Bus Comm Lecture
The name of our business subject librarian
Susan Hawn
Subordination
a fact or idea is shown to be secondary to another fact or idea in the same sentence
What do genres tell us about traditional modes of communication?
a sender has an idea then may attempt to communicate it, in most context it is not the individual idea. genres preexist our individual. choices preexist us in regular patterns of communication. (you write a resume because of the context, not because you want to)
What is a genre system?
a series of genres that comprise a wider social action, involving multiple participants in fulfilling an organizational purpose
What is a case?
a text that refuses to explain itself
The purpose of the course
aims to introduce students to the strategies, processes, and resources necessary to becoming successful communicators in a rage of business and professional contexts.
Features of decision cases and decision essays
cases: context heavy, but limited. require both internal (active reading) and external (research and application) understanding, a premium is placed on analysis and reasoning as much as concrete subject knowledge
Establishing scope
degree of detail you decide is necessary to cover each item in your list, determine it based on your purpose and the needs of your audience
Evidence on the significance of business writing
eighty percent of salaried employees in service, finance, insurance, and real estate have significant writing responsibilities. companies spend $3.1 billion dollars to train employees in speaking and writing.
The top business databases
factiva, abi inform
Where does org. learning originate and is this a problem?
individual learning
The website for integrity at OU
integrity.ou.edu
Why is systems thinking the most significant?
it is the discipline that integrates the disciplines, fusing them into a coherent body of theory and practice. it keeps them from being separate gimmicks or the latest organization change fads
Writing purpose statements
my primary purpose is to ________ so that my audience _______.
Considering audience and purpose: Organizing Information
organize your writing from the perspective of your audience and purpose. keep in mind that some types of writing lend themselves logically to only one kind of organization and will best convey info to your reader by that pattern.
Information seeking and research
spend one hour looking @ the training & technical for research (ABI, Factiva) spend 1/2 hour using assistance on Factiva
Writing from the audience's point of view
taken together what you know about your readers background , this picture will help you predict your readers needs and reactions and ensure that you clearly provide all information your reader needs
Relationship of audience and purpose to organization
the kinds of info and organization that shape your outline will vary according to your purposes for writing and your audiences specific needs (e.g. brochure and maintenance manual)
Organizational Learning Definition
the process of inquiry though which members of an organization develop shared values and knowledge based on the past experience of themselves and others
What is a genre? Why do they matter?
the purpose of the genre is not an individual's private motive for communicating, but a purpose socially constructed and recognized by the relevant organization community for typical situations
Questions to ask when dealing with decision cases
what do i need to know about the situation?
Assessing audience needs
who is my audience? express ideas so clearly that your audience cannot misinterpret them.
Determining purpose
you want your readers to know, to believe, or to be able to do something when they have finished reading what you have written. first step in preparing to write
Checklist for proofreading in stages
*first stage review -appropriate format, as for reports or correspondence -typographical consistency *second stage review -specific grammar and usage problems -appropriate punctuation -correct abbreviations and capitalization -correct spelling -complete web or email addresses -accurate figures and consistent nits of measurement in tables and lists -cute and paste errors *final stage review -final check of your goals -appearance of the document -review by colleague for crucial documents
Barriers to org learning (individual, interpersonal, group)
*individual: -confirmation bias: we tend to seek data to confirm ideas and dismiss data that doesnt -hindsight bias: we tend to recall successful predictions and forget unsuccessful ones *interpersonal: -fundamental attribution error: we tend to attribute personal failures to external conditions and others failures to bad character -social desirability bias: we tend to go along to avoid the interpersonal consequences of dissent *group: -responsibility bias: when work is divided, we tend to press responsibilities on to generic others -hierarchical mum effect: subordinates are reluctant to share negative info for fear of damaging a relationship -groupthink: faulty decision making produced by a lack of critical assessments of alternatives, especially when created by the social desirability bias -identification ego defense: highly identified group members begin to associate their identity with their group membership and will in turn refuse to see the group as wrong
The Factors that make BC more important than ever (headings and sub-points)
*new communication technologies: -network and cloud based info systems -wireless integration and automation -knowledge architectures and management *transition to an information economy: -movement from static to dynamic info reporting -technology increases the speed of innovation -most communication is handled remotely and electronically *globalization of markets and industries: -production, transportation, and distribution follow long multinational chains -consolidation of industries creates global corporations -web based applications mean that local merchants and providers compete in global markets -capital is more mobile than labor *new organizational hierarchies: -horizontal and distributed systems -growth of the business service industry -cross organizational collaboration
Use of outlines by good and poor writers
-36% of poor writers said they never use an outline -more than three times the number of good writers as compared to poor writers use a written outline
Emphasis (active and passive voice)
-active: subject of the sentence acts -passive: subject of the sentence is acted on
Conflict in collaborative writing
-all contributors views should be considered -avoid too much deference
Checklist of revision strategies
-allow for a cooling period -pretend that a stranger has written your draft -revise your draft in multiple passes -be alert for your most frequent problems -read your draft aloud -ask someone else to read and critique your draft
Authority, Accuracy, Bias, Currency
-authority: consider the authors reputation, has he or she written other highly regarded books or articles -accuracy: background info can be verified, methodology is appropriate for the topic, site is modified and updated regularly -bias: consider how the context reveals the authors knowledge of the subject and his or her stance on the topic -currency: consider whether the document has a last updated date or includes date of copyright
Tips for using word processors
-avoid the temptation of writing first drafts without any planning -set your word processor to automatically save your draft at regular intervals, routinely create backup copies -use the find and replace command to locate and delete wordy phrases -use spell and grammar check -practice effective document design by defining styles or headings and other repeated text elements
What is case analysis?
