The primary aim of this course is to provide students with the skills and knowledge of communication in the business environment. These skills will contribute to professional graduate attributes and assist with the transition to, or back to, the workforce. There is a strong focus on the understanding the theory of communication in the business context and it's application to effective business writing at a high level, persuasive and appropriate verbal and non verbal communication, and interpersonal skills across teams and cultures.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Define communication and identify the key aspects of fundamental communication theories
2. Identify business communication issues and find solutions based on communication theory
3. Produce effective professional documents;
4. Apply communication theory in delivering an effective business presentation
5. Implement basic critical thinking and analytical skills
6. Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate ideas and answer questions verbally in-person to a group

Research-Led Teaching

This course allows students to develop communication skills experimentally and to understand communication in useful research-based analytical frameworks. The course introduces students to the latest scholarly research on business communication, and illustrates ways in which evidence- based strategies can be developed to improve business communication.

Field Trips

There are no field trips in this course.

Additional Course Costs

There are no additional course costs to complete this course.

 

Examination Material or equipment

There are no examinations in this course.

Required Resources

Robbins, S 2014, Ganegoda, D, Panazzolo, N (compilers), Communication for Business, Pearson Australia (3nd Ed.), Frenchs Forest. ISBN: 9781488624308. Available for 2 day and 2 hour reserve from the Chifley Library. The ANU Library e-book copy can be found at: https://library.anu.edu.au/record=b6742928

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Evidence-based management and communication theory
2	Finding and applying for a job
3	Interviews and persuasive presentations
4	Listening and Meetings	Written Job Application: 9am, Wednesday via Turnitin
5	Power and Leadership	Video Interview: 9am, Wednesday via Turnitin
6	Negotiation and conflict management
7	Delivering bad news: Apologies and service recovery strategies
8	Effective Business Writing	Memo writing task: 9am, Friday via Turnitin
9	The role of emotions in communication
10	Strategic Communication	Report Plan: 9am, Monday via Turnitin
11	Inter-cultural communication
12	Review	Final Report: 9am, Friday via Turnitin

Tutorial Registration

This course has tutorials or tutorial-like teaching activities. Further details about the structure and teaching activities for this course will be available on the course Wattle site at the start of Week 1.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Written Job Application	15 %	19/08/2020	02/09/2020	1,2,3
Video Interview	10 %	26/08/2020	09/09/2020	1,6
Memo writing task	10 %	02/10/2020	16/10/2020	3,4
Report Plan	5 %	12/10/2020	16/10/2020	5,6
Final Report	60 %	30/10/2020	03/12/2020	1,2,3,4,5

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Participation

Participation in all learning activities and assessment is expected.

Examination(s)

There are no examinations in this course.

Assessment Task 1

Written Job Application

Details of task: This assessment is designed for you to develop the ability to make contact with potential employers, state your interest in a job position clearly, and explain why your skills, qualifications and experience match the position.

To complete this assessment, students are required to (1) refer to the job advert posted on Wattle; (2) assume that you have completed your degree and prepare a resume that is appropriate for the position; and (3) draft a cover letter for your job application The job advert will be posted at least two weeks prior to the due date.

Assessment Rubric: See the marking criteria on Wattle (available from week 1)

Value: 15%

Submission requirements: Students must submit a softcopy of the assignment via the Turnitin link on Wattle by 9AM Wednesday, Week 4

You must keep a copy of your assignment for your records.

Referencing:  References are not expected in this assignment

Feedback Date: 9AM Wednesday, Week 6

Assessment Task 2

Video Interview

Details of task: Following on from the first assessment, students will be required to complete a video interview using ANU interview stream and submit a link to their interview recording on Turnitin. Details of how to access and complete a video interview will be uploaded to Wattle at least two weeks prior to the due date. Please note the video interview is not live and therefore can be done at anytime once the interview stream link is available,

Assessment Rubric: See the marking criteria on Wattle (available from week 1)

Value:  10%

Submission requirements: Students must submit their interview stream link into the Turnitin system on Wattle by 9AM Wednesday, Week 5

Feedback Date: Wednesday 9AM, First week of Mid-semester break

Rubric

Assessment Task 3

Memo writing task

Details of task: Students are to write a one page memo based on the interactive sessions on negotiations and bad news. Further details will be available on wattle at least 2 weeks before the due date

Assessment Rubric: See the marking criteria on Wattle (available at least 2 weeks before due date)

Value: 10%

Submission requirements: Students must submit a softcopy of the assignment via the Turnitin link on Wattle by 9AM Friday, Week 8

Feedback Date: 9AM Friday, Week 10

Assessment Task 4

Report Plan

Details of task: In order to help students write their report and receive generalised feedback, students are required to submit a report plan

Assessment Rubric: Students will receive the full mark on submission of a satisfactory plan

Value: 5%

Submission requirements: Students must submit a softcopy of the assignment via the Turnitin link on Wattle by 9AM Monday Week 10

Feedback Date: 9AM Friday Week 10

Assessment Task 5

Final Report

Details of task: Students are required to give a video presentation and produce a report about business communication based on a case study and question that will be provided on wattle at least two weeks prior to the due date. The presentation will be a maximum of 3 minutes and the document will be a maximum of 2500 words. It should be formatted as follows: Times New Roman 12 font double line spacing, and 1 inch margins all around.

Assessment Rubric: See the marking criteria on Wattle (available from week 9)

Word limit: 2500 words. Students will lose 10% for every 50 words or part thereof over this limit. Title Page, Table of Contents, List of Figures , Executive Summary and Reference List are not included in word count. All other words will be counted

Value: 60% - Comprising 20% presentation and 40% report (See marking rubric for more details)

Submission requirements: Students must submit a softcopy of the assignment via the Turnitin link on Wattle by 9am Friday Week 12. You must keep a copy of your assignment for your records. The presentations are required to be recorded for review purposes.

Referencing: Harvard Referencing system is required

Feedback Date: After release of results on 03 December 2020

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

All requests for extensions to assessment in RSM courses must be submitted to the RSM School Office with a completed application form and supporting documentation. The RSM Extension Application Form and further information on this process can be found at https://www.rsm.anu.edu.au/education/education-programs/notices-for-students/extension-application-procedure/

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Returning Assignments

Assignments will be returned via Wattle approximately 2 weeks from the due date of submission

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Resubmission of Assignments

You are allowed to resubmit your assignments before the specific deadlines. No submission will allowed after the deadline. If a student submits the wrong file or an incomplete assignment, this will be taken as a student's final submission. For this reason, it is recommended that students check and double check their submission very carefully before submitting their assignment.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students