Comm 434 - Communication for Business and Government CRN: 23263
Spring 2006, MWF 9:30-10:55 a.m., MUS 112
Professor: Donna Simmons
Office Hours: Wed., 12:30-2 p.m.; Thursday, 9-11:30 a.m.; or by appointment
Office Location: BDC 224
Telephone: 654-6232
E-Mail:
Web Page:
Course Description
This course is designed to introduce you to communication concepts, theories and practices in business, government, and other professional settings. The ability to communicate effectively and understand communication processes and practices in organizational settings are among the most important competencies you can develop to be successful in the workplace and other professional situations. As the “boundary spanner” in your organization, public relations professionals have a particular responsibility to understand communication processes and practices in the organization.
Objectives
If you attend class, read assigned materials, and complete the class projects, at the conclusion of this course you should accomplish the following objectives.
You will
1. understand the basic structure and communication practices in work organizations.
2. be able to define organizational climate and culture.
3. understand the basic elements of resume and cover letter writing.
4. understand and be able to apply the basic elements of the employment interview.
5. be able to prepare and present a sales/marketing presentation to a potential public relations client.
6. understand the role of listening and feedback in organizational settings.
7. recognize and understand interpersonal politics and power issues in organizations.
8. be able to work in groups and teams in organizations.
9. be knowledgeable about risk and crisis communication in contemporary organizations.
Text and Other Reading Material
REQUIRED:
Text:Business and Professional Communication: Plans, Processes, and Performance, 3rd Edition, 2005, by James R. DiSanza and Nancy J. Legge. Publisher: Pearson Education, Allyn and Bacon. ISBN: 0-2-5-45355-4
Readings as Assigned
Course Policies
Readings: You are expected to complete the readings PRIOR to class. You will be expected to demonstrate your understanding of the readings and your ability to apply the concepts contained in the readings by your participation in class discussions.
Attendance: Attendance is expected and required. Missed classes and consistently late arrival to class will result in the lowering of your final grade for the class. NOTE: If you miss a class in which an announcement was made that affects the class or class assignments, you will still be responsible for knowing this information.
Deadlines:Students unable to take an exam because of serious, unavoidable circumstances should let me know before the exam so that a make-up exam may be scheduled. Make-up exams must be taken within one week of the original date of the exam. Late papers will be penalized one full grade. The highest grade a late paper can receive is a B. Late papers will not be accepted in class. You must turn in late papers to Tina Giblin in BDC 248. She will date and time stamp your paper and give it to me.
Plagiarism and Academic Integrity: The CSUB Bulletin (2003-2005) states (page 80) “the principles of truth and integrity are recognized as fundamental to a community of teachers and scholars.” By becoming a student at CSUB you enter this community. Two ways you can weaken and hurt this community are ACADEMIC DISHONESTY (CHEATING) and PLAGIARISM. The catalog defines cheating as “fraud and deception to improve a grade or obtain course credit.” Plagiarism is copying others’ work and/or using their ideas or language and claiming it as your own intentionally or unintentionally. Plagiarism is using word-for-word or almost word-for-word language from a book or web site or other source without using quotation marks (if in a written document) and giving credit to the original author or making changes to the wording without giving credit to the original author. Whenever you use the original ideas of others without giving them credit, both verbally and in writing, you are plagiarizing. Plagiarism is also taking material from the internet or using papers other people have written as one’s own work. Plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the assignment, perhaps failing the class, and can result in dismissal from the university. It is your responsibility to read and abide by the university policy on Academic Integrity. Please read this section in the university catalog (page 80-81) carefully. It protects the integrity of the university and the integrity of your education.
E-mail: CSUB’s policy is that students may only use their RUNNERMAIL address to communicate with professors. So, I will only send e-mail to you using your RUNNERMAIL address to send you announcements and other communication. Do not send me e-mail using Yahoo, Hotmail, or any other e-mail account other than your school account as I will not open them. Again, I will NOT accept assignments via E-Mail unless I specifically designate an assignment to be sent to me that way. If you are not in class and must turn in an assignment outside of class, you must make arrangements with me before the assignment is due.
Course Evaluation and Grading
Assignment and Course grades will be determined based on the following criteria:
“A”uniformly excellent fulfillment of assignment/course requirements including spelling, grammar, and format accuracy and a creative and imaginative handling of the material and assignments which indicates new learning and insights.
“B”substantially good work beyond the level of acceptable or satisfactory.
“C”acceptable work which meets the requirements but demonstrates low evidence of new learning/understanding. This is average, okay, or acceptable work.
“D”work that is below satisfactory or acceptable in quality and/or quantity.
“F”unacceptable work, non-fulfillment of the requirements or task descriptions.
Grade Scale:
A = 95-100%A- = 90-94%B+ = 87-89%B = 83-86%B- = 80-82%
C+ = 77-79%C = 73-76%C- = 70-72%D+ = 67-69%D = 63-66%
D- = 60-62%F = 0-59%
Course Assignments
Organizational Communication Climate and Culture Analysis Paper (30 points)
Identify an organization you work for or have worked for to write this paper. If you have never worked in an organization before, talk to me for an alternative organization to use for this paper.
