Unit 1 Assessment
In “What Was Volkswagen Thinking?,” Jerry Useem
(2016) explains that organizations can be defined and shaped through
communication. Useem discusses the technique of using a series of scripts
and/or a company credo to help determine the behavior and decisions of
employees. In the article, Useem presents both positive and negative examples
of using a corporate script/credo.
In your response, explain how using a script/credo can guide
organizational behavior. Based on what you have learned from reading Useem’s
article, do you believe that having a corporate script/credo is a good way to
guide organizational behavior? Explain.
Your response should be at least 500 words in length.
Unit II
Article Review
Critically review the article below:
To access the article below, you must first log into the
myCSU Student Portal and access the ABI/INFORM Collection database found in the
CSU Online Library.
Vanderberg, A., & Capodagli, B. (2015). The “Ottawa
way” thrives. Public Management, 97(6), 14-18.
In the review, be sure to include an analysis of the
article. Provide details and evidence to back up your analysis from the
article. What are some of the significant points used in the article to support
the premise? Why are these points significant to the way communication affects
strategic planning?
Use the standard five-paragraph format
(introduction/body/conclusion). APA format should be used. The article review
should be a minimum of two pages in length. Content, organization, and
grammar/mechanics will be evaluated.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this
assignment is provided below.
Unit III
Article Review
Locate an article in the CSU Online Library that focuses on
managing conflict in an organization through communication. The article must be
clearly related to the course content and have the potential to contribute
significant analysis and substantial engagement with the course topic.
For this assignment, you will need to accurately identify
the article’s premise, significant points in support of the premise, and the
significance of those points to the course and/or the field. You need to
present an insightful and thorough analysis of the article with strong
arguments and evidence. Your interpretation will need to be both reasonable and
compelling. You will need to apply course concepts in your analysis.
As you write the review, be certain to analyze the type of
conflict discussed in the article. Use the classifications discussed in the
Unit III Lesson (Rahim’s functional outcomes and Rahim’s dysfunctional
outcomes) in your analysis. Be certain to suggest communication techniques to
manage functional conflict or, alternately, communication techniques to resolve
dysfunctional conflict.
Along with the article being reviewed, you will need to
reference at least two peer-reviewed sources. Use the standard five-paragraph
format (introduction/body/conclusion). APA format should be used. The critical
review should be a minimum of two pages in length. Content, organization, and
grammar/mechanics will be evaluated.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this
assignment is provided below.
Unit IV
Essay
For this assignment, compare and contrast two communication
techniques that can be used to improve employee trust and engagement. Feel free
to use the channels or techniques discussed in “Communication Provides
Foundation for Being a Best Place to Work” by Kathleen Skidmore-Williams—an
article that is located in the Unit IV Required Reading section—or feel free to
research your own.
Your assignment should include the components below:
Explain why communication is essential in an organization.
Explain the ways that effective communication improves
employee trust and engagement. Focus on comparing/contrasting two types of
channels or techniques (e.g., on-site meetings, employee surveys, workshops).
Explain the types of situations where each channel or
technique would be most effective. Provide examples and facts for your
audience. Avoid simply offering an opinion; rely on valid, academic research.
APA format should be used. The assignment should be a
minimum of three pages in length. Content, organization, and grammar/mechanics
will be evaluated.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this
assignment is provided below.
Unit V
Assignment
For this assignment, you will investigate a social media
public relations (PR) campaign by an organization. Some examples of platforms
are LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and YouTube. The
organizations can be national or can be local to your area.
In this assignment, you will need to include the following
components:
Provide information about the social media platform.
Provide information about the organization and its campaign.
Discuss the campaign based on the information discussed in
the Unit V Lesson. (Is it effective? What, if anything, can the organization do
to improve PR through social media?)
You will need to reference at least two academic sources.
Webpages provided by a company or organization (e.g., an
“About Us” page) will be accepted for this assignment as a
valid, academic source.
Use the standard five-paragraph format
(introduction/body/conclusion). APA format should be used. The assignment
should be a minimum of three pages in length. Content, organization, and
grammar/mechanics will be evaluated.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this
assignment is provided below.
Unit VI
Case Study
For this assignment, you will write a case study analysis
that focuses on the communication strategy of an organization of your choice.
In this assignment, you will need to a) summarize the
communication strategy of your chosen organization, b) analyze the
communication strategy of your chosen organization, and c) explain how you
would integrate the communication strategy into the current organization where
you work or into a former organization where you have worked.
