Ms VII unit Comunication Material

N. Durga Chaitanya Prasad M.Com, MBA (SITE) 1

Business Communication

Communication can be explained an exchange of facts, ideas, opinions or emotions by two or

more people. It can be defined as a process of passing and understanding from one person to

another. Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place to another.

Although this is a simple definition, when we think about how we may communicate the subject

becomes a lot more complex. There are various categories of communication and more than one

may occur at any time.

The different categories of communication are:

Spoken or Verbal Communication: face-to-face, telephone, radio or television and other

media.

Non-Verbal Communication: body language, gestures, how we dress or act - even our

scent.

Written Communication: letters, e-mails, books, magazines, the Internet or via other

media.

Visualizations: graphs and charts, maps, logos and other visualizations can communicate

messages.

Definition of communication 'Communication' is about sharing of ideas, information, knowledge and opinions while

interacting with another person. Shuchi M. Bhardwaj.

"Communication is the exchange and flow of information and ideas from one person to

another; it involves a sender transmitting an idea, information, or feeling to a receiver."

U.S. Army

"Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most

universally understood language." Walt Disney

"The strong man is the one who is able to intercept at will the communication between

the senses and the mind." Napoleon Bonaparte

Main Characteristics of Communications (1) Two or More Persons:

The first important characteristic of communication is that there must be a minimum number of

two persons because no single individual can have an exchange of ideas with himself. A listener

is necessary to receive one’s ideas. Therefore, there must be at least two persons-the sender of

information and the receiver.

(2) Exchange of Ideas:

Communication cannot be thought of in the absence of exchange of ideas. In order to complete

the process of communication there must be an exchange of ideas, orders, feelings, etc., among

two or more than two persons.

(3) Mutual Understanding:

Mutual understanding means that the receiver should receive the information in the same spirit

with which it is being given. In the process of communication, it is more important to understand

the information rather than carry it out.

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(4) Direct and Indirect Communication:

It is not necessary in communication that the receiver and giver of information should be face-to-

face with each other. Communication can be both direct and indirect. Direct communication

means face-to-face conversation, while indirect communication is through other means.

(5) Continuous Process:

Communication is an endless process, as is the case with business where the manager

continuously assigns work to his subordinates, tries to know the progress of the work and gives

directions.

(6) Use of Words as well as Symbols:

There can be many means of communication, like the written, the oral and symbolic. The

examples of symbolic communication are the ringing of bell for closing a school or a college,

saying something by the movement of the neck, showing anger or disapproval through eyes,

giving some decision by the raising of a finger in cricket, etc.

Communication process The goal of communication is to convey information—and the understanding of that

information—from one person or group to another person or group. This communication process

is divided into three basic components: A sender transmits a message through a channel to

the receiver. (Figure shows a more elaborate model.) The sender first develops an idea, which is

composed into a message and then transmitted to the other party, who interprets the message and

receives meaning. Information theorists have added somewhat more complicated language.

Developing a message is known as encoding. Interpreting the message is referred to as decoding.

1. Source 2. Encoding 3. Channel 4. Decoding 5. Receiver 6. Message (M) 7. Feedback

Source: It is the giver of the message.


Encoding: First a though occurs. This though is converted into message. This process of conversion of thought to

message is called encoding.

Message: The product of encoding is called message. When we speak, speech is the message. When we write our

writing is the message, when we gesture, our hand movements and face expression is the message.

Channel: It is the medium through which the message travels.

Decoding: Before the message is received, the symbols in it must be translated into a form that is understood by the

receiver. This process is called decoding.

Receiver: The object who receives the message is called receiver.

Feedback: It is a check on how successfully the message has been transmitted.

Types of communication: Communication is one kind of activity of exchanging message by reading, writing, speaking,

listing, gesture, behavior etc. We are motionless with out communication. There are different

kinds / types of communication depending on their nature or behavior. Detail discussion about

types of communication given below:

Different types of communication system are found in different kinds of the types of

communication differ from Organization to Organization depending upon the nature of


information to be communicated and the purpose of Communication mainly takes the

form of –

Formal Communication and

Informal Communication

Formal communication follows the chain and command. It consist downward communication,

upward communication and horizontal communication. Many communication scholars view the

types of communication basing on the direction or flow of the message only and as such they

classify communication to be vertical, horizontal, or diagonal. Different types of

communications are shown in the above graph.

