Business Communication Syllabus - BBA-BI (PU)

General Course Objectives

After doing this course, students should be able to

• outline basic principles underlying modern business communication and apply these principles in varied contexts
• critically analyze these basic principles, and their application
• review the nature and role of communication in the changing context of modern business organizations

Course Description

The course aims to show both the complexity of communication and how it can be improved. It does not offer simple recipes for success. Because of the complexities, it is necessary to apply principles in ways which suit specific context. The course will try to explain how this can be done.

Specific Course Objectives

• can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters;
• can deal with most situations likely to arise while traveling;
• can produce simple connected texts on familiar topics;
• can describe experiences and events, plans, hopes and ambitions;
• can briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans;
• has enough language to get by in everyday situations;
• can express themselves reasonably accurately;
• can initiate and deal with familiar everyday interactions;

can link ideas into connected linear sequences.

Course Contents

The course contents are as follows:

Unit I. Communication fundamentals

1. Analyzing communication
2. Communication codes and meaning
3. Intercultural communication

Unit II. Communication and organizations in context

4. Organizational culture and communication
5. ICT in organizations
6. Organizational structure and communication

Unit III. Written communication in organizations

7. Business writing: planning and organizing
8. Effective writing style
9. Effective design and visual aids
10. Effective business documents

Unit IV. Interpersonal communication in organizations

• Effective interpersonal communication: defining interpersonal skills
• Interpersonal skills in action: communicating face to face
• Meetings and presentations
• Building effective teams

Unit V. Communication and change

• Understanding organizational change
• Making communication work: summary principles

The course offers the following features:

• Practical examples and theoretical principles
• Alternatives and controversies
• Multicultural and structural factors
• Use of information technology

Teaching Method

The method suggested is a mix of lectures, workshops, discussions and presentations. Emphasis should be given to do all the exercises so that students will apply the principles studied in the class practically in the exercises given. The summaries will present the main points of the chapter, and it is important to deal with the discussion questions given at the end of each chapter.

Basic Text

Hartley, Peter, and Clive G. Bruckmann. Business Communication. London and New York: Routledge, 2002.

References

Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English. Eighth Edition. Oxford: OUP, 2010.

Clampitt, P.G. Communicating for Managerial Effectiveness. 2^nd. edition. CA: Sage, 2001.

Leech, G.N., and Jan Svartvik.  A Communicative Grammar of English. Third Edition. London: Longman, 2002.