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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
The learning objectives of this chapter are to provide students with an overview of:
1. The principles involved in analyzing any communication situation, and
2. How to prepare a case.
Robert Kent, who taught in or headed the Management Communication program at the Harvard
Business School for eleven years, once said: “Communication is everything and it’s nothing.” His
point was that everything a business person does is communication: conversations; dress;
gesture; body language; positioning in a room; stories, true or false, that leak from private into
public life; meetings; speeches; electronic communications; writing; interviews; chosen attitudes
towards superiors, colleagues, and subordinates; orchestrated communication campaigns. This
very universality of communication implies that communication can’t be pinned down to a
received body of knowledge to be passed from teacher to student.
The field is full of slippery terms, and yet the student will come to a Management
Communication course expecting to learn fixed formulae for achieving specific objectives.
Indeed, data exist on how to write forcefully, how to design an attention-getting document, how
to organize a persuasive argument, how to deal effectively with superiors, employees, or the
press. Findings in these areas inform this text and the teaching notes, but these capacities need to
be honed in class, in daily life, and on the job.
The teacher of Management Communication has the very difficult task of creating a context in
which aspiring managers feel safe to try a variety of strategies to see which works. Success will
Writing, speaking, and situation analysis can be taught, though practice, and our belief that they
can informs this text. We have tried, within the confines of a textbook built around cases, to
provide the teacher of Management Communication with as much flexibility as possible. A
Management Communication courses fit themselves less easily than most into a conventional
academic schedule. A class that meets as a whole three times a week for thirty sessions won’t
necessarily do the job. Each Management Communication instructor must face serious
constraints, which include:
2. Resources. Management Communication requires more resources than the traditional
academic course. Ideally, the classroom needs at least extensive board space, a
DVD/videotape player and monitor, and a computer hook-up and projections system for
3. Personalities. Nothing is more personal than comments on someone else’s
communication style. It necessarily involves telling people that they think, write, or
dress badly, use awkward gestures, or speak in a way that alienates their audiences. This
is a very different sort of teacher-student interaction than pointing out that students have
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4. Academic Credibility. Every professor wants students to communicate better, but few
believe that teaching them to do so constitutes a real academic discipline. Therefore,
5. Timing. Academic discussions — even discussions of real cases — can create an
unrealistic sense of how time works in an actual business situation. Instructors need to
consider several implications of time when planning and teaching a Management
Communication course. These include: the time used in reading and interpreting the
6. Grading. The need to allow students to try different styles, learn in public, and fail will
often clash with the instructor’s need to evaluate and assign a grade. Often, the best
For all these reasons, this book tries to lend itself to a wide variety of teaching situations. The
teaching notes to most cases include suggested writing or speaking assignments, but these are not
included in the text so as to give the instructor flexibility. You may choose to assign chapters in a
Course Structure
This text lays out a basic teaching plan that we believe makes sense for an advanced
undergraduate or graduate Management Communication course. Part One familiarizes students
with the basic principles of effective communication. Part Two asks students to apply these
principles to a representative variety of business communication situations. Part Three contains
basic style guides on writing and speaking, to be referenced as appropriate throughout the course.
The Appendix contains additional cases that can be used to supplement or replace cases in the
text.
This structure has been designed to give instructors maximum flexibility. Ideally, we believe,
students should read a chapter and the attached case, and then apply the principles in the chapter
to an assignment, a discussion, or both. In some situations, however, reading a chapter’s text,
preparing the attached case, and turning in an assignment is clearly too much work to demand for
one class. This is especially true for the longer chapters, such as the Introduction and Style and
Teaching the Chapter
We recommend assigning only the text of Chapter One for the first class. This will enable them
to discuss the content and structure of the course, emphasize basic principles of communication,
answer questions about the assignment students have read, and make judgments about the
collective background and capabilities of the class. In any event, the first class provides an
opportunity to establish norms. For example:
l. Are you going to require an opening — calling on one student to analyze the case
situation and make recommendations — in every class? One good opening question, if
you have required only the reading of the introduction: “What did you learn from this
chapter, what did you agree or disagree with?” Even a fumbling answer to such a
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2. How heavily will participation count in this course? Instructors should be explicit about
3. What extra sources are available to students who feel they’re not strong writers or
4. What writing and speaking assignments will be required of the students? Stress that the
We recommend drawing students’ attention especially to the section on “How to Prepare a
Case.” Emphasize that reading a case is only the first step. The real preparation consists in the
analysis, and in developing a plan of action that the student is willing to defend in class
discussion.
The decision as to whether to assign a chapter, a case, or both, will depend largely on the length
of your class; a fifty minute class can generally cover only one of the chapters in Part One,
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Case Teaching
If students have prepared the case well, they will come to class eager to advance their solution to
the problem or situation they’ve considered. Most often, the best way to kick off a productive
case discussion is to ask one student to present her analysis and recommendations. An opening
has several advantages. It gets students speaking, early and often. It allows the instructor to get
some material up on the chalkboard. It provokes conflicting points of view, heightening student
However, the instructor must manage the opening well to set standards for the course. This
means that while the opener should be given enough time to develop his ideas, he shouldn’t be
allowed to ramble. The instructor can guide the opening by interposing questions that direct the
Once a student has opened, invite several others to make quick comments or observations. Now
call on students who want to speak. This ensures broad investment in the subsequent discussion.
Often, by this point, several courses of action will be on the table. This is also a good point to
step back and examine the analysis, or lack of it, that has led to these recommendations. Now is a
Using a chalkboard (or whiteboard) effectively in teaching a case is a real art. Ideally, instructors
should teach in a classroom with multiple chalkboards so that, for example, an agenda can be
listed on one before the students arrive, a grid to capture comments can be prepared on another,
and a third is available to list issues to address at the end of the class. Handouts or overheads can
substitute for some of these functions (such as the class agenda), but the dynamic give and take
of a good case discussion is best captured on the board. Be careful not to overuse pre-designed
PowerPoint slides. They can stifle discussion and imply that there are canned, “correct solutions”
to complicated situations.
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Instead, it should stress the general principles, covered in the attached chapter, that have been
illustrated by the discussion.
Case discussions can have very different outcomes and yet provide equal value to the students’
learning. Accordingly, we have provided study questions at the end of each case in the text, and a
range of possible “take–aways” in the Instructor’s Manual. In other words, the learning should
be a process that happens in the class without the instructor being determined on a specific
outcome or right answer. But to achieve closure, the instructor should take the last five or ten
minutes at the end of each class, in collaboration with the students, to summarize what has been
gained. Asking “What have we learned today?” may provoke different answers from different
students and all may be equally valid.
The following chapters of the Instructor’s Manual demonstrate how these general principles
can be applied to the teaching of particular chapters and cases.
SAMPLE SYLLABUS for Management Communication
This syllabus suggests a way to teach this course in 15 weekly sessions, a standard graduate
course. It can also be adjusted to a two-class per week schedule, discussing the chapter in one
class and case in the next. This syllabus includes exercises and assignments not directly
addressed in the text, such as a final project that asks the students to write a case of their own.
This assignment makes sense to do after students have finished Part One, having encountered a
number of cases. A note on writing a good case is included at the beginning of Part Two of this
manual.
Texts: Michael Hattersley and Linda McJannet, Management Communication: Principles
and Practice, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2008.
Diana Hacker, A Writer’s Reference. Boston: New York: Bedford St. Martin/s,
1999 (or latest ed.).
Objectives: Communication is an applied art, not a science. Thus while the course aims to
introduce aspects of communication theory relevant to managerial work, its major goal is to give
you opportunities to practice your communication skills and to receive feedback from peers and
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Requirements and Grading: All assignments must be turned in for satisfactory completion of
the course. Your performance in the course will be evaluated as follows:
Assignments 1, 2, 3, 4
40%
Case Study and Teaching Note
25%
Group Presentation
10%
Participation: exercises, contributions to
discussion, role-plays, peer editing
25%
Regular attendance is expected; please notify me if you foresee an unavoidable absence. More
than one or two absences, for whatever reason, necessarily reduce your opportunities to
contribute to discussion and other in-class activities and therefore adversely affect your
participation grade.
Structure and methods: The course has two phases. Phase I concentrates on general concepts
and techniques of effective oral and written communication in organizations. We will discuss
Group Presentation: Toward the end of the course, you will be part of a group presentation
responding to the case studies written by some of your peers. Class time will be given for group
Oral exercises: The course is concerned with principles of communication that apply to both
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oral and written modes. Most graded work will be in the written mode, but from time to time you
Schedule of Assignments and Activities
This is a brief overview of topics and questions for discussion. Detailed handouts will be
provided for formal written assignments and exercises (in boldface below). You are responsible
for any adjustments to the schedule announced in class, posted on the web, or sent via E-mail.
Week
Phase I. Principles of Effective Communication
1
Introduction to the Course
Ch.1, Case 17: “Fair’s Fair Isn’t It?” (Appendix)
Review the aspects of communication (source, goal, audience, context, message, media,
feedback). Analyze the case from the Dean’s point of view. What goal(s) might he adopt?
With whom might he communicate? What is his relationship to each of these audiences?
What do they know about the situation? What message might he send to each? Through
what media? In your view, what should he do and what should he say and to whom?
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Setting Goals and Priorities
Ch. 2, Case: Yellowtail Marine, Inc.
Consider the study questions following the case. Write a memo to the class in which you
rank the issues facing Gilcrist and explain your rationale.
Memo 1 due
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Audience Analysis
Ch. 3, Case: Weymouth Steel Corporation
Consider the study questions following the case. How should Weymouth’s managers
communicate the need for layoffs? Explain and defend your strategy in a memo to Harrison
(your boss).
Draft of Memo 2 due.
Review session: Memo 1
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Point of View
Ch. 4, Case: Smith Financial Corporation
their common tasks into account?
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Ch. 5, Case: Cuttyhunk Bank (A), Cuttyhunk Bank (B)
(available in Manual)
Consider the questions at the end of the “A” case. Exercise: Analyze and evaluate the
arguments in Wilson’s April 23 and May 14 letters (in “B” case) using Toulmin’s argument
models.
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Structure
Ch. 6, Case: McGregor’s Ltd. Department Store
Do you agree with the change McGregor wants to make? If so, how should the changes to
the discount policy be announced?
Memo 3 due
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Choosing Media
Ch. 7, Case: The Timken Company
Phase II: Applications and Practice
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Giving and Receiving Feedback
Ch. 9, Case: Bailey and Wick
Does Bailey and Wick have a problem with giving feedback to junior associates? Why or
why not? If so, what should be done about it? (AND/OR)
Consider the questions on p. 268
Case 16: Dotsworth Press (in Appendix)
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Managing Meetings and E-mail
Consider the questions on p. 160. How well did Ann Clarke prepare for and manage this
meeting?
Consider the study questions. What should Timken’s goals be for the campaign, and how
can they achieve them?
Review session: Memo 3
Style Preview: Lanham’s “Paramedic Method”
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Style and Tone
Project proposal due. Consider the study questions.
Exercise: Apply the “paramedic method” to a paragraph of Rubin’s report or a document
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con’t
Electronic Communication
Ch. 15, Case: The E-mail Encounter
Consider the questions at the end of the case. Evaluate Susan Sullivan’s use of E-mail.
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Communicating Change
Chap. 11, Case: Hammermill Paper Company
How should headquarters announce the new Hammermill Paper planning process, and
what concerns of the division managers should they attempt to allay? Draft of case study
due.
Review Session; Memo 4
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External Audiences
Chapter 12, Case: Oxford Energy
Review Chapter 17, Effective Speaking. How should Oxford Energy present its case to
the people of Derry? How would you evaluate Rettger’s performance (in-class analysis of
video)? Drafts returned
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Business and the Press
Review Chaps. 12 and 17, Case: NutraSweet
How would you prepare to answer questions from the press regarding the renewed
allegations about NutraSweet?
Teams will take turns fielding questions from the press. A working reporter and local
executive will be invited to attend and take part in the discussion.
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Personal and Corporate Ethics
Case Studies due. Cases distributed to peer groups and some time allocated to discussion
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Groups present the winning student cases.