BUAD 302
Communication Strategy in Business
Spring 2013
Professor: Daylanne Markwardt, Ph.D.
Office: ACC 401
Office Phone: 213-740-2803
E-mail: markward@marshall.usc.edu
Lecture Class
Mon./Wed.
Office Hours
Mon./Wed.
8:00 to 9:50 a.m. Room: HOH 302
12:00 to 1:50 p.m. Room: HOH 302
10 to 11:50 a.m. or by appointment
INTRODUCTION AND COURSE OBJECTIVES
You are working in an increasingly complex world characterized by proliferating communication
platforms and channels as well as increasing breadth and depth of content and information. Your
professional life will likely revolve around how you generate, organize, evaluate, and manage
communication. Almost without exception, today’s successful business professionals attribute their
success to their ability to communicate. They are recognized for their ability to write well, to speak
dynamically, and to cultivate business relationships through strong interpersonal communication skills.
BUAD 302 is a fundamentals course in business communication. It is designed to help you develop and
polish these same skills and identify areas you should continue to improve as you pursue your
professional career.
Global Learning Objectives: As described below, this course will help you gain both a theoretical
understanding and applied approaches to becoming a skilled communicator.

Business Communication Strategy—Theory
You will gain understanding of the elements of business communication theories and how they
relate to successful communication in a wide range of business contexts.

Business Communication Strategy— Application
You will apply communication theories to develop effective business communication strategies,
including evaluation of purpose, audience analysis, context, and channel choice. Through this
application, you will learn to analyze, compare, and critique the effectiveness of these strategies.
Detailed Learning Objectives: By the end of your BUAD 302 experience, you should have acquired the
knowledge and skills necessary to do the following:

Business Presentations
Analyze a communication situation/goal and develop a strategy to create effective persuasive
business presentations. Through this application, you will demonstrate an understanding of
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various communication strategies, including managing question-and-answer sessions and
employing visuals/media in your message delivery.

Interpersonal Communication
Demonstrate an understanding of the elements of nonverbal communication, various principles
and processes of effective listening, and the importance of feedback.

Organizational Communication
Gain an understanding of organizational communication practices—external and internal—and
apply this knowledge in various communication contexts. Demonstrate awareness of intercultural
and diversity factors that affect communication and apply this knowledge in various types of
communication situations. Through this course, you will acquire and apply an understanding of
the principles of small group communication, including problem-solving and group decisionmaking.
REQUIRED MATERIALS
Text
O’Hair, Dan, Gustav W. Friedrich, and Lynda Dee Dixon. Strategic Communication in Business and the
Professions. 7th ed. New York: Pearson, 2011.
Other
 Adobe Reader (http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html)
 Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2010, or previous versions updated
with the Compatibility Pack (available free of charge at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads)
 Access to a laser printer or the equivalent
 A working e-mail account that you check regularly
 A USB Flash Drive dedicated to BUAD 302 for saving your work in class or the computer lab
COURSE ASSUMPTIONS
Participation and Classroom Demeanor
I expect you to be as enthusiastic about this course as you would be in any course important to your
future, to actively participate, and to take responsibility for your own learning. You should consider the
classroom a professional environment, in which you are expected to arrive on time, be prepared for
whatever activities are scheduled that day, focus on the work at hand, and demonstrate respect for your
supervisor and colleagues. Communication skills are developed by practice, so class time will often be
devoted to exercises that are applicable to the real-world challenges you will face in your professional
lives, and you should treat them accordingly.
As your professor, my goal is to help you become more professional business communicators. If you
prepare for and attend all classes, participate actively in activities and discussions, and complete all
assignments conscientiously, you will improve your skill level. By the end of this course, you will have
increased your ability to organize and present ideas clearly, develop and deliver convincing arguments,
apply communication strategies to a variety of professional situations, participate in job interviews, work
more effectively with other people, and incorporate media into your message. You may not have attained
mastery in all these areas, for significant improvements sometimes take years and always require
dedication to achieve. You will, however, have a better understanding not only of your strengths and
weaknesses but also the processes involved in improving your communication skills over time.
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Technology Use
Communication devices, such as cell phones and Blackberries which are capable of sending and/or
receiving electronic communication, and all entertainment devices, such as iPods or other MP3 players,
are to be turned off and kept off throughout the class session. Receiving or sending communication
during class disrupts the learning environment. Laptops and iPads are not allowed in this class without
the instructor’s permission. While you are in class, you are expected to conduct yourself professionally.
This includes being focused exclusively on BUAD 302, not on extraneous matters. It also includes
treating everyone else in the room with the same respect and consideration you want to receive.
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING
Final grades in the course will depend on your performance in the following three types of assignments:



