Business Communication II Solved Question Paper 2018
Dibrugarh University
2018 (May)
COMMERCE (General/Speciality)
Course: 201 (Business Communication-II)
Time: 3 hours
The figures in the margin indicate full marks
For the questions
(New Course)
Full Marks: 80
Pass Marks: 24
1. Select the correct alternative: 1x4=4
(a) A good presentation reflects the speaker’s
i. Level of knowledge
ii. Logical thinking
iii. Range of ideas and their application to practical situations
iv. All of the above
(b) To ‘break the ice’ during an interview would mean
i. Offering a glass of cold water to the candidate
ii. Shouting at the candidate for unable to answer the question
iii. Telling the candidate bluntly that he is not fit for the post
iv. To make candidate feel relaxed and comfortable
( c ) Which of the following does not affect listening comprehension?
i. Daydreaming
ii. Biasness
iii. Environmental factors
iv. Blackboard writing
(d) A feasibility report is the one where a manager mentions about
i. What he has gained from his office trip
ii. Factual information
iii. Monitoring of work and decision making
iv. Whether to proceed with the project
2. State whether the following statements are True or False: 1x4=4
a) Maintaining eye contact with board members during an interview is a sign of bad manners. False
b) An effective oral presentation engages the mind and the heart of the audience. True
c) Gestures may be voluntary or involuntary. True
d) Listening skill is innate and therefore cannot be improved by practice. False
3. Answer any four of the following questions: 4x4=16
a) Highlight the differences between a short report and a formal report.
Ans: Difference between Short and Long/Formal Report
Basis | Short Report | Long Report |
1. Length | Short report is usually completed in two pages. | It is not possible to complete long/formal report in two pages. |
2. Nature | A short report deals with routine matters. | A long/formal report deals with complex business problems. |
3. Format | Short reports are written in memorandum and letter format. | A long/formal report is written in narrative style. |
4. Writing skill | A short report follows deductive writing style. | A long/formal report after detailed analysis and interpretation draws conclusion and recommendations. |
5. Prefatory part | A Short report does not include prefatory part. | A long/formal report includes prefatory part. |
b) Discuss the important skills and qualities that the Interview Board Members would like to assess of a prospective candidate before making a final selection.
Ans: Having prepared for the interview the interviewer should consider the following points during interview.
1. Letting the candidate speak: The main objective of interview is to have the information from the candidate as much as possible, so interviewer should let the candidate speak as much as possible.
2. Using the language of candidate: If there is no restoration regarding the language such a language should be used in which the candidate feels easy and free.
3. Avoiding arguing with the candidate: The purpose of interview is to evaluate the candidate not to solve a dispute, so argumentation with the candidate should be avoided.
4. Not interrupting the candidate: The candidate is already under a lot of pressure. So the candidate should not be interrupted.
5. Controlling the emotions: During the interview there are many stages on which the interviewers might get emotional. This may cause failures to the interview process.
6. Establishing eye contact: In order to be confident and the put the candidate at case, the interviewer should establish an eye contact with the candidate.
7. Using body language: Use of body language can play an important to make the question clear the candidate.
8. Asking open ended questions instantly: The close or dead ended questions are not very useful to acquire more information. So open-ended question should be asked as much as possible.
c) Enumerate the key differences between the activities of listening and hearing.
Ans: Difference between hearing and listening
Hearing | Listening |
It is a physical ability and not a conscious act. | It is a skill and is a conscious act (Psychological) |
Everyone hears unless there is a physical disability | Not everyone listens. |
Perceiving sound by the ear | Making an effort to hear and it involves reception, analysis, interpretation and response |
It is an Involuntary act. | It is Voluntary act. |
In case of hearing, We hear sound and noise but do not understand much | In case of listening, we understand what is being said or heard |
Does not need focus. | Needs focus and care. |
Hearing uses only one of the five senses which is hearing. | Listening uses hearing, seeing and sometimes the sense of touch too. |
It is Passive in nature. | It is Active in nature. |
d) “Motivational speeches help in improving communication” Suggest your views on the given statement.
