Mba course descriptions.
Communication COR1-GB.2105 This course supports your success as an effective communicator, innovator and leader in an age that demands immediacy and transparency. Translating your ideas into successful efforts requires a communication discipline in writing and speaking that will persuade multiple audiences from diverse cultural, intellectual and professional backgrounds. In short you need to communicate effectively with those who will fund and follow your leadership. To achieve these goals, you will learn how to:
• develop a communication strategy appropriate to a defined situation • analyze an audience to be effectively persuasive • structure a message to achieve maximum impact for the listener/reader • deliver effective prepared and impromptu presentations • enhance personal awareness and build productive relationships in teams • select and use appropriate media to match your communication intent • prepare professionally written documents that meet the SEC Guidelines for Plain English
Work will be required both individually and in teams. Business Writing MCOM-GB.2099 Pass/Fail Helps students improve their writing. Required for those who do not achieve a score of 4.0 or above on the writing section of the GMAT and recommended for those who wish to refine their skills. Focuses the writing process, effective style and expression, sentence structure, and business vocabulary. Assignments include letters, memos, reports, and case analyses. The class is conducted as an on-line communication workshop. Students analyze their writing strengths and weaknesses and participate in one-on-one conferences and tutorials. Class size is limited to fifteen students. Defending the Bottom Line: Strategies in Persuasion for Financial Services Executives MCOM-GB.2103, 1.5 credits Prerequisite (Langone Only): MCOM-GB.2105 No longer can business professionals rely on strong technical and analytical skills alone. Leaders must also be persuasive and credible communicators. This course, designed for students who are experienced communicators, is built on the concept of a “career life cycle” which blends theoretical models for effective persuasion with practical communications strategies in a simulated business setting. The “life cycle” encompasses a number of individual and group situations that an employee will face during the course of their career. In developing communication strategies we will examine factors impacting a person’s career life cycle such as personal goals, business stresses, corporate situations and environmental events that must be considered to be persuasive and credible in a given situation. Exercises focus on communicating to potential audiences of internal and external parties including colleagues, senior management, clients, competitors and potential business partners. Written and spoken communication assignments range from informative to persuasive in a variety of simulated settings. Situations engage hypothetical audiences involving external “industry experts” that range from receptive to challenging. Strategies and lessons learned in this highly participatory course can be put into action immediately in a student’s daily business and personal environment. Students benefit from individual feedback on all written work as well as individual and team coaching based on video recorded reviews of each presentation. Business Communication MCOM-GB.2105, 1.5 credits Required for part-time MBA (Langone Program) students Persuasive communication is a vital component to many aspects of business life. This course introduces the basics of communication strategy and persuasion: audience analysis, communicator credibility, and message construction and delivery. Written and oral presentation assignments derive from cases that focus on communication strategy. Students receive feedback to improve presentation effectiveness. Additional coaching is available for students who want to work on professional written communication. This course is required for all Langone Program students. Communication for the Global Economy MCOM-GB.2120, 1.5 credits Prerequisite (Langone Only): MCOM-GB.2105 As the business world has evolved into 24/7 enterprises around the world, business communication has become intercultural communication. Navigating through unfamiliar cultural expectations and customs is developing into a significant differentiator for management effectiveness. In addition, understanding and working with people from other cultures will grow to be even more essential for organizational strength and sustainability. Communicating effectively in these environments requires a global perspective, which this course provides. Communication for the Global Economy introduces topics in cross cultural communication to prepare you for the challenges ahead. The course explores the relationships between language, culture and communication in business contexts, and discusses:
Designed for experienced communicators, this course provides multiple opportunities for applying the concepts of cross-cultural communication in presentations and business document assignments. You’ll receive feedback on all deliverables as well as coaching based on your own professional goals. This course will help you become a more effective business communicator while providing insight into a major business issue: communicating successfully in a global economy. Crisis Communication MCOM-GB.2121, 1.5 credits Prerequisite (Langone Only): MCOM-GB.2105 What triggers a crisis and how can an organization respond as it is subjected to the white heat glare of media scrutiny? Firms constantly face risks to reputation and profits as a result of unforeseen events, situations, employee conduct and ethical entanglements. Today, anticipating and reacting to crises is a fundamental duty of senior management. This course examines the relationship between business and the media with special attention to the variables involved in organizational crises. Students develop a perspective for communication with various constituencies, especially employees, shareholders, and the media. Selected topics include issue response and the Internet; managing outside pressure, and communicating and managing during crises. The course features guest speakers from the fields of journalism, corporate communication, and communication consulting. Course work includes readings, case analyses, and oral and written reports. On Your Feet: Think, Speak, Lead MCOM-GB-2122, 1.5 credits Professor David Purdy Former CEO of ITT and NYU alum Harold Geneen famously said that, ‘Leadership cannot be taught but it can be learned.’ Over three full-day sessions, this course will provide you with learning opportunities to develop your leadership presence, drawing on best practices from both business and the arts. You will learn how to tell concise and evocative stories, which build trust and inspire action. Using improvisation and innovative thinking techniques, you will develop your collaborative and interpersonal communication abilities. Lastly, you will learn best practices for argument development and persuasive techniques in preparation for a final presentation. As with all the exercises, feedback will be provided by the professor and your peers. Foundations of Business Coaching MCOM-GB.2125, 1.5 credits Professor Diane Lennard Spring This course provides an overview of the principles and practices of business coaching within organizational settings. You will gain a basic knowledge of the coaching process, including how to create the coaching relationship, engage in coaching conversations, and clarify action commitments. You will learn specific strategies and techniques to increase effectiveness when communicating with others, and develop an awareness of your own and others’ communication patterns. We will examine coaching models and the ethics of coaching through readings, reflective writing and class discussions. In addition, you will have first-hand experience coaching and being coached, and will develop your own personalized coaching model. By the end of the course, you will have a working knowledge of how coaching can be used, what coaches need to do to be effective, and the ability to practice the skills of coaching. Communication for Consultants MCOM-GB.3311, 3 credits Professors Susan Stehlik and Brian Hanssen Consultants today must be as strategic in their communication as they are in their thinking. Clients expect the consultant to listen well to their perceived needs, engage collaboratively with their staff and ultimately communicate their insights in a manner that leads to some form of change. Managing the communication touchpoints in this process will frequently be the deciding factor for success. In this course, students will take on client engagements coordinated by Stern's NY Initiatives office. Each project will be based in NYC and have an impact on the City. The assignments will require participation from the initial client meeting, through data collection and finally presenting to the client. While the course experience will entail considerable field work, students will be supported by class work that focuses on the communication tools in a typical consulting contract. We'll examine and apply techniques such as brainstorming, conducting interviews, facilitating meetings, building consensus and presenting recommendations. In this way, the course will address communication challenges for consultants and provide a forum for discussing and resolving them. Pre-requisite: B00.2045 Coaching for Impact NOCR-GB.2046, 0 credits Professor Diane Lennard Fall Required for full-time MBA students MBA1s meet in small group sessions to learn techniques and receive individualized feedback that improves their communication effectiveness and enhances their impact on corporate recruiters. As a result of this session, students learn techniques for projecting leadership qualities and a professional presence. The three-hour session develops students' interpersonal communication skills essential for success in the competitive job market. Team Communication NOCR-GB.2405, 0 credits Required for full-time MBA students This course was created in response to clear messages from recruiters and alumni: successful MBA graduates in today’s diverse and complex marketplace must engage in productive team relationships and possess the ability to lead through strategic communication. Course activities are designed to help you: Become aware of how you personally work in group settings Develop specific strategies to foster peak team performance Enhance your communication and collaborative problem solving skills
(39 reviews)
Copyright Year: 2015
ISBN 13: 9781946135056
Publisher: University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing
Language: English
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Reviewed by April Schofield, Senior Lecturer and Director, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 7/15/22
This is a very comprehensive textbook and includes over 600 pages of content. It includes the necessary components to help students communicate effectively in business environments. read more
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
This is a very comprehensive textbook and includes over 600 pages of content. It includes the necessary components to help students communicate effectively in business environments.
Content Accuracy rating: 4
The included content is very accurate. There are some areas that need updating to reflect the current business environment.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 3
Since the book was published in 2015, newer concepts are not addressed. For example, how to communicate effectively in virtual meetings or via social channels. The nature of how we communicate has significantly changed since 2015 so any business communication textbook that is older will have similar shortfalls. I do believe this content could be added in standalone sections or chapters.
Clarity rating: 5
The book is conversational and engaging. It is appropriate for an introductory level class and for students from various majors. I think all students could benefit from the communication concepts outlined in this book, not strictly business students.
Consistency rating: 5
The format and writing style are consistent throughout the entire book.
Modularity rating: 5
The book is easily broken up into smaller reading sections. I appreciated the questions to start each chapter, the reviews of important concepts, and the exercises at the end of each chapter. These could be used as classroom conversations, homework assignments, etc.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The early chapters are foundational (why communication is important, the science of language and communication), followed by "how to" chapters. The table of contents provides a robust overview of topics, beyond chapter titles.
Interface rating: 5
There are multiple formats available, including PDF, ebook, online, XML, and ODF. I reviewed both the PDF and ebook versions. The various sections in the table of contents are hyperlinked. I found both formats easy to navigate and did not experience any issues.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
The book is well-written and I did not notice grammatical errors. This is very important for a book focused on communication!
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
Intercultural and international communication is addressed throughout the book and an entire chapter is devoted to the topic.
Reviewed by Heather Leigh Maher, Adjunct Professor, City Colleges of Chicago on 5/31/22
While the book covers many essential topics in detail, others are less updated than is optimal and yet others are intermingled with other chapter headings, making them harder to find than I am used to in this type of textbook (such as more basic... read more
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less
While the book covers many essential topics in detail, others are less updated than is optimal and yet others are intermingled with other chapter headings, making them harder to find than I am used to in this type of textbook (such as more basic but important principles, such as audience analysis, which is scattered throughout several other chapters beyond the one titled as containing such information). Some ideas are basic, which is great to cover survey and more advanced courses, but I have a feeling I'd be having students read selections from several chapters for several topics I'm used to having more consolidated. While the table of contents is hyperlinked in the online and PDF versions, there is no index, which makes it tedious to identify every location relevant to a topic without extreme front-loading in course planning. Despite this, if it had more information on electronic elements that have changed the business landscape in the past 10 years or so, it might be worth doing the work--and maybe even supplementing missing items.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
It is accurate, but missing definitions for some jargon that may be hard for brand new business students, while including others when they probably aren't necessary. It seems to be biased only in that it seems to have a very specific student audience in mind, but I cannot for the life of me imagine actually meeting a student with that exact blend of needed and unneeded knowledge in one of my classes. Again, good if you like to customize your reading selections a great deal, but not as great if you're looking for a single text to fill the majority of your course content with only a smaller percentage of supplements from other sources.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 2
The book is already missing any significant content on how technology has massively changed business communication in the past 10 years, and while it mentions it indirectly (basically saying "it's affecting things") in several places, without at least one chapter dedicated to those changes, it seems both incomplete and very hard to update and revise.
Clarity rating: 4
Some jargon isn't given enough context to be clear for the range of learning levels the book attempts to cover (by my assessment), but the prose, while very heavy (minimal application of actual business writing principles in terms of white space and using visuals), is clear and well-edited.
Consistency rating: 2
The writing is consistent, but the level of assumed pre-existing knowledge is not consistent from chapter section to chapter section, or across chapters (some are much more consistent than others). The organizational structure is the weakest element of the book, as I mentioned with overlapping concepts discussed in multiple chapters that are not labeled in ways that would lead a reader--much less a student--to expect to find certain pieces of information in them.
Modularity rating: 2
As mentioned, there's overlap across chapters on topics, but not information, so you really need the whole thing. It's loosely organized into "Business Communication", "Business Writing", "Business Presentations", a bit on rhetoric, and then what feels like the author felt was "left over" in that they are important topics that didn't fit into the original outline? Maybe in a revision? I can only speculate. It also is quite prose-heavy without bread for illustrative graphics, which are always better received at the undergraduate level.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 1
One of my comments on "Modularity" is really the core commentary for me on this category, as the structure and organization looked excellent in the chapter titles, but the content proved they were a bit unfocused and, in some cases, misleading as relevant ideas were discussed in completely different sections: "...there's overlap across chapters on topics, but not information, so you really need the whole thing. It's loosely organized into "Business Communication", "Business Writing", "Business Presentations", a bit on rhetoric, and then what feels like the author felt was "left over" in that they are important topics that didn't fit into the original outline? Maybe in a revision? I can only speculate."
Interface rating: 4
The table of contents for the electronic PDF and the online version is all hyperlinked, which is great. The drop-down menus listing sub-sections in the chapters in the online version, is a bit clunky and unintuitive.
Well-edited.
Cultural Relevance rating: 2
All inter- and intra-cultural information in smushed into one of the chapters that feels like an afterthought or revision chapter added later. There is no integration of global business communication in any regular manner throughout the text, and exercises (which are weak in general) are very monocultural. It reads like a textbook for upper-middle class white students, written by one just a generation older. This is definitely an area where you'd need to go find another, *much* more detailed and specific source, especially for examples and possible homework exercises or group activities to put into action.
In general, I feel that this book is dated--not as much in content (but technology and non-American business knowledge and potential issues absolutely need a major addition with details and specific information), but in what it appears to emphasize. Perhaps the author was teaching several levels of skill across various classes and wanted one book that they could pick appropriate sections for all of them, or even just to save students even more money, but it reads as poorly organized and needing a major editorial structural overhaul (although I don't think modern editors even do that much work with authors any more). If you are willing to read the entire book, pretty much make your own index for how you want to organize your class, and don't mind supplementing close to half of your readings with outside sources, it could be extremely useful. However, you will definitely need to find the cultural and technological information elsewhere. I have survey-level students who have offered more specific and detailed information on both areas, but I do teach at an extremely diverse college system with many 1st, 1.5, and 2nd generation immigrants, as well as international students, which are excellent resources themselves in these areas.
Reviewed by Jessica Rick, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, University of Southern Indiana on 5/20/22
This book is a comprehensive look at business and professional communication. It covers almost everything I would cover in my business and professional communication class. I really like the chapter on intercultural and international business... read more
This book is a comprehensive look at business and professional communication. It covers almost everything I would cover in my business and professional communication class. I really like the chapter on intercultural and international business practices as those are two areas often not included in other books.
This book is accurate.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 4
I didn't find many errors, but the definitions and models of communication are outdated. I believe the author could have found more recent definitions, models, and conceptions of communication. I also would have liked to see more of a discussion of organizational communication concepts in business communication.
Students were able to read and understand the book and its contents.
The book uses consistent terms and structure throughout. Previous chapters provide a good scaffolding for later chapters.
Modularity rating: 4
This book is almost too comprehensive that it is hard to navigate. But I do like that I can mix and match different parts of the book to fit my schedule and class content.
Students were able to follow the organization of the book. The numbering system makes it easy for students to find what to read for each class period.
No issues with the interface of the textbook.
No issues with the grammar.
