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Professor:

Office Hours: Required Materials:

COMM 604 Theories of Organizational Communication Spring 2010 Wednesdays 6:00 8:45 p.m., McEwen 204 Kim Weller Gregory, Ph.D. Dana 102C 704.277.6773 (c) gregoryk@queens.edu Monday & Wednesday: 5 6 p.m. And By Appointment Textbook: Eisenberg, E.M., Goodall, H.L., Jr., & Trethewey, A. (2010). Organizational Communication: Balancing Creativity and Constraint (6th Edition). Boston: Bedford/St. Martins. Supplemental Readings: Additional readings will be posted on the Queens online learning management system, Moodle (see more information below). CD-ROM or Memory Stick: Please submit your final Reflection Journal on a CD or memory stick (see more below). I am happy to return it at your request.

Course Objectives: Since the dawn of the modern organization during the Industrial Revolution, managers and employees have been challenged to understand and manage organizational life, including its structures, processes, and strategies. Together, practitioners and academics have forged theories of management and organizing that help to explain and predict how organizations work.

Several theories were developed that focus solely on organizational communicationits functions, forms, and consequences. This course explores the major schools of management and organizational communication theory. We will see how each theoretical perspective both empowers and constrains a particular view of how organizations communicate.

We will also explore how these theories frame various processes of organizational communication, from organizational change to identity and learning. The specific objectives of this course are to: 1. explore the major schools of organizational communication theory; 2. understand the role of communication in creating, maintaining, and changing organizations; 3. appreciate how theoretical conceptions can help us understand communication processes in the organizations to which we belong; and 4. to be able to apply those theoretical concepts so that you can understand and improve communication in the organizations in which you are involved.

General Expectations If you take this course, here is my promise to you: I will do my best as the instructor to make this class educational, practical and interesting. I will also try to facilitate a supportive learning environment. In addition, I promise to regard you as a professional and treat you with respect. I will assume that you are trying your best to meet course deadlines and complete high-quality assignments given your multiple commitments and roles, both professional and personal. But I cannot provide you with a positive learning experience without your active involvement. Here is what I expect from you: I expect you to come to class prepared, energized, and ready to participate. Although assignment deadlines are firm, I expect you to come talk to me should you have problems completing assignments so that we can work together to develop a solution. I welcome you to contact me if you have suggestions or concerns about the class. Specific Expectations Connections: QMail: Due to FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) regulations, I will contact you through your QMail email account (Link: http://qmail.queens.edu) rather than your personal or work email. Please check that account regularly or forward incoming emails to a preferred account. Moodle: I will post general course announcements on Moodle, Queens virtual learning environment (a section of myQueens; see http://moodle.queens.edu/). Please check our Moodle course site regularly, or you may sign up to have postings forwarded to your email account. Class Discussion Forum: Moodle also includes a class discussion forum. I encourage you to use this tool as a means for sharing information and asking questions of your classmates and me. I encourage you to have postings forwarded to your email account.

3 Assignments: Please submit assignments electronically to gregoryk@queens.edu by 6 p.m. on the assigned day. Any assignments submitted to me after that time will be considered late. Typically, any late assignment that I choose to accept is penalized a minimum of one letter grade for each class meeting that it is late. Unless otherwise noted, assignments should be typed double-spaced in 12-point font with 1-inch margins and follow APA style guidelines. Please save documents in MS Word format (not PDF) and include your last name and the name of the assignment in the document name (e.g., Smith, Reflection Paper 1 . . . . ). Writing: As students in a graduate program, I assume that your writing will be clear, coherent, and error free. If you feel like your writing skills need a significant amount of work, I urge you to make an appointment at the Center for Academic Success Writing Center located in the lower level of Dana. (contact Jenn Goddu at godduj@queens.edu or 704.688.2765; also see http://www.queens.edu/studentlife/resources/writing_center.asp) Grading: All written assignments will receive letter grades that will be converted to a numerical score for final grade computation. The grading scale is as follows: A 100 90 Superior work. Creative. B 89 80 Good work. Could improve in one of these areas: ideas, argument, or grammar. C 79 70 Adequate work. Could improve in two of these areas: ideas, argument, or grammar. F 69 & below Unacceptable work. Reflects unacceptable level of commitment or skill. Class Attendance: A great deal of learning in this course comes from our in-class discussions, so it is important that you attend class consistently. You may miss 1 class meeting with no penalty. However, for each additional absence, you will receive a 5-point reduction from your final participation grade. Occasionally, an additional absence will be excused, but you must provide me with advance notice and compelling justification for the absence. In addition, this course meets 12 times over the semester. Therefore, a student who misses class more than 3 times (and thus misses more than 1/3 of the class meetings) will receive a failing grade in the course. Confidentiality: Confidentiality on all papers and projects will be honored. The names of people or organizations may be changed for your coursework. Please see me if you have any questions or concerns about your paper or project. University Closings/Cancelled Classes: On the rare occasion when it is necessary to close the university because of an emergency or inclement weather, announcements will be posted on the Queens web site (www.queens.edu).

