Business Communication (ENG301)
Assignment 1 (Spring 2013)
Total Marks: 15
Objective:
- The assessment of students’ understanding of Business Communication
- Motivate students for acquiring conceptual knowledge and practical application of the subject
Instructions:
- Late assignments will not be accepted.
- If the file is corrupt or problematic, it will be marked zero.
- Plagiarism will NOT be tolerated. Plagiarism occurs when a student uses work done by someone else as if it was his or her own; however, taking the ideas from different sources and expressing them in your own words will be encouraged.
- No assignment will be accepted via e-mail.
- The solution file should be in Word document format; the font color should be preferably black and font size should be 12 Times New Roman.
Q1: ‘Artifacts play a key role in establishing first impressions at workplace’. Discuss. (5)
An artifact or artefact is “something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest”. “Artifact” is the usual spelling in the US and Canada, “Artefact” in British, Irish and Australian English (see spelling differences).
Q2: Identify the basic elements of the communication process by reading the following situation and considering the questions. (5)
The time is Friday afternoon. This interaction takes place in Ali’s office. Ali is a manager of an office that processes orders for a computer firm. The people in Ali’s office are present for a weekly wrap-up of the activities and planning for next week’s needs—Nadeem, who is responsible for keeping the office on its schedule; Zaid, who is responsible for the computers and technology in the office; Farhan, who communicates regularly with the sales people who turn in the orders.
Answer each question below.
Who is the sender?
Ali is the sender but not sure
Who is the receiver?
Zaid is the receiver but not sure
What is the message?
What medium was used to convey the message?
What was the feedback?
Farhan, who communicates regularly with the sales people who turn in the order
Q3. Identify the most appropriate option for each description regarding effective communication. (5)
1. Its purpose is to know what the speaker wants to say or to learn from the speaker. It is an act of cooperation in the sense that it takes advantage of others’ knowledge and experience. Therefore, devoting time to this aspect is in our self-interest.
- Speak more, do not listen
- Focus on the speaker
- Speak less, listen more
- Listen for what is left unsaid
2. Effective listeners do not pay attention only to what is being said, but also notice how it is said. They observe the feelings, attitudes and emotional reactions of the speaker.
- Focus on the speaker
- Observe body language
- Listen for what is left unsaid
- Empathize with the speaker
3. Good listeners do not allow themselves to be overly awed by the speaker’s status, fame, charm or other physical or personal attributes. They perceive the person detached from his personal attributes. Effective communicators are not conditioned by their self-realized impressions and prejudices, but are able to focus on the content of what is being said.
- Listen for what is left unsaid
- Separate the ideas from the speaker
- Empathize with the speaker
- Prefer your own perception of the speaker
4. Listeners should allow the speaker to conclude his or her point. Only then should they try to interpret and respond to it. Such generalizations may not represent what the speaker intended to communicate.
- Respect the speaker as a person
- Do not jump to hasty conclusions
- Listen for what is left unsaid
- Focus on the speaker
5. Effective listeners keep in mind the speaker’s point of view by focusing on the big picture, background constraints/limitations, and special needs and the emotional state of the speaker. Do not allow the speaker to feel hurt, ignored or insulted.
- Respect the speaker as a person
- Do not be a sponge
- Empathize with the speaker
- Avoid becoming emotional