Botswana College of Distance & Open Learning

Diploma in Business Management

Business Communication

Assignment: 2

Mmoniemang Motsele

Student No: 201060155

SECTION A

Question 1

1. B
2. A
3. D
4. A
5. D

Question 2

a) The accident happened about the same time as we learned the news
b) Botlhe and her staff believe in team work
c) Kgosi did excused himself from the meeting
d) Put the paper in the bottom tray
e) Is this the right size for me?

Question 3

a) T
b) F
c) T
d) T
e) F
f) F
g) T
h) F
i) T
j) T

Question 4

a) Proxemics- Moving closer to someone to show affection

b) Paralinguistic- Using a sarcastic of tone of voice

c) Semiology: Putting your hands in the air in order to get a turn to say something

d) Voluntary gesture: A mother pouring out breakfast cereal for her son

e) Kinesics: Smilling and nodding your head as you listen to a client.

Question 5 Organization: An organization is a social arrangement which pursues collective
goals, controls its own performance, and has a boundary separating it from its environment.

The purpose of an organization is to accomplish the goals and objectives as indicated

within the organization's vision statement. The mission statement will indicate how they
plan on reaching those goals and objectives.

a) Organizational communication: A program that focuses on general communication

processes and dynamics within organizations. Includes instruction in the development
and maintenance of interpersonal group relations within organizations; decision-making
and conflict management; the use of symbols to create and maintain organizational
images, missions, and values; power and politics within organizations; human
interaction with computer technology; and how communications socializes and
supports employees and team members. 

A major in Organizational Communication will help develop skills in oral, written, and
interpersonal communication along with critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Students interested in careers dealing with communication problems and opportunities
should major in organizational communication.

b) Span of Control: Span of Control is the number of people/subordinates that can be

effectively managed by one manager. It is an organizational theory term that refers to
how relationships are structured between leaders and subordinates in organizations. A
wide span of control exists when a person oversees many subordinates. A narrow
span of control exists when a leader oversees few subordinates.

 The optimal Span of Control is dependent upon a great number of factors, some of which
include:

 The nature of the work of the subordinates.

 The skills, capabilities, experience, seniority, qualifications of the subordinates.
 The skills, capabilities, experience, seniority, qualifications of the manager.
 The use of information technology.
 The detail at which work rules and procedures have been formalized and are known by
the subordinates.

c) Staff Authority: Staff authority is the right to advise or counsel those with line
authority. For example, human resource department employees help other
departments by selecting and developing a qualified workforce. A quality control
manager aids a production manager by determining the acceptable quality level of
products or services at a manufacturing company, initiating quality programs, and
carrying out statistical analysis to ensure compliance with quality standards. Therefore,
staff authority gives staff personnel the right to offer advice in an effort to improve line
operations.
 d) Line Authority: Line authority flows down the chain of command. For example, line
authority gives a production supervisor the right to direct an employee to operate a
particular machine, and it gives the vice president of finance the right to request a
certain report from a department head. Therefore, line authority gives an individual a
certain degree of power relating to the performance of an organizational task.
Two important clarifications should be considered, however, when discussing line
authority:
(1) Line authority does not ensure effective performance.
(2) Line authority is not restricted to line personnel. The head of a staff department has
line authority over his or her employees by virtue of authority relationships between the
department head and his or her directly-reporting employees.

SECTION B

Question 1 A)

Five types of group leaders

a) Sapiential Leader: This leader is the one who is wise or have knowledge of the subject.
It can be formal or informal. In some cases it may work out that a group has both a
formal leader and a sapential leader

b) Emergent leader: In some informal groups there is no specific provision for electing a
leader and the group decides on the procedure during the meeting. In such cases the
leader can emerge by group consensus or by someone taking on the role of leader

c) Appointed Leader: The appointed leader is commonly found in business. Where a more
senior person will designate someone as a group leader. Similarly the leader of sub-
committees and ad ho committees are usually appointed by the main committees

d) Elected leader: Where the leader is democratically elected by members of the

committee. A corollary to this, the leader may be dismissed by the group in certain
circumstances, e.g. by a vote of no confidence

e) Leader by rotation: It occurs when leader changes after fixed period. Some inter-
department committees use this system to demonstrate that no particular department is
senor to another. Political negotiation groups sometimes make similar arrangements.
Question 1 B)

When people are working together it's inevitable that they will be influenced by each other.
This can have a significant effect on the efficiency of group problem solving.

