SYLLABUS—Fall 2006
BUAD 302 – Communication Strategy in Business
USC Marshall School of Business – Center for Management Communication
Instructor:
Office:
Mailbox:
Telephone:
Email:
Dr. Lucy Lee, Associate Professor of Clinical
ACC400B
ACC400
(213) 740-6755
lucy.lee@marshall.usc.edu
Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm
And by appointment
COURSE OVERVIEW
No matter what your career goals, your success will depend largely on your ability to
communicate ideas in compelling ways. The women and men at the top of quality organizations
are recognized and rewarded for their ability to write well, to speak dynamically and
persuasively, and to cultivate business relationships through strong interpersonal communication
skills.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Business Communication Strategy: Theory
Demonstrate understanding of the elements of business communication theory as applied in a
wide range of business contexts.
Business Communication Strategy: Application
Use communication theory to develop business communication strategies, including evaluation
of purpose, audience, context, and channel choice. Demonstrate the ability to analyze, compare
and critique these strategies, and effectively communicate this assessment.
By the end of your BUAD 302 experience, you should have acquired knowledge and skills in the
following areas:
Preparing business presentations effectively through
 Strategic analysis of Purpose, Audience, and Situation, leading to choices about how to
Structure your messages.
 Application of principles of effective business presentations, including techniques for
managing question-and-answer sessions and using visual aids.
Strengthening skills in interpersonal communication by
 Understanding of the elements of nonverbal communication, particularly with regard to
listening strategies, and applying them in interpersonal communication situations.
 Giving and receiving feedback effectively.
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Demonstrating understanding of the mechanisms of organizational communication through
 Analysis of both external and internal communication contexts.
 Consideration of intercultural factors that affect business communication.
 Effective teamwork, in which you will apply principles of small group communication to
solve problems and communicate decisions.
The overall goal of BUAD 302 is to help you improve your ability to communicate successfully
in the business world. Students will enter this class at varying skills levels. The goal is for each
student to leave with a higher skill level and broader understanding of the business
communication strategies needed to develop as a student and a professional.
The REQUIRED TEXT for this course is: Strategic Business Communication, An
Integrated, Ethical Approach by Robyn Walker (2006)
You will also be asked to read occasional supplementary articles and cases distributed in class or
via Blackboard.
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES
Professional behavior is a must and includes turning in assignments on time, coming to class
fully prepared even if you were unable to attend a previous session, and initiating timely
communication with me about any troubles you are having with any aspect of the course. In
short, I expect you will actively participate in and take responsibility for your own learning.
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ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY
You are expected to attend all scheduled class sessions or team meetings, arriving on time and
prepared. If you need to miss a class, you are welcome to notify me by phone or email – but keep
in mind that notification in advance does not “excuse” your absence – it simply shows me that
you are taking responsibility for the decision not to come to class.
Absence from class and/or a pattern of lateness will adversely affect your grade (in the same way
that such behavior would adversely affect your performance evaluations in a professional
setting). Chronic problems with punctuality and attendance could result in my requesting that
you withdraw from the class.
We may have a quiz or a brief exercise at the start of a class session. Being late means you miss
the quiz or exercise and the points associated with it – no exceptions. Also, note that ELC dates
are non-negotiable – so missing an ELC session will pose a serious threat to your grade.
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CONDUCTING RESEARCH
I’ll expect that your research for various projects in this class will be thorough and thoughtful. It
should be appropriately documented, preferably using APA formatting guidelines (appropriate
documentation means the reader should have no difficulty in locating your original sources).
Don’t neglect the abundance of online databases and other library resources available to you
through the Crocker Business Library. Click on the Academic Services/Library link from the
Marshall School webpage (http://www.marshall.usc.edu/). Please let me know if you have questions
about how to make use of research tools.
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LISTENING
You learn as much from observing presentations as you do from making them. Be an attentive,
active listener when others are speaking in the ELC or in class. You will be asked to critically
evaluate the performance of your classmates.
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USING EMAIL AND BLACKBOARD
Please check your email regularly. You should know how to send and receive attachments. Also
check our Blackboard TotalE site (https://totale.usc.edu/) to view class announcements or posted
materials, as well as to participate in online discussions relating to assignments or other course
content.
MY RESPONSIBILITIES
Classes will start and end on time. I will make course objectives and my expectations for each
assignment clear, and return graded assignments as promptly as possible. When appropriate, I
will assess your relative performance in the class.
My goal is to help you become more polished and persuasive professional business
communicators. If you prepare for and attend all classes, participate actively in exercises and
discussions, and complete all readings and assignments conscientiously, you will improve your
skill level. By the end of the course, you will have increased your ability to organize and present
ideas clearly, develop arguments, apply communication strategies, analyze situations and make
decisions, participate in interviews, work with other people, use visual aids, and listen, speak,
and write more effectively.