Oral presentations
Written communication
Classroom assignments, exercises, and exams
These three types of assignments represent 1,000 total points and are described in more detail below:
Oral Presentations
550 pts.
Each of you will complete four significant graded presentations—two individual and two as part of a
group. Group presentations will consist of both an individual grade and a group grade and may include a
written deliverable of peer feedback.
Individual
Informative (Professional Path/Interests)
Persuasive (Sales/Product Pitch)
125 pts.
125 pts.
Group
Informative (Business Book Review)
Persuasive (Programming Pitch)
150 pts.
150 pts.
Written Communication
200 pts.
Résumé
Cover Letter
Networking Report
50 pts.
50 pts.
100 pts.
Quizzes and Final Exam
150 pts.
Reading quizzes will be given periodically throughout the semester to encourage you to do the reading
and reward you for doing so. A final exam is a required component of this business course and will be
based on the entire semester’s content. I will provide a thorough and detailed comprehensive review prior
to the exam. Please see the course schedule for final exam date.
Engagement/Participation
100 pts.
I assume that you will be present and on time for every class and ready to begin work at the time class is
scheduled to start. Should you need to be absent, I expect to receive an e-mail from you PRIOR to the
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start of the class period. Keep in mind, though, that a message in advance of class does not “excuse” your
absence; it simply shows me that you are taking responsibility for choosing to do something else during
class time. Multiple absences, even when accompanied by conscientious notification, may be viewed as
unprofessional behavior and negatively impact your engagement/participation grade. To receive top
points for engagement/participation, you will need to take an active role in class discussions, volunteer for
leading ELC and in-class exercises, bring relevant news stories to the attention of the class and lead inclass discussion based on those stories, attend office hours to review your presentations, and otherwise
engage in class activities and participate fully.
Important: Please note that ELC exercises are non-negotiable. Missing an ELC exercise will negatively
impact your grade by 25 participation/engagement points (per missed session) unless excused by me.
Further, if you miss the mock interviews you will lose 50 participation/engagement points unless excused
by me—in advance. There will be no make-ups for the ELC Exercises or for the mock interviews. It is
also your responsibility to write down the day/time for the mock interview once you sign up. This is a
professional commitment, and you will be expected to treat it as you would any real-world internship or
job interview.
Assignment Protocol