Ans: A motivational speech helps in improving communication in the following ways:
a. Clear Expression: A good speech is clear to the audience or listener which helps in attaining its objective.
b. Informal talk: A good speech is like a chat between two intimate friends due to which there is a perfect contact between speaker and audience.
c. Live and concrete: A good speech is lived in nature and contains concrete facts which are easy to understand.
d. Interesting: A good speech is an interesting one which involves quotations, anecdotes and humor. Quotations should be original and anecdote should be new and brief. Whereas humors should be genteel with good taste.
e. Audience oriented: A good speech is always audience oriented. It considers the age, sex, religion, social and economic view of the listener and makes it communicative.
e) Differentiate between an individual presentation and a group presentation.
Ans: Difference between Individual Presentation and Group Presentations
Individual Presentation | Group Presentation |
An individual presentation is based solely on one person’s thoughts, time, and effort. | A group presentation needs to incorporate the thoughts and opinions of the people in that group. |
In individual presentations, the Whole burden is on a single individual. It involves more time. | A group presentation may be able to save time because of a lot of people are working on it. |
Individuals can control how they present, what they present, and many other aspects when presenting individually. | Group presentations offer less flexibility and can be much harder to accomplish things if too many people are running in too many different directions. |
f) What is the significance of body language in communication?
Ans: Body Language: The word kinesics literally means body movement. It stands for the way the body communicates without words, and through various movements of its parts. Communication through body movements is called body language. Body language is a type of nonverbal communication that relies on body movements (such as gestures, posture, and facial expressions) to convey messages. Body language may be used consciously or unconsciously. It may accompany a verbal message or serve as a substitute for speech.
Importance of Kinesics:
1. The importance of kinesics can be put brought forward by the words of famous psychologies Paul Ekman who says, “We talk with our vocal cord but we communicates with our facial expression, tone and pitch of voice, our whole body.”
2. The importance of body language lies in the fact that one can play fast and loose with words but body language speaks truth.
3. When managers consciously read what others are conveying by body movement, they can easily deal with issues before their become problem.
4. Non-verbal communication is also important because it is efficient. A message can be very well transmitted more economically than any other means of communication.
4. Elaborate the point to be kept in mind while drafting a proposal. 14
Ans:- How a Proposal is drafted?/STEPS IN WRITING PROPOSAL
Although proposals contain some elements of a report, their structure conforms more to the AIDA formula of a sales letter (Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action). Like writing sales letter, the purpose of writing proposal is persuasion. Like drafting other written material, the writing of proposal can be divided into following three stages:
1. STEP ONE: PREWRITING: At this stage, the writer of proposal should pose the following questions and find their answer in the proposal:
1) What is the purpose of the proposal?
2) Who is the audience and what are their needs and motivations?
3) How can you catch the reader’s attention?
4) What results or outcomes would the reader like to have?
5) What background research is needed in writing the proposal?
While identifying the purpose of the proposal, the writer should attempt to know why the client needs to know about the proposal. In the light of user’s purpose, the writer can tailor the proposal. He has to identify the audience and their needs and motivation. The audience can be upper management, board of directors, immediate boss, etc. Identification of audience is essential because the proposal should appeal to their self-interest whether they want to save time and money or increase profit or simplify procedures.
2. STEP TWO: WRITING: Usually the companies have a standard format for proposal as it simplifies the job of organizing and outlining the document. The standard proposal format contains the following headings:
1) Background of the situation.
2) Description of the problem in hand.
3) Approach to the problem.
4) Methodology and research:
A. Methods of gathering data.
B. How research would be conducted.
5) Expected results:
A. Proposed outcomes.
B. Specific actions steps.
6) Time and cost requirements:
A. Budget for proposed work.
B. Estimated time for completion.
For writing proposal, there are standard formats with suitable headings and subheadings that facilitate the reader to understand quickly. But the writer should bear in mind that he is not presenting the facts in simplified way, but to persuade the reader to accept his ideas and approach. Therefore, he can deviate from the standardized approach and tailor the proposal to the specific needs and purposes of the reader. While writing first draft, he should:
Ø Write in logical way in simple but appealing language.
Ø Avoid detailed explanations or technical facts unless the client asks for them.
Ø Present the ideas with marshaled arguments.
Ø Keep the length of proposal minimum to avoid distracting readers’ attention.
Ø Write in terms of readers’ needs and purposes.
3. STEP THREE: REVISING: In this final stage of proposal writing the writer should review and revise every part of the proposal. For this he should:
Ø Check and recheck all facts about the client’s situation.
Ø Ensure that the tone of the proposal is optimistic.
Ø Assure the reader that you have appraised the problem realistically.
