IMPACT OF CULTURE ON NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS

IMPACT OF CULTURE ON NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS

Culture influences non-verbal communications as much of the gestures, expressions etc result from „clan culture‟. Besides, experts in communication are now convinced that non-verbal communications play a very critical role in every day living:

 They form an integral part of oral, face-to-face communications
 They form the backbone of written communication in terms of layout and other visual aspects of written communication

In modern business communications, non-verbal communications can be at the conscious and unconscious levels. Managers must be conversant with both to be able to use them effectively in cross-cultural interactions.

IMPACT OF CULTURE ON NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS

IMPACT OF CULTURE ON NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS

Culture influences non-verbal communications as much of the gestures, expressions etc result from „clan culture‟. Besides, experts in communication are now convinced that non-verbal communications play a very critical role in every day living:

 They form an integral part of oral, face-to-face communications
 They form the backbone of written communication in terms of layout and other visual aspects of written communication

In modern business communications, non-verbal communications can be at the conscious and unconscious levels. Managers must be conversant with both to be able to use them effectively in cross-cultural interactions.

SHARMA's BLOG: Unconscious forms of non-verbal communication

SHARMA's BLOG: Unconscious forms of non-verbal communication: Unconscious forms of non-verbal communication There are several of them and involve:  Facial Expressions  Eyes  Head  Shoulders ...

Unconscious forms of non-verbal communication

Unconscious forms of non-verbal communication

There are several of them and involve:
 Facial Expressions
 Eyes
 Head
 Shoulders
 Hands and fingers
 Body posture

Gestures, expression etc provide cues and clues that supplement ones‟ oral communication. They are vital and yet they should not be learned as they look artificial. They are not consciously worn as they are intuitive, outward expressions of inward feelings or thoughts. Gestures should be read in clusters and in the context, they are made. The single gesture is like a single word that can have many meanings.
Following gestures are best avoided:
 A pointing finger
 A clenched, raised fist
 A finger raised and put vertically on the lips
 A frown on the face

SHARMA's BLOG: IMPACT OF CULTURE ON NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS

SHARMA's BLOG: IMPACT OF CULTURE ON NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS: IMPACT OF CULTURE ON NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS Culture influences non-verbal communications as much of the gestures, expressions etc resu...

IMPACT OF CULTURE ON NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS

IMPACT OF CULTURE ON NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATIONS

Culture influences non-verbal communications as much of the gestures, expressions etc result from „clan culture‟. Besides, experts in communication are now convinced that non-verbal communications play a very critical role in every day living:

 They form an integral part of oral, face-to-face communications
 They form the backbone of written communication in terms of layout and other visual aspects of written communication

In modern business communications, non-verbal communications can be at the conscious and unconscious levels. Managers must be conversant with both to be able to use them effectively in cross-cultural interactions.

(1) Conscious forms of non-verbal communications
There are several aspects of conscious non-verbal communication that help to create the „first impression‟ on the people. Although these aspects are largely influenced by the climate and other specific conditions, local culture has a profound impact on:

(i) Dress
Most people form opinions about others in the first seven seconds of their meeting. A good sense of dressing contributes greatly to making the right first impression. Dressing appropriately is an art that needs to be acquired although changes in dress codes are happening in many countries rather fast because as the world globalizes, dress sense is also becoming global.
The dress should also include footwear, accessories and even cosmetics/perfumes used.
(a) Business Attire for men
A professional dress may include a suit, trousers, sportscoat, shirt with collar, necktie, etc. Many companies are allowing staff to wear the casual dress at work once a week. This may include sports shirts, polo shirts, trousers, sweaters that can be stylish as well as comfortable.

(b) Business Attire for women
Attires for businesswomen include dresses, suits, skirts no shorter than three inches above the knees, pants with blouses, etc. Inappropriate dresses are too tight or too loose blouses, sleeveless, denim, shorts, backless/strapless dresses, sweatshirts, hats, etc.
Jewelry, accessories etc should be minimal. It is better to stick to ear studs; makeup, to suit but should appear natural.

(ii) Grooming
Besides dressing properly, one should not forget to wear his smile. Remember that one is not dressed for the day until he has worn his smile. Attitude at work should be positive, cooperative and willing to accept responsibilities.

(iii) Business cards
A business card is the ones‟ calling card. It represents the person when he is not there; it speaks of the person and his business. Ensure that the business card is attractive, appealing and easy to read. It should convey the message that the person wants people to remember.

(iv) Handshake
A handshake is a common form of greetings when one meets someone. Ones‟ style of handshake tells a lot about him. The correct form of the handshake is „to keep thumbs up and toughing webs before wrapping the fingers around the other persons‟ hand. While introducing oneself, the person is expected to offer his hand irrespective of the man or woman except in certain cultures that prohibit women from shaking hands with men.
Other forms of greeting like embracing or kissing on the cheeks should be avoided in business gatherings.

SHARMA's BLOG: Implications of Proxemics

SHARMA's BLOG: Implications of Proxemics: Implications of Proxemics Knowledge of Proxemics is being used to secure the following advantages in business: 1 Every culture has a wel...

Implications of Proxemics

Implications of Proxemics

Knowledge of Proxemics is being used to secure the following advantages in business:
1 Every culture has a well-defined personal space; violation of spatial zones can create wrong impressions, leading to loss of business.
2 In multi-cultural groups, individuals should observe the spatial zones of different groups and interact with them accordingly.
3 Even in small groups, one must find out the boundary limits of spatial zones so as to preclude „bubble-bursts‟ arising from irritation and discomfort.
4 According to Gary Kreps, people have strong territorial emotions about their possessions or objects of which they claim ownership viz., clothes, books, homes and automobiles. Since they protect these territories vigorously, people should ensure that they do not step on someone‟s toes.
5 People from high-context cultural countries including India prefer greater distances that low-context culture nations who have a carefree and casual approach to it.
6 The concept of proxemics is also reflected in the way meetings are arranged – a round table encourages participation among members.
7 In organizations, people are very sensitive about their seating places, furniture, and equipment.
8 Small offices with low ceilings and no windows can generate a feeling of being boxed up, sullen and depressed.
9 Open offices are becoming more popular now as they facilitate greater communication, instant feedback, and improved inter-personal relationships.

SHARMA's BLOG: Organizational Proxemics

SHARMA's BLOG: Organizational Proxemics: Organizational Proxemics The subject of proxemics is expanding to cover the contents in the spatial zones as they have major influence o...

Organizational Proxemics

Organizational Proxemics

The subject of proxemics is expanding to cover the contents in the spatial zones as they have major influence on dealing and interacting with people - this area of specialization is referred to as „Organizational Proxemics‟ and covers the followings:
 Landscaping
 Colour schemes and other physical settings
 Ergonomics
 Signs, signals, paintings, sculptors and other artifacts
 Furnishings and interior decoration etc

SHARMA's BLOG: PROXIMICS - Spatial Zones

SHARMA's BLOG: PROXIMICS - Spatial Zones: PROXIMICS - Spatial Zones Edward Hall has identified the following four zones that are in the form of concentric circles around the huma...

PROXIMICS - Spatial Zones

PROXIMICS - Spatial Zones

Edward Hall has identified the following four zones that are in the form of concentric circles around the human body. Since the distances vary among cultures, the density of population and status, each zone has been indicated with a range of distances:
(i) Intimate zone
This zone extends up to 0.5 meters from the body and is considered to have the most important influence on the behavior of individuals. This is a zone that an individual guards as if it is his own property. Only those very close to the individual are permitted to enter this zone viz., spouse, parents, lovers, close friends and relatives. With these persons, not many words are used in communication – whispers take the place of spoken words. Eye contacts, handshake, and pat at the back are noticed often. Nature of communication is more intimate.
It has a sub-zone extending to first 0.15 meter from the body. This is a close intimate zone that can be entered only during physical contact.
(ii) Personal zone
This covers the space from 0.5 to 1.2 meters from the body. This is the distance observed during friendly gatherings, social functions, office parties, etc. People speak in monotones or use low pitch voice with close friends, colleagues, associates, and visitors. Communication is more personal and is carried out in a relaxed and casual way. Much of the responses are spontaneous, leading to important decisions which are the hallmark of this space.
(iii) Social zone
This space extends from 1.2 to 3.5 meters. This space is ideal for formal parties and relationships are mostly official. Most of the business is carried out in this space - a lot of reason and logic comes into play and much of the future planning is done. A man is a social being and this space becomes critical for a person on the move in the hierarchy of business and thus forms the most critical zone.
(iv) Public zone
This zone covers the space beyond 3.5 meters from the body and covers the distance at which people can hear and see. The distance between the person and the group he is addressing or making presentation to would be over 3.5 meters. This zone requires the use of more formal language; communication is more detached and impersonal in perception. One has to raise the voice to be heard clearly.

