Business Skills, MBUS 2015 Diagnostic Activity

University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka

Masters in Business [MBUS]
Business Skills
Duration: 90 minutes
Name:

Number of Questions: 05
Student ID #:

Answer all questions on this paper.

1. Write a memo to your colleagues about the rules governing the use of internet
in the workplace. [30 marks]

Business Skills, MBUS 2015 Diagnostic Activity

2. Read the following extract and answer the questions given below.
[20 marks]

Social media technologies have broken the barriers of space and time, enabling us
to interact 24/7 with more people than ever before. But like any revolutionary
concept, it has spawned a set of new barriers and threats. The focus now is on
communication quantity versus quality and superficiality versus authenticity. In an
ironic twist, social media has the potential to make us less social; a surrogate for
the real thing. For Social media to be a truly effective communication vehicle, all
parties bear a responsibility to be genuine, accurate, and not allow it to replace
human contact altogether.
In the workplace, the use of electronic communication has overtaken face-to-face
and voice-to-voice communication by a wide margin. This major shift has been
driven by two major forces: the speed/geographic dispersion of business, and the
lack of comfort with traditional interpersonal communication among a growing
segment of our employee population. Studies show that these generations which
will comprise more than 50% of the workforce by 2020 would prefer to use
instant messaging or other social media than stop by an office and talk with
someone. This new communication preference is one of the generational gaps
plaguing organizations as boomers try to manage to a new set of expectations and
norms in their younger employees, and vice versa.
With these two trends at play, leaders must consider the impact on business
relationships and the ability to effectively collaborate, build trust, and create
employee engagement and loyalty.
Questions:
A. What is the meaning of a surrogate for the real thing?

B. How can social media be made a truly effective communication tool?

C. How has face to face communication taken over by electronic communication?

Business Skills, MBUS 2015 Diagnostic Activity

D. What is the estimated percentage of participation of the new generation in businesses by

2020?

E. Give a title to the extract.

3. Write a letter to the Vice Chancellor, through your Coordinator of the course,
inviting him to a function at the University of Kelaniya, organized by the
students of the MBUS program.
[25 marks]

Business Skills, MBUS 2015 Diagnostic Activity

Business Skills, MBUS 2015 Diagnostic Activity

4. Underline or circle the error in the following extracts from student answers.
[20 marks]
1) There are unwanted materials on the Internet that children shouldnt watch.
2) This paper comprise of three sections.
3) The following equipments have to be purchased before the semester starts.
4) Governing body of the University is concerning the national issues and morals relevant to
Corporate Governance?
5) There for now we have already arranged an urgent message sending system through
email and phone.
6) It being six months since our warm and cordial relationship on our collective effort to
enhance the skills of our final year university students.
7) These are the hypothesis in the research on Coping up with people.
8) This program will launch on 09th May 2011 at the auditorium of the University of Kelaniya
with Prof. Sarath Amunugama as the Chief Guest.
9) We have already completed the first module?
10)

I am firstly introduce our research topic

5. Write a few sentences on what you expect from this course module (Business
Skills). [05 marks]