A. Summarize the Communication Strategy
Locate an article that discusses the communication
strategies used by your chosen organization. After reading your chosen article,
you may find the exercise below to be helpful in developing a summary
paragraph. Identify the author(s) of your chosen article, and complete the
following exercise:
[Insert author’s name here] discusses how innovative communication
processes have helped [insert name of the organization here] resolve [insert
issue here].
The top reason [insert author’s name here] holds that
position is __________.
A second reason [insert author’s name here] holds that
position is __________.
A third reason [insert author’s name here] holds that
position is __________.
After filling in the blanks, you should have a list of the
positions and claims made by the authors about your chosen organization. Shape
your notes into a summary paragraph. (Do not simply include the list that you
completed in the exercise above.)
Remember that the summary paragraph is where you will
present information from the source. You will provide your analysis and
interpretation in the following section of the paper.
B. Analyze the Communication Strategy
Be sure to include how the communication strategy impacts
the organization on multiple levels. Feel free to use the four levels of sales,
services, value chain, and continuous improvement as a model, which was
discussed in the case study on the Dell Computer Corporation in the Unit VI
Lesson. (Note: Your categories may be different.)
In the analysis portion of the assignment, discuss any
problems (or potential problems) with the communications in your chosen
organization, and provide potential solutions based on your research. Include
ways that effective management could help to provide a solution.
C. Explain Integration Techniques
Finally, explain how this communication strategy could be
integrated into your current or former workplace.
You will need to reference at least two academic sources.
Use the standard five-paragraph format
(introduction/body/conclusion). APA format should be used. The assignment
should be a minimum of three pages in length. Content, organization, and
grammar/mechanics will be evaluated.
The link below provides some helpful tips for writing a case
study analysis:
http://college.cengage.com/business/resources/casestudies/students/writing.htm
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this
assignment is provided below.
Unit VII
Mini Project
For this assignment, you will research the different ways
that managers and leaders use communication to guide their organizations.
Feel free to use the same organization you researched for
the Unit VI Case Study. You are not limited to this organization, but it may be
easier to complete the assignment since you have already researched the
organization in Unit VI. You can use the same sources for both assignments, if
applicable.
Find an instance where the organizational leader
communicates directly with his or her employees, investors, or customers.
Analyze the message, the channel, and the potential for feedback. Do you
believe that it is effective? Do you believe that it is the same type of
message that a manager would send? Why, or why not?
Remember to focus on the communication styles of both
leaders and managers. Strive for an equal balance between the two types of
communication styles in your assignment.
Example: The Apple events that occur in Cupertino whenever
Apple unveils a new product or service are examples of the type of
communication you should be analyzing in this assignment. During the events,
CEO Tim Cook addresses an audience of employees, investors, and the general
public. Cook uses multiple channels to communicate with the audience, including
a live face-to-face discussion, live streaming of the discussion, and a
recorded video. For the assignment, you would view one of the events, analyze
Cook’s message and the effectiveness of the channels, and discuss the potential
for feedback. Analyze whether or not the message is an effective example of
leadership. Explain whether or not you believe a manager could, or should, use
the same types of channels to relay a message. Would it be effective?
Note: You do not need to use Apple for this assignment. It
is provided as an example only.
Use the standard five-paragraph format
(introduction/body/conclusion). Include at least two academic sources. APA
format should be used. The assignment should be a minimum of two pages in
length, not including the title and reference pages. Content, organization, and
grammar/mechanics will be evaluated.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this
assignment is provided below.
Unit VIII
Mini Project
For this assignment, you will create a communication
strategy that fosters change and innovation in an organization. Explain the
context in which it occurs and the options that are available. Develop a
solution that will solve the organizational issue and meet the needs of the
people involved.
Feel free to use the same organization you researched for
the Unit VI and Unit VII assignments. You are not limited to this organization,
but it may be easier to complete the assignment since you have already
researched it for Unit VI and/or Unit VII. You can use the same sources for all
assignments, if applicable.
In the report, you will provide a potential audience
analysis, create a purposeful message, and discuss a type of channel that you
could use for feedback. Include answers to Neal’s (2010) communication
questions, which are listed below:
1. What am I
trying to achieve?
2. How will
my audience react to what I am trying to achieve?
3. Will my
message be resisted?
4. What do I
know about my audience that will help me tailor my message? (p. 40)
Do not include the question/answers in a bullet or list
format. Instead, integrate the responses in your paragraphs.
Use the standard five-paragraph format
(introduction/body/conclusion). Include at least two academic sources. APA
format should be used. The assignment should be a minimum of two pages in
length. Content, organization, and grammar/mechanics will be evaluated.
Click here to view a sample assignment.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this
assignment is provided below.
