Lahore University of Management Sciences MGMT 211 Applied Business Writing & Communication

Spring 2012-13

Instructor Room No. Office Hours Email Telephone Secretary/TA TA Office Hours Course URL (if any)

Jazib Zahir

jazib.zahir@lums.edu.pk, jzahir@gmail.com

Course Basics Credit Hours Lecture(s) Recitation/Lab (per week) Tutorial (per week) Course Distribution Core Elective Open for Student Category Close for Student Category

4 Nbr of Lec(s) Per Week Nbr of Lec(s) Per Week Nbr of Lec(s) Per Week

2 -

Duration Duration Duration

100 mins

Yes

COURSE DESCRIPTION Applied Business Writing & Communication teaches the practical aspects of writing and speaking in a professional context. Students will learn how to deliver coherent presentations, compose formal documents and engage in productive discussions. The course is not specifically geared towards business students and thus those from all backgrounds may benefit from these exercises. The assignments encourage creativity, research and iteration.

COURSE PREREQUISITE(S) No particular prerequisites. It is assumed that students have basic exposure to the use of PowerPoint and writing reports. The course builds upon basic competency in these areas and tries to expand the students skills and allow them to develop an individual style.

COURSE OBJECTIVES Students should realize the modes of communication that are common in the professional world and the contexts in which they arise. Students should become cognizant of writing, speaking and discussion styles that are distinctive yet encompass the rudiments of precision, brevity, formality and politeness. Students should be comfortable working in teams on assignments that involve in-depth planning, multiple iterations and the compilation of data from market research. Learning Outcomes Students should recognize the ideal mode of communication for different contexts. Students should realize the need to break down important presentations and reports into several stages of planning where feedback needs to be incorporated. Students should be comfortable critiquing both themselves and their peers as part of a process of incremental improvement.

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Grading Breakup and Policy Attendance: (10%) There will be an explicit policy for class attendance and in-class discipline. Class Participation: (10%) Students are expected to come prepared for classes and share their thoughts and opinions on different topics. Quizzes/Short Assignments: (20%) A mix of in-class quizzes and short home-based assignments will allow you to practice concepts we have discussed in class. Projects: (60%) There will be a number of projects in the course which will vary in intensity. Roughly speaking, half the credit is for PowerPoint Presentation related assignments (including an individual assignment involving composing a slide deck, a large-group presentation involving pitching a creative idea and a two-person presentation on a sales pitch involving a fair amount of market research. Half the credit is for writing assignments including a two-person business plan and several shorter papers generally executed in an individual capacity.

Examination Detail Yes/No: No Combine Separate: Duration: Preferred Date: Exam Specifications:

Midterm Exam

Final Exam

Yes/No: No Combine Separate: Duration: Exam Specifications:

Week/ Lecture/ Module 1

Topics

Objectives/ Application Understand student expectations and share outline

Introduction: The need for communication in the professional world Blogging: The art of informal writing

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

PowerPoint: Putting it All Together PowerPoint: Presenting it

The nature of blogs, how to use them for marketing purposes, and how we will incorporate them into the course Picking your content, storyboarding it and transferring it to an effective and attractive structure Preparing your delivery, the use of rhetorical tools, handling Q&A Prezi & Video presentations Understanding the elements of selling an idea Understanding the nature and modules of a business plan Understanding how to collect the data needed for a business plan and the nature of language required How to compose and evaluate a CV/Cover Letter The use of LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and viral campaigns Practice of pitching a creative idea through a short PowerPoint presentation by a large group The effective use of emails in a corporate environment Will watch a business-themed movie/television clips to understand how different concepts are presented Industry professionals will share their views on different topics Outlines for how to write funding proposals A focus on the non-profit sector and the use of proposals to

Alternatives to PowerPoint The Sales Pitch Business Plan Business Plan CV Writing Social Media Group Presentations Emails Film/Television as a Communication Medium Panel discussion Sponsorship/Investment Proposals Grant Proposals

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17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Pitching an Idea Applying for Graduate Studies Student Presentations: Sales Pitches Student Presentations: Sales Pitches Student Presentations: Sales Pitches Conclusion Interview Skills The Language of Marketing Case Studies:1 Case Studies: 2 Case Studies: 3 Business Journalism bid for funding Preparing for an interview and answering related questions Means of Visual Communication Why is case method employed in business schools and what does it hope to achieve? What is the purpose of a case and how would you write one? How do you analyze a case in a professional context? How do you compose a press release? Why does PR exist? Is Business Journalism technical enough to be considered a separate domain? How do we structure an inspirational talk when we dont have visual aids? Statements of Purpose, Letters of Recommendation

Recap, Feedback

Textbook(s)/Supplementary Readings

Handouts, exercises and readings will be updated through the semester