Cultural Relevance rating: 4
Some of the examples could be updated to reflect a more nuanced understanding of a variety of perspectives. But overall, I was pleased with the cultural contexts discussed.
Reviewed by Susan Lantz, Teaching Associate Professor, West Virginia University on 4/25/22
The book is comprehensive. It definitely covers the basics. It covers areas of writing that I might not use for more advanced college writers, but would be absolutely vital for beginning college writers. read more
The book is comprehensive. It definitely covers the basics. It covers areas of writing that I might not use for more advanced college writers, but would be absolutely vital for beginning college writers.
The content was accurate. (Except for the page about web-search engines. . . which was outdated.)
For the most part, the authors/editors did a good job of avoiding language or references that were dated. They might want to revisit the page that lists "Some Examples of Internet Search Sites." They listed "Alta Vista" for example. . . which has since been taken over by Yahoo. They also list sites like dogpile, webcrawler, and The Encyclopedia Britannica. This information was pretty cutting edge in 2002, but times have changed.
The material was well-written, clear, and concise.
The text was internally consistent and easy to navigate. (This might change, though, according to formatting. I found the PDF easy to use, though.)
I was pleasantly pleased at how easy to the text was to read, divide, and excerpt.
The text was organized quite nicely. It was easy for me to find what I was looking for, and it followed a logical progression.
Navigation was no problem.
Grammar was fine. It was not (thankfully) overwritten.
I was very pleased to note that the text chose to discuss sensitive cultural issues in a very elegant manner.
Here's the thing about communication: The rules don't change much. Business Communication is all about getting the right information to the right person at the right time. What does change, is the technology we use to make it happen. It is nearly impossible to publish anything current that covers everything one needs to to about current methods of communicating using technology. The information is too "bleeding edge" and changes so quickly, that it would be out-dated almost immediately. The thing that this book does (and does very well) is stick to the basic rules of communication that don't change (with the exception of the search engine page.) Nearly every other section of the book sticks very firmly to the information that students need to know that does not change on a regular basis. The information about social media/videos/tiktok/instagram/facebook/YouTube/thenextbigthing is easily imporable from the web. This division makes it almost the perfect open educational resource.
Reviewed by Christina Wooten, Business Technology Faculty, Rogue Community College on 1/3/22
The material covered in the text is comprehensive as expected from a Business Communications text. Basics of Communication, Message, Audience, Writing, Types of Delivery, as well as three sections on different styles of presentation are included.... read more
Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less
The material covered in the text is comprehensive as expected from a Business Communications text. Basics of Communication, Message, Audience, Writing, Types of Delivery, as well as three sections on different styles of presentation are included. This text does not have an index or glossary. The table of contents is thorough with chapter and section headings linked for easy navigation.
The text accurately portrays the topics covered. It appears to be overall an unbiased text. The content is, overall, error-free.
Overall, the text is up-to-date with technical information. There are some cultural points that may become outdated quickly (or could feel alienating to some students). For example, in "Demographic Traits" on page 86, there is a heavy focus on male/female as an example of a demographic trait. However, later in the same chapter, a lengthy discussion on "mutuality and non-judgmental-ism" ensues. Chapter 9 covers "up-to-date" communication methods used in the business arena very well. These include text, email, netiquette, memos, letters, proposals, reports, resume, and sales messages. Chapter 18 covers Intercultural Communication. My concern with this section is the references used are from 1958 and 2005. I feel strongly that there are more recent examples of references that could be used.
Clarity rating: 3
The text is written clearly with many bold faced words. There is no glossary or side-bar definitions, so the student would need to be informed to look the words up in a different dictionary.
The book is consistent in terminology, ideology, and framework throughout. The flow would be easy for a student to follow through a course.
The text is laid out in such a way that reading assignments could easily be created. Also, the text is broken up with exercises and images (most of which are relevant, clear, and correctly cited.) While some sections of the text do not have images, the blocks of text are broken up into nice sized sections with headings.
One change I would make if I were to use this text would be as follows: Chapter 18: Intercultural and International Business Communication is the next to last chapter in the book. I would place this far earlier (around the section where Sender/Receiver and Audience are discussed). This was the only place in the text where the material appeared (or felt) "out of order" for overall flow.
The links provided in the chapters and in the additional resources all work accurately. Images are clear and mostly related to text. There are two images that could be changed to a better image (one is the iceberg in Figure 3.4 the second is a clip art type image in Figure 9.6 which looks strangely out of place.
I did not notice any glaring grammar issues or errors.
I did not notice any examples that could be exclusive other than the gender example previously mentioned. There are several images which appear culturally inclusive.
The exercises though out the book (questions) are excellent starter questions for online discussion forums. The "Additional Resources" links at the conclusion of each chapter are excellent and offer the student (and instructor) many additional resources for class. There is no glossary or index for this text.
Reviewed by Steven Bookman, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Pace University on 6/23/21
The text covers all areas in addition to topics (e.g., ) not always covered. However, I wish some topics have more coverage (i.e., business modalities) while others have less. Overall, the this text is good for an introductory business writing... read more
The text covers all areas in addition to topics (e.g., ) not always covered. However, I wish some topics have more coverage (i.e., business modalities) while others have less. Overall, the this text is good for an introductory business writing course.
Content is accurate, error-free and unbiased.
The content is up-to-date. However, I wish the book was updated, so that it includes social media. Having said this, necessary updates would relatively easy and straightforward to implement. I had to bring in my own examples and case studies from other sources to supplement the text.
The author writes this text in a lucid, accessible prose, and provides adequate context for any jargon/technical terminology used.
The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.
The text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections that can be assigned at different points within the course (i.e., enormous blocks of text without subheadings should be avoided).
The topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion.
The text is free of significant interface issues, including navigation problems, distortion of images/charts, and any other display features that may distract or confuse the reader. There are a few options to read the book as well.
The text contains no grammatical errors.
The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way although there could be some text with diversity, as this is a big issue these days. In the book's defense, it can easily be updated since it was written in 2015.
Reviewed by Karen Gaines, Associate Professor, Kansas City Kansas Community College on 5/7/21
The book is pretty thorough with the topics that are covered. In fact, there are topics in the presentation sections that are not normally covered in the business communications textbooks that I currently use. The order in which the subjects are... read more
The book is pretty thorough with the topics that are covered. In fact, there are topics in the presentation sections that are not normally covered in the business communications textbooks that I currently use. The order in which the subjects are presented is different than what I have been used to, and wanted to know if there was a particular reason for some of the ordering of subject matter.
Information is accurate and free of errors and bias.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
The information is relevant and timely. However, there should be more focus on virtual meetings, etiquette, how to productively run them, etc. and how to better engage others as there is less in-person interaction.
It was written in a clear and concise manner. The narrative was conversational and engaging.
Found the writing to be consistent throughout the book.
This book was easy to get to the specific information within each chapter with the use of subsections. Though there were some sections where they were text heavy, the use of the headings helped to break up the information into more visually appealing and practical hunks of information.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4
It is easy to follow, but I am more used to having examples of writing styles (routine, persuasive, negative) grouped together earlier in the book.
This was an easy to navigate the book.
I did not see any grammatical errors.
The text is inclusive in its depiction of different groups of people.
Are there instructor resources available such as PowerPoints, more in-depth assignments, videos, and tests?
Reviewed by Terianne Brown, Lecturer, Hawaii Community College on 4/20/21
This is a thorough book but could benefit from certain chapters being expanded and others being condensed. read more
This is a thorough book but could benefit from certain chapters being expanded and others being condensed.
There are no issues with bias and no errors are evident.
There are a few references to outdated social media platforms, however, the text can be easily updated without taking away from the message of the contents.
The book uses appropriate language suitable for all readers.
The book has a consistent format. Headings and subheadings are standardized, as well as key terms being bolded.
The book can benefit by expanding the sections in Chapter 9 into individual chapters.
The book is well-organized and is easily followed.
Multiple interfaces are available and no immediate issues are evident. It was easy to Zoom into images in the online and digital pdf versions of the book.
There are no evident grammatical errors.
There are no direct references to specific races. The text does refer to race as something to consider in business communication but contains nothing culturally insensitive or offensive.
This is a well-written text that is well-suited for an Introductory to Business Communication course. The book could be improved by including more images and/or infographics to make it more interesting and less text-heavy.
Reviewed by Sharon McDermot, Business Adjunct, Northern Essex Community College on 3/18/21
The book is very comprehensive but I wish there were more coverage of business writing in different modalities. They do touch on texting and email but I think there needs to be more information on those subjects. The book does discuss business... read more
The book is very comprehensive but I wish there were more coverage of business writing in different modalities. They do touch on texting and email but I think there needs to be more information on those subjects. The book does discuss business presentations and audiences which is great. I would also like to see more real life exercises to use with students.
I did not see any inaccuracy.
This book was written in 2015. Many things have changed in business communication. I would like to see it updated to include the use of social media in business and how important that can be to the success of a business.
The book had good clarity.
The text was consistent with terminology and framework.
The text is easily broken up into smaller assignments and chapters.
The book can easily be arranged to prepare for a class using progression.
I did not see any interface issues nor did I have any problems with it.
The book does have chapters on intercultural communication which is great. I have been looking for that in an OER textbook.
If this book were revised to a more current date and included the social media aspect of business communication, I think it would be very useful. It does contain a lot of good information.
Reviewed by Dee Fretwell, Associate Professor, Southern Oregon University on 1/5/21
The subject is well covered for the introduction to Business Communication, with a gap in addressing very specific etiquette around professional communication via digital formats, such as emails, project management software, etc. until mid-way... read more
The subject is well covered for the introduction to Business Communication, with a gap in addressing very specific etiquette around professional communication via digital formats, such as emails, project management software, etc. until mid-way through the book.
Quite on point! I was impressed with the direct nature of the content and the broad audience types the curriculum was trying to reach.
Nicely written for readers of all ages from many backgrounds.
Clean, concise and grammatically on point.
Consistency rating: 4
I noted no inconsistencies.
Chapters were broken up nicely with graphics and such, allowing the reader to not fatigue as quickly as they might otherwise.
Pretty well done, with a request to begin examples of proper business writings earlier in the chapters.
Easy, clean and totally relevant.
Seemed appropriate to me!
Well done! Will likely use next term!!
Reviewed by Katherine Hatzis, Senior Lecturer II, University of Massachusetts Boston on 6/27/20
The book covers everything that one would want to teach in a business communication course. read more
The book covers everything that one would want to teach in a business communication course.
As far as I could tell the book is accurate and free of error and biases.
The book is up to date and it can be easily updated in the future.
The writing is clear and it does not use difficult language so this text would be appropriate for ESL or International business students as well.
I enjoyed the fact that the book used the same format throughout. It started with learning objectives and ended with takeaways and exercises.
The text was well divided into smaller sections which can help when assigning reading homework.
The book was well organized and straightforward. I like that it has a table of contents which helps with reading through the material.
The book's interface was fine. I just wished it was linked at the bottom of the page rather than having to constantly to go back to the main menu to go be able to move and read the next section or chapter. I had to keep going back to the main menu when I wanted to go to the next section of the same chapter. I think it would have been easier if it had a link at the end of the section that connected the next section.
I did not notice any grammar errors.
The book appears to be culturally neutral.
Overall it is a good general Business Communication textbook and it has a lot to offer. This is a textbook that I am going to incorporate into my courses. The only thing that I didn't like was navigating through the textbook.
Reviewed by Kathleen Berry, Adjunct Professor, Massasoit Community College on 6/23/20
The text covers all areas of the subject appropriately. read more
The text covers all areas of the subject appropriately.
I found very few typos. The information was clearly unbiased.
Although the book was updated last year, I think it could use a little updating in both photos and information.
Any jargon that may have been used was explained thoroughly.
The information is consistent. However, it is duplicated in many chapters.
Most of the book is strictly text with limited images.
The book is organized in a clear fashion. However, when I used it, I did teach out of order.
The text does not indicate any interface issues.
I did not find any grammatical errors.
I did not find any culturally offensive material.
I would have liked to see more information about diversity and inclusion in the textbook. The pre- and post- exercises in each chapter were beneficial. Students would have preferred a way to annotate the textbook when reading it.
Reviewed by Alison Schirone, Adjunct Faculty, Roxbury Community College on 6/4/20
I used this book for a recently business communications course. Generally speaking, the book had all the requisite basics of business communications. I added a few modules to address today's social mediums in more detail. A great free text,... read more
I used this book for a recently business communications course. Generally speaking, the book had all the requisite basics of business communications. I added a few modules to address today's social mediums in more detail. A great free text, would have loved to have some supporting materials; test modules, ppt slides.
Highly accurate, may be due for an update soon, just to bring things more current to how today's business communicators operate.
I studied business communications many moons ago. Some aspects of it have not changed since then; but we do have more social business communications mediums. The book can easily adapt to incorporation of more social communications mediums.
Appropriate for first year and beyond college students and community college students and/or management trainees.
Loved the questions prior to the start of the chapters; I often used them for class discussions and prompts. Good review of important aspects of each chapter. Good homework assignment ideas.
I mostly covered the chapters in order. Some I put more emphasis on; others I slid through speedily. For example, I did not spend as much time on International Business Communications.
Foundation chapters first; easy to apply those concepts to all other chapters that follow. I integrated some of the more current business communications tools like Linked In, resume building, and more in the writing sections. I had students who were preparing for the workplace so it was a practical diversion from the text.
Interface rating: 3
There were some useful bits that I wanted to use as handouts but the copying of those items were a bit fussy. Perhaps consider a collection of handouts/electronic worksheets?
I did not notice grammatical errors.
Ethnicity/race neutral. We had a great collection of people from diverse backgrounds in my course when I used this book, so we were able to apply some of the cultural communications ideas into discussion and assignment. I do think that perhaps some of the aspects of diversity could be updated to better reflect today's issues and people.
I did enjoy using it. I would have liked to see more updated business communications methods in use today, especially social mediums. I would have liked to see a workbook or case to be worked throughout the term. Slides would have been a plus! Overall, I enjoyed using it and it was my first OER text.
Reviewed by Adam Falik, Assistant Professor, SUNO on 4/27/20
The greatest asset of this book (and occasionally its weakness) is its attempt to be all encompassing. It definitely seeks comprehensiveness, to introduce a complete spectrum of business communication methodology. This is often effective. The... read more
The greatest asset of this book (and occasionally its weakness) is its attempt to be all encompassing. It definitely seeks comprehensiveness, to introduce a complete spectrum of business communication methodology. This is often effective. The book begins linguistically, introducing concepts of language and communication, shifts to audience and tone before touching upon actual writing. The move to presentation and group dynamics is in keeping with the wide-spectrum the book covers. Sometimes, though, this attempt at comprehensiveness results in the book being dilettantish. I am interested in this book as a textbook for a class in Professional and Technical Writing. My review should be seen through that lens.
