ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
ANALYSIS AND TRAINING
(C&J 446; Section
001)
Dept
of Communication and Journalism
University
of New Mexico
Room:
C&J 212 Thurs 7:00 – 9:30 p.m.
Course Syllabus
Instructor Contact
Information:
Dr. Pam Lutgen-Sandvik
Office Location: C&J 237
Office Phone: 277-1598
Office hours: By appt. or
Wednesday 4:30 – 6:30; Thursday 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Email: through
course WebCT site at htpp://webct.unm.edu
or plutgen@unm.edu
Course Objectives:
This course is an exploration into organizational analysis and training on communication issues. Analysis is the process of assessing communication problems at an organization, whereas training focuses on the improvement of problems. To be an effective trainer or consultant, it is imperative to have skills in both analysis (i.e., needs assessment) and training (although both are not always used in every situation). To this end, the objectives of this class are to:
a) Learn about needs assessments
b) Draft proposals for a needs assessment
c) Design questionnaires, conduct interviews, and make observations to conduct a needs assessment in a theoretically sound manner
d) Write a report of needs assessment results
a) Design a theoretical sound training program based on a needs assessment
b) Present an effective training program
c) Evaluate the effectiveness of a training program
Required Texts:
DeWine, S. (2001). The consultant’s craft: Improving organizational communication (2nd ed.).
Boston: Bedford/St. Martins.
Assignments:
The good news is that this class does not have exams. I think students learn more from hands on experience rather than regurgitating information on an exam (exams have their purpose, but aren’t great for this class). Thus, you will have three assignments that you’d actually have to do if you were a trainer/consultant (things that I have done repeatedly in my consulting experience).
The assignments are tied together somewhat. The first (proposal to conduct a needs assessment) will be written for a simulated organization we discuss in class. The second and third assignments will be completed for an actual organization (you may also do the proposal for an actual organization if you like). I’ll provide samples of all the assignments in class (some from me and some from prior students).
Please note that most of the assignments can be done individually or in a team of up to 3. If you choose to team up, you and your teammate(s) will receive the same grade on the assignments. You may also choose to team up for some assignments and not others—essentially you will be joining an agency or going out on your own. Group papers will need to be a bit longer except for the proposal, which has a set limit. You will be presenting information on your projects in class; time allotted will depend on how many people we have in class and how many groups.
Proposal for Needs Assessment. The starting point to any intervention in an organization is a proposal. The topic of the assessment can be an informal negotiation between the organization and the consultant, and the proposal is a formality. In other cases, the proposal is a bid to fill a need the organization is “advertising” and the best proposal wins (low cost and worth the money). We’ll deal with the bid-type proposal. We’ll tie this bid to an organizational simulation we’ll run in class. Your job is to put together an effective bid in a max. of 4 pages text (plus one page for an executive summary). You’ll have to assess the organization (there will be time in class for this) and submit a bid. We have a set budget (no you don’t get to find this out) and cannot fit all the bids. I’ll grade this based on the effectiveness of the bids. You’ll need to include:
a) Executive summary
b) Describe what you intend to do and why
c) Costs
d) Benefits
e) Reference list (should have at least 3 academic sources although you’ll probably consult more than just 3 sources)
Needs Assessment. Way to go. You’ve won the bid and we’ve decided to hire your agency. Now comes the hard part. You have to complete a needs assessment on the organization. You will need to find an organization upon which you can do a needs assessment. Here are the requirements for the project:
a) Data collection. You need to collect two of the following three types of data: interviews, observations, and questionnaires. You need approximately 3-5, 30-minute interviews, 15-20 questionnaires, and 4-6 hours of observation at a minimum (you’ll need more if you are doing a group: 5-7 interviews, 25-30 questionnaires, and 8-10 hours observation for two people, more for three) (also you might need more data than these minimums if you don’t have a clear understanding of the organization). The key is to collect detailed information, as you need to understand the organization from this information. These numbers assume that there are at least 30 people in the organization. For smaller organizations (e.g., for an organization with only 7 people, you might interview everyone and focus on observation). You may be able to substitute records for one of the three types. Discuss it with me if you have access to records.
b) Data analysis. You will need to analyze your data using effective means (we’ll define later).
c) Report. The final requirement (and key for grading) is a 10-15 page, typed double space report (tables and references are extra). You need to include an introduction with purpose, background information on the organization and your topic (literature review), a description of the data collection procedures, a section displaying the research findings, and a conclusion that discusses the findings and makes recommendations. I’ll provide a few samples.