SHARMA's BLOG: PROXIMICS OR LANGUAGE OF PERSONAL SPACE

SHARMA's BLOG: PROXIMICS OR LANGUAGE OF PERSONAL SPACE: PROXIMICS OR LANGUAGE OF PERSONAL SPACE Animals, birds, and fish guard their territories rather aggressively and so do the nations. Withi...

PROXIMICS OR LANGUAGE OF PERSONAL SPACE

PROXIMICS OR LANGUAGE OF PERSONAL SPACE

Animals, birds, and fish guard their territories rather aggressively and so do the nations. Within a nation, there are well-defined boundaries among different smaller communities. People living within these territories have an allegiance to it and protect these territories even ferociously

American anthropologist, Edward T Hall, concluded that every human being has a territory that it considers to be it's own. The area or the space delineated around the body is claimed to be his own like the air space around him. Edward T Hall called it „Proxemics‟ – the study of the spatial needs of human beings.

Personal space around each one of us has a critical implication for communication and interaction with others and consequently on our behavior and relations with them. Like all other living beings, humans carry a kind of air envelope around them all the time. However, the size of the air-envelop can vary among different cultures. It can also vary between a villager and a city dweller. Besides, the status of a person also influences the distance at which a person stands with respect to that person.

SHARMA's BLOG: UNDERSTANDING CULTURE

SHARMA's BLOG: UNDERSTANDING CULTURE: UNDERSTANDING CULTURE Understanding culture is like peeling an onion. It has several layers that can be peeled off to develop a keen ins...

UNDERSTANDING CULTURE

UNDERSTANDING CULTURE

Understanding culture is like peeling an onion. It has several layers that can be peeled off to develop a keen insight into the culture. Broadly, we think in terms of the following three layers:

(i) Outer layer
It is what other people associate with that culture, its visual realities:
1. Behavior
2. Dress
3. Food
4. Language
5. Habitats
It is also referred to as the „Explicit Culture‟.

(ii) Middle Layer
It refers to the values and norms the community holds – these may be right or wrong, good or bad.

(iii) Inner Layer
It is the deepest level and understanding - it leads to the core of it. It is the key to working successfully with other cultures. The core consists of:
1. Basic assumptions
2. Rules
3. Methods of solving or coping with problems
These rules and methods become so embedded in the members who take to it much like breathing, without even stopping to think about them. It is very difficult for outsiders to recognize these. It is also known as the „Implicit Culture‟.

SHARMA's BLOG: Negotiation

SHARMA's BLOG: Negotiation: Negotiation Negotiation is a process of conferring, discussing and bargaining with two or more parties with different needs and wants to...

Negotiation

Negotiation

Negotiation is a process of conferring, discussing and bargaining with two or more parties with different needs and wants to reach an agreement. Negotiation is at the heart of selling any product or service, clinching orders for purchasing/procurement and resolving conflicts/disagreements among management and union, nations, communities, and individuals.

Successful negotiators are rated as effective by the parties in dispute, have a track record of significant success and have a low incidence of implementation failures. They have markedly different behavior as they avoid the use of „irritators‟, offer fewer counter proposals, avoiding getting in to „defend- attack spiral‟ and avoid dilution of agreement. They often give advance indication of behavior supporting agreement, give reasons before indicating disagreement, resort to testing understanding by summarizing, seek more information and share own feelings to build trust.

Negotiations must be planned meticulously by spending quality time in preparations, exploring a range of options available, focusing on common grounds, freeing issues from sequencing and scheduling, concentrating on long term issues and setting the maximum, the minimum and the target values for issues under negotiations.

In general, the process of negotiations follows three patterns – firstly, giving ones‟ point of view, secondly, giving ones‟ point of view while simultaneously analyzing others‟ objections and own counters and thirdly, finding and enlarging common grounds of agreement. Skilled negotiators adopt the third pattern.

Researchers have identified four styles of negotiations – factual, intuitive, normative and analytical. Individuals should determine own style of negotiations and enhance their negotiation skills.

Negotiating power is individuals‟ ability to influence others‟ decisions and is dependent upon others‟ perception of ones‟ capability. Negotiating power is not a physical force nor does it advocate starting tough and soften up later. Sources of negotiating power are linked to power of skills, knowledge and good relationships. This negotiating power can also flow from seeking good alternatives to negotiations, finding elegant solutions and remaining legitimate and committed.

Bargaining is integral to the process of negotiation and is more pronounced in individual and collective forms of employee relations. In such situations, there are two extreme positions – pure negotiations or joint problem-solving. Several bargaining models are available but the most popular one has four stages viz. initial positioning, testing positions, giving concessions and arriving at the settlement. Bargaining involves skills of analysis, ability to argue effectively, signal cooperation and an eye for details.

SHARMA's BLOG: NEGOTIATIONS AND BARGAINING

SHARMA's BLOG: NEGOTIATIONS AND BARGAINING: NEGOTIATIONS AND BARGAINING Both individual and collective forms of employee relations depend upon negotiations – they involve bargaining...

NEGOTIATIONS AND BARGAINING

NEGOTIATIONS AND BARGAINING

Both individual and collective forms of employee relations depend upon negotiations – they involve bargaining.

(1) Two Extreme Positions
Such bargaining situations should always be thought in terms of the following diagram with two poles at the extreme points as shown:

 Pure Negotiations
 Joint Problem Solving

(i) Pure Negotiations
When management and union are incompatible, opposed and mutually destructive, it is a lose-lose situation. Important forces are keeping them apart and negotiations tend to be distributive when the size of the cake is known and it is to be shared.

(ii) Joint Problem Solving
This is the other extreme situation. It represents the integrative approach. Such behaviors take place when objectives of both the union and management are compatible, supportive and mutually reinforcing. It is a win-win situation. Although it is rare, efforts should be made to move as near to this situation as possible.
Managers tend to operate between the two polarities. The extent to which a negotiator can move towards the joint problem-solving position depends upon the followings:

 The Issue
 The situation
 The people involved
 The negotiating behaviors displayed

(2) Model for Bargaining
There are several models available for bargaining. However, a popular one by Lyons (1988) has the following four stages:

(i) Initial positioning stage
Two sides set out their bargaining position and typically, both parties seem to be rigid and unwilling to compromise. Heated discussions may be marked with a great deal of hostility at this stage. The gap between two positions may be so great that negotiations may seem doomed to failure.

(ii) Testing stage
After protracted and fruitless debate, negotiations move to the stage of informal probing. Each party checks out details of the other side‟s demands to identify issues that are:
 Really un-modifiable
 Open to compromise

(iii) Concession stage
Some concessions emerge leading to exchange of tentative proposals.
(iv) Settlement stage
A breakthrough happens and bargaining leads to an agreement that is finally signed and sealed.

(3) Skills required for effective bargaining
Lyons (1988) has identified the following skill sets that can enhance skills for bargaining:

(i) Analysis
Negotiators should have the ability to analyze the situation from own and other sides‟ perspective quickly. Negotiators should be able to think through the complete process from the beginning and decide on:
 Items that can be agreed on a win-win basis
 Items that can be agreed on a win-lose basis
Negotiators must remember that winning a small concession is not worthwhile if it damages the working relationship long term. Win-win deals happen when both sides feel they have gained and are always preferred.

(ii) Effective argument
Effective communication requires a great deal of patience. Good negotiators have to achieve a balance between aggressive and submissive styles of the conversation by being assertive when one conveys one‟s viewpoint while simultaneously listening to the contrarian views. Abusive and petty-mindedness destroy mutual respect. It is necessary to keep communication open however unsuccessful bargaining may be.

(iii) Signals of cooperation
Skilled negotiators are able to sense and seize small signs and clues of compromise, consensus, and cooperation. They use the tit-for-tat principle and return every compromise offered with a concession from their side. Every offer should be conditional to a cooperative response.

(iv) Attention to details
Negotiations should be comprehensive and negotiators should have an eye for details. In bargaining, there is no room for the late withdrawal of an offer made!

SHARMA's BLOG: Sources of enhancing negotiating power

SHARMA's BLOG: Sources of enhancing negotiating power: Sources of enhancing negotiating power Power of devising a good alternative to negotiations In learning how to enhance one‟s negotiati...

Sources of enhancing negotiating power

Sources of enhancing negotiating power

Power of devising a good alternative to negotiations

In learning how to enhance one‟s negotiation skills, we ask individuals to develop „Best Alternative to Negotiated Settlement‟ (BATNA). The idea is to develop the most promising solution/agreement and then improve it to the extent possible. The greater the ability to develop an alternative outside of negotiations, the higher would be the power of that person to secure a favorable negotiated settlement.