Content is accurate enough, though sometimes thin. In Chapter 9: Business Writing in Action, for instance: What is provided is accurate, just somewhat inadequate. 9.2 covers Memos and Letters, but there are many types of business memos/letters. A more thorough exploration per section (instead of, for example, Section 6.3 Making an Argument then much later Section 17.2 Delivering a Negative News Message) would have been welcome. Again, the content is accurate, but it is necessary to hop, skip and jump around to make use of this book. Also, there is a serious lack of examples in this book. Show us some actual business letters, reports, etc. This is a serious deficiency.
This book needs updating to more thoroughly address evolutions in technologies. Business communications are (obviously) more digital than ever. It would be a service for this book to reflect more current communications, including how social media plays in the contemporary cultural and business landscape. As I write this review from the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Zoom and Skype meetings reign. Let’s see an exploration of these types of presentation environments.
The writing of this book is clear and accessible. There are, in fact, gems of writing to be found throughout. Section 4.4 Style in Written Communication, for instance. Here concepts of communication are clearly articulated enough to additionally demonstrate how writing inaccuracies leads to business miscommunications.
The book is consistent in its style, framework, and the rhythms of its language. It does, occasionally, repeat itself. Section 6.3 Making an Argument repeats itself (not just in ideas, but in complete pages) in Chapter 14.
There is a dependable structural modularity. A student can expect not only a clear, steady framework of Objectives, Takeaways and Exercises, but, most valuably, thorough chapter Reference sections.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3
This is one of my chief issues with this book (besides the lack of practical workplace examples). The book is big and exploratory, but will require (for my purposes) a great deal of jumping around to make use of. I do not love its organization. Though it does build logically, many of its integral concepts are scattered throughout the book’s many chapters. The lack of index also weighs heavily.
Because this book requires a great deal of jumping around, I wish the interface was a little friendlier, more convenient. Internal, conceptual links would have been welcome. As certain ideas are linked (to inform, to persuade), internal links would have been appreciated. I often find myself having to scroll back to Contents.
This is a well-written and clear book without major grammatical issues.
Much like its technological relevancy, our culture shifts too quickly to give this book the highest marks. Though Chapter 18: Intercultural and International Business Communications is welcome, it does not address the truly identity-charged workplace atmosphere.
I will give this book a try for a Professional Writing class. I am curious to see what students make of it. I find it too expansive, its attempt to be all-encompassing creating qualitative and theoretical deficiencies, and its lack of actual workplace examples a serious deficit, but it does make easy access to core principles in accessible language. A final (negative) comment: The Exercises are often laughable. Their vagueness is connected to the book’s overall lack of practical workplace examples. If the student cannot see an example of how an actual business letter (for instance) is written, how can the book offer practical exercises that can be visualized? Though the book covers a great deal, an instructor had better be prepared to provide their own examples.
Reviewed by Megan Fitzmaurice, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Arlington on 4/22/20
This textbook address written, oral, nonverbal and interpersonal communication at large. Many business communication textbooks focus solely on written and oral communication, so including these other dimensions brings an important nuance to this... read more
This textbook address written, oral, nonverbal and interpersonal communication at large. Many business communication textbooks focus solely on written and oral communication, so including these other dimensions brings an important nuance to this subject. It also includes the foundational chapters for some of the most common business communication assignments: writing preparation, composition, and revision, business, delivering negative news, team communication, business presentations, etc.
Note: no index or glossary is provided.
Overall, I found no major inaccuracies in the book’s content. Chapter 2’s discussion about the parts of a message though is quite confusing – it is hard to discern what type of messages it is referring to. At some points in the section it seems like they are discussing formal written communication and speeches, while at other times any general kind of message. It isn’t well connected to the rest of the chapter and the explanation is not thorough enough. In general, I think this chapter could better connect fundamental theories about language to the business sphere specifically.
Like any textbook, incorporating technological advancements is a double-edged sword. Ignoring it is foolish, but discussion surrounding specific technologies is often obsolete by the time the book is published. I thought they did a great job not making and part of the text centered on specific technologies, but focused on timeless business communication principles. This should keep the book up to date for sometime.
Some of the included discussion questions are a little outdated. While the content in this textbook is really strong, the included learning exercises and discussion prompts are less helpful. For example, chapter 2 begins with a vocab-matching exercise that includes words such as “phat,” “ player,” “hooptie,” etc.
The language used in this textbook is very accessible for undergraduate students from a wide range of academic backgrounds. It does not assume a student has taken a communication course before, so I think it would work for a general education course. It also ties in theories and vocabulary from many subsets of communication (rhetoric, organizational communication, interpersonal communication, etc.) so it could also be a good choice for classes directed at communication majors.
The chapters are all organized in parallel structure and engage the same terminology. Specifically, chapters 4-7 build on each other and provide a consistent vocabulary and framework through which to teach writing as a process, not a product.
Chapters 1-15 could easily be grouped into three modules: Introduction to Communication, Writing in Business Settings, and Speaking in Business Settings. Chapters 16-19 are a little bit of a grab-bag with regard to their topics. I would think Chapter 17: Negative News and Crisis Communication would be better placed after Chapter 14: Presentations to Persuade. I think having overarching modules would help learners better understand the skills and objectives to be learned through the textbook. Within each chapter though are very distinct sub-sections that do help with modularity, allowing you to easily break up a chapter's reading over the course of a week.
Chapters are well structured. Each one begins with a brief introduction, and then is followed by several subsections. Each subsection starts with clear learning objectives, followed by the main content, key takeaways, and then learning exercises. While acquiring images is a challenge for all open-source textbooks, this one seems particularly text heavy. More charts and diagrams would help with readability.
I read through the book using both a PDF on a computer screen. The text was clear and easy to read. One thing that would be helpful would be including page numbers with the internal hyperlinks – the PDF did not allow me to just click on the blue links that would take the reader to other parts of the textbook (i.e., “Note 2.1 “Introductory Exercises”).
Some charts and graphs are fuzzy, while others could be adjusted for better formatting. For example, the chart on pg. 60 has the last 1-2 letters of the word listed on the subsequent line for several entries. This same issue was not apparent when I looked through the chapter on UMN’s website, so it may be an issue limited to the PDF version of the book.
I was impressed that the hyperlinks to additional resources at the end of each chapter were still active. The book does provide a good number of articles and websites at the end of each chapter for review.
Very small issue, but the references at the end of the chapters need to be reformatted with a hanging indent and consistent margins. Otherwise, I found no glaring grammatical errors or typos.
The book does do a really good job of incorporating a diverse range of experiences and perspectives. The authors have successfully worked to provide a global perspective on business communication. Rather than just incorporating snippets or vignettes in a couple chapters, they actually have a whole chapter dedicated to intercultural and international communication. Moreover, diversity is not just conceived of in racial or ethnic terms, but the authors make sure to incorporate identity topics related to gender, sexuality, age, and disability as well.
Overall, I would definitely consider using this textbook in my Professional and Technical Communication course. The textbook covers all major aspects of business communication – writing, speaking, and team communication, in addition to other important elements like interpersonal communication and nonverbal communication. The book is accessible for an undergraduate audience and uses engaging and relatable examples throughout the text. Each chapter is well organized with distinct subsections which would give the instructor flexibility in how they wanted to assign the text. The drawbacks to using this text include a lack of supplemental teaching resources, minimal graphics in the text, and lackluster chapter exercises. Given students’ preference to learn through group interaction and discussion anyways, these are drawbacks easily made up for in the classroom.
Reviewed by Amanda Carpenter, Associate Professor, John Tyler Community College on 3/30/20
This text was exceptionally well written and very comprehensive. The author was very eloquent in the way that they explained the content. The text covered critical topics for business communication. The book includes learning resources and... read more
This text was exceptionally well written and very comprehensive. The author was very eloquent in the way that they explained the content. The text covered critical topics for business communication. The book includes learning resources and activities included. An index or glossary would have been beneficial to the reader.
The text was timely and accurately overviewed of jobs in communication as well as an overview of business norms.
The content of the text is still relevant today. The text could benefit from a section related to social media usage for businesses. The digital age requires this for those in business communications.
The book was well-written and concise. I was unable to get the search option to work on my Kindle.
I found no inconsistencies in the textbook.
This text is easy to sort into modules for course instruction. I could use the groupings of this text in my course.
Overall, the text was well organized and flowed well.
I had issues using the search option within Kindle with this text. It would be great if that function could be enabled.
Grammatical Errors rating: 4
The text was well written, and I found no grammatical errors.
The text is culturally relevant and would be very useful in business communication courses.
This text is an excellent resource for communications instructors.
Reviewed by Miriam Gershow, Senior Instructor II, University of Oregon on 6/6/19
Covers a broad array of business communication topics, from foundations of language, audience and rhetoric to common types of written and verbal business communications. read more
Covers a broad array of business communication topics, from foundations of language, audience and rhetoric to common types of written and verbal business communications.
Does an accurate job describing norms and responsibilities for different types of business communication tasks.
The real challenge is to stay up to date with technology. References to MySpace and parenthetical explanations of terms such as LOL date the information.
The prose is accessible and clear. Many of the Learning Objectives and Key Takeaways suggest an introductory-level rather than upper-level course.
The framework is clear and consistent throughout.
In considering this text for a Business Writing course, there are clearly chapters and sections that can be parted out for that purpose alone.
As with the consistency, the organization of material is intuitive, clear, and a strength of this text.
I read this book on two different devices, and the interface was clear on both.
No notable errors.
I was glad to see that inter- and intra-cultural communication was addressed throughout the book, not relegated only to the second-to-last chapter.
Reviewed by Shawn Gilmore, Senior Lecturer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on 5/14/19
The text descriptively covers nearly all the requisite topics and subtopics under the banner "business communication," as well as a number of related rhetorical and conceptual approaches that are fairly typical in the field. The text is divided... read more
The text descriptively covers nearly all the requisite topics and subtopics under the banner "business communication," as well as a number of related rhetorical and conceptual approaches that are fairly typical in the field. The text is divided into fairly compartmentalized chapters, which could be selectively assigned, but this leads to some issues of repetition across the full book, as well as some difficulty finding specific material. The text does not contain an index, though the table of contents is good, and the full text is searchable.
Most of the descriptive material is quite good, succinct, and explanatory, making it pretty easy to follow. The prose is fairly conversational, which makes some of it dated (slang from the mid-2000s, for example), but allows for the conceptual and practical material to shine. Most of the content appears clear and accurate, if sometimes selective.
Some aspects of the text are dated by their cultural and technological references--this is a perennial issue for texts that describe how to use specific software, document types and methods, etc. None of these passages seemed debilitating, and could likely be avoided by assigning chapters or sections selectively across the text.
The text is clearly written throughout, relying on a few pages of prose per section, which are well-segmented, and followed by "key takeaway" boxes and exercises. Jargon is used selectively and well-explained.
The text is presented in a consistent fashion, but varies in terms of depth and type. The sections on business communication and approaches are clearest and most consistent. Those on rhetorical approaches and issues vary from rhetorical theory to interpersonal analysis and considerations, which makes them feel a bit more scattered.
The text is quite modular, and selections or chapters could easily be grouped for different teaching purposes/approaches.
The text takes nearly a hundred pages to really get to writing and communication specifics, and it is not entirely clear why some (of the 19) chapters appear where they do. This might be to allow individual instructors a good deal of flexibility, but it also might leave some a bit at sea.
This might be the text's weakest point. The text is well-formatted and presented, but it is a lot of repetitive-looking material, with little breaking up the few formatting and interface choices that have been made. This is alleviated in other texts by the inclusion of example documents--which are very rare here--or by varying page layouts. Students and instructors alike might find it hard to parse some of the more visually-similar passages, though there are some tables and images periodically that help.
There were no significant or glaring grammatical issues.
Efforts seem to have been made to include a variety of cultural inclusion as appropriate. However, this text might need more framing for students for whom English is not their primary language, or who have been educated in other systems/backgrounds.
This is an easy text to recommend for more experienced instructors, as they may have assignments, exercises, and example documents already at hand. However, glaringly, this textbook doesn't quite have enough material to be as comprehensive as I would have liked, though it does include exercises after each section. This may depend on the other course materials already in play, and the text would serve very well in most business writing courses, given the right conditions.
Reviewed by Bonnie Buchanan, Associate Professor, OhioLink on 3/28/19
From A to Z, the main communication topics and concepts are covered in this text. From the basics of the communications model to group work effectiveness, this book has the components to teach students important skills they will need in the... read more
From A to Z, the main communication topics and concepts are covered in this text. From the basics of the communications model to group work effectiveness, this book has the components to teach students important skills they will need in the business environment.
I was not able to find inaccurate information, based upon my background and ares of expertise. Information was accurate, supported and relevant to the subject.
Business communications, different speeches with different areas of focus and team work skills will always be relevant. Didn't see enough information on distance/telecommuting and communicating via video.
The text was written in a very straight-forward fashion and should be easily understood by most college students.
The activities and assignments found in each chapter are great and easy for students to quickly find. They are consistent among each chapter and offer relevant activities to reinforce learning. The text chapters were consistent in their layout, form and function.
Well-organized, easy to navigate and aligned with chapter objectives in a consistent fashion.
Topics are well-presented and done so in a logical format/layout. The topics/chapters flow nicely from one to the next.
I found all links working properly and all images used supported the subject and topics in the text.
Well-written, concise and succinct text. Free of major grammatical errors.
I did not find the text offensive or insensitive and found it to include a variety of examples so that no one group might feel excluded or offended.
I really enjoyed reviewing this text and think that countless students can benefit from the information and concepts it contains. From the basics, to targeted speech formats, all areas vital to good business communication skills are covered. I would have liked to have seen a formal proposal chapter, but overall, I would recommend this book for business programs and courses that want to engage students and teach them important skills vital to their success.
Reviewed by Cara Chang, Instructor, Leeward Community College on 2/10/19
This textbook was comprehensive in the sense that it covers broad concepts in communication and then narrows down specifically to business writing and oral communication. This semester, when I used part of this textbook for my business writing... read more
This textbook was comprehensive in the sense that it covers broad concepts in communication and then narrows down specifically to business writing and oral communication. This semester, when I used part of this textbook for my business writing class, I had to find and create more examples for my students to view and analyze. Though the content in this text is good, I wish more examples were given in this textbook.
Furthermore, though this textbook does explain how to write a resume, memo, letter, business proposal, and report, it does not include any information on how to improve writing style or mechanics. If my students needed help with grammar, they would need to consult other resources for this.
There wasn’t an index or glossary, but there was a Table of Contents, which made it easy to navigate.
This text was unbiased and free from error. It covered a range of topics in a consistent manner.
I do think the information in this text is relevant. However, I did wish there were sections on other types of business writing. In my classes, I had my students create a website and blog, which to me, are important parts of business writing. Chapter 9, which shows Business Writing in Action covers other parts of business writing, which I taught and assigned to my students, but I also told students that blogging and creating a website are also important parts of maintaining a business. In this digital age, more topics related to online writing is necessary. It would be an easy addition.
The text is written in lucid, accessible prose. It would be appropriate for many different audiences: a business writing class, an oral communication class, etc.
This text was consistent in terminology and framework.
