Business Communication Mini Project
Business Communication Mini Project
On the Topic
(STUDY OF EFFECTIVE PRESENTATION TOOLS AND
TECHNICS)
By
Under the
Guidance of
(Mr.B. K. SRIKANTH)
SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
Malla Reddy University
(Telangana State Private Universities Act No. 13 of 2020 &
G.O.Ms. No. 14 Higher Education (UE) Department)
Maisammaguda, Kompally, Medchal - Malkajgiri Dist.
Hyderabad - 500100, Telangana
2023-2025
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BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
SIGNATURE
NAME OF SUPERVISOR:Mr.B. K. SRIKANTH
Designation of Supervisor :Asst Professor
HOD SIGNATURE
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DECLARATION
This is to declare that I ‘’, of Malla Reddy University, Hyderabad of M.B.A. I Year
(Semester I) hereby declare that I have completed my Mini project, titled ‘STUDY
OF ‘ELEMENTS OF LISTENING AND ITS IMPACTS IN BUSINESS’
The information submitted herein is true and original to the best of my knowledge.
I further declare that if any part of the report is found to be plagiarized, I shall take
full responsibility of it.
Student Signature
Student Name :MANGALAGIRI YASWANTH KRISHNA
Roll No : 2321BM010237
Date: 03-02-2024
Place: Hyderabad
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
i. BONAFIDE CERTIFICA………
ii. DECLARATION…….
iii. LIST OF FIGURES……
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1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
6 - 10
1.5 TYPES OF LISTENING SKILLS
3. DISCUSSION 15 - 16
4. CONCLUSION 19
5. REFERENCE 20
ELEMENTS OF LISTENING AND ITS IMPACTS IN BUSINESS
1.1 INTRODUCTION
High-quality listening brings a cornucopia of positive outcomes for speakers, listeners, teams,
and organizations. These benefits include superior job performance, better leadership, trust,
intimacy, well-being, and reduced burnout. Surprisingly, though, listening and its potential
outcomes have received relatively little attention within organizational psychology and
organizational behavior. Moreover, while employers and recruiters prize workers and
candidates with good listening skills, listening is mostly missing in management education.
Therefore, in this review, we draw on evidence from diverse fields, including marketing,
nursing, law, social work, social and clinical psychology, and education.
In what follows, we review evidence concerning listening in the work context. Our review
reveals three main gaps in the literature. First, understanding of the antecedents of good
listening, including its training, remains patchy. Second, most listening research lack
consideration of boundary conditions—i.e., identifying the forces and costs that prevent people
from listening well. Third, the existing theories do not take sufficient account of the dyadic
nature of listening. We address these gaps with our proposed original theoretical framework.
Our framework integrates existing theories and further suggests that listening facilitates the
creation of a state (an episode) of togetherness. Togetherness is a property of the speaker-
listener dyad. While in this state, dyad members are open-minded in a manner that facilitates
creativity and change.
Listening is a crucial communication skill that plays a significant role in various aspects of
business. Effective listening can positively impact relationships, teamwork, problem-solving,
customer satisfaction, and overall business success. Here are some key elements of listening
and their impacts in the business context.
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In the fast-paced world of business, where information flows rapidly, decisions are made
swiftly, and communication is constant, the often-overlooked skill of effective listening stands
as a cornerstone of success. In the dynamic landscape of professional interactions,
understanding the elements of listening and recognizing its profound impacts has become
increasingly crucial.
MEANING
Listening skills are skills that contribute to your ability to accurately receive information when
communicating with others. These skills are an important part of effective communication in
the workplace. Developing good listening habits can help to ensure you understand the
information correctly, interpret messages accurately and optimise your conversations and
communications for efficiency.
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1.2 NEED FOR THE STUDY
To improve your listening skills, give the other person your full attention and maintain eye
contact. When she is done speaking, rephrase her remarks and ask whether you understand
her correctly. Continue to ask questions to gain a better understanding of her statements.
Tip
Listening enables you to acquire facts so that you can make decisions that benefit your
business. It is essential to building trust and can reduce conflict. The reputation of a business
depends upon listening skills.
To Gain Information
Listening enables you to acquire facts so that you can make decisions that benefit your
business. By listening to a job applicant in an interview, for example, you might discover his
attitudes toward the profession, performance in previous jobs and information not detailed
on his resume. This additional insight can help you decide whether the applicant is a good fit
for your company. A supervisor who listens to an employee’s complaint about a health risk
on the job might reduce injuries and enhance job performance.