Power of elegant solution

In any negotiation, there are several shared and conflicting interests. Although skilled negotiators initiate brainstorming sessions with the team to generate many options to satisfy the legitimate interests of both parties, inventing a good, elegant solution enhances the negotiating power of the negotiators. It enables the negotiators to secure a more favorable outcome.
 Power of legitimacy
The proposed solution should be legitimate as that enhances its acceptability. An outcome is legitimate when:
1. It is fair
2. Law requires it
3. It is consistent with precedent
4. It is the industry practice
5. It is based on sound policy
6. It is legitimate applying some other standards
7. It is legitimate in the eyes of the other side
Such solutions increase the negotiating power of individuals as they become more acceptable.

 Power of commitment

Although planning for commitment is done in advance, commitments are made during the negotiations only. Every commitment involves decision making. Broadly there are two types of commitment:
(a) Affirmative commitments
These are:
 Offers that a party is willing to agree
 Offers that a party is willing to accept under certain conditions, failing agreement
Every offer ties up negotiators‟ hands. Power of positive commitment has the power of invitation to the other party. A skilled negotiator formulates the offer in a manner that would maximize all the above powers of negotiation. It has, therefore, the highest chance of being accepted.
(b) Negative commitments
These are:
 Unwilling to make certain agreements even though they would be better than no agreements
 The threat, failing agreement, to engage in certain negative conduct even though it would be worse than having no agreement
Negative commitment is the most controversial and troublesome element of negotiating power. It is also the last resort of the negotiators. The earlier a negotiator announces a „take-it-or-leave-it‟ position, less likely it would be that he has maximized the cumulative impact of all the elements of negotiation power.

Analysis of the negative commitments suggests

 It is a mistake to attempt to influence the other side by negative commitment at the early stages of negotiation without having made use of other elements of negotiating power.
 If it is made as a last resort, it should be formulated to reinforce and complement other elements of negotiating power and not undercut them. Even then, it should be done in line with the tradition of maintaining a good working relationship and concepts of legitimacy.

SHARMA's BLOG: Sources of enhancing negotiating power

SHARMA's BLOG: Sources of enhancing negotiating power: Sources of enhancing negotiating power Following should be used as a checklist for enhancing the negotiating power of individuals:  Po...

Sources of enhancing negotiating power

Sources of enhancing negotiating power

Following should be used as a checklist for enhancing the negotiating power of individuals:

 Power of skill
 Power of knowledge
 Power of good relationship
 Power of good alternative to negotiations
 Power of elegant solution
 Power of legitimacy
 Power of commitment

These are detailed below:

(i) Power of skill
As discussed above, skilled negotiators have much advantage in being able to secure a good agreement that has a high degree of implement-ability and stick-ability. These skills can be acquired and persons should have them prior to actual negotiations.
(ii) Power of knowledge
Knowledge may be of general type regarding procedural options, awareness of members‟ style of negotiation and impact of cultural differences if any. A person with a repertoire of examples, precedents, and illustrations can enhance his persuasive power.
Specific knowledge of particular issues under negotiations can make one even more powerful. Followings can strengthen one‟s ability to influence:
1. Knowledge about persons involved in the negotiations
2. Knowledge about the interests involved
3. Knowledge about the facts of the issues
(iii) Power of good relationships
The good working relationship does not imply approval of each other‟ conduct although mutual respect and affection may help. Two important aspects of a good relationship are:
(a) Trust
It comes from building referent power over time through honesty, integrity, and commitment to promises made. Individuals‟ power comes from the perception of others of whether they trust the person involved in negotiations.

SHARMA's BLOG: NEGOTIATING POWER

SHARMA's BLOG: NEGOTIATING POWER: NEGOTIATING POWER Negotiation may be understood as a process of conferring and communicating with two or more parties for the purpose of...

NEGOTIATING POWER

NEGOTIATING POWER

Negotiation may be understood as a process of conferring and communicating with two or more parties for the purpose of influencing their decisions for an agreement. However, the concept of negotiating power is a little difficult to comprehend – it is one‟s ability to influence others‟ decisions and depends upon others‟ perception of one‟s capability and not what he actually has. In essence, negotiation power is all a matter of perception!

(1) Myths about negotiating power
Two popular myths that must be overcome are:
(i) Negotiating power is the physical force
Physical force is considered to be both necessary and sufficient element of negotiating power. It must be understood that the total negotiating power depends upon many factors and enhancing the total power is building up the combined potential of all of them. Effective negotiating power is orchestrating all the factors so as to maximize their cumulative effect.

(ii) Start tough as one can always go soft later
It is also influenced by the concept of physical power and leads to the belief that starting the negotiations with the threat of consequences of non-agreement is preferable. It is true that if other things are equal, a more extreme initial position of either demanding high price or offering a low price, the final outcome is likely to be more favorable. However, opening with a low offer is quite different than opening with the threat of painful consequences if an offer is not accepted because if one is committed to threat at an early stage of negotiations, it can severely damage one‟s negotiating power,

SHARMA's BLOG: NEGOTIATION STYLES

SHARMA's BLOG: NEGOTIATION STYLES: NEGOTIATION STYLES Analytical style These negotiators work on the basic assumption that logically leads to the right conclusions. (i)...

NEGOTIATION STYLES

NEGOTIATION STYLES

Analytical style

These negotiators work on the basic assumption that logically leads to the right conclusions.
(i) Behaviors used

1. Formulate reasons and logic to the case under negotiations
2. Argue in favor of own position and against others‟ position
3. Divide, analyze and break down each situation and its cause and effect
4. Identify relationships of parts
5. Put things in a logical order
6. Weigh the pros and cons thoroughly
7. Make identical statements
8. Use linear reasoning, being inductive in logic
9. Use keywords like because, consequently, in order to, then, therefore, etc
(iii) Guidelines
1. Use logic while arguing
2. Look for causes and effects
3. Analyze options with pros and cons
The standard toolkit of questionnaires is available for determining one‟s style of negotiation and has emerged as a powerful tool for enhancing individuals‟ negotiation skills.

SHARMA's BLOG: NEGOTIATION STYLES

SHARMA's BLOG: NEGOTIATION STYLES: NEGOTIATION STYLES Normative style They operate on the basic assumption that negotiating is bargaining. (i) Behaviors used 1. Assess...

NEGOTIATION STYLES

NEGOTIATION STYLES

Normative style

They operate on the basic assumption that negotiating is bargaining.
(i) Behaviors used
1. Assess, judge and evaluate facts according to their personal values
2. Approve or disapprove, agree or disagree based on own norms of behavior
3. Use loaded words
4. Offer bargains
5. Propose rewards and incentives
6. Appeal to emotions and feelings to reach a fair deal
7. Are demanding, threatening and coercing
8. Use authority, power, and status
9. Correlate with other people
10. Make effective statements
11. Focus on people and their reactions
12. Judge others‟ responses
13. Pay attention to communication and other group processes
14. Use keywords like: wrong, right, good, bad, like, etc
(iii) Guidelines
1. Establish sound relationships
2. Identify partners‟ values and adjust to them
3. Appeal to partners‟ feelings

SHARMA's BLOG: NEGOTIATION STYLES

SHARMA's BLOG: NEGOTIATION STYLES: NEGOTIATION STYLES Intuitive Style These persons work on the basic assumption that imagination can solve any problem, (i) Behaviours ...

NEGOTIATION STYLES

NEGOTIATION STYLES

Intuitive Style

These persons work on the basic assumption that imagination can solve any problem,
(i) Behaviours exhibited

1. Make warm and enthusiastic statements
2. Focus on the entire problem
3. Pin-point the essentials of the problem(s)
4. Make projections into the future
5. Our imaginative and creative in analyzing the situation
6. Go beyond the facts
7. Come up with new ideas all the time
8. Push and withdraw from time to time
9. Put two and two together very quickly
10. Get their facts wrong sometimes
11. Use deductive logic
12. Use keywords like the creative, essential, idea, tomorrow, etc
(ii) Guidelines
1. Focus on the situation as a whole
2. Tap the imagination and creativity of the team
3. Build on the reaction of other persons

SHARMA's BLOG: NEGOTIATION STYLES

SHARMA's BLOG: NEGOTIATION STYLES: NEGOTIATION STYLES Researches have confirmed the following four styles of negotiators:  Factual style  Intuitive style  Normative s...

NEGOTIATION STYLES

NEGOTIATION STYLES

Researches have confirmed the following four styles of negotiators:
 Factual style
 Intuitive style
 Normative style
 Analytical style
Each of these styles is detailed below:
(1) Factual style
Such persons make the basic assumption that facts speak for themselves.
(i) Behaviors exhibited

1. Point out facts in a neutral way
2. Keep track of what has been said
3. Remind people of their statements made earlier
4. Know most of the details of issues discussed
5. Share details with others
6. Relate facts to experience and clarify
7. Are low key in their reactions
8. Look for proof and documents of statements
9. Use keywords like clarify, define, explain, facts, etc
(ii) Guidelines
1. Be precise in presenting facts
2. Refer to what has been carried out
3. Know the dossier complete with details
4. Document what they say

SHARMA's BLOG: Behavior PATTERNS OF SKILLED NEGOTIATORS

SHARMA's BLOG: Behavior PATTERNS OF SKILLED NEGOTIATORS: Behavior PATTERNS OF SKILLED NEGOTIATORS Behaviors that are used frequently These are: (i) Giving an advance indication of behavior ...