In business, you’re expected to complete your projects on time. In the same vein, assignments are
due at the beginning of the class period on the due date unless specified otherwise. Any
assignment turned in late will receive half credit as a starting point. Late assignments must be
turned in within one week of the original due date or you will receive an “F” for that assignment.
If you are unable to attend class on the day a written assignment is due, I expect it to be in my
mailbox (ACC 400) or delivered by a classmate by the beginning of the class period.
Your written deliverables (including presentation slides) should be free of spelling, punctuation,
or grammar errors. ANY errors in mechanics reduce the effectiveness of written communication
and will dramatically lower your score.
Where a bibliography, reference notes, or other stylistic requirements are used, the citations must
conform to a standard style manual (APA or MLA).
If you are having difficulties with the mechanics of writing, help does exist. The USC Writing Center
located on the third floor of Taper hall is an excellent resource. You may schedule 30-minute
appointments with writing consultants trained to assist you in planning, organizing, and revising your
assignments. Some consultants are graduate business students in the Marshall School of Business. Others
have special skills in working with students for whom English is a second language. The Writing Center
also offers daily workshops on troublesome language and grammar issues, and makes available a number
of handouts on an array of grammar and usage points:
http://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/writing/writingcenter/.
International students and non-native writers and speakers of English will also want to investigate the
help available to them through USC’s American Language Institute: http://dornsife.usc.edu/ali.
GRADING DETAILS
Final grades represent how you perform in the class relative to other students. Your grade will not be
based on a mandated target, but on your performance. Historically, the average grade for this class is a
“B.” Three items are considered when assigning final grades:
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1. Your average weighted score as a percentage of the available points for all assignments (the points
you receive divided by the number of points possible);
2. The overall average percentage score within the class;
3. Your ranking among all students in the class.
Also, please note that most assignments will be graded on a point basis, for example, 100/125. However,
some assignments may be graded on a letter basis due to the context of the assignment per the professor’s
discretion.
MARSHALL GUIDELINES
Add/Drop Process: In compliance with USC and Marshall’s policies classes are open enrollment (Rclearance) through the first week of class. All classes are closed (switched to D-clearance) at the end of
the first week. This policy minimizes the complexity of the registration process for students by
standardizing across classes. You may be dropped from class if you don’t attend the first two sessions. If
you decide to drop, or if you choose not to attend the first two sessions and are dropped, you risk
being not being able to add another section this semester, since they might reach capacity. You can only
add a class after the first week of classes if you receive approval from the instructor.
Further, if you are absent six or more times prior to February 5, 2013 (the last day to withdraw without a
mark of “W”), you will be asked to withdraw by that date. These policies maintain professionalism and
ensure a system that is fair to all students.
Marshall Grading Guidelines: Course Grading Policy: Marshall’s target mean GPA is 3.0 for required
classes and 3.3 for electives. The mean target for graduate classes is 3.3. Assignment/Exam Grading
Policy: the instructor determines what qualifies as an accurate grade on an assignment, exam, or other
deliverable, and the instructor’s evaluation of the performance of each individual student is the final basis
for assigning grades for the course.
Final exams and all other graded work which affected the course grade will be retained for one year after
the end of the course if the graded work has not been returned to you, i.e., if I returned a graded paper to
you, it is your responsibility to file it, not mine.
Statement for Students with Disabilities: Any student requesting academic accommodations 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 (or to TA) as early in the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open
8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) 740-0776.
Statement on Academic Integrity: USC seeks to maintain an optimal learning environment. General
principles of academic honesty include the concept of respect for the intellectual property of others, the
expectation that individual work will be submitted unless otherwise allowed by an instructor, and the
obligations both to protect one’s own academic work from misuse by others as well as to avoid using
another’s work as one’s own. All students are expected to understand and abide by these principles.
SCampus, the Student Guidebook, contains the Student Conduct Code in Section 11.00, while the
recommended sanctions are located in Appendix A:
http://www.usc.edu/dept/publications/SCAMPUS/gov/ .
Students will be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs and Community Standards for further
review, should there be any suspicion of academic dishonesty. The Review process can be found at:
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http://www.usc.edu/student-affairs/SJACS/ . Failure to adhere to the academic conduct standards set forth
by these guidelines and our programs will not be tolerated by the USC Marshall community and can lead
to dismissal.
Emergency Preparedness/Course Continuity: In case of emergency, and travel to campus is difficult,
USC executive leadership will announce an electronic way for instructors to teach students in their
residence halls or homes using a combination of Blackboard, teleconferencing, and other technologies.
Incomplete Grades: In incomplete (IN) grade may be assigned due to an “emergency” that occurs after
the 12th week of classes. An “emergency” is defined as a serious documented illness, or an unforeseen
situation that is beyond the student’s control, that prevents a student from completing the semester. Prior
to the 12th week, the student still has the option of dropping the class. Arrangements for completing an IN
course should be initiated by the student, and negotiated with the instructor. Class work to complete the
course should be completed within one calendar year from the date the IN was assigned. The IN mark
will be converted to an “F” grade should the course not be completed.
