LONG REPORT

A STUDY ON EFFECTIVE
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION AT
TCS LTD

TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES LTD

Submitted To:
Dr. Anita Tripathy Lal
Faculty, ACA
FORE School of Management

Submitted By:
Mr. ADITYA NAGPAL
Student, FORE School of Management
New Delhi
FMG 23A, Roll No. - 231013

March 18, 2015

LONG REPORT
A STUDY ON EFFECTIVE
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION AT
TCS LTD
TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES LTD
Submitted To:
Dr. Anita Tripathy Lal
Faculty, ACA
FORE School of Management

Submitted By:
Mr. ADITYA NAGPAL
Student, FORE School of Management
New Delhi
FMG 23A, Roll No. - 231013

March 18, 2015

TCS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
TCS

The report has been done as an end term project for the course titled Advance
Communication Analysis. I am really thankful to our course instructor Dr Anita T Lal,
Professor, FORE School of Management, New Delhi for her invaluable guidance and
assistance. I also wish to thank her for providing us with this opportunity to learn more about
the working and the communication systems of the corporate sector.
I am using this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude and special thanks to the
employees of TCS who in spite of being extraordinarily busy with her/his duties, took time
out to hear, guide and allowing me to carry out my project at their esteemed organization.

Aditya Nagpal
231013,FMG-23A
Student
FORE School Of Management
New Delhi

TCS

March 18, 2015

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
March 18, 2015
TO:

Dr. Anita Tripathy Lal

FROM:

Aditya Nagpal
Student, Fore School of Management

SUBJECT: Effectiveness of Business Communication in TCS Ltd, Gurgaon.

As per the course of Advanced Communication and Analysis, I am submitting the attached
report entitled Effectiveness of Business Communication in TCS.
This report examines the various communication practices and its effectiveness in the
organization. For this purpose a survey was designed and responses were recorded from
employees at TCS. Questionnaire is attached for your reference in the appendix. Internal as
well as external aspects of communication are covered in this survey.
I hope you find this report satisfactory.
In case of any further queries or suggestions please do write/contact me at
231013@fsm.ac.in.

Sincerely,

Aditya
FMG-23A
231013

TCS

Table of Contents
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT............................................................................................ 4
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL....................................................................................... 5
table of tables........................................................................................................ 8
TABLE OF FIGURES................................................................................................. 9
table of abbreviations.......................................................................................... 10
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................................................... 11
CHAPTER 1: Introduction...................................................................................... 12
1.1

Relevance and Significance of the study.................................................13

1.2

Purpose of the study...............................................................................13

1.3 Research Objectives................................................................................... 14

1.4 Brief Outline of Chapters............................................................................ 14
1.5 Keywords.................................................................................................... 15
CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY................................................................................16
2.1 Universe of Study....................................................................................... 16
2.2 Locale of Study........................................................................................... 16
2.3 Sample Size and Sampling Techniques.......................................................16
2.4 Data Collection........................................................................................... 17
2.5 Data Analysis.............................................................................................. 18
2.6 Research Experience.................................................................................. 18
CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW........................................................................19
3.1 Research on Business Communication.......................................................19
3.2 Company History and Growth.....................................................................21
Products and services............................................................................................ 21
Service lines...................................................................................................... 22
Operations.......................................................................................................... 22
CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS.......................................................................................... 23
4.1

Internal Communication.................................................................................23

4.2

External Communication....................................................................24

4.3

Cross Cultural Communication..........................................................25

4.4

Interpersonal Communication.......................................................................26

4.5

Informal Communication....................................................................27

4.6

Business Meeting................................................................................27

4.7

Barriers to Communication.....................................................................28

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND FINDINGS............................................................29

5.1 Major Findings........................................................................................... 29

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5.2 Suggestions based on the findings.............................................................29

5.3 Limitations of the Study..............................................................................30
5.4 Further Scope of the study.........................................................................30
APPENDIX:............................................................................................................... I
Annexure I: Contact of the Respondents.......................................................................I
Annexure II: Questionnaire......................................................................................... II
REFERENCES....................................................................................................... X
BIBLIOGRAPHY...................................................................................................... XI

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TABLE OF TABLES
S.no
1

Table No.
2.1

Title
Classification of
Samples on the
basis of category

Page No.
17

4.1

Effectiveness of the
tools of
Communication at
TCS

24

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TABLE OF FIGURES
S.no

Figure No.