There is one difference between the needs assessment report you’ll do for me, and one you’d do for an organization. I want you to include a fairly extensive literature review of the topic. Normally, you’d include 1-2 pp. in the report (see samples). However, for this class, I want 4-6 pages of literature to show that you have done sufficient background research (if you were actually hired, your expertise would be assumed). Here is the literature review requirements:
1) Go to the library (or internet) and find at least 8-10 articles on this subject (include general research articles, but also focus on assessments—the assessments don’t have to be direct, but they need to include some sort of measurement tool [survey, interview protocol] that you could utilize. They should be from academic journals, academic books, or edited books (book chapters). Do not include textbooks—let me know if you have trouble distinguishing an academic book from a textbook. A good place to look for articles is in “EbscoHost” or the reference lists of articles you find.
2) Read the articles and synthesize the main arguments that are being presented in these articles. You will need to provide an overview of the research. If an article doesn’t fit specifically with your summary, you do not need to include that article. A minimum of 6 articles must be cited in the paper. You will need to summarize individual articles from time to time. If it is a study, provide a description of the purpose of the study, the research questions/hypotheses, the research methods, the findings, and a discussion of the importance of the findings. If it is a review article, provide a description of the purpose, the main arguments, and the implications of the arguments.
d) Presentation. You will also need to prepare a presentation of your assessment (time will depend on number of people, but likely will range from 5-15 minutes).
Training Project. The final assignment is to construct and deliver a training program for the organization on which you did the needs assessment. The program will be presented in class. You’ll need to design a program, deliver the program, and evaluate the program (at some level). The requirements include the actual presentation, a training manual, and a description of how you’d evaluate the program (an actual evaluation is not realistic given constraints of class). The amount of time will depend on the number of individuals presenting. Each team or individual will likely be able to only present a portion of the entire training. You can do the actual training for the organization as an alternative so long as I can be present to observe.
The presentation should include:
a) An introduction with purpose and preview. Also, include the goals for the presentation.
b) The body of the presentation.
c) A conclusion
The training manual should be approximately 15-20 typed pages (everything included). The format can vary, but the manual should include all the details necessary to complete the training. That is, the manual should provide all of the appropriate instructions so that another trainer could present your material.
Grading Percentage for Assignments:
Grading Criteria:
1) Originality—This point focuses on the degree to which you are moving beyond basic classroom discussion and prior research.
2) Organization—The essay should flow well. I can see the progression of ideas and understanding why they are laid out as they are. There is an introduction, body, and conclusion—for example, an intro, lit review, methods, results, and discussion for an article-length project.
3) Writing style—Grammar, spelling, sentence structure, word choice, overall organization, etc.
4) Accuracy/appropriateness of data analysis—quality analysis and conclusions.
5) Depth of critical thinking—Quality of arguments (i.e., using evidence to support opinions). You should have an appropriate number of sources (see specific assignment for number of sources) for a well-researched paper. The sources should mostly be original (i.e., limit use of basic textbooks). Also, realize that using the minimum number of sources doesn’t mean you have done a good job. In some cases, you need to do more than the minimum.
6) Following directions—Necessary but not sufficient criterion for a good paper. I will provide instructions and examples of the assignments. However, instructions are not a laundry list of what you need to do get an “A.” Doing excellent work is not simply about following directions; it’s about challenging yourself, thinking in original ways, and writing well.
7) Risk taking—I reward people who take chances. However, it is not chance just for chance sake. I expect the output to be of high quality. I recognize that the easiest road isn’t always the most rewarding or important. You can do research on a straightforward topic copying others’ approaches. This is fine, but sometimes you need to “push the boundaries” to get high quality research.
8) Effective public speaking—In addition, the training project will have the grading criteria of effective public speaking skills (good eye contact, pleasant voice, effective use of visual aids, good use of gestures/body movements). Public speaking will be graded individually.
