Communication three9two Required Work

 

1.  There will be no exams or quizzes. We will learn by doing.  In this course "learning by doing" wil be taken to mean
     reading, writing, and speaking.

2.  Each learner will be responsible for preparing ONE  case studyr eports.  The "deliverables" (hip business talk) for
     each case report will be a seven page essay and a 30 minute presentation in which you lead the class in the
     discussion of a particular case. On the day your assigned case study is discussed you will present your
     presentation and be responsible for leading the class discussion.  This does not mean reading from a PowerPoint slides.
     If you can not give your presentation without your PowerPoint slides you are not prepared, so don't bother. For the
     presentation schedule see the Course Calendar  or the Presentation Schedule at a Glance If you stand behind the podium
     and read from notes you will not get a very good grade. 

3.  We will read 31 Case Studies.  Each student will submit reading summaries for 25 of the case studies.
     The reading summary must answer specified discussion questions (see the Discuss Question Master List). Each reading
     summary:
               a) must answer the discussion questions for each case which are high-lightened in yellow.
               b) must be at least 250 words in length (approximately one page)
               c) must be written in narrative/paragraph style and not rely on listing
               d) is due at the start of each class period.
               e) you are not required to submit a reading summary for you individual case of the cases of your team
 

4.  Each team will be responsible for preparing TWO case study reports  The "deliverables' (cool business talk) for each
     case report will be a seven page essay and a 30 minute presentation in which you lead the class in the the
     discussion of a particular case.   Your are expected interact with the class and one another.   If you just get up and
     given a Com 103 panel presentation (one person talks, than the next person talks, than the next person talks) you
     will not get a very good grade.  On the day your team's assigned case study is discussed your team will present your
     presentation and be responsible for leading the class discussion.  This does not mean reading from a PowerPoint slides.
     If you can not give your presentation without your PowerPoint slides you are not prepared, so don't bother. For the
     presentation schedule see the Course Calendar  or the Presentation Schedule at a Glance  If any member of your team
     stands behind the podium and reads from their notes (appearing to no real clue what he or she is talking about)
      your team will not get a very good grade.  No essay required fro the first team presentation (Fall 2009)  Just the PowerPoint

5. The individual and team case reports will:

• be at least 7 pages double-space

• will use APA Style for internal references/citations and the list references a the conclusion of the essay  

• use as least ten sources in addition to the textbook (5 sources must come from the case References and Resources (which are linked off the course calendar for each casae.

• use at ten 25 to 50 word quotations from authority other than the textbook - four of which must come from academic resources (books and journals)

• contain at least 14 hyperlinks which take readers ]

• to resources which amplify and elaborate the information contained in the case.

5) All presentations will employ PowerPoint. Click here for the criteria which  will be used to evaluate the public
    presentation. 

6) Each Case Report and PowerPoint presentation will ask and answer the following questions

I.  What are the key theoretical of conceptual concepts that can be used to illuminate the nature of the case?
               A.
               B.
               C.
II.  What are the obstacles or challenges confronted by the key player(s) In this case?
               A.
               B.
               C
III. What strategies were used or used to overcome obstacle and achieve goals?  How would you assess the 
     effectiveness of these strategies?
             A.
             B.
             C

IV.  Functioning as a communication consultant, what recommendations would you make or enhance
     communication and organizational effectiveness,  what were the "lessons learned?  (These recommendations
     and lesson learned  should flow from your understanding of the key theoretical and conceptual concepts
     for each case).

            A.
            B.
            C.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inoperative This Semester

Course Assignments 

Cultural Comparison Project.  With a partner, you will compare and contrast cultures for two competing organizations. Compare cultures based on theories and concepts discussed in chapter 5 of the textbook. For example, what are the cultures’ artifacts and creations? What might you conclude about their values? Basic assumptions? How would you compare/contrast the two organizations? Do you think their cultures have been fostered by management for particular reasons? Which would you want to work for? Do business with? Once you have collected your data, you are to create a PowerPoint presentation (You will prepare storyboards, but not actually present it.) comprised of approximately 15 slides which would enable an audience to realize differences in the organizations’ cultures. These organizations can be local, national or international. Although you could conceivably collect data for these organizations without stepping foot in them (e.g., collecting data off the Web, comparing advertisements), the best projects will probably also include visits to local establishments.

Each learner will conduct a Career Field interview. Each student will conduct an interview with someone
     having a job relevant to organizational communication, and write a 3 to 5 page paper summarizing their
     experience.  Click here to  see the specific requirements of the assignment.  This essay is due on the
     the last day of regularly scheduled class, and each student is expect to give a short informal presentation
     presenting the results of thier interview to the class.

