CBC1501 Assignment 3 PORTFOLIO (ANSWERS) Semester 1 2024 - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED

Well-structured CBC1501 Assignment 3 PORTFOLIO (ANSWERS) Semester 1 2024 - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED. (DETAILED ANSWERS - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED!). QUESTION 1 – GOOGLE DRIVE AND GOOGLE DOCS [5] i. You must use Google Docs to type out the Portfolio of Evidence (POE). As the student, you are required to create a folder called CBC1501_POE_2024_S1 on Google Drive and then save the portfolio document in this folder. a. The links for both folders – for Assessment 2 and the Portfolio – must be included in the portfolio document. b. You must also provide the links for both documents for Assessment 2 and the Portfolio ii. Once you have completed the POE using Google Docs, you must download the document and convert it to PDF. Then submit the PDF document to the Moodle Platform. iii. The lecturers and markers will use the provided links to confirm that Google Docs and Google Drive were indeed used. iv. For you to get the full five marks for Question 1, you need to use Google Docs when doing the Portfolio and Assessment 2. The links for both Assessment 2 and the Portfolio must be provided. The marker must be able to access the folder and the documents via the links provided to check whether Google Docs and Google Drive were indeed used. 2.1. Mark allocation for Google Drive and Docs MARK ALLOCATION FOR QUESTION 1: GOOGLE DRIVE AND DOCS TASK DESCRIPTION MARKS 1. Portfolio of Evidence links 1.1. The links for the Portfolio of Evidence are provided 1.2. The links for the folder and document are accessible and working. 1.3. The naming conventions are correct 2.5 2. Assignment 01 links 2.1. The links for Assessment 2 are provided 2.2. The links for the folder and document are accessible and working. 2.3. The naming conventions are correct 2.5 Total 5 Page 7 of 16 3. MAIN SCENARIO The student must read the below scenario before answering questions 2–4: Communication is an important tool that is used by organisations across the world. It is the glue that holds together the daily operations of organisations. This communication is done via writing different documents and various other forms of employee communication in the workplace. For example, employees communicate with clients and customers or within the organisation via e-mails and/or memoranda. Communication can be formal and/or informal, verbal and/or non-verbal, digital and/or face-to-face. If the communication is done effectively, everything tends to flow and run smoothly. Poor communication is very easy to miss or ignore and may seem like the least of your priorities as an employee of an organisation. These kinds of subtle problems can persist and exacerbate confusion, doubt, and bad feelings within a company. This can lead to the degradation of morale, project delays, and the burning of important bridges between staff members or clients. Therefore, organisations conduct various studies that investigate the communication skills and satisfaction among their employees. One of the biggest accounting firms in South Africa, SNG Grant Thornton, decided to conduct a survey in the company to determine employees’ perceptions of their communication skills – with regard to written communication, face-to-face and digital communication, formal and informal communication, and verbal and non-verbal communication. In other words, the aim was to determine accounting professionals’ perceptions of their communication competence. The findings of the survey revealed that most employees tend to think of themselves as above average when it comes to writing skills, while some admitted to having problems with writing. The survey also found that some of the employees have common problems related to written communication, such as writing that lacks clarity and tends to confuse the reader. Moreover, the survey revealed that most employees were not confident with respect to face-to-face communication as they had a poor self-image. This survey, thus, indicated the importance of the effect of self-image on workplace relations for accountants and how one’s interaction with clients and colleagues influences one’s ability to communicate assertively. The survey results also revealed that many employees failed to consider how the receiver interprets the language used in the communication. Part of the existing literature emphasises that the communicator must be cautious of the verbal and non-verbal communication he/she uses as others can perceive and interpret the message in different ways. In unfortunate cases, it could cause offence where none was intended. Unless you have established a solid working relationship, it is best to refrain from humour or sarcasm until you have a conversation on the phone or face-to-face. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the message is encoded carefully. Communicators, thus, should be aware of intentional and unintentional messages that they share through verbal and non-verbal communication. Page 8 of 16 Similarly, several studies which focused on writing as communication in the workplace indicated that failure to communicate properly in the workplace can create several problems that may be difficult to fix. These failures in communication may vary from obvious to subtle and should be handled with the respect they deserve. Written communication is supposed to eliminate doubt and confusion. Confusion is not something you want to leave your readers with – therefore, it is advisable to avoid presenting a piece of work that has too many details, big paragraphs, and lengthy sentences. Most importantly, a piece of written communication must be an organised and concise piece of work. In addition, studies indicate that most people, ranging from professors to drivers, rate themselves as having above-average overall communication skills, which is not a realistic statistic. Therefore, SNG Grant Thornton decided to invite Prof Phemphu Atihambe to facilitate a writing retreat to assist the company’s employees with their professional communication skills. Prof Atihambe is a well-renowned writer and a communication specialist who has a special interest in assertive behaviour in the workplace. She is a former Dean of the University of Venda and she has also worked at the University of Pretoria and the University of the Free State. She has published many articles that focused on good communication skills in the organisation. The writing retreat will take place from 18 to 25 March 2024 at Badplaas Forever Resort in Mpumalanga. The retreat will cover: • the steps in the writing process, • task analysis before the writing process starts, • gathering information, or research, • the planning stage – what needs to be written, • writing the body of the work, • presenting the final draft, • correcting poor grammar, • avoiding unnecessary repetition, • revising for clarity, • presenting the final work, and • referencing and double-checking if the references are correctly formatted. Page 9 of 16 4. QUESTION 2: ESSAY [30] TO STUDY: LUs 1–11 INSTRUCTIONS Read the main scenario provided on page 7 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 500 to 600 words discussing the effect of self-image on accountants' workplace relations and how one’s interaction with clients and colleagues influences one’s ability to communicate in an assertive manner. Explain the nature of being aggressive, and how aggression can be avoided in the workplace. Give relevant examples to explain these concepts. Your essay should include the following: 4.1. Evidence that your writing is planned and presented logically, 4.2. A definition of the concept of self-image – and its impact on communication, 4.3. An understanding of, and a reference to any three dimensions of self-image, 4.4. An explanation of how to be assertive and avoid being aggressive. PRESENTATION REQUIREMENTS Format o Provide evidence of planning/brainstorming. o Provide an appropriate heading/title for your essay. o Organise your answer logically and coherently. Remember to present your answer in essay format. Do not write in point form at all. Content o Begin with an introduction that highlights the topic to be discussed. o Complete the body of the essay. You have already provided a topic sentence and a substantiating statement for each of the five paragraphs for the body of the essay. Now, complete these paragraphs to ensure that you have a logically-linked, coherent essay. ▪ In each paragraph. After providing important theoretical arguments per aspect delineated above, apply each aspect practically against the backdrop of the given scenario. Remember to correctly cite the theoretical aspects in-text and provide the full list of sources consulted at the end of the assignment. o End the essay with an appropriate conclusion Page 10 of 16 Language o You will also be marked on the correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation and writing fluency, as well as precise referencing. Academic integrity o Marks will be deducted should plagiarism be detected. o Where large portions of text have been plagiarised, you will receive 0% for this question and may be subjected to disciplinary action. o Read and make sure you understand all the information on plagiarism and academic writing in Tutorial Letter 301 (CMNALLE/301). o Ensure that the information in your essay is paraphrased and correctly referenced – in-text and in the list of sources consulted. o You should utilise all your study materials. o Find two additional sources of information to draft your essay. o Cite all sources consulted 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. o Use the correct referencing techniques in the text of the assignment and the list of sources consulted. o Reference all study material correctly, as per the departmental requirements outlined in Tutorial Letter 301 (CMNALLE/301). o Quotations may not exceed 10% of your work. o You may NOT copy and paste any material from any