Ø Proofread it carefully to ensure that the written contents are free from grammatical and spelling errors.
If the proposal convinces the reader that the writer carefully and clearly understands the problem the presents the information after thorough research, there are chances of its better sale of idea. But ultimately the acceptance of a persuasive message depends on the writer’s; credibility and the receivers’ perception of direct benefits.
Or
Discuss the essential features of a good business report and elaborate it with a suitable example. 14
Ans: Qualities of a Good Report
Every business report should incorporate the following features:
1. Good Report has a Clarity of Thought: A good report is one which is drafted in a simple, clear and lucid language. Its language should not be difficult and confusing. There should be no ambiguity as regards the statements made in the report. A reader should be able to understand the entire report easily, exactly and quickly. In fact, this is the basic purpose of report writing.
2. Good Report is complete and Self-explanatory: A good report is always a complete and self-explanatory document. For this, repetition of facts, figures, information, conclusions and recommendation should be avoided. Report writing should be always complete and self-explanatory. It should give complete information to the readers in a precise manner.
3. Good Report is Comprehensive but Compact: A lengthy report is not necessarily a good report. In fact, report should be a brief and compact document. At the same time, it should give complete picture of the problem under investigation. In this sense the report writing should be comprehensive but compact.
4. Good Report is Accurate in all Aspects: One more feature of a good report is that it should be correct in all aspects. The data given and statements made in the report must be based on facts and must be verified carefully. Report writing is a responsible job as report is used as a reliable document for taking decisions and framing policies. Thus, report writing should be always accurate, factual and reliable.
5. Good Report has Suitable Format for readers: A good report needs proper format. It should be convenient to the type of the report. The report should have all essential components such as title, introduction, findings and recommendations. This gives convenience to the reader.
6. Good Report Support Facts and is Factual: A good report is always factual. The findings, conclusions and recommendations included in the report should be supported by information and data collected from reliable sources. Statistical tables should support statements made in the report. Attention needs to be given to this reliability aspect in report writing.
7. Good Report has an Impersonal Style: A good report should be drafted in an impersonal manner. The report writing should be in third person. This is necessary as the report is prepared for the benefits of a person who needs it and not for the benefit of the person who prepares it.
8. Good Report has a Proper Date and Signature: A good report should be properly dated and signed by the concerned authority or by the chairman of the committee or by all committee members. This has legal significance and needs special attention in report writing.
9. Good Report has a Reference to Relevant Details: In effective report writing, reference to relevant details is necessary. A good report should cover all relevant details for the methodology used, questionnaire prepared for data collection and the procedure followed by the committee.
10. Good Report has all Essential Technical Details: In a good report writing attention should be given to certain essential technical details. For example, the pages and paragraphs of the report should be numbered properly. Marginal heading and titles should be given. This gives convenience to readers.
5. Discuss the various stages for making a good presentation. Suggest some measures to make a presentation effective. 10+4=14
Ans: The term oral Presentation in business communication refers to a speech, made by the business executives on different occasions with the help of at least one companion on the basis of adequate information. Oral presentation involves communication by one speaker to a larger number of audience members. Oral presentation are usually short and less formal that oral speeches. It is delivered with demonstrations of audio-visual aids followed by answer to questions from the audience. Oral presentations have three basic purposes:
(1) To inform the audience about the new schemes, new products or new proposals
(2) To persuade the audience to act. For example, the main objective of sales presentation is to persuade the audience to buy the product, and
(3) To build goodwill of the business.
There may be many occasions for a oral presentation, such as
(i) Launching of a new product or service,
(ii) Starting a training course,
(iii) Presenting a new business plan.
Steps to be followed for effective presentation
Regardless of purpose of presentation, these three steps should be followed for better result:
(i) Planning the presentation:
(a) Studying the purpose and profile of audience.
(b) Gathering needed information through research.
(c) Adapting the presentation to occasion and audience.
(ii) Writing the presentation:
(a) Defining the main idea, choosing the approach, preparing the outline and deciding on style.
(b) Composing the presentation and ensuring that introduction, body, close and question and answer period all accomplish necessary tasks for an oral medium.
(iii) Completing the presentation:
(a) Editing the presentation for content, conciseness and clarity.
(b) Reviewing everything for improper grammar and mechanical errors.
