COMM F680 Communication and Diversity in the Professional World

COMM F680 Communication and Diversity in the Professional World

Course Outline and Syllabus Spring 2017

Professor: Dr. Peter A. DeCaroOffice: Grue 503G

Office phone:474-6799email:

Office hours:TR 1:00-2:00pm, and by appointment

Classroom DIST

Course Description:

This course focuses on the ever-expanding problems of communication and diversity in the professional workplace. The diversity of gender, ethnicity, nationality, physical ability, sexual orientation, age, cognitive processing, and cultural differences are reshaping the professional world at every level and communication professionals are increasingly called upon to formulate ways to accommodate these changes. This course is designed to prepare students with the knowledge and ability to address diversity and planned changes in the workplace.

There are no required texts; the course will rely on assigned readings.

Course Objectives:

General: At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Understand the nature of an organization’s culture and the role that diversity has in that culture.
2. Be able to identify problems that a lack of diversity poses in an organization.
3. Know how to develop realistic options for resolving issues of diversity.
4. Understand ethics and its relationship to issues of diversity.

Final Grade is based upon:

Discussion Threads 13 @ 50 pts. =650 pts.

Reaction Papers10 @ 75 pts. = 750 pts

Term Paper @ 200 pts. = 200 pts.

1600 pts.

NOTE:* There are 2 questions to each Discussion Thread. Each section is worth 25 points. There are 3 questions to each Reaction Paper. Each question is worth 25 points. In order for the instructor to grade the Discussion Threads and the Reaction Papers, each question must be adequately answered. I will not grade any Discussion Thread or Reaction Paper if one or more questions are not answered or left inadequately unanswered. You will not receive any points.

Grade criteria: +/- grading system based on percentage of total points

A+ = 97-100

A= 93-96

A-=90-92

B+=87-90

B = 83-86

B-=80-82

C+=77-80

C = 73-76

C-=70-72

D+=67-70

D = 63-66

D-=60-62

F = 59 and below

COURSE/PROFESSOR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Extra Credit: I do not offer extra credit so please do not ask for it.

Incomplete Grade Assignment: I do not issue incomplete grades.

American Disability Act Statement:Any personal learning accommodation that may be needed by the student to be successful in this course must be made known to the instructor immediately. Verification is required through the Office of Disability Services (208 WHIT 474-5655). The instructor will work with ODS to provide reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities.

TERM PAPER: Criteria for the Term Paper will be discussed at the appropriate time. ALL Term Papers are due May 2nd by 3:30 PM. No papers will be accepted after that time, no exceptions.

DATE:LECTURE-DISC/EXERCISEREADING ASSIGNMENT

Jan.

17Read Talbot-Allan “Diversity in the Workplace,”

Hofstede’s “Business Cultures;” Alan Durant and Ifan Shepherd’s “’Culture’ and ‘Communication’ in Intercultural Communication, Eadie “Learning to Listen Across Cultural Divides.” (1)

24Read Hays-Thomas, “Paradoxes of Diversity,” Chen & Starosta’s “Communication Among

Cultural Diversities;” Janice Tovey’s “Addressing Issues of Cultural Diversity in Business

Communication” (2)

31Read Rodriguez and Chawla’s “Locating Diversity on Communication Studies;” Heaton and Taylor’s “Knowledge Management and Professional Work”(3)

Feb.

7Read Wanguri’s “Diversity, Perceptions of Equity, and Communication Openness in the Workplace,” and Zazarko’s “All work and low pay Part2. The challenge of diversity.” (4)

14Read Poole, Davidhizar and Giger’s “Delegating to a Transcultural Team,” Kai, Spencer and

Woodward’s “Wrestling with ethnic diversity: toward empowering health educators, Parvis “Diversity and Effective Leadership in Multicultural Workplaces,” Howard “Can business cross the cultural divide?”, and Geddie “Moving communication across cultures.”(5)

21ReadBernhard Nielsen and Sabina Nielsen, “Top Management Team Nationality Diversity and Firm Performance: A Multilevel Study; Yean Yng Ling, Mohammed F. Dulaimi, and MuiHia Chua, “Strategies for Managing Migrant Construction workers from China, India, and the Phillipines;” and Best Practices in Diversity Planning an Assessment (6)

28Read Randy Emelo, “Peer Collaboration Enhances Diversity and Inclusion,” and Julianne Payne,

Steve McDonald, and Lindsay Ham, “Production Teams and Producing Racial Diversity in

Workplace Relationships.” (7)

March

7Read Davis, “The Value of Diversity in Learning Organizations.” (8)

14Spring Break

21Read Baker & Gower, “Strategic Application ofStorytelling in Organizations” (9)

28Read Lynch, “Corporate Diversity,”andNacherla, “Why Diversity Training Doesn’t Work. . . RightNow.” (10)

April

4Read Mannix & Neale “What Differences Make a Difference?”, and Marjorie Derven, Diversity and Inclusion are Essential to a Global Virtual Team’s Success.(11)

11Read Maria de Fatima Oliveira, “Multicultural Environments and Their Challenges to Crisis

Communication” (12)

18Read Green, “Work Culture and Discrimination” (13)

25Work on Term Paper

May

2Term Papers Due

The instructor reserves the right to change this syllabus to accommodate the needs of the class.