Assignment Submission Policy: Any assignment turned in late, even if by only a few minutes, will
receive a grade deduction (for example, if your work is a “B+” grade, you will be given a “C+” grade). If
your Internet breaks down on the due date, you must deliver a hard copy at the beginning of class on that
day. If you are unable to attend class on that day, make arrangements for it to be delivered to the
classroom or to my box by the start of class. Late or not, however, you must complete all required
assignments to pass this course.
Evaluation of Your Work: You may regard each of your assignments as an “exam” in which you apply
what you’ve learned according to the assignment. I will do my best to make my expectations for the
various assignments clear and to evaluate them as fairly and objectively as I can. If, however, you feel
that an error has occurred in the grading of any assignment, you may, within one week of the date the
assignment is returned to you, write me a memo in which you request that I re-evaluate the assignment.
For presentations, explain fully and carefully, providing me with examples per the timer countdown of the
video why you think the presentation should be re-graded. Be aware that the re-evaluation process can
result in three types of grade adjustments: positive, none, or negative.
All grades assigned by faculty members are final. Students have the right to seek explanation, guidance,
counsel, and reasons for the assignment of a grade. Students may appeal a grade according to university
policy as set forth in SCampus. Faculty may initiate a change in grade if there is an error in the
calculation of a grade. However, a faculty member may not change a disputed grade outside the formal
appeals process. In response to a disputed academic evaluation by an instructor, a student is entitled to
two levels of appeal after review by the instructor: first to the chairperson of the department and then to
the appropriate dean of the school. The full university policy can be found on page 125 of SCampus and
at: http://www.usc.edu/dept/publications/SCAMPUS/gov/disputed_academic_evaluation_procedures.html
*****
This syllabus is our contract for the semester. However, because classes have different needs and
progress at different rates, I reserve the right to make reasonable adjustments at any time throughout the
semester. Such adjustments will be announced in advance and posted to Blackboard. Remember that
flexibility is a virtue, especially in a professional setting. Thus, if I determine that the class needs more (or
less) emphasis on a particular area, I will modify the syllabus or daily schedule accordingly to the extent I
am allowed to do so within the Marshall guidelines and overall requirements for BUAD 302.
Welcome to the class!
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BUAD 302: Communication Strategy in Business
Professor: Daylanne Markwardt, Ph.D.
Daily Schedule of Classes
Date
Required Reading
Due or Prepare for
Today
Course overview
Elevator speeches
Basics of communication theory
Mon.,
Jan. 14
Wed.,
Jan. 16
In-Class Topics and
Activities
SCB Chapter 1
Meet at classroom, then walk to ELC
One- and Two-Way Communication
and Rumor Clinic exercises
NO CLASS MEETING TODAY –
MLK Day
Mon.,
Jan. 21
Wed.,
Jan. 23
SCB Chapters 2 and 12
Mon.,
Jan. 28
SCB Chapter 13
Wed.,
Jan. 30
What Color Is Your Parachute?
and Do What You Are excerpts
(on Blackboard)
Mon.,
Feb. 4
Wed.,
Feb. 6
SCB Chapter 14
Mon.,
Feb. 11
SCB Chapter 4
“What Makes a Leader” and
MEIT Emotional Intelligence
Test (on Blackboard)
Wed.,
Feb. 13
SCB Chapter 7
Quiz 1 (covering 1/16-1/23
readings)
Introduction to Presentation #1 and
Résumé/Cover Letter assignment
Strategic communication
Developing effective presentations
Charting your career path
Targeting your résumé and cover
letter
Delivering effective presentations
Quiz 2 (covering 1/28 –
1/30 readings)
Career Center presentation
Prepping for Presentation #1
Overcoming presentation anxiety
Presentation #1
125 points
Meet at ELC
Quiz 3 (covering 2/6
reading)
Introduction to Presentation #2
Persuasive communication
Listening skills
Emotional intelligence
Quiz 4 (covering 2/11-2/13
readings)
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Interpersonal communications
Networking skills
Introduction to Networking Report
assignment
Date
Required Reading
Due or Prepare for
Today
NO CLASS MEETING TODAY –
President’s Day
Mon.,
Feb. 18
Wed.,
Feb. 20
SCB Chapter 8
“Demonstrate a Fit” (on
Blackboard)
Polished drafts of Résumé
and Cover Letter
Quiz 5 (covering 2/20
readings)
Interviewing skills
Workplace relationships
Meet at ELC
Hi-Fli exercise
Mon.,
Feb. 25
Wed.,
Feb. 27
In-Class Topics and
Activities
“Preparing a Presentation to
Achieve Greatest Impact” (on
Blackboard)
Mon.,
Mar. 4
Wed.,
Mar. 6
SCB Chapters 9 and 10
Mon.,
Mar. 11
SCB Chapter 5
Wed.,
Mar. 13
SCB Chapter 3
Improving presentation delivery
Practice pitches for Presentation #2
Presentation #2
125 points
Meet at ELC
Quiz 6 (covering 3/6
readings)
Introduction to Presentation #3
Dynamics of group communication
Team assignments and meetings
Nonverbal communication
Writing and formatting the
Networking Report
Quiz 7 (covering 3/11 –
3/13 readings)
Diversity issues in communication
Communicating in a global
workplace
Team meetings
SPRING BREAK – NO
CLASSES
Mar. 1823
Mon.,
Mar. 25
Polished draft of
Networking Report
Peer review of Networking Reports
Team meetings
Wed.,
Mar. 27
Finalized Networking
Report 100 points
Prepping for Presentation #3
Gallery Walk exercise
Mon.,
Apr. 1
Presentation #3
150 points
Wed.,
Apr. 3
Presentation #3 (continued)
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Date
Mon.,
Apr. 8
Required Reading
Due or Prepare for
Today
SCB Chapter 11
Organization Communication
Video (on Blackboard)
Wed.,
Apr. 10
In-Class Topics and
Activities
Meet at ELC
Good Neighbors exercise
Quiz 8 (covering 4/8
reading and video)
Organizational communication
Résumé/Cover Letter workshop
Introduction to Presentation #4
Mon.,
Apr. 15
SCB Chapter 6
Finalized versions of
Résumé and Cover Letter
100 points
Management and leadership
communication
Team meetings
Wed.,
Apr. 17
Readings posted to Blackboard
Quiz 9 (covering 4/15 –
4/17 readings)
Managing new communication
channels in the workplace
Team meetings
Mon.,
Apr. 22
Readings posted to Blackboard
Meet at ELC
Q & A exercise
Wed.,
Apr. 24
Quiz 10 (covering 4/22
readings)
Mon.,
Apr. 29
Presentation #4
150 points
Wed.,
May 1
Presentation #4 (continued)
Course evaluation and wrap-up
FINAL EXAM
100 points
Enjoy your summer vacation!
Section
14646
Monday, May 13
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Section
14654
Friday, May 10
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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Course summary and final exam
review
Individual team coaching