BUCO 533: Managing Communication in Organizations



University of Southern California

Marshall School of Business

MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

BUCO 533, Spring 2010

SECTION 15235, ACC 236

Course Syllabus

Professor: Donna J. Miles

Office: Accounting 400D (ACC 400D)

Phone: (213) 740-0449

E-mail: donna.miles@marshall.usc.edu

Office hours: Mondays, 4:00-6:00pm or by appointment

Required Texts: Type Talk at Work, Otto Kroeger & Janet Thuesen, Dell, 2002

Why Business People Speak Like Idiots, Fugere, Hardaway & Warshawky, Free Press, 2005

The Articulate Executive in Action: How the Best Leaders Get Things Done, Granville N. Toogood, McGraw Hill, 2005

Now, Discover Your Strengths, Marcus Buckingham & Donald O. Cliffton, The Free Press, 2001 (BE SURE TO BUY NEW!)

                            

(The books listed above are the only required texts for the course. The books listed below are not required but are listed here only as suggested references.)

Suggested Text: Speak Like A CEO: Secrets for Commanding Attention

& Getting Results, Suzanne Bates, Mc-Graw Hill, 2005

Please Understand Me II: Temperament, Character, Intelligence, David Keirsey, Prometheus Nemesis Book Company, 1998

Strengths Based Leadership, Tom Rath & Barry Conchie,

Gallup Press, 2008

Reference Texts: Guide to Managerial Communication: Effective Business Writing & Speaking, Mary Munter, Prentice Hall, 2003, 7th Edition

The Articulate Executive, Granville N. Toogood, McGraw-Hill, 1996

Course Overview

No matter what your career goals may be, the levels of success you achieve will depend

on your ability to communicate and influence others. Successful business people are adept at strategically managing communication in organizational settings. The men and women at the top of quality organizations throughout the world are skillful communicators. Almost without exception leaders are recognized for their ability to write well, to speak dynamically and persuasively, and to cultivate strong relationships through interpersonal communication skills. This course is designed to help you polish those skills.

Course Objectives

• Develop strategies to manage organizational communication at all levels

• Deliver engaging and powerful presentations to various business audiences

• Analyze corporate communication issues from the perspective of executives and managers

• Consult with a client and analyze strategic communication issues in their organization

• Hone your persuasive skills and ability to influence others

• Fine tune your interpersonal, conflict resolution, and negotiation skills

• Use the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to help you communicate effectively

and manage your career

Attendance

This is a very experiential and skills based class. Your attendance and participation is

critical to your success. Participation with your teammates and in class is a significant

portion of your grade, so I expect you to attend every class and participate fully.

If you are unable to attend class for any reason, please email me and your

teammates before class so we can deal effectively with the situation.

Grading

Individual Presentations & Memo 35%

Team Final Project & Team Engagement Letter 35%

ELC Experiential Exercises 10%

Team Participation & Contribution 10%

Class Contribution 10%

Assignments

This class is designed to both teach skills and impart knowledge. To accomplish these objectives, we have three main themes:

Self Management

Team Management

Organizational Management

First, we’ll discuss these three themes. Throughout the course you will have every opportunity to enhance your self management skills and increase your “emotional intelligence” --- a critical success factor in today’s complex business landscape. You will also have ample opportunity to share your ideas, test a position, and engage in a dialogue about how managers, consultants, salespeople, entrepreneurs and other business professionals can solve communication problems in organizations. You’ll be working on a semester-long group project with professionals in an organization for your final major assignment to practically apply your ideas and theories to a real world situation.

Second, you’ll deliver individual and group presentations in a business environment. Through these activities, along with substantial feedback from your peers and me, you will increase your speaking ability. Also, by offering feedback to your fellow students, your ability to evaluate content and delivery will increase, as will your effectiveness as a presenter. And by providing constructive feedback to your peers and receiving valuable feedback from your classmates and me, you will fine tune your interpersonal skills.

Third, you’ll produce written documents that will give you an opportunity to enhance your skills as a business writer.

