CBC1501 Assignment 3 PORTFOLIO (DETAILED ANSWERS) October November 2025 - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED

CBC1501 Assignment 3 PORTFOLIO (DETAILED ANSWERS) October November 2025 - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED - DISTINCTION GUARANTEED Answers, guidelines, workings and references ,... COMMUNICATION IN BUSINESS CONTEXTS: CBC1501 PORTFOLIO OF EVIDENCE (POE) – ASSESSMENT 3 1. SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT: EXAMINATION DUE DATE: Thursday, 9 October 2025, 11:00 PM PORTAL OPENS: Monday, 6 October 2025, 8:00 AM UNIQUE NUMBER: 185779 TOTAL MARKS: 100 WEIGHTING (SUMMATIVE): 100 CONTRIBUTION TO YEAR MARK: 60% TO STUDY: All learning units (1–11) and all instructional materials and resources on myUnisa PROCTORING TOOL: Turnitin FIRST EXAMINERS: Ms A Osman / Mr DS Ntimbani EXTERNAL EXAMINER: Dr O Kgongoane 1.1. Instructions This portfolio assessment (examination) consists of 17 pages This assessment can be submitted only ONCE. No resubmissions will be accepted. Late submissions are NOT allowed. Ensure that the assessment you submit is the final and complete copy. This assessment is COMPULSORY! Include the signed declaration with this assessment to avoid penalisation. Adhere to all the instructions stated below and discussed in class. All assessment rules apply. 1. All questions are compulsory 2. The assessment consists of five questions, namely: i. The links for the Google Doc and Google Drive folder, ii. The essay, iii. The memorandum, and iv. The outline of a talk. v. The self-assessment and self-reflection questions. CBC1501_2025_S2_A3_POE Page 2 of 17 3. General examination rules: i. You MUST type out your assessment using Google Docs. Then, CONVERT the document into a single PDF file that you upload on the myModules site for this course. ii. The examination portfolio has examination status. Therefore, you should NOT email us for every small detail. Read the portfolio instructions carefully and go through all the recordings of the classes. iii. Send us an e-mail, using your myLife e-mail account, for very urgent matters only. We have discussed everything in class, and we have provided detailed instructions for the examination portfolio. Therefore, everything should now be clear. The recordings are available on the welcome page of the course site. iv. Download the examination portfolio instructions as soon as the portal opens. v. Upload the completed answer script early to avoid issues. Ensure that you upload the examination portfolio successfully before submitting it. Also, ensure that you upload the correct document. Submit the file on the course site on myModules under Assessment 3. vi. NO extensions will be granted. vii. NO submissions via e-mail will be accepted. viii. DO NOT send password-protected files. ix. Make sure that you save the file correctly in portable document format (PDF) so that the file is not corrupted. x. Upload a single PDF file with all your answers on the myModules site before the portal closes. No extra time will be granted, as you have three days to complete the portfolio. 4. Avoid plagiarism. This entails academic misconduct, and the consequences thereof are grave. i. You may NOT use any artificial intelligence (AI) tools for this assessment. ii. Upon submission, the Turnitin application, built into Moodle, will generate a similarity report. The application will also generate a separate AI report that detects AI-generated text. iii. You will be penalised for instances where the principles of academic integrity have been violated in terms of unethical similarity to other sources, AI-generated/AI-paraphrased text, and/or manipulation of text/reports. iv. Avoid mindless copying and pasting of text from other sources of information. v. Paraphrase information coherently, reference sources properly, and articulate your understanding of the content clearly. vi. If large portions of the text are plagiarised, or any form of cheating has been detected, you will receive 0% 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) and all the policies related to academic integrity. CBC1501_2025_S2_A3_POE Page 3 of 17 5. Ensure that your Turnitin report is generated correctly. You will receive 0% if you do not have a Turnitin report. i. Your document MUST be typed out and CONVERTED to PDF. ii. DO NOT scan the document or use scanning or printing applications. iii. DO NOT add images within your document. iv. Accept the End User License Agreement (EULA). 6. You must adhere to all the department’s technical presentation requirements. i. Headings and numbering (where required) should be presented in the correct format. ii. All information must be correctly paraphrased, cited in-text, and referenced in the list of sources consulted. Your own voice must also be evident in your writing. iii. Your presentation should not contain language, spelling or typing errors. We discourage the use of personal forms of address in business writing (UNLESS otherwise stated). iv. You must adhere to the CORRECT format, structure and stylistic requirements of each piece of writing, as required by the relevant assignment question. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in the loss of marks. v. The assignment must contain a personal declaration that the work you have submitted is your own. a. The declaration of academic integrity is a legally binding document that every university has for its students. b. The declaration MUST be included after the cover page of your assignment. c. You and a witness MUST sign the DECLARATION. We accept typed signatures and e-signatures. d. You will be penalised if you DO NOT submit the declaration, or if it is incomplete or not signed. e. The declaration is available on myUnisa under Additional Resources in MS Word format. We have provided a copy of the declaration at the end of this document. Ensure that you complete point 7 of the declaration as well. 7. The correct compilation and sequence of this assessment are: i. Cover page ii. Declaration of own work submitted iii. Table of contents iv. Introduction v. Body of assignment (answers to the assignment questions) vi. Conclusion vii. Answer to the self-assessment and reflection questions viii. List of sources consulted CBC1501_2025_S2_A3_POE Page 4 of 17 1.2. Mark allocation for Assessment 3: Portfolio of Evidence (POE) MARK ALLOCATION FOR THE POE (ASSESSMENT 3) TASK DESCRIPTION MARKS Question 1 Google Docs in the Google Drive folder 5 Question 2 Essay 30 Question 3 Memorandum 25 Question 4 Outline of a talk 25 Self-assessment and self-reflection Answers to questions posed 5 Overall technical presentation Declaration, Table of contents, Overall Introduction and Overall Conclusion 10 PENALISATION (if any) Format, layout, and structure Referencing, similarity, and paraphrasing Total 100 2. QUESTION 1 – GOOGLE DRIVE AND GOOGLE DOCS [5] You are required to use Google Docs to type out Assessment 3: The Portfolio of Evidence (POE), create a folder on Google Drive, and then save the assessment in this folder. 2.1. Instructions i. For Q1, you must provide two links, as explained below. ii. The Google Doc file and Google Drive folder should have the same naming convention (Student number_CBC1501_2025_S2_A3_POE). iii. The lecturers and markers must be able to use the provided links to confirm that Google Docs and Google Drive were indeed used. Therefore, you must provide the following two links in the assessment submission, under Q1: a. the link to the Google Drive folder that you created and saved the assessment (Google Doc format) in b. the link to the Google Doc that you used to type out the assessment iv. Once you have completed the assessment using Google Docs, you must download the document and convert it to PDF. Then, upload the PDF document to the Moodle platform. v. The lecturers explained this task in class. Refresh your memory by watching the recording. CBC1501_2025_S2_A3_POE Page 5 of 17 2.2. Mark allocation for Google Drive and Google Docs MARK ALLOCATION FOR QUESTION 1: GOOGLE DRIVE AND DOCS TASK DESCRIPTION MARKS 1. Google Drive folder 1.1. The link for the Google Drive folder is provided. 1 1.2. The link is working. 0,5 1.3. The naming convention is correct (according to the module requirements). 0,5 1.4. The folder is accessible. 0,5 2. Google Doc file 2.1. The link for Assessment 3 is provided. 1 2.2. The link is working. 0,5 2.3. The document is accessible. 0,5 2.4. The file is correctly saved in the Google Drive folder. 0,5 PENALISATION Total 5 CBC1501_2025_S2_A3_POE Page 6 of 17 3. CASE STUDY You must read the following case study before answering questions 2–4: “Lost in Translation: Navigating Barriers to Listening and Communication Styles in a Hybrid Team” Saim Waqas, a junior marketing coordinator at Accenture Accounting, was born with a severe hearing impairment. He has only 20% hearing in his right ear and 10% in his left ear. He, therefore, relies on hearing aids, lipreading, captioned video calls, and written communication to participate in workplace interactions. Saim’s team recently began a high-pressure marketing campaign for a high-profile client. The project is coordinated through a hybrid format: • Weekly in-person meetings in the office • Daily updates via group chat on Microsoft Teams • Brainstorming sessions on video calls with screen sharing • Document collaboration in Google Workspace From the outset, Saim encountered several communication challenges: • In video meetings, some colleagues failed to switch on their cameras or position themselves clearly, making lipreading impossible. Others spoke while muted or during screen sharing, preventing Saim from following along. • In group chats, colleagues posted multiple quick messages without tagging him, making it difficult to follow the conversation thread, while some colleagues posted emoticons that Saim could not understand. • In-person meetings often became fast-paced, with overlapping speech and limited turn-taking. Moreover, background sounds such as the buzzing of the projector and air conditioner caused interference in Saim’s hearing aids, resulting in severe headaches. • Technical jargon and unexplained acronyms were used in both verbal and written exchanges, which intensified the challenges that Saim experienced. Team members’ communication styles added complexity: • Priya is an open communicator, readily sharing updates and asking questions, but sometimes overshares personal matters, which others find distracting. • Andre is a blind communicator, confident in his clarity but often unaware that his rushed speech and lack of captions exclude Saim from key details. • Lerato is a hidden communicator, careful about what she says and prefers private messages, which means