-business pedagogy based on principles of purpose, audience, and context -an aspect of problem based learning and the dominant pedagogy in upper division business courses, often prepared by professionals or case development companies
Six characteristics of effective teams
-clearly identified purpose -shared values -trust and understanding -shared vision -distributed leadership -distributed cognition
Checklist for creating an outline
-complete your research and know your topic well enough to be able to write about it -break a large topic into its major divisions and write them down (repeat for each major topic) (roman numerals) -break each major division into logical subtopics (capital letters) -if necessary, repeat for each subtopic (numbers) -now add notes to outline -merge notes and outline -expand into sentences and paragraphs
Features of org. learning
-conscious, systematic, iterative -critical, reflective, pragmatic
Conditions for org. learning (Contextual, Psychological, Behavioral and the sub-points)
-contextual: tolerance for admitting error, issue orientation, egalitarian culture, commitment to learning -psychological:doubt-acceptance that things need not be this way, safety-faith that the organization will handle errors -behavioral:transparency, inquiry, disconfirmability, accountability
Checklist for planning documents
-determine your purpose -assess your audience's needs -consider the context of your writing -generate, gather, and record ideas and facts -establish the scope of coverage for your topic -organize your ideas
Summary, paraphrase, and direct and indirect quotation
-direct:word for word copy of the text of an original source, use sparingly -indirect:paraphrased version of an original text -paraphrasing: restating or rewriting in your own words the essential ideas of another writer -summarizing:a condensed version in the researchers own words of an original passage
Planning a collaborative writing project
-establish guidelines to ensure that all team members are working toward the same goal -agree on a standard reference guide for matters of style and format -make sure that work assignments are appropriate to each persons particular talents -establish a schedule that includes due dates for drafts, for team reviews of drafts, and for revisions -agree on how to exchange digital project files
Development strategies
-explaining a process:tell how something works -describing info:explains how something looks -defining terms and concepts: clarifies the meanings of ideas crucial to your topic -explaining cause and effect:analyzes why something happened
Outlining and its benefits
-forces you to reexamine the info you plan to include to be sure that you have sufficient facts and details to satisfy your audiences needs and achieve your purpose -forces you to order the info in a sequence that your audience will understand as clearly as you do
Collaboration technologies
-google docs -microsoft one note -microsoft sharepoint workspace -microsoft project
Senge's seven org. learning disabilities
-i am my position: we are trained to be loyal to our jobs, so much so that we confuse them with out own identities -the enemy is out there: the propensity to find someone or something outside ourselves to blame when things go wrong -the illusion of taking charge: we should face up to difficult issues, stop waiting for someone else to do something, and solve problems before they grow into crises -the fixation on events: we are conditioned to see life as a series of events, and for every event, we think there is one obvious cause -the parable of the boiled frog: learning to see slow, gradual processes requires slowing down our frenetic pace and paying attention to the subtle as well as the dramatic -the delusion of learning from experience: the most powerful learning comes from direct experience, but if we don't observe the consequences of our actions, therefore we don't learn anymore -the myth of the management team: squelch disagreement, people with serious reservations avoid stating them, joint decisions are watered down compromises
state and prove model
-identify recommended option -identify decision option -identify decision criteria -proof of recommended option -critique of options -action plan
Evaluating sources
-is the info accurate and up to date? -is the speaker or author reputable and qualified? -is the publisher or sponsoring organization well-established and respected in the field?
Checklist for evaluating drafts
-is the purpose of the document clear? -is the info organized in the most effective sequence? -does each section follow logically from the one that precedes it? -is the scope of coverage adequate? -are all the facts, details, and examples relevant to the stated purpose? -is the draft written at the appropriate level for the reader? -are the main points obvious? -are contradictory statements resolved or eliminated? -do the descriptions and illustrations aid clarity? -are any recommendations adequately supported by the conclusions? -are any topics mentioned in the introduction and text also mentioned in the conclusions?