Reaction Papers – 50 points (25/ paper)

Twice in the semester, you will turn in a short paper on the key concepts learned in class. I will give you the topic and key terms to cover in the paper. You will reflect on what you learned during the weeks, provide examples from your organizational (work, volunteer) experience that relate to class discussions, and provide your understanding of what was taught. The paper should be 3-4 pages, should use 12-point font, and should be double spaced with 1 inch margins. Each report is worth 25 points. By the end of the semester, you will have turned in two papers.

Approximately 20 written analyses of case studies are required.  Each will serve as a means of
     demonstrating your critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making skills.  You will be applying
     course content and knowledge of communication principles and theories to solve various
     communication problems in organizations.   First read the case overview and discussion questions linked
     off the course calendar for each case we will read.

Group Case Study Presentations –– 30 points (presentation) + 30 points (report) = 60 points

A pre-selected group will present their case study to the class. The group will have to choose a group leader and will need to work cooperatively and cohesively for a successful presentation. Case studies and groups will be assigned in advance.
Presentation: Each group will make a case study presentation. You will take on the roles of organizational communication consultants and present the problem(s) and solution in the case study as well as your recommended suggestions to your audience and me. You will be graded on the thoroughness of your presentation, the use of organizational communication concepts and key terms and the practicality of the solutions presented. Please note that this assignment calls for you to present your case study and not read it. Reading your case study and your notes will lead to loss of points. You may bring a visual aid. Professional attire is encouraged.
 

Report: Group members will work together to write a report. The group will choose a leader who is responsible for emailing me, 24 hours prior to your presentation, the following in a Word document attachment:
(1) the topic of your case study
(2) the purpose
(3) the problem/situation
(4) the main issues in the case study
(5) the main characters and a brief description of each
(6) your solutions
(7) the rationale for your solutions, and the reasons why and how they will work.

The attachment should also include the names of all group members. This is worth 20 points. The report has to be in the Times New Roman font in 12-point size and double spaced with a one-inch border.
Audience: The responsibilities of the other groups/audience members not presenting is to ask questions and provide feedback. On the day you are an audience member, you will be graded on how you participate post-presentation in the form of asking questions, providing comments, feedback, suggestions, alternative options and solutions. I will be making a note of who participates in these discussions.
Attendance on Case Study presentation days is mandatory for everyone. Absence without a valid reason as has been discussed and excused by me in advance, will lead to a loss of 5 participation points for the audience member. Loss of points for absence on the day of your presentation will be determined by your group members.

Portfolio – 80 points (8 reports)

The portfolio assignment gives you an opportunity to stay up-to-date on current events pertaining to organizations. You will collect eight news stories about organizations (e.g., corporations, non-profits, military). When you find a news story of interest, please print it out or make a photocopy of it and place it in your folder. The items should include one access date (the dates that print at the bottom of your paper, as in the date you accessed them) from August, two access dates from September and October and three from November.

You may collect news stories from the following sources: (1) international news magazines such as Newsweek, Time, U.S. News and World Report; (2) national and local newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The News and Observer; (3) professional trade journals such as Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, Personnel, Human Resources, Business Ethics, and Public Relations; (4) local or national television news programs such as the CBS Evening News; (5) television programs such as 20/20, Nightline, and 60 Minutes; (6) radio or TV talk programs such as National Public Radio; or 7) the Internet. If you use the Internet, keep in mind that not all web sites meet academic standards of credibility. Please see me if you have concerns about what websites are considered credible sources.

On the other side of your transparent folder sheet, you will need to write a one-page report (typed) on the significance and context of that story and why you chose it. You will also have to link the contents of that story to key organizational communication concepts learned in class.

By the end of the semester, your portfolio should have 8 items. Make sure you are able to provide a hard copy of the item you choose. For example, if you listen to something on a television show and think it will make a good addition to your portfolio; make sure you can find the same information on the television channel’s website so you can print it off.
Your portfolio will be graded on the quality of the items you chose and the supporting analysis report you wrote. This assignment is worth 80 points.

Group Project – Organizational Communication & Culture – 80 points

You will be assigned to a group and as a group you have to choose an organization to study its culture. The studying of culture typically involves many steps but for this project, I would like you to focus on two, observation and interviews. You project report will be 8-10 pages in length not including a references page. You will also have to turn in a 2 pages self-reflection paper. You will have to work as a group and get all the required permissions from the organization you choose and include that with your report. Details will be provided at a later date.

Participation & Attendance – 30 points

Attendance will be taken every class period. While points will not be taken off for missing class, there might be activities held on certain class days with points assigned to them that you might lose for not being present. If the absence is because of extenuating circumstances, appropriate documentation will have to be provided to make up missed points. You are expected to participate in class activities and discussions. I encourage you to ask any and every question you might have about the material covered in class. I welcome your thoughts, views, opinions, sharing of experiences, workplace anecdotes and other workplace stories that you might have to contribute. Please feel free to jump in and participate actively.