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	Weekly In class communication activities
3	Interviews and persuasive presentations	Weekly In class communication activities Online Quiz 1 due 12th March 2021
4	Listening and Meetings	Weekly In class communication activities Job Application and Video Interview due 9pm 18th March 2021
5	Power and Leadership	Weekly In class communication activities
6	Negotiation and conflict management	Weekly In class communication activities
7	Delivering bad news: Apologies and service recovery strategies	Weekly In class communication activities Online Quiz 2 due 21st April 2021
8	Effective Business Writing	Weekly In class communication activities
9	The role of emotions in communication	Weekly In class communication activities
10	Strategic Communication	Weekly In class communication activities Presentation due in class Major Report due 9am 13th May 2021
11	Inter-cultural communication	Weekly In class communication activities Presentation due in class
12	Review	Weekly In class communication activities

Tutorial Registration

This course is normally run in a large (lecture) class format and a smaller class format. At present, we anticipate the lecture component of this course to be a prerecorded online lecture. Smaller classes are expected to be offered in an on campus and online live format. Please note that attendance in either online or in person tutorials is expected and you should not enrol in this course if you do not believe you can attend either online or in person classes.

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Online Quiz 1	10 %	12/03/2021	26/03/2021	1,2
Job Application and Video Interview	10 %	18/03/2021	01/04/2021	1,3,4
Online Quiz 2	10 %	21/04/2021	05/05/2021	1,2
In class communication activities	10 %	*	*	6
Major Report	40 %	13/05/2021	28/05/2021	1,2,3,5,
Presentation	20 %	*	01/07/2021	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.This course will be run in a hybrid delivery mode. Lecture material will be pre-recorded and available at the beginning of each week. Smaller classes will be run live online and in person (subject to health and safety requirements)

Examination(s)

There are no examinations in this course.

Assessment Task 1

Online Quiz 1

Details of task: An online multiple choice quiz with questions drawn from teaching material from weeks 1-3 (including class summary) will be conducted at the end of Week 3 of the course (12 March 2021). Opening time for quiz to be determined and announced in Week 1.

Value:  10%

Duration: 30 minutes

Feedback Date: 26 March 2021

Assessment Task 2

Job Application and Video Interview

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 both in written and verbal forms

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; (3) draft a cover letter for your job application; and do a video interview (not live). 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: 10% (5% Application and 5% Video)

Submission requirements: Students must submit a softcopy of the assignment via Turnitin/Wattle by 9PM 18 March 2021. Instructions will be posted on wattle at least two weeks prior to due date.

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

Referencing:  References are not expected in this assignment

Feedback Date: 1 April 2021

Assessment Task 3

Online Quiz 2

Details of task: An online multiple choice quiz with questions drawn from teaching material from weeks 4-6 will be conducted in Week 7 of the course (21 April 2021). Opening time for quiz to be determined and announced in Week 1.

Value:  10%

Duration: 30 minutes

Feedback Date: 5 May 2021

Assessment Task 4

In class communication activities

Details of task: Communication in class will be assessed during the course of the semester with course staff evaluating how students communicate. Students will also be called on throughout the semester to answer questions or speak to an activity. Please note that this is NOT attendance. While attendance is required to communicate (you cannot communicate in class if you are not in class) just attending a class will not give you any marks

Value: 10% (For period Week 2-12 inclusive, equally weighted, best 10 count)

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

Feedback Date: Within two weeks of each communication

Assessment Task 5

Major Report

Details of task: Students are required to 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 document will be a maximum of 2250 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 8)

Word limit: 2250 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: 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 13 May 2021. 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: 28 May 2021

Assessment Task 6

Presentation

Details of task: Students are required to a give a presentation about an assigned topic (that will be provided before the mid-semester break). The presentation will be a maximum of 3 minutes and will be presented in class during week 10 and 11.

Assessment Rubric: See the marking criteria on Wattle (available from week 6)

Value: 20%

Submission requirements: The presentations are required to be recorded for review purposes.

Referencing: Harvard Referencing system is required

Feedback Date: Class wide feedback in Week 12, and individual feedback and marks with return of final grades.

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