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A STUDY OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION AT ERICSSON INDIA LTD. GURGAON

Submitted to: Dr. Anita Tripathy Lal Professor, Fore School Of Management.

Submitted By:
KAPIL GOYAL FORE School Of Management 201057 Date: September 12, 2011
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Acknowledgement
I am indebted to Dr. Anita Tripathy Lal , my project guide who has provided her valuable help in reviewing the project at various stages and providing her constructive comments regularly. I am also thankful to Mr. Vikas Kanwar (Specialist CD-core) for his full support in providing the relevant data whenever required and for giving his precious time. Also I would like to thank all the people, who in some way or the other, contribute towards and provided the moral and motivational support to complete this project on time.

Kapil Goyal FMG 20 A 201057

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
S.NO. TOPIC PAGE NO.

1.

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Relevance and significance of the study--------------------------------9 1.2 Literature Review-------------------------------------------------------------10-11 1.3 Purpose of the study ---------------------------------------------------------12 1.4 Objectives of the study-------------------------------------------------------12 1.5 Brief outline of the chapters-------------------------------------------------13

2.

METHODOLOGY

2.1 Universe of the study-------------------------------------------------------15-16 2.2 Locale of the study----------------------------------------------------------16 2.3 Sample size--------------------------------------------------------------------17-18 2.4 Data Collection---------------------------------------------------------------19 2.5 Data analysis------------------------------------------------------------------19 2.6 Field Experience--------------------------------------------------------------19

3.

ANALYSIS 3.1 Introduction ----------------------------------------------------------------20-21 3.2 Internal communication in the organization -------------------------21 3.3 Importance of internal communication--------------------------------21 3.4 Ways of internal Communication ------------------------------------21-24 3.5 Barriers of internal communication-------------------------------------25-26

4.

ANALYSIS II

4.1 Introduction------------------------------------------------------------------------------27-28 4.2 Types of External Communication---------------------------------------------------28 4.3 Forms of External Communication---------------------------------------------------29

5.

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS

5.1 Major findings of the study------------------------------------------------------31 5.2 Suggestions based on findings--------------------------------------------------32-33 5.3 Limitations of the study---------------------------------------------------------33 5.4 Further scope of the study ------------------------------------------------------34 5.5 Conclusion -------------------------------------------------------------------------34 6. 7. REFERENCES-----------------------------------------------------------------35-36 BIBLIOGRAPHY-------------------------------------------------------------37-38

TABLE OF TABLES

S. No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 12

Name of the Table Profile of Organization Profile of Respondent Methods of employee recruitment Process of employee recruitment Training program for employees Channels of Communication Frequency of Meetings Forms of External Communication Forms of Written Personal Communication

Table No. 2.1 2.2 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 4.1 4.2

Chapter No. 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 4 4

Chapter 1 BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Communication is neither transmission of message nor message itself. It is the mutual exchange of understanding, originating with the receiver. Communication needs to be effective in business. Communication is essence of management. The basic functions of management (Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing and Controlling) cannot be performed well without effective communication. Business communication involves constant flow of information. Feedback is integral part of business communication. Organizations these days are very large. It involves number of people. There are various levels of hierarchy in an organization. Greater the number of levels, the more difficult is the job of managing the organization. Communication here plays a very important role in process of directing and controlling the people in the organization. Immediate feedback can be obtained and misunderstandings if any can be avoided. There should be effective communication between superiors and subordinated in an organization, between organization and society at large (for example between management and trade unions). It is essential for success and growth of an organization. Communication gaps should not occur in any organization. Business Communication is goal oriented. The rules, regulations and policies of a company have to be communicated to people within and outside the organization. Business Communication is regulated by certain rules and norms. In early times, business communication was limited to paper-work, telephone calls etc. But now with advent of technology, we have cell phones, video conferencing, emails, satellite communication to support business communication. Effective business communication helps in building goodwill of an organization. Business Communication can be of two types: Oral Communication - An oral communication can be formal or informal. Generally business communication is a formal means of communication, like: meetings, interviews, group discussion, speeches etc. An example of Informal business communication would be Grapevine. Written Communication - Written means of business communication includes - agenda, reports, manuals etc. 8

