MCM603_Professional Business Communication-1

Technology Enabled Communication 93 UNIT 4 TECHNOLOGY ENABLED COMMUNICATION Structure: 4.0 Learning Objective 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Email 4.3 Mobile Messaging 4.4 Teleconferences 4.5 Social Media 4.6 Summary 4.7 Key Words/Abbreviations 4.8 Learning Activity 4.9 Unit End Questions (MCQ and Descriptive) 4.10 References 4.0 Learning Objective After studying this unit, you should be able to: z Describe the way of writing emails. z Understand how mobile can be used for messaging. z Explain how to conduct teleconferences. z State the different forms of social media. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

94 Professional Business Communication-I 4.1 Introduction Technology has become part of our life. For business managers, the uses of technology in day-to-day communication are very immense. As part of the work, managers are required to talk to subordinates, peers and superiors. They use oral and verbal media in formal and informal contexts and communicate through, upward, downward and horizontal channels. Recent developments in technology led to emergence of telephone, e-mail, SMS, MMS, videoconferencing, web-based communication tools, social media and e-commerce (Table 4.1). They are now frequently used tools in workplace communication. Therefore, it is imperative for managers, to know the technology in addition to acquiring skills of communication. Table 4.1: Technology based communication tools Type Tools Telephone based Telephone, mobile phones, Fax, SMS, MMS, Web based tools Internet telephony, Voice over internet protocol (VOIP), Instant Social media tools messaging, Email, Internet relay chat, Video conferencing, etc. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Linked In, YouTube, etc. 4.2 E-mail E-mail is a system of electronic correspondence by which users send and receive messages at any time and from any place in the world. Benefits The benefits of email are many. z Variety of messages: The message may take different forms - short notes, greetings or large texts. They can be enriched or appended with graphics, photographic images, video or audio clips. z Convenient: Messages can be sent to any one at any time. The receiver need not be present at the other end. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Technology Enabled Communication 95 Writing E-mail: The email-writing format is the same for all kinds of communication. Figure 4.1 shows the format. Figure 4.2 presents you a sample email. From Sender’s email id To Recipient’s email id Cc Other individuals receiving the same mail with visible email ids Bcc Other individuals receiving the same mail with invisible email ids Subject Title or reason for writing mail Salutation Greeting with words like Hi, Respected Sir Body The main content of the mail Introduction Closing Detailed matter Attachments Conclusion Signature line Ending statement Attached files with emails Sender’s name, signature and contact details Fig. 4.1: Format of E-mail To: maruti@gmail. com Cc: Bcc: Subject: Sales executive –REF 213 Mr. Maruti, Maruti Consumer Goods Tirupati-517502. Dear Mr. Maruti, Re: Sales Executive –REF 213. I am writing with reference to the above vacancy, which was advertised in Indian Express, 20th of January. I offer myself as a candidate and hope that you will consider my candidature. For the last two years, I have been working as Salesman at Eagle Cosmetics, Chennai. I have gained good understanding of business operations, consumer behavior and team work. I have passion for sales and keep myself up to date on the latest trends in business. Recently, I have acquired a post –graduate degree in Marketing management. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

96 Professional Business Communication-I I firmly believe that with my background and experience, I can make valuable contribution to your company. Thank you and I look forward to meeting you. Yours sincerely (Name) Fig. 4.2: Sample E-mail Email usage policy An effective email policy will encourage productive communications while protecting a company from productivity decline, legal liability, reputation damage, and security breaches. The following guidelines comprise potential components of a company email policy, 1. Business mail is for business only: Your policy should be clear that the use of a business email address is for business only. Some exceptions may be considered. There may be times when a personal matter might be discussed on a business account. 2. Managers have right to monitor: Any email that is sent, received, created, or stored on a company’s computer system is admissible in a legal case. As an employer, you have the right to monitor your employees’ use of email. However, it is legally important to ensure they are aware of potential monitoring. 3. Awareness of security threats is a must: It is critical to ensure your employees are aware of security threats through training and by enforcing smart email protocols as part of your policy. Some simple rules may include: z Be suspicious of unknown links or requests sent through email or text messages. z Don’t open email attachments from unknown sources, and only open attachments from known sources after confirming the sender. z Never click on links in emails. z Don’t respond to requests for personal or sensitive information via email, even if the request appears to be from a trusted source. z Verify the authenticity of requests from companies or individuals by contacting them directly. z Encrypt any proprietary or sensitive information sent via email. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Technology Enabled Communication 97 3. Ensure adherence to ethical conduct: Be explicit about the types of communications that are prohibited by company policy, primarily in the interest of avoiding bad or illegal behavior and protecting the company from liability. For example, you may want to specify that emails sent through your company’s system z May not be used to harass or make threats, nor be offensive or disruptive in nature. z May not include language or images related to race, gender, age, sexual orientation, pornography, religious or political beliefs, national origin, or disability. 4.3 Mobile Messaging In India, more than 85 per cent of people own a mobile phone. The emergence of smart phones with multiple features is responsible for this. Simply a smart phone is combination of phone, camera and laptop. The smart phones enable the users to do the following for example. z Phone: To make and receive calls. z Contacts: Store contact information. z Messages: Send and receive text and multimedia messages (SMS and MMS). z Camera: Take pictures and videos. z Gallery: To store pictures and images. z Notes: Keep track of appointments and important dates. z Planner: Make to-do lists. z Internet: Send and receive e-mail, search the Web, use different types of applications. z Music: Store and listen songs. z Computer applications: Use Ms Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. Short Message Services (SMS) It is the facility to send and receive the text messages to and from mobile telephone. SMS enables two or more individuals to use the Internet or an intranet (an internal corporate communication platform) to “chat” in real time by exchanging brief text-based messages. These CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

98 Professional Business Communication-I services will be supplied by a cell phone service provider or a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service. The free SMS apps most popular among mobile device users are Skype, Facebook Messenger, Whats-App, and Hangouts. SMS offer the following advantages. z Convenience: SMS is a convenient alternative to telephone calls, when the receiver is not reachable or engaged. It is also replacing e-mail which requires internet connection. z Real time communication: The major attraction is real time communication. Both sender and receiver can exchange a series of messages as the delivery is immediate and instant. z Speed: SMS is an instant messaging tool. It allows people to share information immediately and make decisions quickly. It is considered as productivity booster in organizations. z Group message facility: Enterprise-grade SMS application offers Group online chat capabilities. It allows members of far-flung project teams to communicate instantly. z Low cost: SMS is a low-cost substitute for voice calls. z Multiple uses: Basically, it is useful for friendly exchanges of information. Several organizations around the world are using it for providing news alerts, financial information, and product promotions to customers. Co-workers can locate each other by exchanging texts. SMS has its own limitations. They are explained here. z Limited content: SMS messages are limited to 160 characters - including spaces and punctuation. z Fear of loss of information: Some organizations fear loss of sensitive information. Employees using free consumer-grade instant messaging systems may reveal privileged information and company data. z Security: IT directors are worried about security risks posed by free consumer SMS services. Companies also worry about phishing (fraudulent schemes), viruses, malware (malicious software programs), and spam (instant messaging spam). CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Technology Enabled Communication 99 z Liability burden: A worker’s improper use of mobile devices may expose the organization to unbelievable legal liability. SMS can be used as evidence in lawsuits. z Compliance: Government regulators require storing or retaining of SMS exchanges for a certain period of time. Business organizations, therefore, must track and store messages to comply with legal requirements. Multi-Media Messaging (MMS) MMS is an enhanced version of SMS. The most common use involves sending photographs from camera-equipped handsets. Media companies use MMS on a commercial basis as a method of delivering news and entertainment content. Retailers have deployed it as a tool for delivering scannable coupon codes, product images, videos, and other information. The advantages of MMS can be enumerated as follows. z Enriched medium: SMS only supports text, whereas MMS supports images, videos and audio in your message. Also it allows you to embed more styles and format your text. z Higher level of personalisation: MMS messages can be personalised like the SMS. It can be exclusively circulated among a group of persons. A family group, for example, may share the messages and photos. z No length constraint: There is a character limit for MMS. It allows significantly longer messages between phones. However, there are disadvantages too. z Incompatibility: As feature phones are differently enabled, the problem of compatibility arises. The viewing of multi-media messages depends on the recipient’s phone. If the phone does not have supporting features, viewing is not possible. What may be an entertaining video for someone with an iPhone may be too hard to watch for someone with a feature phone. z Cost: Sending and receiving MMS messages may cost more. Costs vary depending on your cellular plan; some may define the MMS cost per message, while others do it per kilobyte. Messages are charged to both the sender and recipient. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

