KSLU Solved Question Papers
Business Communications
Previous Year Question Paper with Solution
B.B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) · Sem 3
2015 Dec Examination
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Mumbai
B.B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) Sem 3 Business Communications 2015 Dec Question Paper with Solutions
First published on munotes.in on 21 October 2026.
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The question paper reproduced here is the paper as set by Karnataka State Law University at the 2015 Dec examination.
Contents
The questions below are the paper as Karnataka State Law University set it at the 2015 Dec examination, in the order it was set.
MarksPage
The Paper as Set
The questions in this volume are the questions asked at the 2015 Dec examination, reproduced as Karnataka State Law University set them, in the order it set them. Long reading passages are shortened to their first and last lines and our summary; the original paper prints them in full. Only the answers are ours. See the original question paper.
Duration 3 hours · Total marks 100 · 13 questions answered
How to use this volume
Solve the paper first, under exam conditions and against the clock. Then read the answers here and mark your own. Reading a solution before attempting the question feels productive and teaches very little, because recognising an answer is not the same as being able to write one.
Q1Explain the importance of communication and the role of communicators in communication.[16]
Answer
For full marks, cover: what communication is; its importance at five levels, each with examples, and what failure costs: the individual (thinking, learning, career), between persons (relationships, co-operation, resolving conflict), the organisation (management functions, co-ordination, decisions, morale, customers), society and the nation (democracy, education, public health and safety, markets) and the world (trade, diplomacy, shared knowledge); who communicators are, internal and external; the roles communicators play in communication (initiator, encoder, gatekeeper, interpreter, listener, leader and motivator, link between groups, spokesperson, mediator, guardian of trust); how communicators fail in their roles; the qualities a communicator needs to play these roles; an example; a table; and a conclusion.
Meaning
Communication is the process of sharing facts, ideas, opinions and feelings between people so that they reach a common understanding. It needs a communicator who starts it, a message, a channel and a receiver who responds. Its importance is felt at every level of human life, from a single person's thinking to relations between nations. The question also asks about the communicators, the people who make communication happen. Their skill decides whether its importance is realised in practice or lost through poor handling.
Importance of communication at five levels
1. For the individual
- Thinking and learning. People learn language, knowledge and skills through communication, at home, in school and at work.
- Expression. Communication lets a person state his needs, ideas and feelings, and so take part in the life around him.
- Career. Employers value people who can write clearly, speak confidently and listen well. In interviews, meetings and presentations, communication skill often decides who advances.
2. Between persons
- Relationships. Friendship, family life and working partnerships are built and kept through regular, honest communication.
- Co-operation. Two people can work together only if each knows what the other is doing and expects.
- Resolving conflict. Most quarrels begin in misunderstanding and end in a conversation. Listening and explaining settle disputes that silence would harden.
3. For the organisation
- Management functions. Planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling are all carried out through communication.
- Co-ordination. Departments work as one only when information flows between them.
- Decisions. Good decisions need accurate information from below and clear transmission of the decision downward.
- Morale. Employees who are informed, consulted and recognised work with more commitment.
- Customers and the public. Sales, service, complaints and reputation all depend on what the organisation says and how it listens.
4. For society and the nation
- Democracy. Citizens can choose and question their government only if they are informed. Free discussion is the life of public affairs.
- Education and awareness. Campaigns on health, safety, saving and rights reach people through communication.
- Public safety. Warnings of storms, floods and epidemics save lives only if they reach people in time and are understood.
- Markets. Buyers and sellers find each other, compare prices and trade through advertising, information and correspondence.
5. For the world
- Trade. Exporters and importers across countries deal through letters, e-mail, video meetings and shared documents.
- Diplomacy. Nations settle differences through talks, treaties and conferences.
- Shared knowledge. Scientists, doctors and engineers across the world share findings, so that progress in one place helps everyone.
When communication fails
The importance of communication is seen most clearly when it fails. A student who cannot express himself in an interview loses an opportunity he deserved. A misunderstanding between two partners ends a business. A factory where workers are not told why a change is being made faces resistance and sometimes a strike. A public warning issued in words people do not understand fails to save lives. At every level, the cost of poor communication is paid in lost chances, lost money and lost trust.