1.1 Relevance and significance of the study

In business, reputation and credibility need to be built up in order to get clients trust and confidence. Having a sense of professionalism will bring a lot to the business, especially in a long term relationship with employees and clients. There is a need to make sure that every business deal is attended to promptly. Business communication encompasses not only communicating with external contacts but also with employees within the organization. This will aid the business in being well-organized and every matter whether it is a problem, an inquiry or a sales letter will be attended to properly and promptly. It does not mean that only a clients inquiry should be responded promptly but also feedbacks or problems arising inside and outside the business as well. This is done to have a balance within the internal and external factors, especially in relation to dealing with people, whether they are employees or other external contacts. It is very important that when engaging into whatever type of business communication every person in the business organization from the top to lower rank should know the basic concepts of business communication, and how to apply them in the daily operation of the business.

Take note that a little mistake in giving out the information because of wrongfully conveying the message in any ways can cause damage to the business and worse can cost millions to the company. A business cannot afford to lose money due to a mistake. As much as possible, precautions should be undertaken to avoid such losing of money due to things like improperly conveying the message. It is advisable that when a person in the business organization is communicating either through a co-employee or a client, knowing what needs to be done is the right ingredient in order to communicate effectively.

In a nutshell business communication improves: Organizational environment Management-employee relations The external and internal communication network Functionalisation The complexity of business activities Globalization and the language problem Participation and delegation 9

1.2

Literature Review
Pettinger, 2000: Vecchio, Hearn and Southey, 1994). A seminal component of the functioning of organizations is organizational communication. Communication drives relationships and frames behaviors of people in the workplace and is a significant factor in the effectiveness of organizations Aggestam, Maria; Lund U.; maria.aggestam@fek.lu.seKeenan, James; Fairfield U.; jkeenan@stagweb.fairfield.edu Languaging is found to be an important factor underrepresented in traditional conflict-building paradigms in management science. Confrontational language in particular appears strongly associated with confrontation as a type of individual and group behavior. Confrontation is characterized by the simultaneous low concern for the interests of others with a heightened concern for self-interests. Reflecting recent research in embeddedness, the case analysis also attempted to understand confrontation as social action contingent on and embedded cognitively, culturally, politically and structurally in community and interorganization relations.(Buchanan, Claydon& Doyle, 1999). The difficulty of communicating during organizational change has intensified with the prevalence of continuously changing organizations.(Eisenberg, Andrews, Murphy, &Laine-Timmerman, 1999; Lewis &Seibold, 1996) Hall(2002,p.165) proposes that effective communication should consist of accurate information with the appropriate emotional overtones to all members who need the communication content.This assumes neither too much nor too little information is in the system and that it is clear from the outset who can utilize what is available. It is broadly recognized that effective communication also results in a number of positive outcomes for managers. These include increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, and greater commitment to organizational goals (Clampitt and Downs, 1993; Pincus, 1986). In turn, communication practices that succeed in maintaining an informed and empowered workforce offer many benefits to staff such as improved morale and better working relationships (Brooks, Callicoat& Siegerdt,1979,p.134). Likert(1967,p.29) described communication satisfaction as an intervening variable of job satisfaction, influenced by causal variables such as leadership strategies, organizational structure and climate. 10

Subsequent studies have also reported that communication satisfaction plays an important role in overall job satisfaction (Carriere& Bourque, 2009;Pettit, Goris& Vaught,1997;Trombetta & Rogers,1989;Walther, 1988). Subsequently, studies have also reported that job satisfaction and performance is directly associated with communication satisfaction (Carriere and Bourque, 2009; Petit, Goris& Vaught, 1997). It is also recognised that effective communication results in positive outcomes in an organization. This includes productivity, reduced absenteeism and huge retention rate jump (CLAMPITT & DOWNS, 1993; Pincus, 1986). Hence we see that different scholars have acknowledged the importance and role of effective business communication.