100 Professional Business Communication-I Guidelines for using of SMS or MMS on the Job In today’s workplace, SMS and MMS can definitely save time and simplify communication with co-workers and customers. Here are some dos and do nots. Some dos z Follow company policies: netiquette rules, code of conduct, ethics guidelines, as well as harassment and discrimination policies. z Use good grammar and correct spelling. Avoid jargon, slang, and abbreviations. They are unprofessional and confusing. z Separate business contacts from those of family and friends. z Keep your status up-to-date. Make yourself unavailable when you need to meet deadlines of your tasks. Some do nots z Don’t disclose sensitive financial, company, customer, employee, or executive data. z Don’t forward inappropriate photos, videos, and art. z Don’t download and use software without checking with your supervisor. z Don’t chat unnecessarily and know when to say goodbye. 4.4 Teleconferences Teleconferencing is also called as audio-conferencing, conference calling, or phone conferencing. A good number of people who are geographically dispersed are connected via telephone. An enhanced speakerphone will be used to confer with others by telephone. This kind of teleconferencing enables people at both ends to speak and be heard simultaneously. Teleconferencing is appropriate for companies, which engage in sales presentation, training and e-learning programmes, marketing seminars, new product launches, departmental meeting, company announcements, emergency and crisis management, etc. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Technology Enabled Communication 101 How is it conducted? The following steps are common in teleconferences. 1. Roll call to determine whether all participants are online. 2. Check whether the connection is clear. 3. Chairman verifies whether all participants have received the agenda and appropriate supplementary materials. If not, ensure the reach of them by an email. 4. The group works through the agenda. 5. Participants should introduce themselves every time they speak as they cannot see each other and recognize the voices. 6. Make notes of who said and what. 7. If a member has to quit for any reason, he or she should announce his departure before quitting. Advantages and Disadvantages Teleconferencing offers the following advantages. z Reduce travel costs and time associated with traditional meetings. z It results in quicker decision making. Consequently it results in higher productivity. The disadvantages of teleconferencing may be as follows. z Audio conferences do not permit use of visual cues. So there is loss of important information. z It is difficult to discuss complex information and make important decisions. 4.5. Social Media Social media has become a part of our daily communication. Social media began as a social communication medium of internet users and became a powerful marketing and external media for business organizations. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

102 Professional Business Communication-I Meaning Social media is the media that allows one to be social, or get social online by sharing content, news, photos etc. with other people. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary online, Social Media is defined as “forms of electronic communications (as Web sites for social networking and micro blogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (as videos).” All web based applications which allow for creation/exchange of user generated content and enable interaction between the users is “social media”. Technically, social media is a Web 2.0 internet-based application. Types of Social Media Social media may be classified into two categories based on their major focus – Relationship focused and Knowledge focused. (a) Relationship focused z Social Networking Sites: A social networking site is an online platform. It is used by people to build social relations with other people who share similar personal or career interests, activities, backgrounds or real-life connections. Examples: Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, Friendster, Google Plus, etc. z Micro blogging: Microblogs “allow users to exchange small elements of content such as short sentences, individual images, or video links”. These small messages are sometimes called microposts. Examples: twitter, tumblr.com, dipity.com, posterous.com, etc. z Online community sites: An online community is a virtual community whose members interact with each other primarily via the Internet. An online community can act as an information system where members can post, comment on discussions, give advice or collaborate. People may also join online communities through video games, blogs and virtual worlds. Examples: slickdeals.net, digitalpoint.com, shopify.com, etc. (b) Knowledge focused z Blogs: A blog is a discussion published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (“posts”). Posts are typically displayed in reverse CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Technology Enabled Communication 103 chronological order, so that the most recent post appears first, at the top of the web page. Examples: bloggersideas, yourstory, shoutmeloud, etc. z Internet forums: An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. Forums act as centralised locations for topical discussion. Examples: Wicked Fire, Warrior Forum, Self-Starters Weekly Tips Forum, Digital Point Forum, etc. z Q & A sites: These sites provide sharing of questions and answers among the registered members of the social network. Examples: quora.com, chegg.com, shacare.com, etc. Uses of Social Media for Businesses Social media offers excellent opportunities to promote products and build images. A brief outline of the uses of social media is given under. z Social media marketing: Social media is the ideal platform that can be used by all businesses to reach out to their target audience for marketing, advertising, selling, public relations, publicity, direct marketing and sales promotion. The major platforms used by businesses are Facebook, Google+, Linked In, YouTube, Twitter and Blogs. z Building online branding: Brand can be developed by incorporating the name, logo, colour schemes and tagline in the company website or blog prominently. The same “identity” can be repeatedly placed on all profile pages on other social media. z Building Relationships: Social media is the quick and cost-effective method for building customer relationships. By offering special discounts, rewards/freebies and sponsored events a company can build better relationships with customers online. z Creating word-of-mouth through Networking: Social media is synonymous term for Word-of-Mouth. Businesses can open profile pages on various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Blogs, Linked In and YouTube (just to name a few) and spread the word about their presence on these sites to gather more fans or followers. z Managing reputation online: Companies can make use of social media for promoting positive reputation. When there are any negative sentiments expressed on the Internet CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

104 Professional Business Communication-I businesses can counter them in an appropriate way. They can use online promotions to manage their online reputation and help to keep it positive. z Building Community around the company/product: A community is basically a closely- knit group of people who form around a common interest. A business can use the social media to build a community around its products/business. Vibrant communities create loyalty and encourage discussions, which can contribute towards business development and improvement. Effectiveness of social media There are two types of social media measurement as given here. 1. Ongoing analytics tracks activity over time. It provides a longitudinal measure of the overall pulse of general conversation about your brand and company. You can just let it run and check in regularly to see how everything is going on. 2. Campaign-focused metrics begin monitoring when the campaign begins and ends along with the campaign. It helps you understand the impact of targeted marketing initiatives. An effective social media measurement programme will include both types. Organizations may follow the given three step procedure for evaluating social media effectiveness. Step 1 - Determine your goals: The first step in your measurement plan should be defining your goal. Social media can serve a variety of purposes, such as broadcasting news and information, answering customer questions and engaging with a community. Decide the goal of the campaign. For Twitter chat the goals may be to spread awareness of the new product to potential customers and to know the parenting community on Twitter, particularly the influences in that community. Step 2 - Create metrics to measure these goals: The next step is to create metrics to measure. Here are a few suggestions to determine them. z Awareness: volume, reach, exposure, and amplification or spread. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Technology Enabled Communication 105 z Engagement: Re-tweets, comments, replies, and participants. z Traffic to website: URL shares, clicks and conversions. z Advocates and fans: Track contributors and influence. z Conversions: Number of visitors who responded (downloaded an e-book, participated in a contest, or subscribed to a newsletter or ordered a product). z Brand’s share of voice: Track your volume relative to your closest competitors. Step 3 - Measure and report: Some social media channels themselves provide some form of analytics. There are companies which track and report the measures. The measures can be used to evaluate the success of campaign in different media. 4.6 Summary Recent developments in technology led to emergence of telephone, e-mail, SMS, MMS, videoconferencing, web-based communication tools, social media and e-commerce. They are now frequently used tools in workplace communication. Emails have become a major communication tool. Manage inbox and reply emails immediately. Emails should be short. When long messages are necessary, they can be sent as attachments. Smart phones have revolutionised communication patterns. People are able to communicate at any time and from anywhere. Care is necessary not to disturb others and lose privacy. Short message services (SMS) and Multi-media messages (MMS) have become useful to be in touch with persons. They serve both formal and informal purposes of a short message. Teleconferencing is appropriate for companies which engage in sales presentation, training and e-learning programs, marketing seminars, new product launches, departmental meeting, company announcements, emergency and crisis management, etc. Social media is the media that allows one to be social, or get social online by sharing content, news, photos, etc., with other people. Social media may be classified into two categories based on their major focus - Relationship focused and Knowledge focused. Relationship focused tools include: Social Networking Sites, Micro blogging and online community sites. Knowledge CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

