57214143 smu-assignment-semester-1-complete

Assignment Set- 1

Master of Business Administration-MBA Semester 1

MB0038 – Management Process and Organization Behavior

Q.1 Write a note on the managerial roles and skills?

ANS: According to Mintzberg (1973), managerial roles are as follows:
1. Informational roles
2. Decisional roles
3. Interpersonal roles

1. Informational roles: This involves the role of assimilating and disseminating
information as and when required. Following are the main sub-roles, which
managers often perform:
a. Monitor – collecting information from organizations, both from inside and
outside of the organization
b. Disseminator – communicating information to organizational members
c. Spokesperson – representing the organization to outsiders
2. Decisional roles: It involves decision making. Again, this role can be sub-
divided in to the following:
a. Entrepreneur – initiating new ideas to improve organizational performance
b. Disturbance handlers – taking corrective action to cope with adverse situation
c. Resource allocators – allocating human, physical, and monetary resources
d. Negotiator – negotiating with trade unions, or any other stakeholders

3. Inter`personal roles: This role involves activities with people working in the
organization. This is supportive role for informational and decisional roles.
Interpersonal roles can be categorized under three sub-headings:
a. Figurehead – Ceremonial and symbolic role
b. Leadership – leading organization in terms of recruiting, motivating etc.
c. Liaison – liasoning with external bodies and public relations activities.

Management Skills: Katz (1974) has identified three essential management skills:
technical, human, and conceptual.

Technical skills: The ability is to apply specialized knowledge or expertise. All
jobs require some specialized expertise, and many people develop their technical
skills on the job. Vocational and on-the-job training programs can be used to
develop this type of skill.
Human Skill: This is the ability to work with, understand and motivate other
people (both individually and a group). This requires sensitivity towards others
issues and concerns. People, who are proficient in technical skill, but not with
interpersonal skills, may face difficulty to manage their subordinates. To acquire
the Human Skill, it is pertinent to recognize the feelings and sentiments of others,
ability to motivate others even in adverse situation, and communicate own feelings
to others in a positive and inspiring way.
Conceptual Skill: This is an ability to critically analyze, diagnose a situation and
forward a feasible solution. It requires creative thinking, generating options and
choosing the best available option.

Q.2 Explain the social learning theory in details?

ANS: One of the most influential learning theories, the Social Learning Theory
(SLT), was formulated by Albert Bandura. It encompasses concepts of traditional
learning theory and the operant conditioning of B.F. Skinner.

However, the theory strongly implies that there are types of learning wherein direct
reinforcement is not the causal mechanism; rather, the so called social element can
result to the development of new learning among individuals. Social Learning
Theory has been useful in explaining how people can learn new things and develop
new behaviors by observing other people. It is to assume, therefore, that Social
Learning Theory is concerned on observational learning process among people.

A. Basic Concepts

1. Observational LearningThe Social Learning Theory says that people can
learn by watching other people perform the behavior. Observational learning
explains the nature of children to learn behaviors by watching the behavior
of the people around them, and eventually, imitating them. With the ―Bobo
Doll‖ experiment(s), Bandura included an adult who is tasked to act
aggressively toward a Bobo Doll while the children observe him. Later,
Bandura let the children play inside a room with the Bobo Doll. He affirmed
that these children imitated the aggressive behavior toward the doll, which
they had observed earlier.

After his studies, Bandura was able to determine 3 basic models of
observational learning, which include:

a. A Live Model, which includes an actual person performing a
behavior.
b. A Verbal Instruction Model, which involves telling of details and
descriptions of a behavior.
c. A Symbolic Model, which includes either a real or fictional character
demonstrating the behavior via movies, books, television, radio,
online media and other media sources.
2. The state of mind (mental states) is crucial to learning.In this concept,
Bandura stated that not only external reinforcement or factors can affect
learning and behavior. There is also what he called intrinsic reinforcement,
which is in a form of internal reward or a better feeling after performing the
behavior (e.g. sense of accomplishment, confidence, satisfaction, etc.)
3. Learning does not mean that there will be a change in the behavior of an
individual.

B. Modeling Process

The Modeling Process developed by Bandura helps us understand that not all
observed behaviors could be learned effectively, nor learning can necessarily result
to behavioral changes. The modeling process includes the following steps in order
for us to determine whether social learning is successful or not:

Step 1: Attention

Social Cognitive Theory implies that you must pay attention for you to learn. If
you want to learn from the behavior of the model (the person that demonstrates the
behavior), then you should eliminate anything that catches your attention other
than him. Also, the more interesting the model is, the more likely you are to pay
full attention to him and learn.

Step 2: Retention

Retention of the newly learned behavior is necessary. Without it, learning of the
behavior would not be established, and you might need to get back to observing the
model again since you were not able to store information about the behavior.

Step 3: Reproduction

When you are successful in paying attention and retaining relevant information,
this step requires you to demonstrate the behavior. In this phase, practice of the
behavior by repeatedly doing it is important for improvement.

Step 4: Motivation

Feeling motivated to repeat the behavior is what you need in order to keep on
performing it. This is where reinforcement and punishment come in. You can be
rewarded by demonstrating the behavior properly, and punished by displaying it
inappropriately

Q.3 Explain the Big 5 model of personality?

Ans : The big five model of personality is designed to bring out behaviors an
individual expresses in his dealings with people as well as in their response to
changes in circumstances as well as the environment. Generally, these five factors
of personality are used to come up with a description of the human personality. In
this text, I explain Tisha‘s findings as well as look at how the predictions could be
used to come up with a prediction of her success as a manager.

The big five model of personality

 Openness to experience

This factor acts to distinguish conventional individuals from those who are in one
way or the other imaginative. Traits linked to individuals who are open to
experience include intellectual curiosity, sensitivity to beauty as well as
responsiveness to art. According to Cattell, H.E.P et al. (2007), such people are
very creative and they are very likely to be more accommodating to beliefs
considered unconventional. Such people are hence more likely to be
accommodating to the views of others in the organizational setting and they are
more likely to encourage innovation at the workplace. Tisha‘s high score shows
that she will be more straightforward and more likely see the simple aspects of
complex situations.



 Conscientiousness

This factor shows an individuals ability and drive to achieve goals and strive for
achievement. It also indicates that an individual has self discipline and prefers
planned behavior as opposed to spontaneous behavior. Grucza et al. (2007) notes
that individuals who score highly in conscientiousness have a good impulse control
and tend to be goal oriented. Tisha‘s very high performance in Conscientiousness
shows that she is organized and very attentive to detail. In an organizational
setting, Tisha would be more likely to strive to ensure that organizational goals and
objectives are met.

 Extraversion

This factor consists of emotions that can be said to be positive as well as an
industrious personality and ability to relate well with others. Cattell, H.E.P et al.
(2007) notes that extraverts enjoy other peoples company and tend to be very
active in group efforts. Tisha‘s high score in extraversion indicates that in the work
setting as a manager, she would tend to encourage team work. She will also
dominate board and other meetings and have a high chance of pushing her
proposals and suggestions forward.

 Agreeableness

This factor is characterized by compassion and cooperation towards others as
opposed to antagonism tendencies. Cattell, H.E.P et al. (2007) notes that such

individuals are easy to get along with and are more likely to be very
accommodating to the views of others.

Tisha‘s moderately high score on this factor shows that though she will be
accommodate others view, she will expect her views also to be taken into
consideration. She is likely to trust her subordinates more.

 Neuroticism

This factor involves a high likelihood to get angry and have other negative
emotions like anxiety. In most cases, this characteristic is linked to emotional
instability. Individuals scoring low on neuroticism will experience bouts of mood
swings triggered by frustrations by minor issues at the workplace (Grucza et al.
2007). Tisha‘s low score on this factor shows she will be more likely to cope with
problems as a manager and she will tend to be calmer while handling difficult
situations.

Q.4 What are the different factors influencing perception?

Ans : Perception is our sensory experience of the world around us and involves
both the recognition of environmental stimuli and action in response to these
stimuli. Through the perceptual process, we gain information about properties and
elements of the environment that are critical to our survival.