Behavior PATTERNS OF SKILLED NEGOTIATORS

Behavior PATTERNS OF SKILLED NEGOTIATORS

Behaviors that are used frequently

These are:

(i) Giving an advance indication of behavior supporting agreement
Skilled negotiators tend to label their behavior before setting it out especially if there is no disagreement involved whereas average negotiators tend to be abrupt. For example, prefacing a question by saying, „Can I ask a question ………‟. Labeling behavior beforehand has some advantages:

 It draws the attention of listeners to the issue stated and would lead to a response from the other party.
 It slows down the negotiations as parties take time to gather their thoughts from the previous statements made before they can respond.
 It adds a certain formality which keeps the negotiations at a national level.
 It reduces ambiguity and leads to clearer communications

(ii) Giving reasons before indicating disagreement
There is a marked difference between skilled negotiators and average negotiators when it comes to expressing disagreement:
An average negotiator would say that „I disagree with that because ………‟ whereas a skilled negotiator is more likely, to begin with, the reasons and explanations before making the statement of disagreement. This is illustrated below:
Average Negotiators
Statement of Disagreement followed by Reasons and Explanations
Skilled Negotiators
Reasons and Explanations before Statement of Disagreement

(iii) Testing understanding and summarizing
Testing understanding is a behavior used by negotiators to check and establish whether the previous statement has been understood by the other party. Summarizing is making a compact statement of points discussed previously. Both the behaviors are useful as they sort out the misunderstanding and reduce misconceptions. Skilled negotiators tend to use them twice as more frequently than average negotiators because of the following reasons:
 Concern for clarity and prevention of misunderstanding
 A measure of reflection of the other party‟s response
 A concern for stack-ability and implement-ability of agreement

(iv) Seeking more information
Skilled negotiators seek more information than the average negotiators. Their justifications are:
 Need to obtain the necessary information to use it for bargaining
 Using the strategy of asking questions as they:
1. Give control over discussions
2. Are more acceptable alternatives to disagreements
3. Keep the other party active, leaving little time to think
4. Give time to negotiators to collect own thoughts

(v) Sharing feelings
Skilled negotiators tend to play their cards very close to their chest and are often able to keep their feelings to themselves. It is almost impossible to measure these feelings in any research. However, an indirect indicator is available as they tend to give „internal information‟ more often than the average negotiators. Giving internal information amounts to sharing with others as to what is transpiring in their mind. Such revelations may or may not be genuine. Giving internal information has also been used instead of disagreeing behavior.
Psychologists are of the opinion that expressing feelings helps build trust.

SHARMA's BLOG: Behavior PATTERNS OF SKILLED NEGOTIATORS

SHARMA's BLOG: Behavior PATTERNS OF SKILLED NEGOTIATORS: Behavior PATTERNS OF SKILLED NEGOTIATORS Skilled negotiators have a markedly different pattern of behavior than the average negotiators. ...

Behavior PATTERNS OF SKILLED NEGOTIATORS

Behavior PATTERNS OF SKILLED NEGOTIATORS

Skilled negotiators have a markedly different pattern of behavior than the average negotiators. Based on research carried out on face-to-face negotiations, it has been found that the following behaviors were used by skilled negotiators more frequently:

(1) Behaviors that are avoided

These are:
(i) Using irritators
Negotiators tend to use certain words/phrases that do not add any value to the process of persuasion that moves parties closer to an agreement. For instance,
 Using the prefix of „generous offer‟ to own proposal
 Using „fair‟ or ‟reasonable‟ for own offers
Although it is rather difficult to avoid saying favorable things about ourselves, these should be treated as „irritators‟ as they tend to offend the other party. Skilled negotiators use these irritators about 2 times per hour compared to 11 times by average negotiators in the face-to-face negotiations.

(ii) Making counter proposals
During negotiations, it happens frequently that the moment one party puts forward a proposal the other party follows it up immediately with a counter-proposal. Skilled negotiators make such counterproposals less often – only about 2 times against 3 times per session made by average negotiators. A disadvantage of making counter proposals are:
 Introducing new and additional options leads to complicating and clouding the clarity of negotiations
 Giving counter-proposals when the other party is pre-occupied with own proposal, are not received well
 The other party usually perceives counter-proposals as a way of blocking or conveying their disagreement

(iii) Avoiding „Defend / Attack Spiral‟
Negotiations often happen for resolving conflicts. When negotiators use emotional or value-loaded behavior to attack the other party or to defend own proposal, the process goes into a spiral and the line between defend / attack blurs. One party may perceive it as a legitimate defense while the other may deem it as an unwarranted attack. Skilled negotiators use it about 2 times per hour against the average negotiators‟ 6 times in face-to-face negotiations.

(iv) Avoiding dilution of argument
Laypersons seem to think that more reasons or justifications offered to support an issue, better are the chances of their acceptance by the other party. In reality, the opposite is true because more arguments lead to more dilution because the opposite party would use the weakest justification to hit back. Thus the weakest argument dilutes the stronger ones and becomes the common denominator of the process in hand. Skilled negotiators use them less often.

SHARMA's BLOG: SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATOR

SHARMA's BLOG: SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATOR: SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATOR There has been considerable debate and discussions on the traits of successful negotiators. Research on the subjec...

SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATOR

SUCCESSFUL NEGOTIATOR

There has been considerable debate and discussions on the traits of successful negotiators. Research on the subject has evolved broad consensus on the following criteria for determining skilled negotiators:

(1) Rated as effective by the parties.
This precondition for identifying candidates for further study enables to prevent picking a person from a single frame of mind.

(2) Have a track record of significant success
The central criterion for choosing effective negotiators is their track record over time to ensure an element of consistency so as to avoid any conclusions based on short term studies where agreements might have been secured through tricks or deception.

(3) Have a low incidence of implementation failures
The purpose of negotiations is not only to reach agreements but also to make them work during implementation. Track record of successful implementation is a pre-requisite for identifying skilled negotiators.

SHARMA's BLOG: NEGOTIATION

SHARMA's BLOG: NEGOTIATION: NEGOTIATION Negotiation may be defined as a process of conferring, discussing or bargaining among two or more parties with different nee...

NEGOTIATION

NEGOTIATION

Negotiation may be defined as a process of conferring, discussing or bargaining among two or more parties with different needs and wants to reach an agreement in business or diplomacy. It is intended to settle and conclude a deal that enables people to succeed, surmount difficulties and accomplishing objectives.

Negotiations have become an important and integral part of any business/diplomacy. It is the core process for selling any product, service or an idea; it is the heart of clinching orders for purchasing and procurement work and it is resorted to by management team to either jointly solve disputes, disagreements or to bargain new wage and salary structure with the representative union.
Although conducting negotiations among business partners is fairly regular, always remember the famous advice of John F Kennedy, the late President of the USA:
„Do not ever fear to negotiate but never negotiate out of fear‟.

SHARMA's BLOG: TYPES OF RESUME

SHARMA's BLOG: TYPES OF RESUME: TYPES OF RESUME It is an acronym that follows the spelling of „resume‟.  Result-centric document containing relevant and critical inf...

TYPES OF RESUME

TYPES OF RESUME

It is an acronym that follows the spelling of „resume‟.

 Result-centric document containing relevant and critical information to prove that the applicant has suitable credentials for the job
 An enlightening tool to readers that portrays the essence of the applicant – who, what, when, where, why and how (5W‟s and IH) of the individual.
 Shares information about the person and simultaneously, selling his value and worth to the recruiting firm
 The uniqueness of one's‟ personality, the inimitable „you‟ captured in print
 Meaningful marketing tool available to secure a call for an interview
 Evoke a positive response from a prospective employer

There are broadly three types of the resume:

 Functional resume
 Chronological resume
 Combination resume

These have been described as below:
(1) Functional resume
The focus of a functional resume is on work experience and highlights skills that have been acquired through education and experience. It draws the attention of the reader to skill sets that are specific to the requirements of the new job.

(2) Chronological resume
A chronological resume enumerates working experience in the reverse order starting with the most recent job first and then going back to the previous job(s). This approach builds credibility with the reader through work experience and highlights the growth of the applicant over time. The reader can then easily judge the suitability of the candidate for the new job.
This format is popular in the USA and is picking up in India too.

(3) Combination resume
As the name implies, it balances the above two approaches and adopts the middle path. Here, the functional list of skills is stated first in a forward manner followed by a chronological listing of work experience with different employers in the reverse order.
In India, much of the time, combination resume has become more popular.