When teaching with this text, I had an easy time breaking up information and chunking it into sections that made it easy for my students to digest. I was also able to breakup information and organize in a way that best fit the flow and schedule of my teaching. The Table of Contents/headings made it easy to see how the text is organized, so anyone who wants to jump around and customize their teaching is able to.
The structure of the text is presented in a logical and clear fashion. It begins by explaining what effective business communication is and then moves to identifying what effective business writing looks like. Next, the text explains how to write different forms of business writing, clarifies different presentation strategies, and explores group communication.
This book is easy to navigate with clear headings. There was no problems accessing the text and viewing the images.
I did not notice any grammatical errors.
Cultural Relevance rating: 3
The book is not insensitive or offensive to any cultures, but it does not have many references to various races, cultures, etc. Incorporating different examples could be especially important in the International and Intercultural Business Communication chapter.
The main page states that the textbook is available in multiple formats, but I was only able to access it as a Pressbook and as a PDF. I do feel that more images and media can be added.
Reviewed by Kara Wicklund, Instructor, Lead Instructional Designer, Bethel University on 11/13/18
This book covers almost of all the topics I need to cover in my Business Communication course. The index is clear and easy to navigate, and the chapters are clearly labeled. read more
This book covers almost of all the topics I need to cover in my Business Communication course. The index is clear and easy to navigate, and the chapters are clearly labeled.
This textbook is error-free and accurate. It handles informative text with clarity and analyzes communication problems by applying concepts, without leaning too much on a specific bias.
The content in this text is specific and clear, and it it up-to-date. It is general enough, however, that it should remain generally relevant for several years. Some sections discuss the use of written and/or electronic communication, noting the prevalence (in percentages) of these communication forms in certain settings. These details may change or become outdated over time, but the general topic will likely remain relevant.
The clarity of this text is one of its strongest features. New vocabulary works are typed in bold and defined as well as supported with examples and/or cases to illustrate their context. Paragraphs are well-structured and easy to read, and sentence flow is easy for readers.
The text adheres to the same structure throughout each chapter. Concepts are referred to and applied in consistent ways throughout the text.
Modularity is another great strength of this text. It is easy to assign chapters and sections out of order, avoid a section, or substitute a section for another resource due to the self-sufficiency of the sections. Sections generally begin, develop, and wrap up concepts clearly within each section so students don't need to rely on other chapters/sections in the text to further explain the topic.
While I did not utilize the sections in this book the way the chapters are organized, they do seem organized overall in a logical fashion. Within the chapters, the information is laid out in a clear manner. Typically the chapters begin with basic concepts and vocabulary and then proceed to application. In some chapters, there are cases for students to read about, as well. This progression seems very effective for readers.
This book is very easy to navigate. The chapters are easy to locate and the images and text display well on screens.
There were no grammatical errors in this text.
This text has a strong focus toward the end of the book on culture and communication. In addition to handing interpersonal communication dynamics, the book includes a chapter regarding Intercultural and International Business Communication. This chapter explores cultural characteristics of communication and how these characteristics impact communication, both personally and in the workplace.
Reviewed by George Boone, Visiting Assistant Professor, Augustana College on 11/13/18
Overall, the book covers a wide range of topics. However, it offers breadth over depth, which is fine for an introductory business communication course. It lacks an index section, however, so unless your students know how to search a PDF for... read more
Overall, the book covers a wide range of topics. However, it offers breadth over depth, which is fine for an introductory business communication course. It lacks an index section, however, so unless your students know how to search a PDF for information, they might run into trouble searching for specific information.
The book provided very accurate overviews of different theories and positions on communication.
The book had multiple examples, although some of the references might feel a bit dated for our students (ie. the Bush examples, for instance). However, the author could easily update the examples with more recent events.
The book was very clear and easy to understand.
The book has the strong ability to present multiple ideas relevant to business communication (and its underlying communication research) without getting lost in the theoretical differences that might go along with these different perspectives. Ultimately, those looking for a deeper theoretical look at the book will need to look elsewhere. More pragmatically oriented classes, however, will benefit from this instructional approach.
The book has nice chapter and section breakdowns with clear headings and effective demarcations.
The book needs a bit more explicit logic to chapter order. As a reader, I do not have a clear sense as to why chapters appear in a particular order. Perhaps overall chapter groups or headings might help resolve this issue.
The interface for the book has no issues that I noticed.
I did not notice any grammar issues.
I did not notice any particularly offensive texts or ideas.
Overall, the book provides a strong and pragmatic approach to communication in business and workplace contexts. I would gladly adopt it as a general text for a low-level 100 or 200 level course. Teachers looking for more in depth analysis of studies or more theory-driven analysis, however, might find the book lacking.
Reviewed by Jason Harper, Senior Lecturer and International Coordinator, Fort Hays State University on 11/12/18
The contents do offer instructors a comprehensive list of key writing areas that should be covered in a college writing class. For example, it includes topics like writing styles, active reading, writing a summary, and assessing writing situations... read more
The contents do offer instructors a comprehensive list of key writing areas that should be covered in a college writing class. For example, it includes topics like writing styles, active reading, writing a summary, and assessing writing situations to more practical areas like conventions, revision, and checklists. It also includes discussions on common challenges for multilingual and ESL writers from diverse backgrounds. Perhaps an instructor might see these as good guideposts, yet this reviewer believes that supplemental materials will be needed for a more in-depth and detailed coverage of these areas. Overall, the text is useful as a starting point for teaching to her/his strengths and contexts.
One of the outstanding strengths that this textbook offers is its lack of bias. The coverage given to the writing process and its practices is also particularly good -- something not often included in business communication-related texts.
Coverage of text messages, E-mail, and how social customs influence the ways we interact with each other in the online environment will not be difficult to update, as these norms and mores are changing by the minute. As these change, this textbook can still apply as strong beginning points for discussion in class.
Overall, a detailed process of business communication is shown in readable and clear style. Vocabulary and terminology is covered and there are avenues for instructors to add on.
Business Communication for Success is a consistent collection of significant skill sets accented by "Key Takeaways" that correlate well with the topic at hand. The book’s use of multiple sub-chapters helps to make the textbook much more detailed. While at times the bland blocks of content may render the page a bore, the instructor can breathe life into what is considered by many to be a dull subject. The creators' knowledge of the topic is obvious throughout the book. The credibility of the content is strengthened by the consistency.
The orderliness of the book conforms to an academic curriculum. While the chapters create neat packages, some skills to be taught can be better covered by the instructor creating additions to the chapter or by adding additional sections. Overall, the textbook provides well-organized material and content, which is held well by clear chapter numbers.
The organization of the book lends itself well to the study of business communication. Each chapter is broken down into sections, which typically fit logically into the topic of the chapter. All chapters are composed of several defining parts that maintain a sense of continuity throughout the volume. The Key Takeaways" sections leads refers well back to the introduction and the chapter goals.
With so few graphics in the book overall, display features are subsequently not so much of an issue. Within the text of the chapter, there are at times photo boxes that assist the learner in understanding particular points. Unfortunately, the open-sourced photos may also confuse readers when they are not as well-paired as a paid photo might have been. Navigation is not at all difficult, as the chapters are clearly segmented and there is a drop-down "Contents" bar for finding other sections fast. However, the textbook's overall appearance is quite bland.
It's refreshing to see a textbook so carefully edited. Once a textbook is provided to students, a certain expectation of correctness and clarity is expected, and cleanly edited chapters must be in place when teaching the units and individual lessons. This does not mean that the opportunity for learning about errors is lost -- even the cleanest of texts might still contain a hiccup here or there. Yet, with the goal being teaching toward the learning needs of the students in our classrooms, we educators need to set good examples for those educational needs and show, not tell, good grammar, without losing sight of the end goal.
Chapter 18 is pretty in-depth about the intercultural/international aspect. While certainly not comprehensive, variety of races, ethnicity, and backgrounds is addressed in general terms in Chapter 18 as strong beginning points for discussion in class. As stated as a Key Takeaway in 18.3, "All cultures have characteristics such as initiations, traditions, history, values and principles, purpose, symbols, and boundaries," and the instructor could certainly work with the class to develop how this applies or cold apply in different contexts.
Reviewed by Margarette Connor, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Lehman College/CUNY on 6/19/18
This text covers all the areas I would want to cover in my 300-level business writing class, including non-verbal communications and international communications, two topics I find are often underrepresented in many texts. Very clear and... read more
This text covers all the areas I would want to cover in my 300-level business writing class, including non-verbal communications and international communications, two topics I find are often underrepresented in many texts. Very clear and comprehensive table of contents facilitates use.
I've read a good portion of the book and find it accurate and error-free. Excellent quality.
I have been teaching business writing for over 20 years, and while the methods of communication have changed, how we write hasn't really. This book is certainly up to date, but not so much so that it will be obsolete within the next few years.
I would have liked to have seen a little more on online writing--blogs, websites, digital white papers--because while we can always upload a PDF of a traditional report to a website, many Millenials read differently and have different expectations of what they will read on the internet. This might be my personal soapbox, though, and the materials here can be easily adapted.
I very much like the writing in this book as I find it clear and to the point, much more so than the text I had been previously using. I think my students will find this more accessible. My students are mostly junior or senior business majors, and while there is jargon in the text, by this point, this is part of my students' professional vocabulary, so nothing that I find alienating for students.
Many of my students like pared down yet comprehensive texts, and I think they'd like this. They don't like to "waste" time with "unnecessary" material.
Very good job with consistency.
The modularity of the text is very well done. As I was reading it, I had the feeling that my students would find this easier to access than our current text. I can already see the course syllabus falling into place. Although I see myself changing the order of the text, I think jumping through the book will be quite easy.
The flow of the chapters is clear and logical, and while I'd change things, isn't that what we do as professors? I've never used a text book as if it were a novel.
Clear, easy to use. I've used other online texts, and I found this one to be very user friendly.
I am a stickler for grammar, and I found no errors in my reading. That's sadly rare!
There was nothing culturally insensitive or offensive in the parts of the text I read, which was much.
I am definitely adopting this book for my business writing course next term. It has everything my students need from a text at a price they can afford. That has been a problem for many. I actually like this text better as I think it's clearer and easier to follow. Excellent choice for an upper level business writing course.
Reviewed by Shannon Breske, Assistant Teaching Professor, University of Missouri on 6/19/18
Business Communication for Success provides an overview of the main areas of communication and highlights additional resources at the end of each chapter. When reviewing other texts, this text is consistent with topic areas covered. The text is... read more
Business Communication for Success provides an overview of the main areas of communication and highlights additional resources at the end of each chapter. When reviewing other texts, this text is consistent with topic areas covered. The text is organized well and can be navigated seamlessly with how each section is labeled. Students found this text easy to use, comprehend, and then able to apply knowledge to their assignments and in-class work.
Content is accurate. Consistent topics covered in Business Communication in Success text compared to other Business Communication texts. Some references, activities, and examples could be updated to provide a more inclusive tone.
The text is up to date but could include more details on how to communicate using social media platforms as well as customer relationship management (CRM) software. Could add the importance of how to successfully develop a communication plan using CRM.
Easy to read, understand, and apply. Students found it easy to read the chapters and comprehend.
The text is consistent with other texts and current literature. Liked how the earlier concepts are built upon in later chapters.
The text covers a lot of information however it is easily divided into subsections and does a nice job highlighting the important pieces in each area. Organized extremely well and easy to navigate through the online text.
Great job on the organization of the text. Found it clear and logical.
The interface is basic but functional and meets the needs of the user.
Well written. I did not find any grammatical errors.
Some references, activities, and examples could be updated to provide a more inclusive tone.
Great text! I use for 400+ students in an introductory course, and it is a great option. I supplemented additional information for class materials but overall extremely satisfied with text.
Reviewed by Alicia Edwards, Adjunct Professor, Business Management, Marketing and Communications, Northern Virginia Community College, Annadale Campus on 6/20/17
I was definitely impressed with the comprehensiveness Business Communication for Success. For every concept of the author introduced, he gave context, the why and if needed consequences if the conventions are not heeded. While there is not a... read more
I was definitely impressed with the comprehensiveness Business Communication for Success. For every concept of the author introduced, he gave context, the why and if needed consequences if the conventions are not heeded. While there is not a glossary or an index, he does provide additional resources after each chapter.
Each chapter is effectively mapped out with subheadings so you could easily find the topic that you need. Because of this attention to detail, I can envision this book being an excellent resource for an entry level junior manager or a refresher for a seasoned professional as their communication needs evolve throughout their career.
In general, I felt that the author did pretty balanced job of avoiding stereotypes and clichés. He used a variety of quotes from people with origins in all parts of the world and historical periods.
I was disappointed with the slang used in Chapter 2's introductory exercises. The words used were outdated at the least and mildly offensive. All 10 examples of page 35, appeared to be derived from African American slang...certainly not inclusive. The population that attends NOVACC are very diverse culturally and linguistically so this would not go over well.
This book was written in 2010 and focused more on written and verbal communication. Social media is not addressed but text, email, and netiquette were briefly touched upon. The information is still current and accurate but clearly lends itself to frequent updates. Since the bulk of business communication is online now, I would like to see at least full chapter dedicated to texting, email and internet communication. The way the book is laid out, this could be can easy addition.
Social Media is now an integral part of business communication internally and externally but it is STILL treated as an afterthought or footnote in academia. While not every platform is mainstream, the ones that are increasingly used in professional settings certainly need to be taught at the collegiate level in a comprehensive manner. LinkedIN, Twitter, Instagram and to some extent Pinterest have proven their marketing prowess and are structured enough to teach the business applications.
The concepts that text introduces are consistent within each chapter and throughout the book as a whole. Other than expanding on email/text and internet communications and including social media, I did not see any gaps in knowledge.
Since I did read the book on Apple device, Apple has built in technology that is helpful. For example, the book reference Aristotle and his concept of "ethos". While I knew he was from ancient Greece, I used the lookup feature on his name to fill in the historical timeframe that helped me fully understand what may have shaped his views. The look-up feature took me to several books, wesbites and a Wikipedia page.
Each chapter is effectively mapped out with subheadings so you could easily find the topic that you need. Because of this attention to detail, I can envision this book being an excellent resource for an entry level junior manager or a refresher for a seasoned professional as their communications needs evolve throughout their career.
While the book flows well from start to finish, the chapters and subheading are very specific and are quickly referencable. I read the book on my Ipad and I easily bookmarked pages when and highlight notes as needed. Each section can be understood independently, I didn't find myself having to reference previous chapters to make sense to the current one.
I downloaded the entire book as a PDF. It would be nice to have the option to download sections as needed.
The interface is very basic but effective. I read the book on my Ipad within the iBooks platform. I quickly find the section I wanted and go straight to whatever page I wanted. There are a lot of links to internet sites, I referenced quite a few and they seemed to load up quickly.
The charts and pictures that are included are without distortions. However, I would like to see more videos and visuals. Since readers will most likely reference this book from a laptop/phone or tablet, the assumption is that they would be able to seamlessly go from reading the material to answering the discussions via BlackBoard or whatever learning software their school adopts.