Title

Page No.

4.1

Methods of Communication at
TCS

23

4.2

Free-flow of Information
Upward/Downward/Horizontal

23

4.3

Proper mechanism
employed to monitor
relevant external
information

25

4.4

26

4.5

4.6

Interpersonal
Communication
Cross cultural
communication
Business Meeting Agenda

27
28

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TABLE OF ABBREVIATIONS
S.No

Abbreviation

Details

TCS

Tata Consultancy
Services

SEZ

Special Economic Zones

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report aims at investigating how effective business communication at TCS Gurgaon.
Communication assumes an essential part in the working of associations and everything in an
association obliges communication which makes it an as one, key and constant process much
the same as the circulatory framework in the human body. Subsequently, communication
adequacy turns into an extremely essential calculate deciding the productivity with which an
association executes all in all. Viable communication joins a set of aptitudes including
nonverbal communication, mindful tuning in, the capacity to oversee stretch in the minute,
and the ability to perceive and comprehend your own feelings and those of the individual
you're communicating with. For this reason, information was gathered through an overview
in TCS Ltd.
We made inquiries identified with different parts of communciation i.e. interior, outer,
between individual, culturally diverse and attempted to distinguish the obstructions of
correspondence at TCS. Every employee should tick stamp one of the alternatives. This was
trailed by examination part utilizing distinctive apparatuses for analyzing the information and
finally conclusion is carried out on premise of investigation.
Major findings were that an online employee magazine is circulated to all employees to keeps
them updated with companys visions and goals. Time and again Top down Communication
attempts has failed. Choosing the right channel to get a certain message through to a certain
audience seldom proves to be a difficult task. Appraisal system is transparent. It also makes
the work of a manager to TCS Ltd the message a lot easier as these performance appraisals
are often considered as bad messages by the receiver. However, due to a large number of
employees, managers have reported on finding the task of providing appraisals quite
challenging.
I would like to suggest that upward communication sometimes is more important than
downward communication. It conveys the real scenario of the employee satisfaction. Upward
communication can also be treated as a source of new ideas and creative problem solving.
Integration of different report generating softwares into a universal format of reporting
across all teams for the same kind of work. HR should help employees by circulating specific
format for different types of business letters to maintain unanimity.
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Viable communication is crucial in arranging and controlling an association's assets to
perform the organization's goals. The significance of business messages makes viable
relational abilities a discriminating business apparatus and a vital worker property. As per
Herta Murphy, Herbt Hildebrandt and Jane Thomas, the creators of "Successful Business
Communications," the utilization of "the seven C's, for example, completeness and
conciseness, will guarantee representatives get to be better communicators, ready to choose
the message substance and style that best suits the reason and beneficiary of a message.
For the accomplishment of any business or an association it is crucial that the managers must
have this ability on the grounds that it acquires nature of work any association. A compelling
and proficient communication framework requires managerial capability in conveying,
accepting messages and to keep up a successful communication framework in the association.
Viable communication helps us better comprehend an individual or circumstance and
empowers us to determine contrasts, construct trust and regard, and make situations where
inventive thoughts, critical thinking, friendship, and minding can thrive. As basic as
correspondence appears to be, a lot of what we attempt to impart to othersand what others
attempt to convey to usgets misconstrued, which can result in clash and disappointment in
individual and expert connections.
Effective Communication is significant for managers in the organizations so as to perform the
basic functions of management, i.e., Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling.
Communication helps managers to perform their jobs and responsibilities. Communication
serves as a foundation for planning. All the essential information must be communicated to
the managers who in-turn must communicate the plans so as to implement them. Organizing
also requires effective communication with others about their job task. Similarly leaders as
managers must communicate effectively with their subordinates so as to achieve the team
goals. Controlling is not possible without written and oral communication.
Managers devote a great part of their time in communication. They generally devote
approximately 6 hours per day in communicating. They spend great time on face to face or
telephonic communication with their superiors, subordinates, colleagues, customers or

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suppliers. Managers also use Written Communication in form of letters, reports or memos
wherever oral communication is not feasible.