The advantages of group problem solving can include:

Greater output

Simply because of the number of people involved, each with differing experience, knowledge,
points of view and values, a larger number and variety of ideas for solving a problem can be
produced.    

Cross fertilization

The exchange of ideas can act as a stimulus to the imagination, encouraging individuals to
explore ideas they would not otherwise consider.

Reduced bias

The shared responsibility of a group in arriving at decisions can encourage individuals to

explore seemingly unrealistic ideas and to challenge accepted ways of doing things. Individual
biases and prejudices can be challenged by the group, forcing the individual to recognize
them. Group pressure can also encourage individuals to accept that change is needed.

Increased risk taking

Shared responsibility makes individuals more willing to take risks. The discussion of different
points of view also helps the group to be more realistic in assessing the risks associated with
particular courses of action.

Higher commitment

When goals are agreed it gives a common purpose to the group, within which individuals can
gain a feeling of self-determination and recognition through their contribution. Individuals who
have contributed to finding a solution feel a greater commitment to its successful
implementation.

Improved communication

When people who are affected by a problem or who will be involved in implementation are
involved in finding a solution, they will know how and why that particular solution was chosen.
Also, people with knowledge relevant to the problem can communicate that knowledge
directly if they participate in solving the problem.
Better solutions

Groups of individuals can bring a broad range of ideas, knowledge and skills to bear on a
problem. This creates a stimulating interaction of diverse ideas which results in a wider range
and better quality of solutions.

The disadvantages of group problem solving can include:- 

Competition

Most people working in a group unconsciously perceive the situation as competitive. This
generates behavior which is destructive and drains the creative energy of the group. For
example, we often perceive disagreement with our ideas as a put-down. The natural reaction
is to regain our self-esteem, often by trying to sabotage the ideas of those who disagreed with
us. Instead of looking for ways to improve on their ideas we choose to destroy them.

Eager to express our own ideas, we may totally ignore what others are suggesting. Power-
seekers may use ploys such as highlighting flaws in others' arguments, barbed questions and
displays of expertise to show their supremacy. These types of behavior create an atmosphere
which is incompatible with effective problem solving.

Conformity There is a strong tendency for individuals in a group to want to conform to the
consensus. This can be for a variety of reasons, including the need to feel liked, valued or
respected, and tends to make people censor their ideas accordingly. The comparative status
of the individuals present also has an important influence. Senior members often want to
maintain their image of being knowledgeable, while junior members want to avoid appearing
the inexperienced 'upstart'. Because agreement on ideas can be gained quickly in a group
setting, groups tend to select and approve solutions quickly, without exploring all the
possibilities.

Lack of objective direction

Most traditional meetings and group discussions convened to solve problems are ineffectively
directed. Sometimes there is no effective leader to give direction to the discussion, with the
result that it wanders aimlessly. Even when there is strong leadership, the group leader or
chairman often exerts undue pressure on the direction and content of the discussion. In
addition, the ideas aired during a meeting are not usually recorded, apart from the minutes
and individual note-taking, with the result that many ideas are forgotten and cannot act as a
constant stimulus to the discussion.

Time constraints

Group problem solving is a relatively slow process compared with working alone. It requires
individuals to come together at an agreed time, usually for about one hour, and this can cause
organizational problems as well as impatience amongst participants to 'get it over with' as
quickly as possible.

Question 2

Driving a car can change a person making a monster out of a man or woman. It exposes you
spicy language widening you vocabulary greatly. Soon you are an expert at exchanging
insults shocking family and friends traveling with you. You cannot bear to be overtaken, often
breaking the speed limit to even the score. After sometime, you may realize lunacy of it all
reverting to your sane self. You start to drive sensibly learning to return rudeness with
courtesy
Question 3

Preparing a Press release

Write the headline. It should be brief, clear and to the point: an ultra-compact version of the
press release’s key point.

News release headlines should have a "grabber" to attract readers, i.e., journalists, just as a
newspaper headline is meant to grab readers. It may describe the latest achievement of an
organization, a recent newsworthy event, a new product or service. For example, "XYZ Co.
enters strategic partnership with ABC Co. in India & United States."

Headlines are written in bold and are typically larger than the press release text. Conventional
press release headlines are present-tense and exclude "a" and "the" as well as forms of the
verb "to be" in certain contexts.

The first word in the press release headline should be capitalized, as should all proper nouns.
Most headline words appear in lower-case letters, although adding a stylized "small caps"
style can create a more graphically news-attractive look and feel. Do not capitalize every
word.

