BUSA 250-004: Expressive Analysis for Management McGill University, Desautels Faculty of Management Fall 2011 Class Time:

TU / TR 8:35 9:55 AM Location: Bronfman 178 Instructor: Dr. Gregory Brophy Office: Bronfman 501 Office Hours: TU 10:00 11:00 Office phone: 398-0515 Email: gregory.brophy@mcgill.ca Course Description: This course is an introduction to the type of university-level writing that is expected in the Desautels Faculty of Management. Classes are structured around learning, practicing, and implementing advanced, clear, and effective university-level writing techniques and strategies for business. In order to ground the writing in a common topic, we will analyze and discuss recent essays and films that examine how corporations operate and communicate in a global, integrated world. During the course of the semester, students will write a series of short analytical papers and will receive extensive feedback and coaching on their written and oral communications. Learning Objectives: The main objective of this course is to help students to learn and implement effective strategies to successfully manage the quantity and quality of writing required in their courses in the Desautels Faculty of Management, as well as in their future careers in the business world. Since writing does not occur in a vacuum, the course will also cover effective reading and critical thinking skills. By the end of the semester, each student will have put these skills and strategies to use in a variety of reading, thinking, and writing activities, culminating in a final integrative paper. Required Texts: The Concise Canadian Writers Handbook. Eds. William E. Messenger et al. Don Mills: Oxford UP, 2009. Print. See also this link for writing exercises: http://www.oupcanada.com/higher_education/companion/literature/9780195430387.html Bakan, Joel. The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power. New York: Free Press, 2004. Print. Note: In support of local and independent business, the handbook and Bakans book have been made available at The Word Bookstore, 469 Milton Street (cash or cheque only). Required Reading: The complete list at the end of this syllabus is also dispersed in abbreviated form throughout the schedule below (subject to minor change). The list provided at the end of the syllabus includes the web addresses for the articles, which you can access either while on campus or by using your McGill virtual private network (VPN). Course Evaluation: Preparation and Participation: 15% Writing Exercises 10% and Short Oral Presentation: 10%

Analytical Papers: 40% (2 papers worth 20% each) Final Integrative Paper: 25% Due Dates, Extensions, Late Assignments, and Absences: All assignments are due at the beginning of class. All of the papers and assignments will be graded for adherence to assignment and writing guidelines, the development and clarity of ideas, and grammatical writing. All papers and rough drafts must be written in Times New Roman font, 12-point, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins. There should be no extra line between paragraphs. Within the syllabus, you will find all of the necessary electronic resources for writing a proper, MLA style paper. Since we are on a tight schedule of reading, writing, and revising, no late work of any kind will be accepted, except in the case of severe illness, in which case a legible doctors note will be accepted. You should always assume that illness, traffic, or a personal emergency could affect your schoolwork and should try to complete your assignments before the due dates. Nevertheless, if you are ill and likely to be contagious, I prefer that you stay at home; in those cases of absence, I will accept e-mail submissions of assignments if they are sent by the beginning of the class period. In these cases, you will be expected to provide me with a printed version of the paper as soon as possible. Note: You are required to keep all of your graded assignments for further reference until after your final grades for the course are available online through the Minerva system. Students may be assigned a grade of K, or incomplete, if an error in the grading requires a review of graded assignments that are no longer available. Preparation and Participation: Since this course is a small seminar, daily preparation of all readings and daily quality participation in class are essential. Quality participation means making thoughtful and informed comments about reading and writing assignments, as well as responding constructively to your fellow students comments and writing. You should bring the assigned readings and writings to class each day. Writing Exercises and Oral Presentation: Using The Concise Canadian Writers Handbook, students will learn and practice a variety of writing styles, skills, and techniques. Activities will focus on using writing as a means of thinking, learning, and communicating effectively. We will undertake short writing assignments that engage with the business world and emphasize the importance of writing and communication skills. Students will also give a short group presentation based on one of these writing assignments. No handwritten assignments will be accepted. Analytical Papers: Students will write two analytical papers in the course of the semester, implementing the writing styles, skills, and techniques they learned in the first few weeks. Each paper will be focused on analyzing and/or applying a particular authors arguments and ideas. A rough draft will be required and handed in for each paper, and each rough draft will go through a formal revision process. Handwritten rough drafts will not be accepted. Final Integrative Paper: Students will be asked to evaluate the arguments of two or more authors covered during the term. A rough draft, which will go through a formal revision process, must be handed in for this paper.