1.1

Relevance and Significance of the study

Communication

is

central

to

the

entire

management

process

as

communication promotes motivation by informing and clarifying the employees about the
task to be done, the manner they are performing the task, and how to improve their
performance if it is not up to the mark. Communication is a source of information to the
organizational members for decision-making process as it helps identifying and assessing
alternative course of actions. Communication also plays a crucial role in altering
individuals attitudes, i.e., a informed individual will have better attitude than a lessinformed individual. Organizational magazines, journals, meetings and various other forms of
oral and written communication help in molding employees attitudes.
Communication also helps in socializing. In todays life the only presence of another
individual fosters communication. It is also said that one cannot survive without
communication. As discussed earlier, communication also assists in controlling process. It
helps controlling organizational members behavior in various ways. There are various levels
of hierarchy and certain principles and guidelines that employees must follow in an
organization. They must comply with organizational policies, perform their job role
efficiently and communicate any work problem and grievance to their superiors. Thus,
communication helps in controlling function of management.

1.2

Purpose of the study

The purpose for this report was to comprehend the adequacy of business communication in
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd and the significance it has on the objectives of Individuals. All
the types of communication are vital to a business. The written communication can serve as a
record of sorts while the telephone discussions can encourage the start of an incredible
business relationship. The in-individual communication will likewise help to further advance
the business standards. Vis--vis communication is particularly critical between the
organizations and their clients. This is the thing that holds them for returning over a long
period of time and what can put the business in the bleeding edge of numerous circumstances
that are ideal for gaining and looking after clients.
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Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or stereotyping. People
often hear what they expect to hear rather than what is actually said and jump to incorrect
conclusions. Cultural differences, which are the norms of social interaction vary greatly in
different cultures, as do the way in which emotions are expressed. For example, the concept
of personal space varies between cultures and between different social settings. Thus, the
reason for this study is to examine the present communication framework at TCS. Also
recognize errors, if any while admiring the part business communication has played in the
achievement of the organization in this way.

1.3 Research Objectives

The present study seeks to measure the following objectives:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

To examine the internal communication effectiveness at TCS.

To examine the external communication effectiveness at TCS.
To examine the cross cultural communication effectiveness at TCS.
To examine the interpersonal communication effectiveness at TCS.
To come out with suggestions to improve the communication effectiveness at
TCS.

1.4 Brief Outline of Chapters

Firstly, in chapter 1, we discusses the significance of communication and its importance in
the business environment. It means to advance the point that communication in business is
one of the critical parts of building up a successful organization. The part further spotlights
on how individuals in the organization speak with one another, and how it can add to or allay
clash and misconceptions. Beyond essentially conversing with each other, communication in
business relates to a bigger target in organizations. Secondly, Chapter 2 explores the various
tools used to evaluate the communication system at TCS. With the help of a survey, we hope
to get an insight into the internal and external communication of the company. Then in
chapter 3 we look through a literature review, where we consider the critical points of current
knowledge including substantive findings, as well as theoretical and methodological
contributions to the study of business communication. Then chapter 4 covers the analysis part
which covers the internal, external, cross cultural and interpersonal communication
effectiveness at TCS on the basis of data collected through survey. The last chapter concludes
the study by outlining the important points we have discovered during the course of
conducting the survey and analysing it with the help of other literature on the subject of
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business communication. It offers an understanding of the inter-departmental communication,

the communication with the stakeholders and the bottlenecks in the process.

1.5 Keywords
Communication, organization, Internal Communication, External Communication, Cross
cultural Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Suggestions, Findings.