Checklist for evaluating print sources
-is the text up to date and relevant to your topic? -who is the author? -does the author present info in an objective way? -does the table of contents relate to your topic? -are the chapters useful? -does the book contain informative diagrams and other visuals?
Checklist of ethical considerations
-is this communication honest and truthful? -am i ethically consistent in my communications? -am i acting in the best interest of my employee? the public? myself? -what would happen if everybody acted or communicated in this way? -does the action or communication violate anyone's rights? -am i willing to take responsibility for the communication, publicly and privately?
Checklist for writing in a collaborative group
-know the people on your team and establish a good working rapport with them -put the interests of your team ahead of your own -think collectively as a group, but respect the views of members with subject area expertise -participate constructively in group meetings -be an effective listener -be receptive to constructive criticism -provide constructive feedback to your team members -meet your established deadlines
Writer's checklist: Using Lists
-list only comparable items -use parallel structure throughout -use only words, phrases, or short sentences -provide context by introducing lists with complete sentence, followed by a colon -provide adequate transitions before and after lists -use numbers when rank or sequence is important -use bullets when rank or sequence is no important -do not overuse lists
Writing an opening and closing
-opening:opening statement should identify subject, provide any necessary context for the subject, and catch the interest of your audience -closing:concise and ends writing emphatically, ties points together, recommends course of action, offering a value judgement, speculating on the implications of your ideas, making a prediction, or summarizing your main points
Checklist for revising for clarity
-organize your writing logically -use effective transitions between sentences, paragraphs, and sections -be consistent in your point of view toward your topic -emphasize key ideas and subordinate ancillary ideas -choose precise language to ensure accuracy and to eliminate vagueness and ambiguity -strive for conciseness by eliminating words, phrases, and sentences that are no necessary to your subject, purpose, or audience
Elements of coherence (paragraph unity, transitions)
-paragraph unity:every sentence in a paragraph contributes to developing one central idea -transitions: takes the reader logically from one idea to the next, helps achieve a smooth flow of ideas
Types of cases
-problem -decision -evaluation -rule
Types of informal reports and the purposes of each type
-progress & periodic: written to inform decision makers about the status of work performed over the course of an ongoing project *progress:issued at certain milestones during a project *periodic:detail the status of an ongoing project at regular intervals -investigative:written in response to a request for info -trouble:accident/incident report-record of an accident, mechanical breakdown, medical emergency, or personnel confrontation in an institution -trip:explains purpose of the trip, where you visited, what you accomplished -test:lab reports, records the results of tests and experiments
Conciseness and its faults (redundancy, padding, bias, affectation)
-remove unnecessary words, phrases, clauses, and sentences from writing -redundancy:avoid modifiers that simply repeat the idea contained i the word they modify (blue in color) -padding: expresses in several words an idea that could easily be expressed in a word (due to the fact that) -bias: offend because they make inappropriate assumptions or stereotypes about gender, ethnicity, physical, or mental disability, age, or sexual orientation (chairman) -affectation: using language that is more formal, technical, or showy than it needs to be
Essential organizational patterns (Sequence, chronology, spatial, order of importance, general to specific, specific to general, comparison)
-sequential:divide subject into steps and then present steps in the order in which they occur -chronological:focus on the order in which the steps or events occur in time -spatial:describe an object according to the physical arrangement of its features -order of importance: begin with most important fact or being with least important fact -general to specific: start with general statement then provide facts and details -specific to general: begin with specific info and build to a general conclusion -comparison: evaluate the relative merits of the items you are considering
Rough draft checklist
-set up quiet writing area -start with section that seems easiest -write in a plain and direct style that is comfortable and natural -imagine a typical reader sitting across the desk as you explain your topic -visualize readers actually performing steps (writing instructions) -think of arguments from the readers point of view -give yourself 10 or 15 minute time limit in which you write continually -stop writing when you've finished a section -reread what you have written when you return to your writing
Conducting secondary research
-sources are evaluations or compilations of primary sources -books, articles, reports, web documents, online discussion forums, audio and video recordings, podcasts, business letters, minutes of meetings, operating manuals, brochures -using library and internet
Organizational patterns: State and Prove and Prove and State
-state and prove:state conclusion and every step follows from it. -prove and state:start with options then eliminate until you get to the best option.
