Zahed Mannan
Professor of Management
Indicative Content
Midterm Exam
Introduction to Communication
Meaning- Communication Situation, Communication cycle, Importance of effective communication in business, Objectives of communication, Barriers to communication.
Types of Communication
Downward Communication-Main objectives of downward communication, Media for downward communication, Limitations of downward communication, Essentials of effective downward communication, Upward communication-Importance of upward communication, Methods of upward communication, Limitations of upward communication, Essentials of effective upward communication, Horizontal communication, Grapevine-How the grapevines operates, Importance & limitations of grapevine. How to use the grapevine effectively, Consensus-The consensus process, Advantages & limitations of consensus.
Media of communication
Written communication- Merits & limitations, Oral communication- Merits & limitations, Audio-Visual communication- Merits & limitations, Non-verbal communication- Merits & limitations.
Written Communication
(A) Fundamentals of Business writing-Adaptation & the selection of words, Construction of clear sentences & paragraphs, writing for effect.
(B) Basic pattern of Business Messages- Directness in good news & neutral situations, the process of writing, Plan of the presentation, Routine inquiries, Inquiries about people, general favorable responses, personal evaluations, Adjustments, Grants, other acknowledgements, claims, orders, indirectness in bad-News messages-Situations requiring indirectness, Refused request, Adjustment Refusals, Credit Refusals. Indirectness in persuasion & sales messages-Need for indirectness in persuasion, Persuasive requests, value of Sales writing, structure of the sales letter.
(C) Pattern Variations in collections, memorandums & e-mail-The collection series, The nature of memorandum, Direct memorandums, Indirect (bad-news) memorandums, The growth & nature of e-mail, Construction of e-mail messages.
(D) Strategies in the Job-Search Process- The job search, preparing the application documents, constructing the resume, writing the application, Letter.
Oral communication
Informal talking, Listening, Interviewing people, Conducting & participating in meetings, Using the telephone, Making formal Spaces, Team(collaborative) presentations, reporting orally.
Audio-Visual Communication: Types of aids, How to make audio-visual communication effective.
MBA 903: Business Communication
This course is designed to give students a comprehensive view of communication, its scope and importance in business, and the role of communication in establishing a favorable outside the firm environment, as well as an effective internal communications program. The various types of business communication media are covered. This course also develops an awareness of the importance of succinct written expression to modern business communication. Critical thinking and problem solving skills are emphasized. Development of these skills is integrated with the use of technology.
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
1. Understand the fundamental principles of effective business communication;
2. Apply the critical and creative thinking abilities necessary for effective communication in today's business world;
3. Organize and express ideas in writing and speaking to produce messages suitably tailored for the topic, objective, audience, communication medium and context; and
4. Demonstrate clarity, precision, conciseness and coherence in your use of language.
Recommended Text Book: Raymond V. Lesikar, J. D. Pettit, Jr., Marie E. Flatley, Basic Business Communication.
Supplementary Reading List (Optional where appropriate)
Courtland L. Bovee, J. V. Thill (2010). Business Communication Today, 10th Edition, Pearson Publication
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Final Exam
Non-Verbal Communication
Nature of non- verbal communication, Types of non- verbal communication- Body language, Space, time, paralanguage, other types of non- verbal communication.
Fundamentals of report writing
Definition, Characteristics & types or reports, determining the report purpose, determining the factors, Gathering the information needed, Interpreting the findings, organizing the report information, Writing the report, Collaborative report writing. An overview of report structure- Characteristics of the shorter reports, Forms of shorter reports, Special reports forms, Organization & content of the longer reports- The prefatory parts, The report proper, Structural coherence helpers, The long analytical report, Planning the graphics, Placing the graphics in the report, determining the general mechanics of construction, Constructing textual graphics, Constructing visual graphics, Using computer graphics.
Technology-Enabled Communication
Tools for constructing messages, Tools for presenting messages, Tools for transmitting messages, Tools for collaboration.
Correctness of Communication
The nature of correctness, Standards for punctuation, Standards for grammar, standards for use of numbers, Selling, Capitalization.
Commercial terms & Abbreviations, Handling of Mail, filling & indexing
Handling of inward & outward mail, Filling & indexing systems- Essentials, classification, methods, Horizontal Vs vertical filling, Centralized Vs decentralized filling, Indexing- types, advantages & disadvantages.