WORLD UNIVERSITY OF BANGLADESH

Course Code: BUS-404

Final Assessment

Submitted To
Samia Islam
Assistant Professor
Department of Business Administration
World University of Bangladesh

Submitted by
MD. Riad Uddin
Roll: 4068
Batch: 59/b
Bachelor of Business Administration
 Ans. to the Ques No 1

Effective communication is a process of exchanging ideas, thoughts, knowledge and information

such that the purpose or intention is fulfilled in the best possible manner. In simple words, it is
nothing but the presentation of views by the sender in a way best understood by the receiver.

Organization Description:

The following assessment is directed towards evaluation of the case of a multinational organization
head office USA which deals with of company manufactures and distributes various types of
equipment with a local and international client. Organizations have The Company has 7000
employees in five countries namely USA, Canada, India, Australia and Egypt. Organizations have
more than 1 million customers worldwide.

Analysis:

The case of the selected organization in this report reflects profoundly on the communication
challenges such as ineffective use of social media for improved support for teams in the organization
to develop knowledge bases, sharing information and ideas as well as supporting the management
of tasks. Notable impacts of corporate communication in the case of the selected organization are
identified in limitations for acquiring quality feedback from clients that could cater the needs for
improvement in service delivery and product quality. The organization also experiences pitfalls in
intercultural communication that are responsible for large-scale setbacks in the form of lack of trust
and misunderstanding among employees in the different geographical jurisdictions where the
organization operates.

1) Ineffective use of social media:

Social media refers to websites and applications that are designed to allow people to share content
quickly, efficiently, and in real-time. Many people define social media as apps on their smartphone
or tablet, but the truth is, this communication tool started with computers. The use of social media
has become a common and mandatory element in the society due to its notable involvement with
the behaviour and lifestyles of people. The effectiveness of social media as a tool for personal
communication is considered as one of the prominent reasons for its increasing popularity.

Primary elements that can be identified in social media are blogs, social networking sites and social
search applications and platforms. The explicitly accessible and scalable communication
technologies identified in social media are responsible for the capability of social media for
introduction of formidable and substantial changes in communication between individuals,
communities, and organizations.

Social media describes a variety of collaborative online applications and technologies that are
created, initiated, circulated and used by community on collaborative fashion and educating
purposes about products, brands, services, personalities and other issues. The emerging new
internet-based communication may help to promote business if it is done in correct way: adding
value, helping to solve problems, educating and etc. In other case may arise risks, which can have
negative effect on organizations’ actions. The most negative aspect of social media is lack of
information control. Therefore organizations should plan social media implementation process.
When constructing the communication model in social media it is important to evaluate three
aspects of communication in social media:

 Communication between business organizations and consumers;

 Consumer-to-consumer communication;
 Communication between consumer and business organizations (feedback).

The implications of transparency could also be identified as a core principle of social media which is
identified in the form of references to the facilities for viewing, utilizing, reusing, improving,
validating or critique of the content that is distributed on social media. The defining characteristic of
independence in the case of social media could not be undermined as it specifically relies on the
facilities for users to contribute independently without the involvement of another participant. The
other core principles associated with the significance of social media are persistence and emergence
which implies that content is provided in a persistent state enabling users to view, distribute and
improve the content.

2) Lack of quality feedback:

Feedback can be defined as the reaction of the destination or the receiver to the source or sender of
a message through direct or indirect channels. In the context of business communication, feedback
within the internal, as well as external contexts of the organization, facilitates adequate scope for
improvement of business operations and their effectiveness in catering the sustainability of a firm.
The necessity of customer feedback is viewed from a significant perspective as it is aligned with the
identification of the customer’s perception regarding a specific brand on the grounds of their
experience of the brand’s products and services thereby impinging formidable impacts on the
business of the organizations. Customers have noticeable influence over the selection of brand
according to their choices which are based on positive experiences of the brand’s products and
services. Therefore companies are interested in collecting information and feedback from customers
regarding the different transactions of customers with the brand and general attitudinal data that
can be leveraged for accomplishing the objective of improving customer experience.