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1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Based on the literature reviews of the books ,journals and magazines, it has been highlighted that not many studies have been conducted at Ericsson India Ltd.. This report deals with the nuances of business communication and the role it plays in enhancing a business within and outside an organization. The purpose is to make the role of communication in a business environment more specific. It is intended to review how communication takes place in an organization, how effective communication plays an important role in the organization and to know how can business communication can be more effective. The types of business communication and the ways we can make it effective. The objective this report drives out is regarding the importance of business communication and with the era of globalization and cross cultural work environment communication rather effective communication plays a significant role.

1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

On the basis of the study and reviewed literature, following objectives have been listed below: 1. To understand the internal communication process at Ericsson India Ltd. 2. To analyze the various forms of external communication. 3. To evaluate and asses the effectiveness of communication at Ericsson India Ltd. and to come out with viable solutions. 4. To analyze various aspects of business communication at Ericsson India Ltd. The objective of the report is to answer the questions posed often by the organization. The objective will be attained if all the questions are answered efficiently and satisfactorily by the reader. The bigger objective will be attained when all the organization fulfils the implementation of effective business communication across the firm. The report looks at various facets of Communication. It points out the areas it affects and the ways we can improve it. It also summarizes the importance of Communication in improving business as a whole and providing all facets it impacts in todays modern business environment. The probable questions are: 1. What are various types of Communication? 2. Importance of Communication on business communication? 3. To find out what are various aspects of Business Communication at Ericsson India Ltd. 4. What is the importance of effective Business Communication at Ericsson India Ltd.

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1.5 BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE CHAPTERS

The whole report will be discussed in five major parts The first part introduces the definition and importance of the business communication. This part tells us about the major purpose and the objectives of the study. The 2nd chapter is the methodology chapter which gives a brief idea about the universe ,locale and the sample of the study. In the terminal part it summarizes the data collection, data analysis and the field experience. The 3rd chapter is the analysis of internal communication at Ericsson India Ltd.It will focus on the various ways of internal communication in the organization with the help of cross tabs and the tables.The 4th chapter is the analysis of external communication in the organization.The 5th chapter is the concluding chapter which tells us about the major findings,limitations,suggestions and further scope of the study.

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Chapter 2 Methodology
In the 1st chapter a brief overview about business communication was given.The methodology chapter will deal with the universe of the study initially.Then we will narrow down the study to the locale and the sample of the study.In the end various methods of data collection and data analysis will be discussed.

2.1 Universe of the Study

There are several large telecom companies around the world .Some of them are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Ericsson Nokia Siemens ZTE Korean Telecom HUWAEI SSTL Bharti Telecom Reliance Telecom Vodafone

In todays scenario Telcom companies are present in every part of world.Telecom industry is an integral part of nearly every major global industry.The Telecom industry has become one of the most robust industries in the world. Telecom is the industry which has changed the economic facet, has an increased productivity, particularly in all first, second and third world countries, therefore is a key driver of global economic growth. Economies of scale and insatiable demand from both consumers and enterprises characterize this rapidly growing sector.Telecom industry include everything from setting and designing the systems, to the maintaining the network and optimising the KPIs.Implementation, study and development of Telecom and management systems. 15

Owing to its easy accessibility and the wide range of products available for network optimisation, the demand for MS services has increased

substantially over the years. The Telecom has emerged as a major global source of both growth and employment.In Telecom sector effective business communication is very important and almost all the business is run on communication between the employees and clients so a small mistake can cost heavily. Hence I have chosen Telecom Industry as my area of interest for this topic.The business involvement extends from technology research, through development of networks and applications, all the way to running and evolving operations.

