COURSE TITLE: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Academic Program: BS Accounting & Finance

Semester: Fall 2018

Course Description:

We all communicate. Communication plays a major role in all human activity. Within the
business community of public and private organizations, the professional communication is
associated with more specific activities of interacting, informing, instructing and persuading.
People who possess demonstrable skills in these activities are employed, prized and promoted. If
businesses are to survive in an increasingly competitive and information-oriented environment,
they will need trained communicators. The communicators, who can speak, write and interact
with others efficiently, effectively and professionally.

This course is intended to provide participants with an understanding of the concepts and
principles of professional business communication and to support the development of their skills
in interpersonal, spoken and business related communications through practice and feedback.
Course participants will be encouraged to participate actively in the course through their group
presentations, reflections, and professional writing.

Course Objectives:

 Describe the process of communication within business organizations.

 To develop awareness about Business Communication Skills, Tools and Methods.
 To develop leaning about Business Correspondence.
 To understand the Use and the Scope of Business Communication and Correspondence
dimensions in Real World Scenario.
 To comprehend Professional Style, Content and Tone of Communication.
 Demonstrate effective listening behavior.
 Use language and nonverbal communication to communicate effectively.

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  Analyze realistic business situations and select the communication strategy or strategies
appropriate to bring about the desired outcome.
 Anticipate misunderstandings in business communication and apply effective techniques
in an attempt to avoid these misunderstandings.
 Demonstrate the ability to compare and contrast, organize, and compose various forms of
business correspondence, including positive, negative, informative and persuasive
messages.
 Demonstrate the skills necessary for the job search, including resume writing and
interviewing.

Course Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, students are expected to have improved their:
1. Level of self-awareness and understanding of how self-awareness influences communication.
2. Analytical ability in relation to business communication.
3. Ability to communicate with others and in particular their conflict resolution and negotiation
Skills.
4. Ability to communicate as a member of a team and identify and resolve communication
Problems in teams.
5. Understanding of communication patterns and scenarios in organizations.

Prerequisites:

Communication Skills Course

Marks Breakup:

1. Assignments: 10
2. Quizzes: 5
3. Class Participation: 10
4. Presentations 15
5. Mid Term Examination: 25

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 6. Final Examination: 35

Course Readings:

1. Required Reading:
 Business Communication Today by Courtland L. Bovee, John V.Thill, and Abha
Chatterjee (Latest Edition Available)
2. Recommended Reading:
 Basic Business Communication by Lesikar & Flatley Latest Edition Available
 Essentials of Business Communication by Mary Ellen Guffey and Bertha Du-
Barcock
3. Reference Reading:
 Business Communication by Herta Murphy Latest Edition

Course Contents:

Week 1: UNDERSTANDING THE FUNDAMENTALS OF BUSINESS

COMMUNICATION
Lecture 1: Chapter 1
 Definition/Meaning of Effective Business Communication
 Its Role and Scope
 Current Challenges for Business Communicators
Lecture 2: Chapter 1 Cont.
 Main Categories of Business Communication
 Communication Networks of the Organization (Formal/ Informal/Upward/ Downward/
Diagonal/ Horizontal/ Grapevine)
 The Business Communication Process
 Business Communication as problem solving
 A Model of Business Communication
 Contexts of Communication in organizations
(From Lesikar’s Business Communication)

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Week 2: WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION
Lecture 3: Chapter 2
 Communicating Effectively in Teams
 Productive Meetings
Lecture 4: Chapter 2 Cont.
 Improving Listening skills
 Improving Non-verbal Communication Skills
 Developing Business Etiquette

Week 3: BUSINESS COMMUNICATION IN THE WORLD OF DIVERSITY

Lecture 5: Chapter 3
 Opportunities and Challenges on intercultural communication
 How culture is learned? How culture Affects Communication?
 How to avoid ethnocentrism and stereotyping
{Quiz # 1: Organizational Communication, Listening Skills, Non-Verbal Communication}
Lecture 6: Chapter 3 Cont.
 Steps for improving intercultural business communication
 Recommendations for clear communication in Multilanguage business environment
{Assignment # 1: Chapter Exercise}

