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COURSE SYLLABUS

BUS 217 Business Communications and Report Writing

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8.

LECTURE OUTLINE*

 

PRETEST AND REVIEW OF PRETEST - 2 hours

 

I.

Students complete the grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and style pretest

 

II.

Students review the pretest results and related rules

 

CHAPTER 1 – COMMUNICATING AT WORK - 2 hours

 

I.

Ensuring That You Succeed in the New Workplace

 

II.

Examining the Process of Communication

 

III.

Overcoming Interpersonal Communication Barriers

 

IV.

Communicating in Organizations

V.

Improving the Flow of Information in Organizations

 

VI.

Facing Increasing Ethical Challenges

 

VII.

Strengthening Your Communication Skills

 

VIII.

Summary of Learning Objectives

 

CHAPTER 2 – COMMUNICATING IN SMALL GROUPS AND TEAMS - 2 hours

 

I.

Preparing to Work With Groups and Teams

 

II.

Understanding Team Development and Roles

 

III.

Characteristics of Successful Teams

 

IV.

Checklist for Developing Team Effectiveness

 

V.

Organizing Team-Based Written and Oral Presentations

 

VI.

Planning and Participating in Productive Meetings

VII. Checklist for Planning and Participating in Productive Meetings
VIII. Using GroupWare to Manage Projects, Facilitate Meetings and Make Decisions
IX. Strengthening Your Teamwork Skills Now
X. Summary of Learning Objectives
CHAPTER 3 WORKPLACE LISTENING AND NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
I. Listening in the Workplace
II. The Listening Process and Its Barriers
III. Improving Workplace Listening
IV. Checklist for Improving Workplace Listening
V. Communicating Through Nonverbal Messages
VI. Checklist of Techniques for Improving Nonverbal Communication skills in the Workplace
VII. Summary of Learning Objectives

 

CHAPTER 4 – COMMUNICATING ACROSS CULTURES - 2 hours

 

I.

The Increasing Importance of Intercultural Communication

 

II.

Understanding Culture

 

III.

Achieving Intercultural Sensitivity

 

IV.

Improving Communication With Intercultural Audiences

V.

Checklist for Improving Intercultural Sensitivity and Communication

VI.

Coping With Intercultural Ethics

VII.

Capitalizing on Workforce Diversity

VIII.

Gender Tension

IX.

Summary of Learning Objectives

 

Test - Chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4 (1 hour)

UNIT 4 REPORTS AND PROPOSALS

 

CHAPTER 12 - PREPARING TO WRITE BUSINESS REPORTS - 2 hours

 

I.

Understanding Report Basics

 

II.

Applying the 3 X 3 Writing Process to Reports

 

III.

Gathering Information From Secondary Sources

IV. Gathering Information From Primary Data
V. Illustrating Data
VI. Documenting Data
VII. Summary of Learning Objectives

 

IV.

Generating Primary Data

 

CHAPTER 13 - ORGANIZING AND WRITING TYPICAL  BUSINESS REPORTS - 2 hours

 

I.

Interpreting Data

II. Drawing Conclusions and Making Recommendations

 

III.

Organizing Data

IV. Writing Informational Reports

 

V.

Checklist For Writing Informational Reports

 

VI.

Writing Analytical Reports

VII. Checklist For Writing Analytical Reports
VIII. Summary of Learning Objectives

 

CHAPTER 14 - PROPOSALS AND FORMAL REPORTS - 2 hours

 

I.

Preparing Formal and Informal Proposals

 

II.

Checklist for Writing Proposals

 

III.

Writing Formal Reports

 

IV.

Checklist for Preparing Formal Reports

 

V.

Summary of Learning Objectives

 

Test - Chapters 12, 13 and 14 (1 hour)

 

UNIT 2 - THE WRITING PROCESS

 

CHAPTER 5 – PREPARING TO WRITE BUSINESS MESSAGES - 2 hours

 

I.

Approaching the Writing Process Systematically

 

II.

Web Pages

 

III.

Analyzing the Task

 

IV.

Anticipating the Audience

 

V.

Adapting to the Task and Audience

VI.

Checklist for Adapting a Message to Its Audience

VII.

Adapting to Legal Responsibilities

VIII.

Summary of Learning Objectives

 

CHAPTER 6 – ORGANIZING AND WRITING BUSINESS MESSAGES - 2 hours

 

I.

Researching Data and Generating Ideas

 

II.