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CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY

My research required to study the current code for both inter and intra business
communication at TCS. To achieve this goal, I interviewed 10 employees of TCS at its
Corporate Office GG 5 _4A, Tower A-4th floor Building No 6, DLF Cyber City Developers
LTD SEZ, Sector 24 & 25 A, DLF Cyber City, Gurgaon, Haryana -122002.
The method for research is Exploratory Research.

2.1 Universe of Study

TCS has its present offices in many countries across North America, South America, Europe,
Asia, Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
In India it has its presence in 19 cities across India including its corporate office in Gurgaon.

2.2 Locale of Study

This study has been limited to understanding the flow of internal and external communication
of the organisation in India. The locale of the study has been mainly the corporate office of
TCS, Gurgaon office.
The Gurgaon office is chosen as it is the Corporate office, thus having employees from across
India enhancing the diversity at the office.

2.3 Sample Size and Sampling Techniques

The research has been carried out with the help of a questionnaire and responses of the
employees have been analysed for deriving conclusions regarding the effectiveness of
communication.
The questionnaire has been floated in the main office of TCS in Gurgaon and to only few
employees.
Responses from 10 people working at TCS, Gurgaon were obtained for the questionnaire and
the data was collected to be analysed.

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Table 2.1: Classification of Samples on the basis of category

Gender

Department

Male

Female

Banking

and

Financial Services
5

Energy Oil and

Healthcare

Gas
3

Here Convenient Sampling method was used where three departments were selected
randomly and then employees within the departments. Convenient Sampling was used as it
would eliminate any kind of bias from the researchers side for obtaining the responses.

2.4 Data Collection

The study was conducted by utilising information from both, primary and secondary sources.

PRIMARY SOURCE
For the purpose of collecting information from the company an in depth questionnaire
was designed .It covered all the aspects of business communication crucial to the
analysis. It comprised of only closed end questions.
*(A copy of the questionnaire has been enclosed)
The questionnaire was made according to the following factors:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Nature of Communication
Cross Culture Dimensions of Organization
Legal Aspects of Organization
Barriers to Communication
Intra-organizational Communication
Intrapersonal Communication
Miscellaneous

Sample questionnaire in the appendix section A

SECONDARY SOURCE
Secondary Resource was collected through a wide variety of mediums such as
o Newspaper reports
o Journals
o Research papers
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o Articles

2.5 Data Analysis

o Data collected from the respondents has been codified qualitatively and
quantitatively.
o Major statistical tools could not be used as the sample size is small.
o Scales used in the questionnaire for the survey was mainly the 5 point likert scale.
There were 43 questions in all spread across the sections such as internal, external,
cross cultural and interpersonal communication.
o Thus through this survey, we are gauging the effectiveness of business
communication at TCS.

2.6 Research Experience

Although the work was tedious as I had to carry out a comprehensive study about the
effectiveness of business communication at TCS, there was a lot of learning as I went
through with the project that will help in the future endeavours of the career.

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CHAPTER 3: LITERATURE REVIEW

Chapter 3 discusses the details of the literature reviewed for carrying out the analysis.
A literature review is a text of a scholarly paper, which includes the current knowledge
including substantive findings, as well as theoretical and methodological contributions to a
particular topic. Literature reviews use secondary sources, and do not report new or original
experimental work. The review should describe, summarise, evaluate and clarify this
literature. It should give a theoretical base for the research and help (the author) determine
the nature of research.
The chapter has been divided into two sections:
1) Literature Reviewed
2) History & Growth of the Company

3.1 Research on Business Communication

[1]A review of relative literature to the research problem found that there are a number of
variables effecting communication that can lead to either lack of communication, ineffective
communication, or misrepresentation of the message trying to be sent and creating barriers in
the communications process. Communication skills are very important for success. Message
must be transmitted effectively and with influence. (Palazzolo, 2008).
[2]Communication is the exchange and flow of information and ideas from one person to
another. It involves a sender transmitting an idea to a receiver. Effective communication
occurs only if the receiver understands the exact information or idea that the sender intended
to transmit. Many of the problems that occur in an organization are the direct result of people
failing to communicate. Leaders of organizations who keep everything inside or cannot
communicate a message leave individuals to their devices to try and figure out what they may,
or may not, want. This is a failure of leadership and communication (Baldoni, 2003).
[3]A typical communications model has five elements: a sender, a message, a medium, a
receiver, and a feedback process. The sender has information that they are wishing to deliver
and share through a method of communication. The message is the information being

