Assignment Guideline
for
Managing Communications, Knowledge and Information
Important:
[Please note that these are only guidelines. You need to study books,
journals, and other relevant materials and do research.]
Task 1:
(1.1 and 1.2)
1.1: In Setting up Classic Badges Company, what are the major range of decisions
to be taken? Discuss.
1.2: Identify and examine the kind of information and knowledge needed to ensure
that an effective decisions are taken.
Wide range of decisions need to be taken to order to arrive clear description and
understanding of what in organisation information and knowledge needs are like to
be.
Strategic Information and decisions: Top level information (for Directors)
– Long-term
– Used to make strategic decisions affecting the entire organisation
Example of decisions:
 Whether to stock different varieties of raw materials (depends what
types of badges they produce)
 Whether to diversify to other related or non-related business other than
badges
 Whether to start a new branch in a different locality other than current
one
 Whether to start an e-shop (online)
 Information to expand business and explore new opportunities
Following are more example department wise, you may select only a couple
examples from below not all or many, remember, you need to relate to classic
badges.
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
Human Resource Management: Long range human resource requirements
at different levels, policies on human resource development and training,
policies on personnel welfare and facilities

Production: Yearly and monthly production capacity and alternate
schedules, Policies on machine replacement, augmentation, and
modernization, Identifying best product mix, Identifying best product mix

Financial: Methods of financing, pricing policies, tax planning

Marketing: Search for new markets and marketing strategies, Analysis of
competitors, strategy, Technology and demographic forecasts and product
changes.
Tactical Information and decisions:

Middle level information (Managers)
– Medium-term – Used to make tactical decisions affecting departments
– Feeds into level above
Example of information and decisions
 Finding out slow or fast moving types produced in classic badges
 Reliable supplier of raw materials for badges
 Analyse sales trends of different badges
Following are more example department wise, you may select only a couple of
examples from below not all or many, remember, you need to relate to classic
badges.

Human Resource Management: Performance appraisal, Demographic makeup of personnel and its, impact on retirement, Production incentives, Morale
of personnel, Absentee reduction, Leave and overtime policies, Personnel
deployment policies.

Production: Identifying and controlling areas of high cost, identifying critical
bottlenecks in production, Identifying alternate production schedules, based
on tools, machines etc., Performance measures of machines to decide
replacement.

Financial: Variations between budget and expenses, Large outstanding
payments/Receipts, Credit and payment status, Cost increases and pricing,
Impact of taxation on pricing

Marketing: Advertising techniques and analysis of their impact, Customer
preference surveys, Correlation of prices and sales, Sales force deployment
and targets, Exploring alternate marketing channels, Timing of special sales
campaigns.
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Operational Information and decisions:


Short-term
Day to day, regular information and decisions
Following are more example department wise, you may select only a couple of
examples from below not all or many, remember, you need to relate to classic
badges.

Human Resource Management: Routine assessment, Skills inventory,
Loan/advances and recoveries, Leave record

Production: Monitoring up to date production information, by examining
assemblies, detecting likely, shortages and giving early warning, Scheduling
better production dynamically, Preventive maintenance schedules,
Monitoring tool, machine and personnel availability

Financial: Periodic financial report, Budget status to all functional managers,
Tax returns, Share transfers, Profit and loss account, Payments and receipts,
Payroll, provident fund accounts

Marketing: Sales analysis by regions, customer class, sales person, Sales
target versus achievement, Market share and trends, Seasonal variations,
Effect of model changes, Performance of sales outlets, Costs of campaigns
and benefit,
Look closely at information and knowledge needed to help insuring that effective
decision are made can be taken by an organisation perhaps keeping in mind that
information needed by one organisation may vary different from another organisation.
Also different people or different team within the same organisation may have
different information needs and certainly will have very different knowledge needs.
For example different need of your organisation would have to be very useful for part
of this assignment. You should also consider what and how knowledge and
information may change over time and what an org need to do in order to respond to
and on to accommodate in this assignment.
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1.3: List and assess internal and external sources of information required and justify
their suitability and reliability for this project.
This is about assessment of internal and external sources and
Your assignment should cover whole range of issues here like value or quality of
external vs. internal information sources at the cost of gathering information and
different types of information available both qualitative and quantitative.
Perhaps looking at the reliability of information from different sources and also an
organisation has process in place to effectively gather information.
1.4: Recommend any improvements in the use of different kinds or sources
information and knowledge for the setting up of this project.
Here you are expected to give some recommendation for improvement:

Useful to keep in mind information should always be gathered for specific
purpose, which is known as improve the effectiveness of decision making.

Any improvement you suggest should be made with this aim in mind. You might
want to suggest how the quantity and also the quantity of information
gathered could be improved or the speed of which it is gathered or perhaps
efficiency which is used and disseminate by the organisation. Remember as
well not all the information and knowledge would be valuable and you may
want to recommend how the amount of information could be reduced in some
areas.