A number of factors operate to shape and sometimes distort perception These
factors can reside:
i) In the perceiver

ii) In the Object or target being perceived or
iii) In the context of the situation in which the perception is made.
1. Characteristics of the Perceiver: Several characteristics of the perceiver can
affect perception. When an individual looks at a target and attempts to interpret
what he or she stands for, that interpretation is heavily influenced by personal
characteristics of the individual perceiver. The major characteristics of the
perceiver influencing perception are:
a) Attitudes: The perciver's attitudes affect perception. For example, Mr. X is
interviewing candidates for a very important position in his organization - a
position that requires negotiating contracts with suppliers, most of whom are male.
Mr. X may feel that women are not capable of holding their own in tough
negotiations. This attitude with doubtless affect his perceptions of the female
candidates he interviews.
b) Moods: Moods can have a strong influence on the way we perceive someone.
We think differently when we are happy than we do when we are depressed. In
addition, we remember information that is consistent with our mood state better
than information that is inconsistent with our mood state. When in a positive mood,
we form more positive impressions of other. When in a negative mood, we tend to
evaluate others unfavourably.
c) Motives: Unsatisfied needs or motives stimulate individuals and may exert a
strong influence on their perceptions. For example, in an organizational context, a
boss who is insecure perceives a sub ordinate's efforts to do an outstanding job as a
threat to his or her own position. Personal insecurity can be translated into the
perception that others are out to "get my job", regardless of the intention of the
subordinates.

d) Self - Concept: Another factor that can affect social perception is the perceivers
self-concept. An individual with a positive self-concept tends to notice positive
attributes in another person. In contrast, a negative self-concept can lead a
perceiver to pick out negative traits in another person. Greater understanding of
self allows us to have more accurate perceptions of others.

e) Interest: The focus of our attention appears to be influenced by our interests.
Because our individual interests differ considerably, what one person notices in a
situation can differ from what other perceive. For example, the supervisor who has
just been reprimanded by his boss for coming late is more likely to notice his
colleagues coming late tomorrow than he did last week.
f) Cognitive structure: Cognitive structure, an individual's pattern of thinking, also
affects perception. Some people have a tendency to perceive physical traits, such
as height, weight, and appearance, more readily. Cognitive complexity allows a
person to perceive multiple characteristics of another person rather than attending
to just a few traits.
g) Expectations: Finally, expectations can distort your perceptions in that you will
see what you expect to see. The research findings of the study conducted by
Sheldon S Zalking and Timothy W Costello on some specific characteristics of the
perceiver reveal
i) Knowing oneself makes it easier to see others accurately.
ii) One's own characteristics affect the characteristics one is likely to see in other.
iii) People who accept themselves are more likely to be able to see favourable
aspects of other people.
iv) Accuracy in perceiving others is not a single skill.
These four characteristics greatly influence how a person perceives other int he

environmental situation.

2) Characteristics of the Target : Characteristics in the target that is being observed
can affect what is perceived. Physical appearance pals a big role in our perception
of others. Extremely attractive or unattractive individuals are more likely to be
noticed in a group than ordinary looking individuals. Motions, sound, size and
other attributes of a target shape the way we see it.
Verbal Communication from targets also affects our perception of them. Nonverbal
communication conveys a great deal of information about the target. The perceiver
deciphers eye contact, facial expressions, body movements, and posture all in a
attempt to form an impression of the target.

3) Characteristics of the Situation: The situation in which the interaction between
the perceiver and the target takes place, has an influence on the perceiver's
impression of the target. The strength of the situational cues also affects social
perception. Some situations provide strong cues as to appropriate behaviour. In this
situation, we assume that + i.e individual's behaviours can be accounted for by the
situation, and that it may not reflect the individual's disposition.

Q.5 Write a note on contemporary work cohort?

ANS: Contemporary Work Cohort

Contemporary Work Cohort, proposed by Robbins (2003) divides the work force
into different groups depending on the era or period in which they have entered

into work. It stresses upon individuals‘ values which reflect the societal values of
the period in which they grew up.

The cohorts and the respective values have been listed below:

1.Veterans—Workers who entered the workforce from the early 1940s through the
early 1960s and exhibited the following value orientations:
1. They were influenced by the Great Depression and World War II
2. Believed in hard work
3. Tended to be loyal to their employer
4. Terminal values: Comfortable life and family security

2.Boomers—Employees who entered the workforce during the 1960s through the
mid1980s belonged to this category and their value orientations were:

a. Influenced heavily by John F. Kennedy, the civil rights and feminist movements,
the Beatles, the Vietnam War, and baby boom competition.
b. Distrusted authority, but gave a high emphasis on achievement and material
success.
c. Organizations who employed them were vehicles for their careers.
d. Terminal values: sense of accomplishment and social recognition.

3.Xers—began to enter the workforce from the mid1980s.

They cherished the following values:
a. Shaped by globalization, two career parents, MTV, AIDS, and computers.
b. Value flexibility, life options, and achievement of job satisfaction.
c. Family and relationships were important and enjoyed team oriented work.
d. Less willing to make personal sacrifices for employers than previous
generations.
e. Terminal values: true friendship, happiness, and pleasure

4.Ne xte rs—most recent entrants into the workforce.
a. Grew up in prosperous times, have high expectation, believe in themselves, and
confident in their ability to succeed.
b. Never ending search for ideal job; see nothing wrong with job hopping.
c. Seek financial success.
d. Enjoy team work, but are highly self reliant.
e. Terminal values: freedom and comfortable life.

Q.6 What are the special issues in motivation? Discuss
Ans : Some of the special issues in motivation are discussed below.

Motivating Professionals
The professional employees likely to seek more intrinsic satisfaction from their
work than blue-collar employees. They generally have strong and long term
commitments to their field of expertise are perhaps more loyal to their profession
than to their employer. They need to regularly update their knowledge, and their
commitment to their profession. Therefore, extrinsic factors such as money and
promotions would be low on their priority list. Rather, job challenge tends to be
ranked high. They like to tackle problems and find solutions.

Managerial Implications:
 Provide them with ongoing challenging projects.
 Give them autonomy to follow their interests and allow them to structure
their work.
 Reward them with educational opportunities.
 Also reward them with recognition.

Motivating temporary Workers:
Temporary workers may be motivated if:
 They are provided with permanent job opportunity
 The opportunity for training is provided to them
 Provide equitable pay.

Motivating Low Skilled Service Workers:
One of the most challenging managerial tasks in to motivate low skilled workers
who are involved in repetitive physical work, where higher education and skills are
not required. For this category of people, flexible work schedules and higher pay
package may be proved effective motivational factors. Motivating Low-Skilled
Service Workers involves:-
 Recruit widely.
 Increase pay and benefits.
 Make jobs more appealing.

Motivating People Doing Highly Repetitive Tasks:
 Recruit and select employees that fit the job.
 Create a pleasant work environment.
 Mechanize the most distasteful aspects of the job.

Assignment Set- 2

Q.1 Explain the theories of emotion?

ANS: Psychologists have proposed a number of theories about the origins and
function of emotions. The theorists behind the dissenting views do agree on one
thing, however: emotion has a biological basis. This is evidenced by the fact that
the amygdala (part of the limbic system of the brain), which plays a large role in
emotion, is activated before any direct involvement of the cerebral cortex (where
memory, awareness, and conscious "thinking" take place).

In the history of emotion theory, four major explanations for the complex mental
and physical experiences that we call "feelings" have been put forward. They are:
the James-Lange theory in the 1920's, the Cannon-Bard theory in the 1930's, the
Schacter-Singer theory in the 1960's, and most recently the Lazarus theory,
developed in the 1980's and ‗90's.

The James-Lange Theory

The James-Lange theory proposes that an event or stimulus causes a physiological
arousal without any interpretation or conscious thought, and you experience the
resulting emotion only after you interpret the physical response.

Example:

You're late leaving work, and as you head across the parking lot to your car, you
hear footsteps behind you in the dark. Your heart pounds and your hands start to
shake. You interpret these physical responses as fear.

The Cannon-Bard Theory

The Cannon-Bard theory, on the other hand, suggests that the given stimulus
evokes both a physiological and an emotional response simultaneously, and that
neither one causes the other.

Example:

You're home alone and hear creaking in the hallway outside your room. You begin
to tremble and sweat, and you feel afraid.

The Schacter-Singer Theory

The Schachter-Singer theory takes a more cognitive approach to the issue. Schacter
and Singer believe that an event causes physiological arousal, but that you must
then identify a reason for the arousal before you label the emotion.

Example:

You're taking the last bus of the night, and you're the only passenger. A single man
gets on and sits in the row behind you. When your stop comes around, he also gets
off the bus. He's walking behind you. You feel tingles down your spine with a rush
of adrenaline. You know that there have been several muggings in your city over
the past few weeks, so you feel afraid.

The Lazarus Theory

The Lazarus theory builds on the Schacter-Singer theory, taking it to another level.
It proposes that when an event occurs, a cognitive appraisal is made (either
consciously or subconsciously), and based on the result of that appraisal, an
emotion and physiological response follow.

Example:

You're buying a few last-minute items at the gas station, when two young men in
hooded sweatshirts enter the store in a hurry, with their hands in their jacket
pockets. You think perhaps they're here to rob the place, so you get scared, and
your feel like you might throw up.

While each of these theories is based in research, there is no absolute proof as yet
how emotions arise in our bodies and minds, or what determines our own
individual experiences of them. What we do know is that feelings are a powerful
force to be reckoned with, and should never be belittled.

Q.2 Discuss the techniques of decision making in groups?

ANS : Planning for Decision Making

While decision making without planning is fairly common, it is often not pretty.
The terms used to describe it--crisis management, putting out fires, seat-of-the-
pants governing--all reveal the inelegance and awkwardness of this way of life.
Planning allows decisions to be made in a much more comfortable and intelligent
way. Planning even makes decisions easier by providing guidelines and goals for

the decision. We might even say that planning is a type of decision simplification
technique (see the discussion of these techniques below).

Decision makers will find four major benefits to planning:

1. Planning allows the establishment of independent goals. The vision which
will shape the decisions is set apart from surrounding events. Decisions are not
made only as reactions to external stimuli. "Management by firefighting" is
replaced by a conscious and directed series of choices. Managers now steer the
organization, individuals now steer their lives, rather than being steered by external
forces. Sometimes the difference between planning and not planning is described
as "proactive" (taking control of the situation) versus "reactive" (responding to
stimuli).

2. Planning provides a standard of measurement. A plan provides something to
measure against, so that you can discover whether or not you are achieving or
heading toward your goals. As the proverb says, If you don't know where you're
going, it doesn't matter which way you go.