SHARMA's BLOG: BIODATA, RESUME AND CURRICULUM VITAE

SHARMA's BLOG: BIODATA, RESUME AND CURRICULUM VITAE: BIODATA, RESUME AND CURRICULUM VITAE There are three terms used and described as under: (1) Bio-data Bio-data is a paragraph summary o...

BIODATA, RESUME AND CURRICULUM VITAE

BIODATA, RESUME AND CURRICULUM VITAE

There are three terms used and described as under:

(1) Bio-data
Bio-data is a paragraph summary of who a person is and can be written for any purpose whatsoever.

(2) Resume
A resume is a statement containing specific information relating to education, training, and experience. It is usually a single page and is used for applying for a job.

(3) Curriculum Vitae
Curriculum Vitae is like a resume but it may be much longer spreading into 3 to 4 pages.
The above definitions bring out the subtle differences between the various terms used. However, in India, they are being used almost interchangeably. In this Unit, the term resume has been used.
The word resume has two popular connotations:

(i) Resume as a noun
It is even pronounced differently. It stands for a detailed bio-data, personal record sheet or curriculum vitae.

(ii) Resume as a verb
It means restart. Job hunting or job change should be thought of as a process of giving a restart to ones‟ life and working career. The concerned person must remember that the resume is not about his past job. It is about writing all about self so that he can give a fresh start to his working life. It must talk about the person and his accomplishments as would fit the requirements of a job he is applying. It should highlight his personality and focus on how well he was equipped to perform the future job.
A resume is the most important document a person creates for himself. It should be available with him all the time. It must be revised and updated from time to time – perhaps once in six months in the prime years of his working life. It is everybody‟s duty to plan his career in such a way that he can add something more exciting and more topical to his resume in line with the contemporary needs of business and industry.

When resumes are mailed unsolicited to possible employers, these are also scanned quickly by the persons concerned – they skim through the resume in 1 – 2 minutes. It means that resume should be as brief as possible so that it can attract the attention of the quick readers. One of the most difficult tasks is to secure an appointment for an interview - that is the first and very important step in getting recruited. Good resumes pave the way for the interview.

Someone has compared resume with a bouquet of flowers. Every blossom should be chosen with a lot of care and every flower should be set in a way that adds to the beauty of the bouquet.
Thus learning to write a resume is a very skillful job. Each job one applies for may require fine-tuning of the resume to suit. Experience has proved that although a considerable effort is required for turning out a brief but attractive resume, it is very rewarding to individuals. It can propel applicants on a faster trajectory of career progression.

BUSINESS REPORT

BUSINESS REPORT

Business reports carry information from those who have it, to them who need it and have emerged as an integral part of modern management tools for decision-making and action-taking in large corporations. They contribute significantly to better decision-making and carrying the business forward on the path of growth and expansion.

Reports may be oral or written, informal or formal, statutory and non-statutory, routine or special, informative or interpretive, problem-solving or fact-finding, performance or technical and may be prepared by individuals, teams or committees.

Business reports should aim for accuracy of facts, brevity, and clarity; they should be free of grammatical mistakes and have objectivity in recommendations. They should have unity, cohesion, precision, reader-orientation, relevance and be couched in simple language.

Written business reports provide a record for senders, receivers and other users; they are thought out well before they are written and submitted. Receivers can go through them several times and construct better response(s). Limitations of written business reports are that there is no immediate feedback to senders, no personal contact with readers who are not able to ask questions for clarifications and once submitted, their contents cannot be adjusted.

For preparing better business reports, writers must know the purpose, visualize the readers, choose ideas, collects facts to back them, organize ideas in the most effective sequence and finally writing, rewriting and rewriting …… to improve their readability and salability.

Organizations should standardize the formats of their business reports incorporating the title page, acknowledgment, executive summary, table of contents with page numbers in the beginning and appendices, bibliography at the end of the reports. The format of the main body of the business reports may be varied to suit the type of the report and other specific needs of the business.

SHARMA's BLOG: GOOD BUSINESS REPORT

SHARMA's BLOG: GOOD BUSINESS REPORT: GOOD BUSINESS REPORT Following features stand out: (1) Accuracy of facts Since reports are used for decision-making, inaccurate and u...

GOOD BUSINESS REPORT

GOOD BUSINESS REPORT

Following features stand out:

(1) Accuracy of facts
Since reports are used for decision-making, inaccurate and unverified facts can lead to disastrous results. It is said, „What is worse than no information is wrong information‟.

(2) Brevity
Difficult to define, it is also not possible to state it, as a rule, to be followed for writing reports. Good reports are brief but brevity should not be achieved at the cost of clarity nor should it be at the expense of completeness. Thus the reports should include everything that is relevant yet be brief!

(3) Clarity
Clarity comes from orderly, systematic and clear thinking. Reports should be skillfully divided into short paragraphs, giving headings and inserting signposts to attract attention and securing the sustained interest of the readers who are indeed customers.

(4) Free from grammatical errors
Good reports are a good piece of composition presented attractively and free of any grammatical error. If the choice of words is faulty, construction of sentences is confusing and the design of paragraphs is dull, reports would find few readers. If reports require too much of sorting out of data and sifting out the meanings before making decisions, it would always leave a lurking doubt in the decision-makers‟ mind. And if decisions do not reflect the conviction of management, they are unlikely to be implemented properly.

(5) Objectivity of recommendations
Recommendations should be objective and impartial. These must be based on logical conclusions of the investigation, analysis, and findings. The self-interest of the individuals should not creep in directly or indirectly.

(6) Unity and Cohesion
If the writers are clear about the main purpose of the report, it gives unity and cohesion to the report

(7) Precision
Reports avoid extraneous issues and are precise and incisive. Precision adds value to the report.

(8) Reader-orientation
Reader orientation is customer orientation. Writers must always keep the person(s) going to read the report in mind. Contents of reports to laypersons will be different from the reports prepared and submitted to experts and specialists.

(9) Relevance
The facts and data should have a direct bearing on the main purpose of the message intended. Nothing relevant should be skipped nor any irrelevant data be added to
make the report confusing. Exclusion of facts may make the report incomplete and is likely to mislead.

(10) Simple language
Reports using simple, familiar words and direct construction of sentences call for a greater understanding of the subject. Only deep knowledge enables persons to throw up and uses simple words and phrases for expressions. Reports should be free of trite expressions, clichés, and figures of speech.

SHARMA's BLOG: WRITTEN REPORTWritten reports have emerged as ve...

SHARMA's BLOG: WRITTEN REPORT

Written reports have emerged as ve...: WRITTEN REPORT Written reports have emerged as very useful tools in decision-making in large organizations. Usually some vital decisions ...

WRITTEN REPORT

Written reports have emerged as very useful tools in decision-making in large organizations. Usually some vital decisions are taken and if companies have to survive and grow in competitive environments, quality and reliability of decisions must be world class. This requires great care while preparing the written reports. Six important steps are:
 Knowing the purpose of the report
 Visualizing the reader(s)
 Choosing the ideas
 Collecting all facts and data backing the ideas
 Organizing ideas in the most effective manner
 Writing, rewriting and rewriting

These are explained below:

(1) Knowing the purpose of the report
Reports are generally investigative in nature. The senior management while appointing the task force or team to look into the issue(s) must indicate the purpose. Sometimes, the purpose is vague in the beginning and after some initial exploration, the real purpose becomes clearer.
However, in all events, readers, even before they begin to go through the reports, should know the purpose of the writer. It is always difficult to grasp the ideas if the purpose of the report is not clear.
This highlights the importance of crafting a good title for the report. The wordings of the title of the report should cover the purpose in a precise, concise and specific manner.

(2) Visualizing the reader(s)
Reports should adapt to the mental frame of the readers. Since business reports have limited circulation, it is easier to visualize possible readers and identify their business and professional background:
 Bosses, peers or subordinates
 Gender – man or woman
 Age – young, middle-aged or old
 Length of service with the firm – new or old associate
If the report is meant for a larger group, the typical characteristics of the receivers must be visualized and borne in mind while writing the report. In short, writers must have a healthy love and respect for their readers – the report has to attract and sustain their attention!

(3) Choosing the ideas
After knowing the purpose, the various ideas that come to mind must be written succinctly. Here effort should be made to jot down all the possible keywords of the ideas that flash in the mind of the writer. After writing down the ideas, the next step is to sequence them in some logical and systematic way for making it easier for the readers to understand and grasp the ideas.

(4) Collecting all facts and data backing the ideas
The writers must remember that the written report has to be a very compelling document supporting the ideas you want to sell to your superiors, peers, and subordinates. Here writers should make a list of the ideas in the left half of the paper and then on the corresponding right half, write the data/facts that must be collected in support of those ideas. This draft action plan would save time and effort of the team who would collect the relevant data required for the subject.

