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Seat No.: Enrolment
GUJARAT TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY
MBA SEMESTER 1 EXAMINATION WINTER 2018
Subject Code: 4519203 Date:27/12/2018
Subject Name: Managerial Communication
Time: 10:30 AM To 01:30 PM Total Marks: 70
Instructions:
1. Attempt all questions.
2. Make suitable assumptions wherever necessary.
3. Figures to the right indicate full marks.
Q.1 Define the following: 14 Marks
Haptics
Kinesics
Vocalics
Proxemics
Gesture
Posture
Oculesics
Q.2(a) Business communication is very crucial for the success of any organization in this
competitive world. Explain the advantages and disadvantages of technology in business
communication.
You have newly joined a company, on the second day of your work your boss calls you and
ask to join a video conferencing meet with few other employees and clients. Somehow you will
not be available at office on that day, so you request your boss to allow you to join the meeting
from home. What etiquettes and rules will you follow while joining the video conferencing
meet from home?
OR
You have joined a Media company where you have to frequently give presentations to your
clients. You are aware about the stage fear which you face while giving any formal
presentation, but you don't want to make a bad impression in your office by saying no for
presentation. What strategies will you follow to improve your Public speaking?
Q.3.a. Explain the 7 principle of business communication support your answer with
relevant examples
Q.3.b You have visited one of your office branches in a different city and you noticed that the
employees of the branch are very careless about their dressing and shabbily dressed up. What
measures will you take to correct them? List out the tips you would like to give them for
business scenario dress codes
OR
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Q.3.a What do you understand by the term "Business Letters". Compare and contrast why
written communication with Oral Communication.
Q.3.b You are a chief engineer (construction) at Shubh Mills, your company recently
constructed a new administrative building on a 5 acre plot, you have landscaped the unused 4
acres with walkways, fountains and lawns for employees to enjoy during their lunch hours and
before and after work. Your lovely campus like site is one of the locations within the city limit.
The mayor of the city is re-running for the election. He has written to you seeking permission
to hold a public rally come fundraiser on your grounds. They will take care of all catering,
cleaning, security related activities. You don't want to give your place for a political activity
for various reasons. Write a letter to your mayor to decline his request
Q.4.a. The flow of Information and instructions is very complex in any organization. Do you
agree that grapevine communication cannot be completely eliminated from organizations if yes
then what should be the manager's role control the grapevine communication.
Q.4.b You are a manager in a hotel one of your new prospective customer wants to know about
the facilities available in a hotel write a single page report to be send it to the customer
OR
Q.4.a Explain the process of business communication. Discuss the communication barriers that
lead to communication breakdown in any organization and ways to overcome those barriers.(7)
Q.4.b The Managing Director of four Sigma computers is disgusted by the behavior of Mr
Kiran Gupta, sales representative of the company as he has misbehaved with a female
employee of the company who intern has lodged a complaint against him. This is not the first
time Mr Gupta has behaved in this fashion, therefore he receives a Fax message marked
confidential which gives him the last warning. Is this a right way of communication for such
incidents? if not then what would have been the appropriate action.
Q.5 CASE STUDY: 14 Marks
Image and Rumours at Procter and Gamble
Since the late 1970 Procter and gamble has been plagued by rumours connecting the company
with Satanism and Devil worship. The rumours have come into 2 cycles: from late 1981 to end
of the summer of 1982, and from the autumn of 1984 into early 1985. Procter and Gamble
primarily manufactures and distributes household products including crest toothpaste and
pampers disposable diapers. The company attributes its success to developing products based
on consumers needs and promoting these products with extensive advertising. It contacts
consumers through an extensive network of toll free telephone numbers and market research
projects.
The first rumor that surfaced was that the company was owned by the Church of Satan. The
"proof" of this relationship was Procter and Gamble hundred year old trademark, a quarter
moon and 13 stars. Procter and Gamble was not overly concerned until late October 1981,
when a second rumor began to circulate. It claimed that John Smale, President and Chief
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Executive had appeared on the "Phil Donahue Show" or a similar talk show where he
supposedly stated that he was a member of the church of Satan, that the company contributed
money to the church and that there are not enough Christians in the world to stop it'. He had
never been on any such program of course, But the rumors also urged a boycott of all Procter
and Gamble products.
Calls began flooding the toll free telephone lines asking about the legitimacy of the rumours.
Most of the calls were from retailers informing the company that some customers were
Returning Procter and gamble products or asking why the goods were not being taken off the
shelves. Employees were being threatened and some had their tires slashed.The number of calls
peaked at 15000 in July 1982. Procter and Gamble counter attacked by sending out a factsheet
to 48000 churches in Southern US. This group was targeted because the rumours were being
spread by fundamentalist religious groups mostly in the south. The company also enlisted the
aid of certain members of the clergy including Rev Jerry Falwell, President of moral majority
and Rev Donald E Wildmon, Chairman of a coalition for better television. These clergyman
issued statements discrediting the rumours and suggesting that people continue using Procter
and gamble products.
The company also obtained statements from television Talk Show producers confirming that
no one from Procter and gamble had appeared on their programs. The rumours died down and
the number of calls decreased to 30 or 40 a month after the success of this counter attack.
Procter and gamble was surprised when the number of call suddenly jump to 1000 in
September 1984 and then tripled to 3000 in October. This time the rumours concerned the
company's Trademark and its supposed symbolism in devil worship and S a t a n i s m.
Unlike the first wave of calls these calls seemed to come from across the country Procter and
gamble began sending around media information kits similar to those used previously
containing a brief history of the logo. They included letters from the producers of the television
talk shows and letters from the clergymen. Company also sent a security team to track the
rumors' source and to look for the patterns in its transmission. They even threatened to sue
anyone caught spreading the rumour. How ever by spring 1985 the problem had gotten out of
control the company was forced to change the logo which was then 103 years old. Observers
agreed that this was the right move because historical rumours can outlast recent explanations
and even lawsuits. By the time the logo had been changed the company had spent several
hundred thousands dollars on anti rumour public relations and on extra telephone staff to
handle calls on the matter.The final result was that the company lost a historical symbol that
had stood for trustworthy reliable products to millions of consumers for over a hundred years.
Questions
Q.5.a what category of communication is Procter and gamble concerned with in this case
Q.5.b what change, if any would you have recommended for the company's initial strategy in
1982 who to stop the rumours.
OR
Q.5.a where the toll free telephone lines advantages or disadvantages to the company
Q.5.b so do you agree with the decision of Procter and gamble to change their established logo
justify your view.