sources of information. o You may NOT rewrite content from the scenario (you will not receive any marks if you do so). Page 11 of 16 4.1. Mark allocation for Question 2: Essay MARK ALLOCATION FOR QUESTION 2: ESSAY TASK DESCRIPTION MARKS 1. Format and layout 1.1. Title 2 1.2. Planning (brainstorming) 2 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. Introduction, including thesis statement and overview of content 2 3.2. Definition of self-image, impact on communication 4 3.3. Three dimensions of self-image 3 3.4. How to be assertive and avoid being aggressive 3 3.4. Practical examples 3 3.5. In-text referencing and list of sources consulted 4 3.6. Conclusion 2 Penalisation (if any) Format, layout and structure Referencing, plagiarism and paraphrasing Total 30 Page 12 of 16 5. QUESTION 3: MEMORANDUM WRITING [25] TO STUDY: LUs 1–11 INSTRUCTIONS Read the main scenario provided on page 7 and then complete the following task. As Phuluso Makhuvha, an assistant of the CEO, you have been tasked with drafting a memorandum of approximately 350 words, inviting all employees of SNG Grant Thornton’s accounting department on his behalf, persuading staff to attend the writing retreat at Badplaas Forever Resort in Mpumalanga from 18 to 25 March 2024. You must describe the importance of good writing skills and the aspects that employees will benefit from when attending this writing retreat, focusing particularly on the following three stages in the writing process: o task analysis, o planning, and o revising for clarity. Also, 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. Your writing should be: o persuasive and motivational o logical and coherent o 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 o fluent and grammatically correct Page 13 of 16 5.1. 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 5 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 writing retreat 4 3.2. the importance of writing properly in the organisation, and the benefit of attending the writing retreat. 2 3.3. Three aspects of the writing stages such as task analysis, planning stages and revising for clarity 6 3.4. Encourage employees to forward their suggestions. 3 Penalisation (if any) Format, layout and structure Rewriting the scenario Total 25 Page 14 of 16 6. QUESTION 4: STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES [25] TO STUDY: LUs 1–11 INSTRUCTIONS Read the main scenario provided on page 7 and then complete the following task. You are the Section Head of the Accounting Department at SNG Grant Thornton. New employees will be joining the Accounting Department on 1 April 2024 and you are required to draw up a standard operating procedures (SOP) document with guidelines on successfully writing communication documents in the organisation. Since you attended the writing retreat facilitated by Prof Phemphu Atihambe, you have the necessary knowledge and have mastered the writing skills that she shared regarding the steps in the writing process. Take note of the following when drawing up the chronological list of instructions for prospective new employees: o Use the correct format and adhere to the stylistic requirements for an SOP document, according to the specific guidelines of this course. o Provide an appropriate heading. o Describe the scope and purpose of this set of SOPs. o Indicate the affected departments. o Set out the procedures – you must provide ten (10) SOPs. o Use an impersonal tone of address in your writing. o Start each instruction with an appropriate imperative. o Ensure that your imperatives are relevant and applicable to the context and the scenario provided. o Ensure that the instructions are listed chronologically, that is, they should form an ordered list of instructions. o Avoid repetition of instructions. Also, refrain from writing long-winded instructions. Be clear and concise with each instruction. o You will also be marked on the correct use of spelling and grammar in your writing. Page 15 of 16 6.1. Mark allocation for Question 4: SOPs MARK ALLOCATION FOR QUESTION 4: STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES TASK DESCRIPTION MARKS 1. Format and layout 1.1. Header, heading structures, numbering structures, topic and purpose, scope, affected departments, alignment, etc. 10 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. Commands/imperatives 10 Penalisation (if any) Format, layout and structure Rewriting the scenario or other sources Total 25 Page 16 of 16 7. SELF-ASSESSMENT AND SELF-REFLECTION QUESTIONS [5] Answer the following questions in full sentences. 1. What have you learnt (what knowledge have you gained) by doing this assessment and what shortcomings have you identified? 2. What skills, abilities and orientations (attitudes and values) have you acquired by refining the essay from the previous submission (Assessment 2) and working with Google Drive and Google Docs? 3. Which strengths could you apply in your future life and work environment in relation to the learning outcomes formulated for this module?