3. Planning converts values to action. When you are faced with a decision, you
can consult your plan and determine which decision will help advance your plan
best. Decisions made under the guidance of planning can work together in a
coherent way to advance company or individual goals.

Planning is useful in emergency situations, too. When a crisis arises, a little
thought about the overall plan will help determine which decision to make that will
not only help resolve the crisis but will also help advance the overall plan. Without
a plan, crises are dealt with haphazardly and decisions are made which may
ultimately be in conflict with each other.

4. Planning allows limited resources to be committed in an orderly way.
Budgets, time, effort, manpower--all are limited. Their best use can be made when
a plan governs their use.

A simple example would be planning to buy a house or a car. Rather than having
to decide between buying the item right now with all cash or never having it, you
can plan to buy it over several years by making payments. Or, you might combine
this plan with the plan to buy a smaller house and add rooms later as they could be
afforded. By planning you can thus accomplish things that might otherwise look
impossible.

Decision Levels

We all recognize that some decisions are more important than others, whether in
their immediate impact or long term significance. As a means of understanding the
significance of a decision so that we can know how much time and resources to
spend on it, three levels of decision have been identified:

1. Strategic. Strategic decisions are the highest level. Here a decision concerns
general direction, long term goals, philosophies and values. These decisions are the
least structured and most imaginative; they are the most risky and of the most
uncertain outcome, partly because they reach so far into the future and partly
because they are of such importance.

For example: Decisions about what to do with your life, what to learn, or what
methods to use to gain knowledge (travel, work, school) would be strategic.
Whether to produce a low priced product and gain market share or produce a high
priced product for a niche market would be a strategic decision.

2. Tactical. Tactical decisions support strategic decisions. They tend to be medium
range, medium significance, with moderate consequences.

For example: If your strategic decision were to become a forest ranger, a tactical
decision would include where to go to school and what books to read. Or if your
company decided to produce a low priced product, a tactical decision might be to
build a new factory to produce them at a low manufacturing cost.

3. Operational. These are every day decisions, used to support tactical decisions.
They are often made with little thought and are structured. Their impact is
immediate, short term, short range, and usually low cost. The consequences of a
bad operational decision will be minimal, although a series of bad or sloppy
operational decisions can cause harm. Operational decisions can be
preprogrammed, pre-made, or set out clearly in policy manuals.

For example: If your tactical decision is to read some books on forestry, your
operational decision would involve where to shop for the books. You might have a
personal policy of shopping for books at a certain store or two. Thus, the
operational decision is highly structured: "Whenever books are needed, look at
Joe's Books."

An important comment should be made here. Issues should be examined and
decisions should be made at all of these levels. If you discover that nearly all of
your thinking and decision making is taking place at the operational level, then you
are probably not doing enough strategic thinking and planning. As a result you will
lead a reactive life, responding only to the forces around you and never getting
control of your life, your direction or your goals.

Some Techniques for Decision Making

This is a list of easy, practical techniques that can be applied to simple or complex
decisions. They share the assumption that circumspect analysis is the key to
making good decisions. Many decisions are made with too little information and
too little thought, in a non-deliberate way. Think about it for a moment: how many
people do you know who commonly spend even five minutes structuring and
analyzing a decision?

Note how these techniques provide a visible, structured, orderly set of factors
involved in a decision, so that the decision maker can consider them in a thoughtful
and coherent way. The first three techniques are especially for whether-type
decisions, those involving yes/no, either/or, or two-possibility decisions.

1. T-Chart. A T-Chart is an orderly, graphic representation of alternative features
or points involved in a decision. In one form, it can be a list of positive and
negative attributes surrounding a particular choice. Drawing up such a chart
insures that both the positive and negative aspects of each direction or decision will
be taken into account.

For example, what are the pros and cons of deciding to buy a sport utility vehicle?

PRO CON

better visibility higher insurance

safer structure poorer gas mileage

can take off road more expensive maintenance

In another form, two possible choices are listed, with the good points or arguments
or effects listed for each. Suppose your company is trying to decide whether to
create its own advertising or hire an agency.

Use Outside Agency Write Ads In-House

professional work faster product

expertise of ideas better knowledge of product

media connections use same ad in flyers

To fill out this latter form, more than two choices can be included, and a list of
negatives for each choice can be added as well.

2. PMI. Edward de Bono refines the T-Chart idea into a three part structure, which
he calls PMI for plus, minus, and interesting. Here you first list all the plus or good
points of the idea, then all the minus or bad points, and finally all the interesting
points--consequences, areas of curiosity or uncertainty, or attributes that you
simply don't care to view as either good or bad at this point (consequences that
some people might view as good and others might view as bad, for example). The
"interesting" category also allows exploration of the idea or choice outside the
context of judgment--you don't have to evaluate the attribute into a positive or
negative category.

As simple as this technique seems to be, and as often as others will tell you, "Well,
of course, everyone does that all the time," this is a very powerful but much
neglected technique. Most people believe they list the pluses and minuses of a
decision before making it, but in actual practice, many people make a decision or
form an opinion before they consider the evidence in an orderly way. Only after
they make a decision do they hunt around for reasons to support it.

Considering the evidence on both (or all) sides before you commit yourself
emotionally and psychologically to a position will have a major impact on the
quality of your decision making.

3. Buriden's Ass. This method of decision making is used when two or more
equally attractive alternatives are faced. (From an old fable of an ass placed
between two equally nice bales of hay. The ass couldn't decide which bale to turn
to because they were both so attractive, and so it starved to death from indecision.)
The method is simply to list all the negative points or drawbacks about each
decision. That is, when two or more alternatives seem very desirable, we become
blinded to any drawbacks. The Buriden's Ass method simply focuses on the
drawbacks.

4. Measured Criteria. With this technique, you list the criteria you want your
decision to meet and assign points to each criterion based on its relative importance
in the decision. Then, each alternative is given a certain number of points
according to how fully it meets the criterion. For points you can use a scale of 1 to
10, 1 to 100, or any other range that makes sense to you.

In the example below, traveling by train is rated at 25 out of 30 points for the
"comfort" criterion, while the plane is ranked a little less comfortable, at 21 out of

30. Once all the alternatives have been assigned their due points for each criterion,
all the points for each alternative are added up and the alternative with the highest
total points is the one chosen. In the example below, that would be the plane.

5. Decision Matrix or Weighted Decision Table. This is a slightly more
sophisticated version of the measured criteria technique. Here a table is set up with
each criterion given a weight depending on its importance in the decision and with
each alternative given a ranking for that criterion.

Q.3 Elaborate the different stages in process of conflict?

ANS: The conflict process can be seen as comprising five stages:

(1) Potential opposition or incompatibility- The first step in the conflict process is
the presence on conditions that create opportunities for conflict to rise. These cause
or create opportunities for conflict to rise.
(2) Cognition and personalization -conflict must be perceived by the parties to it
whether or not conflict exists is a perception issue.
(3) Intentions -Intentions are decisions to act in a given way intentions intervene
between people‘s perception and emotions and their overt behavior. These
intentions are Competing, Collaborating, Avoiding, Accommodating or
Compromising.
(4) Behavior -This is a stage where conflict becomes visible. The behavior stage
includes the statements, actions and reactions made by the conflicting parties.
(5) Outcome- The action reaction interplay between the conflicting parties result in
consequences. These outcomes may be functional in that the conflict results in an
improvement in the group‘s performance, or dysfunctional in that it hinders group
performance.

Q.4 Write a note on GAS ( General Adaptation Syndrome)?

ANS: GAS or General Adaptation Syndrome is a very common medical problem
that can have very serious repercussions if left unattended. It was psychologist
Hans Selye who discovered that prolonged and excessive stress can lead to
infection, illness, disease and death. He then named this condition General
Adaptation Syndrome (GAS).

In general, there are three stages of GAS. They are Alarm, Resistance and
Exhaustion. Let's talk a bit about each stage.

Stage One: Alarm

Alarm is essentially the initiation of the "fight of flight" response which prepares
the body for life-threatening situations. Normal body activities such as the
digestive and immune functions are blunted or nearly shut down in order to supply
resources to more immediate muscular and emotional needs.

Stage Two: Resistance

Now, if we're under a constant state of alarm, we are in essence living in constant
state of stress. At this point we start becoming used to these stress levels.

The funny thing about this stage is that initially our body and immune system are
becoming more resistance to stress and disease.

However, this stage requires abnormally high levels of emotional and physical
resources. If things do not change for the better then the next stage of the GAS
process is inevitable.

Stage Three: Exhaustion

Eventually reality kicks in and our bodies are unable to maintain high levels of
stress resistance. Parts of the body literally start to break down and we become
very unwell.

To conclude this first section, please understand that Hans Selye and others experts
are convinced that out-of-control stress negatively influences a person's entire
organism. Furthermore, these authorities believe that if left untreated, run away
stress can result in disease and eventual death.

The point here is that as a hypnotist, your contribution as a stress management
consultant is far more important than most people realize. Unmanaged stress is not
just an 'inconvenience'. It is a health threaten By the way, remember to take some
of your own medicine once in a while and listen to stress reduction hypnosis CDs.
It is much easier to convince a client of the benefits of successful stress
management when you are 100% congruent because of satisfying experience.