4 It is advised that you also sign up for QAlert (www.queens.edu/alert), which will notify you via text and/or voicemail of any important information. Students may also call the Queens Information Hotline (704-337-2567). If classes are meeting but you feel that you cannot find a safe way to get to class, notify me via email or phone. Should I need to cancel class, I will notify you by sending out a message on Moodle. Honor Code & Plagiarism: The Honor Code, which permeates all phases of university life, is based on three fundamental principles. It assumes that Queens students: a) are truthful at all times, b) respect the property of others, and c) are honest in tests, examinations, term papers, and all other academic assignments. Plagiarism is representing anothers words or thoughts as ones own, and it is a clear violation of Queens Honor Code. It can take many forms, including word-for-word plagiarism or paraphrasing without providing proper citation of source. To learn more, visit the Queens Center for Academic Success located in the basement of Dana (http://www.queens.edu/studentlife/resources/academicresourcecenter.asp) or the following website: http://www.plagiarism.org/. Please contact me if you have any questions or believe a violation of the Honor Code has occurred. Intellectual Property Policy: Queens University of Charlotte faculty and students adhere to the Queens Intellectual Property Policy. See Faculty Handbook, http://moodle.queens.edu, and the Queens University of Charlotte website at http://www.queens.edu. Disability Accommodations: If you are a student with a verified disability and you require accommodations, please provide me with the necessary memorandum that was given to you by Student Disability Services. Contact: The Coordinator of Disability Services: Sandy Rogelberg, 704-337-2508. CORE ASSIGNMENTS Exams 35% Midterm Exam 15% Final Exam 20% Reflection Journal 35% Journal Check 15% Final Journal 20% Case Study Facilitation 15% Participation 15% Including 2-minute Reporter Presentation

ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTIONS EXAMS 35% You will take a midterm exam and a final exam. The test format is multiple choice and true- false. The tests include material from all of the chapters, supplement readings, and class lectures during the time period identified on the syllabus. I will provide you with a study sheet to help you prepare for each exam. Although the final exam is scheduled during the final class period, it is not cumulative. The midterm exam grade is weighed less heavily than the final exam grade to give you a chance to learn the exam style. REFLECTION JOURNAL 35%

You will create a reflection journal that provides you with an opportunity to apply course concepts to a real-life organizational setting and heighten your understanding of theories of organizational communication. The journal will consist of six reflection papers on specific topics. Papers should be no shorter than 3 pages and no longer than 4 pages and should adhere to the standards of good writing. Albeit brief, each reflection paper should include: An introduction that introduces your topic and offers a brief thesis that will guide the rest of your journal entry a body that includes a description of your assignment, your findings, and your analysis of it. It is at this point in the assignment that you should directly apply course concepts to illuminate your findings or opinions. NOTE: No paper will earn an A grade unless it integrates course materials into the assignment in a substantial, relevant, and creative manner. and, most importantly, a conclusion that summarizes your main thoughts and key learnings. I am always looking for the So What? answer in any conclusion. Be sure that you proofread your work eliminating any spelling, grammatical, and formatting errors. Your grades will be based in part on the quality of your writing.

You will submit your first three reflection papers at a designated checkpoint early in the semester so that you can receive feedback (worth 15%). Your final journal (worth 25%) should include the following: an original version of your first three papers with my comments embedded in it the three new reflection papers and an introduction (see below). Following are the topics for each reflection paper. However, feel free to discuss additional material related to each topic if you feel it is interesting or relevant. Reflection Paper 1: The Changing World of Work See Supplement Pack: Miller, K., Case Study: Charting the Changing Nature of Work, pp. 301- 302. Interview only 2 people. Reflect on your findings in your journal. Reflection Paper 2: Classic Management Visit a major fast-food restaurant location (but eat there at your own risk!) and observe the organizational processes of the restaurant and its employees, such as: How are employees acting and completing their job duties? What do you think is the management philosophy of the restaurant? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this management approach? What do you think are the pros and cons for employees working under this particular management approach? Reflect on your findings in a journal entry, especially as it relates to our discussion of classic management approaches. You might want to consider issues of communication flow, motivation, employee and customer satisfaction, and efficiency/productivity. If it is helpful, you may want to reflect on other workplaces or industries that also employ classic management. Reflection Paper 3: Systems Theory & Retrospective Sensemaking Consider a particular organization of which you are a member. In what ways does that organization employ retrospective sensemaking to make sense of its current reality or situation? Do they employ it effectively? Does this organization ever rely on blame to explain its reality?