106 Professional Business Communication-I focused tools include: Blog, Internet forums, and Q & A sites. Social media offers excellent opportunities to promote products and build images. Social media effectiveness can be monitored either by on-going analytics or program specific analytics. 4.7 Key Words/Abbreviations z E-mail: It is a system of electronic correspondence by which users send and receive messages at any time and from any place in the world. z Short Message Services (SMS): It is the facility to send and receive the text messages to and from mobile telephone. z Multi-media Messaging (MMS): It is an enhanced version of SMS. The most common use involves sending photographs from camera-equipped handsets. z Teleconferencing: Teleconferencing, also called as audio-conferencing, conference calling, or phone conferencing enables a good number of people dispersed geographically, to speak and be heard simultaneously from both ends, with the help of enhanced speakerphone. z Social media: It refers to different forms of electronic communications (as Web sites for social networking and micro blogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (as videos). 4.8 Learning Activity 1. E-mail writing Instruction to students Step-1 Form into dyads. Step-2 Both the participants will assume they are freshers in MBA course and are looking forward to improving their communication skills. Both will prepare an e-mail of introduction to their instructor that includes the following. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Technology Enabled Communication 107 z Your reasons for taking this course z Your career goals temporary and long term z A brief description of your job preferences and your favourite activities. z An assessment and discussion of your current communication skills, including your strengths and weaknesses z A brief discussion of your familiarity with email, the internet, and other communication technologies. Step-3 Now both of you assume the role of instructor, who received both the mails. Step-4 As the instructor in receipt of the mail, you draft a reply in memo form. It includes the following assurances. z Communication is a wonderful course that excites everyone. z Students enjoy by participation and learning. z Students can expect from every instructor, support and attention. z Those who love working will never fail in life. z Any other point that highlights effectiveness of the training programme. 2. Texting exercise Here sample text messages used in marketing are given. Read them, prepare text messages accordingly, and write them in the last column, left blank. Focus Example Message prepared by you Customer loyalty Here’s a gift from Colgate Sales Hey Ram, thanks for being such a loyal alert customer. You deserve something special, so here is something awesome. (Nestle) Mary, do not miss this 80% off all regular priced accessories promo. The deal ends tonight at 8 pm, so come in before someone seizes that bracelet you have been eyeing. (Godrej) “Looking for a deal?” – Hindustan Unilever CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

108 Professional Business Communication-I 4.9 Unit End Questions (MCQ and Descriptive) A. Descriptive Types Questions 1. Give a classification of technology based communication. 2. Explain the use of SMS in business organizations. 3. Explain the use of MMS to business organizations. 4. Suggest a few guidelines on use of email by employees. 5. Examine the use of teleconferencing. 6. List the types of social media. B. Multiple Choice/Objective Type Questions 1. When you do not want the recipients to know who else received a copy of your email message. (a) Use blind copy (BCC) (b) Courtesy copy (CC) (c) String message (d) None of the above 2. For sending messages with photographs the appropriate vehicle is (a) SMS (b) MMS (c) Email (d) Facebook messenger 3. A system of meeting of people who are geographically dispersed are connected via telephone with the help of speaker phone is (a) Teleconferencing (b) Audio conferencing (c) Conference calling (d) All the above 4. Web 2.0 internet-based application that allow for creation/exchange of user generated content and enable interaction between the users is known as: (a) Video conferencing (b) Web conferencing (c) Social media (d) All the above CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Technology Enabled Communication 109 5. A discussion published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (“posts”) is (a) On line community site (b) Blog (c) Q & A sites (d) Twitter Answers 1. (a), 2. (b), 3. (d), 4. (c), 5. (b). 4.10 References Text Books 1. Krishnamacharyulu, C.S.G. and Lalitha Ramakrishnan (2014), Business Communication: Text, Cases and Laboratory Manual, 2/e, New Delhi: Himalaya Publishing House. 2. Thill, John V. and Bovee, Courtland L. (2013), Excellence in Business communication, 10/e, New Jersey: Pearson Education. 3. Guffey, M. E. and Loewy, D (2016), Essentials of Business Communication, 10/e, United States: Cengage Learning. Web Resources 1. Technology Enabled Communication - Tutorial – Vskills, Retrieved from https://www.vskills.in › certification › tutorial › business-communication 2. Use of Technology in Communication - Use of Technology Retrieved from https://www.useoftechnology.com › Techucation Reference Books 1. Johnson-Sheehan, Richard (2015), Technical Communication Today, 5/e, New York: Pearson Education. 2. Raman, Meenakshi & Sharma, Sangeetha (2015), Technical Communication: Principles and Practice, 3/e, New Delhi: Oxford University Press. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

110 Professional Business Communication-I 3. Monipally, Mathukutty. M (2013), Business Communication: From Principles to Practice, New Delhi: McGraw-Hill Education (India) Private Limited. 4. Mike Markel (2013), Practical Strategies for Technical Communication, Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 5. Amy Van Looy (2016), Social Media Management: Technologies and Strategies for Creating Business Value, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. 6. Laudon, K. C. & Traver, C.G. (2017), E-Commerce: Business, Technology, Society, 12/e, England: Pearson Education. 7. Scott Klososky (2011), Manager’s Guide to Social Media, New York: The McGraw Hill Companies. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Managerial Writings 111 UNIT 5 MANAGERIAL WRITINGS Structure: 5.0 Learning Objectives 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Technical Reports 5.3 Formal Reports 5.4 Project Reports 5.5 Documentation and Bibliography 5.6 Email Etiquette 5.7 Press Release 5.8 Summary 5.9 Key Words/Abbreviations 5.10 Learning Activity 5.11 Unit End Questions (MCQs and Descriptive) 5.12 References 5.0 Learning Objectives After studying this unit, you should be able to: z Explain how to write different types of reports. z State the guidelines for documentation and bibliography. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

112 Professional Business Communication-I z Be aware of the email etiquette. z Describe how to prepare a press release. 5.1 Introduction Most of us are familiar with reports. You may not use the word report in day-to-day activity, but you do report matters to one or other every day. For instance, if you have described at length how you have spent your holidays, you have given a verbal report. If you have told your parents your experience in college, it is also a report. Those accounts that appear in newspapers detailing with what has happened that day are also reports. In business parlance, the word ‘report’ has great significance. Superiors get reports from subordinates and consultants to make routine as well as non-routine decisions. You should therefore be aware of the use of reports in business context and acquire the skills of drafting good reports. 5.2 Technical Reports Technical report is a formal report designed to convey technical information. It is written with a defined purpose. A technical report (also scientific report) is a document that describes the process, status, progress, or results of technical or scientific research. It might also include recommendations and conclusions of the research. It adopts a structure that is divided into sections to make it clear and purposeful. Structure A technical report should contain the following sections: Section Details Title page The title page comes first when you write your report. The title page contains Summary the title of the report, the date and the institution details plus supervisor. This Contents first page is also referred to as the cover page. An overview of the whole report including the results and conclusions made. Numbers and lists all section and subsection headings with page numbers. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Managerial Writings 113 Introduction States the objectives of the report and comments on the way the topic of the report is to be treated. Leads straight into the report itself. Must not be a copy of the introduction in a laboratory handout. Body Divided into numbered and headed sections. These sections present the different ideas of the theme(s) in a logical order. Conclusions A short, logical summing up of the theme(s) developed in the main text Recommendations The recommendation usually comes after the conclusion. In the recommendation, you are supposed to suggest solutions to the challenges that are there in the body. This is where your opinion is welcomed. Acknowledgments In this section, list all the people that helped you in coming up with your report. This includes even those that proofread your work to make sure it is well written. This is a way of appreciating the effort of other people in your work. References Details of published sources of material referred to or quoted in the text (including any lecture notes and URL addresses of any websites used). Bibliography Other published sources of material, including websites, not referred to in the text but useful for background or further reading. Appendices Any further material which is essential for full understanding of your report (if appropriate) (e.g., large-scale diagrams, computer code, raw data, specifications, etc.) but not required by a casual reader Presentation For technical reports, the following presentation guidelines are recommended: Script The report must be printed single sided on white A4 paper. Margins Page numbers All four margins must be at least 2.54 cm. Binding Do not number the title, summary or contents pages. Number all other pages consecutively starting at 1. A single staple in the top left corner or 3 staples spaced down the left-hand margin. For longer reports (e.g., year 3 project report), binders may be used. Tips to Developing a Technical Report In writing technical report, care is necessary to make the report complete and authentic. Here are a few guidelines for making a good technical report. 1. Know your readers: Who is going to read the report? For coursework assignments, the readers might be fellow students and/or faculty markers. In professional contexts, the readers might be managers, clients and project team members. The answer will affect the CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

