Course Description:
MEDIA 7330 Organizational Communication
| Course Number: | MEDIA 7330 |
| Course Name: | Organizational Communication |
| Course Description: | Organizational communication can be analyzed through quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods research. This course focuses on organizational communication practice and research that examines communication from, with, and about organizations. |
| Prerequisites: | None |
| Level: | Graduate |
| Credits: | 3 |
| Format: | Online |
| Semesters Offered: |
|
| Registration Instructions |
Additional Information
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to
- Develop investigative and diagnostic skills to be better equipped to manage the change process within an organization.
- Effectively manage issues arising from internally planned and externally imposed organizational changes.
- Improve the student's awareness of how people can facilitate change and extend their ability to manage human resources in the context of change.
- Identify the need to lead effective and healthy change within organizations and be able to plan for such change using a variety of ethical strategies and models.
- Analyze how individual and group behaviors act as building blocks to effectuate change in today's organizations.
Demonstrate the ability to communicate and interact with team members.
Unit Descriptions
Unit 1: Introduction to Change
Overview
This unit reviews some important theoretical perspectives on the nature of change and a range of issues and choices that need to be considered when developing an approach to managing change. An examination of some of the issues associated with starting the change process will be encountered. Most important is translating the need for change into a desire for change. Organizational diagnosis is concerned with identifying what needs to be changed. Organizational behavior, at all its different levels, is a complex phenomenon and it is impossible for managers to pay attention to every aspect of organizational functioning. Diagnostic models help change managers cope with this complexity.
Unit 2: Managing People Issues
Overview
People issues need to be attended to throughout the whole change process. A common mistake is to treat the early stages of starting the change and diagnosis and goal setting as purely technical activities. Too often, too little attention is given to political and motivational issues early on. It is not unusual for 'expert' change agent to decide when and where change is required and to define change objectives without taking into account the concerns of stakeholders or recognizing the ways in which they can contribute to or sabotage the change process. This unit also examines some of the issues that change managers need to attend to, after they have diagnosed what needs to be changed, in order to decide how to achieve the required change.
Unit 3: Creating Change Plans and Implementing Them
Introduction
Creating a change plan is just one of the steps needed to create change in your organization. Implementation is the step in the change process that involves taking action to bring about change. This module reviews the theory that underpins nine types of intervention and considers how each can be used to secure change.
Unit 4 - Reviewing Change
Introduction
This unit will review the entire change process. Lewin argued that all too often change is short-lived. After a 'shot-in-the-arm', life returns to the way it was before. In his view, it is not enough to think of change in terms of simply reaching a new state. For lasting change to occur, we need to identify tools that will assist the organization in holding onto the gains realized by our change initiative. Without this lasting change, the organization cannot reach its full potential. Gaining insights into what tools can be used to make change stick is essential.
Number of Exams
There are no exams for this course.
Number of Assignments
There are 6 discussions, 2 evaluation papers, and a literature review for this course.
Number of Projects
There are no group projects for this course.
Grading Information
Autobiography – 5% of final grade
Write a two to three page autobiography. It should include your name and all of the following:
- Information about your career goals. (10 points)
- Work experience or life experiences that will enhance your learning in this course. (10 points)
- Two expectations you have for the course. (20 points)
- What is your intended major at UW-Platteville, your grade level (i.e. Senior, Junior, etc), anticipated graduation date and any consideration for graduate school (10 points)
- Proper Grammar/Spelling/Punctuation/Formatting. (10 points)
Class Participation – 22% of final grade
This will NOT be an instructor- led lecture-based course; thus, active and student- led discussion and engagement of issues and topics will form the foundation of this course. Active participation in all class activities is necessary.
Weekly Assignments – 36% of final grade
Case studies and exercises from the textbook will be due on a weekly basis. There are a total of 13 weekly assignments due during the class.
Leadership Theory Paper – 14% of final grade
This paper will focus on leadership theory. Select a recent (within the last 10 years) research-based article from scholarly journals that focuses on a leadership theory that you feel is best suited for the industry you may ultimately work within. A list of suggested scholarly resources is posted in Desire2Learn to provide you a starting point for selecting an appropriate article. If you find an article that you want to summarize that is not from a journal, contact your instructor for approval before you move forward with the paper.
Write a 3-4 page paper summarizing the article, its findings, and how it relates to topics that are covered in this class. Further, discuss your opinion about the quality, importance, and relevance of the article to real-world application. Also, write about how you can apply what you learned from this article on leadership theory within the workplace. Please remember to cite your article. You must post a copy of the article to the Dropbox, along with your paper.
Grading Scale
Applicability to leadership theory 20 points
Length of paper 20 points
Submitted on time 20 points
Appropriate article 20 points
Grammar/Proper formatting 20 points
Relevance of article/Defended use of article 25 points
Lesson learned from article 25 points
TOTAL 150 points
Performance Appraisal Paper – 9% of final grade
This paper will focus on performance appraisal. Select a recent (within the last 10 years) research-based article from scholarly journals that focuses on an appropriate performance appraisal method that you feel is best suited for the industry you may ultimately work within. A list of suggested scholarly resources is posted in Desire2Learn to provide you a starting point for selecting an appropriate article. If you find an article that you want to summarize that is not from a journal, contact your instructor for approval before you move forward with the paper.
Write a 3-4 page paper summarizing the article, its findings, and how it relates to topics discussed in class. Further, discuss your opinion about the quality, importance, and relevance of the article to real-world application. Also, write about how you can apply what you learned from this article on performance appraisal within the workplace. Please remember to cite your article. You must post a copy of the article to the Dropbox, along with your paper
Grading Scale
Applicability to Improving Performance Appraisals 20 points
Submitted on time 20 points
Appropriate Article 20 points
Grammar/Proper Formatting 20 points
Lesson learned from article 20 points
TOTAL 100 points
Final Exam – 14% of final grade
Summary of Final Grade Composition
Autobiography 5%
Class participation 22%
Weekly assignments 36%
Leadership Theory paper 14%
Performance Appraisal paper 9%
Final Exam 14%
TOTAL 100%