Q$2.*$ Apple Innovators Inc. is a mid$-$sized technology company specializing in software development and IT consulting. The company has a diverse workforce of $500$ employees spread across multiple locations, including the headquarters in New York, a development center in Bangalore, and sales offices in London and Tokyo. At Tech Innovators Inc., the headquarters in New York features an open$-$plan office to encourage collaboration and spontaneous discussions. However, the development center in Bangalore has a more traditional office layout with cubicles, which some employees feel limits their ability to communicate freely.

Employees in Bangalore may be more reserved due to norms that emphasize respect for hierarchy. For instance, employees in New York are encouraged to voice their opinions openly during meetings, while employees in Bangalore are more reserved, making the message equally challenging to be delivered by the sender due to the cross$-$cultural interaction among participants. Both interactions can sometimes take advantage of this difference in work$-$related communication. Furthermore, the relationship between project managers and their teams is critical. In some cases, project managers in New York have a more informal relationship with their teams, which fosters a sense of camaraderie. In contrast, in Bangalore, the relationship tends to be more formal, which can sometimes create a barrier to open communication.

Moreover, scheduling meetings that accommodate all locations can be difficult. For instance, a meeting scheduled at $9$ AM in New York is $6$:$30$ PM in Bangalore, $2$ PM in London, and $10$ PM in Tokyo.

$*$CLO$3*(6$ Marks$)$

$*$a$.*$ Identify the contexts of communication based on the information provided in the given scenario. Suggest examples from the scenario provided.

$*$b$.*$ How the essence of communication is lost when distortion takes place at the encoding and decoding stages of communication due to the difference in cultural norms? Navigate the specific details in the scenario and relate it with your response.