Having collected all the relevant data, writers must edit in terms of the most suitable sequencing of the ideas for influencing the receivers. For ease of readability, all the data may not have to be put in the main body of the report – detailed tables, charts, etc may be put in the appendices at the end of the report. Only the summary of the data may be put in the main body to ensure the write-up moves forward with every paragraph.

(5) Organizing ideas in the most effective manner
The order in which the ideas will be presented is as important as the ideas themselves. The discipline of translating your thoughts into appropriate words and organizing these thoughts and words logically has no equal in intellectual training. This process of „wordsmith‟ is very invigorating and satisfying to the writers of any communication, especially the business reports.

(6) Writing, rewriting and rewriting …..
It is well known secret of the industry that good authors, journalists and correspondents write, rewrite and rewrite…….. To be able to do it, contents have to be rewritten repeatedly with a view to improving them; it also requires an innate respect and love for the readers.
To revise any draft effectively, it should be read objectively and with a fresh mind from the viewpoint of the readers. Writers must read paragraph by paragraph and check the continuity of the ideas. Every word, figure and image must be checked thoroughly.
Wherever possible, consider suggestions from knowledgeable colleagues and subordinates.

SHARMA's BLOG: GOOD BUSINESS REPORT

SHARMA's BLOG: GOOD BUSINESS REPORT: GOOD BUSINESS REPORT Following features stand out: (1) Accuracy of facts Since reports are used for decision-making, inaccurate and un...

GOOD BUSINESS REPORT

GOOD BUSINESS REPORT

Following features stand out:
(1) Accuracy of facts
Since reports are used for decision-making, inaccurate and unverified facts can lead to disastrous results. It is said, „What is worse than no information is wrong information‟.

(2) Brevity
Difficult to define, it is also not possible to state it, as a rule, to be followed for writing reports. Good reports are brief but brevity should not be achieved at the cost of clarity nor should it be at the expense of completeness. Thus the reports should include everything that is relevant yet be brief!

(3) Clarity
Clarity comes from orderly, systematic and clear thinking. Reports should be skillfully divided into short paragraphs, giving headings and inserting signposts to attract attention and securing the sustained interest of the readers who are indeed customers.

(4) Free from grammatical errors
Good reports are a good piece of composition presented attractively and free of any grammatical error. If the choice of words is faulty, construction of sentences is confusing and the design of paragraphs is dull, reports would find few readers. If reports require too much of sorting out of data and sifting out the meanings before taking decisions, it would always leave a lurking doubt in the decision makers‟ mind. And if decisions do not reflect the conviction of management, they are unlikely to be implemented properly.

(5) Objectivity of recommendations
Recommendations should be objective and impartial. These must be based on logical conclusions of the investigation, analysis, and findings. The self-interest of the individuals should not creep in directly or indirectly.

(6) Unity and Cohesion
If the writers are clear about the main purpose of the report, it gives unity and cohesion to the report

(7) Precision
Reports avoid extraneous issues and are precise and incisive. Precision adds value to the report.

(8) Reader-orientation
Reader orientation is customer orientation. Writers must always keep the person(s) going to read the report in mind. Contents of reports to laypersons will be different from the reports prepared and submitted to experts and specialists.

(9) Relevance
The facts and data should have a direct bearing on the main purpose of the message intended. Nothing relevant should be skipped nor any irrelevant data be added to
make the report confusing. Exclusion of facts may make the report incomplete and is likely to mislead.

(10) Simple language
Reports using simple, familiar words and direct construction of sentences call for a greater understanding of the subject. Only deep knowledge enables persons to throw up and uses simple words and phrases for expressions. Reports should be free of trite expressions, clichés, and figures of speech.

SHARMA's BLOG: WRITING BUSINESS REPORTS

SHARMA's BLOG: WRITING BUSINESS REPORTS: WRITING BUSINESS REPORTS A report is a method of giving information about something seen or investigated. It is a formal presentation an...

WRITING BUSINESS REPORTS

WRITING BUSINESS REPORTS

A report is a method of giving information about something seen or investigated. It is a formal presentation and is written complete with conclusions reached and recommendations made. It provides background material and relevant information in decision-making and action-taking.
It is rightly said that reports carry information from those who have it to those who need it. They reflect the flow of information and have become an integral part of modern information management for decision-making.

Reports have become, over time, basic management tools for decision-making. These are extremely important for firms that have grown in size. All the facts and figures cannot be masterminded by one individual like a proprietor/entrepreneur does in a small enterprise.
For larger firms, reports are indispensable. They have emerged as a very good way of ensuring participative management for better decision-making and carrying the business forward faster on the path of growth and expansion.

CLASSIFICATION OF REPORTS

Reports can be classified in several ways as under:
(1) Classifying on the basis of a form of communication
 Oral reports
 Written reports

(2) Classifying on the basis of legality
 Informal (short) reports
 Formal (long) reports
Formal reports can be further subdivided:
 Statutory reports
 Non-statutory reports

(3) Classifying on the basis of frequency of issue
 Periodic reports (also called Routine reports)
 Special reports

(4) Classifying on the basis of functions
 Informative reports
 Interpretive reports (also called Analytical or Investigative reports)

(5) Classifying on the basis of nature of the subject
 Problem determining reports
 Fact-finding reports
 Performance reports
 Technical reports

(6) Classifying on the basis of the number of persons entrusted to draft reports
 Reports by individuals
 Reports by team
 Reports by committee or sub-committee

SHARMA's BLOG: ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION

SHARMA's BLOG: ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION: ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION Advancing frontiers of knowledge in electronics, computers, information technology and integrated networking wi...

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION

Advancing frontiers of knowledge in electronics, computers, information technology and integrated networking with telecommunication technology have had a profound impact on written communication. Several new methodologies that support written communication directly have become commonplace.
Word processing has automated the transformation of ideas into a readable form where text in words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs are manipulated, formats and fonts can be changed and text/data can be deleted, added, moved around to enhance the presentation of written/printed letters, circulars and memos.
Electronic mail, although the one-way flow of information, has speeded up communication to the remotest corner of the globe instantaneously. Features like electronic bulletin boards, registered mail, private mail, and mail distribution have enhanced access of individuals, groups, and organizations through the Internet by paying a small fee. With mobile telephony becoming popular, Short Messaging Service (SMS) is becoming popular for many business transactions notably in banking, financial institutions, and other industries.
Electronic meeting systems covering audio conferencing, computer conferencing and video-audio conferencing ably supported by email, Teletext, etc have reduced time and money spent in traveling, hotel and other expenses enabling business executives to become more efficient and effective. Use of web cameras and instant chatting facilities are making one-to-one communication across regions, countries, and continents almost face to face.
The fax machine has been described as a small wonder machine or even a card attached to a computer that can transmit technical, engineering and legal documents instantly and has been credited with speeding up project work in several locations, negotiations in business and international diplomacy.
Teletext and videotext methodologies are spearheading the growth of both business-to-business and business-to-customer electronic commerce. Hypertext has facilitated the inflow of external and competition information from government agencies and merchant „infopreneurs‟ that enable putting together online Executive-Information-System (EIS) for speeding up strategic decision-making and action-taking processes.
Imaging technology has revolutionized the way massive volumes of technical, legal and diplomatic text/data are stored in digital form that can be transmitted rapidly across countries and continents although their lack of admissibility in courts and judiciary requires more advancements to open the floodgates for their wider use.
Optical scanners collect data from product tags, cheques, and other documents and transfer them to computers networks for inventory, sales, and accounting applications.
Availability of cheap desktop publishing facilities in large companies has enhanced the presentation of written documents like bids, purchase orders, delivery advice and transport documents and making a first dazzling impression about the firm.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) has overcome barriers to transmission of text/data among dissimilar hardware and software systems and is becoming a necessary facility much like a telephone and soon business shall reach the stage of „No EDI, No Business‟.
Since their origin in 1999, blogs have caught the imagination of a very number of senders of written communications. Blogs have grown in variety from individual blogs to theme blogs to communities of blogs to meet the needs of individuals, groups, and enterprises.

SHARMA's BLOG: BLOGS - Special Features

SHARMA's BLOG: BLOGS - Special Features: BLOGS - Special Features (i) Develop own community By adding „Follower Gadget‟ to the blog layout, readers can click „Follow the Blog”...

BLOGS - Special Features

BLOGS - Special Features

(i) Develop own community
By adding „Follower Gadget‟ to the blog layout, readers can click „Follow the Blog” link to add the blog to their Blogger Dashboard and Google Reader Account. This would permit them to add their image and profile to the blogs of well-known people to convey to the world that they are fans of the celebrity.

(iii) Obtaining feedback from readers
Readers can easily leave their comments/suggestions on the blog, giving useful, timely feedback. These comments can be inserted just below the post or in a pop-up window or on a separate page. One can also use the „Reaction‟ facility when the reader can just provide the feedback quickly with just one click.

(iii) Readers can subscribe to blog feed
If required, readers can subscribe to the feed from the blog. They can also be notified whenever a new blog is published.

(iv) Can customize what one wants to share
By incorporating this feature, the new posts in the blog can be emailed automatically to specified addresses or mailing list like newspapers, etc.

(v) One common identity
When blogging is done from Google Account, it gives the user access to Gmail, iGoogle, Orkut, etc; it means users have one less user name, password to remember. The blogging address can be used with one OpenID which would give one single identity across the web. Consequently, readers with OpenID and registered Blogger members will be able to access the blog and provide feedback and participate in conversations.

(vi) Access in a large number of languages
Blogging can be done in more than 40 languages of the world. Transliterations in five Indian languages are already available.

(vii) Posting from other modes
The Blogger toolbar allows one to post blogs from:
1. Mobile phones
 Secret „Mail-to-Blogger email address‟
 Blogger Post gadget
 iGoogle home page
These facilities enable a person to post and publish whatever he wants, from wherever he wants and at any time he wants.

(viii) Group Blogging
With toolbar Blogger, it is possible to create a team or group blog allowing many individuals to contribute to a single blog. However, one has to name a member who has administrative authority; others will be just authors.

(ix) Make blog private or restricted
One can also choose to make the blog private or make it available to restricted numbers of viewers, enabling one to have full control of his blog.

(x) Third-party applications
Blogger toolbar offers many third-party applications. If one is a developer, he can check out „code.blogger.com‟ so that he can create own great applications.

SHARMA's BLOG: BLOGS - Routine features

SHARMA's BLOG: BLOGS - Routine features: BLOGS - Routine features These are: (i) Publishing ones‟ voice It takes a few steps; one can start in minutes by registering and usin...

BLOGS - Routine features

BLOGS - Routine features

These are:

(i) Publishing ones‟ voice
It takes a few steps; one can start in minutes by registering and using the toolbar known as „Blogger‟. One can start by posting text, photos, and videos.

(ii) Simple-to-use interface
The user-friendly interface permits one to change the font, making part of the text in bold or italics adjust color, alignment, and positioning in the format.

(iii) Saves automatically
The tool enables one to save as the text is getting composed without interrupting typing. It has a spell check feature and a simple feature to add labels to the write-ups.

(iv) Has editing facility
With the help of HTML Edit, one can customize the look and feel of the text as required.

(v) Hosting on the website is free
One can host it on the available space provided by Google. If the user wants to change the location, it is easy to do so. Customer-driven domain options are also available. It is possible to assign own name having all the normal features.

(vi) Users can customize the templates
Users have the option of choosing any of the available templates or they can customize the design of the blog by using the standard „drag-and-drop‟ interface.

(vii) Can add photos to the blog
By clicking the image icon, users can add photos to blog by using post editor tool. In the „Web Album Account‟, one can order prints and organize photos in albums.

(viii) Can add videos to blog
Similar to above, by clicking on film strip icon, videos can be posted in the blog. Videos uploaded through the toolbar „Blogger‟ are hosted on Google Video.

SHARMA's BLOG: BLOGS

SHARMA's BLOG: BLOGS: BLOGS The blog is a powerful web-related innovation developed by Google in 1999. Its use is developing and growing very rapidly. Already ...

BLOGS

BLOGS

The blog is a powerful web-related innovation developed by Google in 1999. Its use is developing and growing very rapidly. Already there are millions of blogs available in more than forty languages of the world. In simple parlance, a blog is a website where one can write ones‟ thoughts on an ongoing basis. New writings show at the top so that visitors can read new additions straightaway.
By creating a blog on the Internet, using the toolbar called „Blogger‟ invented by Google, followings advantages accrue:

1 Share ones‟ thoughts with friends and the world at large
2 Post photos, videos, etc as required on the blog
3 Make it a personal diary where one can write daily or more / less often
4 Create a collaborative space for interfacing with readers across the world
5 Establish a community of friends, relations, etc
6 Set up theme blogs where anyone interested can share/comment on views
7 Develop a soapbox for political views on contemporary issues
8 Create an outlet for breaking news
9 Send memos to the community and world
10 Establish a repository of ones‟ private thoughts
A blog is whatever the user wants it to be. It can be a collection of links. They come in all shapes and sizes. One can post to it from the Internet or from mobile phones. It has unlimited flexibility and it is free.
One can create own blog. Since its creation in 1999, it has:
1. Refreshed the web
 Impacted the politics
 Shaken up journalism
 Stirred up social causes
 Provided millions with an outlet for their thoughts, opinions, and views
According to Google, the revolutionary wave of „blogging‟ has just begun. More interesting things would happen in the future.

SHARMA's BLOG: ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI)

SHARMA's BLOG: ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI): ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI) It involves the electronic transmission of business transactions over the telecommunication network bet...

ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI)

ELECTRONIC DATA INTERCHANGE (EDI)

It involves the electronic transmission of business transactions over the telecommunication network between trading partners, covering the firm and its suppliers, customers, etc. A large variety of business transactions of firms are transmitted electronically using a standard message format of the firm. The technology is called „packet switching‟ viz., data is transmitted in a sort of envelope without any changes made to it.

Transmission of documents can be between:
 Computer of one firm to the computer of another company
 Through a third-party value-added service provider

The bulk of the documents that are sent through EDI by packet switching are:
 Purchase orders
 Invoices
 Requests for quotations
 Quotations
 Shipping notices etc

Use of EDI has expanded very fast as it ensures the following benefits:
1. Reduction in paperwork
2. Reduction in expenses in postage expenses
3. Reduction in labor costs
4. A faster flow of communication on transactions
5. Reduction in inventory levels
6. Better customer service

EDI is ringing in a new revolution in the way the business is done. The talk that is a buzz in the marketplace is, „Link up or lose out‟.
It is already being said the, ‟Doing business without EDI will soon be like trying to do business without a telephone‟. EDI, because of its capability to exchange information and speed up the flow of communication in a multi-lateral direction, is promoting strategic business partnerships among partners. The way we are moving, it will soon be, „No EDI, No Business‟.

SHARMA's BLOG: DESKTOP PUBLISHING (DTP)

SHARMA's BLOG: DESKTOP PUBLISHING (DTP): DESKTOP PUBLISHING (DTP) Large corporations are using DTP systems to create their own printed materials. The printed material of the cor...

DESKTOP PUBLISHING (DTP)

DESKTOP PUBLISHING (DTP)

Large corporations are using DTP systems to create their own printed materials. The printed material of the corporation can have several types of:

 Character styles and sizes
 Graphics
 Colors in different pages
 Layouts that are impressive

All that the firm needs are:
 Personal computer
 A laser printer that is capable of quality printing
 Software for word processing, graphics and page make-up

The firm has to invest in high-quality printing and install a more powerful computer with advanced graphics capabilities.
Recent advances in software have made the job of printing complex reports involving illustrations, graphics, etc much easier than before. These outputs presented to your customers and stakeholders make an impressive presentation that enhances firms‟ image and reputation. These make the communication more effective and speed up decision making in own favor. If the in-house facility of DTP is used, it can help improve the layout of written presentation that can incorporate suitable visual aids to make the matter easy on the eye, easier to read and easiest to comprehend.

SHARMA's BLOG: OPTICAL SCANNING

SHARMA's BLOG: OPTICAL SCANNING: OPTICAL SCANNING Scanners employ photo-electronic devices to scan the characters being read. The reflected light patterns of the data are...

OPTICAL SCANNING

OPTICAL SCANNING

Scanners employ photo-electronic devices to scan the characters being read. The reflected light patterns of the data are converted into electronic impulses that are, in turn, accepted as inputs to the computer system. It can convert a paper document directly into an input.
Following three types of scanners are common:

(1) Optical character recognition (OCR) equipment
It can read alphabetic, numeric and other special characters that are printed, typed or hand-written on ordinary paper. The most popular one is the scanner for score sheets of objective types of tests with multiple choices. These are used for compiling the entire examination results on computers. These are used extensively on:
 Credit card billing operations
 Processing of utility bills
 Accounting of insurance premiums
 Processing of airline tickets
 Accounting of cash register entries
 Sorting of mail automatically
 Computing test scores automatically
 Processing of a variety of forms in Government and business

(2) Graphic scanners
These scanners can read graphics, text, etc and are popular in Desktop publishing‟

(3) Hand-held optical scanners
These are used to read data on merchandise tags and other articles. They can scan a lot of data printed in bar codes and have revolutionized store receipt and issue operations, billing at check-out counters in malls, etc. Once bar coding becomes compulsory in India, these are going to become very commonplace devices in most retail stores.
However, readers must learn to distinguish scanners from magnetic ink character readers (MICR) used extensively in banks for reading cheques and deposit slips.