The author took the time to edit very well. I didn't see any glaring errors of any kind.
In general, I felt that the author did pretty balanced job of avoiding stereotypes and clichés. He used a variety of quotes from people with origins in all parts of the world and historical periods. I was disappointed with the slang used in Chapter 2's introductory exercises. The words used were outdated at the least and mildly offensive. All 10 examples of page 35, appeared to be derived from African American slang...certainly not inclusive. The population that attends NOVACC are very diverse culturally and linguistically so this would not go over well. Since slang and pop culture are moving targets, I would have eliminated that exercise completely and let the students self-direct this exercise by sharing slang words in their own language with the class. I would further reinforce the exercise by letting students that speak the same language but are from different countries share words that differ within their culture. I would also have them give examples of how they would speak around their peers, parents, and elders to drill down appropriateness and context.
The concepts that text introduces are consistent within each chapter and throughout the book as a whole. Other than expanding on email/text and internet communications and including social media, I did not see any gaps in knowledge. This book was written in 2010 and focused more on written and verbal communication. Social media is not addressed but text, email, and netiquette were briefly touched upon. The information is still current and accurate but clearly lends itself to frequent updates. Since the bulk of business communication is online now, I would like to see at least full chapter dedicated to texting, email and internet communication. The way the book is laid out, this could be can easy addition.
Social Media is now an integral part of business communication internally and externally but it is STILL treated as an afterthought or footnote in academia. While not every platform is mainstream, the ones that are increasingly used in professional settings certainly need to be taught at the collegiate level in a comprehensive manner. LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and to some extent Pinterest have proven their marketing prowess and are structured enough to teach the basic business applications.
Since readers will most likely reference this book from a laptop/phone or tablet, the assumption is that they would be able to seamlessly go from reading the material to answering the discussions via BlackBoard or whatever learning software their school adopts.
In general, I felt that the author did a pretty balanced job of avoiding stereotypes and clichés. He used a variety of quotes from people with origins in all parts of the world and historical periods.
I was disappointed with the slang used in Chapter 2's introductory exercises. The words used were outdated at the least and mildly offensive. All 10 examples of page 35, appeared to be derived from African American slang...certainly not inclusive. The population that attends NOVACC are very diverse culturally and linguistically so this would not go over well. Since slang and pop culture are moving targets, I would have eliminated that exercise completely and let the students self-direct this exercise by sharing slang words in their own language with the class. I would further reinforce the exercise by letting students that speak the same language but are from different countries share words that differ within their culture. I would also have them give examples of how they would speak around their peers, parents, and elders to drill down appropriateness and context.
Reviewed by Brandi Quesenberry, Advanced Instructor, Virginia Tech on 6/20/17
Solid overview of foundations of business communication. I would prefer a more advanced textbook but this text works well for a lower level or introductory course. Broad overview of both written and oral communication considerations and best... read more
Solid overview of foundations of business communication. I would prefer a more advanced textbook but this text works well for a lower level or introductory course. Broad overview of both written and oral communication considerations and best practices.
Content is correct and consistent with other texts.
Due to nature of subject matter, some references will become outdated. Overall examples are current and helpful. Technology references can be easily updated due to formatting and section headings.
Clear language, easy to read, relevant examples.
Accurate use of terminology and framework.
Divided well. Only complaint is the redundancy of information across multiple chapters.
I would prefer oral communication chapters to come before written communication. Overall, flowed well.
Well written.
Relevant and diverse examples. Good discussion of cultural differences in business setting.
Good choice for an introductory business communication class.
Reviewed by Catherine Wright, Associate Professor, George Mason University on 6/20/17
It covers too many areas, would need to be "chunked" into smaller clusters. It tries to do too much for one text. read more
It covers too many areas, would need to be "chunked" into smaller clusters. It tries to do too much for one text.
I found it to be accurate.
I found it to be relevant. Since the format of Open Textbooks allows for things to be quickly updated, anything the authors found in need could be easily changed.
The overall writing in the text is great. Easy to read, easy to digest, easy to follow. It’s not taxing and presents information in a way that will engage the reader. The style is casual and informative. I found it inviting and I believe that students will want to read the chapters assigned.
I found it to be consistent with current literature and other texts.
It tries to cover too much in one text and would absolutely need to be made into modules.
Overall the organization is fine. The structure of the book in its entirety is too grand. It could/should be no less than three books.
I was easily able to gather information. I found no issues with this book.
so far, so good ;o)
This appeared to be fine too. I had no complaints.
The scope of the book, however is too broad. I would not use it for any Business Communication class that I personally taught.
The reason for this is that it focuses on several areas, which could not be adequately covered, or covered well, in one semester. I believe you would be able to do all of it at a very cursory level and none of it well in order to produce informed and prepared students. It really doesn’t cover “business.”
My recommendations for application follow: Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 could easily be one full semester, as they focus on writing. Chapters 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 are another semester, as they focus on public speaking. Chapters 16, 17, 18, and 19 are individually entire courses and almost seem extraneous here.
Part of what appeals to me about Open Textbook Library is the opportunity to take a text offered and to adjust it to make it something you could use in you class. This book has the potential to do so if the teacher reduces the number of chapters assigned during a semester. Rather than trying to do everything adequately, teachers would need to focus on only a few chapters to use this book well.
Reviewed by Rathin Basu, Professor, Ferrum College on 2/8/17
The text is quite comprehensive in its coverage of the key (and standard) topics and compares favorably with the very well known and widely used conventional text that I have been using in my Business Communications class, as well as others that I... read more
The text is quite comprehensive in its coverage of the key (and standard) topics and compares favorably with the very well known and widely used conventional text that I have been using in my Business Communications class, as well as others that I have used or reviewed in instructing the subject over the past 20 years. The sequence of the topics is somewhat different from some of the conventional texts but, over all, the content covers all aspects expected in this subject area. However, some of the important and fast developing and changing areas of communication which have developed in recent times (e.g. social media) and their models, challenges and impacts might have been included. They would also need to be discussed in the context of ethical communication as well. Another topic of importance that needed discussion is communication relating to applying for a job and preparing for interviews. A third aspect that I cover in my Business Communication class is formal business report writing, and this would need more coverage and even a chapter devoted to it. Despite these gaps, which are common to most current texts though, it generally covers the standard and essential areas of the subject well. It would have been useful, especially in an introductory text such as this, to have had a comprehensive index.
The content, in terms of the concepts and theories of communication, and the explanations and examples presented, is accurate and supported by citation of relevant and relatively recent sources. In addition, some of the seminal publications which may not be as recent but are essential sources are also referenced. There is no suggestion of any bias in the discussion and presentation of ideas and perspectives. It would have been helpful to have used colors or fonts in such a way that embedded active links could be clearly distinguished from highlighted terms. Also, if what might be more completely addressed is considered under this item, then inclusion of some of the most current, dynamic and important aspects of developments in communication especially relating to technology and society might be included.
Since the concepts and theories discussed are, in general fundamental ones, these aspects are not likely to require short-term changes. The examples used are also ones that are not limited in time or context and hence less susceptible to change. However, this does mean that some of the more dynamic areas of communication such as technology, social media, virtual teams might have been covered in greater depth given their increasingly important roles in communication. This is possibly the most important area that has been most dynamic in recent years and would need updating, when included. In addition, recent case studies of specific firms and incidents are one aspect that would be found in publisher based texts that open texts, by their nature, must sacrifice.
I found the very accessible prose and the personal and informal tone to be a particular strength of the book. Terms and jargon are explained with appropriate examples which students are generally likely to be able to relate to. In addition, not making this a reference text and overwhelming the undergraduate student with too many examples and too much detail has added to the clarity and relevance for the intended audience. The inclusion of pithy quotes, short exercises after each section, and sections and chapters which are not too long have also enhanced clarity and readability.
The text is internally consistent in terms of its tone, explanations, audience, and structure. In addition, the exercises have a consistency in framework and resulting time required to do them. The approach of starting sections with some questions which are then addressed with examples and explanations makes for an engaging, more Socratic and less pedantic method.
I found the breakdown of the topics into chapters and the chapters into sections, both of which are in sizes manageable for students, to be a strength of the text. This is contrast to many available texts which have long chapters which are dense with content, much of which is too much detail for an undergraduate course. The relatively short modules also suggested several possible ways in which I could smoothly reorganize them and use them in a class without making the sequence seem disjointed. The text draws in outside sources rather than being self-referential.
The organization of the text is something that I usually find to be one that I do not stick to, even with private market texts. The organization of the current text is also one that I would change to suit the particular circumstances of my students and institutional facilities (such as availability of the career center for mock interviews as part of course). However, with digital texts, I have had no difficulty in making the changes and even rearranging the chapters as needed.
In general, the book has no interface issues that I encountered, except the one that I found the use of the brown font for both terms (which were not live links) as well as live links was confusing. It would be helpful to have the standard blue font for the live links to distinguish them.
The book shows an appreciation of diversity and inclusion of various perspectives. Given the nature of the subject matter, which calls for discussion of various cultural perspectives, this is done in an interesting way that encourages exploration. It is particularly interesting that the cultural aspects are not confined to the standard understanding of the scope of such differences (such as races, ethnicities and nationalities) but also includes artifacts and examples which students can relate to and demonstrate that cultural differences can also be local, inter-generational, etc.
I found the text to be very readable, engaging and interesting and one that I am considering adopting. I would need to draw in some current case studies that involve relevant aspects of communication as well as introduce the topics of career related planning and communication (resume, cover-letter, job-related interviews and interviewing, follow-up), as well as formal business report writing.
Reviewed by Carrie Gay, Adjunct Professor, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, Richmond, VA on 2/8/17
This book is very comprehensive. Contains an vast array of business communication principles applicable to today's business environment. However, there is no index or glossary which makes the book somewhat ineffective for quick reference points. read more
This book is very comprehensive. Contains an vast array of business communication principles applicable to today's business environment. However, there is no index or glossary which makes the book somewhat ineffective for quick reference points.
I found the content of the chapters accurate and up-to-date. No grammatical errors were found. Material appears unbiased with prejudice.
Once again, the material is up-to-date. I enjoyed the introductory exercises and the learning objectives presented in each section. Students know exactly what to expect in each chapter. Easy to read and comprehend.
The text is well written, easy to understand. Technical terminology was comprehendable and use of jargon was acceptable. No errors detected.
The book is consistent in its chapter presentations. I appreciated the resources presented after each chapter. Great sources of additional information if the student is interested in searching for it.
The sections were easy to read and were divided adequately. Subunits could be reorganized and realigned if need be without too much effort. Readers should still be able to follow printed material even if it has been rearranged.
This appeared to be the weakest part of the book...the chapter arrangements. I believed the last chapter of the book, Chapter 19, could have appeared somewhat earlier in the book. I compared this book to a couple of others I have seen in recent years and the flow was "off." I still say good material presented throughout, however.
Very few graphics presented in the book overall. I clicked on several Web sites and had no interface/nor navigation issues.
I found no grammatical errors during my first reading of the material which speaks well of the book and the authors/proofreaders. Well written sentences and paragraph structure.
I did not find the book culturally insensitive in any way. I asked three students of Asian, Hispanic, and African-American descent to read Chapter 18, Intercultural Communication--none were offended.
Again, I believe the book requires an index or glossary. These would make word or phrase searches less time-consuming. Perhaps review the table of contents for chapter rearrangements too.
Reviewed by Bonnie Yarbrough, Lecturer, University of North Carolina at Greensboro on 12/5/16
This text covers all areas of the subject appropriately and provides a good Table of Contents. At roughly 600 pages, coverage of the subject matter is extensive. There is no glossary, however, and the index is less comprehensive than I would have... read more
This text covers all areas of the subject appropriately and provides a good Table of Contents. At roughly 600 pages, coverage of the subject matter is extensive. There is no glossary, however, and the index is less comprehensive than I would have liked.
The text has been updated (2015) from the first edition. In subject matter, the text is accurate, although there are occasional mechanical errors and typos that should have been caught.
The content is up to date, but will need to keep pace with evolving technology over each year. For example, the chapter containing a long discussion of mobile communication messages will need revision next year to accommodate changes in the marketplace and in the workplace. Some of the information here is basic, almost elementary, when measured against other more specialized texts. Still, it should be easy to update; discussions could be accommodated for individual audiences.
The text is extremely clear and compelling in its discussions of the material. Each area of the field is covered substantively and with effective examples.
Consistent in its terminology and organization. Concepts introduced early in the text and followed up in later sections of the book and built upon.
This text is already divided into small reading sections and each is numbered in a clear way, manageable online. The headings are descriptive and each section has numerous graphics, video links, and "key takeaways" that provide an ongoing summary of the material covered.
The organization raised some questions. There are several chapters that could be re-arranged or collapsed and presented in a different order. "Organization and Outlines," for example, is presented long after "Revising" and "Presenting" writing.
I ran across a couple of problems with connectivity or dead links.
This is a text about business communication; the grammar is accurate and contains no errors.
The text makes a point of being culturally inclusive, particularly since that is so important in business today. The examples are relevant and illustrative--compelling.
I would recommend this text for a course particularly in oral business communication--although it also covers writing. It has numerous helpful exercises in each chapter and ideas for further exploration of the subject matter. I didn't see any options for text banks, however; I would have liked to have additional resources for quizzes.
Reviewed by Joy Koesten, Lecturer, University of Kansas on 8/21/16
This textbook is very comprehensive, both in breath and depth. I would have like more information regarding how to facilitate a meeting, ethical communication, and organizational culture. The topics were well selected, though formal speaking... read more
This textbook is very comprehensive, both in breath and depth. I would have like more information regarding how to facilitate a meeting, ethical communication, and organizational culture. The topics were well selected, though formal speaking always seems out of place in a business communication text. While some may need to make formal presentations, the majority of workers do not. It's more likely they will need to hone their interpersonal skills and how to speak up in a group.
I did not find an index or glossary, which would have been nice.
I think some might find the use of an egalitarian approach to be biased, but not me. Otherwise, I thought the book was well written, error free and unbiased.
I think the content is relevant and up to date. I'm seems updates would be easy and straightforward.
Very clearly written. I liked that key terms were highlighted. I thought the highlighted terms were linked to a glossary, but that wasn't the case. I downloaded it in KIndle, so maybe that was the problem.
I didn't find any inconsistencies in the text.
It seems this text could easily be divided into units or sections as needed. That is what I plan to do, so I hope that this is the case.
The presentations n section seemed out of place to me. But, otherwise the organization worked fine.
the only navigation issue I ran into was when I went back and forth to the table of contents. I always had to start at the top of the table for f contents and scroll all the way to the most recent chapter. Otherwise, I was not distracted by anything else.
Well written. No grammatical errors were found.
I didn't encounter anything in the text offensive, though I don't recall an emphasis on multiculturalism or a variety of races dipicted in the visuals. There weren't a lot of photos in the book.
I am very likely to use a good portion of this text in an upcoming course.
