Communication for Executives (Spring 2005)

Course Information

Section: AC
Day and Time: Saturdays (March 5-April 9), 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Location: St. Vincent’s Hall (VINI) 215

Instructor Information

Instructor: Dr. Erin Karper
Email: ekarper@niagara.edu
AIM: ProfKarper
Office: Dunleavy 350
Office Phone: 286-8631
Office Hours: MWF 9:00-11:00 a.m., by appointment

From the course catalog:

An examination of the process of communication within the business enterprise and an analysis of its basic components.  The presentation will include report writing, meeting leadership skills, and effective speaking and listening skills.  All this is done within the appropriate technological framework including PowerPoint, and associated software.

This course will teach you:

• About how communication works as a process within different business settings
• About rhetorical terms and concepts related to communication (audience, purpose, genre, context, reader, writer, medium, message)
• About different types of communication practices required for success in management (speaking, writing, listening, reading, and responding)
• About analyzing contexts for communication
• About conducting and using research within business communication contexts
• About choosing and using appropriate genres for writing and speaking
• About shaping writing and speaking to meet the needs of an audience
• About speaking effectively in different contexts (meetings, presentations, conference calls, phone calls)
• About writing effectively in different contexts
  
• About using appropriate tone and style in business communication
• About effective document design strategies
• About using technologies for writing and speaking

In order to accomplish these goals, a variety of instructional methods will be used, including:

• Lectures by the instructor which cover principles and major ideas.
• Readings which provide information on principles and major ideas.
• Case analyses which ask you to look at a real-world situation where there is a communication need, analyze the situation, and produce and/or evaluate appropriate communication for that context.
• Small group and whole-class work related to cases, readings and other activities.
• Writing assignments which ask you to practice producing different genres as well as analyzing and reporting on what you have learned.
• Speaking assignments which ask you to practice producing different genres as well as analyzing and reporting on what you have learned.

Clampitt, Philip G. Communicating for Managerial Effectiveness (3rd Edition). Sage Press: 2005.

Veech, Annette. Managerial Communication Strategies: An Applied Casebook. Pearson Education: 2002.

Other readings and cases as indicated.

Due to the compressed nature of the course, you will be graded on both in-class and out of class work.

Case Analyses (350 points total)

These assignments, which will be done in-class and outside of class, ask you to examine a real-world situation where there is a communication need, analyze the situation and produce a written or oral analysis, and produce and evaluate appropriate communication which would create a resolution to the situation. You will work individually and in small-groups to complete these analyses, which may include producing different types of documents as well as writing an analysis memo or giving a short presentation. These analyses and supporting documents will be graded, with points being assigned depending on the amount of work required.

Meetings/Conference Calls (100 points total)

You will participate in leading and participating in meetings and conference calls related to cases (or other appropriate contexts) in class in order to practice appropriate communication strategies within these contexts. Your participation will be observed and graded by the instructor.

Report (200 points total)

You will choose a trend in business communication that you find interesting and appropriate for the type of business that you are currently in or would like to work in. You should identify a practice, procedure, or technology that you feel your company (or a company for which you would like to work) should adopt. You will then write a 6-8 page report that informs employees above and below about this trend and practice, procedure, or technology, explains how it could be implemented and used in your specific corporate setting, and makes a persuasive case for its adoption.

Presentation (150 points total)

In addition to writing a report on this trend, you will also give a 15 minute presentation to the class about this trend in business communication in an attempt to convince the company to adopt this new practice, procedure, or technology. This presentation should include a PowerPoint presentation to complement your speaking as well as handouts for the audience. The class and instructor will play the role of your fellow employees and their feedback will become part of your grade.

Memos to the Instructor (100 points total)

Before each class, you will write a 1-2 page memo to the instructor and submit it via e-mail. This memo will:

• Summarize the major ideas in the readings for class
• Reflect on how those ideas relate to your experiences in business
• Ask questions about ideas or concepts which you need clarified or are curious about

Memos are due before the start of each class. These memos will be graded individually and will be worth 25 points each.

Class Participation (100 points total)

You will also be graded on your participation in class, including your contributions to whole-class and small group discussion.

Specific grading rubrics will be given out with the final version of each assignment which explain the exact criteria for that specific assignment. In general, though, your assignments will be graded based on:

• how well you fulfill the specific criteria for the assignment
• how well you demonstrate an informed awareness of the context for writing and/or speaking
• how well you pay attention to audience, organization, structure, focus, and genre conventions
• how well you pay attention to style, tone, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage

If you have questions about your grade or about grading policies, please see the instructor after class or during office hours.

