Process and Purpose of Communication - Assignment Example

TASK i. The medium used should be Paper or electronic. The reason for this is that because preparing an estimate or billing a does not require immediate response and contains relatively detailed information, it can be easily done through the paper or electronic medium. Electronic medium would be the cheapest means, but its efficiency depends on availability of resources at the company’s and the customer’s side. The style used should be assertive because that is the healthiest form of communication, aiming to reach a mutual consensus between the two parties. ii. The customer should use the telephone as the communication medium. The reason for this is that he can easily communicate with the service provider regarding the issue and express his dissatisfaction without incurring additional costs of conveyance and wastage of time that he would otherwise occur if he were to opt for a face-to-face conversation as well. Ideally, an assertive style of communication should be adopted. However, the customer can use a passive-aggressive communication style as well to express his dissatisfaction in relatively more commanding manner so that the service provider takes a more a serious note of the issue and resolve it as soon as possible. iii. It is best to sympathize with the friend in a face-to-face conversation because it would also require physical contact to express love and affection during the condolence. This communication medium should be complimented with an assertive style to communicate clearly and show interest in strengthening the relationship. However, the personality of the friend who suffered the loss should also be considered. Sometimes, a person would prefer to be left alone after a tragedy such as this. In this case, a telephonic conversation could also suffice. iv. Congratulating someone should be done, preferably, through a face-to-face conversation or telephone if meeting in person is not feasible. Voice and visuals are important for effective communication especially when it involves emotions. This, coupled with an informal, assertive style of communication should be adopted v. Advertising for a job vacancy must be done in the most cost effective manner. Paper medium or electronic medium should be used as these medium would offer the company the more coverage across the biggest audience as compared to, for example, telephone messages. It would be very important to adopt an assertive style of communication following a more formal structure so as to give the applicants a feel of professionalism while offering them a healthy, relationship building, environment vi. It depends a lot on the type of product that is being advertised. For example, a Fast Moving Consumer Good (FMCG) would make more sense if advertised through television and newspaper as these media have a broader scope and cater to a wider audience. On the other hand, if the product was, say, a new photocopy machine for business use, then a more customized message could be delivered through using telephonic medium or face-to-face. Advertising requires manipulation. Therefore, even an aggressive style of communication could be used. vii. Dismissing an employee is a tough job for many managers as well as for the employee. The manager could brief the employee face-to-face, and in a private room, about his or her poor performance. This setup would also give the employee a chance to defend himself, that is, if the manager is willing to show flexibility in his or her decision. A formal style of communication should be used. Moreover, a written document to make the dismissal official should be handed over the employee viii. Urgency requires a prompt response. For this purpose, a face-to-face conversation to deliver the message must be the highest priority. An assertive style is most suitable in a work environment to maintain a healthy relationship in the office. TASK 2 I have come from China, a country with strong traditions. Before discussing my plan, I have to say something about my country. China has 5,000 years of history. Its cultures have affected me and my mind very much. When I arrived in UK, I joined the Cambridge University, which is the best university all over the world. Although I just studied in its language school, it felt very good. I learned a lot, not only from the school but also from the Cambridge society. That is why I chose Cambridge for my foundation course of English Language, specially made for overseas students to improve their English. I would like to study Business because when China joins the World Trade Organization (WTO), it would be very useful for China to have people with business knowledge. Therefore, I will choose Business foundation course, Mathematics and Computers because in today’s modern society, computer knowledge is very useful. I expect English vocabulary to be a big problem for me in the future. Therefore, I am planning to memorize as many words as I can. Also, I am willing to give more time to Mathematics considering I have never studied it before. Moreover, another problem I used to face was completion of homework on time. I would think that homework is not of any benefit so I would just leave it. This was a bad habit. However, the biggest problem for me has been homesickness. It would slow down my progress. Nonetheless, I understand that studying abroad is my own choice and that I will give it my best shot. TASK 3 Respected Chairman, There has been a terrible incident with one of our senior employees, Jack Foster who collapsed while working on a Fritwell project in Central Africa. Being threatened by his family with court action, this report summarizes the incident and proposes recommendations to cope with the situation. Jack Foster, a supervisor at the State Pharmaceutical Company plant, was 60 years old. He had been working on the project since its very early stages and therefore, urged the project manager to go to Africa even though the Project manager was in favor of sending his assistant in his place. According the family’s solicitor, Mr. Forster was a very hard working individual. He was fitter and tougher than many younger employees. His collapse at the site, therefore, caused a great shock to everyone. Following were the issues that have been raised by different sources regarding the incident: There were no special medical arrangements made by the company for the senior employees There was no doctor present on the site of the incident in Africa The nearest hospital was 100 kilometers away, which too, was poorly equipped The transfer of Mr. Foster back to UK was poorly arranged, involving two place changes that wasted time and was also rigorous for him Jack Forster’s family is extremely dissatisfied with the medical facilities present on site and in the vicinity and is threatening to raise these issues against Fritwell in the court. It would, therefore, be wise to communicate with the Mr. Foster’s family as soon as possible and solve the issues and misunderstandings with them before they file a lawsuit. I suggest the following recommendations: Conduct a meeting with Mr. Forster’s family and give them condolences on the company’s behalf. They must feel and understand that Mr. Forster is as dear to the company as he is to them and that the company taking every step possible to cure Mr. Forster. We must admit to our flaws regarding lack of medical facilities that were available in the vicinity of the plant in Africa instead of denying them. This would create an honest picture about the company in the minds of the Forster family. Furthermore, the family must be ensured that all medical expenses that are to occur would be paid by the company. In the meeting, the project manager must also be involved and should explain to the family that Jack Forster was actually advised not to go to Africa. In fact, it was at his own will that Forster went. This would also, indirectly, communicate to the family that Forster actually forced and stressed on going, and so their chances of winning a law suit against the company would decrease The family must feel the company’s involvement at all times to maintain a level of goodwill in the family. On recovery, or even death, Jack Forster should be awarded with a special honor to show gratitude for the services that he had provided for the company. I would suggest you to consider the above mentioned recommendations in dealing with the situation that we have in hand. Feel free to contact me for further information or clarification. Regards, Works Cited Communication Styles ( Series - Wonderworks). (2000). Wilson Learning Corporation. Lesikar, R. V., & Pettit, J. D. (1998). Report Writing for Business. Singapore: McGraw-Hill. Murphy, H. A., Hildebranot, H. W., & Thomas, J. P. (2008). Effective Business Communication. McGraw-Hill. Rose, J. (2007, Jan 21). Communication Styles. Retrieved February 4, 2010, from suite101: http://trainingpd.suite101.com/article.cfm/communication_styles Sachdeva, S. (n.d.). Effective Communication - Thats is just what I mean! Retrieved February 4, 2010, from Life positive: http://www.lifepositive.com/Mind/personal-growth/communicate/communication.asp Read More