2.2 Locale of the study

I have chosen Ericsson, Gurgaon as my locale of study because it is one of the biggest Telecom Company in world. Ericsson is a global Managing Services, technology services and optimizing company, as MS and Operations both are an integral part of it ,with more than 223,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the worlds most successful companies, Ericsson collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments regulations. We can briefly describe the business fields of Ericsson. Multimedia Multimedia solutions make it simple for people to activate and use a variety of services, with easy and instant control of spending. We deliver communication solutions such as networking and collaboration services, with quick access to content and applications as well as with charging and billing functions. We provide solutions for TV services to devices such as TV sets, mobile phones and PCs. TV services are real-time or on-demand and can include interactive services. Global services Effectively managing large and complex projects and multi-vendor networks requires experience and understanding. We combine robust local capabilities with global expertise in consulting, systems integration, network rollout, network operation and customer support. This enables us to understand and respond to each customers unique challenges. When operators outsource service activities to Ericsson, they can focus even more on their core business of attracting, serving and retaining customers. 16

Networks Network infrastructure provides the fundamentals for people to communicate. Increasing mobile data traffic and use of the internet creates demand for high- performing and costefficient networks that deliver the best user experience. We were a driver in the development of 2G and 3G technology. Now we are taking one step further with 4G/LTE and the evolution towards all-IP. Our technology expertise, broad product portfolio and the worlds largest installed base enable us to meet the network evolution needs of mobile and fixed operators. Sony Ericsson Sony Ericsson offers exciting consumer experience through mobile phones, accessories, content and applications. For Ericsson, the joint venture provides a valuable link to the consumer. More than 40 percent of the worlds mobile traffic passes through network equipment supplied by Ericsson The networks they support for operators serve more than two billion subscribers The networks they manage for operators serve more than 750 million subscribers They have 27,000 granted patents, comprising one of the industrys strongest portfolios They have over 45,000 service professionals They have customers in more than 180 countries They have been in the telecoms market for 135 years

Being an MNC company with such a large workforce effective business communication is very important for Ericsson.

2.3 Sample of the Study

I have selected a senior deployment operations manager Mr. Vikas Kanwar who is working for Ericsson since 4 years and is a respected and senior employee with over 8 years of work experience. As there was a time constraint during the course of study so convenient sampling was used.

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Table 2.1 Profile of the organization

NAME ADDRESS TYPE OF ESTABLISHMENT YEAR OF ESTABLISHMENT NATURE OF PRODUCTION NO. OF EMPLOYEES Ericsson India Ltd. DLF Cyber city ,Sector-25 ,Gurgaon ,Haryana PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY 1876 PUBLIC RELATIONS COMPANY approx. 90,300 (December 31, 2010)

Table 2.2 Profile of the Respondent

NAME AGE SOCIAL GROUP EDUCATION OCCUPATION & POSITION YEARS OF WORK EXPERIENCE INCOME MARITAL STATUS NO. OF CHILDREN NATIVE/MIGRANT Vikas Kanwar 40 Upper Middle Class B. Tech Deployment Operations Manager 8 >10 Lacs per annum Married 3 Native

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2.4 Data Collection

The primary source for information on Business Communication was a senior employee at Ericsson India Ltd. Mr.Vikas Kanwar (Deployments Operations Manager)and the secondary source of information were some of the journals as well as magazines, Internet and books regarding effective business communication. Primary data has been collected on the basis of a Interview Schedule as provided to us for the research. Internal Communication Respondent was asked to record the interpersonal communication contacts they initiated or received within Ericsson. For the respondents convenience an Interview Questionnaire was provided. Respondents were asked to record their innovation-related communication concerning intervention strategies within the company. External Communication Respondent was asked to record or estimate the number of times they initiated or received contacts with a member representing outside organizations about intervention strategies. For respondents convenience an Interview Questionnaire was provided.

2.5 Data Analysis

Upon analysis of all the data collected from the employee and secondary data from other sources we find thateffective business communication is very important aspect for Ericsson and a lot of stress is given on this aspect for improvement of organisation as a whole.The analysis has been done with the use of the tables.Data has been codified and being put in the tabulated form.The employees of the organization has been divided into major three sections Junior , Middle and Senior .The other categorization of the employess has been done on the basis of their area of specialization as Finance,Marketing,IT and customer service.Based on the data analysis certain conclusions could be drawn which are explained in the concluding chapter.

