BUCO 533
MANAGING COMMUNICATION IN
ORGANIZATIONS
Fall 2014
15183R: Tues./Thurs., 12:30 – 1:50 p.m., BRI 202
15182R: Tues./Thurs., 2:00 – 3:20 p.m., BRI 202
Professor: Daylanne Markwardt, Ph.D.
E-mail: markward@marshall.usc.edu
Office: ACC 400C
Phone: 213-740-2803
Mailbox: ACC 400
Skype: daylanne.markwardt
Office Hours: Thurs., 9:30 a.m. to noon, or by
appointment
Text Messages: 520-820-6253 (urgent
business only)
TEXTS AND MATERIALS
Required
May, Claire B., and Gordon S. May. Effective Writing: A Handbook for Accountants. 10th ed. New
York: Prentice-Hall, 2014.
Toogood, Granville N. The New Articulate Executive: How to Look, Act, and Sound Like a Leader. 2nd
ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010.
Purchase of one business case for team project (details to follow).
Articles as assigned and posted on Blackboard.
Recommended
Alred, Gerald J., Brusaw, Charles T., & Oliu, Walter E. The Business Writer's Handbook. 10th ed.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Managing Communication in Organizations is a web-facilitated course in which you will take
classroom learning and apply it as part of a business case-based simulation. This section is designed
specifically to meet the needs of accounting graduate students.
Three major themes run through this course. The first is Team Communication and how
communication can be used to establish teams and ensure their optimal performance. As a webfacilitated course, it will also explore issues related to working in virtual teams. The focus will be
on developing your ability to work productively in small teams and to manage projects within an
organizational context.
The second underlying theme of this course is effective Oral Communication as it is practiced in a
business environment, particularly within the accounting profession. This will include preparing
and delivering oral presentations, both as an individual and member of a team, and developing a
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Prof. D. Markwardt
positive leadership image in speaking before small and large groups. It will also include
development of interpersonal, negotiation, conflict-resolution, and leadership skills to prepare you
to function successfully one-on-one, in teams, and within larger organizational contexts.
The third theme of BUCO 533 is effective Written Communication, a skill considered to be as
important for entry-level accountants today as their professional knowledge or technical mastery.
The course will hone your professional and collaborative writing skills, exposing you to the
document formats you will most commonly encounter in accounting. In addition, you will develop
your research and critical thinking skills as the basis for strong persuasive writing while exploring
the ethical issues involved in the interpretation and reporting of financial data.
The short-term goal of this course is to prepare you to be successful in the career recruiting and
interviewing processes. Longer term, its goal is to improve your management communication skills
to increase your success during the early years of your career, and throughout your life in both
personal and professional situations.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of this course is to give you exposure to and practice in a set of
managerial, group, and individual communication challenges common in business
organizations and team settings today. From these experiences, you will learn more about your
personal strengths and about the skills and strategies you need to develop further to reach the level
of success you envision for yourself as a team player and leader.
The managerial and group communication challenges you will experience and learn about include
the following:
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Team formation and structure
Power and influence within teams
Conflict and conflict resolution in teams
Team decision-making and leadership
Proposing, planning, and completing a team project
Preparing and delivering effective presentations
Honing your business writing and collaborative writing abilities
Exposing you to document formats common within accounting
Developing your interpersonal communication skills
Strengthening your interviewing and networking skills
LEARNING OUTCOMES
The specific outcomes for this class will include the following:
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Successfully completing a project that enhances your understanding of team, management,
and organizational communication issues
Improving your communication skills in team situations by demonstrating leadership,
collaboration, and conflict-management skills
Enhancing your group decision-making processes and practices
Practicing leadership communication skills, particularly in the areas of verbal and
nonverbal communication, using the oral presentation channel of delivery
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Prof. D. Markwardt
Practicing effective persuasive communication and the ability to create a credible
professional image using the written channel of delivery
Writing effective letters, memos, e-mail messages, and other documents that help to cinch
your professional image and cement goodwill with your audience
Approaching business communication as a strategic activity founded upon careful analysis
of audience, purpose, and context
Evaluating your team and providing continuous feedback to help each member reach his or
her communication potential as a leader
To summarize, these activities will provide you the opportunity to enhance your business and
management communication skills, using a range of channels or media. More specifically, you will
be presented with the opportunity to enhance your business writing skills, business presentation
skills, and team and interpersonal communication skills. The result, as with all endeavors, depends
upon your willingness to proactively engage with the materials and take advantage of the
opportunities presented to practice the provided management communication techniques.
EXPECTATIONS, EVALUATION, AND GRADING
Student Expectations
Attendance, critical engagement with assigned readings, active participation, and a positive attitude
are required for successful completion of this course. Many sessions involve group activities, and I
plan and organize them assuming that all students will be present. Professional expectations
extend to this course, which means that you should advise me by e-mail or in person prior to
your absence if you are unable to attend any class or exercise. Partial credit for missed classes or
activities, such as ELC exercises, is at my discretion and may not be possible depending on the
activity and timing.
As graduate students and present or future leaders, you are expected to take personal
responsibility for your learning. We will not always cover all the assigned materials in class as
might be expected in an undergraduate course; therefore, you will be expected to raise questions
and address elements of the reading that you find compelling or worthwhile for discussion as a
class, that you disagree with, or that you would like to elaborate upon based on your professional
experiences. You will be responsible for knowing the information presented in the readings,
lectures, and class activities, so you are advised to take advantage of class discussion time to
address issues you don’t understand or that you would like to see more fully discussed with peers
to add to your insights and understanding.
