Organizational Communication Class COMM-306-01 Instructor Dave

							                         Organizational Communication


Class: COMM-306-01

Instructor: Dave Gilbert
Office Hours: Thursday 10:30am-12:30pm; 1:30pm-3:30pm.

Class Time: MWF 1:30pm-2:20pm.

Location: KNAP 105


Texts:

Images of Organization, by Gareth Morgan

The McDonaldization of Society: An Investigation into the Changing Character of
Contemporary Social Life, by George Ritzer

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, by Eric Schlosser

The Corrosion of Character: The Personal Consequences of Work in the New Capitalism,
by Richard Sennett.

Various readings to be handed out over the semester.


Course Objectives:

In this course we will study how communication occurs in organizations,
primarily commercial organizations. We will study how the structure of an
organization determines, and is determined by, the communication within it.
We will also consider how any particular model we use to understand an
organization allows us to see certain things about that organization, while it
prevents us from seeing others. We will be interested in communication both
within organizations, and between organizations and the larger society around
them. We will pay particular attention to the fast-food franchise industry. Our
approach will be descriptive, critical, and inventive. We will examine the most
up-to-date organizational communication theory along with some recent critical
investigations of organizational reality. Drawing on what we will have learned
about organizations from the literature—both descriptive and critical—we will
form our own consulting team, and go about solving a few select organizational
problems.
ASSIGNMENTS & GRADING

   •   25%: Five two-page papers. I will accept papers every Monday starting

       on the third week of class and ending on the ninth week. These papers

       will cover the prior week’s organizational “metaphor,” and I will specify

       in class how they should be written. Since we will be examining seven

       such metaphors, I will collect papers on seven occasions. You must write

       and turn in at least five of these seven papers (of your choice).

   •   15%: Team presentation 1

   •   15%: Team presentation 2

   •   15%: Team presentation 3

   •   30%: Research paper (7-9 pages; topic to be announced).



       Grading Scale:

       100%-90% = A

       89%-80% = B

       79%-70% = C

       69%-60% = D

       59%- = F




Attendance:

There are three unexcused absences allowed in this class. For every unexcused

absence over three I will subtract two points from your final grade.




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WEEK 1

Monday, September 2: Introduction to the Course

Wednesday, September 4: Introduction to the Course

Friday, September 6: Organizations as machines


WEEK 2
Readings: Morgan, Ch. 2.

Monday, September 9: Organizations as machines

Wednesday, September 11: Organizations as machines

Friday, September 13: Organizations as machines


WEEK 3
Assignments: “Machine” paper due.
Readings: Morgan, Ch. 3.

Monday, September 16: Organizations as organisms

Wednesday, September 18: Organizations as organisms

Friday, September 20: Organizations as organisms


WEEK 4
Assignments: “Organisms” paper due.
Readings: Morgan, Ch. 4.

Monday, September 23: Organizations as brains

Wednesday, September 25: Organizations as brains

Friday, September 27: Organizations as brains


WEEK 5
Assignments: “Brains” paper due.
Readings: Morgan, Ch. 5

Monday, September 30: Organizations as Cultures

Wednesday, October 2: Organizations as Cultures


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Friday, October 4: Organizations as Cultures


WEEK 6
Assignments: “Cultures” paper due.
Readings: Morgan, Ch. 6.

Monday, October 7: Organizations as political systems

Wednesday, October 9: Organizations as political systems

Friday, October 11: Organizations as political systems


WEEK 7
Assignments: “Political systems” paper due.
Readings: Morgan, Ch. 8

Monday, October 14: Organizations as complex dynamic systems

Wednesday, October 16: Organizations as complex dynamic systems

Friday, October 18: Organizations as complex dynamic systems


WEEK 8
Assignments: “Complex dynamic systems” paper due.
Readings: Morgan, Ch. 9.

Monday, October 21: Organizations as instruments of domination

Wednesday, October 23: Organizations as instruments of domination

Friday, October 25: Organizations as instruments of domination


WEEK 9
Assignments: “Instruments of domination” paper due.
Readings: Ritzer, Schlosser, Sennett (TBA)

Monday, October 28: “McDonaldization”

Wednesday, October 30: “McDonaldization”

Friday, November 1: “McDonaldization”


WEEK 10
Readings: Ritzer, Schlosser, Sennett (TBA)

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Monday, November 4: Team Presentation 1

Wednesday, November 6: “McDonaldization”

Friday, November 8: “McDonaldization”


WEEK 11
Readings: Ritzer, Schlosser, Sennett (TBA)

Monday, November 11: “McDonaldization”

Wednesday, November 13: “McDonaldization”

Friday, November 15: “McDonaldization”


WEEK 12
Readings: Ritzer, Schlosser, Sennett (TBA)

Monday, November 18: Team Presentation 2; Research Paper draft due
(optional)

Wednesday, November 20: NO CLASS

Friday, November 22: NO CLASS


WEEK 13
Readings: Ritzer, Schlosser, Sennett (TBA)

Monday, November 25: NO CLASS

Wednesday, November 27: NO CLASS

Friday, November 29: NO CLASS


WEEK 14
Readings: Ritzer, Schlosser, Sennett (TBA)

Monday, December 2: “McDonaldization”

Wednesday, December 4: “McDonaldization”

Friday, December 6: Team Presentation 3




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WEEK 15

Monday, December 9: Activity TBA

Wednesday, December 11: Activity TBA

Friday, December 13: Activity TBA



No Final Test for this course; Research Paper due on date of Final:

Thursday, December 19th, 2:00-4:00pm.




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