BUAD 302: Communication Strategy in Business
Date:
To:
From:
Re:
8/2013
BUAD 302 Students
Dr. Robyn Walker
Syllabus for BUAD 302
Instructor Information
Course name:
BUAD 302 Communication Strategy in Business
Faculty name:
Dr. Robyn Walker
Office:
Acct 215E
Mailbox:
Acct 400
Email address: rcwalker@marshall.usc.edu
Office hours:
Tuesday and Thursday 3-4 p.m. and by appointment
No matter what your career goals, the levels of success you reach will depend on your ability to communicate. Will you
become a powerful CEO, investment banker, consultant, entrepreneur, marketing or management director, financial
executive, or any other type of business leader? The women and men at the top of quality organizations are skillful
communicators. Almost without exception, successful business professionals are recognized for their ability to write well,
to speak dynamically, and to cultivate business relationships through strong interpersonal communication skills. This
course is designed to help you develop or polish those skills and to help you identify the areas you should continue to
improve as you pursue your professional career.
Course Description
BUAD 302 is an experientially based course that focuses on developing communication effectiveness with an
organizational context. You will be more successful in your classes, your career, and, for that matter, your life if you focus
your energies on developing your communication skills. Consider this course as another valuable step in the ongoing
process of becoming an effective communicator.
Goal and Learning Objectives
The overall goal of Communication Strategy in Business—BUAD 302—is to help you improve your ability to communicate
successfully in the business world. This class will thus focus on learning the theory of business communication strategy
as well as putting that theory into practice.
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
Identify and discuss communication theories, models, and principles that impact business communication across
diverse industries and fields in a global landscape by analyzing specific communication behaviors, strategies, and goals
through case studies and croup discussions.
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Apply communication theories and principles to achieve communication goals by evaluating the purpose of your
message, conducting audience analysis, and selecting the appropriate communication channel to successfully construct and deliver
presentations individually and as part of a team in various business contexts.
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Utilize critical thinking skills to develop and implement communication strategies across diverse business
environments by analyzing, comparing, and evaluating the effectiveness of these strategies via scenario-based simulations and
exercises.
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Develop an understanding and awareness of ethical principles and intercultural and diversity factors that impact
the communication process as business leaders, managers, colleagues and employees by analyzing and explaining
ethical challenges and incidents in their cultural and organizational contexts.

Acquire and apply an understanding of small group communication dynamics, including learning to evaluate and
articulate obstacles that impact effective team communication and developing collaborative deliverables.
Required Text
The required reading material for this course is
Walker, R.. (2010). Strategic Management Communication for Leaders. Cincinnati, OH: Cengage.
Recommended: Pink, D. H. (2012). To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth about Moving Others. New York: Riverhead.
Writing and Tutoring Resources
If you are having difficulties with the mechanics of writing, I strongly suggest a self-study program, since one of your
forms of assessments will be writing. If you exhibit serious deficiencies in your writing or your speaking, it will be wise
for you to make plans early to visit the University Writing Center on a regular basis and consider getting a tutor to help
you. Located on the third floor of Taper Hall, the Writing Center will allow you to 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/.
Online resources to help you improve your writing are also abundant. A number of colleges and universities have
developed OWLS (online writing labs) that can assist you with almost any aspect of writing. You may want to investigate
several of these sites and see which one has the right “personality” for you. You could begin your investigation by
visiting a metasite created by Capital Community College in Hartford, Connecticut:
http://webster.commnet.edu/writing/writing.htm.
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://www.usc.edu/dept/LAS/ALI/.
Attendance
I anticipate that you will be present in every class and ready to begin work at the time class is scheduled to start. Should
you need to be absent – either because of an illness or because you believe that there is something you must do that is
more important than attending class – I expect to receive an email from you PRIOR to the start of class. Keep in mind
that a message in advance of class does not “excuse” your absence – it simply shows me that you are taking responsibility
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for choosing to do something else during class time. Multiple absences, even when accompanied by conscientious
notification, may be viewed as unprofessional behavior within the context of an organization.
