BUS 310

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

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COURSE INTRODUCTION

Course objectives
Key contents
Teaching methods and plan
Teaching materials
Course assessment
Assignments

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COURSE OBJECTIVES
 To participate effectively in interpersonal, team
and inter-cultural communication.
 To influence the audience using effective
business presentations
 To demonstrate competency in business writing
 To develop a customized resume and cover letter
 To use communication technology appropriately
and effectively
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 KEY CONTENTS

3. Interpersonal
communication skills

1. Overview of BC
2. Effective 4. Team & intercultural
communication 6. Employment
communication Job search
Business Negotiation CV and cover letter
Presentations Interview

5. Business writing
Process
Writing at work

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TEACHING METHODS

 Co-teaching
 Vietnamese
 Foreign – Dr. Jonathan Durham
 Lectures
 Games
 Videos
 Case studies

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 TEACHING PLAN
Week Contents Lecturers
1 Course Introduction Dr. Dr. Jonathan Durham
Overview of business communication
2 Interpersonal communication skills Dr. Mai Anh

3+4 Team and intercultural communication Dr. Dr. Jonathan Durham

Negotiation skill
5 Business Presentations Dr. Mai Anh
6+7 Group presentation Dr. Mai Anh
Business writing process
8 Business writing process Dr. Dr. Jonathan Durham
9+10+ 11 + 12 The Job Search, Résumés, and Cover Letters Dr. Mai Anh
Interviews and Follow-Up
Coach on reflection, cover letter & Resumes
Course review

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TEACHING MATERIALS
 Slides
 Reference books
 Kelly M. Quintanilla and Shawn T. Wahl (2020), Business
and Professional Communication – Keys for Workplace
Excellence, 4th Edition, SAGE Publications
 Mary Ellen Guffey, and Dana Loewy, (2019), Essentials of
Business Communication, 11th Edition, Cengage Learning
 Courtland L. Bovée John V. Thill, (2020), Business
Communication Essentials, 8th Edition, Pearson
Education Limited
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SUBJECT ASSESSMENT
Assessment Individual or % of final Deadline
group grade

Class attendance Individual 10%

Research project Group 30% Week 6

Resume & cover letter Individual 20% Week 12

Reflection on Individual 20% Week 12

communication skills

Final exam Individual 20% To be

informed
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RESEARCH PROJECT – 30%

 Done in a group of 4
 Research the assigned topic and present the
findings
 Topics – to be given by Dr. Mai Anh
 Students must cite at least 4 resources

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RESEARCH PROJECT – PRESENTATION

 Max 20 minutes
 Marking
 Time management
 Slides
 Presentation skills
 Team work
 Handling questions

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RESUME & COVER LETTER – 20%

 Done individually
 Create a cover letter and resume
based
 Select one position obtained
from Job-seeking search.
 The cover letter will introduce
the student & connect aspects of
the resume to the job description.
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REFLECTION ON COMMUNICATION SKILLS

 Select skills that you think

you learnt most
 Do reflection on that skills
 Knowledge gained from
contents or learning
environment
 Gaps in your skills and
knowledge
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FINAL EXAM

 Multiple choice exam

 Time: 45 – 60 minutes

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LET’S START!

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 1
INTRODUCTION
TO BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
1.1 Key concepts
1.2 Role and importance of business communication
1.3 Process of communication
1.4 Types of communication
1.5 Ethics in business communication

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COMMUNICATION

YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE GREAT

IDEAS IN THE WORLD &
IF YOU CAN’T COMMUNICATE,
NOBODY WILL HEAR THEM

- Kara Blackburn

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1.1 KEY CONCEPTS

COMMUNICATION 1. Communication

2. Business Communication

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COMMUNICATION
 Derived from the latin word
“communis”, meaning to SHARE
 Communication is the exchange of
thoughts, messages, or information
by speech, visuals, signals, writing,
or behavior
 It is the transmission of an idea or
feeling so that the sender & receiver
share the same understanding

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COMMUNICATION

“Communication is a process
involving the selection,
production & transmission of
signs in such a way as to help a
receiver perceive a meaning
similar to that in the mind of the
communicator”
-
Fortheringham
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COMMUNICATION
 “Communication is the process of
transferring information &
meaning between senders and
receivers” (Thill & Boveé, 2015)
 Transmitted meaning (accepted)
 Negotiated meaning (discussing –
situation)
 Re-created meaning (negative or
positive reaction)
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BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
Business communication is the
sharing of information between
people within an organization
that is performed for the
commercial benefit of the
organization