Listening is essential to building trust. If one member of a team doesn’t listen to instructions,
an entire project might fail. To develop trust, pay attention to verbal instructions and
deadlines. Listen for statements a coworker might make regarding his own strengths and
weaknesses as it relates to a project, so that you can collaborate in a way that maximizes each
other’s strengths.
or product she expected. When this occurs repeatedly, it can tarnish the company’s
reputation. A company develops relationships with other businesses through verbal
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1.3 Object of the study
Trust is considered the cornerstone of any successful relationship. Through Active Listening,
individuals create an atmosphere of trust and rapport. When people know that they are being
listened to with respect and sincerity, they are more inclined to build a strong and positive
connection with the listener.
Active Listening is an essential tool for gathering accurate information. By paying close
attention to what the speaker is saying, the listener can grasp critical details and insights. This
information proves invaluable in decision-making processes and problem-solving scenarios.
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1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
Listening skills play a crucial role in the business sector and can have a significant impact on
various aspects of professional success. Here are some areas where effective listening skills are
highly valuable:
Client Relations:
Understanding client needs and concerns through active listening helps in building strong client
relationships.
Customer Service:
Resolving customer issues effectively by listening carefully to their complaints or inquiries.
Negotiation:
Understanding the perspectives of different parties involved in negotiations is crucial for
reaching mutually beneficial agreements.
Team Collaboration:
Facilitating effective communication within teams by actively listening to team members' ideas
and concerns.
Leadership:
Effective leaders listen actively to their team members, fostering a culture of open
communication and trust.
Conflict Resolution:
Addressing conflicts by understanding the root causes through active listening.
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1.5 TYPES OF LISTENING SKILLS
There are several types of listening you can develop both at home and at work.
Let’s explore seven of these types of listening, why they matter, and what they can look
like:
Informational listening
When you want to learn something, you’ll use informational listening to understand and
retain information.
It usually takes a high level of concentration to perform this type of listening. That’s
because you need to be highly engaged to understand a new concept.
You also need to apply critical thinking to what you are learning. This is so you can
understand what you’re learning within the context of relevant information.
• Work training
• Self-paced learning at home or at work
• Listening to an educational ebook
• Coaching
When you know how to use informational listening, you empower yourself to become a
better learner. By actively learning and improving yourself, you can become a more
valuable asset in your place of work.
You can also feel more fulfilled when you pursue your passions and learn something new
at home.
Discriminative listening
Discriminative listening is the first listening type that you’re born with.
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Everyone innately has discriminative listening skills.
You use this type of listening before you even know how to understand words. Instead of
relying on words, discriminative listening uses tone of voice, verbal cues, and other
changes in sound.
Discriminative listening is how babies understand the intention of a phrase before they can
understand words. If someone speaks to them in a happy and amused tone of voice, they’ll
smile and laugh back.
They can also tell who is talking because they recognize different voices.
These will allow you to analyze tone and inflection to get an idea of what is going on.
You can also use nonverbal cues to listen and analyze. For instance, someone’s facial
expressions, body language, and other mannerisms can tell you a lot about the meaning of
someone’s message.
This listening style is key to understanding the subtle cues in a conversation. Using this
listening skill can help you read between the lines and hear what remains unspoken.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say you ask one of your colleagues if they agree with a course of action.
They say yes, but you can tell from their body language, such as shifting uncomfortably,
that something is wrong.
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Using your discriminative listening skills, you can pick up on this and ask them if they’re
certain. You can also ask if something is going on that they’d like to discuss.
Biased listening
Someone who uses biased listening will only listen for information that they specifically
want to hear.
This listening process can lead to a distortion of facts. That’s because the person listening
isn’t fully in tune with what the speaker wishes to communicate.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say your superior is briefing you on a new project. You’re waiting to hear about the
details of this assignment because you’ve been excited for a long time about it.
Because you’re so focused on the details of the assignment, you don’t fully hear everything
your superior says. As a result, you hear your superior explain how you’ll be judged on
this project, but you don’t fully process it.
Because you don’t have this information, you may not perform as well as you could if you
had understood all the details.
Sympathetic listening
Instead of focusing on the message spoken through words, the listener focuses on the
feelings and emotions of the speaker.