Grading Scale:
|
97.6-100 |
A+ |
92.6-97.5 |
A |
89.6-92.5 |
A- |
|
87.6-89.5 |
B+ |
82.6-87.5 |
B |
79.6-82.5 |
B- |
|
77.6-79.5 |
C+ |
72.6-77.5 |
C |
69.6-72.5 |
C- |
|
59.9-69.5 |
D |
< 59.9 |
F |
|
|
Grading/Course Policies:
Participation/Attendance. Participation/attendance is important for this course, especially since there are no exams. Attendance is required and absences will hurt your score (every 2nd absence, or fraction thereof, over two will result in a fraction lower in your total grade—e.g., if you earn an A and have 4 absences, you’ll receive and A-). To assist in sharing the discussion, I may ask each of you to develop discussion questions for the class (exact number to be determined based on number of students). The discussion questions should ask us to move beyond a direct summary of the reading (i.e., it is not your responsibility to summarize a chapter—assume that we have read it). You can ask questions applying the reading to a specific situation, critiquing the article, extending research on the topic, etc. Otherwise, I expect you to complete reading prior to class and participate in class discussions. I reserve the right to include a pop quiz to check for reading. If you fail the quiz (below 80%), you will be counted as absent for that day. I realize that some of you prefer to listen and some prefer to talk to learn. I will ask that you balance these perspectives—I want to make sure that we each have the opportunity to learn from each other.
Academic Integrity: You will be expected to maintain the highest standard of academic integrity. Violations include, but are not limited to, cheating, fabrication, tampering, plagiarism or facilitating such activities. These actions are grounds for immediate failure. The University reserves the right to take disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, against any student who is found guilty of academic dishonesty or otherwise fails to meet these standards. In this graduate course, you are expected to know APA style for citing outside sources. Plagiarism is one of the most serious ethical missteps a scholar can make, so it is imperative to give credit where credit is due. See for UNM academic honesty policy and statement at http://handbook.unm.edu/D100.html. Students who have questions concerning scholastic regulations and procedures at the University should refer to the "General Academic Regulations" section of the University Catalog.
Written Work Guidelines
Late Work Grading Policy:
2. Maximum late deduction 50%
Disability Issues: Qualified students with disabilities needing appropriate academic adjustments should contact me as soon as possible to ensure your needs are met in a timely manner. Handouts are available in alternative accessible formats upon request.
Tentative Course Outline:
The assigned chapter is to be read by the date listed in the syllabus. Any changes to the syllabus will be announced in class and by e-mail.
|
Class/Date |
Topic |
Reading or Assignment Due |
|
1 1/19/05 |
Course introduction Introduction to organizational communication/ communication managers |
C-1 |
|
2 1/26/05 |
Defining training/consulting |
C-2 |
|
3 2/2/05 |
Stages in the consultation process |
C-3 |
|
|
|
|
Feb. 5 Writing needs assessment proposals
Feb. 10 Part One of the consultation simulation
Feb. 12 Conducting needs assessment 4
Feb. 17 Conducting needs assessment
Feb. 19 Data analysis 5
Feb. 24 Data analysis
Feb. 26 Part Two of the consultation simulation
Proposal Due
March 2 Open for guest speaker or catching up
March 9 Evaluating consulting interventions 18
March 11 Adult learning and learning styles
March 16-18 Spring Break!!
March 23 Needs Assessment Presentations/Reports Due
March 25 Needs Assessment Presentations/Reports Due
March 30 Designing Training Programs 6
April 1 Presenting Training Programs 7
April 6 Writing Training Manuals
April 8 Open for guest speaker or catching
up
April 13 Evaluating Training Programs 17
April 15 Business/ethics issues in being a trainer/consultant 20
April 20 Discuss specific communication training (class choice); select 1-3 chapters
between 9-16 of Part IV of the book
April 22 Discuss specific communication training (class choice)
April 27 Discuss specific communication training (class choice) or open time
April 29 Training Presentations/Training Manual Due
May 4 Training Presentations/Training Manual Due
May 6 Training Presentations/Training Manual Due
May 13 (10-12) Final Exam Time. We’ll leave this open just in case we need it for the training presentations.
Group Management and Coordination (if you decide to work
in teams)
Teamwork is both a rewarding and frustrating fact of life. However, it is a necessary skill and one that many organizations require. This project will help improve your teamwork skills and give you an opportunity to learn and/or practice teamwork. It will take a lot of effort on your part to create a cohesive unit. If you are cohesive, the work will be relatively easy and should show up on your grades. If not, you and your group will likely suffer.
To help you achieve more rewards than costs, I have attached a set of general rules for improving teamwork. This specific sheet is designed to provide you the details of running a self-managed team. I will expect you to operate as a self-managed team. That is, you will need to plan and take care of most of your problems and I will give you authority to punish members. To do this, you will need to write up a contract of what you agree to do. You can set high or low standards, but everyone must agree. I strongly suggest setting high standards as this is a key for group success. The contract should include:
a) degree of commitment to the group
b) time and amount of meetings
c) punishments for missing meetings or not meeting deadlines
d) conditions for firing group members (that is right, you can kick out free riders under certain conditions). One key is that I must approve. I will expect you to not kick someone out for one mistake or because you don’t like them. If you get kicked out, you have two options. You can sell your services to other groups or you may complete the project by yourself with a 10% reduction in your overall grade. In addition, you can choose to leave the group and complete the project on you own (i.e., fire yourself). This also holds a 10% reduction penalty. You may also decide not to fire members, but make this clear.
e) other relevant factors if you like--for example, dealing with conflicts, your attitudes for procrastination or planning, etc., giving feedback for each other.