SHARMA's BLOG: IMAGING

SHARMA's BLOG: IMAGING: IMAGING Image processing is growing rapidly as it enables end users to electronically capture, store, process and retrieve images of doc...

IMAGING

IMAGING

Image processing is growing rapidly as it enables end users to electronically capture, store, process and retrieve images of documents and drawings that cover:

 Numeric data
 Text
 Handwritten material
 Graphics
 Photographs
 Drawings
 Sensitive legal documents etc

Besides, imaging faculty has helped upgrade the Electronic Document Management (EDM). Besides, digitized voice note can be attached with the text improving the comprehension of documents that may otherwise appear prosaic. EDM can easily interface with other electronic methodologies like:

 Word processing
 Desktop publishing
 Email
 Voice mail

This further enhances the communication process between two or more parties for speeding up decision-making.

SHARMA's BLOG: ELECTRONIC MEETING SYSTEMS (EMS)

SHARMA's BLOG: ELECTRONIC MEETING SYSTEMS (EMS): ELECTRONIC MEETING SYSTEMS (EMS) Attending meetings away from the office entails a lot of time and expense in traveling, staying in hote...

ELECTRONIC MEETING SYSTEMS (EMS)

ELECTRONIC MEETING SYSTEMS (EMS)

Attending meetings away from the office entails a lot of time and expense in traveling, staying in hotels, etc. These expenses can be considerably reduced by modern electronic meeting systems. They are becoming popular as viable options and broadly cover the following four options:

 Audio conferencing
 Computer conferencing
 Video-audio conferencing
 Use of web cameras

These are described below:

(1) Audio Conferencing
It uses voice equipment viz., telephone network that establishes audio links with persons who are either in the same building or geographically dispersed locations or a mix of both.
It has been in use by Indian Railways and Indian defense services for a long time as they have had their own private telephone networks. This type of conference does not require computers as such although these days the entire telephone system uses computer backup anyway.
Audio conferencing has advantages as under:
 Equipment not costly and is within easy reach of the firms
 People feel at ease when talking on the telephone
 Meetings can be arranged at short notice

It is well suited for offices located wide apart or even within a building. However, communications for problem-solving among persons located on the same premises is faster through face-to-face interaction.
In order to make such meetings more effective, the following rules are suggested:
1. The organizer or senior person should moderate the discussions
2. No of participants to be kept less than 6
3. Copy of the agenda to be faxed beforehand
4. Participants to identify themselves before speaking
5. Proceedings of the conference should be tape-recorded
6. Copies of the decisions should be circulated to all participants; this can be done through email to all concerned instantaneously.

(2) Computer Conferencing
It is getting persons from different locations and disciplines together on computers that are networked to exchange information on a common problem for decision-making and work out a solution. There is a fine line between email and computer conferencing. In computer conferencing, usually, a large number of persons can be brought together to interact on issues requiring their suggestions.
A very well known example is that of IBM organized one of the largest computer conferences before they finalized the specifications and features of a standard Personal Computer (PC). It is on record that some 40,000 persons participated in it and about 4,000 topics were discussed, recording the participants considered opinions about various features and facilities to be incorporated in a PC.
Obviously, when the IBM PC was launched in 1983, it set up a whole new standard in product design in the industry. It had many pioneering feature and facilities that were not available before in any of the PCs in the market.
Computer conference can be set up with persons who might be sitting in the next cabin as well as with those across the globe.

(3) Video-Audio Conferencing
Here television equipment is used to link participants in locations that are geographically dispersed. It has three basic configurations:
 One-way video and one-way audio
 One-way video and two-way audio
 Two-way video and two-way audio
This facility is used to get together managers from different locations and involve them in almost face-to-face communication for taking group decisions. It enhances the ownership, authorship, and involvement of all persons who take decisions jointly. Thus this technology facilitates personal involvement in problem solving and decision-making. In most large organizations, there a separate room specifically created for organizing these conferences.
Electronic Meeting Systems are seeing rapid growth as it promotes the quickest communication for group decision support systems. Because of their increasing popularity for effective communication, many hotels and telecommunication carriers are offering these facilities for:
 Launching new products in large markets like USA, EU, India, etc
 Organizing sales meetings of the large sales force
 Education and training of employees of large corporations

(4) Use of Web Camera
In recent years, Internet Telephony has made rapid strides and reputed firms like Skype and Yahoo are offering facilities of use of web cameras (Webcams) for verbal communications as well as chatting through written messaging instantaneously.
Use of webcams is becoming a powerful tool for one-to-one communication that is almost face to face. Before long many useful business applications will be available that would enable group interaction and decision-making across regions, countries, and continents. Already webcams are fitted in most of the laptops in the market.
However, for complex problems, there is no substitute for face-to-face meetings.

SHARMA's BLOG: ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION - SMS From Mobile Phones

SHARMA's BLOG: ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION - SMS From Mobile Phones: ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION - SMS From Mobile Phones Another innovation in electronic technology that is making waves during the last 15 y...

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION - SMS From Mobile Phones

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION - SMS From Mobile Phones

Another innovation in electronic technology that is making waves during the last 15 years, is the rapidly growing use of mobile telephony. According to the latest statistics, already there are about 670 millions mobile phones in India. They are increasingly incorporating a number of features in mobile phones that were earlier available only in personal computers and laptops. Short Messaging Service (SMS) is one powerful tool that is akin to Email and is making waves. Already, SMS is playing an increasing role in business. Banking, Financial institutions, and other industries are integrating it with their routine customer contacts.

The experts are of the opinion that laptops and mobile phones are moving incongruence. According to a publication by Microsoft, laptops, and PCs of yesteryears will become more like wallets. With additional features being built into mobile phones, they are becoming a wee bit bigger. From the current trends, it appears their congruence is not far away.

SHARMA's BLOG: ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION - Electronic Mail

SHARMA's BLOG: ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION - Electronic Mail: ELECTRONIC  COMMUNICATION - Electronic Mail It is one-way communication. Even so, it has been able to solve issues that plagued telephon...

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION - Electronic Mail

ELECTRONIC  COMMUNICATION - Electronic Mail

It is one-way communication. Even so, it has been able to solve issues that plagued telephone calls. Research by AT & T has confirmed that in 80 % of the cases, callers did not get the full information sought before calling off. Besides, the caller got into the game known as „telephone tag‟ – one party leaves the message to call back and when the second party called, the first party was not present. The game went on for several rounds!

Despite the fact that Email is a one-way flow of information, it has become more popular in business. The process is quite simple. The user types the message and places it in the receivers‟ electronic mailbox. The receiver, at his convenience, opens the mailbox using his own PC / Laptop or terminal and own password and responds. Thus oral conversation on the telephone is replaced with two separate sets of one-way flows of information. Email software controls the entire process.

The software has the following additional features:
(i) Electronic bulletin board - It is like a notice board for everyone to read the message
(ii) Registered mail – In these cases, the sender receives a confirmation that the message has been delivered
(iii) Private mail – This ensures that the message is not routed to others in the network
(iv) Mail distribution – It ensures that the same message is delivered to other addresses in the network
Internet access, available for a fee, comes with this facility and one can send/receive email messages almost anywhere in the globe instantaneously.

SHARMA's BLOG: ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION - WORD PROCESSING

SHARMA's BLOG: ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION - WORD PROCESSING: ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION - WORD PROCESSING It is using computers to automate the transformation of ideas into a readable form of communi...

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION - WORD PROCESSING

ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION - WORD PROCESSING

It is using computers to automate the transformation of ideas into a readable form of communication. It involves manipulation of text data viz., characters, words, sentences and paragraphs to produce information (useful data) into documents like:

 Letters
 Memos
 Forms
 Reports

It is the oldest application. Operators use keyboards of a PC or a terminal to type matter that is displayed on the screen. With appropriate command, words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs can be added, deleted and moved around. Format and font of the documents can be adjusted and a variety of other manipulations can be carried out. The output can be stored in the hard disk memory or in secondary storage and printed whenever required.

Most software packages of word processing have:
 Spelling check
 Check of grammar or construction of a sentence
 Thesaurus check
 Style check

The final document can be previewed to check layout and presentation before printing. As a result of these facilities in the software packages, it is now dramatically easier to:

 Create and print documents of various designs, sizes, and shapes
 Edit, correct and revise documents
It also has software to assist in letter writing as it stores some paragraphs or sentences that are useful viz.

Opening sentences like;
 „Thank you for your letter concerning employment with our company‟
 „Thank you for sending us a resume of your past business experience‟

Closing sentences like:
 Again, thank you for your interest in our company
 We look forward to hearing from you soon
 Yours truly
 Yours faithfully
 Yours sincerely etc

Word processing facilitates:
 Preparation of more effective written communication
 Quicker to and fro communication
 Migration of receivers of word-processed messages to word processing
 Better and quicker decision making