Grading Scale

Your grade will be computed by totalling all points that you receive on assignments as well as points for class participation. You can earn a maximum of 1000 points in this class. The thousand points will then be converted into a letter grade based on Niagara’s grading scale.

Conversion Scale

• A+: 950-1000 points
• A: 900-949 points
• B+: 850-899 points
• B: 800-849 points
• C+: 750-799 points
• C: 700-749 points
• D+: 650-699 points
• D: 600-649 points
• F: below 600 points

Attendance

Because this class relies heavily on in-class work and feedback from your peers, and because our in-person time is so compressed, your regular attendance at course meetings is important. Attendance in class is taken each day via a sign-in sheet that is passed around the classroom. It is your responsibility to make sure that you sign the sheet each day, as that is your official record of being present in the course.

If you experience personal circumstances that affect your ability to be present, it is your responsibility to inform the instructor as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made.

Late Work

You are expected to turn assignments in on the date they are due. Assignments that are turned in between one (1) and five (5) days late will receive a deduction of ten (10) points for each day that they are late. After five days, an assignment will no longer be accepted and you will receive zero points for the assignment.

If you need to renegotiate a deadline for personal reasons, please consult the instructor as far in advance as possible.

Academic Honesty

According to the Niagara University Graduate Catalog:

The integrity of an academic community necessitates the full and correct citation of ideas, methodologies and research findings to the appropriate source. This is necessary to protect the original work whether it is found in reference material, other published matter, or unpublished communication from faculty, other scholars, and fellow students. In addition, each student can promote academic honesty by protecting his or her work from inappropriate use. Academic honesty is essential to ensure the validity of the grading system and to maintain a high standard of academic excellence. The principal violations of academic honesty are cheating and plagiarism.

Cheating includes the unauthorized use of certain materials, information or devices in writing examinations, or in preparing papers or other assignments. Any student who aids another student in such dishonesty is also guilty of cheating. Other possible forms of cheating include submitting the same work in more than one class without permission, and fabricating or altering references or actual research results.

Plagiarism is the presentation of ideas, words, and opinions of someone else as one’s own work. The offense does not extend solely to directly quoted materials presented without documentation. Paraphrased material, even if rendered in the student’s own words, must be attributed to the originator of the thought. Furthermore, if the student adopts a line of reasoning or a point of view adopted or derived from the work of another, such adoption or derivation must also be properly acknowledged. (p. 20)

In this course, you will be working with the words, ideas, and works of others quite often. Part of that work will be learning how to correctly credit the originators of the works you use within a business communication context. However, if you ever have a question about how to properly use these works, please ask the instructor as soon as possible.

Instances of academic dishonesty will be dealt with following the policies and procedures laid out on page 20 of the Graduate Catalog.

Technology Use

As part of your work in this course, you will be expected to use technologies in conducting research and producing writing. Also, information about assignments, deadlines, and other course information will be disseminated through the course Web site at .

Throughout the course, you will be expected to:

• Check the course Web site at least twice a week for information about course projects, deadlines, and other course information.
• Use e-mail and other forms of online communication to communicate with the instructor and your classmates when necessary.
• Use various types of software, including word processors, page design software, and presentation design software, to complete course projects.
• Be willing to get help from the instructor or other campus resources to use technologies for course projects and other coursework.
• Pay attention to standards for written English when using computers for communication.
• Use technologies respectfully and appropriately. This includes complying with Niagara’s Acceptable Use Policies for use of computers and Internet service as explained in the Student Technology Handbook, and also being respectful of the instructor and your fellow classmates.

Also, if you have a cellular telephone, please set it to silent or vibrate mode during class. If you need to take a call, please step out of the room and have your conversation outside unless the class is on a break.

Students With Disabilities

Students with documented disabilities who may need accommodations, who have any emergency medical information the instructor should know about, or who need special arrangements in the event of an evacuation, should make an appointment to see the instructor as early as possible in the semester, preferably no later than the first week. Students must also register with Diane Stoelting, Coordinator of Specialized Support Services (286-8076, ds@niagara.edu) in order to facilitate the provision of needed accommodations.

Counseling Services and Academic Support

The staff of the office of counseling services in the lower level of Seton Hall and the Academic Support staff in the Learning Center in Seton Hall are available to help students manage the stresses of university life. All private consultations are confidential and free of charge. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 286-8536 (Counseling) or 286-8072 (Office of Academic Support).