2.6 Field Experience

It was a great experience for me to have an opportunity to do this Interview Schedule and interact with a senior employee of a big MNC.However as Mr. Vikas Kanwar is a senior employee at Ericsson India Ltd, his schedule was very hectic and meeting him was a very tedious task . Since he is a very humble person he could spare some of his precious time for filling up the interview schedule.

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Chapter 3 Internal Communication at Ericsson India Ltd.

. In the previous chapter we studied about the methodology which has been used in the study.This chapter deals with various ways of internal communication at Ericsson India Ltd.Certain methods have been used to determine the ways of communication such as codified data and cross tabulated data.Also the barriers of communications are also discussed in the chapter.

Introduction In todays world of business, an organizations survival depends on employee communication. When communication is ineffective, the organization suffers. All communication is complex and multidimensional with plenty of room for conflict and misunderstandings. Organizational communication is no different with organizational issues often adding unique complications to the mix during the communication process. For an organization to be successful, it must have employees capable of sending and receiving information quickly, clearly, effectively, and error free. Mistakes caused by miscommunication cost organizations thousands of dollars due to missed deadlines, lost time, and wasted product. In order to have effective employee communication in the workplace, one must understand organizational communication structure and how that communication structure facilitates internal communication. With a basic understanding of organizational communication, one will be able to improve communication skills and recognize communication problems that arise during employee communication in the workplace. 20

Internal communication is a subset of effective business communication, which is built around this simple foundation: communication is a dialogue, not a monologue. In fact, communication is a dual listening process. So Internal Communication, in a business context, is the dialogic process between employees and employer, and employees and employees. So many times that latter process is forgotten by strategists and PR professionals it should always be remembered that communicationbetween employees is very often far more powerful than any communication from employer to employee. Whereas the top-down, employer-driven communication is great for setting a communication agenda or discussion point, it is the peer-to-peer employee communications that determine the tone of the response back to the employer. So, to sum up, Internal Communication is the conversations that businesses have with their staff and those staff has with each other.

Recruitment
Recruitment involves the utilization of organizational practices to influence the number and types of individuals who are willing to apply for job vacancies . Recruitment can focus on the internal labor market (i.e., pursuing staff already employed by the organization) or the external labor market (i.e., pursuing applicants from outside the organization). Internal candidates can be recruited through internal job postings, word-ofmouth, or internship programs.

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Table 3.1 Methods of Recruiting

DIFFERENT LEVELS OF EXECUTIVES MANAGEMENT TRAINEES 1. Advertising newspapers in No JUNIOR EXECUTIVES No

METHODS OF RECRUITING

2. Outsource it to search consultants 3. Visit professional institutes 4. Ask employees for their contacts

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

It can be inferred from the table that the company primarily focus on the institutes for the recruiting process while to recruit junior executives it use other means of communication. Table 3.2 Process of Selection Once the potential applicants are identified, the next step is to evaluate their qualification ,qualities, experiences, capabilities, etc..& make the selection. It is the process of offering jobs to the desired applicants. Selection means choosing a few from those who apply, It is picking up of applicants or candidates with prerequisite qualifications and qualities to fill jobs in the organization

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Different Levels of Executives Selection Process Junior Level Written Test Interview Middle Level Yes Yes Yes Senior Level Yes -

Written Test & Yes Interview Written Test, GD & Interview

.

We can see that for senior level a prerequisite is required and if the candidate fulfills that criterion then he has to go through an interview process for the selection.For all the other levels written test and interviews are considered for the selection process. Table 3.3 : Induction Period An induction programme is the process used within many businesses to welcome new employees to the company and prepare them for their new role. Induction training should include development of theoretical and practical skills, but also meet interaction needs that exist among the new employees.
AREA OF SERVICE Financial Accounting NO. DAYS OF One Day OF One week Two week One month Any Other Yes Sales Marketing Yes & Information Technology Yes Customer Service Yes -

TRAINING

As most of the people comes from the technical background so they dont have much of the knowledge about the financing activities to be performed, so they give maximum time 23

to their finance accounting induction program.They already carry some of the knowledge about the IT industry so relatively less time is given to the IT induction program.

