COURSE OUTLINE
Communication and Theatre 310-001
Organizational Communication: On-campus
Fall, 2009
Last Revision = 11/19/09.
Latest Revision: see below
Instructor: Steve Coffman
Office Hours: T 1000-1025 & 1400-1500; TH 1000-1025 and by appointment
Phone: 657-1726
Office: LA 608
Email: scoffman@msubillings.edu
This syllabus is subject to change. Changes will be noted in the online version of
the syllabus located at my website.
REQUIRED READING: Eisenberg, E.M. & Goodall, H.L. (2007) Organizational
Communication: Balancing Creativity and Constraint, 5e, New York: Bedford/St.
Martin's Press.
Some locations for ordering less expensive copies of our text:
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Amazon
Half.com
Textbooks.com
DealOz
Student Learning Outcomes: Students in the Organizational Communication 310
course should be able to: 1) identify and explain the theoretical concepts central to
the study organizational communication and 2) recognize the communication
behaviors that reflect those concepts. Further, 3) students should be able to
speak well and 4) write competently. (Having outcomes are mandated by the
Northwest Accrediting Agency via no child left behind.)
GRADING:
A. Your ability to participate in the cognitive discussions will be evaluated daily and
be assigned 20% of your final grade. (outcomes 1,3)
Communication and Theatre 310 2
I will rate participation after each class
session.
Absence = 0 (five free absences)
Attend/no comments = 70%
Attend/1-2 comments = 7/80%
Attend/several comments = 8/90%
Attend/active participation = 9/100%
B. There will be 6 brief quantitative exams which will cover the material of the
unit noted in the course schedule. These exams will count as 40% of your final
grade. (outcomes 1,2)
C. There will be two essays designed to encourage application and critique of
course material. These exams will count as the other 40% of your grade.
(outcomes 1,4) The essay topics are located here. The essays will be authored
in Arial font, double spaced, 12 point type, with 1" margins. There is a four page
minimum and seven page maximum for these assignments. Upon completion of an
essay students will email their exam to me as a file attachment to an email
message sent to: scoffman@msubillings.edu (see below). (outcomes 1,2,4)
D. Finally, students are to adopt the University policy concerning academic honesty
(located in the Student Handbook).
Communication and Theatre 310 3
COURSE FORMAT
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Lectures and readings relevant to course topics.
Discussion and applied activities.
There will be six brief quantitative exams and two essays.
TENTATIVE COURSE OUTLINE
Introductory section: our changing world and the nature of
organizational communication.
09/10
Introduction to the course. Click here for PowerPoint. organizational
socialization. Reading: Chapter 8.
09/15
Organizational socialization, continued. Reading: review Chapter 8, pp.
197-209. Continue 9/10 PowerPoint. Click here for Test 1 study
guide.
09/17
The Changing Social Contract. Reading: Chapter 1; Continue 9/10
PowerPoint.
09/22
The Nature of Organizational Communication. Reading: Chapter 2.
PowerPoint click here.
Communication and structure section.
09/24
no class . . . funeral
9/29
Communicating and Organizational Structure: Hierarchy. Reading:
Chapter 3, pp. 61-72. PowerPoint click here.
Communication and Theatre 310 4
Leadership section.
10/1
Scientific and classical management. Reading: Chapter 3, pp. 72-81 And,
The Human Relations Approach. Reading: Chapter 3, pp. 78-86.
PowerPoint click here. Test 1 (organizational socialization.) Click
here for Leadership study guide.
10/9/09 schedule revision
10/13
The Human Resources Approach. Reading: Chapter 3, pp. 79-91.
PowerPoint click here. The last 25 years. no reading. PowerPoint for
lecture is located at 10/01.
Standpoints for framing organizational communication section.
10/15
The Systems Approach. Reading: Chapter 4. PowerPoint click here.
10/20
Organizations as Cultures. Reading: Chapter 5.
Test 2 (leadership).
10/22
Culture continued. Reading: review chapter 5. Ideology. Reading:
Chapter 6, 169-171.
10/27
Organizations Viewed Critically: Power Relations. Reading: Chapter 6,
pp. 163-173 PowerPoint click here. Test 3 (systems and cultural
theories). Click here for the study guide.
10/29
Critical Theory: Contesting Ideology. Reading: review relevant portion
of Chapter 6. PowerPoint click here.
11/03
Critical Theory: Manufactured Consent. Reading: Chapter 6, pp. 176178. The PowerPoint is located in the in the 10/29 PowerPoint.
11/05
Critical Theory: Myths, Metaphors and Stories. Reading: Chapter 6,
pp. 173-176. Click here to access PowerPoint. Test 4 (power relations).
Click here for the study guide.
PowerPoint click here.
Communication and Theatre 310 5
11/19/09 Revision
11/17
11/19
First Essay was due at 1700 10/30/08 via email.
Critical Theory: Politics. Review relevant portion of Chapter 6.
Click here to access PowerPoint.
Conflict and teamwork section.
11/24
Politics continued. If time: Communicating in Conflict Contexts.
Reading: Chapter 8 pp. 209-232. Click here for PowerPoint.
11/26
Thanksgiving Holiday.
12/01
Conflict continued. If time . . . Critical Theory: Feminist Theory.
Reading: Chapter 7. PowerPoint click here. Second Essay assignment.
12/03
Communicating in Teams. Reading: Chapter 10, pp. 275-295. Click here
for PowerPoint. Test 5 (stress and conflict). Click here for the
studyquide.
12/08
Alternatives to Hierarchical Structures. Reading: Chapter 7. Click here
for PowerPoint.
12/10
Test 6 (politics & feminist theory). Click here for the study guide.
Otherwise,This day is reserved for further catch-up activities. Second
Essay is due at 1700 via email.
12/15
1200-1350 = Final Exam Period. Your instructor will be available for
final questions. Learnings from the 2009 NCA Convention will be
discussed. Click here for PowerPoint.