The Joseph M. Bryan School of Business and Economics

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT GREENSBORO

MGT 309 - Business Communication

Fall 2009

Dr. Michael Beitler

372 Bryan Building

(write MGT 309 on subject line)

Office hours: By appointment

In case of inclement weather, go to UNCG website.

This syllabus is subject to improvements & minor changes & corrections.

Course Description

Your learning in this 3-credit hour course is business communications. Our focus is four areas: relating, writing, speaking and teaming. This course is classified as Writing Intensive Speaking Intensive. Emphasis is on verbal/nonverbal strategies with persuasive, negative, interpersonal, intercultural, and presentations skills. Additional topics include job search skills and teamwork. Course prerequisites are junior standing and admission to approved program. Prerequisites are reviewed by the Office of Undergraduate Student Services and the Registrar’s office.

This is a performance-based class. Your knowledge and skills improve through practice. You are graded on your performance activities, not on effort.

As I present the course material, I will help you with the application, but you are ultimately responsible for learning the material. The course grading gets harder as we progress.

You are graded on what you say (content) and how you say it (delivery). Excellence in grammar & mechanics is expected in all communications (emails, individual assignments & group assignments).

Course Requirements:

·Course text: Writing That Works, Communicating Effectively on the Job, 9th Edition, Walter Oliu, Charles Brusaw, Gerald Alred. Bedford/St. Martin’s, ISBN: 10: 0-312-44844-9 or ISBN: 13: 978-0-312-44844-8.

·Course text: Download the ebook from the UNCG library at http://www.bartleby.com/141/. This text by Strunk & White, although written some time ago, is wonderful at teaching paragraphing. Please review this book for information to advance your writing.

·Blackboard and computer proficiency

·Academic integrity. You are expected to adhere to the UNCG Honor Code which can be found at http://academicintegrity.uncg.edu/complete. Plagiarism violations are handled according to policy.

·Please review the faculty/student guidelines at http://www.uncg.edu/bae/faculty_student_guidelines_sp07.pdf.

Educational Objectives:

At the end of the course, every student should be able to…

·Understand the importance of effective communication skills in the workplace.

·Identify communication strategies for business situations.

·Create responses to communication problems.

·Conduct research for evidence-based writings and presentations.

·Use accurate documentation of sources.

·Practice work place team behaviors.

·Write concise and organized documents using the appropriate format.

·Use the eight-step writing process.

·Write reports based on evaluation of data.

·Develop effective messages.

·Demonstrate effective oral presentation skills with verbal & nonverbal proficiencies.

Classroom Attitudes

The course demands active learning. We will engage in exercises, group discussions, and classroom reporting.

My classroom is run like a business meeting. At this point in your career, your attitude is more important than your knowledge. I expect you to have a professional attitude.

No late work is accepted. No make-up presentations are given. No makeup tests.

When you email me, use what you are being taught. I expect a well-crafted email. If you write poorly, I may respond with an email asking you to recompose your message.

Like your boss, I expect you to follow instructions.

You will receive feedback on your writing and speaking. View this feedback as a gift to grow in your skills instead of personal criticism. You will learn more if you do not let any feelings of resistance keep you from listening and applying the feedback.

Some assignments are delivered verbally only – just like business. I may reminder you, I may not; be responsible.

My Teaching Philosophy

I value excellence (and fun) in the classroom and the professional world. Do not mistake my relaxed approach for a relaxed standard; I insist on performance excellence (your boss or client will expect no less).

I value integrity. Integrity is the cornerstone of good character and ethical business practice; therefore, it is foundational in my classroom. I expect you to be honest, respectful, and willing to admit when you are wrong.

I am a consultant (and former executive). As a consultant, I share everything I know with my clients; I hold nothing back. I believe by the time my client applies what I currently know, I will have moved on to the next level. I offer the same thing to my students.

Inappropriate Behavior

No laptops, cell phones, or electronic devices are permitted in this class.

No chatting will be permitted during class.

No hats or caps may be worn during class.

No student may sit in a seat other than the one assigned.

No student will be admitted late to the class.

Any behavior that is inappropriate for a business meeting will not be permitted in this class.

Any student who violates these behavior rules will be dropped from the course.