Please note that ELC dates are non-negotiable. I do not have control over the scheduling or facilitation of the ELC
activities or mock interviews, so--to use an old phrase--if you snooze, you lose.
Teaching and Learning Philosophy for the Course
In 2004, USC adopted as part of its Strategic Plan a policy to encourage learner-centered teaching at the university. This
course adopts a learner-centered approach and in doing so uses a significant amount of experiential learning activities.
The rationale for learner-centered education is research that demonstrates that the traditional form of teaching—
lecturing—has limited effectiveness in helping students to retain information after a course is over, develop an ability to
transfer knowledge to new situations, develop skills in thinking or problem solving, and achieve effective outcomes, such
as motivation for additional learning or a change in attitude (Fink, 2003, p. 3).
In addition, a study by Gardiner (1994) suggested that passive forms of teaching, such as lecturing, do not develop the
kinds of skills that leaders believe people need in the business world. These include conscientiousness, personal
responsibility, and dependability; ability to act in an ethical fashion; skills in oral and written communication;
interpersonal and team skills; skills in critical thinking and problem solving; respect for people different than themselves;
the ability to adapt to change: and the ability and desire for lifelong learning. Richard Paul (1993) argues that we live in a
more complex and rapidly changing world, which means “the work of the future is the work of the mind, intellectual
work, work that involves reasoning and intellectual discipline” (p. 13). Because of the rapidly changing world we now live
in, well-regarded management writer Peter Senge (1990) has put forth a need to develop “learning organizations.” In
these types of organizations, leadership is decentralized so as to enhance the capacity of people to work productively
toward common goals. Senge’s basic rationale for such organizations is that in situations of rapid change, only those that
are flexible, productive, and adaptive will excel. To create such an organization, people must have the capacity to learn,
and to learn, they must have a structure and culture that is conducive to reflection and engagement.
This course thus attempts to create the culture of a learning organization by using experiential learning methods, with the
goal of providing opportunities for active student engagement and reflection on the content of the course as well as their
learning. This design may be uncomfortable for some of you, since it may be a change from the types of learning
environments you are used to. Studies have shown that students (and faculty) often resist the change to learner-centered
instruction because teacher-centered learning makes fewer demands of them and requires greater responsibility for their
own learning.
Your Responsibilities
Because of the learner-centered approach to this class, you will hold greater responsibility for the quality of your learning
experience. That means that you are expected to actively engage and to participate in the experiential activities in the
course. In fact, a good part of your grade will depend upon your engagement and participation in those activities. In
addition to being an active, participating member of the class, you are expected to display professional behavior, since
this course is also designed to help prepare you for effectively communicating in organizational settings. You should
come to class fully prepared, even if you were unable to attend a previous class meeting, willing to actively engage in the
course exercises and discussion, and to initiate communication with me about any difficulties you might be having with
the course materials or with completing an assignment on time. You will also be asked to reflect upon your learning, since
reflection is a key component of the learner-centered model. Again, as an active rather than a passive learner, you are
primarily responsible for how much you learn in this class; I can present materials and opportunities for learning, but it is
up to you to actively engage in that experience. Ultimately, the goal is for you to emerge from this class with a solid
understanding of the practices of effective communication within an organizational context and to be well on your way to
becoming a self-directed learner for the purpose of enhancing your own personal autonomy.
You should check your grades regularly to help ensure that they have been posted correctly. I have up to 100 students
each semester and no teaching assistant, so I need your help. Please make sure that you notify me of any needed
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corrections within two weeks of the date of any errors. I will not make corrections after the last day of class, except to
errors in the grade recording of the final project and final exam.
My Responsibilities
My role as instructor is to provide you access to the foundational knowledge you will need for this course in the form of
the assigned readings, to assess your learning of those materials, and to provide you opportunities for practicing the
related skills to better ensure that you retain that knowledge and understand its application and relevance in
organizational contexts. I am also responsible for being prepared for each course and making clear the instructions and
my expectations for each exercise and assignment.