114 Professional Business Communication-I content and technical level, and is a major consideration in the level of detail required in the introduction. 2. Prepare an outline: In this phase, write the title of the topic. Think about it and list in a random way all the subtopics what your report is to cover. After listing, make a classification of the ideas or subtopics and arrange them in an order based on the relationships. Based on that, develop a rough outline of how the report should appear. 3. Gather information: Assemble all the sources that may be useful in creating content for your report. You can get all this in the library, notes or even in different educational websites and blogs. 4. Prepare first draft: The next step is writing the first draft. At this point, you only need to write the body inclusive of the headings and subheadings to the end. Include the number of reference material that you wish to use. Do not worry at this stage about style, spelling or word processing. If you get stuck, go back to your outline plan and make more detailed preparatory notes to get the writing flowing again. Make rough sketches of diagrams or graphs. Keep a numbered list of references as they are included in your writing and put any quoted material inside quotation marks. Write the Conclusion next, followed by the Introduction. Do not write the Summary at this stage. 5. Revise the draft: After you have completed with the first draft, you need to revise it to pinpoint where changes need to be done. The essence of a successful technical report lies in how accurately and concisely it conveys the intended information to the intended readership. Therefore, you should ensure that your report contains relevant and true information. Look at words, sentences and paragraphs. Make sure that the words are technically sound, sentences are grammatically right, and paragraphs are short and thematic. 6. Include diagrams, graphs, tables and mathematics: Support your verbal communication with non-verbal tools such as graphs and diagrams. Refer to any diagram, graph or table placed in the text by chapter number and the serial number of it. For example, the first graph in first chapter is mentioned as Graph 1.1. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Managerial Writings 115 Diagrams Keep them simple. Draw them specifically for the report. Put small diagrams after the text reference and as close as possible to it. Think about where to place large Graphs diagrams. Tables Mathematics Make use of graphs to portray relationships between variables and constants. Position them as close as possible to the text reference. Complicated tables should go in an appendix. Longer mathematical arguments, if they are really necessary, should go into an appendix. Consider the following examples: Figure 1.2: Graph of energy output as a function of wave height. In this example, the second diagram in Section 1 would be referred to by “...see figure 1.2…” Table 3.:1 Performance specifications of a range of commercially available GaAsFET devices In this example, the first table in Section 3 might be referred to by “...with reference to the performance specifications provided in Table 3.1…” Number equations as follows by giving chapter number and number of equation in brackets along side the equation as shown below. In this example, the sixth equation in Section 3 might be referred to (3.6). F(dB) = 10*log10(F) (3.6) 7. Use right font type: Avoid overusing different fonts in your work. You should use different fonts to pinpoint an idea that you want the reader not to miss on it. You can also use underlining and bolding to serve the same purpose. 8. Place headings and subheadings: The reader will be able to understand different points when you categorize them into small headings and sub-headings. Even when the reader may happen to have so little time with your report, the division will make them identify the major points. 9. Check for plagiarism: Whenever you make use of other people’s facts or ideas, you must indicate this by providing a list of references. Any phrases, sentences or paragraphs that are copied or unaltered must be enclosed in quotation marks and referenced by a CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

116 Professional Business Communication-I number. Material which is produced in your own words should also be referenced. It indicate the sources of information individually within the report using the reference numbering system. When proper acknowledgement of the source is not given, then it is assumed to be plagiarized. This is a serious offence. This rule applies equally to information obtained from the Internet. It is very easy to identify words and images that have been copied directly from websites. So, one should be careful in taking material from different sources and give credit to the original writer. 10. Write Summary: The summary, with the title, should indicate the scope of the report and give the main results and conclusions. 11. Proofreading: This refers to the checking of every aspect of a piece of written work from the content to the layout. Preferably, a person other than the writer may do proofreading. A writer may not be able to check well due to his emotional connect with what he had written. 5.3 Formal Reports Formal reports are usually long, elaborate and impersonal. They are bounded. The readership is large. Formal reports are classified as statutory and non-statutory reports. Annual report is a statutory report and it makes business legal. Other reports like progress report and market research reports are non-statutory. They are prepared to make decisions and operations effective. Formal reports generally are bound, expensive to produce and attractive to view. They sometimes contain illustrations or photographs. Formal reports may not be read entirely because of their length and formality; they are hence supported by oral briefing. Here, we will consider how two formal reports – Annual report (statutory) and Appraisal report (non-statutory) can be prepared. (i) Annual Report Annual reports are mandatory being statutory. In accordance with the company law, every registered company is required to publish its balance sheet and profit and loss account within a prescribed period. Annual reports are regularly brought out by business organizations to detail the progress achieved during the reporting period. The target audience includes various stakeholders like employees, clients, patrons and the public in general. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Managerial Writings 117 They are important from the point of view of information sharing with shareholders and building image in public. Structure A typical annual report of a large organization would cover the following details: z Names and addresses of Board of Directors z Top management team z Names of auditors z Progress at a glance z Performance highlights and working results z Director’s report z Accounting policies adopted z Balance sheet z Profit and loss account z Schedules to be annexed to the balance sheet z Notes on account, wherever necessary z Auditor’s report z Commentary on the financial statements z Ratios and statements z Remuneration paid to the top management z Changes in the Board z Acknowledgement There could be some additions or deletions to this list depending upon the nature of the organizations and the regulatory requirements. For example, chairman’s statement or message is often included in some annual reports. In fact, some chairman’s statements, like that of Hindustan CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

118 Professional Business Communication-I Unilever, are so erudite, and insightful in terms of providing economic and industry status reports, and even management thoughts and HRD dimensions. Tips to Make Annual Report The following are some relevant tips which when followed, would help make the annual report elegant and appealing. z Clearly bring out the progress/strengths relevant to the reporting year. Avoid repetition of the previous year’s sentences and paragraphs. z Take a re-look at the headings and sub-headings, and make appropriate changes. z Good annual reports are distinctive in terms of language and expression used. One has to learn the skill of narrating even routine developments in a forceful manner. z Avoid using long sentences. Do not combine several developments. Make the sentences brief and specific. z Ensure proper grouping of various sub-heads under each main heading like business growth, profitability, HRD, international operations, subsidiaries, etc. z Check the correctness of all figures, amounts and dates. Also, check for consistency. Figures repeated under different columns should agree with each other. z Reporting of relevant figures and ratios is inevitable for any such report. However, too many figures hinder readability and comprehension. Avoid lengthy decimal figures. Wherever appropriate, figures should be rounded off. z In quoting figures, authenticity of the figures should be ensured. Further, the data quoted should be the most up-to-date. (ii) Appraisal Report Many components of performance appraisals are company or department-specific. Structure The following items represent the components that are required. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Managerial Writings 119 z Employee name, manager name (and reviewer name, if different), date of review, review period (typically, a calendar or fiscal year), job title, level, or position. z Performance review instructions and evaluation criteria. z Overall rating (typically, exceeds expectations, meets expectations, and needs improvement). z General feedback on performance to support the overall rating with two to three specific examples to support the overall rating. In addition to the above, the following components may be added to make it more objective. z Specific performance objectives based on the job description. z Rating against each performance objective (typically, in the same numerical format as the overall rating). z Specific job results and activities being reviewed. z Employee strengths and weaknesses. z Employee training needs and opportunities. z Suggested development goals (to be discussed and refined with the employee). Tips to Make Appraisals More Effective The key to writing any performance review is to be honest in assessment and feedback. If the reviews are not phrased well, they will be less effective. Instead of using terms such as “good” or “excellent” in a review, employers should opt for more measurement-oriented language. They may use action words — such as “excels,” “exhibits,” “demonstrates,” “grasps,” “generates,” “manages,” “possesses,” “communicates,” “monitors,” “directs” and “achieves”. The task of writing negative appraisals is to be handled tactfully. Sandwich your negative comments in this form – positive comment, area of improvement and specific steps to improve. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

