Syllabus
School of Business
COM/537 Version 1
Organizational Communication
Copyright © 2011 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved.

Course Description

This course prepares graduate students to apply written and oral communication principles to the roles they play as managers. Students will learn how to persuade a variety of stakeholders to commit to a proposal. Other topics include the role of perception in communication techniques, aligning communication to an audience, business justifications, presenting data, and ethics in organizational communications.

Policies

Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents:

• University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document.
• Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum.

University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality.

Course Materials

Spatt, Brenda. (2011). Writing from sources (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Stuart, B. E., Sarow, M. S., & Stuart, L. (2007). Integrated business communication in a global marketplace. West Sussex, England: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

All electronic materials are available on the student website.

Week One: Communication Styles Details Due Points
Objectives 1.1 Differentiate between styles of communication.
1.2 Explain the business communication process.
Readings Read Ch. 1 of Integrated Business Communication in a Global Marketplace.
Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
Discussion Questions and Participation Respond to weekly discussion questions and Participate in class discussion. Minimum of 2 posts 4 out of 7 days 5
Learning Team Instructions
Learning Team Charter Learning Teams will be assigned on Wednesday.
Review Learning Team Handbook, Guide to Charter, and Learning Team Charter
Create the Learning Team Charter. Due Day 7 (Monday)

Week Two: Audience Analysis Details Due Points
Objectives 2.1 Identify internal and external stakeholders for persuasive communications.
2.2 Differentiate between types of audiences.
2.3 Analyze audience perceptions and needs.
Readings Read Ch. 3, 7, 10, & 11 of Integrated Business Communication in a Global Marketplace.
Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
Discussion Questions and Participation Respond to weekly discussion questions and Participate in class discussion. Minimum of 2 posts 4 out of 7 days 5
Individual
Communication Styles and the Business Communication Process Consider a recent interpersonal conversation you had in a business setting.
Write a paper of no more than 1,050 words in which you complete the following:

• Discuss the content of the conversation. What was communicated in the conversation, and who were the communicators?

• Which style best describes the method of communication you and the other person used throughout the conversation? Explain why you selected those styles.

• How would the conversation have been different if you had used each of the different styles of communication? Explain each style and how the conversation would have been affected due to the differences.

• How did the business setting affect your style of communication?

• Explain each element of the transactional communication process and then describe each element as it relates to your conversation. For example, who was the sender? What was the context of your conversation?

• In what ways did the business setting affect the transactional communication process?

Cite at least two references in your paper.
Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. Due Day 7 (Monday) 5
Learning Team
Weekly Reflection Discuss the previous week’s objectives with your team. Your discussion should include the topics you feel comfortable with, any topics you struggled with, and how the weekly topics relate to application in your field.

Prepare a 1 page paper detailing the findings of your discussion. Due Day 7 (Monday) 2

Week Three: Developing the Communication Strategy Details Due Points
Objectives 3.1 Determine a communication strategy based on corporate culture, values, and ethics of organizations.
3.2 Select appropriate communication channels.
Readings Read Ch. 5, 10, 13, & 14 of Integrated Business Communication in a Global Marketplace.
Read this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings.
Discussion Questions and Participation Respond to weekly discussion questions and Participate in class discussion. Minimum of 2 posts 4 out of 7 days 5
Learning Team Instructions Begin the Week Four Learning Team assignment.
Individual
Internal and External Stakeholders Resource: Best Game Productions: Company Background and Business Scenario

Analyze the information provided to you in the Best Game Productions: Company Background and Business Scenario document.

Create a 10-15 slide presentation with the following included:

• Overview of the business scenario faced by Best Game Productions.
• Identify the organization’s internal and external stakeholders.
• Explain how the business scenario at Best Game Productions affects multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• Identify the needs, motivations, and perceptions of each stakeholder.

**PPT should include a title slide, reference slide, and speaker notes. Due Day 7 (Monday) 10