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communicated. The medium is the method the sender chooses to transmit or share the
information. The receiver is the recipient of the message and the feedback process allows the
sender to know that the message was received and understood (Smoke, 2005). [ 6 ] If one of
these components of the communication model is not present, then the communications
process or message trying to be conveyed could become misunderstood, or communicated in
a manner that the sender did not intend. Many of the breakdowns in communications
throughout organizations has had one of these components missing that has led to the
miscommunication, lack of communication, or some barrier affecting the communication.
Many times, different barriers negatively affect the communications process and impede the
message trying to be sent. Some of these barriers include the use of an inappropriate medium,
incorrect grammar, words that conflict with body language, or lack of feedback pertaining to
the message being sent (Sanchez, 2008).
[4]Non-verbal communication in the messages being sent, greatly influence how messages are
received through the course of the communications process. People inherently have different
ways of expression or body language to assist in the transmission of a message. Effective
communication is a total package. It must be a perfect combination of body language,
positive vocal inflection and eloquent, meaningful words delivered with a sincere smile
(Wilson, 2008, p. 33). These visible cues, such as hand gestures, facial expressions, and
looking directly at the sender of the message when it is begin conveyed provide immediate
feedback for the sender to process.
[5]Non-verbal communication, or our body language, can often communicate ones thoughts
or feelings more honestly than verbal communications. Our eyes, hands, and bodies send and
receive communication signals constantly. Many people may cross their arms and legs and
orient their bodies in specific withdrawal postures to shut out those who are perceived as
threatening, and many people use the power of touch to emphasize or bring more emotion to a
subject matter during conversation. The worlds best business communicators have strong
body language reflecting a commanding presence, confidence, and competence. This, in part,
is due to the fact that only 7% of communication actually involves words. Fifty-five percent
of communication involves some type of body language, and thirty-eight percent of
communication involves vocal cues such as pitch, speed, volume, reflection, and tone of your
voice (Gallo, 2007).
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[6]Messages and communications can be sent formally or informally.

Formal

communications are typically vertical, follow the authority chain, and are limited to task
related communications. Examples of formal communications are Department letters,
memos, or fact-to-face communications. Informal communications moves about in many
directions within the organization and is likely to satisfy group members social needs as it is
to facilitate task accomplishments. Examples of informal communications include the
grapevine, otherwise known as Department gossip, email, and instant messaging (Benton,
et al, 2002). Both types of communication serve a purpose for each organization. However,
no matter what type of process is used to communicate a message, their needs to be as little
distortion as possible to receive the message as intended.

3.2 Company History and Growth

Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) is an Indian multinational information technology
(IT)

service,

consulting

and

business

solutions

company

headquartered

in Mumbai, Maharashtra. TCS operates in 46 countries. It is a subsidiary of the Tata

Group and is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of
India. TCS is the largest Indian company by market capitalization ($80 billion) and is
the largest India-based IT services company by 2013 revenues. TCS is now placed among the
Big 4 most valuable IT services brands worldwide. In 2013, TCS is ranked 40th overall in
the Forbes World's Most Innovative Companies ranking, making it both the highest-ranked
IT services company and the top Indian company. It is the world's 10th largest IT services
provider, measured by the revenues.
Products and services
TCS and its 67 subsidiaries[60] provide a wide range of information technology-related
products and services including application development, business process outsourcing,
capacity planning, consulting, enterprise software, hardware sizing, payment processing,
software management and technology education services.[61] Its established software products
are TCS BaNCS and TCS MasterCraft.