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How can we improve organizational effectiveness using systems theory? Feel free to incorporate other Systems Theory or Weick concepts that we discussed in class (i.e., other qualities of sensemaking, self-organizing systems, equivocality reduction, requisite variety, plausibility, causal chains, etc.) Reflection Paper 4: Organizational Culture Describe the organizational culture of a successful organizationeither one that you participate in or a well-known, Fortune 500-type company (e.g., Google, Apple, Southwest Airlines). What makes this culture effective? Most importantly, what can we learn from taking a cultural approach to studying organizations that we cant learn from the other theoretical approaches we have studied so far? Reflection Paper 5: Critical Theory & Hegemony Use a critical lens to view your world. In what ways are you exploited and oppressed by the organizations you participate in? (You can choose to limit your discussion to one or two organizations if it is easier.) What ideologies are revealed when you take a critical approach to studying these organizations? What examples of hegemony can you see? Are you complicit in your oppression? (See note below) ***Note: Following our March 31 class meeting, add a paragraph in which you suggest ways your might resist your oppression and/or create more organizational democracy. Reflection Paper 6: New Forms of Organizing Option 1: Virtual Teams Interview someone on a virtual/geographically dispersed team. Based on your discussion and your course readings, what are the advantages and unique challenges associated with being a member of this type of team? How do they create a balance between productivity and cohesiveness? Discuss team dynamics such as roles, norms, decision making, and conflict. Option 2: Organizational Democracy and Learning Based on course readings and in-class discussion, reflect on Deetz idea of organizational democracy and Senges notion of organizational learning. What is the viability of these ideas given todays complex marketplace? What are the constraints to achieving them? What role can dialogue play?

Final Journal Addition: The Introduction In no more than one page, prepare an introduction for your reflection journal in which you contextualize your reflection papers for the reader (me). Summarize the realities of current organizational life and how your papers reflect some of the key factors at play today. In your mind, what are some of the key challenges of todays organizations? Can employees maintain a coherent identity in todays work environment? If so, how? What can organizations and employees (you, specifically) do to prepare themselves for the next decade and Economy X? CASE STUDY 15% Several class meetings, we will examine a case study that explores the real-life applicability of a particular course topic. Together with two classmates of your choosing, you will facilitate an assigned case study for the class. Take some time before your assigned class period to review the case and to come up with some intriguing questions to ask the class about the scenario. That night in class, begin with a very brief (one-minute) summary of your case (remember we all read it) then facilitate our discussion of it, being sure to draw connections directly to course materialparticularly material from that night. Do your best to keep things relevant and interesting. Consider using a class exercise to facilitate discussion. Submit to me (hard copy in class) the questions that you prepared to ask the class as well as your opinion of the answer to those questions. Note: A few of the case studies are quite brief and do not provide you with many details. Please make assumptions about the case and create a more detailed scenario. Inform the rest of the class about the details during your summary. Case Study Topics Case Study 1: Human Relations & Human Resources Perspectives The Ethics of the Family Friendly Organization: Challenges and Tensions Related to Multiple Life Perspectives (Medved & Novak, 2006). Case Study 2: Critical Theory

The Wal-Mart Way: Community Service or Sneaky Exploitation? (Brewer, 2006)

