ASSIGNMENT FRONT SHEET Qualification BTEC Level HND Diploma in Business Unit number and title Unit 16: Managing Communications, Knowledge and Information Assignment due 19/12/2015 Assignment submitted 19/12/2015 Learner’s name Nguyen Thi Thu Assessor name Hoang Trung Nghia Learner declaration: I certify that the work submitted for this assignment is my own and research sources are fully acknowledged Learner signature Date 25/11/2015 Grading grid P3.1 P3.2 Assignment P3.3 P3.4 P4.1 P4.2 P4.3 M1 M2 M3 D1 D2 D3 This assignment encourages learners to understand how to assess information and knowledge needs and to be able to create strategies to increase personal networking to widen involvement in the decisionmaking process Scenario: You are currently working on a company’s program to improve existing internal communication process Your company believes that the a new, improved communication process would significantly improve business performance Your task is to answer the questions listed in Specific Requirements section in form a 2-5 page report excluding the cover page, table of contents, list of references Notice: students are required to choose a real business then conduct research on that business to answer the given questions The specific tasks will be set out in the following sections In this assignment, you will have opportunities to provide evidence against the following criteria Indicate the page numbers where the evidence can be found Assessment criteria Expected evidence Task no Assessor’s Feedback LO3 Be able to develop communication processes Types: meetings and conferences, workshops and training events, internet and email, written, telephone, video conferencing, one-to-one meetings Approaches: structured and coordinated, planned, formal and informal Strategy: advantages, disadvantages, informal, face-to-face, formal in writing, emotional intelligence Report on functions and purposes of existing communication process of your chosen company P 3.1 Learners are require to identify functions and purposes of communication process in an organization Identify user and user’s needs Identify appropriate communication channels Inspire user’s confidence Improve cost effectiveness Notice: at least 3 What can you to improve appropriateness of the communication process P 3.2 Identify weaknesses of Learners are required to existing communication process suggest ways to improve (2 way communication) appropriateness communication process Identify and eliminate noise within communication process Notice: at least examples of noise are required along with Suggest improvements to ensure greater integration of systems of communication in that organization P 3.3 Learners are required to suggest improvements to ensure greater integration of systems of communication in this organization Choose appropriate communication types: E.g Conversation, Meeting, Memorandum, Presentation, Phone, etc Consider relevant factors before decide communication methods E.g Time, Complexity, Distance, Confidentiality, etc (refer to table provided in BPP book) How can You improve your own communication skills Identify your mismatch weakness with or existing communication process of the company Improve sending message skills: selecting and organizing materials, judging effects of the messages, choosing language and P 3.4 media, adapt communication style, use non- verbal communication, seeking How can you improve your own for feedback communication skills E.g ineffective at listening  improve on it, introvert  talk to people more, etc Improve receiving skill: reading message attentively, extracting relevant information, listening attentively, interpreting, asking questions, feedback Notice: at least specific suggestions are required for each LO4 Be able to improve systems relating to information and knowledge Type: hard and soft, websites and mailings, access and dissemination Style: trends and patterns, diagrams and text, consistent and reliable, current and valid; legal and confidential Report on existing approaches to the collection, formatting, storage and dissemination of information and knowledge of P 4.1 the chosen company Apply the knowledge learnt from the course, learners are required E.g Hard approach, Soft approach on Formatting E.g Diagram, existing approaches to the Text, etc collection, to Approach to Collection report formatting, storage and dissemination of information and knowledge of the chosen company - Storage E.g Data Warehousing, Information Directories - Dissemination E.g Website and Mailing Paper files Meeting, etc (with particular concern over the issues of being current and valid; legal and Suggest appropriate changes to improve the collection, P 4.2 formatting, storage and dissemination of information and Apply the knowledge learnt knowledge of the chosen from the course, learners are company required to suggest ways to improve existing approaches to the collection, formatting, storage and dissemination of - Office Automate System (OAS): create, store, modify, display, communicate the correspondence information and knowledge of the chosen company Evidence of compare & contrast technique have to be shown - Knowledge Work System (KWS): analytical tools, graphic facilities, communication tools, access to external databases, etc - Artificial Intelligence: natural language’ programming tools, perceptive system, etc How to implement a strategy to improve access