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Service lines
TCS' services are currently organised into the following service lines (percentage of total
TCS revenues in the 2012-13 fiscal year generated by each respective service line is shown in
parentheses):

Application development and maintenance (43.80%);

Asset leverage solutions (2.70%);

Assurance services (7.70%);

Business process outsourcing (12.50%);

Consulting (2.00%);

Engineering and Industrial services (4.60%);

Enterprise solutions (15.20%); and

IT infrastructure services (11.50%).[61]

Operations
TCS have 230 offices across 46 countries and 147 delivery centers in 21 countries.[3] At the
same date TCS had a total of 58 subsidiary companies.

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CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS
This Chapter focus on analysis of data and in depth study carried out at TCS Ltd.
4.1 Internal Communication
Figure 4.1: Methods of Communication at TCS

% Time Spent for communication modes

Face-to-face interaction
Electronic
communications
Written communication
Telephone calls

The data shows that the face to face communication forms the major part of communication
in the organization followed by written communication which majorly includes letters,
memos, notices etc; which is followed by electronic communication and telephone calls.
Figure 4.2: Free-flow of Information Upward/Downward/Horizontal

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Flow of Information
5
4
3
2
1
0

Upward

Downward

Horizontal

The data showed that most of the employees were freely able to communicate with their sub
ordinates, while their there was a worry among the employees when the communication to
their higher ranked mangers came to point.
Table 4.2 Effectiveness of the tools of Communication at TCS
No. of employees who Very

Somewhat

Neither

ticked the responses

Ineffective

Effective

Ineffective

Effective

Extremely
Effective

nor
Ineffective
E-mail

The company intranet

Company publications

Memos

Meetings

Telephone

Email proved to be the most effective tool of communication in the organization E-mail is
used for speedy, cost effective and paper less communication while Telephone proved to be
the most ineffective form of communication at TCS as there was no formal record of the

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conversation and that posed problem with the validity of content of the talk to be implied in
the working of the company in important decision making situations.

4.2 External Communication

External communication is the transmission of information between a business and another
person or entity in the company's external environment. Examples of these people and entities
include customers, potential customers, suppliers, investors, shareholders, and society at large.
A business typically engages in different strategies in managing its external communications. The
approach used will vary by circumstance, purpose, and the intended recipient. For example, a
business will communicate differently if it is communicating with potential investors, its
shareholders, or its customers.
Bad news is communicated differently than good news. For example, an oil company will
communicate about an oil spill differently than its joint venture with another company to develop
alternative fuels.

Figure 4.3: Proper mechanism employed to monitor relevant

external information
Strongly Agree

Agree

Neither Agree nor Disagree

Disgree

Strongly Disagree

2
3

1
4

As per the responses of the employees, the effectiveness of the communication

with external stakeholders was good. There was no formal training given to the
employees at TCS to differentiate between the internal and external stakeholders
for communication.

4.3 Cross Cultural Communication

It's no secret that today's workplace is rapidly becoming vast, as the business environment
expands to include various geographic locations and span numerous cultures. What can be
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difficult, however, is understanding how to communicate effectively with individuals who

speak another language, or who rely on different means to reach a common goal.
Cross-cultural communication in an organization deals with understanding different business
customs, beliefs and communication strategies. Language differences, high-context vs. lowcontext cultures, nonverbal differences and power distance are major factors that can affect
cross-cultural communication.
At TCS no special training for cross cultural communication is given to the
employees.

The

employees

have

to

themselves learn

to

dwell

in

the

environment.
All the 10 employees agreed to have communicated with an employee of
different culture.

Figure 4.4: Cross cultural communication

Cross Cultural Communication

6
4
2
0

Comfortable in communicating with employees from different culture

It is important to understand cultural differences
I make efforts to ensure that my message is clearly understood by the receiver

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4.4 Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication involves interchanging ideas with others using an assortment of
methods, such as words, gestures, voice tone, facial expression and body posture.
Interpersonal skills are the lifeblood of organizations because effective communication
dictates operational efficiency and facilitates teamwork. It underlies the efficiency of key
business functions such as managing, training, selling and resolving conflicts within an
organization.