120 Professional Business Communication-I For example, consider this negative appraisal. Rani has a problem showing up on time. She takes 30 minutes getting coffee and talking to her co-workers before getting to her desk to work. She must become punctual and stop gossiping before starting her work. She has to show more commitment to work. If her behavior does not change for good, disciplinary action will be taken. The review can be tactfully changed into a sort of positive-negative comment like this. Rani is a promising employee and she could be a very effective member of our team. Unfortunately, it is observed that often she arrives late to work, indulges in gossip before starting to work. Over the next 3 months, we’d like Rani to focus on her attendance and work, and be the effective team member we require. 5.4. Project Reports A project is a set of activities designed for accomplishing specific goals in a specified time frame. It is temporary, i.e., every project has a definite beginning and a definite end. It creates unique deliverables, which are products, services, or results. A project creates a capability to perform a service. Project Report is a written document relating to investment or implementation of a project. Project report for financing: The use of an investment proposal is common with a wide range of investment opportunities. A startup company may prepare this type of presentation in order to attract investors and secure the funds needed to get the business going and sustain the effort until it begins to generate revenue from sales. Project implementation reports: The different types of project reports in the process of implementation are such as Status Reports, Risk Reports, Board/Executive Reports, Resource Reports and Variance Reports. Š Status Reports: “Can I have that status report in an hour?” It is the kind of question Project Managers hear from the project sponsor, or Project Office Manager, or a colleague. Status reports are standardized and produced weekly or monthly. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Managerial Writings 121 Š Risk Reports: It is produced at least monthly, and the report is normally the output that comes after a risk review meeting. The risks may be categorized into major and minor. The focus may be on major risks ones and approaches to mitigate it. Š Board/Executive Reports: Reports need to be tailored to the people who are going to read them. The report you produce for the project board will have a different level of detail in it compared to the weekly status update that goes to your project team and key business stakeholders. Š Resource Reports: It helps to report on what is going on and how the resources are employed. It helps focus on resource allocation and ensures continuation of the work. Š Variance Reports: It compares the planned against the actual outcome, giving a metric to measure whether the project is on track, ahead of schedule or running behind. Project Report for Obtaining Finances The ultimate goal of any investment proposal is to attract enough investors to fund the project with sufficient resources. It should provide a overall picture of the investment needs and benefits on the long run. A typical project report consists of the following elements: 1. General Information: It provides an overview of industry to which the proposed project belongs. It explains the choice of the product and its prospects in the marketplace. It spells out the demand for the product in the local, national and the global market. It clarifies the reasons for starting the business. 2. Executive Summary: It puts the whole project in a concise form. It states the objectives of the business, operational methods, assumptions and the risks generally involved in the business. 3. Organization Summary: It indicates type of ownership and structure of the organization. It furnishes the details of the promoters and their financial soundness. 4. Project Description: A brief description of the project contains the following: z Location of the site z Raw material requirements CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

122 Professional Business Communication-I z Target of production z Area required for the work shed z Power requirements z Fuel requirements z Water requirements z Employment requirements of skilled and unskilled labor z Technology selected for the project z Production process z Projected production volumes and unit prices z Pollution treatment plants required 5. Marketing Plan: The project report must clearly state the details of expected demand for the product and the marketing operations envisaged to meet it in a profitable way. The following details are essential: z Demand for the product in the local, national and the global market z Type of customers z Target markets z Nature of market z Market segmentation z Future prospects of the market z Sales objectives z Marketing cost of the project z Market share of proposed venture 6. Capital Structure and Operating Cost: In this section, the financial aspects of the project are presented. The details of capital structure, operating costs and working capital are to be given here. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Managerial Writings 123 z Total capital requirements of the project z The source of finance – the extent of owner’s funds and borrowed funds z Working capital requirements and the source of suppl z Estimate of total project cost, must be broken down into land, construction of buildings and civil works, plant and machinery, miscellaneous fixed assets, preliminary and preoperative expenses and working capital z The operating cost 7. Management Plan: The project report should state the management competences, plans, programmes and policies that can lead to successful operation of business enterprise. z Business experience of the promoters of the business z Details about the management team z Duties and responsibilities of team members z Current personnel needs of the organization z Methods of managing the business z Plans for hiring and training personnel z Programmes and policies of the management 8. Financial Aspects: Financial statements with clear analysis and projection of costs, and profitability of the business over a period (say 3 to 5 years) has to be given here. z A projected profit and loss account z A projected balance sheet z Cash flow statement z Funds flow statement The income statement and cash flow projections should include a three-year summary, detail by month for the first year, and detail by quarter for the second and third years. Break-even point and rate of return on investment must be stated in the project report. The accounting system and the inventory control system to be used is generally CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

124 Professional Business Communication-I addressed in this section of the project report. The project report must state whether the business is financially and economically viable. 9. Technical Aspects: Project report provides information about the technology and technical aspects of a project. It covers information on technology selected for the project, production process, capacity of machinery, pollution control plants, etc. 10. Project Implementation: Project implementation schedule is to be given here to indicate the start and end of the project construction. It must indicate the time activities and costs involved in establishing the enterprise. 11. Social Responsibility: The proposed contribution to the society in the form of production or services, employment, income, exports and infrastructure has to be highlighted to justify socio-economic feasibility of a project. 5.5. Documentation and Bibliography This section comes at the end of the report. It is designed with the aim of acknowledging the information sources and other useful material drawn from books, articles, websites, etc. in a systematic manner. Documentation In a report or research paper, documentation is the evidence provided for information and ideas borrowed from others. That evidence includes both primary sources and secondary sources. There are numerous documentation styles and formats, as given under: 1. APA (American Psychological Association) is used by Education, Psychology and Sciences. It is known as a “parenthetical” documentation style, meaning that citations to original sources appear in your text. 2. MLA (Modern Language Association) style is used by the Humanities. In this style, you should first briefly credit sources with parenthetical citations in the text of your paper, and then include a complete citation to each source in the works cited list at the end of your paper. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Managerial Writings 125 3. The Chicago Manual of Style/Turabian citation style includes two systems for citations: a notes and bibliography system and the author-date system. This system uses footnotes/endnotes and a bibliography. It is generally used by Business, History and the Fine Arts. 4. ACS style is a set of standards for writing documents relating to chemistry, including a standard method of citation in academic publications, developed by the American Chemical Society (ACS). Bibliography A bibliography is an alphabetic list of all references used as sources of information that do not appear in footnotes or text citations. A reference list includes only those sources cited in the text of the report. A citation is a way of giving credit to individuals for their creative and intellectual works that you utilized to support your research. It can also be used to locate particular sources and combat plagiarism. Typically, a citation can include the author’s name, date and location of the publishing company, journal title or DOI (Digital Object Identifer). There are three types of bibliography as described here. 1. Enumerative Bibliography: It lists references according to some specific arrangement. Students writing research papers use this type of bibliography most often. These academic writers arrange enumerative bibliographies by author, subject, date or some other scheme. A card catalog, a list of references in a research paper, or the works cited in the back of a history book are all examples of enumerative bibliographies. 2. Analytical Bibliography: The writer of an analytical bibliography may include information about printers and booksellers, descriptions of paper and binding, or discussions of issues that unfolded as the book evolved from a manuscript to published book. Three types of analytical bibliographies include descriptive, historical and textual. A descriptive bibliography closely examines the physical nature of the book. A historical bibliography discusses the context in which the book was produced. A textual bibliography compares the published work to the author’s original manuscript. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

