HOLMES INSTITUTE FACULTY OF HIGHER EDUCATION In association with HOLMES INSTITUTE FACULTY OF HIGHER EDUCATION UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM SUBJECT OUTLINE HC1021 INTERPERSONAL AND E-COMMUNICATION TRIMESTER 1 / 2017 Holmes Institute is committed to providing the highest quality education in a dynamic, student-centred learning environment. Holmes Institute fosters in its students rational thought, intellectual integrity and social responsibility. www.holmes.edu.auHC1021 Interpersonal and E-Communication T1 2017 FACULTY OF HIGHER EDUCATION HC1021 Interpersonal and E-Communication T1 2017 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Holmes Institute Faculty of Higher Education offers business courses that combine discipline-based excellence with practical application. The faculty operates on campuses in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Hong Kong. The faculty offers a Bachelor of Business, a Bachelor of Professional Accounting, a Master of Professional Accounting, a Master of Business Administration and a Graduate Diploma in Business. Details about the members of the faculty can be found on the homepage of the Faculty of Higher Education at www.holmes.edu.au/undergraduate. HOLMES INSTITUTE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS At Holmes Institute, the Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Professional Accounting programs offer domestic and international students the opportunity to study a set of contemporary subjects in the field of business. These subjects prepare students for the challenges in business environments of the 21st century. These programs emphasize the global and cross-cultural dimensions of business. Teaching utilizes a combination of delivery methods and includes critical analysis and case study methods. A combination of exams, case studies and company analysis are used in assessment. The Bachelors’ programs of Holmes Institute focus on: Developing career related capabilities • Emphasis on business numeracy and literacy • Managerial proficiency • The new economy • Leadership • Entrepreneurship • Social responsibility and ethics SUBJECT OVERVIEW & RATIONALE Welcome from the Subject Coordinator Communication is an essential component of any successful enterprise. In an increasingly socially complex business world, effective communication is the key to successful interaction between managers and employees internal to the organisation, and customers and other parties, external to the organisation, and can often lead to a source of competitive advantage. The aim of HC1021 is critical in the development of interpersonal competencies that are relevant in business environments that are increasingly dependent on information and communication technology. Interpersonal and Electronic Communications develops the critical skills of verbal and non-verbal communication, active listening and presentation delivery, and business writing. Furthermore, the subject explores the protocols and ethical issues surrounding the use of technology for business communication. SUBJECT OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES On successful completion of this subject, you should be able to:HC1021 Interpersonal and E-Communication T1 2017 • Write business reports, design and deliver presentations. • Communicate effectively using electronic mediums. • Appreciate ethical issues involved in business communication. • Apply different styles of communication as appropriated for different audience. • Appreciate differences in cultural diversity and their impact on communication in the workplace Learning Outcomes: Knowledge: 1. Students will be able to, appraise and evaluate theoretical and practical knowledge of Communication in an international context Skill: 2. Students will be able to, analyze communication problems in an organization in order to develop a communication strategy. Application: 3. Students will be able to, apply theoretical and practical knowledge of Communication to formulate effective communication strategies. 4. Students will demonstrate research skills, showing initiative in consulting the academic literature and integrating fresh ideas into the discourse in preparation for life-long learning 5. Students will demonstrate the capacity to write persuasive reports containing sound recommendations, in preparation for their career in business. SUBJECT ADMINISTRATION Awards Duration Core/Elective Subject weight BBus, BPA, BFB 1 semester Core 3 credit points Mode of delivery On campus Prerequisites Nil Workload Students are expected to attend all classes Delivery 2 hrs of lectures and 1 hr tutorial or equivalent Independent study 5 hrs CONTACT DETAILS Subject Coordinator Lecturer Brisbane Campus Seyi Lagoke Erika Belochova [email protected] [email protected] Lecturer Melbourne Campus Sunny Vinnakota [email protected] Lecturer Sydney Campus Stephen Akpa Wijasena Setiawan [email protected] [email protected] Interpersonal and E-Communication T1 2017 Students please note: Holmes Institute provides each student with a Holmes webmail. Faculty and Administrative staff can only communicate with you using your Holmes Institute mail address. Emails from private and/or business email accounts cannot be used and may not be answered. CONSULTATION TIMES* Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Sydney Campus Melbourne Campus Brisbane Campus *To be confirmed with Lecturer STUDENT ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT TYPE DUE DATE WEIGHT LEARNING OUTCOMES Individual Essay Week 6 20% 1, 4, 5 Group Assignment & Presentation Week 11 30% 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 End of Teaching Period Exam Exam week 50% 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 