The image given above about types of communication will give you at a glance idea about kinds

of communication. Firstly we can differentiate communication into three

Types of communication

On the basis of expression / Method / Media

On the basis of flow of Information

On the basis of Organizational Relationship

On the basis of expression / Method / Media we can differentiate communication into two types

which is discussed below:

Verbal Communication

Verbal communication is a communication process which uses both oral and written to

communicate like chatting with friend in internet, send SMS to any one by mobile phone all of

them are nothing but verbal communication.

Non Verbal Communication

This kind of communication doesn’t use oral or written process to communicate. It use some

symbol some of them we mention below

When we are in road we see some arrow like go left or go right

In some place there is a symbol which means no smoking

Verbal Communication can be differentiate in two

Oral Communication

From the name of this communication type we can understand that which communication

process use only oral method that are known as oral communication.

Written Communication

It is same above which communication process use only written method to communicate that is

known as written communication.

Non Verbal Communication has six kinds

Visual Communication


Which communication process use photography, graphics design, illustration, fine art,

multimedia etc to communicate that is known as visual communication.

Audio Method Communication

A communication which uses audio method to communicate that is commonly known as audio

method communication.

Audio Visual Communication

This kind of communication uses both audio and picture to communicate. It can be used with

oral and written communication. It is mainly used in television advertisement.

Gesture Communication

In our day to day life we make various gestures to communicate and that kind of communication

is known as gesture communication.

Passive Communication

This kind of communication is most likely gesture communication difference is gesture is made

to communicate properly but passive communication is done for avoiding some communication.

Communication through action

Which kind of communication precedes its communication process through action that is known

as communication through action.

On the basis of flow of Information communication can be divided into three

Horizontal Communication

David. H. Molt said that “Horizontal communication is the process of exchanging information

between peers at any organization level usually to co ordinate activates”.

Vertical Communication

When a communication made between superior to subordinate or subordinate to superior is

known as vertical communication.

Crosswise Communication

Crosswise communication doesn’t follow something like upward or downward communication

in this communication process any person of any position can communicate with other person of

any position.

Again vertical communication can be divided into two

Upward Communication

A communication which is done between subordinate to superiors and that is known as upward

communication.

Downward Communication

This is just opposite of upward communication. Communication made between superior to

subordinate.

On the basis of Organizational Relationship communication can be divided into two


Formal Communication

Formal communication may be a verbal or written presentation which maintains some certain

rules and regulation.

Informal Communication

Informal communication is one kind of causal communication which does not need to follow any

rules and regulation

Barriers to communication:

For the convenience of study the different barriers can be divided into four parts:

(1) Semantic Barriers There is always a possibility of misunderstanding the feelings of the sender of the message or

getting a wrong meaning of it. The words, signs, and figures used in the communication are

explained by the receiver in the light of his experience which creates doubtful situations. This

happens because the information is not sent in simple language.

The chief language-related barriers are as under:

(i) Badly Expressed Message: Because of the obscurity of language there is always a possibility of wrong interpretation of the

messages. This barrier is created because of the wrong choice of words, in civil words, the wrong

sequence of sentences and frequent repetitions. This may be called linguistic chaos.

(ii) Symbols or Words with Different Meanings:

A symbol or a word can have different meanings. If the receiver misunderstands the

communication, it becomes meaningless. For example, the word ‘value’ can have different

meanings in the following sentences:

(a) What is the value of computer education these days?

(b) What is the value of this mobile set?

(c) Value our friendship.

(iii) Faulty Translation: A manager receives much information from his superiors and

subordinates and he translates it for all the employees according to their level of understanding.

Hence, the information has to be moulded according to the understanding or environment of the

receiver. If there is a little carelessness in this process, the faulty translation can be a barrier in

the communication.

(iv) Unclarified Assumptions: It has been observed that sometimes a sender takes it for granted that the receiver knows some

basic things and, therefore, it is enough to tell him about the major subject matter. This point of

view of the sender is correct to some extent with reference to the daily communication, but it is

absolutely wrong in case of some special message,

(v) Technical Jargon:


Generally, it has been seen that the people working in an enterprise are connected with some

special technical group who have their separate technical language.

Their communication is not so simple as to be understood by everybody. Hence, technical

language can be a barrier in communication. This technical group includes industrial engineers,

production development manager, quality controller, etc.

(vi) Body Language and Gesture Decoding: When the communication is passed on with the help of body language and gestures, its

misunderstanding hinders the proper understanding of the message. For example, moving one’s

neck to reply to a question does not indicate properly whether the meaning is ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.