3) Intercultural communication:

“Intercultural communication is the study and application of knowledge on cultural perceptions and
symbol systems of people belonging to different cultures”. Lacking in intercultural communication
can lead to the insult of the culture and people involved. Especially for business people or people
providing services in the areas out of their culture. People interpret messages based on their culture,
so what you mean might not be what the other person understands. The implications of culture
could be identified through Hofstede’s model which conceptualizes culture as a combination of four
distinct elements such as heroes, symbols, values, and rituals. Symbols are reflective of images,
gestures, objects, and language that are recognized in specific cultures. Heroes could be identified in
imaginary or real persons that are revered in a culture and are generally assumed as benchmarks for
social behaviour. The element of Rituals reflects on the mandatory activities that are exercised at
free will in a particular culture and can be defined in examples of religious customs or expressing
respect to other people. These three facets are considered visible element of culture while the
aspect of values forms the core component of culture and is generally vested in the preferences or
tendencies of people to act in specific manners according to difference in situations.

Example:

Language difference makes international business companies difficult to adjust to local environment
and culture. For instance, Coca-Cola Company once tried to find a phonetic equivalent of their brand
to be used in China and thought of using KeKou-KeLa. But the meaning of the terms made them
change their decision as the direct translation of those words would be “bite the wax tadpole” or
“female horse stuffed with wax”.

Similarly, direct translations of one language to another can cause problems like the ad of General
Motors “Body by Fisher” could be translated into “Corpse by Fisher” in Flemish language. Another
example is an advertisement of wine translated into Swiss from English which said “Our wines leave
you nothing to hope for.”

In non-verbal communication also these kinds of problems might arise. For instance, “thumbs up”
sign is taken as a symbol to say okay in most cultures but it has offending meanings in Iran, Latin
America, and some other cultures.

Conclusion:

The assessment presented an introductory statement for the tasks that would be undertaken in the
report with prominent emphasis on the scope and primary objective of the report alongside a
description of the case of the multinational organization that is considered for evaluation. Then the
report presents a literature review that helps in evaluation of the issues in communication
encountered by the organization that leads to development of suitable recommendations that are
presented in the final section of the report.

Ans. To the Ques No 2 (A)

Communication is a skill that plays a very important role at workplace since ability to communicate
effectively is central to healthy organizational relations and ultimately organizational success. Thus,
training in one such skill is a key aspect of any business or organization. In this article we will discuss
in detail about communication skills training.

Communication Skills in Organizations:

Communication plays a very important role in organizations. Business communication refers

to information shared between people within and outside an organization, performed for the
commercial benefit of the organization. It can also be defined as sending and receiving of
information within a business by its people. Communication skills involve the ability to be able to
make formal as well as informal, and verbal and non-verbal communication effectively.
Communication skills are an essential tool in achieving productivity and building effective teams in
organizations and hence communication skills are important to the success of any organization. They
help companies to be productive and function effectively. Employees who possess these skills can
sustain healthy work relations and are able to produce good performance. Since communication
takes place in three directions: upward, downward and lateral, communication skill is the ability to
carry out communication in all these directions effectively.

Communication Skills Training:

Communications training or communication skills training refer to various types of training to

develop necessary skills for effective communication. Training in communication skills is important
to all organizations. Trainers of communication skills develop communication skills employees
already have, rather than focusing on what is absent, while trainees try to alter their communication
style to be more efficient and productive.

Communication skills training focuses on the following key skills that every effective
communicator must possess:

Active listening: Active listening is one of the most important skills to carry out effective
communication. Being observant and a good listener is very important in verbal communication. An
individual should be able to show interest in what is being said and try not to interrupt.

Being Empathetic: People who communicate with a cordial tone always have the advantage since
we are unknowingly attracted to people who are friendly and make us feel good. Also,
understanding the perspectives and emotions of other people is also important to good
communication.

Being Confident: If you appreciate your true abilities, confidence comes from within. Speaking with
confidence includes the right words to speak, the tone of your voice, your gestures and also your eye
contact. It is important to be confident in one’s beliefs and opinions and express them in an assertive
manner.

Purpose of Communication Skills Training

Communication skills are important in every aspect of the work environment and training in
communication skills is essential as communication skills have to be developed and improved
continuously to be effective in business.

