Master of Management BAHR580D: Business Communications Course Outline

Transcription

1 COURSE INFORMATION Division: Law/Communications Period: 1 & 2 Instructor: Barb Duzy, HA 362 Teaching Assistant: barb.duzy@sauder.ubc.ca Phone: Phone: Office hours: TR 1-2, and by appointment Office hours: Section number: MM1 Class meeting time: Tuesday 2-4 MM2 Class meeting time: Thursday 2-4 Course duration: Sept 7-Oct 17, Oct 26-Dec 5 Classroom location: HA 254 Pre-requisites: None Course website: on UBC Connect COURSE DESCRIPTION The course will sharpen your writing, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills. We will look at a range of successful practices and guidelines that have been derived from both research and experience, give you the opportunity to develop and practice your skills, and provide you with feedback to help you strengthen them. Strategies for honing style, while improving clarity, conciseness and impact are refined. The course is built around two major writing assignments that require planning and writing concise professional-quality documents. In addition, students will record two individual presentations. Students will also complete activities that focus on realistic business communication situations. We will use a workshop format that relies heavily on in-class exercises including small group exploration, class discussions, self-assessments, peer feedback, and interactive activities. The most important element is your active engagement and participation. The more you invest in what happens in each session, the more you will learn and the more others will learn from you. Developing your ability to engage in an open discussion of ideas is an important leadership skill. LEARNING OBJECTIVES This course focuses on improving your skills in communicating strategically in a mangerial context. By the end of this course, you should be able to: Think strategically about all forms of communication needed for a successful career in business. Understand the demands of communicating with diverse audiences and engaging in cross-cultural communication. Create a variety of effective business documents (memos, letters, s and reports), supporting your evidence and arguments with logical and persuasive reasoning adapted for each specific audience. Confidently give short professional presentations

2 STUDENT ASSESSMENT SUMMARY Periods 1&2 Percentage of Course Grade Assignment Period 1 Brand Review Report 25% You will produce a comprehensive brand review report supplementing your work in BAMA550, utilizing the principles of logical structure, clarity, conciseness, appropriate tone and awareness of audience. Assignment Period 2 Not-For-Profit Project 25% You will research and write a variety of informational and persuasive business documents in preparation for your Community Business Project. Presentations Period 1 (Informational) and Period 2 (Persuasive) 25% In-class Activities and Active Participation 25% You will discuss readings and complete in-class activities that highlight specific aspects of business writing and presentations skills. Total: 100% Attendance in mandatory. However, your physical presence does not by itself guarantee you will receive class contribution marks. To receive credit for In-class activities and active participation you must contribute by: 1. Discussing required readings and videos in every class. You should be prepared to initiate discussion, present an insightful critique of each reading, raise challenging questions and relate your own experiences. You should prepare at least three questions to initiate and develop a class discussion. I will call on each of you numerous times each period. 2. Volunteering to share your work with the class, explaining to your classmates how you have handled specific issues and providing feedback on your classmates work. Students who go beyond these basic requirements will be eligible for additional points above the class average

3 COURSE RESOURCES AND MATERIALS Texts are available at the UBC Bookstore and on-line. Both are on reserve in David Lam Library. Supplementary required course readings are posted on Connect. Required Text: Guide to Managerial Communications, 9 th or 10 th edition by Mary Munter, Pearson, ISBN You may buy either the paper version or the e-text which is less expensive. Used paper copies are also readily available from many online sources Optional Text: Business Writing Essentials, (custom text prepared for Sauder School of Business, a condensed version of Business Communication Essentials, 2nd Canadian Edition by Courtland L. Bovee, John V. Thill, and Jean A. Scribner, ISBN This edition includes a copy of Strunk and White s The Elements of Style. Any version or used copy is fine. Other Learning Resources: Writing Improvement Program (WIP): Free tutoring for Sauder students located in the Canaccord Learning Commons (CLC 219) in David Lam Library. Three sessions per week as offered. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 1-4 Sign-up on COOL or drop in CLC 219. Advanced Grammar Workshops: Free workshops for international students, 8 sessions per term. Wednesdays 4-5:30 and 5:30-7pm. Sign up on COOL or drop in HA 339. David Lam Library MM Course Page: Useful information for researching and completing assignments Electronic Resources: To gain access to UBC s electronic resources of business databases,