important information is sometimes not shared with the group. • Tebogo is a closed communicator, resistant to collaboration tools, preferring face-to-face discussions only, and often reluctant to engage in group chats. CBC1501_2025_S2_A3_POE Page 7 of 17 A misunderstanding during the final client pitch preparation, where Saim received incomplete design instructions via chat, resulted in a significant error. Andre publicly criticised Saim for “not listening properly” during a video meeting, which embarrassed him in front of the group. Saim felt this was unfair, as he had repeatedly asked for clarification in the chat and meetings. The team leader, realising that poor communication and lack of inclusivity were creating conflict, scheduled a facilitated session to address: • Listening barriers (both physical and psychological) • Inclusive communication practices in hybrid teams • How communication styles affect collaboration and conflict resolution SELF-ASSESSMENT AND SELF-REFLECTION QUESTIONS [5] Reflect on your learning in this module. Instructions Answer the following questions in full sentences. 1. Which strengths could you apply in your future life and work environment in relation to the learning outcomes formulated for this module? (Refer to each learning outcome in this respect – see section 2.2 of Tutorial Letter 101.) 2. What shortcomings have you identified in your business communication and writing abilities after completing this course? 3. What skills, abilities, and orientations (attitudes and values) have you acquired by planning and drafting different business documents, and working with Google Drive and Google Docs? TOPIC OF THE TALK: Purpose of the talk: 1 ATTENTION 2 NEED 3 SATISFACTION 4 VISUALISATION 5 ACTION Take note of the following additional guidelines: i. For each step, include four numbered sentences that summarise the main points you would cover. ii. Include practical examples, accessibility considerations such as closed captions or visual cues for team members with hearing impairments, and references to relevant communication theory. iii. The outline should clearly demonstrate the application of theory and provide a logical flow for a future presentation. Ensure that you follow the required formatting of this document. iv. Avoid repetitive information. Also, refrain from writing long-winded sentences. Be clear and concise with each sentence for each step in the sequence. v. You will also be marked on the correct use of spelling and grammar in your writing. vi. If you use AI tools to generate content for this task, you will immediately receive 0. vii. Avoid plagiarism, as you will be penalised for this. viii. Marks will be deducted should plagiarism be detected. If large portions of text are 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). Using the Saim Waqas case study on page 6 as a reference, prepare an outline of a talk focusing on non-verbal communication in digital or hybrid work environments. Use Monroe’s Motivated Sequence to structure the OUTLINE of your talk: (1) capture attention with a relevant scenario, (2) establish the need for effective digital non-verbal communication, (3) present theory-based solutions, (4) help the audience visualise positive outcomes, and (5) conclude with a clear call to action. Present your answer as follows: Using the Saim Waqas case study as your reference, draft an internal organisational memo inviting all staff members to a compulsory three-day communication training workshop, assuming the role of Moteo Ngema, a senior HR practitioner of Accenture Accounting. You received Saim Waqas’ complaints about the unpleasant interactions in the team communications. The purpose of the session is to: o highlight the communication challenges experienced in the marketing team, o address issues of accessibility in hybrid communication that demonstrate accessible communication in digital and face-to-face environments, o clarify goal definition in business communication, and o collaboratively draft a set of communication guidelines for future use. The face-to-face workshop will take place at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC), KwaZulu-Natal, with accommodation arranged at the Southern Sun Elangeni & Maharani Hotel in Durban, starting on Wednesday, 3 December 2025 and ending on Friday, 5 December 2025, 9h00-16h00 daily. Inform staff that attendance is compulsory and will contribute to Continuing Professional Development (CPD) points, while also providing practical skills in communication, accessibility, and collaboration. Participants will receive a certificate of completion for their professional portfolio. In addition, encourage employees to forward their suggestions regarding any topics or strategies they believe should be included in the workshop and the guidelines documents that could help improve organisational communication. Remember to ask staff to send their suggestion in advance. 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 memo should follow the correct format (To, From, Date, and Subject), clearly state the purpose, provide all necessary details of the training session, and conclude with a professional closing that encourages active participation from all staff. CBC1501_2025_S2_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. If large portions of text are 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). Read the case study provided on page 6, then complete the following task. You must refine the essay that you submitted for Assessment 2. You must rework the essay you submitted, fix all errors, and make the body of your essay longer by adding one more substantiating statement per paragraph. The topic and focus remain the same. The detailed guidelines appear below. Using the case study “Lost in Translation: Navigating Barriers to Listening and Communication Styles in a Hybrid Team”, write an essay of 850–900 words where you describe the communication challenges faced by Saim Waqas in a hybrid workplace. You will explore listening and hearing, barriers to effective communication, non-verbal communication in spoken and written contexts, and how different communication styles can influence conflict and teamwork. Finally, you will propose practical strategies for improving inclusive communication. 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 arguments intelligibly. iv. Remember to present your answer in essay format. Do not write in point form at all. 4.2.2. Language You will also be marked on the correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation and writing fluency, as well as precise referencing. CBC1501_2025_S2_A3_POE Page 9 of 17 4.2.3. Content Your essay should be structured as follows: Introduction (full paragraph) Body (six paragraphs). i. Each paragraph should contain: One clear topic sentence that introduces the main idea. Three properly referenced substantiating statements that explain, illustrate, or support the topic sentence with examples from the case study. ii. The six paragraphs in the body should cover the following topics: • Overview of Saim’s communication challenges in the hybrid team. • The difference between hearing and listening. • Any two barriers to listening that are present in the case study. • Any two categories of non-verbal communication in spoken contexts and any two categories of non-verbal communication in written contexts. • Any two functions of non-verbal communication that are apparent in the scenario, and their impact on understanding. • Any two practical strategies the team could use to improve communication and teamwork with Saim. iii. Conclusion (full paragraph) 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. If large portions of the text are 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. Saim Waqas, a junior marketing coordinator at Accenture Accounting, was born with a severe hearing impairment. He has only 20% hearing in his right ear and 10% in his left ear. He, therefore, relies on hearing aids, lipreading, captioned video calls, and written communication to participate in workplace interactions. Saim’s team recently began a high-pressure marketing campaign for a high-profile client. The project is coordinated through a hybrid format: • Weekly in-person meetings in the office • Daily updates via group chat on Microsoft Teams • Brainstorming sessions on video calls with screen sharing • Document collaboration in Google Workspace From the outset, Saim encountered several communication challenges: • In video meetings, some colleagues failed to switch on their cameras or position themselves clearly, making lipreading impossible. Others spoke while muted or during screen sharing, preventing Saim from following along. • In group chats, colleagues posted multiple quick messages without tagging him, making it difficult to follow the conversation thread, while some colleagues posted emoticons that Saim could not understand. • In-person meetings often became fast-paced, with overlapping speech and limited turn-taking. Moreover, background sounds such as the buzzing of the projector and air conditioner caused interference in Saim’s hearing aids, resulting in severe headaches. • Technical jargon and unexplained acronyms were used in both verbal and written exchanges, which intensified the challenges that Saim experienced. Team members’ communication styles added complexity: • Priya is an open communicator, readily sharing updates and asking questions, but sometimes overshares personal matters, which others find distracting. • Andre is a blind communicator, confident in his clarity but often unaware that his rushed speech and lack of captions exclude Saim from key details. • Lerato is a hidden communicator, careful about what she says and prefers private messages, which means important information is sometimes not shared with the group. • Tebogo is a closed communicator, resistant to collaboration tools, preferring face-to-face discussions only, and often reluctant to engage in group chats. CBC1501_2025_S2_A3_POE Page 7 of 17 A misunderstanding during the final client pitch preparation, where Saim received incomplete design instructions via chat, resulted in a significant error. Andre publicly criticised Saim for “not listening properly” during a video meeting, which embarrassed him in front of the group. Saim felt this was unfair, as he had repeatedly asked for clarification in the chat and meetings. The team leader, realising that poor communication and lack of inclusivity were creating conflict, scheduled a facilitated session to address: • Listening barriers (both physical and psychological) • Inclusive communication practices in hybrid teams • How communication styles affect collaboration and conflict resolution