Learning Activities & Grading Percentages

Writing Assignments (Individual, Peer-reviewed) 40%

1 – “How to” Letter

2 – Persuasive Letter

3 - Resume

4 - Negative Letter

Speaking assignments

1 – Individual 10%

2 – Group (Chapter Presenation) 10%

Exams

Mid-Term Exam 15% Final Exam - write direct/indirect 15%

Participation & Contribution the Class 10%

Writing Assignments

What you say is as important as how you say it.

·  All submissions are to have your full name and section number. For example, diannegarrett01.

·  I give feedback. Learn to welcome the information. Take the feedback as a gift and improve. Grades “A” & “F’ get less feedback; grades of “B” & “C’ get the most feedback. I do not bring attention to every single error. I am your boss or client, not your editor. You are to inspect your paper for recurrences of the same mention.

I will use this numbering system for your writing feedback.

Number / Item / Description
1 / Wordiness / Using too many words to make your point
2 / Flow - organization & transitioning / Needs to be easily readable
3 / Tone off / Emotional tone is inappropriate
4 / Awkward
5 / Paragraphing / Paragraphs too long, short, poorly organized
6 / Punctuation / Missing or inappropriate use
7 / Grammar/mechanics
8 / Not ‘pretty on the page’ / Inappropriate formatting, white space, etc.
9 / Vary sentence lengths / Sentences too long or too similar
10 / Poor word choices

·  All written work must be double-spaced.

·  These writings, as in business, are an exercise in the balance of following directions and innovation.

·  You will be assigned peers and a team. You are encouraged to discuss strategy and be each other’s editor. Collaboration is important business behavior. However, I caution you – each individual paper is to be an individual’s paper.

·  A requirement of this course is all work is to be in at least three paragraphs (intro, body & conclusion). (The body information may be more than one paragraph.) If you submit a work outside of this requirement, you will get an automatic “F.”

·  Submit your assignments as instructed. I require a hard copy at the beginning of class. Email is not acceptable, unless I give you special permission.

·  You are required to visit the Speaking Center for group practice.

Speaking Assignments

Each student will have three experiences in front of the classroom. Two are graded. You are graded on what you say and how you say it.

·Impromptu

·Individual Informative Speech

·Group Persuasive Speech (one chapter from the book)

·You are required to visit The Speaking Center for oral presentation practice on your group persuasive speech assignment.

Mid-Term & Final Exams

Your mid-term and final exams are writing submissions with two separate writings. You will be presented with a case and you are to write one message in the direct approach and one message in the indirect approach.

Excel Spreadsheets

You are required to have an Excel spreadsheet as a component of at least one of your written assignments.

Grading

The course learnings are built on one another. If you do not understand a particular principle or concept, it will affect your performance later in the course.

Feedback will be in writing. If you have questions regarding an assignment, ask within one week of the return of the grade, NOT at the end of course. Any grading appeals will only be considered in the form of a well-crafted written document that includes supporting evidence for the requested change. No grading appeals will be accepted after one week.

Matrix

A+ / Promoted & mentored by the boss – offered stock options (C-level potential) / 98 – 100
A / Promotion track with a mentor / 93 – 97
A- / Promotion track / 90 – 92
B / Promotion considered with more improvement / 82 – 89
C / Maintain current status-promotion unlikely / 72 - 81
F / Fired / Less than 72

Writing Rubric

A - Excellent B - Good C - Fair D – N/A F – Unacceptable

Understood the assignment – Great product / Understood – good product / Okay product / Not acceptable
Content rich / Content acceptable / Content fair (too much, too little)
Free of grammatical error / Unaffecting grammatical errors / A few errors that impact message
At least 3 paragraphs / At least 3 paragraphs / At least 3 paragraphs / Less than 3 paragraphs
Strong thesis & set up / Good thesis / Somewhat vague thesis
Great organization/flow / Good organization/flow / Fair organization/flow

Speaking Rubric

A - Excellent B - Good C - Fair D – N/A F – Unacceptable

Content rich / Content acceptable / Content fair / Didn’t do the work
Organized interesting introduction / Good introduction miss one tactic / Fair introduction – missing 2 tactics
Energetic delivery with appropriate voice & hands / Good delivery / Fair delivery
Complete engaging conclusion / Good conclusion / Fair conclusion

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“If you think a teacher is tough, try a boss.” Bill Gates