By the way, remember to take some of your own medicine once in a while and
listen to stress reduction hypnosis CDs. It is much easier to convince a client of the
benefits of successful stress management when you are 100% congruent because of
satisfying experience.

Now, let's look at a case history that shows how to help a client suffering from
severe GAS.

When You're Client Has GAS --The Case of Bob

First of all, in order to help a client with G.A.S., they must learn how to F.A.R.T.
and B.U.R.P. so they can ultimately P.O.O.P.

Now, before a person can B.U.R.P. (Begin Utilizing Response Procedures) or
P.O.O.P. (Pursue Optimal Outcomes Persistently), they have to F.A.R.T. That is,
they have to first Formulate Appropriate Response Techniques.

This can be reduced to a simple statement. When a person starts to suffer from
stress, they must S.T.O.P. and B.E.A.N.O.

That is, they must Start To Observe Purposefully so that they can then Become
Excited And Noticeably Optimistic. If they are unable to S.T.O.P and B.E.A.N.O.,
then they will have to F.A.R.T., B.U.R.P. and most likely, P.O.O.P.

Let's look at a case history involving my client Bob. Bob has suffered for quite
some time from severe stress effects.

When he first came to our office, we realized that he was emotionally plugged up.
In other words, his feelings were so bottled up that he absolutely could not
P.O.O.P.

The reason became apparent when it was discovered that he had never before
learned how to properly F.A.R.T. and B.U.R.P. in response to stress.

I knew this was not a case where the client could simply B.E.A.N.O. because that
would not address the cause of his inability to P.O.O.P.

What he needed was an E.N.E.M.A. (Entirely New Explicit Meaning Association).

As the reader may have guessed, this was a very sensitive situation because it
involved reframing a learned response that was created in response to a family of
origin dynamic.

Apparently there was some S.O.B. (Subtle Obfuscating Behavior) responsible for
the onset of the client's difficulty.

Defeating this without running into family loyalty conflicts and their
accompanying resistance effects is quite a job that requires deft handling and
discernment.

However, since the client was extremely motivated to get past his problem and
move on we advanced a rather bold tactic.

We decided to initiate a reverse E.N.E.M.A. The client became quite excited at the
idea. This was because we explained to him that we would go back in time and
teach him as a young child how to P.O.O.P.

In summary, the client has been relieved of his GAS because after undergoing a
reverse E.N.E.M.A. he was able to B.E.L.C.H. (Begin Expurgating Lousy
Childhood History) which enabled him to successfully F.A.R.T., B.U.R.P. and
P.O.O.P.

The point to this second section is that sometimes to heal, we just need to stop
hanging onto old 'stuff' from our past because doing so makes us much more prone
to insidious medical disorders such as General Adaptation Syndrome.

One must wonder that if GAS can cause such serious consequences then, what
common diseases are actually the result of prolonged, unhealed stress?

Finally, as you can probably tell, this article was meant to be tongue-in-cheek but
the point is very serious. Helping a client reduce stress is not just a "mental
massage" that feels good in the short term. It is an essential element of a good and
happy life.

And, don't forget that the family members of your client are also benefiting from
your valuable and skilled assistance because they have longer to enjoy a healthier
and happier mom, dad or other important person.

In closing I'd like to share a quote that can point a person toward a significantly
more relaxed state of mind and being:

Q.5 Discuss the power and influence tactics?

ANS: The general objective of this study was to examine the supervisors‘
and subordinates‘ use of power and their relationships to supervisors‘ use of
influence tactics. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to examine power
congruence and its impact on influence tactics in manufacturing companies in
Malaysia. The present research differs from the previous studies by linking
power congruence between supervisors‘ and subordinates‘ power either from
self or as perceived by their subordinates or supervisors with three
dimensions of influence tactics known as, hard, soft, and rational appeal
tactics. This study is perhaps the first that tested ―congruence hypothesis‖ in
leadership framework. The objective was to gain insight into ways by which
the management of manufacturing companies might use their power to
enhance the effective use of influence tactics on their subordinates. Ten
broadly hypothesized relationships were tested in a field study with a sample
of 385 pairs of supervisors and subordinates working in 82 manufacturing
companies in Selangor/Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Sarawak. Data were
gathered from both supervisors and their subordinates by means of
questionnaires. Methodologically, past research had been prone to common
method bias. However, this study has demonstrated to be relatively free from
this bias by collecting data from two sources. By and large, the results from

the analyses have indicated moderate support for the hypotheses. This study
is perhaps the first to generate a new set of power congruence items in which
simultaneous measurement from two perspectives-supervisors and
subordinates-were taken to examine the aspect of mutuality. The first four
hypotheses which investigate the direct relationship between supervisors or
subordinates power and influence tactics revealed that supervisors would
apply various influence tactics on their subordinates. Rational appeal tactics
has exhibited the highest mean as compared with soft and hard influence
tactics in the direct relationship between power and influence tactics. For the
indirect hypotheses, only one particular dimension of influence tactics was
found significant for each power congruence hypotheses. The results
confirmed that when both supervisors and subordinates were perceived to
have position power, the use of hard influence tactics was most apparent.
Conversely, when both of them were seen to have personal power,
supervisors would resort to the use of soft influence tactics. Inevitably, this
study provides a conceptual foundation for the effective use of influence
tactics. This study may be useful for those who are in positions of influence, to
help the supervisors and subordinates understand more clearly the bases of
their own actions, and the possible alternatives to their actions. Practically,
this research points to the fact that Malaysian managers and executives needto be
trained in the effective use of influence tactics.

Q.6 Explain the characteristics of organization Development?

ANS: Values of OD This model places human centered values above everything
else. They are the engine of its success. These values include mutual trust and
confidence, honesty and open communication, sensitivity and to the feeling and

emotions of others, shared goals, and a commitment to addressing and resolving
conflict (Buchanan and Huczynski, 1997, p.489). There are organizations who
value these human attributes above all other quick fix benefits. Stephen Robbins
(1986, p.461) expresses these human values more concisely as follows:

a) The individual should be treated with respect and dignity.
b) The organization climate should be characterized by trust, openness and
support.
c) Hierarchical authority and control are not regarded as effective mechanisms.
d) Problems and conflicts should be confronted, and not disguised or avoided.
e) People affected by change should be involved in its implementation.

These values make OD a unique model and it will be shown later why it is the
most suitable approach in resolving human afflictions and problems such as
poverty alleviation.

OD Approaches
There are at least three planned change models that have been identified by
Cummings and Worley (1997) as shown in figure II below. The first and the
second are principally different but the third one is an improved version of Action
Research methodology which has taken centre stage in the 1990s to take care of
the trend of emerging mega organizations, strategic alliances, mergers and public –
private partnerships. The improved version named the Contemporary Action
Research model is of great interest to the workshop participants as it can be used to
promote projects in both public and private organizations. Later in this paper it will
be shown how it can be used to promote Poverty Reduction Strategies and gender
mainstreaming in local government.

The distinction between Lewin‘s model and Action Research model is in the
repetitive nature of action research. Lewin‘s model is a once only intervention.
Buchanan and Huczynski, (1997) give seven steps that are followed in this
intervention.
1. Scouting – the initial stages of consultant and client exchanging ideas on the
problem and the appropriate approach.
2. Entry – contract is entered into to formalize the relationship of consultant and
client.
3. Diagnosis – information gathering to define the problem and identify causes.
4. Planning – consultant and client members jointly establish the goals of an
OD intervention and the proposed approach
5. Action – the intervention strategies are implemented.
6. Stabilization and Evaluation – the change is stabilized (freezing takes place)
and the outcomes are assessed.
7. Termination – The consultant withdraws from the assignment.

The action research model differs in several particular ways with the Lewin‘s
model. In action research the outcomes are fed back so that further improvements
and changes can be made. This distinguishes this model as a cyclical and iterative
process. The research aspect connotes a search
5
for knowledge that may be used elsewhere.

OD Toolkits
The above outlined procedure is the process through which results area achieved
but action research methodology has what are described as toolkits. These are used
to address specific areas of problem. Once diagnosis is complete and the problem

identified one or more of these kits or interventions are employed to solve the
problem. Some of these include; process consultation, change the structure, survey
feedback, team building, inter-group development, role negotiation and sensitivity
training. These are just a number but action research allows flexibility for the
consultant to formulate a package of his own interventions to suit the client‘s
6
needs. Such flexibility was illustrated through an OD consultancy in a local
government organization.

Organizational Development Interventions
The Existence of certain conditions in an organization which may be described as
the internal environment is sometimes assumed. Those who have been in an
organization for too long cease to be conscious of such an environment and
probably only newcomers notice such conditions. Different interventions are used
when a need arises to change those conditions. Some of those interventions which
are mentioned above deserve further explanation here.

Cultural Analysis
This is perhaps one of the most complex change action. Corporate culture is the
result of long term social learning and constitutes of basic assumptions, values,
norms and artifacts that have worked well in an organization. These are passed on
to succeeding generations of employees (Cummings and Worley, 1997). Some of
these may have arisen from the principles of the founder and subsequently
reinforced by succeeding top hierarchies of the organization. They may have an
emphasis on product quality, customer care or employee relations. When problems
arise the first question which would arise is how do we do things here? The answer

will inform the type of solution that emerges. Therefore the organizational culture
influences organizational strategy, performance and policies. To change
organizational culture may be a traumatic experience and will require careful
analysis and handling. Such is the trauma that was experienced by American
companies in the 1980s when they adopted the Japanese approach which was
influence by a strong organizational culture of employee participation, open
communication, Security and equality.

Process Consultation
People conceive consultation as that situation where an expert is invited to advise
an organization that is experiencing a problem. Edger Schein, (1998) has
distinguished three types of consultations as; the expertise model, the doctor –
patient model and the process consultation model. The first model assumes that the
client purchases from the consultant some expert information or service that he is
unable to provide for himself. In the doctor – patient model involves an activity
similar to sickness diagnosis. The client who suspects or feels there is something
wrong in the organization invites the doctor (consultant) to diagnose the
organization so that he can advise on what is not right. The symptoms of the
sickness may be low sales, employee instability or falling product quality. The
doctor (consultant) diagnoses, prescribes and administers the cure. In this two
models the knowledge and expertise remains with the expert and leaves the client
fully dependent on the expert for future problems. OD advocates process
consultation promoted by Schein who defines the process as:
―The creation of a relationship with the client that permits the client to
perceive, understands, and act on the process events that occur in the client‘s

internal and external environment in order to improve the situation as
defined by the client (Schein, 1998, p.20)‖.
Schein argues that both the expert and the doctor models are remedial models
while as the process consultation model is both remedial and preventive. The
purport of this model is to engage an external consultant on a flexible advisory
capacity to work with the clients members in diagnosing the problems, planning
the actions and finding the solutions together. This way the consultant helps the
organization‘s individuals to understand internal problems and build capacity to
identify appropriate problem – solving action. The consultant need not be an expert
in the problem at hand but his expertise is in facilitating a process that carries
everybody in the search for solutions. This approach follows the rationale that the
answers are with the people. So the only help required is leadership in diagnoses
and in the process through the various stages. The purpose also is to ensure that
once the consultant leaves the people have the capacity to solve the next round of
problems. In the first two models the consultant will have to be recalled each time
a new problem arises or an old one recurs.

Structure Change
This is an intervention that helps change the structure of an organization to make
the work more interesting, challenging or productive. It may involve such activities
as job enrichment, job enlargement, formation of autonomous work teams or
business re – engineering. Other actions may involve
decentralization/centralization in an organization, flattening or extending of an
organizations structure or even redesigning of focus from region to product or vice
versa.

Team Building
Team work is vital to the functioning of modern organizations. Members of teams
bring different strings to the group such as leader, investigator, motivator, finisher,
clown, coordinator, thinker, negotiator or politician. These roles are used at
different stages of production when such role play becomes essential in the groups
work. Teams take over from hierarchical systems where individuals are assumed to
know everything depending on their level in the authority ladder. This system
denies the organization the cumulative advantage of skills and strengths in
different individuals.

Role Negotiation
A misunderstanding between two individuals in an organization or group can affect
its effectiveness. This is usually caused by lack of shared awareness,
misunderstanding or lack of trust. This intervention helps to clarify individual
perceptions and mutual expectations so that differences can be identified and
reconciled or resolved.

Assignment Set- 1

Master of Business Administration - MBA Semester -1

MB0039 – Business Communication

Q.1 Explain the different types of communication with relevant examples?

ANS: Communication is a process that involves exchange of information,
thoughts, ideas and emotions. Communication is a process that involves a sender
who encodes and sends the message, which is then carried via the communication
channel to the receiver where the receiver decodes the message, processes the
information and sends an appropriate reply via the same communication channel.

Types of Communication

Communication can occur via various processes and methods and depending on
the channel used and the style of communication there can be various types of
communication.

Types of Communication Based on Communication Channels

Based on the channels used for communicating, the process of communication can
be broadly classified as verbal communication and non-verbal communication.

Verbal communication includes written and oral communication whereas the non-
verbal communication includes body language, facial expressions and visuals
diagrams or pictures used for communication.
Verbal Communication
Verbal communication is further divided into written and oral communication. The
oral communication refers to the spoken words in the communication process. Oral
communication can either be face-to-face communication or a conversation over
the phone or on the voice chat over the Internet. Spoken conversations or dialogs
are influenced by voice modulation, pitch, volume and even the speed and clarity
of speaking. The other type of verbal communication is written communication.
Written communication can be either via snail mail, or email. The effectiveness of
written communication depends on the style of writing, vocabulary used, grammar,
clarity and precision of language.

Nonverbal Communication
Non-verbal communication includes the overall body language of the person who
is speaking, which will include the body posture, the hand gestures, and overall
body movements. The facial expressions also play a major role while
communication since the expressions on a person‘s face say a lot about his/her
mood. On the other hand gestures like a handshake, a smile or a hug can
independently convey emotions. Non verbal communication can also be in the
form of pictorial representations, signboards, or even photographs, sketches and
paintings.
Types of Communication Based on Style and Purpose
Based on the style of communication, there can be two broad categories of
communication, which are formal and informal communication that have their own
set of characteristic features.

Formal Communication
Formal communication includes all the instances where communication has to
occur in a set formal format. Typically this can include all sorts of business
communication or corporate communication. The style of communication in this
form is very formal and official. Official conferences, meetings and written memos
and corporate letters are used for communication. Formal communication can also
occur between two strangers when they meet for the first time. Hence formal
communication is straightforward, official and always precise and has a stringent
and rigid tone to it.

Informal Communication
Informal communication includes instances of free unrestrained communication
between people who share a casual rapport with each other. Informal
communication requires two people to have a similar wavelength and hence occurs
between friends and family. Informal communication does not have any rigid rules
and guidelines. Informal conversations need not necessarily have boundaries of
time, place or even subjects for that matter since we all know that friendly chats
with our loved ones can simply go on and on.

Q.2 What are the general principles of writing especially business writing?

ANS: The process of good writing involves three basic steps - preparing, writing,
and editing. Practicing the following 16 principles will help you be a more
effective writer.

1. Know your objective

Think before you write. What's your goal? Make sure you fully understand the
assignment. Are you writing a one-paragraph executive summary or a five-page

report? Try answering this question: What specifically do I want the reader to
know, think, or do?

2. Make a list

Write down the ideas or points you want to cover. Why? This helps you get started
in identifying the key ideas you want to discuss.

If you have trouble getting started, try discussing your ideas with someone else.
"Kicking an idea around" often helps you clarify your objective and fine-tune what
you are trying to accomplish.

3. Organize your ideas

Just as it's difficult to find what you want in a messy, disorganized desk drawer, it's
hard to find important ideas in a poorly organized message. Here are a few ways
you can organize your ideas:

 Importance
 - Begin with the most important piece of information and then move on to
the next most important.
 Chronological order - Describe what happened first, second, third.
 Problem-Solution - Define the problem, then describe possible alternatives
or the solution you recommend.
 Question-Answer - State a question and then provide your answer.

Organize your ideas so the reader can easily follow your argument or the point you
are trying to get across.

4. Back it up

Have an opinion but back it up - support with data. There are a number of ways
you can support your ideas, including explanations, examples, facts, personal
experiences, stories, statistics, and quotations. It's best to use a combination of
approaches to develop and support your ideas.

5. Separate main ideas

Each paragraph should have one main point or idea captured in a topic sentence.
The topic sentence is normally the first sentence in the paragraph. Each paragraph
should be started by an indentation or by skipping a line.

6. Use bullets or numbers

If you are listing or discussing a number of items, use bullets or number your
points like I have done in this paper. Here's an example of using bullets.

Join the Business Club to:

 Increase sales
 Gain new marketing ideas
 Make new friends
 Give back to your profession

7. Write complete sentences

A sentence is about someone doing something - taking action. The someone may
be a manager, employee, customer, etc. The "doing something - taking action" can
include mental processes such as thinking, evaluating, and deciding, or physical

actions such as writing and talking. A good rule to practice is to have subjects
closely followed by their verbs.

8. Use short sentences

Sentences should be a maximum of 12 to 15 words in length. According to the
American Press Institute, sentences with 15 or fewer words are understood 90% of
the time. Sentences with eight or fewer words are understood 100% of the time.

9. Be precise and accurate

. Words like "large," "small," "as soon as possible," "they," "people," "teamwork,"
and "customer focus" are vague and imprecise. The reader may interpret these
words to mean something different than what you intended.

Reduce communication breakdowns by being specific and precise. Define terms as
needed. The reader may not understand certain acronyms and abbreviations.

10. Use commas appropriately

Use a comma to separate the elements in a series of three or more items:His
favorite colors are red, white, and blue.

Use a comma to set off introductory elements: After coffee and donuts, the meeting
will begin.

Use a comma to separate adjectives: That tall, distinguished, good-looking
professor teaches history.

11. Use the correct word

Here are several words that cause confusion.

 You're is a contraction for "you are" Your means possession, such as "your
coat."
 It's is a contraction for "it is." Its indicates possession.
 Their means possession/ownership-"their house." There means location.
They're is a contraction for "they are."

12. Avoid redundancies

It is a redundancy to use multiple words that mean or say the same thing. For
example, consider the following:

 Redundant - My personal beliefs… Beliefs are personal, so just state, My
beliefs...
 Redundant - I decided to paint the machine gray in color. Gray is a color,
so just state, I decided to paint the machine gray.