(c) Practicing our presentation, checking location, overcoming our anxiety and fielding questions responsibly. While making the presentations, following points should be taken care of:
(i) Speaking slowly and distinctly.
(ii) Repeating key words and phrases.
(iii) Aiming for clarity.
(iv) Communicating with body language.
(v) Supporting oral message with visual aids.
Factors Effecting Presentation/How presentation is made effective
Following factors affect the effectiveness of any presentation:
(a) Audience Analysis: Effective presenter generally analyzes his / her audience minutely. Improper audience analysis leads to ineffective presentation. The style of the presentation is largely dependent upon the types and size of the audience.
(b) Communication Environment: Communication environment affects the effectiveness of the presentations. Much of the audience notices the physical things surrounding the speaker, the stage, lighting arrangement, background, ventilation etc. Proper arrangement of these things can enhance the impact of the presentation.
(c) Personal Appearance: Personal appearance of the speaker has great impact on the audience. Well dressed up person can attract and motivate people. Therefore, the speaker should wear neat and clean clothes and take time to check his / her appearance just before starting presentation.
(d) One of Visuals: Visuals can enhance the professional image of the presentation. Use of visuals can make a presentation more credible and more interesting. The presenter should check the equipment in advance before presenting.
(e) Opening and Closing Presentation: The beginning and closing of a presentation are the positions of emphasis. Those presenters, who can open the presentation with interesting remarks, are likely to create more interest and enthusiasm for listening the presentation. Similarly, the ending of the presentation has profound impact on the audience.
(f) Organization of Presentation: Clarity in presentation is essential that comes with proper organization of the information. Proper organization of presentation enhances the effectiveness of the presentation. On the other hand, improper organization of the presentation will not influence the audience.
(l) Language: The quality of presentation is affect by the language. To make the audience understand the message, the speaker has to talk in the language known to the audience. To enhance the impact of presentation, he / she should choose the catchy words that appeal to the heart and emotions of the audience.
(m) Quality of Voice: Quality of voice of the presenter affects the effectiveness of the presentation. Voice modulation is likely to have greater impact upon the audience whereas monotonous voice will bore the audience.
Or
Explain how conducting surveys can help both in communication as well as in business. 14
Ans: In business world, surveys and research are conducted for various aspects like economic, social and sometime political. Surveys are useful in examining certain facts and in finding out solutions to various problems. With the help of survey, we can know what a cross section of people think about a topic in question or what are their preferences or opinion about a given topic.
A survey is generally done for presenting informative sales presentation or writing report. The main purpose of conducting a survey is either to substantiate the perceived facts or to know the new facts for a large group of people called respondents to elicit their options. A questionnaire is a written list of question that people fill out. It is the easiest way to collect option. Surveys are useful only when they are reliable and valid. A survey is reliable if it produces identical results when repeated.
Importance of Surveys in business as well as communication
1. Judgement of Customer’s loyalty: A Customer satisfaction survey is an efficient tool to judge customer loyalty. When customers point out the products or services they like and dislike, they also reveal what keeps them and makes them repeat customers. Learning the reasons for customer loyalty or the impediments to loyalty is a secret to successful business.
2. Effective Communication: An indubitable advantage of survey is that it is a modern tool of effective communication. Satisfaction surveys conducted among customers invite them to talk to companies, and also they inform customers on information they may not know. Such satisfaction surveys can also remind customers of important changes or innovations that have been introduced in a company. Customer satisfaction surveys are appropriate for communicating such information, as customers tend to read them more carefully than they read other types of communication sent to them by companies.
3. Customer’s insight: A survey helps in assessing insight of customers in different segment, enables the companies to tailor their product according to the preference and expectations of the customers.
4. Customer’s Satisfaction: Naturally, a customer satisfaction survey has the advantage of pointing out the extent of customer satisfaction. High as well as low satisfaction is equally important to establish. Customer satisfaction surveys are opportunities for customers to express their opinions, and they can present their side of the story, freely and without being interrupted. Then the analysis of opinions and data submitted by customers will help to segment customers into categories, on the basis of what should be done to meet their needs, expectations, etc.
5. Good source of decision making: Large numbers of data collected from the learned respondents are the reliable basis for the business houses to base their important decision on such surveys.
6. Creating new theories: Surveys are conducted taking various groups of people separately. If a group of learned people is subjected to a particular survey, their answers may open up ways to a brand new theory.