Case Study 3: Identity & Difference in Organizations Keeping It Real: Race, Difference, and Corporate Ethics at Coca-Cola (Parker, 2006) Case Study 4: Teams The Team that Wasnt (Wetlaufer, 1994) PARTICIPATION 15% Contributions to class discussion, completion of required but ungraded in-class assignments and exercises, and class attendance will be counted heavily toward the total participation grade in the course. In addition, each member of the class will offer one in-class 2-minute reporter presentation over the course of the semester as part of their participation grade. 2-Minute Reporter This assignment is designed to facilitate discussion and understanding of how course concepts apply in the real world. For one assigned class period, your job will be to provide us with a real life/practical example of what we have been discussing or educate us about new issues/trends that we have not covered. Scour print and media sources (newspapers, magazines, journals, radio programs, news sites on the internet) for an article relating to an aspect of the course (ideally a concept related to the topic of the night). Note: Keep in mind that the definition of organization is quite broad; thus, you can report on corporations, community groups, government agencies, hospitals, churches, sports teams, etc. Or, you may choose to report on an issue instead of a particular organization. Select one substantial article (more than two pages) on which to report. In no more than two minutes, summarize and informally present the content of your article to the class. After you present the general content, you have exactly three minutes to 1) share why you thought the article was important; (2) demonstrate how it relates to organizational

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communication; 3) identify the kinds of questions it raises, and 4) solicit feedback or questions from your classmates. Since we will listen to one or two reporter presentations per class period, it is imperative that your presentation not last more than five minutes. In fact, if need be, Ill cut you off, so to speak. Please bring me a copy of your article with complete reference information. If you feel your article is especially interesting or pertinent to class discussion, then please make copies for everyone in the class. Please do your best to make these presentations informative and interesting.

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE * See complete references of readings (and web links when applicable) below. DATE Jan 20 DISCUSSION TOPICS IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES Introduction to Course The Changing World of Work Defining Organizational Communication Case Studies Assigned Early Theoretical Perspectives: Scientific Management & Other Classical Approaches In class case study: The Creamy Creations Takeover 2-minute Reporter Dates Assigned Early Theoretical Perspectives: Human Relations Human Resources Case Study 1: The Ethics of the Family Friendly Organization READINGS DUE (1) Text: Ch. 1 & Ch. 2 (pp. 26-36 only)

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ASSIGNMENTS DUE

Jan 27

Feb 3

(1) Miller (2003) Case Study 1, pp. 301-302 (for Journal) (2) Miller, Ch. 1 (3) Miller In-class Case Study, pp. 24-25 (bring copy to class) (4) Grow (2006) (online; see links for all online readings below) (1) Miller, Chs. 2 & 3 (2) (Case Study) Medved & Novak (2006)

Reflection Paper 1 Completed

Reflection Paper 2 Completed Case Study Group 1 Presents

DATE DISCUSSION TOPICS IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES READINGS DUE (1) Text: Ch. 3 (pp. 79-92 only) (2) Wheatley (1994) (3) Stamps (1997) (online) (4) Weick (1995), Ch. 1 & 2 (5) Weick (1996) (6) Senge (1990) (skim as example of systems theory) (1) Text: Ch. 4 (2) Rolfe & Troob (2001)

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ASSIGNMENTS DUE Warning: Lots of Reading!

Feb 10 Contemporary Approaches: Systems Theory Self-organizing Weicks Sensemaking

Feb 17 Contemporary Approaches: Organizational Culture Feb 24 Mar 3 MIDTERM EXAM Critical Perspectives Power & Ideology Hegemony Marginalized voices Case Study 2: The Wal-Mart Way: Communication Service or Sneaky Exploitation?

(1) Text: Ch. 5 (2) Deetz (1992) (3) Ehrenreich (1992) (4) Cheney (2006) Ch 9 (5) (Case Study) Brewer (2006)

Reflection Paper 3 Completed 1st Journal Checkpoint (Papers 1, 2, & 3) Prepare for Midterm Exam Reflection Paper 4 Completed Case Study Group 2 Presents

DATE DISCUSSION TOPICS IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES READINGS DUE

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ASSIGNMENTS DUE NO CLASS Reflection Paper 5 Completed

Mar 10 SPRING BREAK Mar 17 Postmodernism Fact vs. Fiction Authenticity Branding

Mar 24 Critical Realism Communicating Differences Gender Case Study 3: Keeping It Real: Race, Difference, and Corporate Ethics at Coca-Cola Mar 31 New Forms of Organizing Teams & Networks Organizational Learning Organizational Democracy Dialogue

(1) Gergen (1991) (2) Peyser (2007) (online) (3) Breen (2007) (online) (4) Cheney et. al. (2006) Ch 5 (5) Brady (2007) (online) (1) Potter & Lopez (2001) (2) Text: Ch. 6 (3) (Case Study) Parker (2006) (4) Tischler (2004) (online) (1) Text: Ch. 7 & Ch. 2 (pp. 38-51 only) (2) (Case Study) Wetlaufer (1994) (3) Fishman (1999) (online) (4) Badal (2007) (online) (5) Conlin (2006) (online) (6) Coy (2007) (online)