Table 3.4: Forms of Communication

LEVELS OF EXECUTIVES SENIOR MEMO MEDIUM OF CIRCULAR NOTICE ORDER OTHERS Yes Yes MIDDLE Yes JUNIOR Yes Yes Yes -

COMMUNIATION

Table 3.5: Formal Meetings

A formal meeting is a preplanned meeting. It has a predetermined set of topics that one wishes to discuss along with a set of objectives that one wishes to achieve at the end of the meeting. At a formal meeting, generally it is a senior executive who presides over the affair. The members of the meeting are often given a considerable period of notice before the meeting, preferably through formal means such as memos. As the title suggest, the atmosphere in such meetings is generally somber, formal.

Weekly Fortnightly Monthly Quarterly Any other

Yes -

Monthy meetings are held in the organisation to strengthen the bonding in between the employees at the senior level and low level employee level.Also certain issues are 24

discussed in the meetings to take the organisation to a higher level which shoes the participative nature of the employees in the organisation. .

3.5 Barriers to Effective Communication

Miscommunication happens because of barriers that can arise at any stage during the communication process. A communication barrier is anything that gets in the way of the purpose of communication or causes people to misunderstand each other, information, or a message Physical Barriers is any physical thing that hinders effective communication between one person/group and a second person/group. A physical barrier can be an actual physical structure or distance. Examples include walls, desks, cubicles, doors, yelling down a hallway, or being located in different buildings or rooms. Perceptual Barriers is any individual perception that causes intended message to be received incorrectly causing barrier to effective communication. No two people view the world exactly the same. Each person has different ideas, thoughts, behaviors, mentality, experiences, and backgrounds. Psychological Barriers are any emotions or personal feelings that cause misunderstandings that hinder effective communication. A persons emotion at the time the message is communicated can impact how it is sent or received. Fear, mistrust, happy, sadness, anxiety, and anger are all strong emotions that can heavily influence communication if one lets it. Language Barriers are any differences in language like slang, jargon, translations, dialects, or semantics that hinder effective communication. Companies, schools, clubs, and even some neighbourhoods often have their own group specific lingo and assign unique meanings to many words. Cultural Barriers are any barrier to communication that occurs during the communication process attributed to differences in culture. Every country in the world has a unique history and culture. Growing numbers of people are communicating with people from other countries. Different linguistic and cultural backgrounds impact communication. Understanding other cultures will help lessen miscommunication in other countries it is viewed as disrespectful.

Ineffective or poor communication is frustrating for employees, and becomes a source of a conflict. Managers inability to clearly express their thoughts, ideas and demands leads to employees inability to perform work well, according to the companys demands. 25

If a manager is able to communicate their ideas clearly, so that employees definitely know what is asked of them, the subordinates will, consequently, perform their jobs correspondingly. On contrast, an aggressive way of managing reports results in employees getting more and more frustrated, often guessing what their real faults were. A good style of management, as well as a positive approach to communication, ensures that an employee and a supervisor understand each other, and are more effective at the workplace. Effective communication in the workplace provides employees with a clear understanding of what is demanded from them, with knowledge of what to do and what to expect. For organizations, such a communication style creates effective performance of the staff, and, consequently, increases customer loyalty and profit.

Thus we can say that internal communication is very important because it provides clear, concise, and consistent message to the employees. These when communicated educate employees, enabling them to appreciate the value of their organizations vision, programs or projects and is a significant element in engaging the employees keeping them focused, productive and committed. Internal communication is more than the art and technique of effectively imparting thoughts, information, and ideas to large numbers of people. It has become the single, most important element that enables an organization to share their vision and galvanize their work force to action that moves the organization forward.