(2) Psychological or Emotional Barriers The importance of communication depends on the mental condition of both the parties. A

mentally disturbed party can be a hindrance in communication. Following are the emotional

barriers in the way of communication:

(i) Premature Evaluation: Sometimes the receiver of information tries to dig out meaning without much thinking at the

time of receiving or even before receiving information, which can be wrong. This type of

evaluation is a hindrance in the exchange of information and the enthusiasm of the sender gets

dampened.

(ii) Lack of Attention:

When the receiver is preoccupied with some important work he/she does not listen to the

message attentively. For example, an employee is talking to his boss when the latter is busy in

some important conversation. In such a situation the boss may not pay any attention to what

subordinate is saying. Thus, there arises psychological hurdle in the communication.

(iii) Loss by Transmission and Poor Retention:

When a message is received by a person after it has passed through many people, generally it

loses some of its truth. This is called loss by transmission. This happens normally in case of oral

communication. Poor retention of information means that with every next transfer of information

the actual form or truth of the information changes.

According to one estimate, with each transfer of oral communication the loss of the information

amounts to nearly 30%. This happens because of the carelessness of people. Therefore, lack of

transmission of information in its true or exact form becomes a hindrance in communication.

(iv) Distrust:

For successful communication the transmitter and the receiver must trust each other. If there is a

lack of trust between them, the receiver will always derive an opposite meaning from the

message. Because of this, communication will become meaningless.

(3) Organisational Barriers Organisational structure greatly affects the capability of the employees as far as the

communication is concerned. Some major organisational hindrances in the way of

communication are the following:

(i) Organisational Policies:


Organisational policies determine the relationship among all the persons working in the

enterprise. For example, it can be the policy of the organisation that communication will be in

the written form. In such a situation anything that could be conveyed in a few words shall have

to be communicated in the written form. Consequently, work gets delayed.

(ii) Rules and Regulations: Organisational rules become barriers in communication by determining the subject-matter,

medium, etc. of communication. Troubled by the definite rules, the senders do not send some of

the messages.

(iii) Status: Under organising all the employees are divided into many categories on the basis of their level.

This formal division acts as a barrier in communication especially when the communication

moves from the bottom to the top.

For example, when a lower-level employee has to send his message to a superior at the top level

there is a lurking fear in his mind that the communication may be faulty, and because of this fear,

he cannot convey himself clearly and in time. It delays the decision making.

(iv) Complexity in Organisational Structure: The greater number of managerial levels in an organisation makes it more complex. It results in

delay in communication and information gets changed before it reaches the receiver. In other

words, negative things or criticism are concealed. Thus, the more the number of managerial

levels in the organisation, the more ineffective the communication becomes.

(v) Organisational Facilities: Organisational facilities mean making available sufficient stationery, telephone, translator, etc.

When these facilities are sufficient in an organisation, the communication will be timely, clear

and in accordance with necessity. In the absence of these facilities communication becomes

meaningless.

(4) Personal Barriers The above-mentioned organisational barriers are important in themselves but there are some

barriers which are directly connected with the sender and the receiver. They are called personal

barriers. From the point of view of convenience, they have been divided into two parts:

(a) Barriers Related to Superiors: These barriers are as follows:

(i) Fear of Challenge of Authority: Everybody desires to occupy a high office in the organisation. In this hope the officers try to

conceal their weaknesses by not communicating their ideas. There is a fear in their mind that in

case the reality comes to light they may have to move to the lower level,

(ii) Lack of Confidence in Subordinates: Top-level superiors think that the lower- level employees are less capable and, therefore, they

ignore the information or suggestions sent by them. They deliberately ignore the communication

from their subordinates in order to increase their own importance. Consequently, the self-

confidence of the employees is lowered.

(b) Barriers Related to Subordinates: Subordinates-related barriers are the following:


(i) Unwillingness to Communicate: Sometimes the subordinates do not want to send any information to their superiors. When the

subordinates feel that the information is of negative nature and will adversely affect them, an

effort is made to conceal that information.

If it becomes imperative to send this information, it is sent in a modified or amended form. Thus,

the subordinates, by not clarifying the facts, become a hindrance in communication,

(ii) Lack of Proper Incentive: Lack of incentive to the subordinates creates a hindrance in communication. The lack of

incentive to the subordinates is because of the fact that their suggestions or ideas are not given

any importance. If the superiors ignore the subordinates, they become indifferent towards any

exchange of ideas in future.