Week 4: THE WRITING PROCESS: WRITING FOR BUSINESS AUDIENCE

Lecture 7: Chapter 4
 Overview of the three step writing process
 Identifying Audience
 Analyzing the situation and Defining Purpose
 Formulating Messages
 Appropriate medium for messages (Table 4.1)
 Direct and Indirect Approaches to organizing a message
Lecture 8: Chapter 10
 Writing Routine Requests and Positive Messages
 How to ask for specific action in courteous manner
 Strategy for writing routine replies and Positive messages

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  Granting claims and requests for adjustments
 Good-will messages

Week 5: WRITING NEGATIVE BUSINESS MESSAGES

Lecture 9: Chapter 11
Writing process of negative messages
Direct and Indirect Approaches to negative messages
Challenges of Indirect approach
{Quiz # 2: Intercultural Communication Skills, Written Business Communication}
Lecture 10: Chapter 11 Cont.
 Role of Ethics and Etiquettes in writing Negative Messages
 Role of communication in crisis management
 Delivering negative news to job applicants
{Assignment # 2: Writing Business Messages}

Week 6: WRITING PERSUASIVE BUSINESS MESSAGES

Lecture 11: Chapter 12
 Writing Process of Persuasive Messages
 Establishing Credibility
 AIDA Model
Lecture 12: Chapter 12 Cont.
 Emotional and Logical Appeals
 Developing Sales and Marketing Messages
 How to counter Ethical lapses in Sales and Marketing Messages

Week 7: PRESENTATIONS
Lecture 13: Meetings
Lecture 14: Meetings

Week 8: PRESENTATIONS & COURSE REVIEW

Lecture 15: Meetings
Lecture 16: Course Review

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 WEEK 9: MID TERM EXAMS

Week 10: REPORT WRITING

Lecture 17: Chapter 10
 Basics of Report Writing
 Defining Reports
 Preparation before writing reports
 Determining the purpose and factors
 Writing the report
Lecture 18: Chapter 11
 Classification of Business Reports
 Main Parts and components of Reports
 Forms of Short Reports
 Types of Short Reports (Operational, Progress, Problem-Solving, Audit, Meeting
Minutes)

{Assignment # 3: Report Writing}

Week 11: REPORT WRITING

Lecture 19: Chapter 11 Cont.
 Long, Formal Reports
Lecture 20: Class Discussion, Practice & Facilitation Session
(From Lesikar’s Business Communication)

{Quiz # 3: Business Etiquettes, Report Writing}

Week 12: EMPLOYMENT MESSAGES / RESUMES

Lecture 21: Chapter 18
 Securing Employment in today’s Job Market
 Preparing Resume (Planning, Writing, & Completing)
Lecture 22:
 Class Practice

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Week 13: APPLYING AND INTERVIEWING FOR EMPLOYMENT
Lecture 23: Chapter 19
 Solicited and Unsolicited Application Letters
 How to apply AIDA Model
 Sequence of Job Interviews
 What employers look for?
Lecture 24: Chapter 19 Cont.
 Preparation of Job Interview
 Stages of successful employment Interview
 Follow-up
{Assignment # 4: Resume Building}

Week 14: PRACTICE SESSION

Lecture 25: Mock Interviews
Lecture 26: Mock Interviews

Week 15: DEVELOPING ORAL PRESENTATIONS IN A SOCIAL MEDIA

ENVIRONMENT
Lecture 27: Chapter 16
 Improving oral presentations and listening
 Successful informative speaking
 Purpose of informative speaking
 Analysis of audience
 Organization and outline of the informative speech
 Support for informative speeches
Lecture 28: Chapter 16 Cont.
 Successful Persuasive Speech
 Purpose of persuasive speaking
 Persuasive Methods
 Organization of the persuasive speeches

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Week 16: FINAL PRESENTATIONS
Lecture 29: Presentations
Lecture 30: Presentations

Week 17: FINAL PRESENTATIONS AND COURSE REVIEW

Lecture 31: Presentations
Lecture 32: Course Review

WEEK 18: FINAL TERM EXAMS