to systems of information and knowledge of the chosen company Seven stage process: P 4.3 Prepare action plan for the Problem situation Analysis of the improvement program Conceptualization Comparison Changes Action implementation Root definition Notice: application of stage process is required Assessment criteria Expected Evidence Feedback (note on Merit/Distinction if applicable) Merit descriptor No.1 (M1) - Point out weakness and find the causes of these weaknesses of communication process - Specifically explain how suggested solutions could improve appropriateness of communication process Merit descriptor No.2 (M2) - Relevant theories and techniques have been applied SSM OAS KWS - Complex information/data has been synthesized and 10 With ideas, thoughts your, you should confidence to present it to the outside with everyone The benefits of your opinions will not be believable if you not communicate your passion, enthusiasm, and commitment through your facial expressions (barriers, 2015) For example, in the meeting, when employees want to give ideas to the project, but they not feel confident, if given the other person is not supported They feel inferiority, guilt So, they choose to remain silent in order to protect their image How to avoid this barrier: Show some enthusiasm by begin paying attention to the type of facial expressions you use and when you use them You may not be aware of when you frown, roll your eyes, or scowl Make sure your facial expressions are appropriate based on your topic, listeners and objective When you’re smiling while communicating a serious or negative message, you create a discrepancy between your facial expression and your message The same discrepancy applies when you’re communicating a positive message without facial expressions Once you have increased your awareness of facial expressions, practice the skill of incorporating them into your message, matching the appropriate expression to each situation You wouldn’t want to have a stone-cold look on your face when you are expressing your passion for your company’s products - Lack of Focus The more you add information that is not necessary, the greater the risk your listeners will misinterpret your point (barriers, 2015) For example, with the comments you made in the presentation, when you not make theoretical focus, but made too many other ideas, leading to confusion for everyone around This leads to the impression that you are not good with people, make them feel you are meandering, not create confidence How to avoid this barrier: Stay focused by when you begin to say too much and feel like a train about to derail, put the brakes on and get yourself back on track, you should pause Keep your objective in mind Think in terms of what your listener needs to know about what you want them to do, not what you want to tell them Put thought into your words Focus your message on three significant points 27 Pay attention to your listener Are they hanging on your every word or are they dazed? Are they attentive or fidgeting? - Languages differences Language and linguistic ability may act as a barrier to communication However, even when communicating in the same language, the terminology used in a message may act as a barrier if it is not fully understood by the receivers) (barriers, 2015) For example, a message that includes a lot of specialist jargon and abbreviations will not be understood by a receiver who is not familiar with the terminology used How to avoid this barrier: Eliminate filler words with benefits for you, think on your feet, get to the point and avoid rambling, take a relaxing breath, hold your listener’s attention, gain control over your message 3.3 Suggest improvements to ensure greater integration of systems of communication in that organization Choose appropriate communication types For communication within the company in an effective and appropriate, we propose some kind of communication is as follows: Meeting allows multiple opinions to be expressed, can discuss and resolve a wide range of issue However, it can highlight differences and conflict if not managed efficiently – have been known to turn into time-wasting confrontations (BPP Learning Media Ltd, 2013) Presentation is complex ideas can be communicated, visual aids such as slides can help the communication process The best presentations will leave a lasting impression Presentation have limitation as requires planning and skill, poorly research or presented material can lead to an audience (BPP Learning Media Ltd, 2013) 28 Telephone is good for communications that not require (or you would prefer not to have) a permanent written record Besides, it can provide some of the “personal touch” to people in geographically remotes locations, conferences calls allow multiple participants However, it receiver may not be available, can be disruptive to receive if in the middle of another task, no written record gives greater opportunity for misunderstandings (BPP Learning Media Ltd, 2013) Consider relevant factors before decide communication methods Beside tools communication, we have some factors before decide communication methods, Time is how long will be needed to prepare the massage, and how long will it take to transmit it take to transmit it in the chosen form? This must be weighed against the urgency with which the message must be sent (BPP Learning Media Ltd, 2013) The time is an important factor and affects a lot to the process of communication The speaker must know summarize and convey enough information in the given time to the receiver can receptive without feeling tired and boring For meetings, employees and directors must prepare carefully planned prior to the meeting to success and not exceed the specified time For presentation, with individual presentations about a problem need be prepared in time, so ensure that all information conveyed to the people, the prolonged time sometimes causes sensation boring to object listening For telephone, is the interaction between members of the company, or with external objects, the use of telephone, to save time while ensuring convey enough information required, saving costs for public companies Feedback is sometimes instant feedback is needed for effective communication eg when you are questioning a customer to find out his precise requirements (small, medium or large) (green, red or blue) (BPP Learning Media Ltd, 2013) Feedback is the final step in the communication process For manager, they need feedback so that they can gauge whether their communication has been successful Depending on the feedback they receive, they can clarify or make changes to the way they communicate This is true in all forms of communication, whether face-to-face, by telephone, e-mail, or in correspondence Obviously, with some communication forms, feedback will be more immediate than with other forms For meeting, after each meeting, when there are feedback from the other members in the meeting, the meeting will become more useful, results, achieve goals more quickly If the lack of feedback during the meeting, 29 the meeting took place will have consequences when the project is taking place with many omissions For presentation, the feedback helped give presentations recouped many opinions, there is an improvement, to offer products and best projects For telephone, feedback from each call, to help employees better customer care, employees will feel the attitude of customers through word of mouth, so that can improve their ability to persuade Confidentiality is show when telephone call may be overhead; faxed messages can be read by whoever is standing by the fax machine; internal memos may be read by colleagues or by internal mail staff; highly personal letters may be read by the recipient’s secretary On the other hand a message may need to be spread widely and quickly to all staff: the notice-board, or a public announcement or the company newsletter may be appropriate (BPP Learning Media Ltd, 2013) the confidentiality is important, with companies, content meeting took place only with the people in the meeting, internally company, if the lack of confidentiality, the information is transmitted to the competitor, causing resulting company will be stolen ideas, as well as achievements, causing the company did not achieve the goal For telephone, the confidentiality plays an important part, helps to create customer confidence when consulting calls for customers is secret, help customers become more trust, more loyal to the company 30 3.4 How can you improve your own communication skills Identify my weakness or mismatch with existing communication of company Mismatch: After a short time working at IDC, I found the difference in communication process of IDC with the company I had ever done When in other companies, I was free to use the telephone, communication networks to communicate with other colleagues, while at IDC, the use of email as the main communication channel becoming popular I really have not adapted to this type of work, it gives me the feeling of being restrictive, uncomfortable work Weakness: My weaknesses in communication is that written communication, sending message, receiving message skill When not really adapted to the style using email in communication, the communication with my written becomes difficult For sending the message, as a person with poor communication skills, I am not confident to stand presentation to convey information to people, my presentation took place with full of confusion For receiving the message, it does not pay attention when communicating, thinking about other things, lack of focus, has caused me much trouble at work, where there are many misunderstandings occur Solution For written communication skill, I should join the basic course of written skills in workplace I will write to draft version, to check grammar rules and spelling, punctuation by using Microsoft Word, receive the feedback from the person who write the letters, report and so on Form that I get the effective and professional writing skills For sending message skills, to enhance confident to speaking in public and meeting, I will identify the subjects of topic before presentation I study how to select suitable method to communicate such as body language, eyes contacts, set up practice daily activities such as speaking in front of mirror or camera Besides that, I practice professional styles of presentation by prepare carefully all information and content of the presentation, taking important notes to remind, to create the attention of listener For receiving message skill, to improve, I have need extractive relevant information, listen attentively when other people talk, asking questions after other people has done presentation, be open to the feedback 31 LO4 Be able to improve systems relating to information and knowledge 4.1 Report on existing approaches to the collection, formatting, storage and dissemination of information and knowledge of the chosen company With collect information, IDC company use much method as observe, interview, survey, report From the survey results, we found that the methods of collecting information IDC mainly is survey (46%), IDC uses this form to collect information and comments from his staff Next is the observation, interview, and get a report 32 According to the survey results, at IDC, the report often analyze data in spreadsheets (22%), charts (40%) is the main, these also use the graph, analyze to medium indicator From the survey results, we have also seen, the data storage method is mainly on the removable drives (32%), external hard drives (50%) Besides, the retention on online networks, computer online store rarely used 33 From the survey results, we found that, from the members of the company to convey information to people mainly in the form of e-mail (44%), telephone (22%) Besides, the company also uses other forms of meeting, presentation, report, Memorandum 4.2 Suggest appropriate changes to improve the collection, formatting, storage and dissemination of information and knowledge of the chosen company Knowledge work system (KWS) It is information system that facilitates the creation and integration of new knowledge into an organization It provides knowledge workers with tools such as: analytical tools, powerful graphics facilities, communication tools, access to external databases (BPP Learning Media Ltd, 2013) IDC should use Knowledge-Level Systems because it support for data entry staff and staff have expert knowledge in the organization The purpose of the system to provide knowledge to help companies integrate new knowledge into business and help organizations control all office activities The system provides knowledge, especially the form of workstation system and the office is the fastest growing applications in business today This can be seen as information that reaches the light, the judgment, and the value In many cases, represent true knowledge and therefore it has to offer, creating a reliable basis for action Knowledge is a treasure of knowledge and skills are created from human wisdom (especially from others) KWS with the system is designed to support the sharing of knowledge, rather than sharing information, supporting data and the classification of information, control, design, planning and action calendars, create different solutions to solve a particular problem for IDC Office automation system (OAS) ) It is the system that create, store, modify, display and communicate the correspondence of the business (BPP Learning Media Ltd, 2013) IDC should use OAS, because this is the system based computer to collect, process, store, and send notifications, messages, documents, and other forms of communication between individuals, work groups, and various organizations With the IDC using it will help more effective communications, in a shorter 34 time, reducing the time to repeat the call, avoid the possibility of the recipient is not ready for our newsletter (SMS, Fax), eliminating misplaced letter in the post 4.3 How to implement a strategy to improve access to systems of information and knowledge of the chosen company In principle, an SSM projects is done by the people of the organization, with a consultant facilitator It is divided into seven distinct stages These are: 1.Problem situation – finding out about the problem situation This is basic research into the problem area Who are the key players? How does the process work now? (BPP Learning Media Ltd, 2013) According to the conclusions from the above, no effective communication channels is meeting, this is the problem, communication channel that companies need attention Analysis – expressing the problem situation in three steps – intervention, prevalent culture and power relationships (Rich picture) (BPP Learning Media Ltd, 2013) According to Nguyen Anh Quang – Head of HR Department, said that IDC with meetings often take place early in the week, besides, IDC has organized quarterly meetings and end of the year (Interview) This shows that the frequency of its meetings taking place is great And Nguyen Kien Cuong– Manager of Hanoi Branch said that, the use of communication in the company primarily for the exchange of work, establish and maintain relationships.(Interview) From the results of the survey, shows the evaluation of employees communication channels meeting is ineffective, which led to us must take action to improve it Root definition of relevant systems – selecting how to view the situation and producing root definitions From what different perspectives can we look at this problem situation? (BPP Learning Media Ltd, 2013) 35 At IDC, according to survey results, the meeting took place is not as effective as desired The cause of this incident is due to the corporate culture, when there is no active offer at the meeting point Besides, as the only one-way communication, which led to the meeting place caused leeway but not as effective Conceptualisation – based on the root definition for each area defined, build a conceptual model of the required capabilities (BPP Learning Media Ltd, 2013) To improve channel utilization issues inefficient meeting we have made some improvement measures as follows: - Meeting took place with the members related to the