Sikkim Manipal University - DDE

Master of Business Administration

I Semester
MB0039-Business communication -4 credits
(Book ID 1622)
Model Question Paper
Duration: 3 hours

Total marks: 140

Section A
ESSAY TYPE QUESTIONS (10 Marks each)
[Please answer Any Four essay type questions in a separate page answer sheet especially
provided for the purpose]
1. Discuss the channels of communication. Explain the guidelines followed while
selecting the appropriate channel. (refer to unit 2)
2. With the help of three steps format (Preliminary parts, body of the reports and
annexes) prepare a business report. (refer to unit 13)
3. What are the ways in which an organisation can overcome the barriers to
communication? (refer to unit 1)
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of intranet? (refer to unit 10)
Case study
Improving the Listening Skills of Managers at Procter & Gamble
Introduction
The managers of Procter & Gamble (P&G) are highly trained professionals. They work under
heavy time pressures and tight deadlines. As a result of this, the managers were not listening
effectively to customers and co-workers.
LEAD group
To improve the listening skills of the employees and managers, the Research and
Development (R&D) department conducted a programme for middle managers and technical
leaders. A group Leaders Effect A Difference (LEAD) was formed to attend that
programme. The objective of the LEAD group was to increase innovation and build lasting
relationships to increase long-term networking.
The participants of the LEAD group could obtain the following benefits:
Recognise the complexities of work issues.
Accept the senior management expectation.
Recognise the importance of helping others to solve their work issues.

The programme for a LEAD group begins with a 45 minute introduction to LEAD process
and is followed by building in-depth listening skills. Listening is the main point of coaching;
hence it plays a critical role in developing coaching.
The lead group was structured into groups of six persons. Participants were asked to play the
role of helper and observer. Each member of the group was assigned the role of seeker for
one of the six LEAD sessions.
The seeker was assigned the role of practicing the skills of helping others on work issues. The
helper was assigned the role of practicing listening and training skills with the aim of
assisting the seeker to think, feel, and plan.
Outcome of the LEAD group
Over time, the LEAD group programme was effective in motivating listening skills of
managers.
The LEAD group approach met the business need for improved coaching by managers and
was successful in establishing communication with broader network of employees.
Discussion Questions:
5. Give the reason which made the managers ineffective listeners?
(Hint: Refer Introduction of the case study)
6. What are the benefits of LEAD group program to the participants?
(Hint: Refer Lead group of the case study)
Refer to unit 4
Section B
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ)
[Please answer all the following questions]
1. Communication was defined as the verbal interchange of thoughts or ideas by
__________ .
a. Hoben
b. Anderson
c. Allen Louis
d. Newman and Summer
2. Messages conveyed are complex and elaborate in _______ communication.
a. Group
b. Individual
c. Mass
d. Dyadic

3. In barriers, the word _______ refers to the meaning of words and the way in which they
are used.
a. Individual
b. Semantic
c. Cultural
d. Linguistic
4. The medium or method used to deliver message in communication is referred as
______________
a. Receiver
b. Sender
c. Channel
d. Decoder
5. According to ______________, listening is a skill which can be cultivated and developed,
just like speaking, reading or writing.
a. Lundsteen
b. Judi Brownwell
c. Tom Peters
d. Stephen Covey
6. Which type of listening could be in the form of paying selective attention to certain kinds
of information which might be relevant to us?
a. Evaluative listening
b. Discriminative listening
c. Appreciative listening
d. Therapeutic listening
7. _______________ includes the belief that you are more knowledgeable than the speaker
and that you have nothing new to learn from the speakers ideas.
a. Wrong assumptions
b. Attitudinal barriers
c. Cultural barriers
d. Physiological barriers
8. According to ___________________, Good service, in many respects, is good listening."
a. Lundsteen
b. Judi Brownwell
c. Tom Peters
d. Stephen Covey
9. Which type of questions discourage yes or no kind of answers?
a. Open questions
b. Closed questions