Former Student Feedback:
Hi Professor Walker:
I hope you're having a good summer so far and that you're getting to do a lot of sailing. I am currently working
in the law department of a large company in San Diego for the summer. My job entails giving weekly
presentations to the lawyers about the progress that the interns have made. I just wanted to let you know how
thankful I am at the timing of BUAD 302. Without it, I would not be anywhere near as confident as I am giving
the presentations. Also, I have to do a lot of group work and the team work that we did in class has really helped
me in communicating with my group and being able to identify what kind of group members we have (and how
to work around some of them). I just wanted to let you know that business communication has really helped me
already and thank you for focusing on topics that are applicable to real-life situations. Have a nice break.
Academic Matters
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Plagiarism
Retention of graded papers
Students with disabilities
Plagiarism
“Plagiarism is the unacknowledged and inappropriate use of the ideas or wording of another writer and can result in
severe penalties including an “F” in the course. The best way to avoid plagiarism is to carefully document your sources,
even when you are only making use of data or ideas rather than an actual quotation. To avoid having your writing
marked by illegitimate assistance, ask yourself whether you would be able, on your own and without further assistance, to
revise and improve the writing in question. If the answer is ‘No’---if you would not be able to maintain the same
conceptual and stylistic quality without outside assistance—then you should not submit the writing as your own work.”
—Student Guide to the Freshman Writing Program
Retention of Graded Papers
Returned paperwork, unclaimed by a student, may be discarded 4 weeks after grades are posted by the University and,
hence, will not be available should a grade appeal be pursued by a student following the receipt of his/her course grade.
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.
Productivity Tools
The Marshall School of Business computing environment supports the Microsoft Office bundle of productivity tools and
the Blackboard course management system. All out-of-class assignments must be prepared with these tools--or tools that
produce compatible files--and printed on a laser or inkjet printer.
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Additionally, you should have a good, recently published dictionary and a thesaurus and be familiar with the spellchecking and grammar-checking features built into Microsoft Word. Check the program documentation to see how to
use these programs and be aware of the program’s limitations. Remember that computer programs are insufficient to
adequately proofread a document.
Assignments and Coursework
You are expected to arrive on time and be prepared for all class sessions. Final grades in the course will depend on your
performance in the following four types of assignments:




Participation and involvement in classroom activities, including oral presentations, role plays, group projects and
discussions, and ELC and other activities
Knowledge of textbook and other assigned reading materials as measured by in-class quizzes and final exam
Presentations
Written assignments
The four types of coursework in the bullet list above are described in more detail below.
Participation and Involvement in Classroom Activities and Exercises
Throughout the term, you will participate in interactive exercises in the classroom and in the Experiential Learning
Center.
In-class Quizzes and Final Exam
You will be examined as to your knowledge of the course readings, which include those that are assigned from the course
textbook as well as any that are posted to Blackboard. You are responsible for reading and understanding the assigned
readings; we will not review all of them in class.
Presentations
You will be provided the opportunity to participate in several presentation exercises as well as will be assessed regarding
your presentation skills.
Group Projects
You will be involved in two group projects: One involving a virtual team and a second involving an in-class group. The
virtual team assignment is a primarily an experiential learning activity in which your participation is crucial. You will also
be involved in an in-class group for the preparation and delivery of two group presentations.
Office Hours
My office hours this semester are from 3 until 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and by appointment. It should be
noted that the best teaching and feedback often occurs in one-on-one conferences, such as those provided by meeting
with your instructor during office hours. Consequently, if you are seeking more individualized attention and feedback, the
place to receive that is by taking advantage of my office hours.
Grading Policies
An A = Outstanding or exceptional work
 "A" work reflects mastery of course, concepts, tools, and techniques, plus a solid understanding of implications,
applications, or interrelationships, as may be appropriate.