126 Professional Business Communication-I 3. Annotated Bibliography: In this type of bibliography, a writer creates an alphabetical list of sources. She outlines the type of research done on a certain topic. The writer annotates, or adds notes about, the sources. The writer may provide comments, evaluation or summaries. It means she will give her perspective on the usefulness of the text to her particular research. How to Write Bibliography? Make a list to keep track of all the books, magazines, and websites you read. Later, this list of sources will be cited in bibliography. Write down, photocopy, or print the following information for each source you find. Printed Book Website z Author name z Author and editor names (if available) z Title of the publication (and the title of the z Title of the page (if available) article if it's a magazine or encyclopedia) z The company or organization who posted z Date of publication the webpage z The place of publication of a book z The web address for the page (called a z The publishing company of a book URL) z The volume number of a magazine or z The last date you looked at the page printed encyclopedia z The page number(s) The bibliographic information for different types of resources are located in different places. Look at the following places. » The title page of a book, encyclopedia or dictionary. » The heading of an article. » The front, second, or editorial page of the newspaper. » The contents page of a journal or magazine. » The header (at the top) or footer (at the bottom) of a website. » The About or the Contact page of a website. z Type all of your sources into a list. Make use of MLA or APA style of referencing. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Managerial Writings 127 z List the sources in alphabetical order using the author’s last name. If a source has more than one author, alphabetize using the first one. If the author’s name is unknown, alphabetize by the title, ignoring any ‘a’, ‘an’ or ‘the’. z Your list of works cited should begin at the end of the paper on a new page with the centered title ‘References’. APA Style The standard formats and examples recommended by the APA are given under. For more information on the APA format, see http://www.apastyle.org. z Dates: Place the date of publication in parentheses immediately after the name of the author. Place a period after the closing parenthesis. Use either the day-month-year style (22 July 2019) or the month-day-year style (July 22, 2019) and be consistent. With the month-day-year style, be sure to add a comma after the year unless another punctuation mark goes there. z Underlining or Italics?: When reports were written on typewriters, the names of publications were underlined because most typewriters had no way to print italics. If you write a bibliography by hand, you should still underline the names of publications. But, if you use a computer, then publication names should be in italics. z Hanging Indentation: All APA citations should use hanging indents, i.e., the first line of an entry should be flush left, and the second and subsequent lines should be indented 1/2\". z Capitalization, Abbreviation and Punctuation: Capitalize only the first word of a title and subtitle. The exceptions to this rule would be periodical titles and proper names in a title which should still be capitalized. The periodical title is run in title case, and is followed by the volume number, which, with the title, is also italicized. z More Authors: If there is more than one author, use an ampersand (&) before the name of the last author. If there are more than six authors, list only the first one and use et al. for the rest. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

128 Professional Business Communication-I Format Examples z Books: Author’s last name, first initial (Publication date). Book title. Additional information. City of publication: Publishing Company. Allen, T. (1974). Vanishing Wildlife of North America. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society. Nicol, A.M. and Pexman, P.M. (1999). Presenting Your Findings: A Practical Guide for Creating Tables. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. z Encyclopedia and Dictionary: Author’s last name, first initial. (Date). Title of article. Title of Encyclopedia (Volume, pages). City of publication: Publishing company. Bergmann, P.G. (1993). Relativity. In the New Encyclopedia Britannica (Vol. 26, pp. 501-508). Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (10th Edition) (1993). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster. z Magazine and Newspaper Articles: Author’s last name, first initial. (Publication date). Article title. Periodical title, volume number (issue number if available), inclusive pages. Do not enclose the title in quotation marks. Put a period after the title. If a periodical includes a volume number, italicize it and then give the page range (in regular type) without “pp.” If the periodical does not use volume numbers, as in newspapers, use p. or pp. for page numbers. Unlike other periodicals, p. or pp. precedes page numbers for a newspaper reference in APA style. Harlow, H.F. (1983). Fundamentals for Preparing Psychology Journal Articles. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 55, 893- 896. Kalette, D. (1986, July 21). California Town Counts Town to Big Quake. USA Today, 9, p. A1. Trillin, C. (1993, February 15). Culture Shopping. New Yorker, pp. 48-51. z Online periodical: Author’s name. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume number, Retrieved month day, year, from full URL. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Managerial Writings 129 z Online document: Author’s name. (Date of publication). Title of work. Retrieved month day, year, from full URL. When citing Internet sources, refer to the specific website document. If a document is undated, use “n.d.” (for no date) immediately after the document title. Break a lengthy URL that goes to another line after a slash or before a period. Continually check your references to online documents. There is no period following a URL. If you cannot find some of this information, cite what is available. Devitt, T. (2001, August 2). Lightning Injures Four at Music Festival. The Why? Files. Retrieved January 23, 2002, from http://whyfiles.org/137lightning/index.html Dove, R. (1998). Lady Freedom among Us. The Electronic Text Center. Retrieved June 19, 1998, from Alderman Library, University of Virginia Website: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/subjects/afam.html Note: If a document is contained within a large and complex website (such as that for a university or a government agency), identify the host organization and the relevant programme or department before giving the URL for the document itself. Precede the URL with a colon. Fredrickson, B.L. (2000, March 7). Cultivating Positive Emotions to Optimize Health and Well-being. Prevention and Treatment, 3, Article 0001a. Retrieved November 20, 2000, from http://journals.apa.org/prevention/volume3/pre0030001a.html MLA Style MLA (Modern Language Association) style for documentation is widely used in the humanities, especially in writing on language and literature. MLA style especially features two things: 1. Brief parenthetical citations in the text. 2. Alphabetical list of works cited; it appears at the end of the work. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

130 Professional Business Communication-I Books The basic entry for a book consists of the author’s name, the book title, the publisher, and the year published. The author’s name should be reversed. Full title of the book, including any subtitles, should be italicized and followed by a period. If the book has a subtitle, a colon should follow the main title (unless the main title ends with a question mark or exclamation point). (i) Single author: Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor & Jones, 1818. (ii) Two authors: List them in order as they appear on the cover or title page. Only the first author’s name should be reversed, while the second author’s name is written in normal order. Separate author names by a comma, and place the word “and” before the second author’s name. Smith, John, and Bob Anderson. The Sample Book. Books for Us, 2017. (iii) Three or more authors: Mention the first author, followed by a comma and the abbreviation “et al.” Campbell, Megan, et al. The Best Noun Book. Books for Us, 2017. (iv) When citing a specific page range from the book, include the page(s) at the end of the citation. Smith, John, and Bob Anderson. The Sample Book. Books for Us, 2017, pp. 5-12. Translated Books If the translation is the focus of your project, include the translator’s name at the beginning of the citation, like this: z Translator’s Last name, First name, translator. Title. By Original Author’s First name Last name, Publisher, Year published. If it is not the actual translation that is the focus, but the text itself, include the translator’s name in the “other contributors” position, like this: z Original Author’s Last name, First name. Title. Translated by First Name Last name. Publisher, Year published. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Managerial Writings 131 E-books: E-books are formatted differently than print books. Author’s Last name, First name. Title of E-Book. Publisher, Year published. Title of Website, URL. Rodgers, Tara. Pink Noises: Women on Electronic Music and Sound. Duke UP, 2010. Google Books,books.google.com/books?id=syqTarqO5XEC&lpg=PP1&dq=electronic%20music &pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=electronic%20music&f=false. E-book Found on an e-reader Author’s Last name, First name. Title of E-book. E-Reader ed., Publisher, Year Published. Rodgers, Tara. Pink Noises: Women on Electronic Music and Sound. Nook ed., Duke UP, 2010. Chapters in Books Individual chapters are cited when a writer uses a book filled with many chapters, each written by different authors. Last name, First name of Chapter’s Author. “Title of Chapter.” Title of Book, other contributors and their roles, version (if there is a specific edition), publisher, year published, page or page range. Levi-Strauss, Claude. “The Structural Study of Myth.” Literary Adverb Theory: An Anthology, edited by Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan, 3rd ed., Wiley Blackwell, 2017, pp. 178-195. Edited Books Include ‘editors’ after authors and the abbreviation “ed.” after the book title. “Revised edition” should be abbreviated as “Revised ed.” and “Abridged edition” should be “Abridged ed.” Ferraro, Gary and Susan Andreatta, editors. Cultural Anthropology: An Applied Perspective. 10th ed., Cengage Learning, 2014. Smith, John. The MLA Sample Paper Book. Revised ed., Books for Us, 2017. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