Organizing Data

 

III.

Organizing Ideas into Patterns

IV.

Composing the First Draft

V.

Checklist for Composing Sentences and Paragraphs

VI.

Summary of Learning Objectives

 

CHAPTER 7 – REVISING BUSINESS MESSAGES - 2 hours

 

I.

Revising Messages

 

II.

Revising for Vigor and Directness

 

III.

Revising for Readability

 

IV.

Checklist for Revising Messages

 

V.

Proofreading for the Finishing Touch

 

VI.

Evaluating the Product

 

VII.

Summary of Learning Objectives

 

Test - Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7 (1 hour)

 

UNIT 3 - LETTERS AND MEMOS

 

CHAPTER 8 – ROUTINE E-MAIL MESSAGES AND MEMOS  - 2 hours

I. Getting Results Trhough Well-Written E-Mail Message and Memos

 

II.

Using E-Mail Safely and Effectively

 

III.

Kinds of Internal Messages

 

IV.

Checklist for Writing Routine  E-Mail Messages and Memos 

V. Summary of Learning Objectives

 

CHAPTER 9 – ROUTINE LETTERS AND GOODWILL MESSAGES - 2 hours

 

I.

Strategies for Routine Letters

 

II.

Direct Request Letters

 

III.

Checklist for Writing Direct Requests

IV.

Direct Reply Letters

V.

Checklist for Writing Direct Replies

VI.

Writing Winning Goodwill Messages

VII.

Checklist for Writing Goodwill Messages

VIII. Writing International Letters
IV. Summary of Learning Objectives

 

CHAPTER 10  - PERSUASIVE AND SALES MESSAGES

I.

Persuasive Requests

II.

Writing Successful Persuasive Reports

III.

Checklist for Making Persuasive Requests

IV.

Planning and Composing Sales Messages

V.

Checklist for Writing Sales Letters

VI

Developing Persuasive News Releases

VII.

Summary of Learning Objectives

CHAPTER 11 – NEGATIVE MESSAGES - 2 hours

I.

Strategies for Delivering Bad News

II.

Techniques for Delivering Bad News Sensitively

III.

Refusing Routine Requests

IV. Checklist for Refusing Routine Requests
V.

Sending Bad News to Customers

VI.

Checklist for Delivering Bad News to Customers

VII.

Delivering Bad News Within Organizations

VIII.

Checklist for Delivering Bad News Within Organizations

IX.

Presenting Bad News in Other Cultures

X. Summary of Learning Objectives

 

Test - Chapters  8, 9, 10 and 11 (1 hour)

 

UNIT 5 – PRESENTATIONS

 

CHAPTER 15 – SPEAKING SKILLS - 2 hours

I.

Preparing an Effective Oral Presentation

II.

Organizing the Content

III. Building Audience Rapport
IV.

Planning Visual Aids and Handouts

V.

Designing an Electronic Presentation

VI.

Polishing Your Delivery and Following Up

VII.

Adapting to International and Cross-Cultural Audiences

VIII.

Checklist for Preparing and Organizing Oral Presentations

IX.

Improving Telephone and Voice Mail Skills

X.

Summary of Learning Objectives

 

CHAPTER 16 – EMPLOYMENT COMMUNICATION - 2 hours

I.

Preparing for Employment

II.

The Persuasive Résumé

III.

Preparing for Computer Scanning

IV.

Faxing or E-Mailing Your Résumé

V.

Checklist for Writing a Persuasive Résumé

VI.

The Persuasive Letter of Application

VII.

Checklist for Writing a Persuasive Letter of Application

VIII.

Follow-Up Letters and Other Employment Documents

IX.

Interviewing for Employment

X.

Summary of Learning Objectives

 

INSTRUCTION ON THE USE OF POWERPOINT - 3 hours

I.

Planning the Presentation

II.

Choosing an Effective Background

III.

Adding Transition and Build Effects

IV.

Limiting the Amount of Information on Each Slide

V.

Using the PowerPoint Presentation Effectively

 

ORAL PRESENTATIONS BY STUDENTS - 3 hours

 

I.

Students will make an oral presentation of their business report using PowerPoint

 

II.

Students will be limited to 5 - 7 minutes for the presentation

 

III.

The other students in the class using an oral report evaluation form will evaluate students.

 

(All time lines are approximate.)

* Unit objectives will be given by the instructor as they are discussed.  All testing will be on these objectives only.