Email Policy: The best way to reach me is through email. Email should only be used for questions that require a response of a line or two. Detailed discussion of course material or assignments should take place in person during my office hour. Academic Integrity: McGill University values academic integrity. As a student, you have a responsibility to understand the meanings and consequences of plagiarism, copying, and other academic offences, as described in the code of conduct. For more information, see www.mcgill.ca/integrity. In accordance with McGill Universitys Charter of Students Rights, students in this course have the right to submit in English or French any written work that is to be graded. Course Outline I. Why Writing Matters: An Introduction to Business Writing TR, Sept. 01: Introduction to course TU, Sept. 06: Articles (listed at the end of the syllabus) The Write Stuff (Crainer and Dearlove) Block Those Metaphors (Krugman) TR, Sept. 08: Diagnostic Writing Exercises
Article

Designation of Communication Skills in Position Listings (Krapels and Davis) II. Learning the Fundamentals: Writing and Language

TU, Sept. 13: Concise Canadian Writers Handbook (CCWH): Chapter 2Understanding Sentences Read Understanding Sentences: Sections 12-12q (p. 55-69) Do exercises 12m-r (p. 64) [not for submission] Articles Words Often Misused (Pearson) You Got a Problem with Center Around? How about Skuttle? (Wood) TR, Sept. 15: CCWH: Chapter 3Parts of Speech Read: Sections 16a, 16b, 16c, and 16d Read: Sections 17o and 17p Do exercises 17p (p. 133) [not for submission] Read: Sections 18-18j Do Exercises 18 (p. 135) [not for submission] Articles

Necessary Niceties (Plotnik) Analyze This: Wall Streets Passive Voice and Other Misadventures in the Securities Trade (Reynders)

TU, Sept. 20: *FIRST WRITING ASSIGNMENT DUE (See penultimate page of this syllabus, Attachment A, for instructions) CCWH: Chapter 4Writing Effective Sentences Read: Sections 25-42 (p. 183-225) Article Why Is Business Writing So Awful? [Whats Your Point?] (Fried) TR, Sept. 22: Guest Lecture: Hamnett Hill TU, Sept. 27: *DRAFT OF COMPLAINT LETTERS DUE: Bring a copy for peer-editing (Note: Handout will be provided in class for Wednesdays reading assignment by Strunk and White) CCWH: Chapter 7Diction Read: Sections 64-65 (p. 336-349) Article Writing for Global Audiences (Cuciniello) III. Strategies for Effective Writing and Argumentation: Essay Writing, Style, and Rhetoric TR, Sept. 29: *COMPLAINT LETTERS DUE: Bring one copy to submit, and one copy for mailing (with an addressed envelope and stamp) CCWHChapter 1: Principles of Composition Read: sections 1-4 (p. 3-12) Read: section 6-10 (15-48) Articles Battling the Six Evil Geniuses of Essay Writing (King) An Approach to Style (Strunk and White) TU, Oct. 04: Can You Say What Your Strategy Is? (Collis and Rukstad) BIG Writing: The Fundamental Discipline of Business Writing (Sheldon and Willett) TR, Oct. 06: *ROUGH DRAFT OF ESSAY #1 DUE: Bring a copy for peer-editing Handout: Marking Symbols (See final page of this syllabus, Attachment B, for information about proper formatting guidelines.) TU, Oct. 11: *ESSAY #1 DUE Harpers: How to Save Capitalism: Read Realign, Abolish, and Protect TR, Oct. 13: Harpers. How to Save Capitalism: Read: Tax, Plan, Reindustrialize, and Localize

 IV. Business Communication in Todays World: Some Practical Concerns and Creative Approaches Speaking and Listening Skills, and Non-Verbal Communication TU, Oct. 18: Articles How to Become an Authentic Speaker (Morgan) Leading Words: How to Use Stories to Change Minds and Unite Action (Phoel) TR, Oct. 20: Group Planning of Communication Assessment Project 1. Assignment of teams 2. Defining Our Mandate 3. Outlining Our Strategies and Methods TU, Oct. 25: Articles Disclosure, Leaks, and Slips: Issues and Strategies for Prohibiting Employee Conversation (Sussman) Social Intelligence and the Biology of Leadership. (Goleman and Boyatzis) TR, Oct. 27: *DRAFT OF ESSAY #2 DUE: Bring a copy for peer-editing