Case Study Group 3 Presents

Reflection Paper 6 Completed Case Study Group 4 Presents

Case Study 4: The Team that Wasnt

DATE Apr 7 DISCUSSION TOPICS IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES No Class READINGS DUE

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ASSIGNMENTS DUE Catch up! Add paragraph to Reflection Paper 5 (see assignment)

Apr 14 Organizational Alignment Strategy Globalization Technology & Privacy

(1) Text: Ch. 9 (2) Cheney et. al. Ch 13 (3) Newman (2006) (online) (4) Friedman (2005) (1) Zolli (2006) (online) (2) Cullen (2006) (online) (3) Marston (2005)

Final Journal Due w/ Introduction

Apr 21 Preparing Yourself for the Next Economy Changing Demographics Managing Yourself

Prepare for Final Exam

Apr 28 FINAL EXAM

References Badal, J. (2007, April 23). Can a company be run as a democracy? Wall Street Journal.

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http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=39&did=1258699431&SrchMode=1&sid=2&Fmt=3&V Inst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1200281867&clientId=15037 Brady, D. (2007). Creating brand you. Business Week. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_34/b4047419.htm?chan=search Breen, B. (2007). Who do you love? Fast Company. http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/115/features-who-do-you-love.html Brewer, E. C. (2006). The Wal-Mart way: Community service or sneaky exploitation? In S.K. May (Ed.). Case studies in organizational communication: Ethical perspectives and practices. (pp. 59-74). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Cheney, G., Christensen, L. T., Zorn, Jr., T., & Ganesh, S. (2006). Organizational communication in an age of globalization: Issues, reflections, practices. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press. Conlin, M. (2006). Smashing the clock. Business Week. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16040492/ Coy, P. (2007). Cog or co-worker? Business Week. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_34/b4047409.htm?chan=search Cullen, L. T. (2006). Not quite ready to retire. Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1161224,00.html Deetz, S. (1992). Democracy in an age of corporate colonization: Developments in the communication and the politics of everyday life. NJ: SUNY Press. Ehrenreich, B. (2002). Nickel and dimed: On (not) getting by in America. New York: Holt.

Fishman, C. (1999). Engines of democracy. Fast Company, 28, 174. http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/28/ge.html

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Friedman, T. L. (2005). The world is flat: A brief history of the twenty-first century. Farrar, Straus, & Giroux. Gergen, K. (1991). The saturated self: Dilemmas of identity in contemporary life. NY: Basic Books. Grow, B. (2006). Renovating Home Depot. BusinessWeek. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/06_10/b3974001.htm Marston, C. (2005). Peter Pan in the workforce: Understanding the new generations of employees. Ventures Charlotte, 28-32. Medved, C. E., & Novak, D. R. (2006). The ethics of the family friendly organization: Challenges and tensions related to multiple life perspectives. In S.K. May (Ed.). Case studies in organizational communication: Ethical perspectives and practices. (pp. 49-58). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Miller, K. (2003). Organizational communication: Approaches & processes. (3rd ed.). Newman, R. J. (2006). Can America keep up? Why so many smart folks fear that the United States is falling behind in the race for global economic leadership. US News & World Report. Retrieved January 13, 2008 from http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/060327/27global.htm Parker, P.S. (2006). Keeping it real: Race, difference, and corporate ethics at Coca-Cola. In S.K. May (Ed.). Case studies in organizational communication: Ethical perspectives and practices. (pp. 169-184). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Peyser, M. (2006). The truthiness teller. Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/id/56881 Rolfe, J, & Troob, P. (2001). Monkey business: Swinging through the Wall Street jungle. New York: Business Plus.

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Senge, P. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York: Broadway Business. Stamps, D. (1997, April). The self-organizing system. Manage Smarter. http://www.trainingmag.com/msg/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1505117 Tischler, L. (2004). Where are the women? Fast Company, 79, 52. http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/79/women.html Weick, K. (1995). Sensemaking in organizations: Foundations for organizational science. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Weick, K. (1996). Prepare your organization to fight fires. Harvard Business Review, 74, 143- 148. Wetlaufer, S. (1994). The team that wasnt. Harvard Business Review, 72, 22-26. Wheatley, M. (1994). Quantum management. Working Woman, 19(10), 16-20. Zolli, A. (2006). Demographics: The population hourglass. Fast Company,103, 56. http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/103/open_essay-demographics.html

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