Management Communication
B45.2100
SAMPLE SYLLABUS
Course Overview
This course combines lecture, discussion and presentation. Its subject is communication
as it applies to managers in organizations. This course will help you to analyze
audiences, develop arguments, and test your ability to persuade in writing and speaking.
Course work will involve both persuasive and expressive writing, individual and group
presentation, class discussion and voluntary exercises designed to. This course will also
help you to:

Prepare for summer internships through business communication instruction.

Understand communication strategy as an element of effective leadership,
business strategy, and management.
Required Materials and Text



Munter and Russell, Guide to Presentations, Prentice Hall, 2001. Available at
Stern Bookstore. We’ve arranged for another book to be bundled at no cost to
you, Baney’s Guide to Interpersonal Communication, Prentice Hall 2004.
One standard VHS Videotape
The SEC Plain English Handbook (free at http://www.sec.gov/pdf/handbook.pdf )
Pre-Work
1. Read Guide to Presentations, Chapters 1-2.
2. Read and prepare to discuss Packaging Supply Company Case (PSC Case.) You
can find it in Blackboard under “Course Documents.”
Grading
Your final grade will be based on both class participation and your completion of the
following assignments:
Item Description
Session
Benchmark Presentation (Individual)
2
Video Self-Evaluation (Individual)
Post 2
Feb. 10
*
Informative Presentation
4
Feb. 17
10%
Persuasive Presentation
6
March 3
10%
PSC Case Report – Draft (Individual)
6
March 3
*
PSC Case Report – Final (Individual)
8
March
23
10 %
Impromptu Presentation
9
March
30
5%
Performance on final project (Individual)
12-13
April
20/27
20 %
Performance on final project (Team)
12-13
April
20/27
15 %
May 4
20 %
Final Report (Individual)
Participation (includes * items above)
Due date
Weight
*
Throughout course
10 %
Grade Values (as published in the Stern Bulletin, p. 123)
A
4.0
B2.7
D
1.0
A3.7
C+
2.3
F
0
B+
3.3
C
2.0
B
3.0
D+
1.3
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Business Communication Agenda
1.
Pre-work
1/27/04
Read PSC Case; Read Guide to Presentations, Chaps. 1-2
Course Introduction – Communication Strategy
In-class discussion of the PSC Case
2.
2/03/04
3.
2/10/04
4.
2/17/04
tent
5.
2/19/04
4:30 - 6
2/24/04
Individual Benchmark Presentations
See assignment section
Delivery techniques / Using Visual Aids
Read Guide to Presentations, Chaps.5 and 6
Informational Presentation
See assignment section
Optional session on Interview Communication – panel of employers
6.
3/02/04
7.
3/09/04
8.
3/23/04
Tent
9.
03/25/04
4:30 – 6
3/30/04
10.
4/06/04
11.
4/13/04
12.
4/20/04
13.
4/27/04
14.
5/4/04
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Persuasion and the Organization of Ideas
Discussion of writing assignment
Read Guide to Presentations, Chaps. 3 and 4
Persuasive Presentations
See assignment section
Due: First Draft of PSC Case
Informal Business Communication – listening, feedback, meetings
Read Guide to Interpersonal Communication, Chaps. 1 and 2
Spring Break
Panel Discussions and Meeting Management
See assignment section
Due: Final Draft of PSC Case
Optional session on Internship Communication – panel of alumni
Dealing with Questions/ Impromptu Presentations
Read Guide to Presentations, pp.47-51
See assignment section
Handling Challenging Questions
In-class exercise
Preparation for Final Presentation
Final Team Final Presentations
See assignment section
Final Team Presentations
See assignment section
Final Exam period – Final Paper due
Management Communication
Assignments
Session 2
Benchmark Presentation (Individual)
Goal
To enable students to “benchmark” their presentation skills and begin to get comfortable
presenting in the course.
Task
Prepare a 3-minute “benchmark” oral presentation. Choose one of the following topics:
 Tell us about the best or worst business advice you ever received.
 Describe an event at work that involved a communication breakdown.
Deliverable
Deliver your presentation. This presentation will be videotaped for your benefit, but is
not graded. It is a portion of your participation grade.
Post Session 2.
Video Self-Evaluation (Individual)
Goal
To analyze your strengths and weaknesses in presentations.
Tasks
Read “How to Review Your Videotape” (available on Blackboard.)
Download and complete the “Self-Evaluation Form” (available on Blackboard.)
Deliverable
Submit your completed self-evaluation via e-mail by the date indicated on page two.
Session 4
Informative Presentation
Goal
To allow you build upon your benchmark evaluation and begin enhancing your
presentation delivery. You will present with a partner, and again be video-taped and have
the chance for in-class as well as individual feedback if you wish.
Task
Assume you work as an analyst for a ‘boutique’ Wall Street investment firm. You and
your partner have been asked to present an informative presentation of no more than
seven minutes at the next staff meeting about an industry segment that the firm currently
doesn’t follow (utilities, hospitality, bio-tech, etc.).
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Management Communication
Your objective is to ‘tell not sell’ the basics of the industry and what ‘conventional
wisdom’ indicates about investing in this sector within the next year. For this assignment
it is safe to assume the audience is not hostile, but rather uninformed about this particular
segment. You can assume an informal, yet professional, approach to this presentation.
Your goal is to educate your peers on the primary forces and key terms in this sector. You
need not convince us to invest or not invest in this sector; merely educate us on what is
important to know about this field.
 What are the primary indicators of health (or lack thereof) in this sector?
 What changes will impact returns in this sector in the coming year?
 Who are the industry leaders and emerging players in this sector?
Use the Presentation Planner from Blackboard to assist your preparation. You can
find a wealth of information at the NYU Bobst Virtual Business Library
(http://www.nyu.edu/library/bobst/vbl/) including industry and analyst reports.
Deliverable
 A 7-minute presentation.
 Both team members must speak. Visual aids are required.
Session 5
Packaging Supply Case Report (Individual)
Goal
To apply the principles of effective communication and persuasion in a work-related
setting.
Task
Assume the following scenario. You are Mr. Van Dyke's new assistant vice president for
procurement. You are also the first person van Dyke has hired since Susan Wilkes left the
firm a month ago. The new position represents a significant upgrade.
Two months have passed since Van Dyke wrote to the plant managers. He asks you to
analyze the situation and wants a report that recommends a course of action. From what
you've seen, you believe Van Dyke wants the report to be no more than two pages.
Deliverable
Using standard business memo style, draft a report to Van Dyke analyzing the current
situation and making recommendations.
 First Draft: Submit to your instructor on Session 6.
 Second Draft: Submit to your instructor on Session 8.
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Management Communication
Session 6
Persuasive Presentation
Goal
To have you integrate the discussion on persuasion and in turn, sell a concept or
proposition to an audience.
Task
Prepare a persuasive presentation that convinces your audience that your proposal is valid
and should be accepted. The concept or proposition is up to you. It could involve a
product, a cause, a service—the range is wide. To do this, you will need to analyze your
audience, use appeal strategies that best match the audience’s predisposition and create a
targeted benefit statement.
Deliverable
 If working in pairs, a 7 minute presentation. Expect questions. Visual aids
required.
 If individual, 5 minutes. Expect questions. Visual aids required.
Session 8
Panel Discussion
In 3 teams, we will model panel discussions and meeting management focusing on topics
concerning the Stern School of Business. Teams will choose an appropriate topic, decide
on facilitator and participant role and respond to audience questions.
Session 9
Impromptu Presentation
Goal
To make you think on your feet and respond quickly to questions.
Task
Recall the student information form you filled out? On the first day of class you filled out
a brief form that asked you to list your hobbies and interests and some of the social issues
you care about. In class you will be asked a series of questions --anywhere from 3 to 5—
that will test your listening skills, your ability to structure an impromptu response, and
your ability to deal with difficult questions. Some of the questions will relate to the
student information form.
You will be evaluated on listening skills (attending skills and ability to paraphrase when
appropriate) and speaking skill (delivery style, structuring of responses, ability to make
answers interesting and memorable but not too long.)
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Management Communication
Session 10
Handling Hostile Inquiry
Goal
To learn the best strategies for responding to difficult questions.
In -class activity
Continuing with the topic of responding to questions, we will use specific prompts to
focus on difficult situations where the speaker needs to balance
Sessions 12-13
Final Presentations
Goal
Apply the principles of effective communication covered in the class during a sustained,
team presentation.
Task – Choose one of the following:
1. Use one Strategy case. Apply what you’ve learned in Strategy I class and what you
know about the past strategy of your chosen company case. Prepare a team presentation
to make a strategic recommendation to senior management that would help the company
enhance its competitive advantage. Your perspective could be that of human resources,
marketing, operations, or finance executives; or external consultants.
Consider the following questions in preparing your presentation:
 How will your recommendations benefit the firm?
 How will senior management take advantage of current strengths and weaknesses?
 How might major competitors react?
 What appropriate data will provide quantitative evidence to support your
recommendations?
 How can the company implement your recommendations?
2. Present an industry or a large company to the class. You may want to revisit your
informational presentation topic. In this presentation, however, the team must have a
decided point-of-view about the topic and must present its conclusions and
recommendations with an eye towards investment or growth. You may include financial
information, marketing strategies, corporate communication, globalization efforts, or
technological advances and innovation.
Deliverable
 Team presentation lasting 20 minutes, which includes questions/answers. All team
members must speak.
 2 copies of slide deck printed out.
Presentation reminders:
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Management Communication