Reviewed by Sally Stanton, Senior Lecturer, UW-Milwaukee on 8/21/16
Comparable to most business communication texts available commercially. Coverage seems to be missing of social media as business communication (mentioned as a communication channel but not otherwise addressed specifically) and of how to... read more
Comparable to most business communication texts available commercially.
Coverage seems to be missing of social media as business communication (mentioned as a communication channel but not otherwise addressed specifically) and of how to cite/attribute sources in writing and speaking (styles and methods)
No index or glossary that I could locate in the e-pub version reviewed.
Appears to be accurate, error-free, and unbiased.
Some of the communication theories seem rather outdated, given the undeniable role of social media in the digital marketplace and the instant, global nature of communication in 2016. Thus, the text does not seem to reflect the significant need for theories and approaches that address the ability of today's customers, shareholders, competitors, etc. to immediately influence businesses through immediate and very public forms of communication. A bad review on Yelp! or Trip Advisor requires thoughtful handling; organizational communications strategies for dealing with such scenarios should be presented, along with relevant theory or/or research from the professional literature on online business communication. It's no longer enough to just "understand" your audience - business communicators now have a very much two-way, real-time relationship with them.
The topics of social media and managing interactive stakeholder communication could perhaps be added in Chapter 3 or Chapter 16.
Coverage of organizational communications theory and strategies is woven into much of the text but not in an explicit way - the focus is more on developing the individual's own strategy. When that conflicts with organizational strategy, what then?
Detailed coverage of ethics/ethical communication is limited and somewhat difficult to locate (especially since there is no index or glossary) - the chapter devoted to it is very short and lacks sufficient grounding in the professional literature.
Clear and conversational, easy to read.
Consistency rating: 3
It is definitely a broad, general overview of the subject matter. In the first three chapters it covers terms and theories common to both writing and speaking, and then devotes six chapters specifically to each. I would prefer to have chapters 16-19 at the beginning of the text along with chapters 1-3, as these topics equally relate to both writing and speaking, and are very timely - specifically intercultural communication and crisis communication. (Unfortunately topics presented at the end of the text/semester often get short shrift from students, or are cut because they don't fit easily in a 15-week semester. The framework would then proceed more logically from the general to the specific.
Modularity is very good; subheadings are used frequently to break up text, especially for online readers. I was surprised not to find hypertext links other than those in the citations - but I suppose that would make it difficult to publish in multiple formats, and managing broken links would be a nightmare.
An index/glossary would be a very strong addition.
As mentioned previously, I would prefer to have chapters 16-19 at the beginning of the text along with chapters 1-3, as these topics equally relate to both writing and speaking, and are very timely - specifically intercultural communication and crisis communication.
Serviceable interface, but it didn't particularly wow me. Use of grayed lines on charts makes it hard to see, especially on a smaller digital device (let's face it, students read books on their phones and iPads). Still it seems like it would be easily customized, which is a plus.
I understand that copyright issues prevent the use of the many photographic images found in commercial texts, but I find the lack of images is one downfall of using this kind of digital text. Students seem to read increasingly less, or if they do, don't comprehend well information presented only in lengthy textual form. Meaningful images can enhance understanding.
No problems found. Conversational tone makes it accessible.
Good specific coverage of intercultural communication, although as I mentioned before, this should come earlier in the text given how critical this topic has become in a globalized economy. Examples used seem to be quite diverse and appear throughout the text, not just in the specific chapter on intercultural communication. More examples of intercultural business writing would be helpful, though.
Overall, it seems to be a useful secondary text, or one used to provide additional coverage of specific topics, rather than as a primary text. However, it is difficult to find a textbook that provides both sufficient breadth and depth of coverage whether open-source or not. So, if you are interested in "slicing and dicing" content to fit your curriculum, this text would be a good place to start.
Reviewed by Eric Dodson, Instructor of ESOL, Portland State University on 1/7/16
This book includes a review of sentence grammar, paragraph structure, process writing, rhetorical styles, principles of judging sources, and business genre forms. The grammar sections provide a backbone; generally good examples provided. The... read more
This book includes a review of sentence grammar, paragraph structure, process writing, rhetorical styles, principles of judging sources, and business genre forms. The grammar sections provide a backbone; generally good examples provided. The individual grammar points require supplementary material for review of more examples and grammar-focused exercises. However, there are some exercises that marry both grammar and business writing functions.
The grammar points and exercises that I browsed were accurate. Rare typos.
Business norms may change, but the main focus is on underlying writing and rhetorical competency, and any updates will be relatively easy and straightforward to implement.
Some of the grammar for native speakers seems to be targeted for students who know some grammar terms, but do not know others. For example, the term “clause” is given a rough definition, but later the term “phrase” is used without a clear definition, in the context of “prepositional phrase.”
When discussing the specific genre of business writing (Ch. 10), the text often focuses on academic writing demands. Some sections are really focused on overall rhetorical styles and classical rhetoric, with a bit of business window dressing.
\The text is organized and composed in a perfect way for picking-and-choosing chapters or sections. Important concepts that are shared by several chapters (sentence fragments, for example) are generally introduced and explained in each chapter they appear in (though with different levels of detail, depending on the chapter).
No table of contents in the document, and correspondingly, no hyperlinks between sections. The first chapter’s grammar review and the second, punctuation, offer the chance to review a wide range of sentence grammar topics, but the topics are not ordered in a sequentially logical way. For example, adjectives and adverbs are tackled after sentence fragments and other sentence-level errors (which are unanalyzable if readers do not understand basic word-level grammar). The third chapter on word choices has a similar issue.
Some editing exercises are single-spaced, which makes them very difficult to correct via pen-and-paper. Example writing often is not clearly labeled or differentiated from the main text.
Rare omitted words or punctuation (e.g., p. 141). Otherwise clear and accurate.
Occasional glimpses of a multi-cultural reality via examples or use of names from different backgrounds. However, the focus is on (presumably) North American business English demands. The only issue with this is that this is not explicitly explained, and learners would need supplemental materials in order to raise awareness of the existence of different genre expectations internationally.
This work would offer a good set of resources for introductory university student writing courses or business English for speakers of other languages. For example, Chapter 3 has a welcome list of commonly confused words. However, this work would likely be most useful as a teacher planning supplement or to provide readings/exercises on specific topics. Much of the grammatical information, including the chapter for ESL students, does not offer much application to business contexts. For example, there is a review of the concept of idioms, and some example idioms, but not commentary on how students should use them in writing, or if they should use them at all. For the presentation of grammar and mechanics, I would supplement with more genre-specific projects, but the succinct and broad overview of grammar makes a good basic resource.
Reviewed by Judy Boozer, Business Faculty/AOP Program Lead, Lane Communicty College on 1/7/16
The book is comprehensive in regards to business communication, but it lacks a table of contents, index, or glossary for ease in finding the concepts presented in it. read more
The book is comprehensive in regards to business communication, but it lacks a table of contents, index, or glossary for ease in finding the concepts presented in it.
Content Accuracy rating: 3
This book has a few errors throughout--spaces missing between words, inconsistent formatting, lack of first line indents for paragraphs, etc. The content does appear for the most part to be unbiased and often gives both sides of concepts/views of proper communication.
Because paragraphs are not indented, it makes it extremely hard to see where paragraphs begin and end.
Content is relevant to today's world, but it lacks some of the more current digital communication options available to us. This would be easy to add.
The clarity of the book is quite good. The author has done a good job of explaining all content, especially if new or unusual terminology is used.
Each chapter in this text has been organized the same way. Although it is nice to be consistent, it almost makes it boring. A list of terms used in each chapter would be helpful.
As mentioned before, there is also inconcistency with the formatting of the contents of this book.
Modularity rating: 3
The book is clearly organized by chapter content and then by objectives within each chapter's topic(s). There are times, however, when few side headings are used, which makes it difficult to comprehend the material presented.
The topics are presented in a logical manner, and they often refer to previous topics as the reader progresses through the book.
There are no interface issues, except that there is not much to excite the reader into reading. There are very few graphics, tables, charts, used. A text only book is difficult to read and comprehend.
I find almost no grammatical errors. (necessary for a book on business communication)
The book is not insensitive or offense to any cultures, but it does lack too many references to various races, cultures, etc.
This book has a wealth of information with resources provided, but it lacks those elements that appeal to those learners that require more than just reading text in order to learn a topic. There are a wealth of exercises at the end of each lesson that students can complete to gain competency in the chapter's concept(s).
Reviewed by Carolina Selva, Adjunct Faculty, BA and MSD, Portland Community College on 1/7/16
Extremely comprehensive. Covers all critical areas of business communication including electronic messages, team communication, presentation skills, and even "language." Learning resources such as exercises and activities are included - many of... read more
Extremely comprehensive. Covers all critical areas of business communication including electronic messages, team communication, presentation skills, and even "language." Learning resources such as exercises and activities are included - many of them quite useful and very relevant to the material.
Accurate and timely as of the date of publishing (2010). Good blend of theoretical and practical applications bolsters credibility. I found no errors or hints of bias.
Relevant in today's dynamic business environment. Many of the principles are (almost) timeless, but the book also includes chapters on newer dynamics of communication in the current climate. These chapters (specifically the last two - on intercultural communication and teamwork) may require more review/updating in coming years than much of the other material.
Clear and to the point - as business writing should be.
Very consistent tone and voice throughout.
Absolutely divisable into specific modules in order to assign at different points. I envisioned using this text in my current Business Communication course and thus assigning chapters out of order and it would work with no problems whatsoever.
Organization/structure is logical. If I were to assign chapters in sequential order, flow would be no problem here. As mentioned in the section on modularity, however, the chapters could stand on their own provided context was present.
Good interface and easy navigation. Some of the graphical elements were not as sharp as others, and some were a bit small. Overall, the book seemed text-heavy and could use visual elements (such as white space and/or more graphics/images) throughout.
No grammatical errors - good modeling of grammar usage.
No cultural insensitivities were perceived. I was impressed with the section on intercultural communication.
Reviewed by Gail Emily Fey, Ph.D., Lecturer, Eller College of Management, University of Arizona on 6/10/15
At nearly 800 pages, the text is immensely comprehensive. It includes both pre- and post-lesson exercises. Some of the exercises seem a bit “silly”; and the author seems to prefer “fives and sixes” for just about every exercise. Still, because... read more
At nearly 800 pages, the text is immensely comprehensive. It includes both pre- and post-lesson exercises. Some of the exercises seem a bit “silly”; and the author seems to prefer “fives and sixes” for just about every exercise. Still, because many options are offered, the instructor or learner would be free to find something appropropriate.
One especially interesting section was LANGUAGE. It was thorough enough to get the main points across but not SO deep as to be offputting to those not into linguistics. Language seems to be a topic that is often eliminated or minimized in other business communication texts.
The author includes references at the end of each chapter. Moreover, the author’s brief bio makes it clear that he has expertise in the subject of Speech and Communication. That ethos lends credibility to the text.
The overarching principles of business writing (clarity, knowing audience, understanding context, bottom line on top, concision) are not likely to change any time soon. The last 2 chapters (intercultural and teamwork) are especially relevant for the near future. According to the SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) “Changing demographics, relocation patterns and the globalization of business will be among the key trends influencing the workplace in the next five to 10 years.”
Fine job of clear writing. The author does a good job of modeling clear writing... necessary for business writers.
Since one individual authored the entire text, it has a consistent voice and tone.
Yes, the chapters can be individual modules for study.
However, as indicated below under my structural comments, really the modules are “Writing”, “Presentations”, and “Context”.
The structure can be thought of as comprising 3 parts: Background, Writing, Context. The author might consider 3 overarching headers under which to place the current chapter titles (e.g., “Writing” is the high-level category; then “Revising your Writing” would go under it. Similarly, “Context” would be the high-level category with “Intercultural and International” under it.).
The inclusion of “key takeaway” would be re-enforcing to students… especially those who read words but are not so good at making meaning of those words.
As much as I appreciated the Language section, its title of “Delivering your message” seems misleading. That title implies presentation/writing techniques. Why not entitle it simply “Using Language”?
No grammatical errors that this reviewer noticed.
Yes, absolutely. For the 21st century worker (in ANY discipline, but especially in business), communication is crucial. Warren Buffet stated that he thinks “The most valuable investment that you can make in yourself is to improve your ability to communicate. ‘Communication is enormously important; oral and written,’ said Buffett.” (Lukas Partners, posting on 3-2014, http://www.lukaspartners.com/communication-important-says-warren-buffett/).
One area that could be improved is that of visual design. The version I reviewed had next-to-no graphics. Quite possibly the no-graphics approach was an effort to prevent the book from becoming even longer.
Another formatting item that this reviewer found annoying was the omission of extra line space between paragraphs. I would vote for single line spacing within paragraphs and double line spacing between para’s to signal the reader a new paragraph was beginning.
Reviewed by Brandy A. Brown, Assistant Professor, University of Arizona on 6/10/15
I integrated this book as a supplement in a Psychology of Leadership course. Communication is such an essential leadership skill and myself and a fellow Associate Professor teaching this course found that student's skills in that area were... read more
I integrated this book as a supplement in a Psychology of Leadership course. Communication is such an essential leadership skill and myself and a fellow Associate Professor teaching this course found that student's skills in that area were deficient.
One of my criticisms of the majority of open texts is that they do tend to fall out of date. This text uses a very simple communication model and doesn't provide additional information or models which would apply better to virtual teams and their communication.
This text is comprehensive enough to actually be used for a full business or professional communication course - several of my students chose to explore the entire book despite only being assigned specific chapters because they found it relevant and helpful to their lives, not just to their coursework.
For the majority of my students this was appropriate for their current level of knowledge. Nothing struck me as inaccurate, there were research bases for the material, however, my criticism of a lack of additional models and examples which would better apply to current prevalent business communications is appropriate for this as well (e.g. virtual distributed teams). Those would be expected in a publisher supported text.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this text does feel slightly limited (only one model of communication) and behind the current communication trends (virtual teams). Previous reviewer, Dr. Emery, said it perfectly, '....I'd like to see a deeper grounding in persausion, organizational communication, and business discourse."
Students found the text very clear, including my Japanese native student who struggles with English quite a bit. Another student remarked that it was an enjoyable read and that they at times found it funny. Those are quite the complement for a textbook.
The book felt like it was almost two separate books put together - which is part of why it can be considered so comprehensive. There were chapters focused on descriptions and definitions and lists, but then some which were very applied and focused on specific communications. I was able to assign these together (something I will address under modularity), but the book could have a better flow and be more narrow, given the focus of the title.
As noted under consistency the text can easily be mixed together, which is very important given the differences in certain types of chapters (list/definition chapters vs. actual applied writing chapters). I chose to assign only the chapters I felt were most relevant to the topics of leadership communication, but allowed students to do the others and provided quizzes they could complete for bonus points. They loved that approach, and how well it worked speaks to the appeal and flexibility of the text.
I did not follow the organization or structure of the text as it was in any way, that was the only challenge I found with using this text. While it was 'modular' based on the definition provided here and I did like the structure and flow of individual chapters, remixing the text was difficult and required students to find their own places in a Word document or PDF version which displayed differently than mine usually. If it were to be posted on a platform that made that easier to do that would be a large improvement.
