LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, DELHI Two Year Full Time Post Graduate Programme in Management Trimester- I

Course Code: 111002 Course Title: Business CommunicationAcademic Session: 20011-2012 Instructors: Rashmi Sharma/ Shivdasini Singh Amin COURSE OBJECTIVECommunication is the way management gets its job done and good managers should be good communicators. Present day business world demands that the executives are not only highly skilled but also more articulate than any other professionals. In line with this scenario, the course will aim at exposing the students to the basics of communication fundamentals. It will help students hone up their receptive (listening and reading) as well as expressive (written and oral) communication skills. The students will be involved in writing and presenting a report directed towards a real audience based on a problem, situation, or need at a particular company or organization. The report, the final document in a series of assignments, records primary and secondary research, draws conclusions based on that research, and offers useful recommendations based on the specific needs of the company.

The course also aims at exposing students to real-life situations in managing meetings, successful employment strategies, cross-cultural and interpersonal communication issues.

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to: Demonstrate improved interpersonal communication skills Design and communicate effective formal and informal messages Demonstrate improved persuasion and influencing skills Write effective reports Organize, conduct and participate in meetings effectively Develop sensitivity to cross-cultural Communication Make effective business presentations with balanced visual support

COURSE CONTENTS:

Module No.

Session No./s

Topic & Reading/s in the Polycopy

I 1-2 Communication Foundations - Importance and Benefits of Effective Communication; Components of Communication; Barriers of Communication; 7 C’s of Effective CommunicationReadings in the polycopy:

Getting the Attention You Need The Communication Process Barriers & Gateways to Communication Good Communication that Blocks Learning Communication Breakdown

Live Projects to be assigned.3 Non-Verbal Communication - Meta-communication and Para-language; the

language of Silence, Posture, Time & Space; Body Language;Readings in the polycopy:

The Power of Body Language

Read the Hidden Codes

4 Listening - Strategies for Improving Listening SkillsReadings in the polycopy:

Handling Q & A : The Five Kinds of Listening Active Listening

II

5-6 The Writing Process - Analysing the Task; Audience Analysis; Strategic Model of Communication; The Appearance and Design of Different Business Messages.Readings in the polycopy:

For Better Business Writing Audience Analysis Clear Writing Means Clear Thinking Means “What do you mean I can’t Write?” “What do you mean you don’t like my style?”

Case : Dashman Company. Richard S. Meriam, Franklin E. Folts, George F.F. Lombard. HBS

III 7-8 Different Business Messages - Routine Letters; Routine Memos, Persuasive and Negative Messages; Writing message for electronic media: E-mail, IM, Blogging, Podcasting.Readings in the polycopy:

Effective Writing: A Brief Manual of Style

Case : When East Doesn’t Meet West. Richard Epstein. Duke Law and Technology Review.

IV 9 Report Writing (Content & Structure)Readings in the polycopy:

Orientation to Business Reports

V 10 Productive Meeting StrategiesReadings in the polycopy:

Holding Your Own in Meetings, But Working as a Team

VI 11-12 Job Application Process - Writing resumes/ Written Job Presentation ; Information gathering/ Reference checking before interview; Interview Process; Follow-upReadings in the polycopy:

Interview and Personality Communications

VII 13 Cross-Cultural Communication Readings in the polycopy:

Techniques of Cross-Cultural Communication Working on Common Cross-Cultural-

Communication ChallengesCase: The Case of the Floundering Expatriate. Gordon Adler.HBR

VIII 14-15 Interpersonal Communication Strategies - Communicating assertively; Handling conversations (Face-to-face, Telephonic); Art of introducing; Presenting business cards; Giving constructive feedback

IX 16-17 Designing Visual Communication - Selecting the right type of Visual; Creating and delivering oral presentation; Enhancing presentations with slides and other visuals

Readings in the polycopy: Principles of Effective Oral Business Presentations

X 18-19 Project Report Submission & Presentations

20 Presentation Feedback

PEDAGOGY:

The sessions will be a blend of interactive lectures and discussions and will be supplemented by case discussions and exercises. Presentations would be video graphed and replayed in the class for effective analysis and feedback. Students should study the relevant chapters, articles and cases indicated under the topic and come prepared for discussion in the class.

EVALUATION PARAMETERS:

End Term Examination - 50 % Internal Assessment – 50 %

Break-up of internal assessment is as follows:Strategic Model of Communication exercise : 05 MarksCase studies : 10 ”Negative & Persuasive Message Writing : 05 ”Interview role play : 05 ”Mid-term test : 05 ”Report writing: : 10 ”Presentation: : 10 ”

LEARNING RESOURCES:1. Polycopy (in Library)2. Recommended readings:

Bovee, Courtland, Thill, John and Chaturvedi, Mukesh. Business Communication Today (9th edition). New Delhi: Pearson Education Asia.

Cees, B, Riel, Van and Fombrun, Charles. Essentials of Corporate Communication. London: Routledge.

Murphy, Herta, Hildebrandt, Herbert, Thomas, Jane. Effective Business Communication (7th edition). New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill.

Lesikar, R.V., Petit, John, D. Business Communication. New Delhi: AITB Collins, Sandra, D. Communication in a Virtual Organisation. New Delhi:

Cengage.