132 Professional Business Communication-I Websites The most basic entry for an MLA website citation consists of the author name(s), page title, website title, sponsoring institution/publisher, date published, and the URL. Format Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of Individual Web Page.” Title of Website, Publisher, Date, URL. Fosslien, Liz, and Mollie West. “3 Ways to Hack Your Environment to Help You Create.” Huffpost Preposition Endeavor, Huffington Post, Dec. 7, 2016, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/3- ways-to-hack-your-environment-to-help-you-createus580f758be4b02444efa569bc. Online Journal Articles The most basic entry for a journal consists of the author name(s), article title, journal name, volume number, issue number, year published, page numbers, name of website or database the article was found on, and URL or Direct Object Identifier (DOI). Snyder, Vivian. “The Effect Course-Based Reading Strategy Training on the Reading Comprehension Skills of Developmental College Students.” Research and Teaching in Developmental Education, Vol. 18, No. 2, Spring 2002, pp. 37-41. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/42802532. 5.6 Email Etiquette With every email, you run the risk of being misunderstood or giving a less than positive impression by not paying attention to detail. To negate this risk, follow the guidelines given under: 1. Tips to Sender Email etiquette helps streamline your communication. It encompasses a set of rules indicating proper and polite ways to behave when using email as a communication channel. The rules are centered on the structure and messages as given under: CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Managerial Writings 133 (a) Adopt the right format and design your messages From Let your email address be meaningful: You should always have an email address that To conveys your name so that the recipient knows exactly who is sending the email. Never Cc/Bcc use email addresses such as “babygirl@…” or “beerlover@…” — no matter how much you love a cold brew. Subject line Add the email address last: To avoid sending an email accidentally before you finished writing and proofing the message, type the address only when the message is ready. Double-check that you've selected the correct recipient: Pay careful attention when typing a name from your address book on the email’s “To” line. It is easy to select the wrong name, which can be embarrassing to you and to the person who receives the email by mistake. Use blind copy (BCC) and courtesy copy (CC) appropriately. When sending mails to more than one person, you have to decide how to send the copy. z Use courtesy copy, when you want the receivers know that others also will get the same copy of message. z Use blind copy only when you do not want the recipients to know who else received a copy of your email message. When sending to a large distribution list, recipients won’t have to scroll through a long list of names to get to the message. For example, suppose you want to let your district manager know how you are handling an employee problem. You send an email to the employee to notify him of your plan. Also, send a blind copy of the email to the district manager to let the district manager know that the problem is being managed. However, the employee doesn’t know the district manager has been informed. Prepare a subject line: Subject line serves three functions: (a) lets the recipient know the topic at a glance, (b) arouses interest in the recipient to go through the message, and (c) assists in searching the message, when required. People often decide whether to open an email based on the subject line. The subject line has to be descriptive and relevant to the message. Examples of a good subject line include “Meeting date changed,” “Quick question about your presentation,” or “Suggestions for the proposal.” Use identifying labels. When appropriate, add one of the following labels to the subject line: Action (action required, please respond); FYI (for your information, no response needed); Re (this is a reply to another message); Urgent (please respond immediately); REQ (required). CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

134 Professional Business Communication-I Salutation Greet the receiver of the mail: The greeting sets the tone for the message. For friends and colleagues, give friendly greetings (Hi, Krishna; Thanks, Sunitha; Good morning, Madan; or Greetings, Sruthi). For more formal messages and those to outsiders, include a honorific and last name (Dear Mr. Mohan). Don’t use laid-back, colloquial expressions like, “Hey you guys,” “Yo,” or “Hi folks.” Use “Hi” or “Hello” instead. Be cautious in shortening names. Say “Hi Michael,” unless you are certain he prefers to be called “Mike.” Body Organise the content: Divide the body of the mail into paragraphs. If lengthy information is to be provided, use short paragraphs for gaining reader’s attention. Compose message carefully: Employees have been fired for using email inappropriately (e.g., forwarding items with sexual or off-colour content). Remember, email is not confidential. A basic guideline is to assume that others will see what you write. So, do not write anything you would not want everyone to see. Respect cultural differences: As we cannot see body language, we have to interpret based on verbal message only. Tailor your message to the receiver’s cultural background. In case of high-context cultures (Japanese, Arab or Chinese), be more personal in your writings. When writing to people from low-context cultures (German, American or Scandinavian), be more objective and professional. Closing Some of the most common professional email closings are: All the best, Best regards, Best wishes, Looking forward to hearing from you, Sincerely, Yours sincerely, Sincerely yours, and so on. Attachments When you have attachments to send, keep your message short. The word “Enclosed” is inappropriate. Something as simple as I have attached a few photos to this email will help your recipients know what to expect. Avoid sending excessively large attachments or uncompressed photos, which can take a long time for your recipients to download. You can always ZIP or compress files to make them easier to send. Additionally, make sure your attachments do not need to be viewed in a specific application—use universal file types like .PDF, .RTF and .JPG. Signature line Include a signature block: Provide your reader with information about you. State your full name, title, the company name, and your contact information, including a phone number. Use the same font, type size and color as the rest of the email. (b)Write your message properly Follow the guidelines given under for making messages attractive and readable. Use proper letter case: Using all capital letters gives the impression you are shouting; using all lowercase letters gives the impression you are either whispering or lazy. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Managerial Writings 135 Keep your fonts classic: For business correspondence, keep your fonts, colors and sizes classic. The cardinal rule: Your emails should be easy for other people to read. Generally, it is best to use 10- or 12-point type and an easy-to-read font such as Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman. As for color, black is the safest choice. Use exclamation points sparingly: If you choose to use an exclamation point, use only one to convey excitement. Some people put a number of exclamation points at the end of their sentences. Use humour cautiously: In a professional exchange, it is better to leave humor out of emails unless you know the recipient well. Something perceived as funny when spoken may come across very differently when written. When in doubt, leave it out. Monitor your tone: Read your message aloud before hitting send. If it sounds harsh to you, it will sound harsh to the reader. For best results, avoid using unequivocally negative words (“failure,” “wrong,” or “neglected”), and always say “please” and “thank you”. (c) Proofread the message Proofread the message to ensure that it is appropriate to send in all respects. Your mistakes will not go unnoticed by the recipients of your email. Read and reread your email a few times, preferably aloud, before sending it off. “One supervisor intended to write ‘Sorry for the inconvenience’,” But he relied on his spellcheck and ended up writing ‘Sorry for the incontinence’. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

136 Professional Business Communication-I 5.7 Press Release A press release is also termed as news release, media release or press statement. A press release is a short, compelling news story written by public relations professional and sent to targeted media persons. Features Press releases have the following features: z Formal: Press release is an official announcement made by an authorized company representative, in most of the cases, the public relations department. z Different forms: It can be either in a printed or audio-visual form. Traditionally, it is a written or audio recorded statement of what the company likes to announce to the public With the spread of TV and internet, the use of video news releases have gained popularity. Videos are made like a short film either in the TV news format, or for the web. They can be offered to blog owners or placed in social networks. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Managerial Writings 137 z Marketing tool: A press release is a marketing tool. It aims to inform the public something interesting about the company and promote interest in its products and services. Purposes The primary aim of a press release is to get publicity. A related objective is creating interest in media persons to allot space for the press release. Writing a Press Release A press release should be interesting. It is not a fact-filled news article that makes reading dull to average individuals. It is a skilful presentation that attracts the attention of large number of people. The structure of a press release is as follows: z Issuing company details: Brief details of the company are provided at the top. z Headline: It briefly summarizes the news. z Dateline: Release date and place of the press release. z Introduction: This is the first paragraph in a press release and it generally gives basic answers to the questions of who, what, when, where and why. z Body: It includes explanation, statistics, background or other details relevant to the news are given. z Close: At the end of the statement, the following indications are given: ‘###’ or ‘***’ or “ends”. z Media contact information: It includes the name, phone number, email address and mailing address of media relations contact person. Typically, they are mailed, faxed or e-mailed to assignment editors and journalists at newspapers, magazines, radio stations, online media, television stations or television networks. Tips to Effective Writing of Press Release The following rules will be helpful to prepare an effective press release. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