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Chapter 4 EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION at Ericsson India Ltd.

The previous chapter dealt with the in depth study of internal communication like methods of recruiting employees at Ericsson India Ltd., training programs for employees, ways of internal communication. This chapter deals with the external communication on similar lines. The exchange of information and messages between an other organizations , groups, or individuals that are not a part of it. organisation and

External Communication
The exchange of information and messages between other organizations, groups, or individuals that are not a part of it. an organization and

Without proper external communication, you will not be able to coordinate complex jobs involving a number of work centers and divisions. You must develop good lines and methods of communication external to the shop. Running systems tests may involve several work centers aboard ship and, in some cases, other ships or activities. Unless you can effectively communicateyour requirements to each work center, you will be unable to successfully complete the systems tests. Much of your external communication is in the form of correspondence. The correspondence will be of little value unless you have an effective way of keeping track of the information and ensuring that it gets to the ultimate users. You should develop controls to ensure that information gets to and from the people who will benefit the most from it. If you do this, you, the shop supervisor, will be the winner.

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Advantages of External Communication

External communication helps an organization to keep its outsourcing agencies like distributors, wholesalers, retailers and clientele well informed about the companys products, services, progress and goals. The information gets continuously updated and accurate. All organizations have to maintain cordial relationships with government agencies, licensing authorities, suppliers of raw materials, ancillary industries and financial institutions. Continual and updated information without any communication gap is essential for business houses. Table 4.1 : Types of External Communication

Frequency Press Release Press Conference Type of Product launch External Advertisements Communication Public Notices Tenders Magazines Brochures Newsletters Mail Coupons Weekly _ _ _ _ _ Yes _ Fortnightly _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Monthly _ _ Yes Yes Yes _ _ _ Any Other Yes Yes Yes _ _ _ _ Yes _ _

Various mediums of external communication are implemented in Ericsson India Ltd.like press release, press conferences, newsletters, etc. The frequency of these mediums depends on the advertising scheme of the company to let know of the people about the strategies being incorporated in the company to achieve its long term and short term goals in the prescribed time constraint.

There are certain written forms of communication which are followed in an organization. Their usage depends upon the number of people and also the hierarchy in which the communications is to be done.

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Table 4.2 Forms of Written Communication

Medium E-mail Forms of Communication Memo Circular Notice Order _ _ Yes Yes Hard Copy Yes Yes Yes _

Ericsson India Ltd. implements different forms of communication like memos, circulars, notices and orders to communicate with the various outside agencies to let them know about the organizations requirements and other functioning and happenings in the company.

Legal Aspects of Business Communication:

Business communication, also called organizational communication, refers to any exchange of information that takes place using channels at work. Organizational communication that discriminates, and the breaching of confidentiality, may lead to legal consequences.

Impact The legal issues related to business communication create the need for companies to monitor information exchanges, like email and Internet activity. According to the American Bar Association, companies have the right to review such communications as long as the workers don't have the expectation of privacy.

Expectation of Privacy To avoid accusations of fourth amendment violations, the American Bar Association recommends documenting in writing any rights to privacy that the worker has. These should include information like the proper use of business communication channels and punishment for violating company policy. It advises to incorporate this written information into a personnel manual or employee handbook that requires a worker's signature. 29

Significance Electronic communications, such as email and voice mail, may be included as evidence in a court of law. Without a signed agreement about acceptable use of business communication channels, even personal messages sent through workplace channels leave a company legally responsible for the content of the messages.

Considerations Swift actions by a company to address inappropriate organizational communication may reduce the risks of legal consequences. A company could respond with appropriate discipline, an office-wide memo and training. All these legal aspects of communication are taken care of in Ericsson India Ltd so that they do not have to face any legal action. It spoils the image of the company not only in the domestic market but also in the international market.

