Business Administration 200: Managerial Communication

Fall 2009

Dr. Jie Wang, Department of Managerial Studies

Office: 2104 University Hall, (312) 413-4433, jiewang@uic.edu

Hours: 2:00-3:00 MWF and by appointment

DESCRIPTION

This course introduces the fundamentals of communication in a corporate environment. The topics to be discussed include, but are not limited to, audience analysis, research methods, organization, drafting, revising, presentation, and visual aids. We will analyze and write essential types of business documents such as memoranda, letters, proposals, and reports. We will also report our research findings in class presentations.

TEXTBOOK

Mary Ellen Guffey. Business Communication, 6th ed. Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2008. (The book cover should indicate "For Professor Jie Wang's Managerial Communication course"; ISBN: 978-0-324-83078-1.)

The Wall Street Journal (recommended)

EQUIPMENT

One mini-DVD-R or mini-DVD-RW (available from the UIC bookstore and any store where camcorders are sold).

REQUIREMENTS

Course requirements include active class participation and contribution as well as on-time completion of a series of writing and presentation assignments. To ensure fairness, late assignments will incur a penalty (two points for each class period it is late), and daily exercises not submitted when requested will not be accepted.

As part of class preparation, the student should finish reading the chapter assigned prior to coming to class. In addition, the student is expected to read leading business publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Fortune magazine on a regular basis to keep up to date on the latest business news and issues.

Because sharing ideas is a crucial part of our learning process, you are expected to attend all classes and actively participate in and contribute to our discussions as well as revision and evaluation efforts. For every two unexcused absences, your course grade may be lowered by one letter grade. In the case of an emergency, evidence must be presented upon returning to class. If your proof (such as a physician's note on official stationery) is accepted, that absence will be disregarded in the final grade determination.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

Week 1 (8/24, 8/26, 8/28)

M Course introduction

W Chapter 1: Communicating in Today's Workplace

F Criterion introduction and registration: http://criterion.ets.org

Student guide for using Criterion

Be sure to select a user name and password that you can remember; multiple registrations will incur multiple charges to the university.

Meet in computer lab (2249 SEL)

Week 2 (8/31, 9/2, 9/4)

M Three-to-five-minute infomercial about yourself (personal background, focusing on education, work experience, and career goals)
Transcript of sample infomercial

W Three-to-five-minute infomercial continued

F Chapter 7: E-mail Messages and Memos

Week 3 (9/7, 9/9, 9/11)

M Labor Day - No class

W In-class communication practice

F       Criterion assignment No. 1
         Assignment directions
       Meet in computer lab (2249 SEL)

Week 4 (9/14, 9/16, 9/18)

M Chapter 2: Developing Team, Listening, and Etiquette Skills
Memo for revision

W Electronic resources: Internet research on companies
List of Chicagoland-based companies; click here for a sample

F      Company profiles (sample)
        Meet in computer lab (2249 SEL)
        Memo due

Week 5 (9/21, 9/23, 9/25)

M      Chapter 3: Communicating Across Cultures
          WSJ article about cultural differences (high- vs. low-context cultures)
          Case study: How the Oreo became the No. 1 biscuit maker in China
          Cultural difference research assignment due
          Submit to Criterion before today's class (Criterion assignment No. 2).
W      Speaker: Why internship matters and how you can get one
F       Chapter 8: Positive Letters and Messages
         Click here for a traditional-format sample
     Click here for a block-format sample
         Letter-writing tips
         Directions for company information request letter

Week 6 (9/28, 9/30, 10/2)

M Chapter 9: Persuasive and Sales Messages

        Extra-credit language challenge available today
W    Online research resources for term project
        Meet in Electronic Learning Lab, first floor of main library

F Chapter 10: Negative Messages

Week 7 (10/5, 10/7, 10/9)