The simplest method to arrive at the press release headline is to extract the most important
keywords from your press release. Now from these keywords, try to frame a logical and
attention-getting statement. Using keywords will give you better visibility in search engines,
and it will be simpler for journalists and readers to get the idea of the press release content.

Write the press release body copy. The press release should be written as you want it to
appear in a news story.

Start with the date and city in which the press release is originated. The city may be omitted if
it will be confusing, for example if the release is written in New York about events in the
company's Chicago division.

The lead, or first sentence, should grab the reader and say concisely what is happening. The
next 1-2 sentences then expand upon the lead.

The press release body copy should be compact. Avoid using very long sentences and
paragraphs. Avoid repetition and over use of fancy language and jargon.

A first paragraph (two to three sentences) must actually sum up the press release and the
further content must elaborate it. In a fast-paced world, neither journalists nor other readers
would read the entire press release if the start of the article didn't generate interest.
Deal with actual facts - events, products, services, people, targets, goals, plans, projects. Try
to provide maximum use of concrete facts. A simple method for writing an effective press
release is to make a list of following things:

Communicate the 5 Ws and the H. Who, what, when, where, why, and how. Then consider
the points below if pertinent.

 What is the actual news?

 Why this is news.
 The people, products, items, dates and other things related with the
news.
 The purpose behind the news.
 Your company - the source of this news.

Now from the points gathered, try to construct paragraphs and assemble them sequentially:
The headline > the summary or introduction of the news > event or achievements > product >
people > again the concluding summary > the company.

The length of a press release should be no more than three pages. If you are sending a hard
copy, text should be double-spaced.

The more newsworthy you make the press release copy, the better the chances of it being
selected by a journalist for reporting. Find out what "newsworthy" means to a given market
and use it to hook the editor or reporter.

Include information about the company. When a journalist picks up your press release for
a story, he/she would logically have to mention the company in the news article. Journalists
can then get the company information from this section.

The title for this section should be - About XYZ_COMPANY

After the title, use a paragraph or two to describe your company with 5/6 lines each. The text
must describe your company, its core business and the business policy. Many businesses
already have professionally written brochures, presentations, business plans, etc. - that
introductory text can be put here.

At the end of this section, point to your website. The link should be the exact and complete
URL without any embedding so that, even if this page is printed, the link will be printed as it is.
For example: http://www.your_company_website.com. Companies which maintain a separate
media page on their websites must point to that URL here. A media page typically has contact
information and press kits.
Tie it together. Provide some extra information links that support your press release.

Add contact information. If your press release is really newsworthy, journalists would surely
like more information or would like to interview key people associated with it.

If you are comfortable with the idea of letting your key people being directly contacted by
media, you can provide their contact details on the press release page itself. For example, in
case of some innovation, you can provide the contact information of your engineering or
research team for the media.

Otherwise, you must provide the details of your media/PR department in the "Contact"
section. If you do not have dedicated team for this function, you must appoint somebody who
will act as a link between the media and your people.

The contact details must be limited and specific only to the current press release. The contact
details must include:

 The Company's Official Name

 Media Department's official Name and Contact Person
 Office Address
 Telephone and fax Numbers with proper country/city codes and
extension numbers
 Mobile Phone Number (optional)
 Timings of availability
 E-mail Addresses
 Web site Address

Press Release Sample

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Name
Company
Address
Phone
Website
E-mail
Headline brief description of the issue
Quesnel, B.C. – October 19, 2005 – Content starting with lead paragraph.
The body should contain 3-5 additional paragraphs describing only relevant and interesting
information regarding the subject. Try to include at least one quote.
For more information: website or
Contact: name
Phone: (###) ###-####
Email: **** @ *****

Question 4

RETURN FLIGHT TO JOHANNESBURG DELAYED. PLEASE ATTEND MEETING 16

DECEMBER 10.00 AM APOLOGIZE MY BEHALF ADD TO AGENDA SPECIAL PROBLEMS
CONCERNING WRITTEN MESSAGES PROPOSALS TO BE MINUTES FEEDBACK ASAP

FROM: MMONIE MOTSE

SIGNATURE OF SENDER ADDRESS: UNIVERSITY OF BOTSWANA

CORNER OF NOTWANE AND MABUTO ROAD

GABORONE

INITIALS AND SURNAME IN BLOCK LETTERS: M. MOTSELE

TELEPHONE 3555146