REPORT WRITING

A report is written for a clear purpose and to a particular audience. Specific information and evidence are

presented, analysed and applied to a particular problem or issue. The information is presented in a clearly

structured format making use of sections and headings so that the information is easy to locate and follow.

Reports use features such as graphics, images, voice, or specialized vocabulary in order to persuade that

specific audience to undertake an action. Report writing is creating an account or statement that

describes in detail an event, situation or occurrence, usually as the result of observation or

inquiry. The two most common forms of report writing are news report writing and academic

report writing. Report writing is different from other forms of writing because it only includes

facts, not the opinion or judgement of the writer.

Objectives of report writing:

1. Use the appropriate languages of report writing

2. Use appropriate style and tone

3. Incorporate charts and tables in the texts

4. Use in‐text citations

5. Write an executive summary for the report

6. Edit and proofread the report

Steps of report writing:


All reports need to be clear, concise and well structured. The key to writing an effective report is

to allocate time for planning and preparation. With careful planning, the writing of a report will

be made much easier. The essential stages of successful report writing are described below.

Consider how long each stage is likely to take and divide the time before the deadline between

the different stages. Be sure to leave time for final proof reading and checking.

Stage One: Understanding the report brief This first stage is the most important. You need to be confident that you understand the purpose

of your report as described in your report brief or instructions. Consider who the report is for and

why it is being written. Check that you understand all the instructions or requirements, and ask

your tutor if anything is unclear.

Stage Two: Gathering and selecting information Once you are clear about the purpose of your report, you need to begin to gather relevant

information. Your information may come from a variety of sources, but how much information

you will need will depend on how much detail is required in the report. You may want to begin

by reading relevant literature to widen your understanding of the topic or issue before you go on

to look at other forms of information such as questionnaires, surveys etc. As you read and gather

information you need to assess its relevance to your report and select accordingly. Keep referring

to your report brief to help you decide what is relevant information.

Stage Three: Organising your material Once you have gathered information you need to decide what will be included and in what

sequence it should be presented. Begin by grouping together points that are related. These may

form sections or chapters. Remember to keep referring to the report brief and be prepared to cut

any information that is not directly relevant to the report. Choose an order for your material that

is logical and easy to follow.

Stage Four: Analysing your material Before you begin to write your first draft of the report, take time to consider and make notes on

the points you will make using the facts and evidence you have gathered. What conclusions can

be drawn from the material? What are the limitations or flaws in the evidence? Do certain pieces

of evidence conflict with one another? It is not enough to simply present the information you

have gathered; you must relate it to the problem or issue described in the report brief.

Stage Five: Writing the report Having organised your material into appropriate sections and headings you can begin to write the

first draft of your report. You may find it easier to write the summary and contents page at the

end when you know exactly what will be included. Aim for a writing style that is direct and

precise. Avoid waffle and make your points clearly and concisely. Chapters, sections and even

individual paragraphs should be written with a clear structure. The structure described below can

be adapted and applied to chapters, sections and even paragraphs.

Introduce the main idea of the chapter/section/paragraph

Explain and expand the idea, defining any key terms.

Present relevant evidence to support your point(s).

Comment on each piece of evidence showing how it relates to your point(s).


Conclude your chapter/section/paragraph by either showing its

significance to the report as a whole or making a link to the next

chapter/section/paragraph.

Stage Six: Reviewing and redrafting Ideally, you should leave time to take a break before you review your first draft. Be prepared to

rearrange or rewrite sections in the light of your review. Try to read the draft from the

perspective of the reader. Is it easy to follow with a clear structure that makes sense? Are the

points concisely but clearly explained and supported by relevant evidence? Writing on a word

processor makes it easier to rewrite and rearrange sections or paragraphs in your first draft. If

you write your first draft by hand, try writing each section on a separate piece of paper to make

redrafting easier.

Stage Seven: Presentation Once you are satisfied with the content and structure of your redrafted report, you can turn your

attention to the presentation. Check that the wording of each chapter/section/subheading is clear

and accurate. Check that you have adhered to the instructions in your report brief regarding

format and presentation. Check for consistency in numbering of chapters, sections and

appendices. Make sure that all your sources are acknowledged and correctly referenced. You will

need to proof read your report for errors of spelling or grammar. If time allows, proof read more

than once. Errors in presentation or expression create a poor impression and can make the report

difficult to read.

