Brief description

To realise that effective professional writing is essential for the smooth running of a company or organisation: externally, it projects an image of competence and good work; internally, clear and concise writing saves time and is more visual and persuasive.

Name

Writing workshop

Code

102806

Academic year

2024-25

Degree

MASTER'S DEGREE MBA IN INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT

ECTS Credits

2

Type

MANDATORY

Duration

Cuatrimestral

Language

Spanish/English

Contents

I. FACE-TO-FACE PART

SESSION 1: Text planning

• Production and organisation of ideas: needs of the addressee and the organisation
• Brevity, efficiency and verbal politeness
• Effective techniques for writing and conveying written information
      - Production of writings with the proposed outlines
      - Revision of proposed writings: redrafting

SESSION 2: Textual models and writing production I

• Descriptive language
      - Professional descriptive language strategies
      - Applications to the professional field of foreign trade (companies, products, packaging, etc.).
• Information language
      - Information strategies
      - Main structures of expository writing
      - Production of writings with the proposed outlines
      - Revision of proposed writings: group redrafting and explanation

SESSION 3: Textual models and writing production II

• Persuasive language and argumentation
      - Argumentative discourse structure
      - Persuasion resources and techniques in business
      - Technical arguments and emotional arguments

• Connectors and argumentation
      - Connecting procedures for textual cohesion
      - Argumentative paths: inductive and deductive
      - Rationale and reinforcement of arguments: inclusion of case studies, examples, proofs and verifications
      - Introduction procedures
      - Forms of conclusion
      - Production of writings with the proposed outlines
      - Revision of proposed writings: group redrafting and explanation

SESSIONS 4, 5 and 6: Writing applied to the field of commercial offices I

• Report writing
      - Definition and characteristics
      - Types of reports

• About products or companies targeting a specific market
• About fairs
• About trade missions
• Search for commercial partners, commercial agendas, etc.

      - Review of proposed submissions
      - Production of writings with the proposed outlines: group development and explanation.

SESSION 7: Writing applied to the field of commercial offices II

• Drafting of emails
      - Techniques and structure
      - Correction of emails
      - Protocol and etiquette in virtual language
      - Information emails, company presentation emails, thank-you emails, other emails, etc.
      - Invitations and drafting objectives
      - Structure and content
      - Production of writings according to the proposed outlines
      - Revision of proposed writings: group redrafting and explanation

II VIRTUAL PART

Throughout Phases II and III, students must complete five worksheets with partially self-assessable exercises on aspects of written correction, plus four short writing exercises on a specific topic that will be sent to the lecturer on the established dates for correction and assessment.

• Content of the factsheets (available from the last month of Phase I):
      - Expanding active vocabulary
      - Improvement of expression: correction of grammatical errors and doubts
      - Punctuation
      - Mastery of general and technical spelling: abbreviations, acronyms, numerals, etc.
      - Use of orthotypography: italics, capital letters, small capitals, etc.

• Short essay (to be corrected and marked individually).

 - Dates for submission of the essay, until 19:00 on the following days:
            • 20 January (first)
            • 14 February (second)
            • 10 March (third)
            • 3 April (fourth)

- Form of submission: to be deposited in the corresponding activity on the virtual campus. Except in the case of the first one, the lecturer's corrections and recommendations in the previous ones should be taken into consideration in order not to repeat mistakes. The marks for the four essays constitute 50% of the virtual grade.

 - Correction procedure. The lecturer will take into account the original approach and personal input on the proposed topic; it is important to avoid reproducing internet sources or AI support. The aim is to persuasively address a common theme that is specific to the business culture and to one's own vision. They will be returned corrected with brief observations also through the corresponding activity on the virtual campus on the following days:
      • 10 February (first)
      • 6 March (second)
      • 31 March (third)
      • 30 April (fourth)

During the online phase, the lecturers will hold three face-to-face or virtual tutorials (February, March, April), on days and at times to be established, to discuss with the students the correction of the exercise portfolios, the evolution experienced through the essays, as well as the aspects of improvement for the students and any queries they may wish to raise. Attendance is voluntary, but will be taken into consideration for the grade +/-10; in addition, this will be the procedure for reviewing the exercise folder and the essays (grade 1/3).

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR IN BUSINESS

First session

• Interpersonal communication in business: courtesy and good manners
      - Useful concepts: etiquette, chairing, precedence, etc.
      - Circumstances of application in the professional environment: greetings, presentations, assignments, etc.
      - International forms of address.

• Personal image as a message in the business world.
      - Corporate behaviour.
      - Personal image in the professional sphere: reflection of the corporate image. Dress codes and professional values.

Second session

• Interpersonal communication
      - In meetings and negotiations:
• seating and arrangement of tables,
• welcome and attention to visitors: strengthening relations and providing a good image,
• verbal politeness: the concept of conversational contract, positive image and negative image.
      - In social relations: lunches, dinners, receptions, etc.:
• seating systems,
• food service,
• cultural differences with regard to food.
      - At events in the commercial offices:
• Signing of agreements,
• exhibitions and displays,
• trade missions.

Third session

• The international arena: social conduct in international business relations. Concept of cultural intelligence.
      - Social behaviour in relation to other cultures:
• Europe
• Japan
• China
• Arab countries
• India, etc.

Conocimientos

CO1 - To learn about business management analytics in dynamic and complex environments, such as the international environment.

CO2 - To acquire a body of theoretical and practical knowledge and learning skills, which will enable those who remain interested to pursue further, more specialised studies in the field of advanced research or doctoral studies.

CO3 - To master the basic tools of information and communication technologies for exercising of their profession and for learning.

CO4 - To understand the concepts, theories and instruments for analysing and developing business internationalisation plans.