13. Numbers

When using numbers in the body of your paper, spell out numbers one through
nine, such as "Three men decided…" When using numbers 10 or above it's proper
to write the number, such as "The report indicated 68 customers…"

14. Have a conclusion

Would you really enjoy watching a movie or sporting event that had no
conclusion? No. The conclusion ties your points together. The reader wants to
know the final score - the bottom line message.

15. Edit your work

Read what you have written several times.

 On your first read, focus on organization and sentence structure. Shorten
long sentences. Cross out unnecessary words and phrases. Reorganize
material as needed.
 Read it again and make sure commas are used appropriately and that there is
a punctuation mark at the end of every sentence.
 Read it a third time and focus on word choice. Are there certain words that
are vague or unclear? Replace them with specific words.
 Read what you have written aloud to yourself or to a friend to see if he or
she (and you) can understand it and improve it in any way.

A significant part of good writing involves editing. Very few people can sit down
and write a perfect paragraph on their first try. It requires multiple rewrites.

Summary

You don't have to be a great writer to be successful manager/leader. However you
must be able to clearly and succinctly explain your thoughts and ideas in writing.

Strive to be simple, clear, and brief. Like any skill, "good writing" requires
practice, feedback, and ongoing improvement.

Q.3 How would you prepare yourself for an oral business presentation?

ANS: Delivering a formal presentation can be either fairly stress-free or nerve-
wrecking. Your level of comfort can depend on the size of your audience, the
critical spectators attending your presentation, or the feedback that you may
anticipate. Whatever you may find as a cause for concerns about speaking before a
group, never let it be your knowledge about what you will speak. With thorough
and effective research about your subject, you will discover that you are already
halfway prepared to address your listeners. The following steps can complete your
preparation.

1 Study your subject. You may have already been provided great information
from which you could pull. But if there are other sources, such as the Internet or
experts, use them to enhance your own insight. Doing so can also help you develop
more confidence in your speech.

2 In the comfort of your own study lab (wherever that may be), anticipate all
types of responding questions from people in your audience: challenging questions,
critical questions, crazy questions, and simple questions (the ones which are so
simple that you forgot to prepare an answer for). Equip yourself with facts and
insight accordingly. For enlightenment on people's views, I have read several
message boards and even complaint sites to help me prepare for the unexpected.

If your presentation is non-interactive, do not take that for granted. You can still be
approached with questions after your speech or after the event where you gave it.

3 Organize the notes from which you will speak. Whether typed or handwritten,
you must be able to comprehend them in order to convey them to an audience. So,
if you jot your notes down on index cards, write legibly.

Also, bind the notes - paper or cards - that you plan to use during your
presentation. Dropping loose papers or cards during your speech should not
distract an attentive listener, but it can certainly distract you, the speaker. Make
your task a tad bit easier on yourself alleviating the possibility of that problem.

4 If you decide to speak with the aid of a Power Point presentation, bear in
mind how you will insert information to be displayed. Don't expect an audience to
read lengthy sentences or any paragraph - no matter how much time they are given.

By all means, do not prepare yourself to read every word written on that Power
Point. The audience does not need to see the back of your head. They don't need to
hear your voice drift into a state of monotony, which is what can happen if you
read word-for-word from your notes.

5 Practice your presentation in private and be willing to be your own biggest
critic. Grab a tape recorder or any recording device to listen to your own speech.

6 As I expressed above, approach the podium with a solid knowledge base
about every point your will discuss.

7 Please do not imagine your audience in their underwear. You need to focus. If
eye contact with any of those listeners intimidates you, then look just past the last
row of people to land your sight on either some empty seats or the wall. There are
corners of walls and other inanimate objects where you can place your focus until
you find yourself comfortable enough to make brief eye contact with a few friendly
or neutral faces.

8 Remember that the last row of listeners need to hear your voice. Unless you
have a reliable microphone, be sure to project.

9 Do not overestimate your listeners' attention spans. Keep their interest. Give
your tone some range (logical range, that is). And wherever your subject and the
points from which you speak will allow, engage your audience with illustrations
which they can relate to.

10 Please impose neither overly technical terminologies nor acronyms on your
audience. While these expressions of intelligence seem effective, they actually
reflect a lazy effort to communicate detailed and comprehensible information to
listeners.

11 Remember that, at this point, there should be no reason to lose confidence. If
you've studied your subject, grasped a clear understanding of it, and followed the
tips above, you have the tools to conquer any sharp sensation that you may feel in
the pit of your gut going before any group.

Q.5 Distinguish between circulars and notices along with formats?

ANS: Notice - A message / information's bringing to all which will be put up in
common place

Circular- A message / information's bringing to certain group of people
belonging to the information's.

Like memos, circulars and notices are also written forms of communication
within the organization.

The difference between a circular and a notice is that circulars are
announcements that are distributed to small or selective groups of people
within the organization, whereas notices are meant for a larger group of people.

Example – If a manager wants to call a meeting of heads of departments, he will
pass around a circular only to the heads, requesting them to attend that meeting.
On the other hand, notices generally contain information or announcements that
are meant for all the employees of an organization.

Example – A list of declared holidays for a calendar year is a notice, since the
information is relevant to all employees.

A notice is therefore a legal document that has to be put up on an official notice or
bulletin board.

Let us examine another example of a circular and a notice.
Imagine that you are the President of the Student Committee in a management
college and wish to hold a meeting to plan for the Annual Management Fest of the
college. You will have to send some information to those whom you want to
involve in organizing the Fest. You may not want all the students to be involved
initially, since it may take a lot of time and there may be too many suggestions.
Instead, you may choose to invite only the committee members to discuss details
such as the date, venue, duration, how to get sponsors and so on. For this purpose,
you may send a circular only to the student committee members, requesting them
to attend the meeting. During the meeting, the date and venue may be finalized and
various smaller committees may be formed, such as a reception committee, stage
committee and so on. You may also decide to get each student to contribute a
nominal amount for the Fest

Assignment Set- 2

Q.1 As a part of top management team, how would you communicate to your
shareholders about the company’s expansion plans?

ANS:Commitment 2014 is a firm and confident ambition and it stands for
profitable organic growth. Our ambition for 2014 is to become the European
benchmark in Universal Customer-focused Banking. We intend to enhance our
leadership based on an effective product range and high-quality service, forging
close links between retail banking and related specialised businesses.

AMBITIOUS TARGETS
By 2014, we target ambitious profitability levels underpinned by sound
fundamentals: Net banking income of more than €25 billion (€20.1 billion in 2010)
and net income, Group share of €6 billion to €7 billion (€1.3 billion in 2010). Our
objective is also to have a cost to income ratio of less than 60% and a return on
equity ratio of 10% to 12%. These targets take into account the new Basel III
regulatory environment, as it is currently understood. In terms of capital adequacy,
Crédit Agricole S.A. will meet the Basel III requirements and Crédit Agricole
Group ranking among the strongest banks is confirmed.
2011-2014 STRATEGY
Our actions in the period 2011-2014 will be based on three principles. First, we
shall stimulate organic growth. To achieve this, we shall enhance growth in retail
banking, both in France and elsewhere in Europe; speed up growth in the savings
management businesses, one of our undisputed strengths; and finally, focus on
growth in investment banking and credit businesses. These businesses will
continue to grow, but selectively, because of their heavy capital consumption. The

second principle behind our strategy is that we shall enhance the Group effect by
strengthening ties between our business lines. The third principle is that we shall
act as a committed and responsible Group in dealing with stakeholders, and in
particular our shareholders.
OUR SHAREHOLDERS
Crédit Agricole S.A. has set up a comprehensive shareholder information and
communication framework. The new layout of the Shareholders‘ Club Newsletter,
―En direct‖ you discover today, is aimed at strengthening this direct link between
you and us, and is part of a broader attempt to make full and transparent
information available to you. Our dividend policy targets a payout rate of 35%
from 2011 (paid in 2012), in cash. Through Commitment 2014, we want to thank
our shareholders for their loyalty by paying an increased dividend.

Q.2 ABC Ltd. wants to communicate about its corporate image to all its
stakeholders and also to the general public. As an advisor, how do you
recommend them to do it?

ANS: Our communications and engagement strategy needs to be simple because
we are working in a complex environment – otherwise our actions become
confusing to the people we work with. The strategy therefore highlights just 20 key
steps we will take to communicate and engage with people effectively. It also
explains our simplified
approach to outreach work, including events and festivals.
Recommendation that: you agree the strategy and its associated annexes.

2 BACKGROUND
2.1 We have significantly improved the way we communicate and engage with
people over the last few years. This has been recognised through anecdotal
evidence and the recent Customer Service Excellence award. However, we need a
strategy to coordinate our activities and guide future business planning. We also
need to be able to measure our success more effectively. ‗ABC – our
communications and engagement strategy‘ (Annex 1) aims to do this.

3 POLICY CONTEXT
3.1 The adoption of a Communications and Engagement Strategy is action 3.2 in
the Business Plan July 2006-March 2009 (revised October 2007).
3.2 The strategy supports the delivery of our Business Plan in its entirety. The
messages within it explain that we must be excellent communicators, promoting
learning and inspiring people about the National Park in all that we do.