Different types of reports used in business are:

Informational reports. These reports present facts about certain given activity in detail without

any note or suggestions. Whatever is gathered is reported without giving any thing by way of

either explanation or any suggestion. A vice-chancellor asking about the number of candidates

appearing at a particular examination naturally seeks only information of the fact (candidates

taking up the examination) of course without any comment. Generally such reports are of routine

nature. Sometimes they may fall under statutory routine category. A company registrar asking

for allotment return within the stipulate period is nothing but informational routine, falling under

statutory but routine report.

Analytical reports. These reports contain facts along with analytical explanations offered by the

reporter himself or may be asked for by the one who is seeking the report. Such reports contain

the narration of facts, collected data and information, classified and tabulated data and also

explanatory note followed by the conclusions arrived at or interpretations. A company chairman

may ask for a report on falling trends in sale in a particular area. He will in this case be naturally

interested in knowing all the details including that of opinion of any of the investigator.

Research reports. These reports are based on some research work conducted by either an

individual or a group of individuals on a given problem. Indian oil company might have asked its

research division to find some substitute for petrol, and if such a study is conducted then a report

shall be submitted by the research division detailing its findings and then offering their own

suggestions, including the conclusions at which the division has arrived at as to whether such a


substitute is these and if it is there can the same be put to use with advantage and effectively. All

details shall naturally be asked and has to be given. In fact such a report is the result of a

research.

Statutory reports. These reports are to be presented according to the requirements of a

particular law or a rule or a custom now has become a rule. The auditor reports to company

registrar has to be submitted as per the requirements of country legal requirement. A return on

compensation paid to factory workers during a period by a factory has to be submitted to

competent authorities periodically. These reports are generally prepared in the prescribed form as

the rules have prescribed.

Non statutory reports. These reports are not in the nature of legal requirements or rules wants,

therefore, the reports are to be prepared and submitted. These reports are required to be prepared

and submitted: (i) for the administrative and other conveniences,(ii) for taking decision in a

matter (iii) for policy formulations, (iv) for projecting the future or (v) any thing alike so that

efficient and smooth functioning maybe assured and proper and necessary decision may be taken

with a view to see that every thing goes well and the objectives of the organization are achieved

with assured success.

Routine reports. These reports are required to be prepared and submitted periodically on

matters required by the organization so as to help the management of the organization to take

decisions in the matters relating to day to day affairs. The main objectives of routine reports are

to let the management know as to what is happening in the organization, what is its progress

where the deviation is, what measures have been taken in solving the problems and what to do so

that the organization may run smoothly and efficiently. Routine reports are generally brief. They

only give the facts. No comments or explanations are usually offered in such reports. Generally

forms are prescribed for preparation and submission of such reports.

Special reports. Such a type of report is specially required to be prepared and submitted on

matters of special nature. Due to an accident a death of the foreman has occurred in a factory.

The factory manager may ask for a detail report from the head foreman. Such a report is

classified as special reports. These reports contain not only facts and details but they may

contain suggestion, comments and explanations as well.

Annual Reports

An annual report informs stockholders and others outside the company about the company's

achievements and financial performance in a given year. Such a report usually serves both a

promotional and an informative purpose. The report provides basic financial information about

the status of an organization and addresses the question of a company's profitability and degree

of financial success—but it also attempts to instill some confidence in the stockholders that their

investment is a worthy one.


report may include any of the sections outlined in the table above, in the order presented.

However, it is rare that it will include all of them. The revolving soccer balls denote the essential

sections of all reports.

Title Page

The title of the report should be presented on a separate cover page and contain:

* The title: this must be brief, but must also convey something of the subject of the report to the

reader

* The company's/organization's name

* The date of issue

* The circulation list

* The name of the author(s)

* The authority for circulation, for example, "produced at the request of..." or "commissioned

by…."

Some people give their reports titles like Preliminary Report, Interim Report, Inspection Report,

and so on. However, this often forces the author to prejudge the aims of the report. It is better to

approach the writing of a report by thinking about the information to be conveyed.

Foreword

A foreword is only needed if a statement is to be made by some person other than the author.

This is sometimes done to give more authority to the report.

Acknowledgments (strong)

This section allows the people who were indispensable in writing the report to be thanked or

mentioned.

Summary/Abstract

This part of the report summarises the ground covered in the body of the report so that anyone

wanting a quick review of what the report is about can quickly get the gist of the findings. The

summary must state:

* The aims of the report

* The depth of study that went into the research

* Whether the objective was achieved.