Justification of recommendation;

Explain how and why thing you are recommending will make things better.
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Task 2:
2 About developing strategies to involve relevant stakeholders in the decision making
process.

Keep in mind that this module is largely managing communications so although
it is not mentioned specifically,

How do you communicate with stakeholders and how they communicate with
you will be very relevant to this section.
2.1: There are several stakeholders in involved in this project, what contributions
would you expect from the different stakeholders during a specific decision making
process?

You need to identify stakeholders of classic badges (based on your
assignment scenario) for a specific decision-making process.

Find out couple of decision that you are like to make for classic badges

Before you do that you need to clearly define the decision making process
that you have chosen. Find out decision making process.

Explain the different stakeholders you have identified are important and
perhaps what role they play in the decision making process.
2.2: An effective business relationship with these stakeholders is important.
Discuss methods of contact that will enhance business relationship with
stakeholders.
Communication is particularly important
There are ‘of course’ numerous way to make contact,

either face to face or

directly or indirectly making contact

individually or responsible groups.
So could explain how you would make contact and I think equally important you
should also at how you maintain contact with these stakeholders over time.
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Here it specifically talks about developing business relationship

So the suggest the two way communication is going to be important. Have a
look at the things that you would possibly do to facilitate this two way
communication.

Remember the stake holders could range colleagues working in the same
office to distributor around the world. So depending on the decision making
process making and maintaining contact with them all will almost certain
main employing several different strategies.
2.3: Prepare a plan on how to involve those identified in the decision making for
this project. You may consider a stakeholder communication plan or a decision
making action plan.

This is about involving relevant people in the decision making process and

The important essential part of this is make sure that they are sufficiently
motivated. You need to find out how you can motivate for those

They understand their involvement is valued.
2.4: To improve on involving others in the decision making process for this project,
it is important to improve on your personal networking skills. What strategy would
you put in place to enhance your personal networking skills?

Strategies to improve or

Increase personal networking and

Encourage wider involvement in decision making
You need to make clear in the section why and how your proposed strategies
improve things better and identify the problem and obstacles that you are trying to
overcome.
Task 3
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3. This task is about communication processes
3.1: Report on existing processes of communication in this organisation.
This is analysis of existing processes of communication in an organisation that
mean the processes that are in place already to facilitate good and defective
communication.

Communication can be external and internal,

It also can be 2 way as well as 1 way

It should also be considering an organisation’s ability to received and
process information as well as just to disseminate information.

It may also be informal methods of communication you need to be
considered which may be more discrete and perhaps harder to evaluate than
more formal communication channel.
3.2: Identify the pitfalls existing in the current communication processes and design
ways to improve it.

Looking at the appropriateness of an organisation’s communication, this can
cover several things, is the information itself appropriate?

Is this being communicated as per appropriate audience and also media and
mechanism for communicating the information, the most appropriate one.

And also at the processes or the mechanism in place to receive the
information as appropriate and effective as they could be
3.3: Recommend the improvements that need to be implemented to ensure greater
integration of systems of communication in that organisation.

This is asking you say how you would implement some of the improvements
you have identified in the previous bullet point (3.2)

Particular emphasis on the integrated of different process or different
systems of communication

Here you could also identify some of the problems you might encounter
implementing and integrating the new system that you are suggesting.
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3.4: Create a personal plan to improve own communication skills.

This is looking at your own communication skills.

So just like any other plan you need to start with an honest appraisal of
where you are now.

Perhaps SWOT analysis, identify the clear objectives for your own
communication skills improvements and that

Portfolio plan that allow you to achieve these objectives. And

Finally the systems and strategy in place to monitor the effectiveness of
your personal plan to ensure greater integration of systems of
communication in that organisation.
Task 4:
This task is looking at systems improvement.
4.1. Report on existing approaches to the collection, formatting, storage and
dissemination of information and knowledge in this organisation

This all about understanding and reporting on what is happening on the
moment in classic badges

Give some example
4.2: Discuss the appropriate changes that need to be carried out to improve the
collection, formatting, storage and dissemination of information and knowledge in
this organisation.

What change you would make to improve that the organisation is currently
doing

Consider of how you would carry out these changes

Wider implication of these changes might be.
4.3 You will be asked to allow or improve access to the information and knowledge.
There are few points to consider
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
Recommend strategies that would allow improving of access to the
information and knowledge in classic badge.

Recommend a strategy that needs to be implemented to improve access to
Here
Things to consider:

First of all introduction to questions and precise use of IT systems and

As the management tool and this will certainly be very relevant to this
section.

They may also so be some legal to consider in connection with collecting,
holding and making some information available.
And

A system is only likely to be considered affectivity and if it allows
organisation to make better decisions. So this not just about quantity of
information quality is very important consideration as well.

Different stakeholders are likely to have different information needs. So
information often needs to be presented to different people in different ways
and often via different media.

And you need to use the example of classic badges as example of
communications and communications management system.
Finally where possible use example of communications and communications
management from your own and other organisations to illustrate the point that you
are making
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