1. Establish digital document & video
communication library/archives
In many fields, people learn by seeing models,
and in the field of communication students and faculty would benefit from
having clear examples of strong communication to create benchmarks for
the kind of documents and presentations they will be expected to produce.
What is lacking is a national distribution center and clearinghouse for
business documents and video recorded presentations.
1a) Create an evolving collection of documents in various business genres (e.g., business proposals, strategic plans, letters, annual reports, etc.) that exemplify effective communication and might be used as teaching models to facilitate the development of students’ written communication abilities.1b) Create an evolving collection of videos illustrating business people in various business genres (e.g., speeches, presentations, managing meetings, interviewing, etc.) that exemplify effective communication and might be used as teaching models to facilitate the development of students’ oral communication abilities.
2. Present an Annual Award for Excellence
in Business Communication
Recognize the importance of communication in business
by offering an award for effective communication to an individual business
person or company. To extend the reach of the annual award, the CBC would
honor the recipient by collecting examples of the winner’s effective communication
and making them available to business communication faculty for use with
students via the CBC library/archives.
3. Present an Annual Award for Excellence in
Teaching Communication
Recognize the importance of communication in business
by offering an award for effective communication training to an individual
communication professor, program, or school. To extend the reach of this
annual award, the CBC would honor the recipient by collecting examples
of the winner’s effective communication material and making them available
to business communication faculty for use with students via the CBC library/archives.
4. Create an Executives on Communication Speakers
Series
Focus attention on business communication with
a speakers series hosted by GSIA that invites business executives and other
experts on communication to talk about communication issues relevant to
students and businesses. To bring these practitioners into the classrooms
and extend the reach of the speakers’ series program, the CBC would record
all talks and make the video available to business communication faculty
for use with students via the CBC library/archives.
5. Produce a Day-in-the-Life Communication Video
Series
The kinds of communication that take place in
the work place remain a bit of a mystery to business students. The Day-in-the-Life
series would take students behind the scenes as it records interviews with
executives discussing the role of communication in their company and captures
executives “in the act” of communicating as they conduct routine business
communication activities such as meetings, presentations, phone calls,
interviews, etc. To bring these practitioners into the classrooms and extend
the reach of the Day-in-the-Life series, the CBC would make the video available
to business communication faculty for use with students via the CBC library/archives.
6. Build a Communication Case Series Data Bank
While there are numerous case-method materials
available Harvard, Darden, Levy, etc., cases that focus on issues from
a communication perspective are scarce. The CBC could help build a data
base of cases that insert students in situations that require them to communicate
their way out as they solve the problem. Toward this end, the CBC could
fund the research, development and publication of a series of business
communication cases and distribute them to business communication faculty
for use with students via the CBC library/archives.
7. Host a National Communication Case Competition
for Students
One way to spotlight the importance of communication
and generate interest among students is to create competition among schools.
The CBC could host a competition for MBA and undergraduate schools and
offer a suitable prize.
8. Fund Communication Course/Workshop Development
Faculty in communication often have little time
to devote to research that would improve the quality of their course materials.
To assist, the CBC could offer small teaching development grants to help
faculty develop 1/2 day workshops on communication issues relevant to business.
In addition, the CBC could offer teaching development grants designed to
help faculty focus on developing new material for needed new communication
courses in Change management communication, crisis communication, corporate
communication, etc. The CBC would then share this material with business
communication faculty for use with students via the CBC library/archives.
9. Fund Communication Research
Faculty in communication often have little time
to devote to basic or applied research that would provide the field and
business with useful insights on communicating. To assist, the CBC could
offer research grants to help faculty conduct studies, surveys, and other
research designed to enhance or understanding of communication in business.
The CBC would then share this material with business communication faculty
for use with students via the CBC library/archives.
10. Sponsor a National Conference on Teaching
Communication
Nothing succeeds like face-to-face communication.
Toward this end, the CBC could sponsor a national invitation only conference
on business communication that invites outstanding communication instructors
to GSIA to share their cutting-edge research, case development, and teaching
strategies with other well-known communication faculty.
Contact Information:
Dr. Thomas Hajduk, Director
Center for Business Communication
Carnegie Mellon University
Graduate School of Industrial Administration
GSIA Building, Room 331
Frew & Tech Streets
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
Center: 412-268-5870
Office: 412-268-1370
Fax: 412-268-3890
Email: hajduk@andrew.cmu.edu
CBC Web Site: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/hajduk/CBC-Home.html
Hajduk Web Site: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/hajduk