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By using sympathetic listening, you can provide the support the speaker needs. You can
understand how they’re really feeling, not what they say they are feeling.
The speaker will feel heard and validated when you take the time to pay attention in this
way.
Sympathetic listening is crucial if you want to build a deeper relationship with someone
in your life.
For example, let’s say you run into a work colleague at the grocery store. They seem upset,
so you decide to listen to what they have to say.
You also use sympathetic listening to feel how they are feeling. In doing this, you notice
how frustrated they are about the lack of recognition they are getting at work.
As a result, you can offer your support and sympathize with their situation.
Comprehensive listening
People use comprehensive listening to understand what someone is saying using words.
Several other types of listening build on comprehensive listening. For example, you need
to use comprehensive listening to use informational listening and learn something new.
At work and in your life, you’ll likely use a combination of comprehensive and
discriminative listening to understand the messages people are giving you.
For example, let’s say your colleague briefs you on a project. You’ll need to use
comprehensive listening to analyze the words and understand the message.
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You’ll also use comprehensive listening when you receive feedback.
Empathetic listening is useful to help you see from other people’s perspectives.
Using this type of listening, you can try to understand someone else’s point of view as
they’re speaking. You can also try to imagine yourself in the other person’s shoes.
Instead of just focusing on their message, you can use empathetic listening to relate to
someone else’s experiences as if they were your own.
With sympathetic listening, you try to understand someone’s feelings to provide support.
But you don’t necessarily try to imagine what it’d feel like to be in their position.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say your superior just announced that this week’s company outing is canceled due
to budget cuts.
By using empathetic listening, you can tell how much pressure your superior is feeling.
You can imagine yourself having to break the bad news.
You know there’s pressure from higher-ups to respect the budget. You also know that
there’s pressure from employees.
Instead of getting upset, you understand why your superior made this decision. That’s
because you can imagine what it’s like to be in their shoes at this moment.
Critical listening
If you need to analyze complex information, you’ll need to use critical listening.
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2.REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Literature Review Listening has been regarded as passive and receptive, while speaking and
writing are seen as active and productive skills. It has been argued listening is an ability, which
develops without assistance. Another difficulty is that listening has lacked “clear definition and
understanding”. Admittedly, part of the mixture of meaning in the listening literature might
spawn from a lack of one generally accepted definition of listening. Wolvin and Coakley (1992)
argue that listening research is still in an exploratory state even though it spans the past four
decades. Researchers have found a relationship between national culture and listening.
Individuals from different countries may perceive listening behaviors differently, approach
listening in different ways, and display specific listening styles. Mujtaba and Pohlman (2010)
have stated that working professionals tend to behave according to how they are socialized
within their respective cultures. This is called the global-culture approach that assumes
organizations conform to the culture and practice of their own group. Adler (1986) argued
national culture had a greater impact on employees than organizational culture. Nevertheless,
the global-culture approach does provide an understanding of broad differences in
communication among cultures. Regarding age, only a few studies have explored the impact
of age in relation to listening skills. In Brownell’s (1990) study, young managers between 24-
34 years of age were compared to managers who were 45 years old and older. The older
managers were given positive evaluations of listening skills. While Tsai (2005) studied
traditionalaged college students at different levels (freshman, sophomore, junior and senior)
and found that, the seniors‟ performance on both the Listening and Reading Vocabulary Levels
Test as well as on Listening Comprehension Test was significantly better than the performance
of the freshmen students. In another study, Conway (1982) attempted to find a relationship
between education level and listening skills, and he found a definite.
Relationship exists between the two. He conducted a similar test of 400 freshman students at
the beginning of their first semester and then again at the end of their first year of studies. He
found marked improvement in the students listening skills after the first year, which is contrary
to Fitzgerald’s (2009) findings, which found no relationship between age and education with
listening skill and leadership style. Listening and nonverbal communication training has been
found to significantly influence multicultural sensitivity. But, according to Cooper, hardly any
research studies have explored the impact or relationship of listening with demographic
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information such as age, education and work experience. Thus, “much work remains to be done
in both theory and practice” regarding listening and its relationship to other variables.
Research Questions
The present study explores the listening behaviors of working professionals in three countries.
Two research questions guided this study.
Research Question 1: What are the perceived listening behaviors of working professionals in
India, Malaysia and the USA and do they differ between countries?
Research Question 2: Is there a difference in the means for working professionals in the 20 to
30 age group, the 31 to 40 age group, the 41 to 50 age group, and the 51 and older age group
who responded to the listening survey?
