NSU/BUS&EMB500/Summer2013/SYD

NORTH SOUTH UNIVERSITY (NSU) School of Business

Business Communication (BUS/EMB500)
Section- 2 & 3, Rm. NAC993 , Session: Summer 2013
Instructor: Dr. Syed Saad
Phone: TBD (Off). Email: syed_o_saad@yahoo.com
GA: Sazzad: sazzadalamminar1@gmail.com
Class schedule:
Class hours:
Office hours:
Office Location:

12 consecutive Thursdays and Saturdays

7-10:10pm (Th), 3-6:10pm (Sa)
Sundays, Mondays & Thursdays 5-7pm and by appointment
NAC 835

Text book:
Rentz, K., Flatley, M. E., & Lentz, P., Lesikars Business Communication, 12th Edition, McGraw-Hill
International Edition, 2011.
Reference Text: Thill, J. V. & Bovee, C. L., Excellence in Business Communication, Pearson International
Edition, 2011.

Course Overview:
This is a foundation level course in business communications for students of EMBA and MBA programs.
Without effective communication, business managers and professionals cannot achieve their individual
goals or their organizational goals. Attaining effective communication skills is thus fundamental to
success in ones professional career. This course has been designed to teach the basic concepts and
correct techniques, rules, and conventions of written and oral communications in business and
professional work.
Colleges teach the one thing that is perhaps most valuable for the future employee to
know. But very few student bother to learn it. This one basic skill is the ability to
organize and express ideas in writing and speaking.
As soon as you move one step from the bottom, your effectiveness depends on your
ability to reach others through the spoken or the written word. And the further away
your job is from manual work, the larger the organization of which you are an
employee, the more important it will be that you know how to convey your thoughts in
writing or speakingthis ability to express oneself is perhaps the most important of
all the skills a person can possess.
Peter Drucker, Management Guru.

Course Objectives:

To help improve upon the standard of written and spoken English practiced by students.
To impart the basic concepts, techniques, rules, and conventions of written and oral communications
essential for success in business and professional work.
Learn how to market oneself in the employment context.
Learn how to interact in business circles and convey an image of competence and confidence.

NSU/BUS&EMB500/Summer2013/SYD

Course Structure
The BUS/EMB500 is a twelve-week course comprised of:

Classes: lecture
Discussions and activities
Group exercises and assignments
Group Project: Debate
Mid-term Exam
Final Exam

This is a very activity-oriented course that demands your active participation in and contribution to in-class
discussions and exercises. Therefore, attendance is mandatory. Additionally, out-of-class work is an
essential component without which you will likely find yourself unprepared for the exams, assignments,
exercises and projects in this course.
Please note that there is more material in the text than will be covered in lectures and classroom
discussions. Students are responsible for all of the material in the assigned chapters regardless of
whether or not it is discussed in class. If you are having trouble with some of the material in the book,
please bring your questions to the attention of the instructor, either in class or during office hours.
Additional reading assignments may be included to enhance the textbook material or to cover enrichment
topics.
Grading Plan
Each student will be formally evaluated on his/her performance on the following components:
COMPONENT
Class Assignments, Participation & Contribution
Team Project: Debate
Individual Role & Performance in Debate
Mid-Term Exam
Final Exam
Total
PERCENTAGE POINTS
93
90-92
87-89
83-86
80-82
77-79
73-76
70-72
67-69
63-66
60-62
Less than 60

POINTS
80
80
80
80
80
400

PERCENT
20%
20%
20%
20%
20%
100%

GRAD
E
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF

STUDENT CONDUCT - ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Academic integrity is an educational objective that NSU takes very seriously. Students should familiarize
themselves with NSU policies on plagiarism, cheating, examination impersonation, and general code of

NSU/BUS&EMB500/Summer2013/SYD
conduct. There will be zero tolerance for any act of academic dishonesty, and will be dealt with fully
consistent with NSU standards and policies.

COURSE OUTLINE BUS/EMB500

Week
Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4
14/2

Week 5
28/2

Week 6

Week 7

Week 8

Week 9

Week 10

Week 11

Week 12

IN-CLASS SCHEDULE
Introductions
Overview Course Requirements/Syllabus
Group Exercise
Lecture & Discussion:
Communication in the Workplace, Why communication matters
Assignment
Create groups
Lecture & Discussion:
Effective Communication Model & Process
Barriers to Effective Communication
Lecture & Discussion:
Cross-cultural communication
Adaptation & selection of words
Group Exercise: Ch.2, p. 43-44, #1-20, 22-67.
Lecture & Discussion:
Adaptation & selection of words
Construction of Clear Sentences and Paragraphs
Group Exercise: Ch.3, p.66-67, #9-51.
Lecture & Discussion:
Writing for a Positive Effect
Group Exercise: Ch.4, p.83-84, #1-41.
Midterm Preview
Midterm Exam (60 mins)
Lecture & Discussion:
Oral and Interpersonal Communications
Oral Presentation and Public Speaking
Debate topics and instructions discussed
Midterm results review
Lecture & Discussion:
Directness in Good-News and Neutral Messages

Debate: Teams 1A vs. 1B

Lecture & Discussion:
Indirectness in Bad-News Messages
Debate: Teams 2A vs. 2B
Lecture & Discussion:
Indirectness in Persuasive Messages
Debate: Teams 3A vs. 3B
Lecture & Discussion:
Communicating in the Job-Search Process
Employment Interview
Lecture & Discussion:
Employment Interview
Exercise: Develop answers to frequently asked questions
Lecture & Discussion:
Employment Interview

Remarks
Ch. 1 (Text)
Ch. 1 (Ref.)
Review Handbook of Grammar,
Mechanics and Usage, p.605-629,
Ref. Text.

Ch. 1 (Text)
Ch. 15 (Text), Ch. 2 (Ref.)

Ch. 2 (Text)

Ch. 3 (Text)

Ch. 4 (Text)

Exam:short essays, analysis,

paragraph construction, etc.)
Ch. 13 (Text)
Ch. 14 (Text)

Ch. 5 (Text)

Ch. 6 (Text)

Ch. 7 (Text)

Ch. 8 (Text)

Ch. 9 (Text)
Ch. 15 (Ref.)

Ch. 16 (Ref.)

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Final
Exam

Exercise: Develop answers to frequently asked questions

Finals Preview
Hand in your resume/CV; mini mock employment interview

10 minutes per student