 In addition, “A” work reflects your ability to apply and express that understanding with meaningful language. In
business, this would mean your manager would accept the work with no revision, be willing to put his or her
name on it, and send it forward. In other words, an ‘A’ on a written or oral communication signifies that the
communication
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- contains a clear, early statement of the main idea
- states the sender’s conclusion as the receiver’s main idea
- has a carefully developed opening, middle, and close
- recognizes complexities by thoughtfully addressing more than one of them
- includes strongly supportive details
- is logically developed and well organized
- employs a style and tone appropriate to the occasion
- demonstrates mature sentence variety and paragraph development
- contains few, if any, clichés
- considers who does what next
- and is FREE of grammar and usage errors
For a more detailed description of the grading rubric that will be used in this class, please see the Writing 340 rubric that
was developed by the USC College Writing Program and that is posted on Blackboard.
Marshall School Policy on Grading
Marshall does not have a forced “curve” for the distribution of class grades. The school’s principle is that students should
be given the grade they deserve based on class performance and should not be assigned an undeserved grade simply to fit
a curve. However, to prevent grade inflation, the School has recommended targets for the mean GPA: 3.0 for required
classes and 3.3 for electives. Instructors are expected to adhere to the targets unless they have an exceptionally strong or
weak class. Before deviating from the target, instructors must receive permission from the chair of their department.
Late Assignments
Handing in the learning portfolio after the due date will result in a late penalty of ten percent for each day it is late. All
assignments are due at the beginning of class.
Grade Review
For all graded assignments (including weekly participation grades) that you believe some error has occurred in the
grading, you can, within one week of the due date or period, request—using a memo—that I re-evaluate the assignment
or the grading. The original assignment should be attached to the memo or, in the case of participation grading, a daily
record or journal entry should be attached, detailing the specific contributions for the week. The memo should carefully
explain why you think the assignment should be re-graded. Arguing that “I worked hard and put in a lot of time” or
simply saying “I don’t understand why I received this grade” are neither full nor careful explanations. It’s important to
also realize that the re-evaluation process can result in three types of grade adjustments: positive, none, and negative.
Components of Final Grade
Assignment type
Classroom activities,
exercises and quizzes
Assignment and grade type
Points
-Resume
-Participation for Mock Interview
-Six online activities (5 points each)
-Resume peer review
-Quizzes on assigned readings (10 x 50)
-Virtual Team Project participation
10
5
30
5
50
150
Group Projects
- Team Communication Plan Presentation (Informative)
-Team Communication Recommendations Presentation (Persuasive)
-Team Communication Paper (individual)
6
50
50
50
Final assessment
Final exam
200
TOTAL POINTS FOR COURSE
610
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, rooms 2, 3, and 4.
Exercises in the ELC are important to your mastery of communication skills. ELC sessions begin promptly, and
punctuality is vital. For presentation exercises, you should consider whether professional dress would be appropriate for
the situation. What an audience sees when you speak influences what it hears and thinks, and what you wear is an
important aspect of ELC presentations.
Courtesy to Fellow Students
Make sure you turn off all electronic devices upon entering the classroom (i.e. watch alarms, beepers, and cellular
telephones).
Add/drop Process
In compliance with Marshall’s policies, BUAD 302 classes are open enrollment (R-clearance) through the first week of
class. All classes are closed (switched to D-clearance) at the end of the first week. The purpose is to minimize the
complexity of the registration process for students by standardizing across classes. I can drop you from my class if you
don’t attend the first two sessions in classes that meet twice a week or if you don’t attend the first session in a class that
meets once a week.
Please note: No matter if you decide to drop, or if you choose not to attend the first sessions without notifying me and
are dropped, you risk being able to add to another BUAD 302 course this semester, since sections are usually full and
professors will not be inclined to add students after the first week.
These policies maintain professionalism and ensure a system that is fair to all students.