Senge's 5 Disciplines and their significance
-systems thinking: we tend to focus on snapshots of isolated parts of a system instead of looking at the whole picture -personal mastery: become committed to their own lifelong learning, the discipline of continually clarifying and deepening our personal vision -mental models: deeply ingrained assumptions, generalizations, or even pictures or images that influence how we understand the world and how we take action -building shared vision: hold a shared picture of the future we seek to create -team learning: teams develop extraordinary capacities for coordinated action
Reasons for writing collaboratively
-the project requires expertise or specialization in more than one subject area -the project will benefit from merging different perspectives into a unified perspective -the size of the project, time constraints, or importance of the project to your organization requires a team effort
Tips on using search engines
-think small -use Boolean operators to narrow your search -put phrases in quotation marks to limit results -pay attention to a site's domain name -use the search box on an organization's or agency's home page -try a variety of search engines and consider how well they provide relevant info -to obtain as many hits as possible, consider using a metasearch engine
The course goals for Business Communication
-to recognize the writing practices common to academic and profession writing in business, including formal and informal reporting, correspondence, collaborative writing, and case analysis -to use purpose, audience, and form to create compositions that are accurate, appropriate, ethical, timely, and persuasive -to integrate principles and practices of effective business communication with subject area knowledge in business disciplines -to recognize the personal, professional, and ethical implications of effective business communication and the ethical significance of choices in style, language, and communication -to understand how audiences and stakeholders shape writers decisions about message design and construction -to build skills in information seeking, analysis, document design, and composition, and to produce effective writing with greater efficiency under tight deadlines
Tips for drafting on your computer
-try free-writing to overcome writers block, turn off monitor and write thoughts quickly -use highlighting or comment feature to make note of a difficult section and move on -save each draft separately so that you can return to earlier versions -use a consistent naming pattern for multiple drafts
Checklist for writing effective paragraphs
-unify the paragraph around a central idea -ensure that every sentence related to the topic sentence -arrange ideas in a logical order -use transitions to help readers follow the sequence of your idea
Writer's checklist: Achieving emphasis
-use the active voice, as appropriate -subordinate secondary issues -use parallel structure to focus attention on how ideas are related -use lists to highlight ideas by setting them apart from surrounding text -arrange ideas in least important to most important order -label key ideas as important -selectively use typographical devices (bold, italics, all caps, underlined)
Considering audience and purpose: Preparing the Draft
-what is my purpose in writing this document? what action do i want my readers to take after reading it? -who are my primary readers? is there a secondary audience? what do my readers know and how do they feel about the subject im addressing or the idea im proposing? -does my audience include international clients or colleagues? -why do my readers need to read this document? -how much information will my readers need to understand the subject or to be persuaded or informed by my idea? -what objections might my readers have to the subject or proposed idea? -what medium would be most appropriate? -what voice would best convey my message?
Checklist for assessing context
-what is your professional relationship with your readers, and how might that affect the tone, style, and scope of your writing? -what is "the story" behind the immediate reason you are writing; that is, what series of events or previous documents led to your need to write? -what medium do your readers prefer? -what specific factors or values are important to your readers' organization or department? -what is the corporate culture in which your readers work? -what are the professional relationships among your readers? -what recent or current events within or outside an organization or a department may influence how readers interpret your writing? -what national cultural differences might affect your readers expectations for or interpretations of a document?
Considering Audience and Purpose: Planning and evaluating informal reports
-who is the audience for your report? -what specifically have your readers requested? -how knowledgeable are your readers about the topic? -have you selected the right format for your readers? -have you framed the topic for your audience and provided any necessary back ground info in your intro? -do your graphics depict the findings accurately and clearly for your intended audience? -does the body of the report present an organized account of the topic? is it sufficient in scope so that your audience can understand and interpret your findings, conclusions, and recommendations?
Checklist for evaluating online resources
-who is the author? why should that author be trusted? -what is the main focus of the page? -where does the site originate? -when was the site put online? -why does the page exist? -does the info available compare favorably with at least two other reputable online sources?
Search strategy checklist
-who is your audience, and what is the purpose of the assignment? -what is the scope of your project? -how much info is needed? -what kinds of sources are appropriate? -what formats are needed? -do you need others opinions or points of view? -what are your deadlines?
Writing for your reader
-who is your audience? -do you have more than one audience? -what do you want your audience to know, to believe, or to be able to do after reading your writing? -have you narrowed your topic to best focus on what you -want your audience to know? -what are your audience's needs in relation to the subject? -what does your audience know about the subject? -if you have multiples audiences, do they have different levels of knowledge about your subject? -what are your audiences feelings about your subject? -have you selected the right medium for your subject and audience? -is your tone respectful? -does your format enhance audience understanding?
Questions to ask to interrogate processes
-why wont this idea work? what are we missing that could challenge this idea? what could be wrong with this idea? -how do we know what we know? -how might someone else perceive this idea to be unethical? -how are we deciding? -what tests of quality can we apply to our decision making? -where can we find disconfirming info? -how do we hole each member accountable for his or her input? -how do we encourage active dissent and disagreement?
The case analysis process
1.situation 2.questions 3.hypothesis 4.proof and action 5.alternatives
The name of the Assistant Director of Academic Integrity
Breea Clark
The name of the person who coordinates large group meetings
Daniel Emery