Methodology
The Listening-Self Inventory by Glenn and Pood (1989) was chosen for this study as it was
designed to help managers identify barriers affecting their individual listening performance.
Gaining awareness of positive and negative listening behaviors would help working
professionals know what they might need to improve regarding their listening skills.
After consulting with a statistician, the decision was made to use the edited version of the
Glenn and Pood‟s self-assessment found in Stephen P. Robbins‟s Self-Assessment Library.
Robbins (1999) had changed the original response choice of either yes or no to a five-point
Likert‟s point scale consisting of 5=Strongly Agree, 4=Agree, 3=Either agree or disagree,
2=Disagree, and 1=Strongly disagree. It was believed that the Likert scale from the edited
version would give wider choices or a range to the answers of the respondents.
Before submitting the questionnaire for data collection, a pilot study was conducted using a
sample of 16 respondents from USA (including both managers and nonmanagers) and 10
respondents from India (including academicians, managers and nonmanagers). The pilot group
had no issues with completing the questionnaire and thus had no recommendations for changes
to the questionnaire.
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The Skills Involved in Active Listening
Listening is a complex job, with many different subtasks, and it’s possible to be good at some
and bad at others. Rather than thinking of yourself as a “good listener” or a “bad listener,” it
can be useful to evaluate yourself on the subskills of active listening. Below is a breakdown of
these subskills along with recommendations for what to do if you’re struggling with any one
of them.
First, let’s start with what we call the “picking-up skills,” the skills that allow you to gather the
information you need.
Hearing
If you have hearing loss, be honest about it. For whatever reason, people will boast about their
poor vision but hide hearing loss. Help break that stigma. Ask for what you need — e.g., for
people to face you when talking, or give you written materials in advance. Let others know, so
that they will be alert to indications that you may have missed something.
Auditory processing
This refers to how well the brain makes sense of the sound cues. If you’re struggling to
understand someone, ask questions to clarify. If it’s helpful, from time to time recap your
understanding of both the subject and the other person’s reason for bringing it up — and ask
them to validate or refine it. (Make it clear that you are doing this for your own understanding.)
The advice for auditory processing applies here. Asking a trusted colleague to be your
nonverbal communication translator may be helpful in situations where accurate listening is
important, but confidentiality is not.
The next two skills involve staying mentally present in the conversational moment.
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Maintaining attention
If you often find yourself distracted when trying to listen to someone, control your environment
as much as possible. Before you begin, set an intention by taking a moment to deliberately
focus on this person, in this moment, in a conversation that will be about this topic. If
appropriate, use a written agenda or in-the-moment whiteboarding to keep yourself and the
other person aligned. If you do have a lapse in attention, admit it, apologize, and ask the person
to repeat what they said. (Yes, it’s embarrassing, but it happens to everyone occasionally and
to some of us frequently.) Arrive a few minutes early to acclimate yourself if you are having a
meeting in a new place.
Meditation has both immediate and short-term benefits for relaxation and emotional control,
regardless of the particular practice. The key is to do it twice a day for 10 to 20 minutes,
focusing on a mental image or repeating a phrase and dismissing other thoughts as they come.
In the moment, focus on your breathing and do a “grounding exercise” if you feel agitated.
These are simple psychological practices that work to pull people back to the present moment
by directing attention to the immediate environment. Typical exercises include naming five
colored objects that you can see (e.g., green couch, black dog, gold lamp, white door, red rug)
or identifying four things that you are hearing, seeing, feeling, and smelling (e.g., hearing
birdsong, seeing chair, feeling chenille upholstery, smelling neighbors’ cooking).
Finally, the active listener has to pull the entire package — receiving the message and
acknowledging its receipt — together, in the moment. It can be challenging!
At the very least, you are both listening to words and watching body language. You may also
be listening to multiple people at once, communicating on multiple platforms simultaneously,
or listening while also taking in visual information, such as building plans or sales
projections.Figure out what helps you listen best. Do you need information in advance? A
“processing break”? A chance to circle back and confirm everyone’s understanding? This is
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DISCUSSION
Listening skills are a fundamental component of effective communication, playing a crucial
role in various aspects of personal and professional life. Here's a brief discussion on listening
skills:
Definition:
Listening is more than just hearing; it involves actively paying attention, interpreting, and
understanding spoken or non-verbal messages. It's a dynamic process that requires
concentration, empathy, and responsiveness.