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CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS

Findings:
Some of the major findings of the study are under stated: In business, communication is everything.Business communication focuses on strategic business issues and takes care of them. It has to be written in a manner which can be comprehended.In Ericssson India Ltd. Business communication plays an important role as it is a service and manufacturing industry and interpersonal relationship plays a major role in the organization. Research spanning several decades has consistently ranked communication skills as crucial for managers. Typically, managers spend 75 to 80 percent of their time engaged in some form of written or oral communication. Although often termed a soft skill, communication in Ericsson India Ltd. provides the critical link between core functions. Training regarding Business Communication is mandatory for all employees which are joining Ericsson India Ltd. All four channels of communication are used frequently in the organization. In Ericsson India all the legal aspects of the communication are taken care of. The form of communication used at Ericsson India Ltd. was participative in nature.It means that the employees are free to put their ideas forward for the improvement in the working structure of the organization. There are certain forms of written communication being used at Ericsson India Ltd. wherein the E-mail prevails the most. 31

SUGGESTIONS: Business communication basically means the communication between businessmen and their employees and partners and clients. Everything that is done in a business has to be precise and effective and business communication is an extremely important aspect of any business. The most important thing to comprehend about business communication is that it keeps things clear between you and your client as well as your business partners. There are many effective business communication skills that can be helpful and some of the best are mentioned below. Maintain positivity

It is always important that you should remain positive while you are communicating with your business employees, partners and customers and clients. To remain positive actually means to always put your message across to your audience in a very positive manner even if the message is something they wont like. If you can remain positive in your approach while delivering the message, the messages overall negativity can be cut down immensely.

Know your audience One of the most important business communication skills is to actually completely acknowledge your audience.As Ericsson India Ltd. Deals with the variety of the customers.So before providing them the services it must be aware of the behaviour and background of the audience.. This means that you should always investigate about the cultural background of your audience and the type of personality that they posses. It is important that you also comprehend the mode of communication. You can always change your tone and approach by taking inputs from the body language of your audience but if you are actually communicating through a letter then the knowledge of the type of your audience becomes the key. The knowledge of your audience also includes the kind of people that you are talking too. You can always use known and common acronyms and technical jargon if the people that you are communicating with belong to a field similar to yours. However, be ready to not include heavy and technical words in your conversation- not even to impress your audience- if your audience actually is not related to your field. If you find the use of such technical words necessary then you should also explain the meaning of those words in the conversation.

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Communication sessions Although the listening and the communication skills are fairly good at Ericsson India Ltd., but still the employees can be provided with Communication sessions because listening and written skills play a very important role in the communication process.

Motivational Sessions: The employees should be motivated to come up with new ideas and suggestions so that there can be free flow of information in the organization.

Avoid use of disclaimers The business information which is shared in organization ought to be definitive, true and fair. So while communicating the business information there should be no place for ifs and buts and the intent should be crystal clear.

5.3

LIMITATIONS

During research and making this project some limitations that could affect the effectiveness of the study are: The sample size was very small to justify the conclusions made through the study Survey sample was not only small but also done from a particular area or a branch which may not reflect that the same practices happens at the company level as well. Time limitation is a big factor in the overall lack of depth in terms of content and analysis. The study may not cover all the aspects of business communication. The study is subject to human error.

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5.4 Further Scope of the Study

As it is said that no study is a complete end in itself, so this study being no exception has a lot of scope of improvement. So there are some areas which exhibit a scope of improvement in this study like a number of companies could have been taken into consideration for a more effective analysis and outcome. Also, the sample size in this study was 1 as due to time constraint it was possible to interview just one respondent so for a better understanding of the business communication process in the organization the sample size could be increased. The interview schedule was specific and very much to the point so for a more comprehensive understanding more detailed information could be sought from the respondent.

5.5 Conclusion
Thus using the tabular details we come to know that Ericsson India Ltd. lays a great emphasis on the business communication processes and tries to incorporate all measures that would facilitate this process for the betterment of the organization. We come across certain interesting facts which reveal that they mostly focus on ways that save much of their time and resources which makes them a smart and intelligent organization setting effective benchmarks in the service industry.

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