Section 1 - Organizational Climate
- Describe and discuss your immediate superior's communication style. How does your superior communicate with you and other subordinates he/she supervises?
- Describe specific examples of communication from your superior, then discuss your reaction and the reaction of others to the superior's communications.
- Using the reading/lecture/powerpoint on organizational communication climate, discuss the kind of communication climate your superior's communication style creates or created in the organization.
Section 2 - Organizational Culture
- Describe the demographics of the members of your organization including ages, educational levels, ethnicities, languages spoken, cities in which they live, etc.
- Describe the kind of socializing and interaction among the members of the organization. Who talks to whom, about what, and when and where?
- Describe the formal and informal rules of your organization, i.e., dress code (or not), how people are supposed to communicate and treat each other and other organizational publics such as customers, vendors, etc. and how they ACTUALLY treat each other and organizational publics.
- Describe how conflict occurs and explain what happens when conflict occurs.
- Discuss the internal politics and power issues in the organization. Who controls information and resources? How does this impact how people get along in the organization?
- What kind of relationships exist in the organization? Formal? Informal? Are there rules about office romances? What do you know about office romances and relationships and how do they affect (or do not affect) what happens in the organization?
Format: 4-5 pages, double-spaced, with subheadings. Put your name in the upper right hand corner of the first page. Include a title centered at top of page one. Each page must be numbered in the lower right-hand corner. Learn to use the header/footer function in Word to number your pages.
Company Research Paper (20 points)
Select a company for which you will someday land a job interview. Identify a position in the company for which you might interview. This should be an entry-level position such as public relations assistant. Begin to conduct research on this company by using information from Chapter 2 of your text, pages 20-22 and figures 2.1 and 2.2. At a minimum, locate information identified in figure 2.2, page 23, of the text. In addition, if you are interviewing for a public relations position, identify the various publics of the organization, find out what media coverage the organization has or has had in the past 6 months to a year, and identify public relations issues and opportunities the organization has faced.
Format: Write a 4 to 5 page summary of this information and other information you can find that would be helpful to know when you develop your resume and cover letter for the position and when you interview for the position. Your paper must include a reference list that includes all the sources you used to conduct your research. This will include web pages, company publications, interviews, etc.) Type, double-space, and number the pages of your paper.
Resume and Cover Letter (20 points)
Write a resume and cover letter for an entry-level position in the company for which you conducted your research. You will receive further instruction for this assignment in class.
Sales Presentation (30 points)
Prepare an 8 to 10 minute sales pitch to a potential client for your public relations firm, Results Communications. You will receive further information on your potential client's public relations concerns/needs which you will use to develop your sales pitch. Use chapter 11 of the text as your guide for this presentation. Your presentation must include appropriate, professional-looking visual aids (see chapter 8 of the text) and adhere to presentation guidelines and principles (see chapter 7 of the text). This assignment will be done in a team of 3-4.
Exploratory Paper (25 points)
You will analyze and critique the way in which an organization has handled a major public relations crisis. This is a scholarly paper in which you will use scholarly sources. The specific crisis and more specific directions for this paper will be discussed and handed out in class.
Format: Five page paper, typed, double-spaced including reference list and numbered pages.
Midterm (60 points) and Final (60 points)
Midterm: Multiple choice, short answer, essay test that will cover chapters 1-5 and 12-13 of the text, class lectures, handouts, and additional assigned readings.
Final: TBD
Course Assignment/Grade Summary
You may use the chart below to keep track of the points you receive for your assignments in the course.
Assignment / % of Grade / Pts Possible / Points Rec'dMidterm / 20% / 60
Climate/Culture Paper / 10% / 30
Company Research Paper / 10% / 30
Resume and Cover Letter / 10% / 30
Sales Presentation / 20% / 60
Exploratory Paper / 10% / 30
Final / 20% / 60
Total / 300
NOTE: Assignments are weighted in value by the points possible for each assignment.
Course Calendar
(subject to change as necessary)
Week 1Role of Communication in Business, Government, and Other Professional Organizations / Organizational Climate / Organizational Culture / Superior-Subordinate Communication
Reading: Chapter 1
Week 2The Employment Interview / Researching Organizations
Reading: Chapter 2
Assignment Due Friday: Organizational Climate/Culture Paper
Week 3Listening and Feedback
Reading: Chapter 3
Week 4Interpersonal Politics and Power Issues in the Organization
Reading: Chapter 4
Assignment Due Friday: Company Research Paper
Week 5Groups and Teams in Organizations
Reading: Chapter 5
Week 6Midterm Monday: Chapters 1-5, 12-13; Class Lectures & Activities; Additional Readings
Resume Writing
Guest Speaker(s)
Week 7Common Presentations Given in Organizational Settings
Technical Presentations
Proposals
Sales/Marketing Presentations
Assignment Due Monday: Resume and Cover Letter
Week 8Team Sales/Marketing Presentations
Week 9Risk Communication
Week 10Crisis Communication
Assignment Due Friday: Exploratory Paper
Last Day of Class: Monday, June 5
Final: Thursday, June 8, 8-10:30 a.m.
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