c. Probing questions
d. Leading questions
10. In which stage of the writing methodology, does organising fall?
a. Prewriting
b. Writing
c. Reviewing
d. Analysing
11. _____________ refers to casual words that are not accepted and recognised in a standard
English dictionary.
a. Slang
b. Jargons
c. Metaphors
d. Phrases
12. A principle regarding use of pronouns is to avoid excessive use of _____.
a. You
b. She
c. He
d. I
13. ____________ can be used to separate a phrase from the main section of a sentence,
when it is not related to it grammatically.
a. Apostrophe
b. Dash
c. Brackets
d. Comma
14. Spoken words, however perfect, can convey a negative message, if the _____________ is
not consistent with what is said.
a. Tone of voice
b. Body movement
c. Volume of voice
d. Emphasis
15. _________ conveys going beyond what is right or proper.
a. Parallelism
b. Courteous
c. Phrase
d. Presumptuous
16. Which level of reading states that there is no in-depth understanding?
a. Personal experience

b. Recognition of the writer's meaning

c. Pure, literal reading
d. Pictorial reading
17. Reading for interest or pleasure is fulfilled by reading ___________.
a. Informative articles
b. Fiction
c. Newspapers
d. Emails
18. Reading is a skill which can be acquired through constant _____________________.
a. Experimentation
b. Practice
c. Knowledge update
d. Interpretation
19. Which reading type is done to grasp main ideas and review materials by skipping the
details?
a. Scanning
b. Extensive reading
c. Intensive reading
d. Skimming
20. When you see the spelling, pronunciation, meaning and also the various uses of the same
word while reading, it can be termed as _____________.
a. Skimming
b. Intensive reading
c. Scanning
d. Silent reading
21. Extensive reading is enjoyable as well as ____________.
a. Informative
b. For pleasure
c. Imaginative
d. Detailed
22. The intranet allows you to create a _________ where you could save your most recent
file.
a. Central location
b. Secure location
c. Private location
d. Invisible location

23. The minute an e-mail message is sent, multiple copies are created on your own Personal
Computer (PC) and server. Which principle of e-mail communication does this speak of?
a. Pay attention to the tone
b. Place important information first
c. Watch the content
d. Set aside time to check e-mail
24. What is the WIFM rule?
a. What's the forwarded message
b. What's in it from me
c. What's in it for me
d. Wi fi machine
25. Which e-mail etiquette refers to use of three magic words, 'Please', 'Thank you' and
'Sorry'?
a. Use friendly salutations and sign offs
b. Respond promptly
c. Avoid sending junk mail
d. Mind your P's and Q's
26. Instant Messaging happens over ___________ within an organisation.
a. Intranet
b. Extranet
c. Internet
d. Wi-fi
27. Lack of communication during ________ encourages the grapevine among shareholders
and leads to false rumours.
a. Loss
b. Failed strategy
c. Crisis
d. Developments
28. Business letters differ from personal letters in terms of degree of formality, tone, style and
__________ used.
a. Language
b. Content
c. Format
d. Length
29. A discourteous or rude letter can make one lose business. Which principle of business
letter writing should be kept in mind?
a. Directness
b. Clarity

c. Courtesy
d. Appearance
30. Which component of the business letter indicates the letter number, from which
department of the company the letter is being sent and the year?
a. Heading
b. Reference number
c. Subject line
d. Attention line
31. ___________ are routine letters that have no business objective, but are sent purely for
building good rapport with external stakeholders.
a. Goodwill letters
b. Routine adjustment letters
c. Routine request letters
d. Persuasive letters
32. Persuasive letters are similar to ______________ which follow the AIDA format.
a. Memo
b. Press releases
c. E-mails
d. Advertisements
33. The physical features of the work environment such as furniture, room size and seating
arrangement are a part of _________ space.
a. Social
b. Personal
c. Intimate
d. Physical