ASSESSMENT POLICY To be eligible to pass this subject, students must complete all forms of assessment and demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes. All assignments must be submitted electronically using a word processor, uploaded to Blackboard via SafeAssign. Hard copies are no longer accepted. The assignment cover sheet must include the student/s name, number, subject code and subject name, subject lecturer’s name, assignment due date and time of submission. All hard copies must be submitted to the designated Assignment Submission Facility on Campus during opening hours. Submission deadlines are strictly enforced and late submission incurs penalties of 5 (five) % of the assessment value per calendar day unless an extension and/or special consideration has been granted by the Subject Coordinator prior to the assessment deadline. Unless an extension and/or special consideration has been granted by the Subject Coordinator prior to the assessment deadline, no assessments are accepted after 14 calendar days of the due date or the end of the trimester for assessments due later in a trimester. Students are requested to familiarize themselves with the Holmes Institute Assessment Policy located on the Blackboard Student Subject: HE-General Study Information (HGEN_HE) > General Information > Policies and Procedures > Holmes Institute Student Assessment Policy v1.pdf. STANDARD GRADING SYSTEM AND DISTRIBUTIONHC1021 Interpersonal and E-Communication T1 2017 GRADE LETTER RANGE High Distinction HD 80% and above Distinction D 70 – 79% Credit CR 60 – 69% Pass P 50 – 59% Fail NN 0-45% (did not meet the standard required according to the learning outcomes in the Subject Guide ) Faculty Pass* FP 46 – 49% (awarded by Board of Examiners) Supplementary Exam Granted (a temporary grade) NS Supplementary examination granted Deferred Exam (a temporary grade) ND Officially Deferred examination Fail NA Student did not submit any work according to the schedule in the Subject Guide Result Withheld RW Additional assessment and/or work required Result Withheld WH Outstanding fees or non-return of Holmes Institute materials * This grade is sometimes referred to as a conceded pass at other institutions Explanation of Letter Grade HD Outstanding work which exhibits sophisticated understanding and critical synthesis, analysis and evaluation of the subject matter. While the work utilizes opinions of others, judgements about the value of the subject matter are made and drawn together in an organized whole. Gaps in the subject matter might also be identified and the implications discussed. D Substantial work of high quality, which demonstrates a clear understanding of the subject matter, in which the relationship between the constituent elements are identified clearly and discussed with some level of critical analysis. The work also applies abstract ideas in concrete situations. CR Sound and competent work, which demonstrates a reasonable but not complete grasp of the subject matter. The work utilizes recall and paraphrases the work of others concerning the subject matter. Some basic level of critical analysis is evident. Originality in the work is rarely evident. P Work that demonstrates a satisfactory engagement with the subject matter such that the student is said to have a general understanding of the field. Provides an adequate basis for further study. NN Did not meet the learning objective of the subject VIEWING STUDENT GRADES Results including the final grade can be viewed via the Grade Centre on Blackboard. Results for all assessments are published within two weeks of the due date of the assessment and the final examination. Students who wish to appeal their mark for a specific assessment are advised to follow the procedures outlined at www.holmes.edu.au /undergraduate/appeals.HC1021 Interpersonal and E-Communication T1 2017 PLAGIARISM AND ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT Holmes Institute view any forms of academic misconduct as most serious offences. Academic misconduct in any form during an examination is not tolerated and will be dealt with according to the policies and procedures set out in the Holmes Institute Student Handbook (located on Blackboard in the Student General information Subject: HE-General Study Information (HGEN_HE) > General Information > Student Handbook 2013.pdf). Plagiarism occurs when one uses another person’s ideas or manner of expressing them and passes them off as one’s own work by failing to give appropriate acknowledgement (that is, referencing the source). Any instances of plagiarism will be dealt with promptly). It is important that student reference their work appropriately. The Faculty of Higher Education at Holmes Institute uses the Harvard style of referencing. A detailed guide to referencing can be found in the Student Handbook and Resource Centres. It is expected that you will be familiar with the Harvard style of referencing. USE OF BLACKBOARD Holmes Institute uses Blackboard as its online teaching platform and all students enrolled have access to Blackboard to view and download their lecture material, grades, important announcements on their subjects and discussion rooms for selected subjects. Please note that it is the student’s responsibility to check Blackboard on a regular basis. It is expected that students will have viewed lecture materials and additional readings before class. All students are advised to familiarize themselves with the use of Blackboard. Guides to Blackboard are available in the Resource Centre on each campus. Should you have difficulties accessing and/or using Blackboard, please contact your lecturer or the Holmes Institute Blackboard Helpdesk on: [email protected]. USE