CUSTOMER_CODE
SMUDE
DIVISION_CODE
SMUDE
EVENT_CODE
SMUAPR15
ASSESSMENT_CODE MJ1601_SMUAPR15
QUESTION_TYPE
DESCRIPTIVE_QUESTION
QUESTION_ID
2554
QUESTION_TEXT Briefly explain any five theories of communication.
SCHEME OF
EVALUATION
Communication Accommodation Theory: This theoretical
perspective examines the underlying consequences of what happens
when two speakers shift their communication styles. Communication
Accommodation theorists argue that during communication, people
will try to accommodate or adjust their style of speaking to others.
This is done through divergence and convergence. (2 Marks)
Cultivation Analysis: This theory argues that television and other
media plays an extremely important role in how people view the
world. According to Cultivation Analysis, in modern culture most
people get much of their information in a mediated fashion rather
than through direct experience. Thus, mediated sources can shape
people’s perception of reality. (2 Marks)
The Narrative Paradigm: This theory argues that human beings are
storytelling animals. The Narrative Paradigm proposes a narrative
logic to replace the traditional logic of argument. Narrative logic
suggests that people judge the speakers by whether their stories are
knit together clearly and coherently. (2 Marks)
The Standpoint Theory: This theory holds that people are situated in
specific standpoints- that they occupy different places in the social
hierarchy. Because of this, individuals view the social situation from
particular vantage points. Each vantage point provides only a partial
understanding of the social whole. Generally those who occupy the
lower rungs of the hierarchy tend to understand the social situation
more fully than those at the top. (2 Marks)
Uncertainty Reduction Theory: Uncertainty Reduction Theory
suggests that when strangers meet, their primary focus is on reducing
their levels of uncertainty in the situation. They may be unsure of
how to behave, or what they think of the other and what the other
person thinks of them. According to this theory people are highly
motivated to use communication to reduce their uncertainty. (2
Marks)
QUESTION_TYPE
DESCRIPTIVE_QUESTION
QUESTION_ID
2556
QUESTION_TEXT Discuss the five bases of power.
SCHEME OF
EVALUATION
There are five bases of power. They are:
Personal Power: Personal Power comes from each leader
individually. It is also called referent power, charismatic power and
power of personality. It is the ability of the leaders to develop
followers from the strength of their own personalities. Well-known
historical examples of such leaders are Mahatma Gandhi, Winston
Churchill and John F. Kennedy(2 Marks)
Legitimate Power: It is also known as position power and official
power. It comes from higher authority. It arises from the culture of
society by which power is delegated legitimately from higher
established authorities to others. It gives leaders the power to control
resources and to reward/punish others. (2 Marks)
Expert Power:It is also known as the authority of knowledge. It
comes from specialized learning. It is the power that arises from a
person’s knowledge of and information about a complex situation. It
depends largely on education, training and experience. (2 Marks)
Reward Power: It is the capacity to control and administer items that
are valued by another. It arises from an individual’s ability to give
pay raises, recommend someone for promotion or transfer, or even
make favourable work assignments.(2 Marks)
Coercive Power: It is the capacity to punish another. Managers with
coercive power can threaten an employee’s job security, make
punitive changes in someone’s work schedule or administer physical
force. However, it is likely to have an overall negative impact on the
receiver. (2 Marks)
QUESTION_TYPE
DESCRIPTIVE_QUESTION
QUESTION_ID
2557
QUESTION_TEXT
What is the meaning of Reinforcement? Briefly explain the four basic
reinforcement strategies.