Students registered no complaints, and overall I have no major issues with it. Nothing is distracting or confusing, but I also wouldn't rate it high on engagement (visuals are different in different formats and sometimes have issues with clarity). Students (and I) appreciated the chapter structure and outlines, but again the format to interact with the text (Word or PDF unless I find my own method to host or remix it) was limiting and not necessarily ADA compliant in the current formats.
Students commented on the accessibility of the tone, and I have found no errors.
Students in my program are often multicultural, they and I had no issues with the text. However, I am always looking for more examples to help them see the differences in cultures and how to handle communication in those instances.
This textbook saved my students and I from two large issues: 1) needing to deal with a difficult enrollment and grading interface process on another website, and 2) paying for the additional materials needed in this course on top of our current required items (which I am not able to break free from currently). It reduced both friction with our course materials and my need to be technical support, while increasing engagement through allowing students choices and the ability to pursue additional knowledge on their own. That is why texts like this one matter so very much. Many of my students struggle financially, and the option to enable them to learn more without adding any financial burden is invaluable.
Reviewed by Daniel Emery, Associate Professor of Business Communication, University of Oklahoma on 1/12/15
The book is exceptionally comprehensive, comparable to other large omnibus collections for business communication. The book would be suitable for business communication courses or business and professional speaking. It's arrangement and scope of... read more
The book is exceptionally comprehensive, comparable to other large omnibus collections for business communication. The book would be suitable for business communication courses or business and professional speaking. It's arrangement and scope of coverage are comparable to the largest for profit books used in the field.
I would describe the content as accurate and a good portion of the material presented had a clear basis in writing research. I find the author's sender/message/receiver model for communication somewhat dated theoretically, but that is also my critique of most textbooks in the area. In later chapters, the book could stand more examples from professional contexts and would benefit from thorough research in the business communication literature. I wouldn't call it inaccurate, but I find it underdeveloped.
Several of the examples and allusions are recent and relevant, but the development of the content is not what I would hope for developing a state of the art introduction to the field. It's no worse than the majority of books in the area, but I wish it were better. Specifically, I think the communication generalist approach of the text makes it somewhat accessible for a wide variety of instructors, but I'd like to see a deeper grounding in persuasion, organizational communication, and business discourse.
Very clear and often clever.
I would describe the book as somewhat over broad in its lexicon. Part of the issue may be with arrangement, but the opening chapters were rife with lists and redefinition of common terms. One of the challenges of working in Communication as a field is that much of our content is taken for granted or treated as common sense. A narrower focus and an emphasis on key ideas would be very helpful. An adopter of the book might do well to adopt the elements on communication or language, but probably not both to keep the content clear.
It looks very good to me. One of the things I appreciated most was that the elements of the book I think were strongest could be realigned and revised with relative ease. The volume tries to be an "everything book" in many ways, so the opportunity to cut and remix is its most useful property. Facutly who use the giant comprehensive industry standard books end up excising a ton of content anyway.
The weakest chapters of the book were those that discussed research in business writing. I'd recommend that the aothor consult with a buisiness librarian who migh offer a more comprehensive and effective review of sources of business information. Those modules should be much stronger.
The organizational strategy makes sense, but it isn't how I might prefer the book to be laid out. The opportunity to cut material would be an advantage here.
Textually, the book is solid. I appreciate the typographic choices and the chapter outlines are very clear and straightforward. The visuals are less effective, as the are occasionally too small and somewhat unfocused. The choice to use gray text boxes or filters over sample documents was a poor one.
Unsurprisingly, it's very good. I appreciated the converstional tone.
The book makes frequent mention of inrercultural issues in business communication, which is absolutely relevant to the globalized marketplace of today's graduates. Additional examples of itnernational correspondence would be potentially invaluable, even amid the chapters on genres.
I deeply appreciate McLean's Business Communication for Success as the first truly effective and customizable open source text in our area. The coverage of the book equals or exceeds that of the majority of the books available from publishers, and the exercises and activities are appropriate to a wide variety of teaching circumstances and environments. For an instructor or program looking for a low cost option for students, the content and customizability of this book is a welcome starting point regardless of the disciplinary or curricular home of a business communication course.
About the book.
Business Communication for Success (BCS) provides a comprehensive, integrated approach to the study and application of written and oral business communication to serve both student and professor.
This series features chapters with the following elements:
Each chapter is self-contained, allowing for mix-and-match flexibility and custom or course-specific design. Each chapter focuses on clear objectives and skill demonstrations that can be easily linked to your syllabus and state or federal requirements. Supported by internal and external assessments, each chapter features time-saving and learning-enhancement support for instructors and students.
BCS is designed to help students identify important information, reinforce for retention, and demonstrate mastery with a clear outcome product.
The text has three content categories:
The first three chapters form the core foundation for the study of oral and written business communication. The next sequence of chapters focus on the process of writing, then oral performance with an emphasis on results. The final sequence focuses on contexts where business communication occurs, from interpersonal to intercultural, from groups to leadership.
In each of the process and product chapter sequences, the chapters follow a natural flow, from prewriting to revision, from preparation for a presentation to performance. Each sequence comes together in a concluding chapter that focuses on action—where we apply the skills and techniques of written or oral communication in business, from writing a letter to presenting a sales speech. These performances not only serve to reinforce real-world applications but also may serve as course assessments.
This text has been used in classes at: Ohio University, Miami University – Oxford, Kent State University – Salem Campus, Cuyahoga Community College – West, University of Toledo, Cuyahoga Community College – District, Northern Arizona University, Gateway Community College, University of Arizona, Arizona Western College, Boise State University,Western Governors University, Doane College, Mcpherson College, University of Nebraska Med Center, Suny Fredonia, State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome, Trinidad State Junior College, University of Delaware, Brenau University, Brewton-Parker College, Loras College, Kapiolani Community College, Muscatine Community College, Greenville College, University of Illinois – Chicago, Millikin University, Rockland Community College, Cornell University, National-Louis University – Lisle, St. Gregory's University, University of Southern Indiana, Missouri State University – W Plains, Bucks County Community College – Newton, Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Pulaski Technical College, Temple University, Dixie State College of Utah, Averett University, Virginia Polytech Institute, Fond Du Lac Tribal Community College, Lipscomb University, Edgewood College, University of Wisconsin – Stout, Wisconsin Lutheran College, Virginia State University, North Georgia Technical College – Blairsville, Paradise Valley Community College, Fordham University – Lincoln Center, New England College of Business/Finance, Eastern New Mexico University, University of Alabama, Albertus Magnus College, Pepperdine University, Fullerton College, Santa Ana College, Miracosta College – Oceanside, San Jose State University, De Anza College, University of The Southwest, Florida Institute of Technology, Forida State University, Dean College, California State University, University of Massachusetts, Suffolk University, Stevenson University, Worcester State College, University of Maryland, Clover Park Technical College, Minnesota State University – Moorhead, College of St. Scholastica, Ferris State University, Concordia University, Southern New Hampshire University, Lower Columbia College, University of North Carolina – Greensboro, Rockingham Community College, Stanly Community College, Wayland Baptist University, Bunker Hill Community College, Salve Regina University, University of The Incarnate Word, St. Mary's University, University of Rhode Island, Texarkana College, Renton Technical College, Tarleton State University, Wayland Baptist University – Plainview, University of Houston, Stephen F. Austin State University, Bates Technical College, Chabot College, Bakersfield College, Azusa Pacific University, University of Houston – Downtown, California Southern University, Miracosta College, American Public University, American Public University System, Huntington Junior College, Flat World Knowledge University, Jackson Senior High School, Holmes High School, Dlielc, Clintondale High School, American University in Kosovo in Conjunction with Rochester Institute of Technology, Southeast Lauderdale High School, Benedict Business Hotel Management School, University of the People, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, New England School of English, Comsats Institute of Information Technology, Wayland Baptist University – Anchorage, Volcano Vista High School, Wayland Baptist University – San Antonio, Morrill High School, North Island College – B Campus, Seneca College, APOU, University of North Carolina – Greensboro, Southern New Hampshire University, University of Maryland University College, Harrisburg High School
1. Communication is a ______________
2. Communication saves time in
3. Realizing the potential of the self is part of the
4. The term communis derived from ______________ word.
5. Posters fall under ______________ communication.
6. On the ______________ it is possible to get immediate feedback
7. A group discussion of a real life situation with in a training environment is ______________
8. The information the receiver gets is called ______________
9. Communication is the ______________ of business.
10. ______________ are welcome, for it is not obligatory to accept them.
Assignments.
The assignments in this course are openly licensed, and are available as-is, or can be modified to suit your students’ needs.
If you import this course into your learning management system (Blackboard, Canvas, etc.), the assignments will automatically be loaded into the assignment tool.
The assignments and discussion for this course align with the content and learning outcomes in each module. You can preview them below or throughout the course.
Open Pedagogy Assignments and Alignment | |
---|---|
Assignment | Module |
Module 1: Communicating in Business | |
Module 4: Research | |
Module 15: Recruiting and Selecting New Employees |
Assignments and Alignment | |
---|---|
Assignment | Module |
Module 1: Communicating in Business | |
Module 2: Writing in Business | |
Module 2: Writing in Business | |
Module 3: Written Communication | |
Module 4: Research | |
Module 5: Visual Media | |
Module 6: Reports | |
Module 8: Developing and Delivering Business Presentations | |
Module 9: Communicating Through Technology | |
Module 10: Social Media | |
Module 11: Communicating Different Messages | |
Module 12: Collaboration In And Across Teams | |
Module 13: Social Diversity in the Workplace | |
Module 14: Finding a Job | |
Module 15: Recruiting and Selecting New Employees |
The following discussion assignments will also be preloaded (into the discussion-board tool) in your learning management system if you import the course. They can be used as is, modified, or removed. You can view them below or throughout the course.
Discussion Assignments and Alignment | |
---|---|
Discussion | Module |
Module 5: Visual Media | |
Module 7: Public Speaking | |
Modules 1–15 |
NCERT Books
Business communication is a key aspect of managing the human resources of the company in the internal environment and clients and stakeholders on the external aspect. Communicating effectively across the length and breadth of the hierarchy is important for running the organization successfully. Bigger the company, the complex is the business communication across the levels.
The various directions of a company’s communication movements are:
What does this mean?
Also, check the following links:
Various reasons why Business communication is important in a business entity:
These are the business communication needs along the lines of the internal environment of a company.
Let’s discuss some points regarding the importance of business communication with respect to the external environment:
Three essential forms of business communication followed everywhere are:
The electronic or online form of communication- This form of communication is no longer of secondary priority. Most of the tech-savvy companies have adopted online form communication as primary over verbal or written. It offers various advantages, like :
There are plenty of advanced online communication platforms like Zoom or Clickmeeting which have been gradually taking over conventional forms of online communication like mail or SMS.
Verbal: While it’s the oldest form of communication, but is still a highly popular and undoubtedly a reliable form of communication for companies across industries. This includes:
While it is time-consuming and requires the physical presence of the workforce, many companies at the top level prefer this form of communication to maintain privacy and eliminate chances of digital snooping and hacking. Sensitive issues and meetings are best communicated in this form.
Written- Frequently used form of communication when concise, precision, and detail is a priority. Sales and manufacturing reports, official memos, etc., are all written on a piece of paper. This keeps the employees engaged and helps them understand better about the tasks at hand. This is still used in companies that haven’t upgraded their technological infrastructure. Many governmental organizations still resort to this type of communication across all functional levels.
What does it take to be a good business communicator at an individual level?
Business communication is not only important for the students of MBA to get placed and do well in the corporate world, but is also important for their own personality improvement and developing people skills.
B-Schools line XLRI, TISS, IIM-B offer highly concise and flagship programs to improve business communication skills of their students. Because at the end of the day, an excellent orator and communicator has the ability to become the next big business leader in the world, as evidenced by leaders like Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg
“ Communication is something so simple and difficult that we can never put it in simple words ,” says T.S. Mathews. But we do need a definition to understand the term. In his book Communication in Business, Peter Little defines communication as follows: “ Communication is the process by which information is transmitted between individuals and/or organizations so that an understanding response results. ”
complete business communication notes | |
Business Communication Text Book Pdf | |
MBA Business Communication Question Paper Pdf |
INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION
Objective: The main objective of this lesson is to make the students learn on the subject matter of business communication vis-à-vis its nature and importance. Structure: Introduction, The Concept of Communication, Significance of Communication, Nature of Business Communications: A Case Study
Effective Communication Skills
Objective: The major objective of this lesson is to create an understanding of the minds of students regarding various communication skills and also let them know the relevance of such skills. Structure: Introduction, Objective of Business Communication. Effective Communications Skills, Summary, Key Words.
PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION
Objective: The foremost objective of this lesson is to generate thoughtful ideas in the psyche of students as regards the process of communication and the sequencing of different steps that the process of communication contains. Structure: Introduction, How to Understand Communication Process, A Common Misconception, The Communication Environment, A Well Designed Communication Process, Summary, Key Words.
BARRIERS AND GATEWAYS TO COMMUNICATION
Objective: The primary objective of this lesson is to breed the attentive thoughts in the consciousness of students relating to barriers and gateways in business communication and to enable them to avoid the occurrence of such events in communication that create a communication gap. Structure: Introduction, Barriers in Communication., Gateways to Communication Barriers, Making Communication Effective, Summary, Key Words, Self Assessment Questions, Suggested Readings.
COMMERCIAL LETTERS
Objective: This lesson educates the students on how to communicate clearly and effectively through commercial letters. It explains the basic skills necessary to write various types of commercial or business letters. Structure: Introduction, Do’s and Don’t of Commercial Letter
BUSINESS REPORTS WRITING
Objective: The primary objective of this lesson is to make the students learn the basics of business reports and make them understand how effective reports are written. Structure: Introduction, Types of Business Reports, Characteristics of A Good Report, Structures of Business Reports
ORAL AND NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION
Objective: The main objective of this lesson is to make the students learn the basics of Oral and Non-verbal Communication. Structure: Introduction, Oral and Non-verbal Communication
PUBLIC SPEAKING AND PRESENTATION
Objective: The primary objective of this lesson is to make the students learn about the basics of public speaking aspects in business communication and to enable them to avoid the occurrence of such events in public speaking that do not add to the value of the speaker. Structure: Introduction, Encoding and Translating, Understanding Your Audience, Targeting Your Audience, Designing a Presentation, Preparing the Venue and Seating Arrangement, Final Point and Getting Start
COMMUNICATION: NEGOTIATIONS AND LEGAL ASPECTS
Objective: The most important objective of this lesson is to make the students learn the basics of business negotiation skills in communication along with its legal aspects. Structure: Introduction, Phases of a Negotiation, Characteristics of a Negotiation, Opening Negotiations, Legal Aspects of Communication
AGENCY CORRESPONDENCE IN BUSINESS
Objective: The objective of this lesson is to give the learners an understanding of agency correspondence, thereby enabling them to draft various agency related letters. Structure: Introduction, Essentials of Agency Correspondence, Hints for Drafting Agency-related Letters, Some Sample Letters
1. What is the best book for business communication?
Here is the list of top 5 Business Communication Textbooks for MBA students. You can refer them from the following list and utilize the book for your exam preparation.