The purpose of communication skills training are –

Healthy Industrial Relation: Effective communication skills help foster mutual understanding and
maintain peace and harmony at work. Training is provided in communication skills that results in
satisfied employees at workplace.

Effective Performance: Communication skills training also aims to enhance performance at work.
Good communication enhances self-confidence and ultimately performance.

Facilitates Leadership: Leaders who possess good communication skills are able to interact well with
followers, guide and inspire others and are able to carry out other leadership functions effectively.
Decision Making: Decision making is one of the most important aspects of any business or
organization. Training in communication skills plays an important role as it helps leaders as well as
followers express their opinions and take decisions collectively, in a participative manner.

Cooperation and Collaboration: Co-operation and collaboration are important aspects in

organizations. Training in communication skills helps employees to communicate assertively in a
team situation and to get the work done.

Importance of Communication Skills Training

Being an efficient communicator needs real skills. Communication skills have to be developed and
improved continuously to be effective in business and hence communication skills training are very
important for successful collaboration in the workplace.

The main purpose of communication skills training is to teach employees the basics of effective
workplace communication. At the end of the training, the trainees are able to understand the
importance and benefits of workplace communication and enhance their communication skills, and
thus maintain healthy work relations and foster performance.

Efficient communication is the basis of efficient teamwork. Communication skills training teaches the
trainees to be interactive which involves both speaking and listening and being empathetic to the
emotions and opinions of others.

Communication skills training teach employees how to control their emotions and consider the
needs of others. These programs are designed to help the employees learn the secrets of growth
during change and ensuring a successful future for their organization.

Conclusion: Communication is a key aspect of any successful business and organization. Training in
communication skills is important as communication forms the core of healthy work relations and
good performance. It is important to possess good communication skills for both leaders as well as
employees to progress and achieve common goals, and thus training programs in effective
communication skills serve the purpose.

Ans. To the Ques No 2(B)

Communication is the heart of every organization. Everything you do in the workplace results from
communication. Therefore good reading, writing, speaking and listening skills are essential if tasks
are going to be completed and goals achieved. As you develop your career you will find various
reasons why successful communication skills are important to you, for example:

Benefits of effective communication: The most successful organizations understand that if they are
to be successful in today’s business world, good communication at all levels is essential. Here is a
useful mnemonic to remember the benefits you and your organization can achieve from effective
communication:
  Stronger decision-making and problem-solving.
 Upturn in productivity.
 Convincing and compelling corporate materials.
 Clearer, more streamlined workflow.
 Enhanced professional image.
 Sound business relationships.
 Successful response ensured.

Conclusion: Communication is a key aspect of any successful business and organization. Training in
communication skills is important as communication forms the core of healthy work relations and
good performance. It is important to possess good communication skills for both leaders as well as
employees to progress and achieve common goals, and thus training programs in effective
communication skills serve the purpose.

Ans. To the Ques no 3

Does digitalization change our modes of interaction?

We are differentiating different types of communication based upon the functionality of the media.
Email is still very useful for some kinds of communications. Platforms are also wonderful for other
things. In scientific communications, digital communications have accelerated communications and
distributed them much more widely. The connections reflect human network structures which
emerge from the needs dictated by the tasks at hand. Most often, in research, people have met
face-to-face and then continue communications via media. Humans still have limitations of attention
and affiliation, but we have extended the geography of people with whom we connect, and, most
likely, we have expanded the number of people we actually work with. So, yes, we have changed,
but mostly based on the human needs rather than the technology.

What extent the routine use of digital communication media changes our modes of interaction
themselves.

Digital technology also has a positive impact on the fundamental aspects of our culture, including
health care, law enforcement, art, education, mobility and religion. For example, the technological
advancements in the health care industry have provided doctors with the opportunity to treat
patients in a virtual environment by using mediums like video conferencing. Video conferencing also
plays an important role in the legal environment. It enables judges to listen to the cases of criminals
who cannot enter courtrooms because of security reasons.

Digital technology also has a negative impact on society. For instance, advancements in digital
technology often lead to destruction of creativity. The introduction of new technologies can also
impact the economy in a negative way. For instance, television can consume several productive
hours that people have in a day. The long term consequences of digital technology are not always
foreseeable.