CBC1501 Assignment 3 PORTFOLIO (COMPLETE ANSWERS) Semester 1 2025 (160830) - DUE 19 May 2025

You must read the following scenario before answering questions 2���4: COVID-19 changed the way companies operate, and many, including Investec, moved from local to international operations. Investec is a financial company that was founded in South Africa in 1974 and later moved to the international space. It is listed on the Johannesburg and London Stock Exchanges. Since COVID-19, many companies in the world have adopted new technologies and introduced remote work. Remote work has been transformed from a rare perk to a widespread norm. With the introduction of remote work and virtual communication, organisations have attracted talented individuals from different countries across the globe. Investec is an example of such a company. Remote workers use digital communication technology and tools that allow people to communicate via e-mail, video conferencing and social media platforms. Virtual communication refers to the ability to interact with other people online or remotely. This can be done over the internet or through phone calls and involves anyone from a client to a colleague. Employees have discovered the myriad benefits of working from home, leading to a significant shift in workplace dynamics. Therefore, organisations must address the challenges that come with using virtual communication to ensure smooth and efficient operations. One advantage of digital communication is the fact that it has enabled instant connectivity and global reach which has transformed the way people interact with each other. Other benefits include increased connectivity, improved speed and efficiency, and enhanced collaboration and networking opportunities. Digital platforms have enabled people to connect with others across geographical boundaries, fostering global communication and cultural exchange. Moreover, digital communication has facilitated new forms of expression and creativity, including blogs and podcasts. It is well known that not everyone is capable of communicating effectively in physical environments. This has presented both opportunities and challenges for verbal and non-verbal communication in digital realms. Therefore, when such deficiencies are carried over to virtual communication where there is a lack of non-verbal cues, it causes more problems for employees in the organisation. For example, instant messaging or project management applications are often made via text, making it difficult to understand the context. A lack of coordination may result in different people doing the same tasks. This may lead to a situation where conflict arises from misunderstanding and employees have to redo certain tasks. CBC1501_2025_S1_A3_POE Page 7 of 17 Another challenge that comes with virtual communication is the issue of dealing with cultural differences that may arise during online communication with people from different backgrounds working for one organisation. Another challenge is the fact that many organisations are international and have to contend with new issues ranging from navigating different time zones to managing productivity and interpreting non-verbal cues. All these obstacles can have a significant impact on team cohesion and performance. This may lead to problems related to coordinating communication remotely, as teams may be spread across various time zones, making it difficult to harmonise company operations. For example, if one team member works from Belgium while other members live in Texas, the time difference could affect how quickly team members respond to messages. In some cases, this difference could mean that while some team members are starting their day, others may be going to bed. Different time zones affect not only messaging but also meeting schedules. Consequently, managers must learn to adapt to these changes or risk letting the business suffer. Communicating effectively across cultures is another issue that is exacerbated by virtual communication. Non-verbal communication poses a particular challenge as non-verbal cues may be interpreted differently by people from different countries across the globe. Communication experts share the same sentiments that most communication is non-verbal, which poses a problem in virtual communication. For example, during physical interactions, someone can quickly detect how a person feels, but that could be difficult when you must interact virtually. For example, it is difficult to see that all participants are actively listening during an online meeting. It is easy to detect that the person is looking around or bored in a physical meeting, but it may be hard to detect how people are feeling or doing during virtual meetings. Since communication is vital to business productivity, learning to communicate virtually is crucial in today’s world. Therefore, Investec will embark on various initiatives to assist its employees on how to work virtually with people from different cultures and countries. Some of these initiatives include training, workshops, policy development, and team-building activities. The primary focus of these ventures will be intercultural, multicultural, and cross-cultural communication. In your analysis of this case study, compare the terms “remote work”, “virtual communication” and “digital communication”. CBC1501_2025_S1_A3_POE Page 8 of 17 4.QUESTION 2: ESSAY[30] To study: Learning units 1–11 4.1. Instructions Read the main scenario provided on page 6 and then complete the following task. You have already completed the planning stage of the essay in Assessment 2. Now you need to provide the full essay. Write an essay of approximately 1 000 to 1 200 words discussing the importance of cultural communication in virtual teams. In doing so, you need to focus on culture, culture in business, intercultural communication and the imperatives of cultural studies and ways to overcome intercultural communication barriers in the workplace. Practically apply your knowledge to Investec. 