34. _________ are brief, printed statements that outline the major facts of a news story in
journalistic style.
a. Breaking news
b. Press releases
c. Headlines
d. News articles
35. What does USP stand for?
a. Unique Social Perspective
b. Unique Selling Presentation
c. Unique Selling Proposition
d. Unique Sales Point

36. What can be defined as advertising that sells the organisation to its various public?
a. Corporate product
b. Advertising product
c. Institutional advertising
d. Corporate advertising
37. Which type of advertising are we referring to when we say that it is aimed at special
public such as the media, suppliers and dealers, to correct communication problems with
them?
a. Corporate identity advertising
b. Institutional advertising
c. Public relations advertising
d. Advocacy advertising
38. When a company pays to get itself linked with some sporting or other event, where it gets
to display its logo and corporate message, it is called as ____________.
a. Corporate sponsorship
b. Corporate umbrella advertising
c. Public service advertising
d. Public relations advertising
39. Why is it important to establish clear-cut objectives for corporate advertising such as
image change or attitude change?
a. For specific message
b. For creative advertisements
c. For evaluation of effectiveness
d. For memorable advertisements
40. ______________ lists your education and experience in reverse order and describes your
most recent job or qualification first.
a. Functional resumes
b. Chronological resumes
c. Application letters
d. Cover letters
41. Resumes and ________ are used by prospective employers to screen and shortlist
candidates.
a. Interviews
b. Telephonic conversation
c. Cover letters
d. Group discussions
42. Which of the below mentioned statements is true for resume writing?
a. You may include personal references on your resume.

b. You may include the reason for leaving your previous jobs, so as to provide information
before hand.
c. Do not use odd-size paper or loud colours.
d. You may include references to areas of your life that are not business related in order to
prove your credibility.
43. In which section of the job application, should the individual be addressed formally either
by his/ her last name or the designation?
a. Salutation
b. Opening
c. Body
d. Closing
44. Highlighting some of your outstanding qualifications, would form which part of the
AIDA format?
a. Creating interest
b. Getting attention
c. Inducing desire
d. Asking for attention
45. __________ must be sent out even if the applicant does not stand a chance of getting the
job.
a. Job acceptance letter
b. Job refusal letter
c. Thank you letter
d. Recommendation letter
46. A group discussion is done to gauge the _________ traits of an individual.
a. Behavioural
b. Personality
c. Discipline
d. Leadership
47. The group size in a GD ranges between ____________.
a. 8 to 15
b. 4 to 8
c. 10 to 15
d. 6 to 12
48. ___________ is as important in a GD as speaking.
a. Interrupting
b. Leading
c. Mental notes
d. Listening

49. _________ topics cover current economic and non-economic issues in a GD.
a. Topic-based
b. Abstract-based
c. Knowledge-based
d. Case-based
50. Which topics require common sense more than content knowledge?
a. Abstract topics
b. IT topics
c. Sports related topics
d. Social topics
51. Consider the following statements with respect to individual taking certain actions to
overcome the communication barriers.
1. Messages should be worded clearly and without ambiguity, to make sure that the message
that is received is the same as the message that is sent.
2. Usage of unnecessary technical terms can lead to misunderstandings. Hence, an individual
has to avoid using technical words in written communication.
State True or False:
a. 1- True, 2- True
b. 1- False, 2- True
c. 1- True, 2- False
d. 1- False, 2- False
52.
1. ________________can provide feedback to the group members and make
suggestions to remedy problems in group communication.
2. The group communication processes result in a group outcome like a
____________________or a plan.
a. 1- Manager, 2- Networking
b. 1- Facilitators, 2- Decision
c. 1- Employees, 2- Informal relation
d. 1- Client, 2- Self-assessment
53. Consider the following statements with respect to effective communication:
1. Communication could be through the use of words in spoken or written form, or through
the use of body language such as gestures and facial expressions.
2. In organisational barrier, each level may add to, modify or completely change the message,
so much so that it becomes distorted by the time it reaches the intended receiver.
State True or False:
a. 1- True, 2- True
b. 1- False, 2- True
c. 1- True, 2- False
d. 1- False, 2- False