The summary must be no more than 10% of the length of the report and mustn't introduce any

information that isn't contained in the report body. The summary should be created once the rest

of the report has been written.

Table of Contents

A table of contents is essential for any report that is longer than about ten pages.

The table of contents must be on a page of its own and the page references must match those in

the text.

List of Illustrations/figures/tables

All illustrations, that is, figures, photos, diagrams, graphs, charts and tables etc., will be listed in

separate pages after the Table of Contents. They will be listed according to their number and

title, and the page references must match those in the text.


Introduction

The introduction gives a broad, general overview of the subject. Its length depends upon the

target reader's existing knowledge. Try to condense the information to:

What is the problem?

What is the cause?

What will you be doing to address these two points?

However long the introduction; it must clearly state the purpose (Objective) of the report. This

will help the readers to judge the document's success. Use the introduction to provide the

necessary background information, like the sequence of events leading to the problem. Outline

the scope of the report. Finally, especially for longer reports, tell the readers how the discussion

in the body of the report will be developed.

Body of the Report

This is where the issues outlined in the introduction are expanded. The development of the

arguments must be logical, the evidence relevant and the reasoning clear.

Sections include:

Literature Review

Method and Materials

Results [Discussion of Results]

The information in the body of a report can be organised in one of several ways, for example:

Sequential: where the most important facts are presented first; other points are expounded in

order of diminishing importance.

Hierarchical: where general statements are worked down into subsidiary points.

Comparative: where one idea is compared with another. It is usually combined with another

method of organisation.

Conclusion

The conclusion summarises the findings and inferences in the body of the report. The conclusion

must not contain any new idea that has not been previously mentioned in the report.

Recommendations

After analysing all the facts, the author of the report is the person most likely to be able to make

recommendations on courses of action. However, you should always consider your relationship

with the reader: if you have no authority to make recommendations, the reader may be hostile. In

such cases, the recommendations should take a more advisory tone.

This section is sometimes dealt together with the Conclusions [Conclusions and

Recommendations].

References

Throughout the text, it will be necessary to refer to other documents. Readers can then turn to

them for confirmation and further study. Indicate a reference by placing an appropriate mark in

the text. (See the section on Literature Review.)

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Endnotes/Footnotes

These are notes at the bottom of the page (footnotes) or at the end of the report (endnotes),

divided off from the main text, that serve as short appendices or glossary entries. They should be

used sparingly and be brief since they can detract from the main flow of the text. Make sure that

footnote marks can be distinguished from reference marks.

Appendices

Sometimes the author may want to include supporting information in the report. This kind of

information should be placed in an appendix.

If there is more than one appendix they should be designated A, B and so on.

Bibliography

This is the list of books, periodicals and other reference sources from which the author has

drawn. A bibliography helps to show the readers how widely the author has researched the

subject and gives authority to the findings of the report.

Glossary

If all the readers of the report might not understand some of the terms and abbreviations used,

you must include a glossary of terms. Sometimes it is best to explain any new terms and

abbreviations as they are encountered.

Illustrations

Small illustrations may be placed within the body of the report, adjacent to the text referring to

them. It may be found, however, that larger illustrations may break up the layout of the report:

these should be placed toward the rear of the document.

Acknowledgments (weak)

This section allows the people who have helped write the report to be thanked or mentioned.

Index

In a long report (30+ pages) an index may be required. The index cross-references key items of

information that the reader may want to find. Writing a foolproof index for any document

requires more skill and effort than many people realise.

Advantages of Report Writing:

1. Report gives consolidated & updated information A report provides consolidated, factual and an up-to-date information about a particular matter or

subject. Information in the report is well organized and can be used for future planning and

decision making.

2. Report as a means of internal communication

A report acts as an effective means of communication within the organization. It provides

feedback to employees. It is prepared for the information and guidance of others connected with

the matter / problem.


3. Report facilitates decision making and planning Report provide reliable data which can be used in the planning and decision making process. It

acts as a treasure house of reliable information for long term planning and decision making.

4. Report discloses unknown information

Reports provide information, which may not be known previously. The committee members

collect data, draw conclusions and provide information which will be new to all concerned

parties. Even new business opportunities are visible through unknown information available in

the reports.

5. Report gives Information to employees

Reports are available to managers and departments for internal use. They are widely used by the

departments for guidance. Report provide a feedback to employees and are useful for their self-

improvement.