4.2. Presentation requirements Pay attention to the following aspects in your essay. 4.2.1. Format i.Provide evidence of planning/brainstorming. ii.Provide an appropriate heading/title for your essay. iii.Organise your answer logically and coherently and integrate all your argumentsintelligibly. iv.Remember to present your answer in essay format. Do not write in point form at all.4.2.2. Language i.You will also be marked on the correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation and writingfluency, as well as precise referencing.4.2.3. Content i.Begin with an introduction that highlights the topic to be discussed. ii.Complete the body of the essay. You have already provided a topic sentence and a substantiating statement for each of thefive paragraphs for the body of the essay. Now, complete these paragraphs to ensure thatyou have a logically linked, coherent essay. In each paragraph, after providing importanttheoretical arguments per aspect delineated above, practically apply each aspect toInvestec. Remember to cite the theoretical aspects correctly in-text and provide the full listof sources consulted at the end of the assignment. CBC1501_2025_S1_A3_POE Page 9 of 17 The content of your essay should include the following: a. Unpack three key concepts (culture, culture in business, and intercultural communication) in the essay which MUST be logically integrated in your discussion. b. When discussing culture, begin with a definition of the concept. Then, focus on how stereotypes and ethnocentrism become barriers to communication in intercultural settings. c. The discussion of intercultural communication should entail a comparison between intercultural and multicultural communication. d. In your discussion of culture in business, focus on the importance of creating a conducive environment in organisations that are based in different regions of the world. e. A discussion of three important aspects of the technological imperative in relation to understanding culture in business. f. A discussion of three ways to improve communications in a multicultural context. iii. End the essay with an appropriate conclusion 4.2.4. Academic integrity i. If you use AI tools for this task, you will immediately receive 0%. ii. Marks will be deducted should plagiarism be detected. Where large portions of the text have been plagiarised, you will receive 0% for this question and may be subjected to disciplinary action. Read and make sure you understand all the information on plagiarism and academic writing in Tutorial Letter 301 (CMNALLE/301). iii. You should utilise all your study materials, as well as two additional sources of information to draft your essay. iv. Ensure that the information in your essay is paraphrased and correctly referenced – in-text and in the list of sources consulted, including tutorial letters, the study guide, the prescribed book and additional resources. Place the sources consulted at the end of your assignment. Use the correct referencing techniques as per the departmental requirements outlined in Tutorial Letter 301 (CMNALLE/301). v. Quotations may not exceed 10% of your work. In addition, you may NOT copy and paste any material from any sources of information. Neither should you mindlessly rewrite content from the scenario (you will not receive any marks if you do so). You should paraphrase content coherently and logically and expand on the ideas presented in the scenario. CBC1501_2025_S1_A3_POE Page 10 of 17 4.3. Mark allocation for Question 2: Essay MARK ALLOCATION FOR QUESTION 2: ESSAY TASK DESCRIPTION MARKS 1. Format and layout 1.1. Title 1 1.2. Planning (brainstorming) 1 2. Grammar and language 2.1. Articulation, tense, fluency, sentence structure, formal tone, logical flow and paragraph structure 1,5 2.2. Spelling and punctuation 1,5 3. Content 3.1. Introduction, including thesis statement and overview of content 2 3.2. Discussion of key concepts i. Culture 3 ii. Culture in business 3 iii. Intercultural communication 3 3.3. Discuss the technological imperative in relation to understanding culture in business 3 3.4. Practical application of the technological imperative 3 3.5. Discuss three ways to improve communication in a multicultural context 3 3.6. In-text referencing and list of sources consulted 3 3.7. Conclusion – summary of main points, rounding off of arguments 2 PENALISATION (if any) Format, layout and structure Referencing, similarity, rewriting the scenario, and paraphrasing Total 30 CBC1501_2025_S1_A3_POE Page 11 of 17 5. QUESTION 3: MEMORANDUM WRITING [25] To study: Learning units 1–11 5.1. Instructions Read the main scenario provided on page 6 and then complete the following task. You are Helen Smith, assuming the role of senior HR practitioner of Investec’s South African region. You received a complaint from one employee about the unpleasant e-mail received from the CEO of the Investec branch based in Europe. The complaint indicated that the e-mail was written in capital letters. The CEO was angry because the employee failed to reply on time. Another thing that was indicated in the e-mail was the laughing emojis that the employee used in the previous virtual meeting during the CEO’s presentation of critical organisational matters. You have to address these serious communication challenges. As the senior HR practitioner, you are required to write the memorandum inviting all Investec staff members from all regions in the world to attend a compulsory workshop series. The prime purpose for arranging this series of workshops is to teach Investec employees about cultural communication. The workshop will be held at the Sun City Resort in the