After only fifteen weeks, you may not have reached a level of excellence in one or more of the
business communication functional areas; significant improvements in skill levels sometimes
take years, and always take dedication. Nonetheless, you will have a clearer understanding of
your strengths and weaknesses and the processes involved in improving your skills over time.
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ASSIGNMENTS
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In this class, as in business, you’re expected to complete your projects on time. Assignments
are due at the beginning of the class period on the date assigned. Any assignment turned in
late will suffer a significant point deduction. If you are unable to attend class on the day a
written assignment is due, make arrangements for it to be delivered to the classroom or to my
mailbox in ACC400 by the start of class. Please ask my permission to submit a written
assignment via email if you must miss class on the day work is due.
All written assignments and graded presentations must be completed; failing to complete
even a single assignment in BUAD 302 may result in an “F” in the course.
Your written assignments should be free of spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors. ANY
errors in mechanics reduce the effectiveness of written communication and will dramatically
lower your grade. If you are concerned about the mechanics of writing clearly, I urge you to
undertake a rigorous self-study approach to improving your writing skills. You will also
want to take advantage of the resources at the University Writing Center
(http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/writingcenter/) throughout the semester.
Where a bibliography, reference notes, or other stylistic requirements are used, the
information must conform to a standard style manual (APA).
OVERVIEW OF COMPONENTS OF FINAL COURSE GRADE
 Written assignments – approximately 25%
Individual:
Response to job posting (cover letter and resume) + audience analysis memo
Recommendation about Hi-Fli, Inc. organizational communication (memo)
Group:
Executive Summary
Team report to client
 Presentation assignments – approximately 55%
Individual:
Career Survey
“Advocating for Change”
Feedback and review of team process (individual)
Group:
Team “chapter” presentation
Final team presentation to client (individual and group)
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Quick-Take Quizzes, Reading Questions, Exam, etc. – approximately 10%
 Professionalism – approximately 10%
Includes, for example: participation in ELC exercises/simulations and impromptu presentations
in class; preparation for in-class exercises and discussions; submission of deliverables on time;
conscientious peer evaluation and self-critiques; attendance and punctuality; dressing
appropriately for taped presentations; and timely completion of any small assignments TBA.
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IMPORTANT DATES
Meetings in the ELC
Many of our oral presentations, both graded and ungraded, will be videotaped in the Experiential
Learning Center (ELC) in the basement of Bridge Hall. Please note that we will meet in the
ELC on five Thursdays this semester: 9/14, 9/28, 10/5, 10/19, 11/9, and 11/30.
Mock Interviews
Mock interviews are scheduled for the ELC IN POPOVICH HALL on Saturday and Sunday,
September 23 and 24, and Sunday, October 1. Please plan to participate on one of these days;
your time commitment for the exercise will be approximately one hour. Sign-ups for a time slot
and further details of this assignment will be discussed in class.
Career Planning and Placement Center Information Session
On Thursday, September 7, our class will meet with representatives from the CPPC for a
discussion of approaches to a strategic analysis of your career options and the communication
demands of your post-USC professional life.
PowerPoint Workshop
On Thursday, October 12, class time will be devoted to a PowerPoint workshop in HOH 401.
Using visuals effectively in your presentations is an important part of your grade. This session
will be focused on helping you gain more advanced PPT skills and will require you to create
slides collaboratively and under time pressure.
Dropping with a “W”
The last date to drop the course with a grade of “W” is Friday, November 10.
Holidays
Thanksgiving Recess is Thursday-Sunday, November 23-26.
GRADING POLICIES
Each of your assignments will receive a numeric score, based on an evaluation form that I will
usually share with you in advance of the due date for each assignment. Scores will range widely,
especially early in the semester; I expect the range to narrow considerably as your
communication skills become more polished.
You are always evaluated first on the basis of the content of your presentation or written work.
Are the ideas relevant, logically organized, and well supported? Also, the way you structure your
ideas and shape them for a particular audience has a profound influence on how I might grade
any strategic communication assignment, whether written or oral.