Importance:
Effective listening is essential for building and maintaining relationships, both personally and
professionally. It fosters understanding, promotes collaboration, and helps in resolving
conflicts. In business, it's integral to leadership, customer service, and successful teamwork.
Components of Listening:
Understanding: Grasping the meaning of the message, which involves comprehension of both
the explicit and implicit information.
Remembering: Retaining key points of the message for future reference or action.
Interpreting: Analyzing the information, considering the context, and making sense of the
speaker's intentions or emotions.
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Common barriers include distractions, preconceived notions, biases, and a lack of interest.
Emotional factors such as stress or impatience can also hinder effective listening.
Passive Listening: Simply hearing without giving full attention or without an active effort to
comprehend the message. It may lead to misunderstandings or misinterpretations.
Leadership: Effective leaders are often skilled listeners who understand the concerns and
perspectives of their team members.
Customer Service: Listening to customer needs and concerns is critical for providing
satisfactory service and building customer loyalty.
Techniques such as paraphrasing, asking clarifying questions, and avoiding interruptions can
enhance listening skills.
Practicing empathy and maintaining an open mind contribute to a more effective listening
process.
In conclusion, listening skills are foundational to effective communication and are invaluable
in various personal and professional contexts. Developing and honing these skills can lead to
improved relationships, enhanced teamwork, and better outcomes in both professional and
personal spheres.
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CHALLENGES AND LIMITATIONS OF LISTENING SKILLS IN BUSINESS
Unfortunately, effective listening can be held back by barriers. These barriers to listening can
be grouped into two major categories: external and internal.
External listening barriers are easier to manage than internal barriers. They include a variety of
environmental distractions that can usually be avoided or minimized with simple corrections,
like removing yourself from the interfering barrier or removing the issue from the area that you
are in. External barriers include:
Noise. Any external noise can be a barrier, like the sound of equipment running, phones
ringing, or other people having conversations.
Visual distractions. Visual distractions can be as simple as the scene outside a window or
the goings-on just beyond the glass walls of a nearby office.
Objects. Items like pocket change, pens, and jewelry are often fidgeted with while
listening.
The person speaking. The person listening may become distracted by the other person’s
personal appearance, mannerisms, voice, or gestures.
Internal listening barriers are more difficult to manage, as they reside inside the mind of the
listener. Internal barriers’ elimination relies on a high level of self-awareness and discipline on
the part of the listener, like catching oneself before the mind starts to wander and bringing full
attention back to the speaker. Internal barriers include:
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Anxiety. Anxiety can take place from competing personal worries and concerns.
Self-contentedness. This causes the listener to focus on his or her own thoughts rather than
the speaker’s words.
Boredom. Boredom stems from a lack of interest in the speaker’s subject matter.
Sense of superiority. This leads the listener to believe they have nothing to learn from the
speaker.
Cognitive dissonance. The listener hears only what he or she expects or molds the
speaker’s message to conform with their own beliefs.
Impatience. A listener can become impatient with a speaker who talks slowly or draws out
the message.
Working through these barriers are crucial for better listening. If a listener can remove these
barriers, they will find that they can gain better understanding of the tasks at hand,
communicate more effectively, and achieve greater success in the workplace.
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CONCLUSION
In conclusion, effective listening skills play a pivotal role in the success of individuals and
businesses alike. The ability to actively listen not only enhances communication but also fosters
stronger relationships, promotes collaboration, and drives overall business productivity. In the
fast-paced and dynamic world of business, those who master the art of listening are better
equipped to understand client needs, respond to market changes, and make informed decisions.
Business leaders should recognize the impact of listening on team dynamics and organizational
culture. Cultivating a culture that values and promotes active listening can lead to improved
employee morale, innovation, and problem-solving. Additionally, businesses that prioritize
listening are more adaptable to changes in the external environment, positioning themselves
for sustained success.
It's essential for professionals to invest time and effort in honing their listening skills through
training, self-reflection, and seeking feedback. By doing so, individuals can build trust,
establish credibility, and ultimately contribute to their own and their organization's success in
the competitive business landscape.
In summary, listening is not merely a passive activity but a strategic competency that can drive
positive outcomes for individuals and businesses. Recognizing its importance and committing
to its development can lead to more effective communication, better decision-making, and
ultimately, a thriving business environment.
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