54. Consider the following statements with respect to team functions:

1. Mass audiences are from a diverse background and have similar socio-political
characteristics. They are spread over a large geographical area.
2. The written channel is more appropriate when the communication is more formal or for
keeping things on record, while emotional messages such as feelings about co-workers are
better conveyed orally.
State True or False:
a. 1- True, 2- True
b. 1- False, 2- True
c. 1- True, 2- False
d. 1- False, 2- False
55.
1. ________________can be barriers to listening, since they interfere with the ability
to understand the meaning of words that are pronounced differently.
2. A manager doing a performance review of a subordinate should take care not to do a
_______________review, where the subordinate is criticised for poor performance.
a. 1- Colloquialism, 2- Mixed
b. 1- Accents, 2- Destructive
c. 1- Slangs, 2- Casual
d. 1- Vernacularism, 2- Self-assessment
56. Consider the following statements with respect to effective communication:
1. In listening, one is engaged in processing the information, reconstructing the information
and also giving meaning to the information.
2. Listening involves the following four steps hearing, interpreting, evaluating and
responding.
State True or False:
a. 1- True, 2- True
b. 1- False, 2- True
c. 1- True, 2- False
d. 1- False, 2- False
57. Consider the following statements with respect to team functions:
1. Physiological barriers refers to distraction in the environment such as the sound of an air
conditioner, cigarette smoke, or an overheated room.
2. It is wrong to assume that communication is the sole responsibility of the sender or the
speaker and listeners have no role to play.
State True or False:
a. 1- True, 2- True
b. 1- False, 2- True
c. 1- True, 2- False
d. 1- False, 2- False

58. Consider the following statements with respect to reading in business context:
1. Business executives also need to equip themselves with reading skills, in order to succeed
in the workplace.
2. The types of reading that you will have to do at the workplace will be same you will only
have to do extensive reading of professional books, magazines and journals.
State True or False:
a. 1- True, 2- True
b. 1- False, 2- True
c. 1- True, 2- False
d. 1- False, 2- False
59.
1. When you read for necessary background information about what is going on
within the company, it is called reading for ____________ information
2. Similar to listening, reading for many of us, is a _____________ process, where we sit
down, relax and run our eyes through the words on the page.
a. 1- External, 2- Mixed
b. 1- Internal, 2- Passive
c. 1- Self, 2- Casual
d. 1- Confidential, 2- Assessment
60. Consider the following statements with respect to effective reading:
1. To read efficiently, one has to have knowledge of the world (experience/background
knowledge).
2. Peoples interest in reading is so varied that any text could meet any purpose.
State True or False:
a. 1- True, 2- True
b. 1- False, 2- True
c. 1- True, 2- False
d. 1- False, 2- False
61. Consider the following statements with respect to SQ3R Technique of reading:
1. In second step of SQ3R technique, survey helps you to find out the authors name, date,
place of publication, content in the book and title page.
2.In 'Question' technique, don't treat reading as an automatic process. It has to be conscious
and deliberate, with a definite purpose, where you interact with the topic and the author.
State True or False:
a. 1- True, 2- True
b. 1- False, 2- True
c. 1- True, 2- False
d. 1- False, 2- False
62. Consider the following statements with respect to importance of intranet for business
communication:

