ALLAMA IQBAL OPEN UNIVERSITY, ISLAMABAD

(Department of Business Administration)

Warning

1. Plagiarism or hiring of ghost writer(s) for solving the assignment(s) will debar the student from THE award of degree/certificate, if found at any stage.
2. Submitting assignment(s) borrowed or stolen from other(s) as one’s own will be penalized as defined in THE “AIOU’S Plagiarism Policy”.

Course: Professional Communication (9502) Semester: Spring, 2025

Level: PGD

Please read the following instructions for writing your assignments.
(AD, BS, BEd, MA/MSc, MEd) (ODL Mode)

1. All questions are compulsory and carry equal marks but within a question, the marks are distributed according to its requirements.
2. Read the question carefully and then answer it according to the requirements of the question.
3. Avoid irrelevant discussion/information and reproducing from books, study guide or allied material.
4. Hand written scanned assignments are not acceptable.
5. Upload you typed (in Word or PDF format) assignments on or before the due date.
6. Your own analysis and synthesis will be appreciated.
7. Late assignments can’t be uploaded at LMS.
8. The students who attempt their assignments in Urdu/Arabic may upload a scanned copy of their hand written assignments (in PDF format) on University LMS. The size of the file should not exceed 5 MB.

Total Marks: 100 Pass Marks: 50

ASSIGNMENT No. 1

(Units: 1–5)

Q.1 Discuss the importance of communication in an organizational setting. How a manager can address the barriers in communication? Suggest ways to overcome. (20)

Q.2 Explain the significance of understanding macro and micro cultural variables in communication. (20)

Q.3 How and in what ways technology has transformed communication within and outside organizations? Discuss with special reference to the Public sector of Pakistan. (20)

Q. 4 Explain the process of preparing effective business messages. Enlist step-by-step process.

(20)

Q.5 Discuss the process of preparing a badnews message. What are the key considerations in this regard? (20)

Guidelines FOR ASSIGNMENT No. 1:

You should look upon the assignments as a test of knowledge, management skills, and communication skills. When you write an assignment answer, you are indicating your knowledge to the teacher:

• Your level of understanding of the subject;
• How clearly do you think?
• How well you can reflect on your knowledge & experience?
• How well you can use your knowledge in solving problems, explaining situations, and describing organizations and management?
• How professional you are, and how much care and attention you give to what you do?

To answer a question effectively, address the question directly, bring important related issues into the discussion, refer to sources, and indicate how principles from the course materials apply. The student must also be able to identify important problems and implications arising from the answer.

For citing references, writing bibliographies, and formatting the assignment, APA format should be followed.

Total Marks: 100 Pass Marks: 50

ASSIGNMENT No. 2

This assignment is a research-oriented activity. Select a relevant organization for the assigned research topic. You are required to submit a term paper and present the same in the workshop prior to the final examination. Presentation component is compulsory for all students. You will have to participate in the activity fully and prepare a paper of about 15 to 20 pages on the topic allotted to you. You are required to prepare two copies of Assignment No. 2. Submit one copy to your teacher for evaluation and the second copy for presentation in the classrooms in the presence of your resource persons and classmates, which will be held at the end of the semester prior to the final examination.

Include the following main headings in your report:

1. Introduction to the topics
2. Important sub-topics
3. Practical aspects with respect to the topic
4. Review of theoretical and practical situations
5. SWOT analysis of the organization with respect to your topic
6. Conclusions and recommendations
7. Annex, if any

You may use transparencies, charts and any other material for effective presentation. You are also required to select one of the following topics according to the last digit of your roll number. For example, if your roll number is D-3427185 then you will select topic number 5 (the last digit):-

Topics

PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION

DETAILED COURSE OUTLINE (9502)

Unit-l: An Overview of Communication

1. Meaning and Importance of Communication
2. Barriers in Communication
3. Nonverbal Communication
4. Principles of Effective Communication

Unit-2: Business Communication in Context

Unit-3: Business Communication and Technology

a) Managing Information within the Organization

1) History of Technological Developments

2) Challenges to the Organization Made by New Technologies

b) E-mail & Other technologies for communication

c) Managing information in our sides the Organization

Unit-4: Message Design

a) Process of Preparing Effective Business Messages

1) Five Planning Steps, Basic Organizational Plans, Beginning & Ending

2) Composing the Message

b) The Appearance and Design of Business Message Business Letters, Memorandums, Special timesaving Message Media

c) Good-News and Neutral Messages Organizational Plan, Favorable Replies

Unit-5: Written Communication: Major Plans for Letters and Memos

a) Bad-News Messages

1) The right Attitude, Plans for Bad-News Messages

2) Negative Replies to Requests

3) Unfavorable Unsolicited Messages

b) Persuasive Written Messages

1) Organization of Persuasive Messages

2) Persuasive Requests, Persuasive Sales Letters

Unit-6: Written Communication: Reports

a) Short Reports

1) Suggestion for short Reports

2) Informational Memorandum Reports

3) Analytical Memorandum Reports, Letter Reports

b) Long (Formal) Reports

c) Proposals

d) Writing Style and Appearance

Unit-7: Strategies for Oral Communication

a) Strategies for Successful Speaking and Successful! Listening

1. Strategies for Improving Oral Presentation
2. Strategies for Improving Listing Skills

b) Strategies for Successful Informative and Persuasive Speaking

1. Purpose of Informative and Persuasive Speaking
2. Kinds of Informative and Persuasive Speaking
3. Audience Analysis for Informative and Persuasive Speaking
4. Organization for Informative and Persuasive Speaking
5. Supports for Informative and Persuasive Speaking

Unit-8: Strategies for Successful Interpersonal Communication and Group Meetings

1. Strategies for Successful Interpersonal Communication
2. Strategies For Successful Business and Group Meetings
3. Background Information, Purpose and Kinds of Meetings
4. Solving Problems in Meetings or Groups
5. Leadership Responsibilities in Meeting
6. Participants' Responsibilities in Meetings

c) How to Take Minutes of the Meeting

Unit-9: The Job Application Process

a) The Written Job Presentation

1. Self-Assessment, Market Assessment
2. Resume (Vita, Qualification Brief)
3. Cover Letter to Resume

b) The Job Application Process-Interviews and Follow-up

1. Successful Presentation for die Job Interview
2. Successful Follow-up Messages After the Interview
3. Successful Negotiating

Recommended Book:

Effective Business Communications, International Edition, 7^thEdition, by H. A. Murphy, Herbert W. Hilclebrandt, Jane P. Thomas

???