Communication in an Electronic World TU, Nov. 01: Articles Email and Good Writing (Isaacson) Social Media: The New Hybrid Element of the Promotion Mix (Mangold and Faulds) The Best Memo Youll Ever Write. (Weeks) Communicating in Teams TR, Nov. 03: *ESSAY #2 DUE Articles Why Teams Dont Work (Coutu, Beschloss, and Hackman) Creativity and the Role of the Leader (Amabile and Khaire) How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity (Catmull) V. The Corporation TU, Nov. 08: The Corporation: Introduction and Chapter 1

TR, Nov. 10: *ORAL PRESENTATIONS: Conclusion to Communication Assessment - Written reports due today - 10-minute Group Presentations based on written reports - Group discussion and Conclusions TU, Nov. 15: The Corporation: Chapter 2 & 3 TR, Nov. 17: The Corporation: Chapter 4 & 5 TU, Nov. 22: The Corporation: Chapter 6 TR, Nov. 24: *DRAFT OF ESSAY #3 DUE: Bring copy to class for peer-editing TU, Nov. 29: The Corporation: Watch and discuss the documentary TR, Dec. 01: *ESSAY #3 DUE Final ClassConclusion

Required Readings Note: Almost all of these texts are available online, but some are only available through the library and must be accessed from campus or through your virtual private network (VPN). Information about VPN is available here: <http://www.mcgill.ca/library/library-using/connect/>. To get the following texts, copy the entire link (everything between the triangular brackets) into the uniform resource locator (URL) field of your browser (e.g. Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer). Amabile, Teresa M., and Mukti Khaire. Creativity and the Role of the Leader. Harvard Business Review 86.10 (Oct 2008): 100-109. Web. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=34402677&site=ehost-live>. Bakan, Joel. The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power. New York: Free Press, 2004. Print. Catmull, Ed. How Pixar Fosters Collective Creativity. Harvard Business Review 86.9 (Sept. 2008): 64-72. Web. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=33982981&site=ehost-live>. Collis, David J., and Michael G. Rukstad. Can You Say What Your Strategy Is? Harvard Business Review 86.4 (Apr 2008): 82-90. Web. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=31372942&site=ehost-live>. SOLID Crainer, Stuart, and Des Dearlove. The Write Stuff. Business Strategy Review 15.4 (Winter 2004): 19-24. Web. <http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0955-6419.2004.00335.x> or <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=15073318&site=ehost-live>. Cuciniello, Gina. Writing for Global Audiences. Training Journal (Jan 2007): 39-42. Web. <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdlink?did=1211502681&sid=9&Fmt=2&clientId=10843&RQT=309 &VName=PQD>. Coutu, Diane, and Michael Beschloss. Why Teams Dont Work. Interview with J. Richard Hackman. Harvard Business Review 87.5 (May 2009): 98-105. Web. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=37840780&site=ehost-live>. Fried, Jason. Why Is Business Writing So Awful? [Whats Your Point?] Inc. 32:4 (May 2010): 41-2. Web. <http://www.inc.com/magazine/20100501/why-is-business-writing-so-awful.html>. Goleman, Daniel and Richard Boyatzis. Social Intelligence and the Biology of Leadership. Harvard Business Review 86.9 (Sept. 2008): 74-81. Web. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=33983120&site=ehot-live>. Harpers Series. How to Save Capitalism. November 2008 Issue. <http://www.scribd.com/doc/7924940/How-to-Save-Capitalism-Fundamental-fixes-for-acollapsing-system> Isaacson, David. Email and Good Writing. Verbatim 28.4: 11-12. Web. <http://www.verbatimmag.com/29_3.pdf> or <http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?&id=GALE%7CA132353164&v=2.1&u=crepuq_mcgill&it=r&p=LitR C&sw=w>. King, Charles. Battling the Six Evil Geniuses of Essay Writing. Political Science & Politics (Mar 1998): 59-63. Web. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/420435>.