SCHEME OF
EVALUATION
Reinforcement is the process by which certain types of behaviours
are strengthened. It is the attempt to develop or strengthen desirable
behaviour by either bestowing positive consequences or withholding
negative consequences. (2 Marks)
There are four basic reinforcement strategies. They are:
a. Positive Reinforcement: A positive reinforcement is a reward for a
desired behaviour. The rewards should be sufficiently powerful and
durable that it increases the probability of the occurrence of the
desired behaviour. (2 Marks)
b. Negative Reinforcement: It is also a method of strengthening
desired behaviour. It is also known as “avoidance learning” or
“escape conditioning.” Negative reinforcement results from
withholding a threatened negative consequence when a desired
behaviour occurs. For example a student studies hard to avoid the
consequences of failure in the examination. (2 Marks)
c. Extinction: This type of reinforcement is applied to reduce
undesirable behaviour, especially when such behaviours were
previously rewarded. This means that if rewards were removed from
behaviours that were previously reinforced, then such behaviours
would become less frequent and eventually die out. (2 Marks)
d. Punishment: Punishment is the most controversial method of
behaviour modification and involves delivering an unpleasant
consequence contingent upon the occurrence of an undesirable
behaviour. For example when a child misbehaves he is reprimanded
or spanked. (2 Marks)
QUESTION_TYPE
DESCRIPTIVE_QUESTION
QUESTION_ID
2558
QUESTION_TEXT
Explain the different schools of thought about the sources of
authority
SCHEME OF
EVALUATION
Formal Authority Theory
3 ½ Marks
Acceptance Theory 3 ½ Marks
Competence Theory of Authority
3 Marks
QUESTION_TYPE
DESCRIPTIVE_QUESTION
QUESTION_ID
109717
QUESTION_TEXT Examine some of the important merits of written communication
Some of the important merits of written communication have been
listed below:
Written communication is accurate and precise. It is usually
formulated with great care. Since written communication is open to
verification and its authenticity can easily be challenged, the
communicator has to be accurate and factual. Therefore in written
communication there is a great insistence on accuracy and precision
(2 Marks)
SCHEME OF
EVALUATION
Written communication can be repeatedly referred to. The receiver of
the written communication can go over the message again and again.
It can be read and re-read till the receiver thinks that he/she has
properly understood the message. Besides, there is less danger of
losing any part of the message. (2 Marks)
Written communication is a permanent record. As a permanent record
it can prove very useful for future reference. For instance, old orders
and decisions can serve as precedents for fresh decisions. (2 Marks)
Written communication is accepted as a legal document. That is why
some executives think that even if some messages have been
transmitted orally, they should later be confirmed in writing.
(2 Marks)
It facilitates the assignation of responsibilities. In oral
communication, it is difficult to ascertain whether the lapse has been
committed at the communicator’s end or the receiver’s. Written
communications are preserved and hence it is much easier to assign
responsibilities. (2 Marks)
QUESTION_TYPE
DESCRIPTIVE_QUESTION
QUESTION_ID
109719
QUESTION_TEXT
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Organizational
structure?
The Advantages of Organisational structure are:
i) Charts define organisational relationships clearly. They instruct
employees regarding jobs assigned and show how the jobs are related
to others in the organisation.
ii)Formal charting helps executives think about organisational
arrangements in an objective way.
Structural deficiencies, communication gaps, fuzzy authority lines,
inappropriate spans of control, overlapping positions etc., are all
brought into the lime light. If charts are not available, many of these
structural defects defy identifications and may prove to be costly at a
larger state.
SCHEME OF
EVALUATION
iii) Charts are useful training devices. The specific requirements of
each position in the organisation are spelt out in detail and the
incumbents know in advance as what is expected of them and prepare
themselves accordingly.
iv) Charts provide useful information to outsider’s interest in
contacting the ‘right person’ in the organisation.
The Disadvantages of the organisational structure are:
i) Charts show organisational relationship at a point of time and
quickly become obsolete and out dated junless revised frequently.
ii) Charts fail to show human relationship in the organisation. They
only show the “surface of the structure, not the inner workings”
iii) Charts “make people overly conscious of being superiors or
inferiors, tend to destroy team feeling and give persons occupying a
box on the chart too great a feeling of ownership.
iv) Formal charting introduces rigidity in relationships. Moreover, by
laying the boundaries for each position, charts promote empire
building tendencies. Each position holder would be interested in
guarding his territories carefully and if possible, enhance by over
stepping his authority. Formal charting promotes inflexible attitudes
leading to conflicts between position holders.
v) The costs of preparing, disseminating, storing, updating, and
studying charts are prohibitive.