138 Professional Business Communication-I Rule 1: Make your head line irresistible – The success starts with your headline. Reporters get number of releases each day. Your press release should not be lost in the clutter. Write only one line. Use simple and common place words. Use captivating action verbs. Rule 2: Make first paragraph revealing – Reporters do not have time to sift through details and fluffy background information. They just need the facts in clear terms to tell someone else. The first paragraph, therefore, should have all crucial information. It should cover the who, what, why, where, and how of your new launch, update or development. Rule 3: Use quotes – In the subsequent sections, bring your details to life with a quote that reporters can use. The quotes may be from key stakeholders in your company including your executive team. Pick one or two critical spokespersons and focus the quotes around their unique perspective. Wherever possible, quote key figures that support your announcement. Rule 4: Provide valuable background information – In the last paragraph, give details that strengthen your narrative. State how the company developed the project or event. If necessary, comment on future implications of your announcement. 5.8 Summary In business parlance, the word ‘report’ has great significance. Superiors get reports from subordinates and consultants to make routine as well as non-routine decisions. A technical report should contain the following sections: title page, summary, contents, introduction, body, conclusions, recommendations, acknowledgments, references, bibliography and appendices. There are standard guidelines to follow in writing a technical report. The tips to write a technical report are: know your readers, prepare an outline, gather information, prepare first draft, revise the draft, include diagrams, graphs, tables and mathematics, use right font type, place headings and subheadings, check for plagiarism, write summary and proofreading. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Managerial Writings 139 Formal reports are characterized by length, focus on a topic, target audience and specific purpose. Formal reports can be statutory like Annual report or related to business operations like Appraisal report. Annual report is compiled based on company’s performance over a certain period, usually one financial year. Appraisal reports are common in all enterprises. Managers have to be honest in making evaluations and make comments positively. In case of underperformers, negative comments become necessary. They are to be tactfully sandwiched between positive observations and suggestions for improvement. Project Report is a written document relating to investment or implementation of a project. The implementation requires various reports such as Status reports, Risk reports, Board/executive reports, Resource reports and Variance reports. Project reports for obtaining finances have to be written by including the following: general information, executive summary, organization summary, project description, marketing plan, capital structure and operating cost, management plan, financial aspects, technical aspects, project implementation and social responsibility. In a report or research paper, documentation is the evidence provided for information and ideas borrowed from others. There are numerous documentation styles and formats, such as APA (American Psychological Association) style, MLA (Modern Language Association) style, The Chicago Manual of Style/Turabian and ACS style. A bibliography is an alphabetic list of all references used as sources of information in the study. It includes those that do not appear in footnotes or text citations. A reference list includes only those sources cited in the text of the report. There are three types of bibliography – Enumerative Bibliography, Analytical Bibliography and Annotated Bibliography. Tips for writing a polite and effective email are: use a professional email address, write a clear, specific subject line, think well before hitting “reply all”, include a signature block, use professional salutation, use exclamation points sparingly, use humour cautiously, tailor message to the culture of reader, reply emails even if they are not intended for you, proofread every message, add the email address last, double-check that you have selected the correct recipient, keep your fonts classic, monitor your tone and remember, email is not confidential: CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

140 Professional Business Communication-I A press release is also termed as news release, media release or press statement. A press release is a short, compelling news story written by public relations professional and sent to targeted media persons. Press releases are formal and may be in audio-visual form. It is a marketing tool aimed at publicity. The rules for writing are: make your headline irresistible, make first paragraph revealing, use quotes and provide valuable background information. 5. 9 Key Words/Abbreviations z Report: A document containing information organized in a narrative, graphic, or tabular form, prepared on ad hoc, periodic, recurring, regular, or as required basis. Reports may refer to specific periods, events, occurrences, or subjects, and may be communicated or presented in oral or written form. z Technical report: Technical report is a formal document designed to convey technical or research information in a clear and easily accessible format. z Formal report: A formal report is an official report that contains detailed information, research and data necessary to make business decisions. This report is generally written for the purpose of solving a problem. Some examples of formal reports include Inspection Report. z Project report: Project report is a document, which provides details on the overall picture of the proposed business. The project report gives an account of the project proposal to ascertain the prospects of the proposed plan/activity. z Email etiquette: Email etiquette refers to the principles of behavior that one should use when writing or answering email messages. It is also known as the code of conduct for email communication. Email etiquette depends upon to whom we are writing – friends and relatives, partners, customers, superior or subordinates. z Documentation: Documentation is the evidence provided for information and ideas borrowed from others. That evidence includes both primary and secondary sources. z Bibliography: A bibliography is a list of the books and other sources that are consulted in a scholarly work, such as an essay, term paper, dissertation or a book. The CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

Managerial Writings 141 bibliography comes at the end of the work. The bibliography usually does list the references in alphabetical order, regardless of the style or format. z Enumerative Bibliography: The listing of books according to some system or reference plan, e.g., by author, by subject or by date. The implication is that the listings will be short, usually providing only the author’s name, the book’s title, and date and place of publication. z Annotated Bibliography: An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles and documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy and quality of the sources cited. z Analytical Bibliography: The history, identification, or analytical and systematic description or classification of writings or publications considered as material objects is called analytical bibliography. It deals with a physical description of the books. z Press release: A press release is a short, compelling news story written by a public relations professional and sent to targeted members of the media. The goal of a press release is to pique the interest of a journalist or publication. 5.10 Learning Activity 1. New business project report: Note to instructor Step 1: Form students into a project team each consisting of 5 students to create a business plan and report for submission to a financing agency. Step 2: Advice the students to come back with required information. Give them a week time. Step 3: Ask the team to prepare the first draft. Step 4: Ask the committee to edit and revise the draft of the project report. Step 5: Ask them to prepare a PowerPoint presentation and make it in the class. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)

142 Professional Business Communication-I 2. Write a press release: A fresher’s day function was conducted in your college. Your principal, Mr Rao. presided over the meeting (Imagine his speech). Mr. Ajim Premji, Chairman of Wipro Companies was your chief guest (Imagine his speech). There were cultural events (Imagine them).Write a press release about the function to be sent to The Hindu paper. 3. Press report: Instruction to students Step 1: Form students into Committees each consisting of 3 students. Step 2: Ask the committees to prepare a press note for publication in daily newspapers. A two day management students meet – held by your institute – 34 teams from schools in different states took part – D. Venkatachalapati, CEO of Westend Private Limited inaugurated. Professor Gayatri, Bluelakes University gave message. Events (assume) – winners (assume) and cultural programmes (assume). 4. How good are MBA projects?: Collect 10 MBA project reports. Using the following checklist, evaluate the MBA project reports. Use 5-point scale of agreement. 5 – Strongly agree, 4 – Agree, 3 – Neutral, 2 – Disagree, 1 – Strongly disagree. S. No. Aspects Scale of Agreement 54321 1 Introduction about company is interesting. 54321 2 The project problem is clearly defined. 54321 3 The background of the project problem is described well. 54321 4 The objectives of the study are clearly stated. 54321 5 Hypotheses are properly established. 54321 6 Scope is explained in clear terms. 54321 7 Methodology is described properly. 54321 8 Questionnaire design approach is given clearly. 54321 9 Data analysis is as per the standards. 54321 10 Tables and figures are interpreted properly. 54321 11 Tables and figures are numbered and titled properly. 54321 12 Tables and figures are referenced in the text appropriately. 54321 13 Summary of findings is complete and concise. 54321 14 Discussion on findings is enlightening. 15 Conclusions drawn are meaningful 54321 16 Suggestions are realistic and action-oriented. CU IDOL SELF LEARNING MATERIAL (SLM)