Who communicators are
A communicator is anyone who takes part in communication, as sender, receiver or both. In business the term refers especially to those whose work is largely communication. They include managers and supervisors, spokespersons and public relations officers, and sales and customer-service staff. Trainers, advocates and leaders of employees' associations also belong here. Every employee is a communicator at some time, but these people carry special responsibility.
Communicators may be internal, dealing mainly with people inside the organisation, such as supervisors and personnel officers. They may also be external, dealing mainly with outsiders, such as sales executives, public relations officers and the company's lawyers. Many play both parts. The managing director, for example, addresses the staff in the morning and the press in the afternoon.
Roles of communicators in communication
1. Initiator. The communicator starts the process. Nothing is communicated until someone decides that a message must be sent.
2. Encoder. He turns ideas into words, figures, charts or gestures that the receiver can understand. The quality of the message depends on his choice of words and form.
3. Gatekeeper. He decides what information to pass on, to whom and when. A supervisor chooses which of the manager's points to stress to his team; a secretary decides which calls to put through. Used well, gatekeeping saves others from overload. Used badly, it blocks or distorts information.
4. Interpreter. As a receiver, he decodes messages and explains them to others. A branch manager interprets head-office circulars for his staff.
5. Listener. A good communicator spends as much effort listening as speaking. Through listening he learns problems, ideas and feelings that would otherwise stay hidden.
6. Leader and motivator. Through what he says and how, he gives direction, explains reasons and encourages effort. A leader is largely a communicator.
7. Link between groups. He connects levels and departments: a supervisor links management and workers, and a liaison officer links the company and a government office.
8. Spokesperson. He represents the organisation to outsiders, in press releases, statements and meetings. His words are taken as the organisation's words.
9. Mediator. He helps parties in disagreement understand each other and find common ground, as in a dispute between two departments.
10. Guardian of trust. He keeps confidences, tells the truth and avoids spreading rumours. Trust in the organisation depends heavily on the honesty of its communicators.
How communicators fail in their roles
A communicator fails when he holds back information people need, or passes on only what suits him. He fails when he speaks without listening, or uses words his audience cannot follow. He also fails when he says one thing to one group and another to the next, or breaks a confidence. Each such failure weakens the whole chain, because others act on what he passed on.
Qualities a communicator needs
- Clear thinking and knowledge of the subject.
- Command of language, spoken and written.
- Empathy: understanding the receiver's point of view and feelings.
- Listening skill and patience.
- Honesty and consistency, which build credibility.
- Tact and courtesy, especially with bad news.
- Judgement in choosing the channel and the moment.
- Willingness to learn from feedback and to correct his own mistakes openly.
An example
A company must close an unprofitable branch. Its communicators decide whether the closure is handled well or badly. The managing director (initiator and leader) explains the decision and its reasons to all staff before any rumour spreads. The personnel manager (encoder and interpreter) prepares a clear note on transfers and benefits and answers questions. Branch supervisors (link and listener) meet each employee and report concerns. The public relations officer (spokesperson) issues a short statement to the local press. Because each communicator plays his role, staff accept the change with little distress, and the company's reputation is protected.
At a glance
| Level | Why communication is important |
|---|---|
| Individual | Learning, expression, career |
| Between persons | Relationships, co-operation, resolving conflict |
| Organisation | Management, co-ordination, decisions, morale, customers |
| Society and nation | Democracy, awareness, safety, markets |
| World | Trade, diplomacy, shared knowledge |
Conclusion. Communication is important at every level of life. It shapes the individual's learning and career, holds relationships and co-operation together, and makes organisations work. It also sustains democracy, awareness, safety and markets in society, and links nations through trade, diplomacy and knowledge. Communicators make it happen. They initiate and encode messages, filter and interpret them, listen, lead and link groups, and they speak for the organisation, mediate and guard trust. To play these roles they need knowledge, language, empathy, listening skill, honesty, tact and judgement.
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