6. Report gives reliable permanent information

The information provided by a report is a permanent addition to the information available to the

office. We have census reports (prepared since last 100 years) which are used even today for

reference purpose.

7. Report facilitates framing of personnel policies

Certain reports relating to employees are useful while preparing personnel policies such as

promotion policy, training policy and welfare facilities to employees.

8. Report gives information to shareholders

Some company reports are prepared every year for the benefit of shareholders. Annual report for

example, is prepared and sent to all shareholders before the AGM. It gives information about the

progress of the company.

9. Report gives information to the Registrar

Annual report and annual accounts are sent to the Registrar every year for information. Such

reports enable the government to keep supervision on the companies.

10. Report solves current problems

Reports are useful to managers while dealing with current problems faced by the company. They

provide guidance while dealing with complicated problems.

11. Report helps directors to take prompt decisions

Company reports relate to internal working of the company and are extremely useful to directors

in decision making and policy framing. Reports give reliable, updated and useful information in

a compact form.


INTERVIEW

Interview is the widely used (election method. It is a face-to-face interaction between

interviewee and interviewer. If handled carefully, it can be a powerful technique in having

accurate information of the interviewee otherwise unavailable. At the same time, if the interview

is not handled carefully, it can be a source of bias, restricting or distorting the flow of

communication. A somewhat formal discussion between a hirer and an applicant or candidate,

typically in person, in which information is exchanged, with the intention of establishing the

applicant’s suitability for a position.

a meeting at which information is obtained (as by a reporter, television commentator, or pollster)

from a person

“An interview is a purposeful exchange of ideas, the answering of questions and communication

between two or more persons” Scott

objectives of an interview are as follows:

1. Interview helps to verify the quality and accuracy of information obtained through application

forms.

2. Interview helps to obtain additional information from the candidates as required by the

job, otherwise not available.

3. Interview helps to provide general information to the candidate about company policies, jobs,

products manufactured and so forth.

4. Interview helps to establish mutual understanding between the company and candidates.

5. Interview helps to enhance the company's image and reputation among the candidates.

Types of interview

The Telephone Interview

Often companies request an initial telephone interview before inviting you in for a face to face

meeting in order to get a better understanding of the type of candidate you are. The one benefit

of this is that you can have your notes out in front of you. You should do just as much

preparation as you would for a face to face interview, and remember that your first impression is

vital. Some people are better meeting in person than on the phone, so make sure that you speak

confidently, with good pace and try to answer all the questions that are asked.

The Face-to-Face Interview

This can be a meeting between you and one member of staff or even two members.

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/formal.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/applicant.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/candidate.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/person.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/information.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/intent.html

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/position.html


Preliminary Interview:

The interviews conducted to screen the applicants to decide whether further detailed interview

will be required are called preliminary interviews. The candidate is given freedom by giving job

details during the interview to decide whether the job will suit him.

Patterned Interview:

In this interview, the pattern of the interview is decided in advance. What kind of information is

to be sought or given, how the interview is to be conducted, and how much time is to be allotted

to it, all these are worked out in advance.

Depth Interview:

As the term itself implies, depth interview tries to portray the interviewee in depth and detail. It,

accordingly, covers the life history of the applicant along with his/her work experience,

academic qualifications, health, attitude, interest, and hobbies. This method is particularly

suitable for executive selection. Expectedly, depth interview involves more time and money in

conducting it.

Stress Interview:

Such interviews are conducted for the jobs which are to be performed under stressful conditions.

The objective of stress interview is to make deliberate attempts to create stressful or strained

conditions for the interviewee to observe how the applicant behaves under stressful conditions.

Unstructured interviews:

When the interview does not follow the formal rules or procedures. It is called an

unstructured interview. The discussion will probably be free flowing and may shift rapidly form

on subject to another depending on the interests of the interviewee and the interviewer.

The Panel Interview

These interviews involve a number of people sitting as a panel with one as chairperson. This type

of interview is popular within the public sector.

The Group Interview

Several candidates are present at this type of interview. You will be asked to interact with each

other by usually a group discussion. You might even be given a task to do as a team, so make

sure you speak up and give your opinion.

Formal / Informal Interviews

Some interviews may be very formal, others may be very informal and seem like just a chat

about your interests. However, it is important to remember that you are still being assessed, and

topics should be friendly and clean!

Education

Ms VII unit Comunication Material