4 OPTIONS
4.1 Option 1: You agree the recommendation
Option 2: You agree the recommendation with further development of some steps
Option 3: You do not agree the recommendation

5 PROPOSALS
5.1 The Communications and Engagement Task and Finish Group was established
to develop this strategy. It includes staff from the Communications and Learning
Team and members. They undertook a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats) and agreed the simple approach recommended. They
commented on the 20 key steps ensuring that they were strategic and not too

detailed. Option 1 is recommended for approval and it is hoped that members will
be involved in the delivery and review of the strategy as it progresses.

6 BEST VALUE IMPLICATIONS
6.1 The statutory duty of best value requires organisations to consult service users
and other stakeholders about services and priorities. The duty was revised in the
Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill in May 2007 to engage
more with hard-to-reach groups and to secure participation of communities in
delivery of local public services. This strategy supports the delivery of this
function by focusing on engagement with partners and local people, particularly
through two of our four key
Lake District National Park Authority Agenda Item: 9
Authority: 22 May 2008
requirements for effective communications – listening and interpreting demands;
unraveling complex issues.

7 FINANCE CONSIDERATIONS
7.1 There are financial implications in the delivery of the strategy. You have
already agreed revenue growth bids (totalling £45,000) to support step 9 in the
strategy and development of Level One events and festivals which we sponsor
(Annex B). You have also agreed existing budgets to support ongoing work led by
the Communications and Learning Team. Agreement of any additional budgetary
requirements to deliver all steps in the strategy will form part of the corporate
planning and performance cycle.

8 RISK
8.1 Each step in the strategy has a different degree of risk which will be managed
through respective service plans. Overall, if we do not develop our
communications and engagement activities, there is a significant risk that we lose
our Customer Service Excellence standard.

9 LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
9.1 Effective communication is key to performance of our statutory objectives. The
proposed strategy will assist with good governance by improving communication
within the Authority and will help clarify relationships with partners.

10 HUMAN RESOURCES
10.1 The Communications and Learning Team, including its Outreach Unit, are
part of the established structure and will take a clear coordinating role in delivering
the strategy.
The strategy also makes it clear that new approaches to communications and
engagement should be a part of existing roles across the organisation. This will be
dealt with through Service Planning and Personal Development Reviews.

11 DIVERSITY IMPLICATIONS
11.1 This strategy is of high importance to diversity. In the past, our approach to
targeting groups may have had an adverse impact on particular groups already
using our services. The strategy explains that we will now base our actions on the
needs of different groups and clear evidence. Annex A (‗Reaching Out‘) explains
how we will not target people, but work with focus groups to identify needs over
time. We want toreach out to everyone and use the National Park to build links
between different cultures.

12 SUSTAINABILITY
12.1 The strategy will contribute to the promotion of learning and inspiring people
about all aspects of sustainability which is at the heart of the Vision for the
National Park.
Author/Post Bob Sutcliffe, Head of Plans and Communications
Date Written 2 May 2008

Q.3 What is oral business communication? Explain its benefits to the
organisation and to the individual employee.
ANS: According to a 2005 study published in the Journal of Employment
Counseling, oral communication skills are being increasingly sought after by
employers. When surveying over 100 successful businesses, researchers found that
more and more employers are emphasizing the development of good speaking
skills in their employees. With this in mind, the concept of oral
communication is an important idea to study and understand in the context of
business.

Presentations:
One form of oral communication in a business setting is a presentation.
Presentations are usually an organized conveyance of information to a group of
people. Stylistically, they tend to be far more formal than informal, and rely more
heavily on data and facts than they do analysis.
Presentations are sometimes more persuasive in nature, like a pitch for an ad
campaign, but tend to be informative more often, such as an employee briefing or a
report on quarterly earnings.
Presentations may include some dialog after the sender of the message has finished
their speech, but they are, by and large, much more monologue reliant. This makes

it important for the speaker to anticipate possible objections to the message and
address them in the actual speech.

Client Interaction:
Another form of oral communication in business encompasses interaction with
clients.
Depending on the level of connection between the employee and the client, the
communication in these interactions can range from incredibly formal to informal
and casual. These interactions usually include a combination of data and analysis,
and will be more persuasive than informative in nature, as the employee is trying to
encourage continued and expanded business with the client. Because of the nature
of these interactions, the communication is definitely a dialog, making listening
skills incredibly important.

Interoffice Interaction:
Oral communication in the office can be referred to as interoffice interaction. This
is comprised of conversations with superiors, subordinates and co-workers.
Depending on the levels of power separation between the individuals engaging in
conversation, the communication will fluctuate between formal and informal,
though it should always remain professional. Conversations in this
context may reference data, but will be much more analysis heavy, and will be a
dialog by nature.

Benefits:
Oral communication in business provides a variety of benefits. First, oral
communication is accompanied by nonverbal signifiers, which provides context

that can enhance understanding in the communication process. Posture, facial
expressions, and habitual movements may provide
clues as to an individuals feelings about the ideas being discussed. Even in
telephone conversations, pitch, rate, volume and tone of the respective speakers
can help in understanding sentiments.
Oral communication also provides a springboard for relational development.
Unlike with email, memos and chat functions, which tend to take a task-oriented
approach to communication, the immediacy involved in oral communication
allows for instant feedback and a more relational approach. This is important, as
strong relationships in business often lead to more profitable and productive
cooperation.

Q.4. Give short notes on communication network in the organisation?

ANS: Networks are another aspect of direction and flow of communication.
Bavelas has shown that communication patterns, or networks, influence groups in
several important ways.
Communication networks may affect the group's completion of the assigned task
on time, the position of the de facto leader in the group, or they may affect the
group members' satisfaction from occupying certain positions in the network.
Although these findings are based on laboratory experiments, they have important
implications for the dynamics of communication in formal organizations.

There are several patterns of communication:
"Chain",
"Wheel",
"Star",

"All-Channel" network,
"Circle".

The Chain can readily be seen to represent the hierarchical pattern that
characterizes strictly formal information flow, "from the top down," in military and
some types of business organizations. The Wheel can be compared with a typical
autocratic organization, meaning oneman rule and limited employee participation.
The Star is similar to the basic formal structure of many organizations. The All-
Channel network, which is an elaboration of Bavelas's Circle used by Guetzkow, is
analogous to the free-flow of communication in a group that encourages all of
its members to become involved in group decision processes. The All-Channel
network may also be compared to some of the informal communication networks.
If it's assumed that messages may move in both directions between stations in the
networks, it is easy to see that some individuals occupy key positions with regard
to the number of messages they handle and the degree to which they exercise
control over the flow of information. For example, the person represented by the
central dot in the "Star" handles all messages in thegroup. In contrast, individuals
who occupy stations at the edges of the pattern handle fewer
messages and have little or no control over the flow of information.These
"peripheral" individuals can communicate with only one or two other persons and
must depend entirely on others to relay their messages if they wish to extend their
range.
In reporting the results of experiments involving the Circle, Wheel, and Star
configurations, Bavelas came to the following tentative conclusions. In patterns
with positions located centrally, such as the Wheel and the Star, an organization
quickly develops around the people occupying these central positions. In such

patterns, the organization is more stable and errors in performance are lower than
in patterns having a lower degree of centrality, such as the Circle.
However, he also found that the morale of members in high centrality patterns is
relatively low. Bavelas speculated that this lower morale could, in the long run,
lower the accuracy and speed of such networks.
In problem solving requiring the pooling of data and judgments, or "insight,"
Bavelas suggested that the ability to evaluate partial results, to look at alternatives,
and to restructure problems fell off rapidly when one person was able to assume a
more central (that is, more controlling) position in the information flow. For
example, insight into a problem requiring change would be
less in the Wheel and the Star than in the Circle or the Chain because of the
"bottlenecking" effect of data control by central members.
It may be concluded from these laboratory results that the structure of
communications within an organization will have a significant influence on the
accuracy of decisions, the speed with which they can be reached, and the
satisfaction of the people involved. Consequently, in networks in
which the responsibility for initiating and passing along messages is shared more
evenly among the members, the better the group's morale in the long run.

Q. 5 What are the different types of business letters? Explain with example.

ANS: Business letter is an old form of official correspondence. A business letter is
written by an individual to an organization or an organization to another
organization. Business letters are written for various purposes. One writes a letter
to enquire information, apply for a job, acknowledge someone's work, and
appreciate one's job done, etc. As the motive of writing the letter is different, the

style of the letter changes and you get different types of business letters. The
various types of business letters are used by different people to serve their purpose
of sending the message across.

Let's take look at the most common types of business letters:

Acknowledgement Letter : This type of letter is written when you want to
acknowledge some one for his help or support when you were in trouble. The letter
can be used to just say thanks for something you have received from some one,
which is of great help to you.

Apology Letter : An apology letter is written for a failure in delivering the desired
results. If the person has taken up a task and he fails to meet the target then he
apologizes and asks for an opportunity to improve in this type of letter.

Appreciation Letter : An appreciation letter is written to appreciate some one's
work in the organization. This type of letter is written by a superior to his junior.
An organization can also write an appreciation letter to other organization,
thanking the client for doing business with them.

Complaint Letter : A complaint letter is written to show one that an error has
occurred and that needs to be corrected as soon as possible. The letter can be used
as a document that was used for warning the reader.

Inquiry Letter : The letter of inquiry is written to inquire about a product or
service. If you have ordered a product and yet not received it then you can write a
letter to inquire when you will be receiving it.

Order Letter : This letter is as the name suggests is used for ordering products.
This letter can be used as a legal document to show the transaction between the
customer and vendor.