Finally, I hope that you can deal with difficulties among your group. However, I do recognize that you may want some advice from me or you may want to let me know what problems are occurring. Please make an appointment or see me during office hours. I prefer to meet with the entire group unless it is an individual problem.
Common Errors That Groups Make:
1. Thinking that individuals can complete parts of the assignment on their own without talking with other members. Many groups try to do group projects like individual assignments. They divide the work up, have everyone do their part, meet the day before the project is due, and put the pieces together. These projects typically end up being awkward and disorganized. COORDINATION AND FREQUENT COMMUNICATION ARE A MUST. Even though there is an individual part to the project, the individual part will be much better if you coordinate. That is, it will insure relevancy. I will provide 1-2 class periods for your group to talk and discuss. However, you will need outside meetings as well. Think of these as homework assignments.
2. Relying on one person too much (usually because they are hard working).
3. Allowing other members to take advantage of your hard work. By the end of the semester, you will likely blow up at these people and they will wonder why you are being such a pain. Stand up for yourself at the beginning and punish free riders. The easiest way (and the least confrontive) is to have a clear contract the outlines the punishment for free riders.
4. Not putting together a good contract. Most groups take this very lightly and figure they’ll deal with problems as they come. (you can do this too; it works for some groups). However, when the problems arise, members realize they don’t see eye to eye about the issues. It is easiest if you take care of these issues in advance. That is, plan for problems and problems won’t be that big of deal.
5. Not spending time getting to know one another and establishing trust and strong relationships. This is especially important for collectivistic people (we’ll go over this in class). Not everyone can just get down to work without establishing some trust.
6. Waiting until the last minute to do the project. The nature of this project will not allow you to do this. To help you avoid complete procrastination, you will need to complete three updates (all must be typed):
Update 1: Explain what topic you have chosen to examine and what you have found so far (1/2 page or so). Also attach a copy of your contract (length is up to you).
Update 2: Summarize what you have done so far. If you have questions, ask them here. You should have a much clearer focus now. Spell out the focus at this point and time (1 page or so).
Update 3: Individual outlines are due (2-3 pages).
Updates 1 and 2 are not directly graded. They are for feedback purposes. If an update is not turned in on time, I will deduct 2 points from your group grade. If it is not turned in at all, I will deduct 3 points. These updates will also help you determine who is free riding and overcome minor problems before they become major problems.
Suggested Method of Operation
I realize that you have other classes and lives outside of class and that you would like to minimize the number of group meetings. Here is a suggestion for how to procedure along this project.
Step 1: Meet together for about an hour (early in semester) to figure out your topic and brainstorm for ideas about how to proceed.
Step 2: Once you have the topic, individually collect some data and reach some very tentative conclusions.
Step 3: Meet together and go over what you found out (hour or two). Begin to focus the presentation. This ensures that you are working toward the same goal. Plan for more data collection.
Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 again. By this time you will have all of your data collected.
Step 5: Meet together for a major planning meeting (2-3 hours). At this meeting, you’ll need to figure out how you are going to present the material. At this time, you can assign some individual tasks (typing up the outline, making visual aids, etc.).
Step 6: Complete your individual tasks and outlines
Step 7: Meet together and practice the presentation (2-3 hours).
Some final suggestions (from Susan Wheelan’s Creating
Effective Teams):
Keys to Productivity Being an Effective Group Member
*Clear Team Goals *Don’t Blame Others for Group Problems
*Clear Roles *Encourage Goal and Role Clarification
*Working Together *Encourage Open Communication and
*Open Communication Structure Feedback
*Spend Time Planning How to Make Decisions *Promote Appropriate Ratio of Task
and Solve Problems and Supportive Comments (65/35)
*Establish Norms Encouraging High Performance *Promote use of Effective Problem-Solving
Quality and Success *Create Norms supporting Productivity
*Accept Different Behaviors so long as it Innovation, and Freedom of Expression
Contributes to the Task *Go Along with these Norms
*Cooperative Conflict Resolution *Promote Cooperation