Fourth, you’ll participate in experiential activities and structured business simulations in the ELC. Through these activities, you will improve your ability to deal with common business communication situations, such as negotiations, group decision-making, managing difficult people, conflict resolution, and interpersonal dynamics.

Fifth, there will be a final group activity in which you and some of your peers will form a group to engage in a strategic communication consulting project. I’ll work with each group to make sure that everyone stays on track and that we deal with any concerns before they become major issues. Each team will acquire and work with a for-profit or not-for-profit client for most of the semester. The final deliverables will be a team presentation to the client and a written report.

You will receive a class schedule at the beginning of the semester that will outline in detail all the activities for the semester and the assignments.

Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is that this is our class. I’ll give you frequent feedback on your progress. Please remember, though, that I also need feedback. Specifically, please share your ideas, comments, and concerns about how the class can be a better learning environment for everyone.

Also, I believe this class should be a workshop, meaning that it’s OK for people to make mistakes. I would much rather have you present a viewpoint with clarity and passion and make a few errors than for you to stay in your “comfort zone” and not learn. But for this philosophy to work, we all need to create a supportive and encouraging environment.

Course Communication

We will be using the Blackboard Course Management System to facilitate communication during the semester. Please check Blackboard frequently for announcements and materials. I post all the course materials to the Course Information Area in Blackboard. I can also be reached via my email at donna.miles@marshall.usc.edu. I often forget to check my voicemail at my school phone number, 213-740-0449, so the best way to contact me is through email. I check email every day.

Students with Disabilities

“Any student requesting academic accommodation based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30am-5:00pm, Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is 213-740-0776.

Academic Integrity

The following information on academic integrity, dishonesty, and the grading standard are placed here at the recommendation of the School of Business Administration Faculty and are taken from the Faculty Handbook.

“The University, as an instrument of learning, is predicated on the existence of an environment of integrity. As members of the academic community, faculty, students, and administrative officials share the responsibility for maintaining this environment. Faculty have the primary responsibility for establishing and maintaining an atmosphere and attitude of academic integrity such that the enterprise may flourish in an open and honest way. Students share this responsibility for maintaining standards of academic performance and classroom behavior conducive to the learning process. Administrative officials are responsible for the establishment and maintenance of procedures to support and enforce those academic standards. Thus, the entire University community bears the responsibility for maintaining an environment of integrity and for taking appropriate action to sanction individuals involved in any violation. When there is a clear indication that such individuals are unwilling or unable to support these standards, they should not be allowed to remain in the University.” (Faculty Handbook, 1994: 20)cademic dishonesty includes: (Faculty Handbook, 1994: 21-22)

1. Examination behavior - any use of external assistance during an examination shall be considered academically dishonest unless expressly permitted by the teacher.

2. Fabrication - any intentional falsification or invention of data or citation in an academic exercise will be considered a violation of academic integrity.

3. Plagiarism - the appropriation and subsequent passing off of another’s ideas or words as one’s own. If the words or ideas of another are used, acknowledgment of the original source must be made through recognized referencing practices.

4. Other Types of Academic Dishonesty - submitting a paper written by or obtained from another, using a paper or essay in more than one class without the teacher’s express permission, obtaining a copy of an examination in advance without the knowledge and consent of the teacher, changing academic records outside of normal procedures and/or petitions, using another person to complete homework assignments or take-home exams without the knowledge or consent of the teacher.

The use of unauthorized material, communication with fellow students during an examination, attempting to benefit from the work of another student, and similar behavior that defeats the intent of an examination or other class work is unacceptable to the University. It is often difficult to distinguish between a culpable act and inadvertent behavior resulting from the nervous tensions accompanying examinations. Where a clear violation has occurred, however, the instructor may disqualify the student’s work as unacceptable and assign a failing mark on the paper.

University Schedule Spring 2010

Classes Begin January 11

Martin Luther King’s Birthday January 18

President’s Day February 15

Spring Recess March 15-20

Classes End April 30

 

 

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