M Chapter 11: Business Report Basics

W    Recorded 10-to-15-minute Wall Street Journal presentations, followed by Q&A
        Bring mini-DVD
        Team presentation assessment memo due on the day of your individual conference (WSJ presentation evaluation sample)
        Click here for assignment directions
        Click here for a PowerPoint sample
        Presentation tips

F     Recorded 10-to-15-minute Wall Street Journal presentations continued
        Bring mini-DVD
        Team presentation assessment memo due on the day of your individual conference (WSJ presentation evaluation sample)
        Click here for assignment directions
        Click here for a PowerPoint sample
        Presentation tips

Week 8 (10/12, 10/14, 10/16)

M   Recorded 10-to-15-minute Wall Street Journal presentations continued
        Bring mini-DVD
        Team presentation assessment memo due on the day of your individual conference (WSJ presentation evaluation sample)
        Click here for assignment directions
        Click here for a PowerPoint sample
        Presentation tips

W Test 1 (covering Chapters 1 to 11)

F      Individual conferences
        Bring letter to company and Wall Street Journal presentation team evaluation memo
        Teamwork on term project work plan (sample)

Week 9 (10/19, 10/21, 10/23)

M    Individual conferences
        Bring letter to company and Wall Street Journal presentation team evaluation memo
        Teamwork on term project work plan (sample)
W    Individual conferences
        Bring letter to company and Wall Street Journal presentation team evaluation memo
        Teamwork on term project work plan (sample)
F      Teamwork: finalizing term project work plan

Click here for a work plan sample

Week 10 (10/26, 10/28, 10/30)

M Chapter 13: Proposals and Formal Reports
Term paper instructions

         Chapter 14: Business Presentations
         Click here for a professional PowerPoint presentation sample
         Click here for a student PowerPoint presentation sample
         Click here for another student PowerPoint presentation sample

         Final team project work plan memo due
W     Creating professional PowerPoint slides
        Meet in computer lab (2249 SEL)

Create these slides in PowerPoint
Click here for a PowerPoint tutorial

F Chapter 15: Résumés and Cover Messages

Week 11 (11/2, 11/4, 11/6)

M    Chapter 16: Interviewing and Follow-up
        Guest speaker Jaime Velasquez: Interview Techniques
W    Business communication video (Hint: helpful for Test 2)

F Teamwork

Week 12 (11/9, 11/11, 11/13)

M    Report on interview with a professional in your field
        Click here for sample informational interview questions
    Click here for a PowerPoint Presentation sample
    Click here for a second PowerPoint presentation sample
        Presentation tips

W Report on interview with a professional in your field continued
Presentation tips

F Report on interview with a professional in your field continued
Presentation tips

Week 13 (11/16, 11/18, 11/20)

M      Review/revision of final presentation visual aids
         Click here for a professional PowerPoint presentation sample
         Click here for a student PowerPoint presentation sample
         Click here for another student PowerPoint presentation sample
         Meet in computer lab (2249 SEL)

W Criterion assignment No. 3
Meet in computer lab (2249 SEL)

F Final presentations
Presentation tips

Week 14 (11/23, 11/25, 11/27)

M Final presentations
Presentation tips

W Final presentations
Presentation tips

F Day after Thanksgiving - No class

Week 15 (11/30, 12/2, 12/4)

M Test 2 (covering Chapters 1 to 16)

W Course review/summary

F In-class assignment

         Term paper due
         Click here for term paper instructions
         Click here for a sample term paper
       Click here for MLA documentation guidelines
         Teamwork evaluation

                                     Course Grade* Components

Assignment	Points
Memo	10
Letter	10
Wall Street Journal report	10
Professional interview report	10
Other assignments	15
Test 1	20
Test 2	25
Final presentation	20
Term paper	20
Class participation and contribution	10
Junior Achievement project (optional)	0-6

* Grades and their significance:

A: Outstanding (at the very top of the class)

B: Superior (exceeding expectations)

C: Average (meeting expectations)

D: Below average (passing)

F: Failing

Return to main page