project, meeting in small quantities - Change the culture communication Comparison of the conceptual models with the real world Use gap analysis, compare scenarios, and tables of comparisons and key-players’ contrasting opinions to identify what part(s) of the conceptual models are lacking or poorly supported in the existing problem situation (BPP Learning Media Ltd, 2013) Review of measures outlined in step - With the first measure, When the meeting took place only with those related to the project, will help to convey the information from superiors will be significantly simplified, but it will take time for the communication to the other departments Besides, it also makes will have little idea creative suggestions - The second measures, changing the culture communication, in this way is cost of time for a change, however, we will get many ideas for projects Besides, also built a culture of communication in the meeting to become better, create work efficiency Therefore, we should choose this way to improve meeting channel Changes – identify culturally feasible and systemically desirable changes Are there ways of improving the situation? (BPP Learning Media Ltd, 2013) The change of the culture communication, causing a change in culture within the company To be able to achieve with this change, we need to focus on awareness of employees in the company With a company of information technology, to change culture communication become active is easy 36 Action – the decision to implement the defined changes thus changing the problem situation itself and restarting the cycle (BPP Learning Media Ltd, 2013) To be able to successfully establish, first, to inform the company will implement, each employee in meeting must have at least one comment Next, members of the company will be the announcement of the reward from the leader, when they get many opinions, as there are good suggestions This will help encourage enthusiasm make comments from staff, helping them to change perceptions, work style in the meeting Bibliography barriers, c (2015) Six minutes Retrieved from http://sixminutes.dlugan.com: http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/6communication-barriers/ BPP Learning Media Ltd (2013) Management: communications and achieving result (third ed.) London W12 8AA: BPP Learning Media Ltd Chris Joseph, D M (2015) smallbusiness.chron.com Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/functions-communication-business-130.html Group, I (2015) IDC Group Retrieved from www.idc.com.vn: http://www.idc.com.vn/ Managementstudyguide (2015) Management Study Guide Retrieved from http://www.managementstudyguide.com: http://www.managementstudyguide.com/business_communication.htm Survey Question 1: Which department are you working? Marketing Accounting Human Resource Other 37 Question 2: What is your current job situation? Manager Head of department Stafff Question 3: What is your purpose of communication in company? Discuss the work Establish and maintain relationships Chat Other Question 4: Which channels you use to communicate in your company? Meeting and Conferences Workshop and training event Internet and E-mail Telephone Written Question 5: Does your company often organize meeting? Rare Little Sometimes Regular Question 6: Do employees often contribute idea in meetings? Rare Little Sometimes Regular Question 7: In the tools below, what is tool you often communicate within your company? 38 Forum Skype E-mail Social Network Question 8: Do you often use mobile phone in working time? Rare Little Sometimes Regular Question 9: Does your company often organize training event? Rare Little Sometimes Regular Question 10: How about effective of training events? You evaluate about training events of your company according to scale of point from to (1 point is the lowest  points is the highest) 12345 Question 11: Are the above communication channels helpful for your in making - decision? It is a lot It is a normal It is a little It is not helpfull Question 12: In your opinion, what is the most effective communication channel in your company? Mail Telephone 39 Meeting Written Question 13: In your opinion, what is less effective communication channel in your company? Mail Telephone Meeting Written Question 14: Which difficulty you encounter in internal communication? Position Age Gender Working in group Question 15: In your opinion, what is the big noise in communication of your company? Cultural differences Technological barriers Lack of focus Difference in perception and viewpoint Physical disabilities Difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents Question 16: What is your information collection method? Observe Interview Survey Report Question 17: What is your method to analyze information? It does not follow to any methods Data sheet 40 Chart Graph Analyze to medium indicator Question 18: What is your information storage method? Removable drive External hard drive Online network system Computer network Question 19: Which way you transmit information for people? Meeting Presentation Telephone Report Memorandum E-mail Interview What is the communication channels of the company? Le Tuan Anh - Head of Administrative Department answered: The main communication channel of our company, mainly through two forms are: - Internet and intranet extrane the forum, bulletin board (notice broads), social network, department homepage - Email: internal email 41