CO5 - To understand the nature of problems in the organisation and therefore the application of suitable tools by developing analytical skills.

CO6 - To acquire the skills for professional document drafting and reporting in the field of international business.

CO7 - To know the structure and functioning of the organisations and institutions that support companies’ internationalisation.

Habilidades

S1 - To apply the theoretical and practical knowledge acquired, with a high degree of independence, in both national and international companies, be they small or medium-sized or companies of a more multinational dimension, and even in non-business organisations whose management requires an international vision.

S2 - To apply the analytical skills acquired in defining and approaching new problems and in searching for solutions both in a national and international business context.

S3 - To be able to collect, record and interpret macroeconomic data, country information, industry and business information, financial and accounting data, statistical data, and relevant research results to systematise business decision-making processes in international environments.

S4 - To apply the appropriate procedure to achieving an international business objective.

S5 - To assess the relationship between enterprises and the institutional framework in which activities are carried out.

S6 - To manage digital platforms, technological, audiovisual and computer media to search for information and for effective communication of business projects.

S9 - To manage a business internationalisation project and assume managerial responsibilities.

Competencias

C1 - To work in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, in highly demanding situations in terms of time (deadlines for designing and executing projects and cases) and results.

C2 - To develop business and personal activities within the strictest ethical and socially responsible behaviours, as well as to develop sensitivity towards social and environmental issues.

C3 - To express themselves correctly, both orally and in writing, in Spanish and English, maintaining an appropriate image in their professional activity.

C5 - To work in a team, prioritising the precision of the results and the soundness and originality of the proposals.

Training activities

Teaching methods

The Writing Workshop subject is taught face-to-face in Phase I and virtually throughout Phases II and III of the master's degree.

As it is a workshop, the lecturer's explanations are reduced to a minimum in favour of classroom work, through exercises, case studies and assignments, which require various levels of preparation:

• Individual work of preparing a presentation that ensures the acquisition of knowledge and its assimilation through exercises that are solved individually or in groups and defended with arguments before the course.

• Collaborative work:

-- in small groups, with previously limited time (10 or 12 mins), review and critique business writings (emails, memos, invitations, etc.), specialised magazines (news, articles, reports, etc.) and specialised journals;

-- reviewing the information they provide, organising it or checking its effectiveness: eliminating irrelevant information, determining whether data or concepts are missing;

-- in small groups and with limited time, critically revising proposed texts, reworking them and presenting the writing procedures applied;

-- writing for different purposes and presenting the results. The rest of the group, acting as a panel of experts, will assess whether or not the objectives (amount of information, order and clarity) have been achieved.

• Application of the case method as a way of simulating situations and projects taken from the activity of commercial offices to help students acquire essential skills during their professional development.

Evaluation system

The evaluation of the Writing Workshop takes into account the classroom phase and the virtual modules and will account for 75% of the final grade for the subject. The remaining 25% is determined by the results of the exercises and the exam in Social Behaviour in Business, which is a classroom-based subject.

The evaluation of the course in its ordinary exam session is established as follows:

Writing Workshop (75%)

• Exercise folder (16.5%)

--At the end of Phase I, which is taught face-to-face, on the date indicated in the Writing Workshop documentation, the Exercise Folder, consisting of the following exercises, is handed in:
1. Argumentation (individual).
2. Letters, emails, invitations or summons (individual).
3. Reading, summarising and ranking ideas from an article or a conference, panel or round table (in groups, according to the CECO subgroups).
4. Reports (in groups, according to ICEX-CECO sub-groups).

• Virtual worksheets

-- Resolution of the exercises proposed in the worksheets (self-correction).
-- Writing four short specific texts (16.5%).

• Final exam: at the end of Phase III, covering all the material learnt (67%)
-- Exercises on error resolution, accuracy, etc., taken from the virtual worksheets.
-- Business writing cases, where structure and connection procedures must be used. It will be in line with those done in class and based on the examples and cases proposed in the documentation.
-- Quality of participation in class and tutorials (+/-10). This is a joint mark with Social Behaviour in Business.

• Short interventions aimed at providing creative and quality solutions and ideas.
• Contributing to the group’s advancement.
• Collaborative spirit, verbal courtesy and assertive communication skills.
• Emails sent during the virtual phase.


Social Behaviour in Business (25%)

This is carried out under the following headings:

• Resolution of a practical case study in a group (the subgroups established at CECO), which must be carried out during the sessions and will be graded with a third of the mark; it will be sent to the lecturer via the campus resource on the indicated date. The lecturers will hold a tutorial session on the case study with representatives of the groups.



• The mark equivalent to two thirds will consist of a two-part 40-minute examination:

-- a 25-question test (90%) with only one valid answer. Each correct answer is worth 0.4 points; incorrect answers will lead to a deduction of 0.20 points;
-- a short essay question (10%) is a case study in which the knowledge acquired will be assessed.

• A mark of +/- 10 will be given for collaborative and productive participation, as well as the ability to assume and put into practice the principles of courtesy and personal image that are promoted in the class.

In the 2nd and subsequent exam sessions, the grade will depend on the tests (written tests, essays, assignments, oral tests, etc.) determined by the teachers and communicated to the students sufficiently in advance.

Coordinator/s

Lecturers

Bibliography

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www.fundeu.es
www.dle.rae.es
www.rae.es/dpd
blog.lengua-e.com
gramatica.celeberrima.com
www.scribbr.es
www.wikilengua.org/
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Printable syllabus

This document can be used as reference documentation of this subject for the application for recognition of credits in other study programmes. For its full effect, it should be stamped by UIMP Student's Office.

Document for the application for recognition of credits in other study programmes