Figure 4.5: Interpersonal Communication

5
4
3
2
1
0

4
1

1
0

Me and my colleagues share knowledge

Employees invite each others in informal meetings and gatherings
My employer values my opinion and encourages open discussion

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4.5 Informal Communication

A casual form of information sharing typically used in personal conversations
with friends or family members. Within a business environment, informal
communication is sometimes called the grapevine and might be observed
occurring in conversations, electronic mails, text messages and phone calls
between socializing employees.
Finding was that informal communication between the employees formed a
comprehensive part for the communication between the employees.

4.6 Business Meeting

Companies use business meetings to review company information or establish
new operating principles. Most meetings are directed by management, and time
is spent helping employees understand the company financial health or
operations which may be one of the organizational, operational or departmental
meetings. Meetings may occur face to face or virtually, as mediated by
communications technology, such as a telephone conference call, a skyped
conference call or a videoconference. At TCS, meetings are generally held biweekly.

Figure 4.6: Business Meeting Agenda

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Every person contributes to the agenda of the meeting

Always

10%

Most often

30%

Sometimes
30%

Never

30%

4.7
2

Barriers to Communication

Emotional barriers and taboos. Some people may find it difficult to express their emotions and
some topics may be completely 'off-limits' or taboo.

Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver. (See our

page Barriers to Effective Listening for more information).

Differences in perception and viewpoint.

Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties.

Physical barriers to non-verbal communication. Not being able to see the non-verbal cues,
gestures, posture and general body language can make communication less effective.

Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar accents.

Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or stereotyping. People
often hear what they expect to hear rather than what is actually said and jump to incorrect
conclusions.

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Cultural differences. The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different cultures, as do the
way in which emotions are expressed. For example, the concept of personal space varies
between cultures and between different social settings.

Cultural

and

perceptual

barriers

were

the

main

causes

for

ineffective

communication between the employees.

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CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND FINDINGS

The analysis of this study revealed that there is a significant correlation between the
personnel communication skills and decision-making process. Listening skills is ranked the
highest communication format. The objective of communication must be clear. In addition,
this study revealed that nonverbal messages enhanced the effectiveness of the communication
process.

5.1 Major Findings

Almost all regular modes of communication are present and utilized at TCS.
However, e-mails and phone calls are the most commonly used ones.
E-mail is used for speedy, cost effective and paper less communication.
Theres a set format for reports, memos, minutes and presentations. This makes it easy
to communicate with colleagues in different parts of the world.
An online employee magazine is circulated to all employees to keeps them updated
with companys visions and goals.
Time and again Top down Communication attempts has failed. The message
perceived is different than what it originally meant.
Choosing the right channel to get a certain message through to a certain audience
seldom proves to be a difficult task.
Appraisal system is transparent. It also makes the work of a manager to TCS Ltd the
message a lot easier as these performance appraisals are often considered as bad
messages by the receiver. However, due to a large number of employees, managers
have reported on finding the task of providing appraisals quite challenging.

5.2 Suggestions based on the findings

Communication should adhere to the 7Cs of communication.

Documentation of work is important as it ensures legitimacy of the work and
smoother transition.
Upward communication sometimes is more important than downward
communication. It conveys the real scenario of the employee satisfaction.
Upward communication can also be treated as a source of new ideas and creative
problem solving.
Integration of different report generating softwares into a universal format of
reporting across all teams for the same kind of work.
HR should help employees by circulating specific format for different types of
business letters to maintain unanimity.
Top down communication has failed as the intended message does not reach the
audience. The CEO should hold town hall meetings every quarter instead of having it
twice in a financial year.
Minutes of meeting should be mandatory for all important internal meetings.
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Orientation programme for new joiners should emphasise on training on written

business communication.

5.3 Limitations of the Study

Sample Size Constraint Though the respondents were chosen from various levels
and departments a bigger sample size would have helped more.

5.4 Further Scope of the study

For better and more accurate results research can be conducted on larger segment next
time. People from different branches can be approached to get a broader view of
communication channels and mediums used.

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