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The numeric scores assignments receive will typically fall into four quartiles:
Top quartile = Outstanding or exceptional work
In business, your boss, manager, or team leader would accept this work with no revision, and be
willing to endorse it or sign off on it without reservation. Any work with a score falling into this
top quartile, therefore
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reflects mastery of course concepts, tools, and techniques, plus a solid understanding of
implications, applications, or interrelationships, as may be appropriate.
demonstrates your ability to apply and express that understanding with meaningful language.
signifies that the communication
states the sender’s conclusion early, as the receiver’s main idea
recognizes strategic complexities in the communication situation and thoughtfully
addresses them
shows originality
includes strong support
is logically developed and well-organized using a deductive approach
employs a style and tone appropriate to the situation
uses visual aids effectively (in presentations) or graphics and highlighting techniques (in
text)
demonstrates control of sentence variety and paragraph development and is free of any
grammar, mechanics, or usage errors (in writing)
demonstrates ample preparation and is marked by a smooth, confident delivery (in
presentations) .
Third quartile = Mostly acceptable work that meets my expectations. May demonstrate
occasional lapses in attention to organization, specificity of content, or the techniques that allow
the communicator to connect with the audience or reader. However, the work is clearly the result
of conscientious effort and thorough preparation.
Second quartile = Disappointing work. Is characterized by a lack of attention to content and
organization and an inadequate attempt to insure that the message is coherent and concise.
Bottom quartile = This work is well below expectation and shows little effort to develop a
professional product. If your score on an assignment falls in this quartile, please arrange
to see me so we can discuss the problems you’re facing.
USE OF NOTES DURING PRESENTATIONS
I am particularly interested in your developing an ability to connect with your audience. It is
extremely difficult, if not impossible, to make this connection when you are reading your
presentation or reciting it word-for-word. Reading a presentation verbatim – or even appearing
to read – will lower your grade significantly.
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REVIEW OF GRADES
If an assignment is returned to you and you believe that some error has occurred in the grading,
you can, within one week of the date the assignment is returned to you, request – using a memo –
that I re-evaluate the assignment. A copy of the original graded assignment or presentation
evaluation form should be attached to your memo, which should fully and carefully explain why
you think the assignment should be re-graded. Keep in mind that the re-evaluation process can
result in three types of grade adjustments: positive, none, and negative.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING CENTER (ELC)
You will be videotaped in business speaking situations and participate in exercises and
simulations in the Experiential Learning Center (ELC) in the basement of Bridge Hall. Because
our time in the ELC is precious, punctual attendance for classes in the ELC is critical.
Remember to maintain a professional appearance whenever our class meets in the ELC – I will
advise you in advance of the dress code for each presentation assignment or exercise. What an
audience sees when you speak influences what it hears and thinks, so what you wear is an
important aspect of ELC presentations.
SOME ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
Plagiarism – Plagiarism is the unacknowledged and inappropriate use of the ideas or wording of another
individual . . . [It] is considered a grave violation of academic integrity and the sanctions against it are
correspondingly severe. (Sanctions recommended by the university range from a grade of “F” in the
course to suspension from the university.) Most simply, plagiarism can be characterized as ‘academic
theft.’ As defined in the University Student Conduct Code (published in the current SCampus),
plagiarism includes:
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‘The submission of material authored by another person but represented as the student’s own
work, whether that material is paraphrased or copied in verbatim or near verbatim form;
‘The submission of material subjected to editorial revision by another person that results in
substantive changes in content or major alteration of writing style;
‘Improper acknowledgment of sources in essays or papers.’
Excerpted from 2004-05 SCampus – University Governance, Section 11.00:
“Behavior Violating University Standards and Appropriate Sanctions”
The Student Conduct Code applies these standards to any written work submitted by a student, whether a
draft or a final version. Because of the serious penalties for plagiarism, you should insure that any
writing you submit represents your own assertions and abilities and incorporates other texts in an open
and honest manner… In academic assignments, writing is assumed to be the original words and thoughts
of the student unless [the reader is] told otherwise (i.e.: material from other sources is clearly and
properly cited).
(From Trojan Integrity: Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism, USC Office for Student Conduct,
rev. Fall 2003, pp. 2-3)
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Students with Disabilities – Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is
required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. You can obtain a letter
of verification for approved accommodations 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 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM, Monday
through Friday. The phone number for DSP is 213-740-0776.
Retention of Graded Assignments – Evaluations or graded work, unclaimed by a student, may be
discarded four weeks after grades are posted by the University and, hence, will not be available should a
grade appeal be pursued by a student following receipt of his/her course grade.
Class Cancellation – Only official notices written on Center for Management Communication letterhead,
dated and signed by the Director (Dr. Paul Frommer or his designee), will serve to verify any emergency
cancellation of a class session.
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
For help, call 213-740-4321
911
USC Security
Los Angeles Police or Fire Department
For information, call 213-740-9233 USC Emergency Information Line
listen to 91.5FM
KUSC Radio
Note: All assignment percentage weights, dates, and scheduling
are subject to revision.
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