Letter of Recommendation : This type of letter is written to recommend a person
for a job position. The letter states the positive aspects of the applicant's
personality and how he/she would be an asset for the organization. Letter of
recommendation is even used for promoting a person in the organization.

Assignment Set- 1
Master of Business Administration –
MBA Semester -1

MB0040 – STATISTICS FOR MANAGEMENT

Q. 1 What is the difference between a qualitative and quantitative variable?
ANS: Scientific experiments will normally have three types of variables;
controlled, independent and dependent. Variables are a condition or factor that is
used in testing a hypothesis and generating a conclusion. These three types of
variables can also be quantitative or qualitative in nature.

Qualitative:

By definition something that is qualitative concerns or describes a quality. A
qualitative variable is a descriptive. Qualitative variable are sometimes referred to
as categorical. The variable may be colors in the light spectrum or a comparison
between red and green grapes. Qualitative variables can influence the outcome of
an experiment or research because they can influence other factors or parameters.
Qualitative variables are frequently used in social research. Qualitative research is
considered to be inductive.

Quantitative:

By definition something that is quantitative can be expressed as a quantity or
number. Quantitative variables are something that can be measured. Quantitative
variables are numerical. A quantitative variable can be a percentage of something,
a number of units or any other measurement.

Temperature is a quantitative value or variable by the number of degrees. Speed,
area population, voltage and time are all examples of quantitative variables that can
be measured. Quantitative variables are most often considered to be deductive in
nature.

Deduction and induction in experimentation and research:

Deduction works from a general idea to a specific idea. Deductive research starts
with a theory, forms a hypothesis, gathers observations and then confirms or
disproves the original thought.

Induction works in the reverse. Inductive experimentation will start with an
observation and then look for patterns in the observation. Once patterns form a
hypothesis is developed. The hypothesis is then tested for a resulting theory.

The best results in experimentation come from having only one independent
variable. The controlled variable is something that does not change and must
remain constant. The independent variable is the variable that is changed by the
researcher. The dependent value is the variable that changes due to the independent
variable.

An example of quantitative variables in an experiment would be testing the change
in speed on a turntable as additional weight is applied. The turntable itself is the
controlled variable. The experimenter will only use one. The independent
quantitative variable is the amount of weight applied for each measurement. The
dependent quantitative variable is the resulting speed that is measured.

An example of a qualitative variable in testing would be the drying time require for
red and green grapes at a constant temperature. The outcome, or dependent

variable, of time is measured and therefore quantitative. The controlled variable
being used is temperature, also quantitative. The independent variable is
qualitative, the difference between red and green grapes. In this particular example
the weight of each grape, a quantitative variable would also need to be consistent
or controlled.

Q 2. a) Explain the steps involved in planning of a statistical survey?
ANS: I've explained the fundamentals of creating and executing surveys. We've
explored how to construct questions so they yield accurate, useful data. We've
discussed how to boost your response rate, thereby squeezing more value from
your efforts. And we've talked briefly about the various strategies you can employ
to solicit participation from your respondents. But, everything begins with the
initial plan; you shouldn't approach it haphazardly. In this article, I'll describe the 5
steps that you and your design team should follow to plan a successful survey
execution.

Step #1: Identify Your Objective

This first step is more involved than you might think and is the foundation upon
which the other steps depend. It's not enough to say, "I need to know if customers
are satisfied" or "I want to measure employee morale." You should know in
advance the precise reasons you want to collect data, what you hope to learn from
the information, and the actions you intend to take once you and your team have
reviewed the responses. Unless you have already identified a specific reason for
conducting your survey, including how it will add value to your business or
organization, you shouldn't move forward.

Step #2: Determine How Much It Will Cost

Design and deployment can be expensive depending upon its scope, the
information you hope to collect, and your population size. Some of the costs aren't
immediately obvious. For example, if you're using employees to approach
participants, you'll need to pay for their time. If you're conducting a survey by
mail, you'll have to pay postage. Analyzing the data also carries a cost. Plan
conservatively to ensure you have the budget to see the project through its
completion.

Step #3: Plan The Logistics

You'll need to choose your participant pool, figure out how to approach them, and
determine how much time your project will require. Don't take any of these items
lightly. Your selection of the people you choose to approach will depend upon the
type of information you hope to collect. For example, surveying single men
between ages 30 and 39 will yield different data than married couples over 60.
Your strategy for approaching them can vary between phone, email, in person
interviews, postal mail, etc. The time you'll need to complete your survey will be
based largely upon these factors.

Step #4: Define Your Resources

Beyond your budget, time constraints, and other limitations; you'll need to identify
resources (both internal and external) upon which you'll rely for expertise and
assistance. For example, if you're measuring employee satisfaction, you'll want to
enlist the help of your organization's human resources department. If you're

outsourcing the design of your survey, you'll need to identify and interview a
number of experienced agencies. During this step, you should also determine the
internal personnel who will need to see your team's analysis of the data (i.e.
president, CFO, accounting department, etc.).

Step #5: Map The Steps To Completion

Before you execute your survey, take the time to create a chronological timetable
of the project. It should detail each step in the process, including who is
responsible for collecting the information needed to complete each step and the
specific tasks that are involved along the way. Without creating this plan ahead of
time, you risk wasting finite resources as a result of confusion and lack of
accountability.

Successful Deployment

Creating and executing effective surveys that yield useful data require a lot of time
and upfront planning. If you approach the task methodically and follow the 5 steps
we've covered above, you'll dramatically improve the likelihood of success.
Remember your objective: to collect accurate information that you can take action
upon for a predefined benefit to your organization. In an upcoming article, we'll
explore the deployment in more detail.

b) What are the merits & Demerits of Direct personal observation and
Indirect Oral Interview?
ANS: In the direct personal observation method, the investigator collects data by
having direct contact with units of investigation.The accuracy of data depends

upon the ability, training and attitude of the investigator.

The direct personal observation method is suitable where -
- The scope of investigation is narrow
- Investigation is confidential and requires personal attention of the investigator
- Accuracy of data is important

Merits and demerits of direct personal observation -

Merits:
1) We get original data.
2) we get more accurate and reliable data.
3) Satisfactory information can be extracted by the investigator through indirect
questions.
4) Data are homogeneous and comparable.
5) Additional information can be gathered.
6) Misinterpretation of questions can be avoided.

Demerits:
1) It is time consuming and costs more.

Indirect oral interview is used when area to be covered is large. The data is
collected from a third party or witness or head of institution. This method is
generally used by police department.

Merits and demerits of indirect oral interview -

Merits:
1) It is economical in terms of time, cost and manpower.
2) Confidential information can be collected.
3) Information is likely to be unbiased and reliable.

Demerits:
1) The degree of accuracy of information is less.

Q 3. a) What is the main difference between correlation analysis and
regression analysis?
ANS: (1) The correlation answers the STRENGTH of linear association between
paired variables, say X and Y. On the other hand, the regression tells us the FORM
of linear association that best predicts Y from the values of X.

(2a) Correlation is calculated whenever:
* both X and Y is measured in each subject and quantify how much they are
linearly associated.
* in particular the Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient is used when
the assumption of both X and Y are sampled from normally-distributed populations
are satisfied
* or the Spearman's moment order correlation coefficient is used if the assumption
of normality is not satisfied.
* correlation is not used when the variables are manipulated, for example, in
experiments.

(2b) Linear regression is used whenever:
* at least one of the independent variables (Xi's) is to predict the dependent
variable Y. Note: Some of the Xi's are dummy variables, i.e. Xi = 0 or 1, which are
used to code some nominal variables.
* if one manipulates the X variable, e.g. in an experiment.

(3) Linear regression are not symmetric in terms of X and Y. That is interchanging
X and Y will give a different regression model (i.e. X in terms of Y) against the
original Y in terms of X.
On the other hand, if you interchange variables X and Y in the calculation of
correlation coefficient you will get the same value of this correlation coefficient.

(4) The "best" linear regression model is obtained by selecting the variables (X's)
with at least strong correlation to Y, i.e. >= 0.80 or <= -0.80

(5) The same underlying distribution is assumed for all variables in linear
regression. Thus, linear regression will underestimate the correlation of the
independent and dependent when they (X's and Y) come from different underlying
distributions.

b) In a multiple regression model with 12 independent variables, what are the
degrees of freedom for error? Explain?

ANS: Consider a random sample of n observations (xi1, xi2, . . . . , xip, yi), i = 1, 2, . .
. , n.

The p + 1 random variables are assumed to satisfy the linear model

yi 0 1xi1 2xi2 pxip + ui i = 1, 2, . . . , n

where ui are values of an unobserved error term, u, and. the unknown parameters
are constants.

Assumptions

 The error terms ui are mutually independent and identically distributed, with
mean = 0 and constant variances

E [ui] = 0 V [ui] =

 This is so, because the observations y1, y2, . . . ,yn are a random sample, they
are mutually independent and hence the error terms are also mutually
independent
 The distribution of the error term is independent of the joint distribution of x
i, x 2, . . . , x p
 0 1 2 p are constants.

Equations relating the n observations can be written as:

0 1 p can be estimated using the least squares
procedure, which minimizes the sum of squares of errors.

Minimizing the sum of squares leads to the following equations, from which the

57214143 smu-assignment-semester-1-complete

57214143 smu-assignment-semester-1-complete

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