Krapels, Roberta H., and Barbara D. Davis. Designation of Communication Skills in Position Listings. Business Communication Quarterly 66.2 (June 2003): 90-96. Web. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=10147283&site=ehost-live> or <http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/108056990306600211>. Krugman, Paul. Block Those Metaphors. New York Times (13 Dec. 2010): A25. Web. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/13/opinion/13krugman.html>. Mangold, W. Glynn, and David J. Faulds. Social Media: The New Hybrid Element of the Promotion Mix. Business Horizon 52 (2009): 357-365. Web. <http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2009.03.002>. Morgan, Nick. How to Become an Authentic Speaker. Harvard Business Review 86:11 (Nov. 2008): 115-119. Web. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=34870342&site=ehostlive>. Pearson, George. Words Often Misused. Administrative Assistants Update (Nov. 2008): 3. Web. <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdlink?did=1601030681&sid=6&Fmt=6&clientId=10843&RQT=309 &VName=PQD>. Phoel, Cynthia M. Leading Words: How to Use Stories to Change Minds and Ignite Action. Harvard Management Communication Letter 3.2 (Spring 2006): 3-5. Web. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=20657149&site=ehost-live>. Plotnik, Arthur. Necessary niceties: Many fine points of English are forgotten, but there are compelling reasons to keep them alive. Writer 118.2 (Feb 2005): 15-16. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=13&sid=2307a517-d24442069f3da24d28163d95%40sessionmgr15&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9 h&AN=15748113>. Reynders Jr., Charlton. Analyze This: Wall Streets Passive Voice and Other Misadventures in the Securities Trade. New York Times Magazine (31 Aug. 2003): 18. Web. <http://proquest.umi.com/pqdlink?did=409234661&sid=1&Fmt=6&clientId=10843&RQT=309& VName=PQD>. Sheldon, Michael and Janice Willett. BIG Writing: The Fundamental Discipline of Business Writing Journal of Applied Corporate Finance. 20:3 (Summer 2008): 100-8. <http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1745-6622.2008.00197.x> Strunk and White. An Approach to Style. HANDOUT TO BE PROVIDED IN CLASS. Sussman, Lyle. Disclosure, Leaks, and Slips: Issues and Strategies for Prohibiting Employee Communication. Business Horizons 51 (2008): 331-339. Web. < http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0007681308000360>. Weeks, Holly. The Best Memo Youll Ever Write. Harvard Management Communication 2.2 (Spring 2005): 3-5. Web. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=16696356&site=ehost-live>. Wood, Alden. You Got a Problem with Center Around? How about Skuttle? Communication World 22.2 (MarApr. 2005): 40. Web. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ufh&AN=16200794&site=ehost-live>.

Attachment A *FIRST WRITING ASSIGNMENT Part 1.) Write 4 complex sentences addressed to a company about the work of a fictitious company for which you are preparing marketing material. 1 must include modifiers of different types at the beginning of the sentence. One of those modifiers must contain a gerund verb phrase. 1 must include lists with parallel structure. 1 must be loose. 1 must be periodic. The periodic sentence must have the same content as the loose sentence. Part 2.) Determine whether the loose or periodic sentence better communicates your message to the management culture you are addressing. Write two or three sentences explaining which, in your opinion, is better for business and why. (Important note: All of the sentences must take into account everything you have learned in Chapters 24, as well as the kinds of precise and effective word usage Plotnik and Fried encourage.)

Attachment B * MLA STYLE GUIDELINESto be employed for all essays. MLA style is widely used as the default style for essays at McGill and elsewhere, and this is the style you are expected to use properly for this class. Although the current edition of the MLA Handbook, available online through McGill or in hard copy, is the best option for covering all possible questions pertaining to proper use of MLA style, the Purdue Online Writing Lab provides a succinct overview of the most important aspects of the style. Therefore, you should familiarize yourself with everything provided at the following links within the OWL website. If you have questions not covered within these website, consult an MLA Handbook in the library or online. Failure to employ MLA style correctly will slightly impact your mark. OWL (Purdue Online Writing Lab) MLA In-Text Citations: The Basics: <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/> MLA Formatting Quotations: <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/03/> MLA Works Cited: <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/> MLA Works Cited: Periodicals: <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/07/> MLA Works Cited Page: Books: <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/06/> MLA Works Cited Page: Basic Format: <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/05/> MLA Sample Works Cited Page: <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/12/> FOR FUTURE REFERENCE: In other classes or in your future careers, you might be expected to use either APA style or Chicago style in lieu of MLA. The following websites provide information for those styles. --APA Style Guide: <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/> --Chicago Style Guide: <http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/01/>