7. Judging employee attitudes and perceptions: Conducting surveys can help the employers to gauge employee attitudes and perceptions about everything from leadership style and business practices to their individual satisfaction with compensation and benefits. The advantage of conducting surveys is that this will gives a detailed picture of the thoughts and feelings of the employees.
8. Inclusive Approach: When a survey is conducted within the organisation, it gives a message to the employees that the employer is interested in their opinions and their input is valuable for organisation. This practice will boost the employees morale.
6. “Listening requires entering actively and imaginatively into the other fellow’s situation and trying to understand a frame of reference different from your own. This is not always an easy task. Based on the given observation, highlight the importance of listening and how it can be made effective. 7+7=14
Ans: Listening is an essential part of spoken communication. Speaking and listening go together and oral communication cannot be effective without proper listening. Poor listening defeats the very purpose of spoken words. Listening is a deliberate effort and is much more than hearing. It requires getting the full meaning of what is being said.
Listening effectively takes skill, self-motivation, and practice. Effective listening means concentrating on what the speaker says rather than on how it is said. Lack of attention and respectful listening can be costly - leading to mistakes, poor service, misaligned goals, wasted time and lack of teamwork.
IMPORTANCE OF LISTENING
Listening means receiving message in a thoughtful manner that leads to an understanding of the meaning in the messages. It is important because of the following reasons:
1. Most important part of communication process: Listening is the most frequent activity of the human being as well as the important event the communication process. About one-third of human communication is spent in speaking, writing and reading. As a man climbs the ladder of his career, his time spent on listening increases. It is not untrue to state that more than 50% of the working days of an executive is spent in listening to someone.
2. Vital role in career success: Listening skill plays a very vital role in the career success, whether as a general manager, sale person, personnel manager etc. It helps a salesman to discover the needs of the people and market his products and services efficiently and effectively. The manager who can listen to his subordinate attentively and effectively can understand his needs and problems and can better motivate him for higher performance.
3. Misunderstandings rule than exceptions because of poor listening: A good listener rarely involves himself in controversies and misunderstanding. A misunderstanding arises mostly because of poor listening. Neutral words, attempting to communicate positive message can convey negative and opposite message, if the listener possesses wrong perceptions and prejudices. Effective listening requires clear mind and heart free from negative emotion.
4. Building Trust: Proper listening assures the speaker that the listener is sincere and can be trusted. With this, the doors of free communication are opened and interpersonal influence is accelerated. We trust people who listen to us and we are more open to their influence, guidance and persuasion.
5. Listening and learning: Learning is so intimately related to listening that one may almost say: No listening no learning. Our minds and hearts are more receptive for learning new ideas and opinions, if we pay little more attention to our listening habits. In present day ‘Learning Organizations’, where employees and executives are supposed not only to learn new things but also to learn how to learn at accelerating rate, listening plays dominating role in enhancing the learning of different level people.
6. Effective Speaking: Good listeners are often the best speakers because they have taken the time to find out what people are truly interested in. A good listener is always in a better position to express his ideas and views.
7. Effective leadership: Effective listening is essential for effective leadership. A good listener is always in a better position to deal with the problems of his subordinates and build a good relationship.
8. Understanding the people and the world: It helps us to understand the people and the world around us. In present world, effective listening is essential to the development and survival of the organisation.
Guidelines for effective listening or How to develop our listening skill
Listening is very important aspect of communication. Around 20% of overall communication is listening. Therefore, one should strive for adopting good listening habit. There are following guidelines for good listening:
1. Preparation before listening: As already mentioned that listening plays important role in communication. So one should prepare himself before starting listening. In preparation, there are following guidelines:
(i) Stop talking: Human brain can perform one activity efficiently at a time, so during listening there should be no talking by the listener.
(ii) Remove distraction: - Noisy fan, traffic noise, entrance of unauthorized persons may interrupt the listening process. All these barriers should be removed.
(iii) Good environmental conditions: - There should not be extraordinary cold or warm environment and ventilations should be proper.
2. Listening to understand, not to refute: There could be many topics to which the listener has reservations. Apart from these reservations, the listener should try his best to understand the message.
3. Focusing the attention: There may be many objects on which the listener should construct a mental outline of where the speaker is going in his speech.
4. Concentration on context: The listener should keep in mind the background and theme of speech. This thing enables him to absorb the material quickly and efficiently.
5. Taking notes: Listener should keep on taking notes. Hence, he should jot down ideas rather than sentences. In this way, he/she could make the message safe for a long time.
6. Curbing the impulse to interrupt: One should avoid interrupting the speech until the speaker invites questions. This habit puts the speaker and listener both at ease.
7. Asking questions: Asking right question on right time is quite different form interruption. Listener should have an idea to know right time to ask questions.
8. Summary & evaluation: The listener should summarize and speech but not during listening process.
Or
Discuss in detail about Proxemics and Kinesics as a part of non-verbal communication. 14
Ans: Proxemics or Space Language
Non verbal communication involves not only body language and Para language but also the space around us Proxemics is the study of how we communicate with the space around us. The space here means the distance between the sender and receiver of the message in oral communication. This distance is called proximity.
Proxemics is also concerned about the use of space by groups of people. Different people make use of space around them in different ways. The way a group uses the space assigned determines their respective position and interaction pattern. For example: people seated in front are considered to be bold and are the ones who initiate the conversation. Fixed and semi fixed spaces have important implication in communication. Let us analyse it further.
a) Fixed spaces: Fixed spaces refer to permanent features like room, walls, and buildings and its total capacity, length, breadth etc. These features determine who interacts with whom, why, how and for what purpose.
b) Semi Fixed Species: Semi fixed spaces refer to physical features which are not permanent and can be changed or re-arranged. For example, furniture decor etc. In other words semi fixed spaces are flexible that permits the use of a variety of spaces to conduct different types of communication. For example, some furniture can be arranged or rearranged as per the need of communication.
Various Categories of Space Language
Edward T. Hall has done very useful and interesting work in his idea. Placing ourselves in the centre he has presented the space around us in the form of the following concentric circles: - Distance wise it can be stated as below: - Intimate: Physical contact to 18 inches. Personal: 18 inches to 4 feet. Social: 4 feet to 12 feet. Public: 12 feet to as far as one can see or hear.
1. Intimate space language: In this very close contact is maintained within the space of 18 inches. It is most suitable for the use of body language as most of our body movement originate within this area. Only very special people like our family members, relatives and close friends enter into this area intimate space is very suitable for highly confidential talks and decision concerning sensitive matters.
2. Personal space language: Personal space extends from 18 inches to 4 feet. People have normal conversation with close friends, colleagues and visitors. The nature of communication is more or less personal and is generally relaxed and casual. It permits informal spontaneous talking. Some important decisions are also taken in this.
3. Social space language: Social space extends from 4 feet to 12 feet. It is used for formal and official relationship. Most of the communication in the organization takes place in this space. Communication here is dominated by reason and planning rather than by emotion and feeling.
4. Public space language: public space extends beyond 12 feet. Communication in public space is highly formal and objective. Public address system may have to be used. Public announcement and election rallies are best examples of public space language.
Kinesics or Body Language
Body Language: The word kinesics literally means body movement. It stands for the way the body communicates without words, and through various movements of its parts. Communication through body movements is called body language. Body language is a type of nonverbal communication that relies on body movements (such as gestures, posture, and facial expressions) to convey messages. Body language may be used consciously or unconsciously. It may accompany a verbal message or serve as a substitute for speech.
Importance of Kinesics:
1) The importance of kinesics can be put brought forward by the words of famous psychologies Paul Ekman who says, “We talk with our vocal cord but we communicates with our facial expression, tone and pitch of voice, our whole body.”
2) The importance of body language lies in the fact that one can play fast and loose with words but body language speaks truth.
3) When managers consciously read what others are conveying by body movement, they can easily deal with issues before their become problem.
4) Non-verbal communication is also important because it is efficient. A message can be very well transmitted more economically than any other means of communication.
Role of different parts of body in Communication:
1. Head: Head occupies a very important place in our body. Similarly it also plays a very important role in communication. The way we hold our head conveys a lot. The movement of head is very important in face to face communication. Posture of head conveys:-
i. A head held up: Sign of honour, self respect and self confidence.
ii. A head bent low: Sign of modesty, politeness, or guilt.
iii. A stiffly head, held or drawn back words: Sign of pride, or naughtiness.
2. Face: A popular states „the face is the index of mind‟ i.e. the face is the mirror of mind. The face is indeed the primary site for expressing emotions. It reveals both the type and intensity of the feeling. Facial expression conveys a lot without speaking a single word. A manager can very well practice to interpret these signals by first observing his own expression in a mirror.
3. Eye Contact: Eye command particular attention as a source of non verbal communication. Eyes communicate our deepest feeling. In face to face communication eye contact is of great importance. They are especially effective for indicating attention and interest, influencing others, regulating interaction and establishing dominance. Eyes adopt different position in different situations such as:-
i. Fixed eye: Show concentration.
ii. Raised eyes: Indicate fear or surprise.
iii. Smiling eyes: Reflect happiness.
iv. Long fixed gaze: Show interest.
v. Evasive eyes: Nervousness or lack of interest.
4. Gestures: The physical movement of arms, legs, hands, torso and head are called gestures. They also play a very important role in conveying meaning or messages without using words, examples:-
i. Pounding fist on the table shows „anger‟
ii. Arms spread apart means wide.
iii. Shuffling from one leg to another means nervous or restlessness etc.
5. Body shape and postures: Behaviourial scientists have studied the shape of the human body and have broadly put there in the following three types:-
i. Ectomorph: thin, youthful and tall.
ii. Mesomorph: strong, athletic and muscular.
iii. Endo morph: Fat round and soft.
A person can make both positive and negative impression of himself or others through his body posture. Therefore we should make efforts to ensure that our body does not send out wrong or negative signals especially during interview, meeting and other formal or informal interactions.
6. Attire and Appearance: Our choice of color, clothing, hairstyles, and other factors affecting appearance are also considered a means of nonverbal communication. According to what people see when they first set their eyes on you, judgments about your personality and abilities are going to be concluded. "Quality is more important than quantity" - This really applies here as well. It is really pivotal to dress up properly for any business or job offer we may encounter. One shouldn't focus on wearing too much accessories, jewellery and make up. What is very vital is the physical appearance and the proper hairstyle. Appearances also include:
i) Body cleanliness
ii) Clean Nails
iii) Shiny shoes
iv) No tattoos
v) Being appropriately dressed
7. The following advertisement appears in The Telegraph newspaper on 25th April, 2018:
Wanted a candidate for the post of Accounts Officer in Yule & Smith Company Limited, Mumbai. The candidate should be a graduate and must have an experience of working in similar position for three years. He also should have the knowledge of Tally and GST. The salary offered will be the best in the industry. The application should reach within 15 days of publication of the advertisement. Draft a job application as Tushar Barua to the Manager of the Company for the given post along with your resume. 14
6th May, 2018
The Manager
Human Resource Department
Yule & Smith Company Limited
Mumbai
Subject: An application for the post of Accountant.
Sir,
This is in response to your advertisement in ‘The Telegraph Newspaper’ dated 25/04/2018 regarding the post of Accountant. I wish to apply for the same post.
I am outgoing, deligent and open to learning and have good knowledge of tally and GST. I have all the requisite qualification and experience. I did my graduation from Sri Ram College, Delhi in Commerce stream. I worked as an Accountant in XML Pvt. Ltd. Guwahati for 1 year. I want to enhance my knowledge and grow in my career my working in your company as an accountant.
As regard my qualification and experience, I am enclosing my bio- data for your kind consideration. I shall be available for an interview on any day of your convenience. If selected I shall discharge my duties with utmost devotion and sincerity to your full satisfaction.
Yours sincerely
Tushar Barua
ENCLOSURE:
1. Testimonials
2. Bio- data
BIO-DATA
NAME : Tushar Barua
FATHER NAME : S.K Barua
ADDESS : Examination Hall, Tinsukia College, Tinsukia (Assam)
CONTACT : 9987XXXXXX
DATE OF BIRTH : xx/xx/1993
NATIONALITY : Indian
RELIGION : Hindu
MARITAL STATUS : Unmarried
GENDER : Male
AGE : 26 years
ACADEMIC QUALIFICATION
YEAR | EXAMINATION | BOARD/UNIVERSITY | INSTITUTE | PERCENTAGE | DIVISON |
2010 | HSLC | SEBA | A NEW HIGH SCHOOL | 79% | I |
2012 | H.S 2ND YEAR | AHSEC | TINSUKIA COLLEGE | 86% | I |
2015 | B.COM | DELHI UNIVERSITY | SRI RAM COLLEGE | 76% | I |
WORK EXPERIENCE:
S.No | Organisation | Position held | From | To |
1 | XML Pvt. Ltd. Guwahati | Accountant | 1/11/2016 | 7/11/2017 |
SKILLS:
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Working knowledge of Tally, GST Excel, MS-Word.