2. Where can I get Business Communication Lecture Notes?
You can get the best MBA business communication study materials pdf download links for free of cost along with other preparation resources like question papers, syllabus from our page, or else you can visit your university official website.
3. What are the types of business communications?
The four basic types of business communication are Internal (Upward Communication), Internal (Downward Communication), Internal (Lateral Communication), and External Communication.
4. Can I Download MBA Business Communication Notes & Books in PDF Format?
Yes, you can download Business communication MBA Books & Study Materials in Pdf format form our site. Here, we have provided all MBA lecture notes in pdf download for easy access to students along with some additional resources like subject experts recommended books for scoring better marks in the exam.
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Unit-1 introduction 7 hours.
Introduction:
Meaning & Definition, Role, Classification, Purpose of communication, Communication Process, Characteristics of successful communication, Importance of communication in management, Communication structure in organization, Communication in conflict resolution, Communication in crisis. Communication and negotiation, Communication in a cross-cultural setting, Barriers to communication.
Oral Communication:
Meaning, Principles of successful oral communication, Barriers to oral communication, Conversation control, Reflection and Empathy: two sides of effective oral communication. Modes of Oral Communication, Effectiveness of oral communication. Listening as a Communication Skill: Approaches to listening, how to be a better listener, Process of listening, Nonverbal communication: Meaning, classification.
Written Communication:
Purpose of writing, Clarity in writing, Principles of effective writing, Approaching the writing process systematically: The 3X3 writing process for business communication Pre writing, Writing, Revising. Audience analysis, Writing Positive, Neutral, Persuasive and Bad-news Messages.
Types of Written Communication In Business:
Business Letters: Introduction To Business Letters, Types of Business Letters, Writing Routine And Persuasive Letters, Positive And Negative Messages Writing, Employee Reviews, Recommendation Letters, Thank You Letters.
Business Reports:
Purpose, Kinds and Objectives of reports , Organization & Preparing reports, short and long reports Writing Proposals: Structure & preparation , Writing memos, Media Management: The press release, Press conference, Media interviews.
Group Communication:
Meetings, Planning meetings, objectives , participants , timing , venue of meetings.
Meeting Documentation:
Notice, Agenda and Resolution & Minutes.
Case method of learning:
Understanding the case method of learning , different types of cases , overcoming the difficulties of the case method , reading a case properly , case analysis approaches , analyzing the case , dos and don‘ts for case preparation.
Employment Communication:
Introduction, Writing CVs, Group discussion, Interview skills.
Impact of Technological Advancement on Business Communication
Technology-enabled Communication-Communication networks, Intranet, Internet, E-Mails, SMS, teleconferencing, videoconferencing.
Presentation and Negotiation skills: Presentation:
What is a presentation, Elements of presentation, Designing & Delivering Business Presentations, Advanced Visual Support for managers.
Negotiation skills:
Definition of negotiation, Nature and need for negotiation, Factors affecting negotiation, Stages of negotiation process, Negotiation strategies.
Etiquette Advantage in Managerial Communication:
Meaning, types and advantages of Etiquette.
Assessment Details (both CIE and SEE)
Continuous Internal Evaluation:
a) Tests (for 25Marks) and
b) Assignments, presentations, Quiz, Simulation, Experimentation, Mini project, oral examination, field work and class participation etc., (for 25 Marks) conducted in the respective course. Course instructors are given autonomy in choosing a few of the above based on the subject relevance and should maintain necessary supporting documents for same.
Semester End Examination:
The SEE question paper will be set for 100 marks and the marks scored will be proportionately reduced to 50.
Suggested Learning Resources: Books
1. Business Communication: Concepts, Cases and Applications- Chaturvedi P. D, & Mukesh Chaturvedi, 4/e, Pearson Education, 2020.
2. Communicating in Business: Ober and Newman, Cengage learning, 8th Edition, 2018.
3. Business Communication: Process and Product, Mary Ellen Guffey, 3/e, Cengage Learning, 2002.
4. Business and Professional Communication: Kelly M, Quintanilla, Shawn T and Wahl, SAGE South Asia Edition, 2017.
5. Business Communication: Lesikar, Flatley, Rentz & Pande, 12/e, TMH, 2014.
6. Communicating in Business: Williams, Krizan, Logan and Merrier, Cengage Learning, 8/e, 2017.
7. Contemporary Business Communication - Scot Ober-Biztanntra, 5/e, 2015.
8. Advanced Business Communication, Penrose, Rasberry, Myers, 5/e, Cengage Learning, 2004.
Skill Development Activities Suggested
Course outcomes
At the end of the course the student will be able to :
CO1 The students will be aware of their communication skills and know their potential to become successful managers. L1
CO2 The students will get enabled with the mechanics of writing and can compose the business letters in English precisely and effectively. L3
CO3 The students will be introduced to the managerial communication practices in business those are in vogue. L2
CO4 Students will get trained in the art of drafting business proposals and business communication with emphasis on analyzing business situations. L4
Download MBA Business Communication Lecture notes pdf . The Students can Download MBA 1st sem Study Materials & Books which are available below in Download Links. Here We Provide the MBA Business Communication Lecture Notes, Study Materials & Books. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business such as accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, operations, and statistics, and many. You can easily adapt the Lecture Notes ( MBA బిజినెస్ కమ్యూనికేషన్ లెక్చర్ ), Study Materials (SLM) , and Books to take full advantage of the complete material we offer in Below Links.
Also, Read The Following Links:
“ Communication is something so simple and difficult that we can never put it in simple words ,” says T.S. Mathews. But we do need a definition to understand the term. In his book Communication in Business, Peter Little defines communication as follows: “ Communication is the process by which information is transmitted between individuals and/or organizations so that an understanding response results. ”
complete business communication notes | |
Business Communication Text Book Pdf | |
MBA Business Communication Question Paper Pdf |
INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION Objective: The main objective of this lesson is to make the students learn on the subject matter of business communication vis-à-vis its nature and importance. Structure: Introduction, The Concept of Communication, Significance of Communication, Nature of Business Communications: A Case Study
Effective Communication Skills Objective: The major objective of this lesson is to create an understanding of the minds of students regarding various communication skills and also let them know the relevance of such skills. Structure: Introduction, Objective of Business Communication. Effective Communications Skills, Summary, Key Words.
PROCESS OF COMMUNICATION Objective: The foremost objective of this lesson is to generate thoughtful ideas in the psyche of students as regards the process of communication and the sequencing of different steps that the process of communication contains. Structure: Introduction, How to Understand Communication Process, A Common Misconception, The Communication Environment, A Well Designed Communication Process, Summary, Key Words.
BARRIERS AND GATEWAYS TO COMMUNICATION Objective: The primary objective of this lesson is to breed the attentive thoughts in the consciousness of students relating to barriers and gateways in business communication and to enable them to avoid the occurrence of such events in communication that create a communication gap. Structure: Introduction, Barriers in Communication., Gateways to Communication Barriers, Making Communication Effective, Summary, Key Words, Self Assessment Questions, Suggested Readings.
COMMERCIAL LETTERS Objective: This lesson educates the students on how to communicate clearly and effectively through commercial letters. It explains the basic skills necessary to write various types of commercial or business letters. Structure: Introduction, Do’s and Don’t of Commercial Letter
BUSINESS REPORTS WRITING Objective: The primary objective of this lesson is to make the students learn the basics of business reports and make them understand how effective reports are written. Structure: Introduction, Types of Business Reports, Characteristics of A Good Report, Structures of Business Reports
ORAL AND NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION Objective: The main objective of this lesson is to make the students learn the basics of Oral and Non-verbal Communication. Structure: Introduction, Oral and Non-verbal Communication
PUBLIC SPEAKING AND PRESENTATION Objective: The primary objective of this lesson is to make the students learn about the basics of public speaking aspects in business communication and to enable them to avoid the occurrence of such events in public speaking that do not add to the value of the speaker. Structure: Introduction, Encoding and Translating, Understanding Your Audience, Targeting Your Audience, Designing a Presentation, Preparing the Venue and Seating Arrangement, Final Point and Getting Start
COMMUNICATION: NEGOTIATIONS AND LEGAL ASPECTS Objective: The most important objective of this lesson is to make the students learn the basics of business negotiation skills in communication along with its legal aspects. Structure: Introduction, Phases of a Negotiation, Characteristics of a Negotiation, Opening Negotiations, Legal Aspects of Communication
AGENCY CORRESPONDENCE IN BUSINESS Objective: The objective of this lesson is to give the learners an understanding of agency correspondence, thereby enabling them to draft various agency related letters. Structure: Introduction, Essentials of Agency Correspondence, Hints for Drafting Agency-related Letters, Some Sample Letters
We have Provide the MBA Business Communication complete notes pdf – Download MBA 1st sem Self Learning Materials & Books . Any University student can download given MBA Business Communication Notes and Study material or you can buy MBA 1st Semester Business Communication Books at Amazon also. Share this article with other Students of MBA who are searching for MBA Business Communication Notes & Books. For more information about Business Communication, visit our website and you can clarify your doubts via comment box.
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Authors: Melissa Ashman; Arley Cruthers; Sarah Duncan; John Grant; Karen Inkster Vance; and Panteli Tritchew
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Book Description: Student Engagement Activities for Business Communications is a compilation resource for instructors of workplace writing and oral presentations. The activities in this book can add value and energy to the classroom by engaging students in activities that support their learning. Handouts, links, activity variations, and debrief questions are included.
Book description.
Student Engagement Activities for Business Communications is a compilation resource for instructors of workplace writing and oral presentations. The activities in this book can add value and energy to the classroom by engaging students in activities that support their learning. Handouts, links, activity variations, and debrief questions are included.
This book is a cloned version of Student Engagement Activities for Business Communications by Melissa Ashman, Arley Cruthers, Sarah Duncan, Karen Inkster Vance, and Panteli Tritchew, published using Pressbooks under a CC BY-NC-SA (Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike) license. It may differ from the original.
Student Engagement Activities for Business Communications Copyright © 2020 by Melissa Ashman; Arley Cruthers; Sarah Duncan; John Grant; Karen Inkster Vance; and Panteli Tritchew is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.
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In 2022, the average cost of a top MBA program was $189,000, according to BusinessBecause. But as a more niche program, the MBA in Business Communication is typically offered by smaller, specialist business schools who demand cheaper fees. Enrolling in the communications MBA program at EU Business School will cost you around $7,400 (€6,950 ...
We provide complete Business communication notes. Business communication study material includes business communication notes, business communication book, courses, case study, syllabus, question paper, MCQ, questions and answers and available in business communication pdf form. Business Communication subject is included in B.COM, BBA, MBA so ...
MB0039 Business Communication Assignment- Semester 1 - Free download as Word Doc (.doc / .docx), PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. The document is a student assignment for an MBA course on business communication. It includes responses to two questions about communication types and principles of business writing. For question one, the student describes different types ...
Xia Jiang. stern.nyu.edu Phone: (914) 268-1845Effective communication remains a vital component. f so many aspects of business life. From investment banking to marketing, from entrepreneurship to corporate planning, understanding the techniques of business communication will form an invaluable addi.
MCOM-GB.2105, 1.5 credits. Required for part-time MBA (Langone Program) students. Persuasive communication is a vital component to many aspects of business life. This course introduces the basics of communication strategy and persuasion: audience analysis, communicator credibility, and message construction and delivery.
About the Book. Business Communication for Success (BCS) provides a comprehensive, integrated approach to the study and application of written and oral business communication to serve both student and professor. This series features chapters with the following elements: Learning Objectives. Introductory Exercises.
Multiple choice Questions on Business Communication. Practice for BBA or MBA exams using these MCQ. Page 1. MBA MCQ.com Search. ... Business Communication. 1. Communication is a _____ one way process. two way process. three way process. four way process. View answer. Correct answer: (B)
5. "In business communication courtesy and clarity are as important as conciseness and completeness". Discuss. 6. "A good system of communication makes use of both oral as well as written messages". Explain. 7. Explain the objectives of communication in business. 8. What are the skills involved in effective writing? 9. Differentiate ...
MBA Assignment - Business Communication - Free download as Word Doc (.doc / .docx), PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. 1. Effective communication in the workplace is important for several reasons such as greater awareness of organizational goals, better employer-employee relationships, improved problem solving, and improved employee performance.
Put your first and last name and the assignment title in the subject line. For example: Maria Ruiz Assignment 1. Your message should address the following: Reasons for taking this class. Your career goals (short term/long term) Familiarity with computer technology. A brief discussion of how you view your current communication skill levels.
The assignments in this course are openly licensed, and are available as-is, or can be modified to suit your students' needs. If you import this course into your learning management system (Blackboard, Canvas, etc.), the assignments will automatically be loaded into the assignment tool.
Participants in a communication 'process' have to 'understand' and 'exchange,' 'meaning,' or information. 5. Explain the process of communication. Answer: The most promising explanation for the process of communication could be evident in the outline of the important components of the process.
Here is the list of top 5 Business Communication Textbooks for MBA students. You can refer them from the following list and utilize the book for your exam preparation. Sharma, R. C., Business Communication, and Report Writing. Varinder Kumar, Raj Bodh, Business Communication, Kalyani Publishers, New Delhi, 2001.
1 thought on "MBA Business Communication Assignment Help". Business Communication Business communication is the way toward dividing data among people inside and outside an organization. Successful business communication is the way employees and the executive's interface to reach at organizational objectives.
Unit-3 Written Communication 9 hours. Written Communication: Purpose of writing, Clarity in writing, Principles of effective writing, Approaching the writing process systematically: The 3X3 writing process for business communication Pre writing, Writing, Revising. Audience analysis, Writing Positive, Neutral, Persuasive and Bad-news Messages.
The MBA Business Communication Waiver Exam is a case-based test, which involves writing in response to a particular management situation or specific audience that reflects the kind of on-the-job writing that Ross MBAs will encounter in the workplace. The GMAT Analytical Writing Assessment is an essay writing test, which assesses academic ...
The Students can Download MBA 1st sem Study Materials & Books which are available below in Download Links. Here We Provide the MBA Business Communication Lecture Notes, Study Materials & Books. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business such as accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, operations, and statistics ...
Book Description. Student Engagement Activities for Business Communications is a compilation resource for instructors of workplace writing and oral presentations. The activities in this book can add value and energy to the classroom by engaging students in activities that support their learning. Handouts, links, activity variations, and debrief ...
Syllabus: Business Communication BA 303 02W Spring 2013 Instructor: Mrs. Skjoldager, MBA, MS (pronounced 'Skoal + day +grr") Communication: This is a Business Communication course so communication is very important. Please contact me for any questions that you might have. Email and text are the best methods for reaching me.
Hello Visitors, this is my little effort to help the #NMIMS MBA students. Here I have shared the references to help you guys get a pathway of the answers for...