Services
Two other facilities within the Marshall School of Business offer a broad range of informational, software and hardware
services. Schedules for these facilities can be found on the Marshall School homepage: www.marshall.usc.edu
Crocker Business Library (2nd floor Hoffman)
Instructional Technology Support (ITS - HOH 300 D)
(213) 740-8520
(213) 740-5577
Emergency Numbers
USC Emergencies
USC Emergency Information Line
USC Information Line
(213) 740-4321
(213) 740-9233
(213) 740-2311
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Schedule and Due Dates
BUAD 302 Business Communication Fall 2013
for
Section 14689, 4:00-5:50 pm, TTH, HOH302
NOTE: SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
DATE
Tues., 8/27
ACTIVITIES
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
Thurs., 8/29
Tues., 9/3
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Thurs., 9/5
Tues., 9/10
Thurs., 9/12
Tues., 9/17
Thurs., 9/19
Tues., 9/24
Thurs., 9/26
Tues., 10/1
Thurs., 10/3
Sat., 10/5 and Sun.,
10/6
Tues., 10/8
Thurs., 10/10
Sat., 10/12
Tues., 10/15
Course introduction and philosophy of teaching and
learning
Syllabus review and introduction of group project
Module 1: Employment Messages
Quiz on Chapter 1
Student introductions
Nonverbal exercise (ice breaker)
Discuss strategy and tactics, issues from Chapter 1
Quiz on Chapter 2
Discuss social construction of reality and models of
communication
Discussion Communication Styles Inventory
Discuss job description analysis and resume exercises
Guest Speaker, USC Career Center
Online activity-Discuss Chapter 3
Online activity-Job description analysis
Resume peer review
Rumor Clinic and One-Way/Two-Way Communication
Meet in ELC, BRI 2, 3, 4
 Watch video: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/secretsof-body-language/
 Quiz on Chapter 4
 Behavioral interviewing exercise
 Quiz on Chapter 5
 Form groups and discuss group assignments
Module 2: Organizational, Interpersonal, and Group
Communication
Hi-Fli Satellites Simulation, meet in ELC, BRI 2, 3, 4
REQUIRED
READINGS
and DUE
DATES
Course Syllabus
(posted on
Blackboard)
Read Chapter 1
Read Chapter 2
Complete
Communication
Styles Inventory
Read Chapter 3
Resume peer
review
Hand in resume
Read Chapter 4
Read Chapter 5
Mock interviews in JKP ELC, 3rd floor (by appointment)
 Quiz on Chapter 8
 Active Listening and Providing Feedback exercises
Online discussion
(First home football game on campus)
Mock interviews in JKP ELC, 3rd floor (by appointment)



Quiz on Chapter 9
SUV exercise in class
Discuss decision-making techniques
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Read Chapter 8
 Read Chapter 9
Thurs., 10/17
Tues., 10/22
Thurs., 10/24
Tues., 10/29
Thurs., 10/31
Tues., 11/5
Thurs., 11/7
Tues., 11/12
Thurs., 11/14
Tues., 11/19
Thurs., 11/21
Tues., 11/26
Thurs., 11/28
Tues., 12/3
Thurs., 12/5
Team Communication Plan presentations


Quiz on Chapter 10
Case study analysis and discussion
Ethical Decision-making, meet in ELC, BRI 2, 3, 4
Watch Enron: the Smartest Guys in the Room
 Quiz on Chapter 11
 Discuss Enron in context of communication and
organizational culture
 Quiz on Chapter 6
 Discuss report formatting and final papers
 Discuss final presentation
Good Neighbors exercise, meet in ELC, BRI 2, 3, 4
 Quiz on Chapter 10
 Discuss final exam preparation
 Discuss PowerPoint Design exercise
 Group work time
 In class group work time
 Online activity: discussion of decision-making
PowerPoint Design exercise
Difficult questions exercise, meet in ELC, BRI 2, 3, 4
 Online activity: Discussion of question and answer
sessions
 Group work time
Thanksgiving Holiday
NO CLASS
 Online activity: Final wrap-up of class discussion online
 Group work time
Final group presentations, meet in ELC BRI 2, 3, 4
Team
Communication
Plan
presentations
 Read Chapter 10
 Read case for
analysis
posted on
Blackboard
Read Chapter 11
Read Chapter 6
Read Chapter 10
Final Group
Presentation
Individual Team
Communication
Paper
Thurs., 12/12
 Final Exam: 4:30-6:30 p.m.
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