1. Once the intranet has been set up, someone has to be responsible for maintaining and
updating the information on a continuous basis.
2. Once the intranet has been set up, employees have to be familiarised on their own about
the usage of intranet. This involves less investment of time and money.
State True or False:
a. 1- True, 2- True
b. 1- False, 2- True
c. 1- True, 2- False
d. 1- False, 2- False
63.
1. If the business communications or a transaction happens over e-mail, directly
between the company and consumers it is called ________________ e-mails.
2. e-mail _____________ can lead to your inbox becoming cluttered, with more messages
than you can handle.
a. 1- Business-to-Business, 2- Junk
b. 1-Business-to-Customer, 2-Traffic
c. 1- Business-to-Organisation, 2- Phishing
d. 1- Business-to-Business, 2- Overload
64. Consider the following statements with respect to Instant Messaging (IM):
1. Instant Messaging (IM) is a technology initially designed for having one-to-one personal
chat at workplaces.
2. To complete the instant message you have to send it. Before you send it, select a basic font
setting.
State True or False:
a. 1- True, 2- True
b. 1- False, 2- True
c. 1- True, 2- False
d. 1- False, 2- False
65.
1. In WIFM ( Whats in it for me?) the benefits of your message to the reader must
be emphasised. This involves the use of the ______________ person pronoun.
2. e-mail must not become a substitute for ____________________ interaction at the
workplace or use valuable time that could be spent on other important jobs.
a. 1- First, 2- Verbal
b. 1-Third, 2- Formal
c. 1- First, 2- Casual
d. 1- Second, 2- Face-to-face

66. Business letters can be used to _________________ different messages to a variety of

_________________.
a. Communicate, institute
b. Receive, customers

c. Send, organisation
d. Communicate, audiences
67. Consider the following statements:
1. Business letters are used primarily to communicate with external stakeholders such as
consumers, intermediaries, government and bankers.
2. Business letters are much more formal than general letters.
State True or False:
a. 1- True, 2- True
b. 1- False, 2- False
c. 1- False, 2- True
d. 1- True, 2- False
68. Business letters should be ___________ and ____________, avoiding unnecessary details
and round about expressions.
a. Specific, lengthy
b. Precise, technical
c. Brief, to the point
d. Detailed, clear
69. Consider the following statements:
1. Business letters should be clearly worded and avoid the use of jargon, technical terms and
slang words.
2. Technical words should be used, so that there is no ambiguity.
State True or False:
a. 1- True, 2- False
b. 1- False, 2- True
c. 1- True, 2- True
d. 1- False, 2- False

70. Public relations involve maintaining _________ and projecting a _____________ of the
organisation among the public both internal and external stakeholders.
a. Welfare, positive image
b. Goodwill, favourable image
c. Relations, profits
d. Public image, corporate strategy

71. There are two approaches to write a resume depending on your experience and
accomplishments. They are ________________ and ________________ resume.
a. Chronological, solicited
b. Reference, recommendation

c. Solicited, unsolicited
d. Chronological, functional
72. Consider the following statements:
1. From a prospective employers point of view, it serves as a screening device, helping to
select the most worthy candidates for a particular position and to eliminate the others.
2. It is a good practice to write the resume before the job application letter as the resume
helps to identify the ideas that must be highlighted in an application letter.
State True or False:
a. 1- True, 2- True
b. 1- False, 2- False
c. 1- False, 2- True
d. 1- True, 2- False
73. The interview conducted for periodical assessments of employees in an organisation is
termed as ____________.
2. The individual conducting _________ interview, gives information about group insurance,
provident fund, or other benefits and also how and when the dues will be paid.
a. 1- Appraisal, 2- Grievance
b. 1- Grievance, 2- Exit
c. 1- Appraisal feedback, 2- Appraisal
d. 1- Appraisal, 2- Exit
74.
1. The GD is coordinated by a ________ who is a neutral person from the
organisation conducting the interview.
2. ________ GDs are more difficult, since they require analytical, decision-making and
problem-solving skills.
a. 1- Moderator, 2- Case based
b. 1- Interviewer, 2- Topic based
c. 1- Human Resource executive, 2- Abstract
d. 1- Top management person, 2- IT based topics
75. Consider the following statements with respect to Interviews:
1. During the interview, the interviewee must anticipate the questions that might be asked.
2. During the interview, the interviewee must pay attention to using the correct body
language.
State True or False:
a. 1- True, 2- False
b. 2- False, 2- True
c. 1- True, 2- True
d. 1- False, 2- False