Interpersonal Communication Tools for Financial Communication

Tipo di corso: Master +2
Valore in crediti ECTS: 6
Riferimenti bibliografici sul sito della biblioteca (CoRe)

Academic year 2010/2011 - Fall semester

Objective of the course

The course considers human communication processes in different contexts relevant for finance, focusing on their interpersonal component and their relational quality. The key features of interpersonal communication as opposed to mass communication and routine communication will be introduced and discussed with respect to the different communication flows relevant in the field of finance. Particular attention will be devoted to the advisor-client interpersonal relationship in the context of private banking. Other contexts of communication typical of finance merging features of interpersonal and mass communication will be also addressed, including the interaction of firms with investors and information intermediaries through a variety of written and conversational media (from letters to investors to analysts´ conference calls). Students will be able to build a critical competence in interpersonal communication and, in particular, to identify, analyse, evaluate and develop the key skills for managing appropriate communicative interpersonal interactions within financial institutions.

Content

1. Definition of interpersonal communication.
2. Communication processes and the role of information in finance.
3. Mass communication and interpersonal communication in finance: financial news, earnings announcements, investors´ presentations and conference-calls.
4. The interpersonal relationship in the context of relationship banking.
5. The portrayal of interpersonal relationships in financial advertisement.
6. Features of the advisory dialogue in private banking.
7. Questioning, active listening and inferencing in the advisory dialogue.
8. Explanation and argumentation in the advisory dialogue.
9. The assessment of risk tolerance in the advisory dialogue.
10. Politeness, rapport and trust in the advisory dialogue.

Teaching method

Besides attending classes regularly, students will be expected to take part in a series of exercises, designed to help them practise their communicative skills in writing and speech. In particular, extended role-playing simulations of the private banking dialogue will be held. The course will also see the participation of professionals from the private-banking sector.

References

G. Barone-Adesi, The Role of Inside Information. Financial Disclosure and Value Creation, In S.Russ-Mohl and S.Fengler (eds.), Business Journalism, Corporate Communications, and Newsroom Management, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, 2002. 63-68.
H.H. Clark, Using Language, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 996.
J.E. Corter, Y.-J. Chen, Do investment risk tolerance attitudes predict portfolio risk?, Journal of Business and Psychology, 20/3 (Spring 2006): 369-381.
B. Crawford Camiciottoli, Rhetorical Strategies of Company Executives and Investment Analysts: Textual Metadiscourse in Corporate Earnings Calls, in V. K. Bhatia, M. Gotti (eds.), Explorations in Specialized Genres, Peter Lang, Bern, 2006.
B. Crawford Camiciottoli, Corporate Earnings Calls: a Hybrid Genre?, In I. Fortanet Gomez, J. C. Palmer Silvera, M. Ruiz Garrido (eds.), English for international and intercultural business communication, Peter Lang, Bern, 2007.
G. Del Lungo Camiciotti, Financial News Articles and Financial Information Letters: a Comparison, In: M. Bondi (ed.). Forms of Argumentative Discourse. Per un´analisi linguistica dell´argomentare, Clueb, Bologna, 1998. 195-205.
M. Knapp, J.L. and, A. Daly, Handbook of interpersonal communication. Thousand Oaks, Sage, 2003.
J. Lynch, Psychology of Relationship Banking, Gresham Books, Cambridge, 1996.
E. Rigotti, A. Rocci, Towards a Definition of Communication Context. Studies in Communication Sciences (6)2, 2007.
A. Rocci, R. Palmieri, Financial News between Narrative and Prediction. Paper Presented at the Annual DGPuk conference: Identity and plurality in the Sciences of Communication. University of Lugano, 2 May 2008.
P.S. Rogers, CEO Presentations in conjunction with earning announcements. Management Communication Quarterly , 13/3 (February 2000): 426- 485.
A.S. Skulstad, Rhetorical organization in chairmen´s statements International Journal of Applied Linguistics , 6.1, 1996. 43-63.
K. Sydow, The sociolinguistic basis of managing rapport when overcoming buying objections. Journal of Business Communication 43/ 1, January 2006. 43-66.
A. Trosborg, P. Jorgensen, Business Discourse, Peter Lang, Bern, 2005.