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
Organize your presentation so that you can effectively and efficiently communicate
your key messages in the allotted time.
Use the presentation planner to organize your main points and evidence to support
your position.
Remember to provide a preview (blueprint, roadmap, agenda) of the presentation in
the opening.
Employ visual aids that enhance and support your message .
Use graphs and charts in your PowerPoint presentation to communicate quantitative
data clearly and visually.
Expect questions to come at any time in your presentation and prepare for them in
advance.
Have back-up data available to answer specific questions, if necessary.
Final Report (Individual)
Goal
Synthesize all that we’ve learned about effective communication applying course
principles in a work-related setting.
Task
For this “take-home” final, you must answer one of the following two questions.
 Option One: Given what you’ve learned in Business Communication, analyze
your past business work environment in terms of communication. Your analysis
may apply to your specific department or division, or to the organization as a
whole. Include examples of both effective and ineffective communication in your
workplace. For example, you could consider how your company organized
communication both internally and externally. Discuss the principles of
communication strategy—audience, intent, and message—as well as the
principles of persuasion—as they apply to specific, concrete situations that you
encountered or observed at work.

Option Two: You’ve finished a course in Management Communication. Now,
consider how a follow-up course could be designed. The department would like
you to prepare a report that provides set of proposed topics and assignments that
such a course could contain.
Deliverable
 Prepare a short report (3 pages maximum) to your instructor presenting your
findings and offering your recommendations for change or endorsement of current
practices.
 Be sure to organize the document effectively, attend to professional business
writing style, and employ effective formatting. Please single-space.
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Management Communication