Achievements:
- Games secretary of Tinsukia college student Union (2014-2015)
- Winner of Inter –college Debate Competiton (2014-2015)
Hobby: Interacting with people, reading books, cricket etc.
Language Known: Hindi, English, Bengali, Assamese.
Declaration:
I solemnly declare that all the above information are correct to the best of my knowledge.
Date: 061/05/2018 Tushar Barua
Signature
Or
What is an interview? Why are interviews conducted? Discuss the kind of preparation that a candidate needs to make before facing an interview board. 2+3+9=14
Ans: Meaning of Interview
An interview means a face to face interaction between the interviewer and the candidate/candidates so as to obtain desired information from him/them. It can also be defined as a way of exchanging meanings between individuals by using a common set of symbols. Interviews generally need a preparation.
According to Gary Dessler, “An interview is a procedure designed to obtain information from a person’s oral response to oral inquiries.”
According to Thill and Bovee, “An interview is any planed conversation with a specific purpose involving two or more people”.
So, an interview is formal meetings between two people (the interviewer and the interviewee) where questions are asked by the interviewer to obtain information, qualities, attitudes, wishes etc. Form the interviewee.
Why Interviews are conducted?
Interview plays a very important role in interpersonal communication, since it is between two persons or parties i.e. interviewer and interviewer, its importance is discussed with respect to both aspects.
a) From Interviewer Point of View: Interview has following importance for the interviewer.
1. To match the applicant and the job: A job has specific requirement. Every person is not suitable for every kind of job, so the interviews enable the interviewer to match the applicant and the job requirement. This matching may be in the following way.
(a) Matching Qualification: A candidate having a master’s degree does not mean that he has the knowledge of master level. Asking questions about the field of candidate enables the interviewer to know as to how much knowledge the candidate has acquired.
(b) Matching Candidate Ability: Different candidates have different abilities. The interview helps know the abilities of every candidate according to the job requirement.
(c) Other Areas: Candidate’s conduct, attitude, confidence, communication skill and other areas are expressed means of interviewers.
2. To develop the image of organization: Another secondary role of interviews is to establish a good image of an organization before candidate and ultimately before the market.
b) From Interviewee Point of View: An interview is equally important for interviewers as it’s for interview. This importance is enumerated as follows.
1. To have information: An interviewee can have different information about the organization. This information might be about the organization nature of job salary rule and regulations, etc.
2. To have a suitable job: Interview helps the candidate know about the job. In this way, he / she can choose the best one of him / her.
Interviewee’s preparation for the interview
Before commence of Interview
a. The interviewee should be dressed formally, and not casually. Have a pleasing appearance as the candidate’s personality is a significant part of the communication.
2) Always carry an extra CV, a notepad to write on, a pen, and all essential things required in an interview.
3) Practice, practice and practice in advance. Prepare and rehearse for the unexpected also.
4) Research a lot about the organization for which you are being interviewed.
5) Be punctual. Try reaching before time for the job interview.
6) Know the habits and hobbies of interviewer and think over them thoroughly.
7) Anticipate the possible questions related with the job and subject and prepare them properly.
8) Regain confidence before entering the interview room
Interviewee’s conduct during interview
9) Greet the interview board with polite wish.
10) Sit in natural way when asked to sit.
11) Be courteous and sophisticated during an interview.
12) Avoid looking funny or too serious.
13) Just “be yourself”. Do not boast about yourself. The interviewer is smart enough to judge the candidate’s intelligence and aptness for the job.
14) Pay attention to the questions asked by interviewer and respond them naturally and consciously.
15) Answer in brief and to the point.
16) Answer the questions specifically, truly and undoubtedly. If you do not know, admit it politely.
17) Do not indulge in a fight or argument with the interviewer.
18) Do not make negative statements or comments about your past employer.
19) Your body language should be positive during the interview, i.e., maintain an eye-to-eye contact with the interviewer, sit in well balanced and confident posture, do not lean on the table, do not yawn, smile when appropriate, etc.
20) Thank the interviewers at the end and move out the interview room in confident manner.
21) As soon as the interview gets over, pen down the name of the interviewer, your strengths and weaknesses, answers to questions raised by you during the interview and the feedback of the interviewer.
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