely help

to leave a good impression on the audience. The value of humour in creating a

positive relationship or a rapport with the audience cannot be over emphasized.

Perhaps a suitable joke in between the speech will do the trick.

Practice is the key to get rid of the fear of extempore speech

It is rightly said that practice makes a man perfect. You should practice speaking

on different subjects of your interest.

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10.7 Summary

It is well known that persons less qualified and with lower level of competence,

do far better than certain others who possess excellent verbal communication

skills. The importance of verbal communication cannot be overemphasized. You

may know lesser details of a particular subject or issue but if you are able to

deliver them in a lucid manner, the audience is likely to be more impressed than a

far better content which is not delivered properly. That is why it is of utmost

importance that all professional s learn the art of oral communication.

Making good presentations is an essential part of the corporate world. It is here

that many careers are made or spoiled. It is important that every student as well as

every professional in any field understands the art of presentations. In this lesson

you have learnt this art , now you should practice it develop suitable expertise.

The importance of extempore speaking in business cannot be overemphasized.

There are many an occasion when a manger or an entrepreneur is required to

explain some thing without any notice or time to prepare. Within a minute or so

one has to put one‟s thoughts together in a logical order and make a speech. It is

very important for a manger to learn the art of public speaking without ant

preparation.

10.8 Glossary

Extempore speech It means speaking on any issue without

any type of preparation

Posture How you stand and conduct yourself

while making a presentation

Voice modulation Giving pauses and raising or lowering

of the pitch of speech to make oral presentation more effective

Visual aids All such aids which help in displaying and

explaining the salient features of an oral presentation

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10.9 Answers to check your progress/Self Assessment

Questions

1. Why are extempore speeches important for a manger?

2. What are the important factors you will keep in mind while delivering an

extempore speech?

Answers

1. There are many situations in business which call for immediate decision-making.

Senior authorities may not have time to get every possible information that is required

for taking a decision. You as a manger may be called upon to explain/brief or speak

on an issue without any notice.

It is important that all mangers develop the ability to grasp and analyse any topic

related with their responsibility to be able to speak extempore or impromptu. This

requires a deep understanding of you job, vertical and horizontal relationship. Your

working relationship should be such that you are made aware of everything happening

in your area of responsibility by your juniors. This can only happen if your juniors

have faith and confidence in you as a manager.

You as a manager may also be called upon, without any notice, to deliver a welcome/

send off speech for a delegation visiting your organization. You must have the ability

to speak to an audience with confidence . Of course, the „meat‟ in the speech remains

very important in all situations.

2. I will keep the following in mind before delivering an extempore speech:

The type of audience I am required to speak to. I will try and get as much

information about the audience as is possible. In an organisition setting, I

would know the background of the people whom I am going to address unless

the audience is from outside the organization.

I will keep my head high and maintain eye contact to develop a good rapport

with the audience.

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I will organise my facts and figures apt and appropriate and in sequential

order so that there is a smooth flow of the speech.

I will not divert from the main theme.

I will keep the mic at appropriate distance.

I will modulate my voice in amanner that it leaves good impact.

I wll keep the speech within the prescribed limit for which I will ensure

proper time management.

I will try to put in a related quote if I can think of one.

If possible, I wiil practice my speech for a minute or so.

10.10 References / Suggested Reading

1. Business Communication, by Homai Pradhan, D S Bhende and Vijaya Thakur,

Himalya Publishing House

2. Technical Communication by Meenakshi Raman and Sangeeta Sharma, published

by Oxford University Press

3. Business Communication by Varinder Kumar and Bodh Raj, published by Kalyani

Publishers, Jalandhar

10.11 Model Questions

1. You are the HR Manager of Limited Company. You have just arrived in your office

when you are called up by MD, who wants you to report to him and brief him on the

new HR Policy. Your promotion is due and you want to make a good impression on

the MD. How will you go about it?

2. You have the aptitude for picking up various languages. How will you use these to

your advantage while delivering an extempore speech?

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