Writing Skills For the Traditional MBA

Dr. Creed Greer

Office: 412 Rolfs Hall

Office Hours: By Appointment

Office Phone #: 392-5421

Web syllabus:

"Brevity is the soul of wit." -- Shakespeare (Hamlet II,ii)

"Buy it low, stack it high, sell it cheap." --Sam Walton

Course Description

As part of the curriculum of the Traditional MBA program, Writing Skills is designed as a refresher of the essential components of effective business communication. We will address stylistic concerns, such as clarity and simplicity, as well as the broader concerns of analysis and persuasion. This is a “self-help” type of course in that it seeks to develop the special skills of the individual student, while ferreting out idiosyncratic glitches that can be found in the writing of even the most seasoned professionals. The guiding principle of the course is that, even if you write adequately now, developing truly effective writing skills can give you the edge in business that will make your opinions heard, clinch that promotion, or nail down that ideal job.

Course Requirements

To pass Writing Skills, you must complete all required course work. You will write or revise business communications of at least four types: an executive summary, an analytical report, a memorandum, and a letter of application. Regular in-class work in small teams will contribute to your grade.

Class participation is also a significant part of this course. It includes your asking questions in class about readings, answering questions, offering suggestions, and improvement on papers. In-class work must be completed in class on the day assigned and may not be made up. Out-of-class work must be typed in the appropriate professional business format; it is due at the beginning of class and will not be accepted late.

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, you will be able to

  • Write more effectively and efficiently for a variety of purposes and audiences
  • Structure your sentences, paragraphs, and documents for maximum impact on the reader
  • Deploy persuasive and analytical writing techniques that will strengthen the effects of your documents
  • Improve the logic, clarity, and cohesion of your drafts, using editing and revising techniques presented in class
Grading

The evaluation of written work will be thorough and rigorous, holding students to the highest professional standards. Students will be allowed to revise and resubmit work that is not passing quality. We will use a 1000-point system, the points of which will be distributed as follows:

100 Executive Summary

400 Analytical Report

200 Memorandum

200 Letter of Application

100 Class Participation and In-Class Work

Attendance is, of course, required and is a substantial portion of the participation grade.

Special Accommodations

Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation.

University’s Honesty Policy Regarding Cheating and Use of Copyrighted Materials
Academic Honesty Guidelines

The academic community of students and faculty at the University of Florida strives to develop, sustain and protect an environment of honesty, trust and respect. Students are expected to pursue knowledge with integrity. Exhibiting honesty in academic pursuits and reporting violations of the Academic Honesty Guidelines will encourage others to act with integrity. Violations of the Academic Honesty Guidelines shall result in judicial action and a student being subject to the sanctions in paragraph XI of the Student Conduct Code. The conduct set forth hereinafter constitutes a violation of the Academic Honesty Guidelines (University of Florida Rule 6C1-4.017).

Cheating. The improper taking or tendering of any information or material which shall be used to determine academic credit. Taking of information includes, but is not limited to, copying graded homework assignments from another student; working together with another individual(s) on a take-home test or homework when not specifically permitted by the teacher; looking or attempting to look at another student's paper during an examination; looking or attempting to look at text or notes during an examination when not permitted. The tendering of information includes, but is not limited to, giving of your work to another student to be used or copied; giving someone answers to exam questions either when the exam is being given or after taking an exam; giving or selling a term paper or other written materials to another student; sharing information on a graded assignment.

Plagiarism. The attempt to represent the work of another as the product of one's own thought, whether the work is published or unpublished, or simply the work of a fellow student. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, quoting oral or written materials without citation on an exam, term paper, homework, or other written materials or oral presentations for an academic requirement; submitting a paper which was purchased from a term paper service as your own work; submitting anyone else's paper as your own work.

Schedule of Classes and Assignments

Week 1 (October 28)

Introduction: The Importance of Communication Skills for Business Administration

The Business Style: Clarity, Simplicity, Brevity

Assignment: Write an Executive Summary

Week 2 (November 4)

Due: Executive Summary and Peer Review

Argumentation

Feasibility Reports

Introducing the Problem

A Word about Form

Assignment: Write the Introduction of your Feasibility Report

Week 3 (Holiday--Classes Suspended)

Due (Wednesday, November 10): Introduction of the Feasibility Report

Week 4 (November 18)

Report and Paragraph Coherence

Analysis and Recommendations

Assignment: Write the Analysis and Recommendations of your Feasibility Report

Week 5 (Holiday--Classes Suspended)

Due (Friday, November 24): Analysis and Recommendations of the Feasibility Report

Assignment: Bring to the next session your résumé and a job advertisement.

Week 6 (December 2)

Due: Complete Feasibility Report

Emailing: Clarity and Diplomacy in the Same Paragraph

The Perfect Résumé

Writing the Letter of Application to Sell Yourself

Workshop: Write your letter of application in class.

Week 7 (December 9)

Due: Cover Letter and Résumé

Workshop: In five-member committees, select the best applicants based on the information you have and present

your recommendations to the class.