North West province of South Africa, starting on Friday, 21 March 2025 and ending on Sunday, 23 March 2025. The workshop will focus on the challenges that come with virtual communication and how to deal with cultural differences that may arise during online communication since people from different backgrounds work at Investec. Another thing that this workshop will focus on is how to navigate different time zones to manage productivity and interpret non-verbal cues. All these obstacles can have a significant impact on team cohesion and performance. Furthermore, the workshop will also address the non-verbal communication problem since non-verbal cues may be interpreted differently by various people coming from different countries around the globe. In addition, encourage employees to forward their suggestions on how to make the training drive more enjoyable. Follow the standard format for structuring an organisational memorandum. Your memorandum should reflect some strong motivations and persuasions for staff in all the aspects mentioned above. CBC1501_2025_S1_A3_POE Page 12 of 17 Your writing should be: i. persuasive and motivational ii. logical and coherent iii. relevant to the scenario – you are welcome to expand on the ideas portrayed in the scenario creatively as long as you remain within the context of the scenario iv. fluent and grammatically correct vi. original: a. If you use AI tools for this task, you will immediately receive 0%. b. Marks will be deducted should plagiarism be detected. Where large portions of text have been plagiarised, you will receive 0% for this question and may be subjected to disciplinary action. Read and make sure you understand all the information on plagiarism and academic writing in Tutorial Letter 301 (CMNALLE/301). 5.2. Mark allocation for Question 3: Memorandum MARK ALLOCATION FOR QUESTION 3: MEMORANDUM WRITING TASK DESCRIPTION MARKS 1. Format and layout 1.1. Header, heading structures, name of company, date, subject, recipients and alignment 8 2. Grammar and language 2.1. Articulation, tense, fluency, sentence structure, formal tone, logical flow and paragraph structure 3,5 2.2. Spelling and punctuation 1,5 3. Content 3.1. Inform staff of all details of the workshop. 3 3.2 Discuss the importance of attending the workshop and the benefits of attending the workshop. 3 3.3 Discuss aspects that will be discussed in the workshop. 4 3.4 Encourage employees to forward their suggestions. 2 PENALISATION (if any) Format, layout, and structure Referencing, similarity, rewriting the scenario and paraphrasing Total 25 CBC1501_2025_S1_A3_POE Page 13 of 17 6. QUESTION 4: STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES [25] To study: Learning units 1–11 6.1. Instructions Read the main scenario provided on page 6 and then complete the following task. Digital communication requires a profound knowledge of ethical, responsible and safe multicultural communication. In learning unit 11, you will find examples of netiquette rules, such as: i. Remember the human on the other side of electronic communication. ii. Adhere to the same standards of behaviour online that you follow in real life. iii. Know where you are in cyberspace. iv. Contacting someone too frequently can border on harassment. v. Unplug yourself occasionally. vi. Do not text and drive. The above rules speak for themselves and remind us that the golden rule (treat others as you would like to be treated) is relevant wherever there is human interaction. Since Investec is an international company, people from one region have to communicate with people from another region. There are new employees in your organisation who will start working on 1 April 2025. These new employees need focused instructions for effectively interacting virtually. You are assuming the role of the assistant of the CEO of Investec tasked with the responsibility of preparing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) that these employees must use when working virtually. Your SOPs should include instructions on how to: i. interact online ethically and responsibly ii. safely iii. in multicultural settings Take note of the following when drawing up the chronological list of instructions for prospective new employees: i. Ensure that your SOPs focus on the key aspects of ethical, responsible and safe digital communication in multicultural settings. The examples above only focus on netiquette. You should expand your instructions to include multicultural communication and digital safety as well. ii. Use the correct format and adhere to the stylistic requirements for an SOP document, according to the specific guidelines of this course. iii. Provide an appropriate heading. iv. Describe the scope and purpose of this set of SOPs. v. Indicate the affected departments. CBC1501_2025_S1_A3_POE Page 14 of 17 vi. Set out the procedures – you must provide ten (10) SOPs. vii. Use an impersonal tone of address in your writing. viii. Start each instruction with an appropriate imperative. ix. Ensure that your imperatives are relevant and applicable to the context and the scenario provided. x. Ensure that the instructions are listed chronologically, that is, they should form an ordered list of instructions. xi. Avoid repetition of instructions. Also, refrain from writing long-winded instructions. Be clear and concise with each instruction. xii. You will also be marked on the correct use of spelling and grammar in your writing. xiii. If you use AI tools for this task, you will immediately receive 0. xiv. Marks will be deducted should plagiarism be detected. Where large portions of text have been plagiarised, you will receive 0% for this question and may be subjected to disciplinary action. Read and make sure you understand all the information on plagiarism and academic writing in Tutorial Letter 301 (CMNALLE/301).