OF RESOURCE CENTER AND PROQUEST Holmes Institute uses Blackboard as its online teaching platform and all students enrolled have access to Blackboard to view and download their lecture material, grades, important announcements on their subjects and discussion rooms for selected subjects. Please note that it is the student’s responsibility to check Blackboard on a regular basis. It is expected that students will have viewed lecture materials and additional readings before class. All students are advised to familiarize themselves with the use of Blackboard. Guides to Blackboard are available in the Resource Centre on each campus. Should you have difficulties accessing and/or using Blackboard, please contact your lecturer or the Holmes Institute Blackboard Helpdesk on: [email protected]. STUDY SKILLS & ACADEMIC SUPPORT Students who have difficulties with their studies and/or specific forms of assessment should contact their lecturer/tutor or Higher Education Coordinator on their campus. Holmes Institute also offers regular Academic Support, which is free for any student enrolled. Students with insufficient academic progress are required to attend regular Academic Support sessions. Academic Support sessions are timetabled each trimester. For more details see http://www.holmes.edu.au/undergraduate/Information.HC1021 Interpersonal and E-Communication T1 2017 DETAILED INFORMATION ON SUBJECT ASSESSMENTS Item Due date Weighting Length Individual Assignment - Essay Writing Background Information Communication is an integral part of business conduct as it allows all stakeholders to understand what the business is about. Internally, people need to understand how they fit in and what is expected of them. Whilst externally, it helps to educate people on how the business (or products/services) may fit into their life. This assignment You are required to write an essay on: “Contemporary issues in professional business communication.” Research, discuss and explain the fundamental opportunities and challenges that this creates for modern businesses. For the purposes of this assignment you should also choose one core business as a case study and provide relevant examples to support your thinking and analysis. Maximum length 2500 words. Guidance This assignment has been designed to assess your academic writing, therefore you should focus on essay writing. Research will be required on this assignment, and it is important to demonstrate the ability to reference (Harvard Reference system) where information sources have been used. To achieve higher grades, you will have to demonstrate the ability to use compelling arguments whilst making the reading both visually pleasing and interesting. Other You should get to the point and avoid wordy repetitions (i.e. be succinct and clear). Any source references used in the essay must be appropriately referenced (Harvard system). However, try to avoid copying or stringing together lengthy quotes leaving little said in your own words. Finally it is extremely important that you are familiar with the institution’s policy on plagiarism that is included in the unit outline. Assessment Guidelines • Quality of Written Communication (4 marks) (Clear, Logical, Concise) • Quality of Content (4 marks) (Demonstration of topic depth and knowledge) • Use of Relevant Research, Theory and Content (4 marks) • Format – Presentation, Spelling, Grammar, Layout (4 marks) • Appropriate Referencing (4 marks) Week 6 5pm Friday 20% Max 3 pages 1500 wordsHC1021 Interpersonal and E-Communication T1 2017 Item Due date Weighting Length Group Assignment: In groups of 4 students must: • Select an international business or company and write a formal business report on the organisation’s “Communication and E-Communication” strategies. • The nominated company must be approved by your lecturer. Each group must do their report on a different company. This will be approved on a ‘first-come first-serve’ basis. • You will be required to perform academic research on the nominated company to identify and assess the effectiveness of its current “Communication and ECommunication” strategies. Therefore your business report must include the following sections: o Title Page o Executive Summary o Brief Introduction and Background o Section 1: Synopsis of the key non-electronic communication methods and practices that the company uses to engage customers, suppliers, staff members and the public. o Section 2: Overview of the key electronic media and communication strategies used by the company, including websites, social media and electronic platforms. o Section 3: Perform a SWOT Analysis on the company’s overall communication methods and practices, and describe your findings. o Section 4: Assess and compare the communication practices of the company’s 2 main competitors o Section 5: Provide an assessment of your suggestions and recommendations for how the company can improve its communication o Conclusion o Reference List (10 – 15 references) o Appendix (if required) Further details will be made available on Blackboard. Week 11 5pm Friday 20% 2500 words Group Presentation Group presentation on the report. Presentation to be maximum of 10 minutes long and also the include use of PowerPoint slides. . Week 11 Class time 10%HC1021 Interpersonal and E-Communication T1 2017 Final Examination Exam week 50% 2Hrs, 10 mins SUBJECT RESOURCES Prescribed Textbook (compulsory) Lehman, Carol M. ,BCOM, 7th Edition 2016, Cengage Publishing, ISBN: 9781285094243 Recommended Reading Eunson, B., Communication in 21st century (C21), 3rd Edition 2012, Milton, John Wiley & Sons Recommended Website Resources 1. ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS • Association for Business Communication http://www.businesscommunication.org • International Association of Business Communicators http://www.iabc.com • Professional Communication Society http://ewh.ieee.org/soc/pcs 2. PUBLICATIONS (Journals & Magazines) • International Journal of Business Communication http://www.sagepub.com/journal.aspx?pid=9888 • Business Communication Quarterly http://www.businesscommunication.org/.../business-communication-quarterly/ • Communication World http://www.iabc.com/cw/ • Career Journal http://www.careerjournal.com • Journal of Business Ethics http://www.springer.com/social+sciences/applied+ethics/journal/10551 3. REFERENCING • Holmes Institute Guide to Harvard Referencing and Citation Refer Holmes Institute Blackboard Portal – HGEN Student Resources Section • Harvard Citation and Referencing – Monash University http://www.guides.lib.monash.edu/citing-referencing/harvard • Harvard Referencing Generator http://www.harvardgenerator.comHC1021 Interpersonal and E-Communication T1 2017 LECTURE SCHEDULE/SYLLABUS Wk Topics scheduled Assessment Tutorial Activities Chapters 1 Introduction to Interpersonal and E-Communication No Tutorial 1 & 2 2 Culture and Communication TBA 2 3 Communicating Electronically TBA 5 4 Communication and Ethics TBA Additional Readings 5 Referencing TBA Additional Readings 6 Team Communication Individual Essay Due TBA 2 7 Approaches to Writing TBA 3 & 4 8 Report Writing TBA 9 & 11 9 Presenting Your Message TBA 12 10 Oral Presentation Skills TBA 12 11 Group Presentations Group Presentations & Assignment Due - - 12 Revision - Study week* Exam week* * Note: Students must consult the Academic Calendar and Blackboard for the dates of the Study and Examination Week. STUDENT ASSISTANCE Studying in higher education presents many experiences and challenges. These might involve academic, personal and/or professional issues. At Holmes Institute, we have a range of people who can help you with various challenges. The following table identifies contact points should you require any support. SUPPORT REQUIRED WHO TO CONTACT Information for Current Students Holmes Institute Student Handbook: Academic Probation / Mentoring Academic Mentors, Associate Dean Accommodation Holmes Institute Home Stay Computers, Blackboard, Email IT and Blackboard Help Desk emails: [email protected]; [email protected] Interpersonal and E-Communication T1 2017 Disability Needs Holmes Institute Campus Directors Employment and Careers Career Development Team Enrolment Higher Education Coordinator Exams Higher Education Coordinator Financial Issues Holmes Institute Campus Directors Personal Issues National Higher Education Program Manager, Mentoring Team Proquest Database Librarian on each Campus Study Skills Holmes Institute Academic Support & Study Skills Team Visa Issues, COEs etc. Higher Education Coordinator This subject outline was prepared by the Course Development Team for the Undergraduate Programs, Faculty of Higher Education, Holmes Institute. It was correct at the time of publication. Change to the Subject Outline may occur at any time. However, the Faculty of Higher Education endeavours to inform the students accordingly. This publication is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism, or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process or placed in computer memory without written permission. Enquires should be made to Holmes Institute Faculty of Higher Education. © Copyright 2013.HC1021 Interpersonal and E-Communication T1 2017 GLOSSARY OF DIRECTION WORDS FOR ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS Analyse Show the nature of something identifying the essential elements and g how they are related. Argue Present the case for and/or against a particular proposition. Compare Identify the characteristics/qualities that resemble each other. Look for similarities but also differences. Contrast Emphasize differences between things, events, problems, or qualities. Criticise Express your judgement about the truth of factors or views mentioned. Come to conclusions and discuss the positive points as well as possible limitations. Define Give clear and concise meanings of an item. Do not provide a detailed explanation but include limits of the definition and how the item defined differs from other items. Describe Recount, characterise, outline, and relate in sequence. Discuss Examine, analyse and give reasons for and against. Be comprehensive in your answer and give details, usually to assess how satisfactory something is. Evaluate Carefully appraise in relation to some standard including advantages, limitations, the costs and benefits as appropriate; attempt to make a judgement. Examine Investigate critically, appraise a subject or matter in detail. Explain Clarify, interpret, and elaborate on the material presented. Give reasons for differences of opinion or results, and try to analyse reasons behind it. Illustrate Use a concrete example, diagram, or figure to explain or clarify a problem or issue. Indicate Identify and then focus attention so as to clarify. Justify Prove or give reasons for particular conclusions or decisions. Outline Present the main features or aspects showing main points and subordinate points. Do not include minor details and emphasize the classification of things.HC1021 Interpersonal and E-Communication T1 2017 Review Examine a subject critically, analysing and commenting on important or controversial statements. State Present the main points in a brief and clear sequence. Do not give specific details or examples. Summarise Give the main points or facts in a condensed, concise form. (Source: Adapted from Monash University, http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/quickrefs/29-direction-words.xml, accessed 14 February 2013)