Faculty Expectations
I will provide course materials and varied opportunities for learning through discussion times,
exercises, and assignments. You can expect to receive timely assessments of your learning as well
as prompt feedback on graded assignments and exams. I will also make myself available during my
office hours and at other scheduled times for individual consultations or discussion of course
materials or assignments. If, at any time, you have questions or are unsure about your progress in
the course, please don’t hesitate to come speak with me.
Evaluation and Grading
Your final course grade will be composed of the following elements:
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Grading Component
Team Project and Final Presentation (Team)
Two Oral Presentations (Individual)
Business Writing Portfolio (Individual)
Midterm Exams (Individual)
ELC Exercises, Discussions, and Classroom Participation (Individual/Team)
Business Communication Assessment and Planning Memo (Individual)
Cover Letter and Personal Branding Profile (Individual)
TOTAL
Points
400
150
150
150
100
25
25
1,000
Percentage
40%
15%
15%
15%
10%
2.5%
2.5%
100%
Major grading components are described briefly below. Assignment instructions will include
grading criteria, with detailed grading rubrics to be posted to Blackboard and additional details
covered in class.
Team Project
Working with a team of classmates, you will develop a project based on an accounting case-based
simulation and then deliver a final report and presentation of your findings and recommendations.
Elements of this project will include:
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A team charter and project management plan
A project engagement letter
A memo to file
A management advisory or tax research letter
A final oral presentation
A final research report and transmittal letter
A peer- and self-evaluation
Additional elements of the assignment are intended to help your team develop an effective group
dynamic and aid each member in enhancing his or her team leadership skills. This element will be
addressed through group exercises and periodic project status reports to the class.
Oral Presentations
In addition to the final presentation that is part of the team project, you will deliver two graded
individual presentations, both covering accounting-related topics. These are designed to develop
your speaking skills as well as to enhance your leadership image in contexts similar to those you
will encounter in the workplace.
Business Writing Portfolio
Throughout the semester, you will complete exercises designed to give you practice with the types
of writing and document formats that are common within the accounting profession. From these,
you will choose five and polish them for submission as part of a graded portfolio that reflects your
best work as a business writer. These documents may subsequently be used if you are asked to
provide writing samples as part of the recruiting or interview process.
Midterm Exams
The course includes two midterm exams, spaced equally throughout the semester, based on your
experiential learning, course readings, lectures, and discussions. Both exams will combine multiple
choice and short answer questions with longer written components.
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Prof. D. Markwardt
ELC Exercises, Discussions, and Classroom Participation
Within the safe confines of the Experiential Learning Center, you will participate in exercises
designed to give you practice in specific skills: problem solving across an organization, reaching
consensus, handling difficult people, and resolving conflict. In addition, classroom activities that
require your attendance will contribute to this part of your grade. Participation in class discussions,
post-ELC exercise debriefs, and critiques of peer presentations will also be included here.
Teamwork
In the interest of fairness, a peer evaluation of each team member’s participation in and
contributions to the consulting project will constitute a portion of your final grade.
Late Policy
Assignments that are submitted after class time on the assigned due date and time will be assessed
a 10 percent per day late penalty.
Web-Facilitated Course Delivery
This is a web-facilitated course, which means that you will be expected to be involved in web-based
activities and delivery methods. These include conventional expectations, such as accessing reading
materials provided and participation in class discussions through Blackboard, as well as using
GoogleDocs as the primary method of collaboration among team members. You should also include
your professor as a member of your team in GoogleDocs so that she can evaluate your collaborative
writing skills.
ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND UNIVERSITY POLICIES
Academic Standards
Academic integrity is a critical value of the University Community. Integrity violations destroy the
fabric of a learning community and the spirit of inquiry that is vital to the effectiveness of the
University. This course is subject to the Marshall School of Business Academic Standards and USC
Academic Integrity Standards, as detailed in SCampus (http://web-app.usc.edu/scampus/). Please
refer to and become familiar with these standards. I will work with you to maintain an atmosphere
conducive to personal integrity, intellectual honesty, and ethical behavior.
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 may be obtained from DSP. Please deliver the letter to me as early in the term as
possible. DSP is located in STU 301 (phone 213-740-0776) and is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
Professor’s Retention of Graded Papers
Returned paperwork, unclaimed by a student, may be discarded one month after the end of the
class. Paperwork intentionally not returned to students will be retained until May 2014.
Key Dates—Fall 2014
Below are the key dates for Fall 2014 graduate classes in the Marshall and Leventhal Schools.
Please see the course calendar for additional information.
Classes Begin
August 25
Labor Day Holiday
September 1
Last day to add a class
September 12
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BUCO 533: Fall 2014
Last day to drop without a W
Last day to drop with W
Thanksgiving Holiday
Classes End
Emergency Information
USC Emergencies
USC Emergency Info Line
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Prof. D. Markwardt
September 12
November 14
November 26-29
December 5
213-740-4321
213-740-9233
213-740-2311
91.5 FM Dial
Syllabus Additions
The course calendar should be considered a part of the syllabus for this course. Please note that the
schedule is subject to change based on needs and progress of the class. Any changes will be
announced in advance and posted to Blackboard.
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