WRITING INTENSIVE (wi) COURSE
MGMT 485W - BUSINESS POLICY AND STRATEGY
This course emphasized strategic management and how it addresses the concerns of high-level executives or general managers. They have a perspective that is qualitatively different from that of the lower-level functional manager or operations manager. Unlike other courses, this writing-intensive course dealt with the overall effectiveness of the total organization, i.e. “are we doing the right things?”
COURSE INSIGHTS
I have a better understanding of the important role ethics plays in business practices. It enabled me to grasp how companies can approach Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and avoid negative image issues.
THE KEY TAKEAWAY
When I have a course that entails structured writing assignments, I do wonder how much of this is relevant to real-world experience. I know that in a real job, I probably won’t be asked to write an APA-style paper, but I realize that is not the point of the course. Consistent writing teaches discipline and organization, which is essential. It’s not so much the structure of the papers, but teaching students how to be structured and how to convey messages, properly, through text.
SKILLS I GAINED
Outside of improving my technical writing skills, I learned college-level reading strategies and how to work through a multi-step writing process.
APPLYING THESE SKILLS TO GRADUATE SCHOOL
These are great tools for graduate school, because there are more research papers, plus you must write a thesis. Having this intensive writing under your belt will make graduate school seem less daunting. Also, in my career, I may be required to write proposals or marketing plans, so I need to know how to convey quantitative and qualitative data in a written format.
CHALLENGING MOMENTS
One of the most challenging parts was doing the case studies. We had to write a short paper on a case that was in the textbook but could not use many outside sources. I was restricted to using the two companies that were involved in the case study (VF Corporation and The Timberland Company), and the respective company websites. I couldn’t rely on extensive research through the ODU Library or the internet, I had to use my knowledge from class and the limited information that I was given.
POWERFUL LEARNING MOMENTS
I have a better understanding of the importance of my role within my company. I gained familiarity with how teams function and aid the goals of an organization. This made me appreciate my job and my company more. In addition, writing extensively made me more aware of myself as a writer, and learn to practice writing arguments and analyses. It is not always easy to verbally convey your thoughts, so writing is easier for me. However, there is a better vision of how to understand who your audience is before you start writing, so you can get the message across easier.
ADVICE TO FUTURE STUDENTS
I would encourage anyone who is not keen on writing to just review the writing tips that the professor provides and follow the guidelines. A good chunk of the grading is the formatting and structure of the assignments, so make sure to proofread your work thoroughly before submitting it. Also, do not start the papers at the last minute. They are designed to take time to write and your professor can tell if you didn’t do any research for them.
COURSEWORK THAT CAN DEMONSTRATE THE SKILLS I LEARNED
All of these assignments required me to do research in some capacity and convey my insights or opinions. The way in which I explained my ideas was derived mostly from class materials and topics related to the coursework. I also was required to cite all of my sources in a specific format and adhere to formatting guidelines. The purpose of all these assignments is to enable me to clearly state my understanding of the course topics.
skills employers are seeking
Create and/or edit written reports:
Create or edit reports: Creating and editing research papers and reports was a major part of this course. Plus it entailed conveying ideas through business and technical writing, rather than just stating your opinion. We had to state our arguments clearly and check for grammatical and formatting errors before submitting them.
Technical knowledge:
Technical knowledge: The writing was a reflection of the material that I learned regarding management and operations within organizations. This course taught me various topics including leadership, HR, strategic planning, entrepreneurship, and achieving goals. All of these are important in marketing, as well as other industries.
Plan, organize and prioritize work:
Having set deadlines and guidelines for papers, meant that I needed to plan out a timeline for when I would research and write my papers. Also, you have to stay organized with online courses, especially when there are multiple writing assignments given at once.