4 SCHEDULE Depending on class needs, some of the dates and activities may change. PERIOD 1 Sept 7- Oct 17 WEEK 1 Sept 7-13 TOPICS & READINGS - Business communication: a strategic, analytical and creative approach - Connect with any audience - Guide pp. 3-31, Course syllabus DELIVERABLES Student questionnaire posted on Connect: Submit to Turntin before September 7. Activity #1 Persuasive Bio due Sept 13 WEEK 2 Sept WEEK 3 Sept WEEK 4 Sep 28 Oct 4 WEEK 5 Oct Plain English: jargon- free writing - Writing with clarity and conciseness - How to speak so people want to listen: delivery - Guide pp , Clear Writing Means Clear Thinking - Presenting with clarity and engagement - Enhancing leadership presence - The secrets of body language - Guide pp. 8-9, , , How to Become an Authentic Speaker TED video Want to Sound Like a Leader? - Inter- cultural communication What is your CQ? - Communication and linguistic style - Structuring an informational speech: Plan, Polish, Present Guide pp , 29-31, Appendix A, The Power of Talk CQ Forbes article - Appearance counts: document design of reports, handouts, PP slides - Guide, pp , Appendix B&C Activity #2 Plain English Memo due Sept 20 Record informational presentations in class EXAMS Oct NO EXAM FOR 580D Period 1 Assignment due Oct

5 PERIOD 2 October 26- December 5 WEEK 1 Oct 26- Nov 1 WEEK 2 Nov 2-8 WEEK 3 Nov 9-15 WEEK 4 Nov WEEK 5 Nov TOPICS & READINGS - The art of persuasion: building a strong argument - Writing cover letters and executive summaries Guide pp , Managing by Persuasion, Telling Tales - Crises Communication - Communicating negative news Why is it so hard to apologize well?, How to save your brand in the face of crises - The structure of great talks - Persuasive techniques The Necessary Art of Persuasion - Giving and receiving feedback Guide pp , p. 160 video Thanks for the feedback - Active and Reflective Listening - On your feet impromptu speeches The executive s guide to better listening, 5 kinds of listening ACTIVITIES Activity # 3 Real Estate Proposal- Pair Writing Task due Nov 1 Activity #4 Press Release due Nov 8 Record persuasive presentations in class EXAMS Nov 30- Dec 5 NO EXAM FOR 580D Period 2 Assignment due Dec 5 POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Technology Requirements: Students should bring laptops to all classes. Access to standard word-processing and PDF software (Microsoft compatible) Access to a printer A working account that you check daily Access to UBC Connect course website An account at Turnitin.com Format for written assignments: All documents must be in the following format: Font - 12 pt. serif font (e.g. Times New Roman) for text and sans-serif (e.g. Arial) for headings Pages - one-inch margins all around and numbered from page 2 Paragraphs - single-spaced, double-spaced between paragraphs Bibliography - use APA formatting including in-text citations Business documents - memos, letters and reports should be in standard format (refer to samples posted on Connect) - 5 -

6 Assignments: For each assignment, you will be given specifications for what should be included in the final product. The grade that you receive for the assignment will be based on how well you meet the stated specifications, the quality of your writing as well as any additional insight you bring to the assignment. This is what will be expected of you in your professional life. Submission of Core Assignments: Assignments and activities must be submitted using Turnitin.com on or before the due date. Information about creating a Turnitin account is posted on the course Connect site. Any assignment submitted late will be penalized 10 points per day. Assessment Criteria: I will provide you with detailed feedback on your written and oral assignments as quickly as humanly possible, addressing your individual strengths and weaknesses. All grading and comments will be based on the BAHR580D grading rubrics posted on Connect. It is very important that you refer to the rubric throughout the course. Re-Evaluation of Your Work: Assignments will be evaluated as fairly and objectively as possible. If, however, you feel that I have overlooked something when grading any of your assignments, you may (within one week of the date the assignment is returned to you) write a memo to me in which you request that I re-evaluate the assignment and explain fully and carefully why you think the assignment should be re-graded. Cell Phones, Texting, and Social Media: You should not use your cell phone, send or view text messages, or browse social media sites during class. If you must use your phone for an important call, please excuse yourself from the classroom and return when you re finished. Office Hours: I encourage you to see me whenever you have any questions. This is an opportunity that I have to work with you on an individual basis. It is best to schedule a time to meet. is the best way to reach me. Academic Honesty and Integrity: You are expected to observe the rules of honesty. Plagiarism is a very serious offense and is defined as: Using someone else s work, published or unpublished as your own. Having someone complete an assignment and claiming it to be your own. Allowing someone else to use your graded assignment as their own. For more information on this subject, please consult the University s statement on academic honesty available at: Submission of any work on Turnitin with a significantly high similarity percentage will result in a grade of 0. Always check your similarity percentage. If you are unfamiliar with Turnitin, please speak with the Graduate Programs Office Students with Disabilities: Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with UBC Access and Diversity and will be given a letter confirming any accommodation. Please be sure that the letter is delivered to me as early in the semester as possible. UBC Access and Diversity can be contacted at: