Business Communications

2022/2023

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

6

ECTS credits

Delivered at:

Department of General and Strategic Management (Nizhny Novgorod) (Faculty of Management (Nizhny Novgorod))

Course type:

Compulsory course

When:

2 year, 1, 2 module

Instructor

Boryshneva, Nelli

Course Syllabus

Abstract

Communication is an increasingly important soft skill in business. The “Future of Jobs Report 2020” identifies negotiation and persuasion as TOP-15 skill for workplace. Yet, when put to test only 4% of managers reach win-win, 20% of the deals are plain lose-lose, whereas 50% of negotiators in perfect agreement do not realize it. In order to get better results whether in presenting one’s ideas, persuading the others to follow or diagnosing situations and matching them to appropriate techniques one needs to have both formal training and experience. The course is designed to combine the two: students learn by experience, give and receive feedback, and master new strategies and tools to try. By the end of the course you will know how to handle distributive vs integrative negotiations, how to organise and host efficient meetings, how to communicate clearly in business writing. The course is designed for students with the knowledge of foundations of management.

Learning Objectives

• The course is designed to combine the two: students learn by experience, give and receive feedback, and master new strategies and tools to try. By the end of the course you will know how to handle distributive vs integrative negotiations, how to organise and host efficient meetings, how to communicate clearly in business writing.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Students analyse and interpret key issues of business and cross-cultural communication and are able to describe communication as a process.
• Students analyse the basis of various cultural theories to increase cultural awareness.
• Students evaluate major characteristics of nonverbal communication and are able to use formal and informal language in terms of business communication.
• Students explain various theoretical approaches to the study of culture.
• Students accumulate and bring together different points of view, and negotiate collective solutions to pressing problems.
• Students implement tactics to negotiate effectively within various cultural environments using appropriate language.
• Students interpret and forecast cases of a culture shock and learn how to adapt to an international context.
• Students analyse differences between cultural oppositions and formulate tactics knows how to work with ethnic stereotypes.

Course Contents

• The Theory of Communication
• Classification of cultures
• Language Barrier in Business Communication
• Communication failures
• Cases of Business Communication

Assessment Elements

• Проект по деловым коммуникациям
  The team should consist of 3-5 people. For the team assignment and presentation students are expected to give a presentation of a culture (Russian or French or American or British or Italian etc) with the reference to the theoretical part of the course (Hall’s cultural parameters, Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, Lewis cross cultural communication model etc) as well as the major “kontzepts” of the chosen culture. Presentation should consist of about 10 slides and detailed project description 1500-2500 words submitted via the Internet 3 days before the presentation in class.
• Тест

Interim Assessment

• 2022/2023 2nd module
  0.5 * Проект по деловым коммуникациям + 0.5 * Тест

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Communicating in global business negotiations : a geocentric approach, Rudd, J. E., 2007
• Литература и методы её изучения : системно-синергетический подход, учебное пособие, 276 с., Зинченко, В. Г., Зусман, В. Г., Кирнозе, З. И., 2011

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• Cronje, J. C. (2011). Using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to interpret cross-cultural blended teaching and learning. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.113A7439
• Основы кросскультурного менеджмента : как вести бизнес с представителями других стран и культур: учеб. пособие, Мясоедов, С. П., 2012
• Язык и межкультурная коммуникация : учеб. пособие, Тер-Минасова, С. Г., 2000