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1.2 IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION
INDIVIDUAL • Understand the mission, goalls, values and
LEVEL procedures of the organization
• Clearing up ambiguilty in the what’s, how;s and
why’s
• Sense of “making a difference”
GROUP • Creating common culture permits employees to act
LEVEL with empowerment
• Reducing day to day conflict
ORGANIZATIONAL • Coordinating organizational resources
LEVEL • Sense of belonging and commitment
• Direct impact on effort and efficiency

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IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION

 Communication is life & life is communication

 Communication is the lifeblood
 Your success in career is based on your ability
to do well in written and oral communication.
This ability to communicate effectively is a
valuable asset for you

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 BENEFITS OF COMMUNICATION
2. Enhance morale & relations 3. Effective leadership
1. Managerial Efficiency - Emphasizes the employee’s - Two-way communication
- participation in management helps in effective
Managerial task can only be - Build the employees morale communication
performed well when -
& cordial industrial relations Leadership can be obtained
communication system is
between management & from proper system of
effective
employees communication

4. Mutual trust & confidence 6. Staffing

5. Better decision
- Communicates to concerned - When the information are
- Effective communication
department, organization and correctly communicates in time, it
helps to reduce helps in the function of selection,
persons make decisions
misunderstanding & develop placement, socialization,
promply
mutual trust promotion & transfer

7. Better managerial concern

- All managerial functions such as planning, organizing, directing, controlling… can’t be conducted
without communication
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1.3 COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Feedback

Sender Medium Receiver

Ideas Encode Message Decode Meaning

Noise

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COMMUNICATION PROCESS

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1.4 TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

 One way >< two way communication

 Verbal >< Non-verbal
 Formal >< Informal

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ONE WAY >< TWO WAY COMMUNICATION
One way communication
Sender send information to receiver, not vice versa
Absence of Listening to speeches, radio, watch films, TV,
reading book
feedback from No clarification, hard to understand sometimes
receiver
Two way communication
Include feedback from receivers
Easy to understand

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VERBAL >< NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

VERBAL NON-VERBAL
 Involves the use of symbol  Transmission of meaning
that geneally have universal other than oral or written
meaning words
 Oral communication (the  Can be through: facial
message is transmitted in expression, body posture, eye
spoken form) contact…
 Witten communication
(information is exchanged in
the written or printed form)

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FORMAL >< INFORMAL COMMUNICATION
FORMAL INFORMAL
 The process of exchanging  The process of spontaneous
information by following the exchange of information
prescribed or official rules
 Relatively less structure &
 Communication is structured on
spontaneous
the basis of hierarchy, authority,
accountability  Inter-personal
 Upward communication (from communication
subordinate to superiors)  Grapevine
 Downward communication  Rumor
(from superiors to subordinates)  Social media
 Horizontal – among colleagues
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FORMAL >< INFORMAL COMMUNICATION
FORMAL >< INFORMAL

FORMAL INFORMAL
 Complex & though  Slang or figure of speech
 Long scentance  Personal and emotional tone
 Full words  Speak directly to recievers
 No contractions
 No Abbreviations
 Objetive

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1.5 ETHICAL COMMUNICATION

 Ethics are the accepted

principles of conduct that
govern behavior within a society
 Ethical principles define the
boundary between right and
wrong

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ETHIC >< UNETHICAL COMMUNICATION

ETHICAL UNETHICAL
 Plagiarism
 True in every sense  Omitting essential
 includes all relevant information
information  Selective misquoting
 not deceptive in any way  Misrepresenting data
 Failing to respect privacy or
information security needs
 Coercing people to give
positive online reviews

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RECOGNIZING ETHICAL ISSUES
ETHICAL DILEMMA ETHICAL LAPSE
An ethical dilemma involves
choosing among alternatives that An ethical lapse is a clearly unethical
aren’t clear-cut choice

 Various Stakeholders  Business Pressures

 Competing Interest  Produce Results
 Difficult Tradeoffs  Justify Decisions

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BE ETHICAL IN COMMUNICATION
 Ethical individuals
 Ethical company leadership
 The appropriate policies and structures
 General Ethics Guidelines - Ask the following questions
 Have you defined the situation?
 Why are you communicating?
 What impact will your message have?
 What good or harm will be achieved?
 Will your assumptions change?
 Are you comfortable with the decision?
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QUESTIONS
CLASS WORKS

 Think of some habits, which

might cost you your job?
 Think of your recent ethical
dilemma? What is your
choice?
 Think of your recent ethical
lapse?

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