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Course Syllabus

Bachelor 2020/2021

Organizational Communication

Type: Elective course (Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication)
Area of studies: Linguistics
Delivered by: School of Foreign Languages
Where: School of Foreign Languages
When: 3 year, 1-4 module
Mode of studies: distance learning
Instructors: Red Bushetara, Kamilla Chotсhaeva, Ekaterina Kolesnikova, Nadezhda Vradiy
Language: English
ECTS credits: 6
Contact hours: 44

Course Syllabus

Full Syllabus

Abstract

The course ‘Organizational communication’ is elective and deals with human communication in a variety of organizations. It is designed for third-year bachelor students, who major in “Linguistics and intercultural communication”, but it could also be interesting for those studying business-related subjects. Students will extend their knowledge of traditional and contemporary communication theories, explore the concepts of organizational behavior, analyze the structures, practices and cultures of organizations and gain the skills professional communicators need to develop highly ethical and effective performance standards. The course provides students with hands-on experience of applying the knowledge and skills they gain through examining authentic real-world cases and working on projects.
Learning Objectives

Learning Objectives

  • to analyze organizational communication practices
  • to communicate effectively within different organizational models
  • to design and implement high-trust organizational culture
  • to demonstrate a good understanding of how communication occurs within organizations
  • to develop communication, analytical and problem-solving skills
  • to develop the ability to use communication theory and methodology to analyze organizations, their structures, practices and cultures
Expected Learning Outcomes

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • Know the basics of organizational communication theory
  • Know past and present organizational models
  • Understand how communication works in organizational structures and cultures
  • Know modern and classical theories of organizational communication
  • Know the definition and typology of downward communication
  • Understand the functions and typology of upward communication
  • Know the main principles of workplace communication
  • Know the definition, typology of lateral communication
  • Apply the knowledge and skills they get to integrate employee communications media
  • Understand the principles of communicating with a diverse workforce
  • Understand the role of business ethics
  • Understand characteristics of excellent business communication
  • Understand various approaches to leadership
  • Apply the knowledge and skills they get to manage organizational identity and diversity
  • Understand the benefits and downsides of technology in organizations
  • Apply the knowledge and skills they get to define and describe organizational models
  • Apply the knowledge and skills they get to measure the effectiveness of internal communication
Course Contents

Course Contents

  • Communication in organizations
    Human communication. Organizational communication. Formal communication. Communication rules. Communication norms. Types of messages. Groups and teams in the workplace.
  • Downward communication
    Weber’s 2 ways to force people to obey. 2 general types of downward communication according to Randy Hirowaka. 3 periods of downward communication according to C.J. Dover. 5 types of downward communication (instructions, rationale, procedures and practices, feedback, indoctrination). 2 primary problems of downward communication according to Randy Hirawaka. 5 effective methods of downward communication
  • Upward communication
    4 important functions of upward communication. Katz and Kahn’s typology of upward communication. Tourish and Robson’s 5th type of upward communication. Employee silence and its 3 common forms. 4 myths about employee silence. Organizational dissent. Articulated organizational dissent. 2 basic processes of organizational dissent. 5 basic strategies of articulated dissent. Latent/lateral organizational dissent. Displaced dissent. Problems with upward communication. Effective methods of upward communication
  • Horizontal/lateral communication
    Scalar chain. Fayol’s bridge. Hierarchical control of the messages. 4 functions to horizontal communication. 4 main problems with horizontal communication. Effective methods for horizontal communication. Informal communication. Types of informal communication networks. Analyzing communication networks
  • Business ethics
    Four ethical scenarios. Major ethical perspectives. Typology of ethical lapses (J.O. Cherrington, D.J. Cherrington. Reinsh’s Nine Basic Ethical Findings. Redding’s Typology of Unethical Organizational Communication
  • Leader and follower behaviors and perspectives
    Situational approach to leadership. Fred Fiedler’s contingency theory of Leader effectiveness. Task-oriented and relationship-oriented leaders. Situational favorableness. Paul Hersey and Kenneth Blanchard’s situational leadership theory. Directing/coaching/supporting/delegating leaders Functional approach to leadership. Barnard’s functions of the executive. Classification of functional roles in teams (prosocial/antisocial) Relational approach to leadership. Blake and Mouton’s managerial grid. Leader-Member exchange theory Transformational approach. Charismatic leadership. Intellectual stimulation. Individualized consideration
  • Modern workplace realities
    Career skills. SWOT analysis as a tool for strategic career planning. Emerging and disappearing jobs. Recruitment process overview. CV structure. Behavioral questions. CV peer assessment. Types of job interviews. Mock job interview practice.
Assessment Elements

Assessment Elements

  • non-blocking Career Trajectory
  • non-blocking Curriculum vitae
  • non-blocking Written examination
  • non-blocking Test 1
  • non-blocking Case study
  • non-blocking Leader analysis
  • non-blocking Test 2
  • non-blocking MOOC Assignment
  • non-blocking Written examination
    The written examination will take place online in SmartLMS. Students need to have access to the site https://edu.hse.ru/ , as well as a login and a password to enter. Headphones and a microphone are not required. Students can enter the platform well in advance, but the assignments will be started at the set time. The examination will take 80 minutes. If during the writing of the test, the Internet does not work for some time, the student continues the test until the connection is restored. If the connection does not resume, the student takes screenshots of their answers, written in the absence of Internet connection, and sends them to the teacher and the manager of the educational programme. If the answers for the task on translation overlap for 80% or more among different students of one group, 0 points are awarded for this task to all the students who have such a coincidence. The first three tasks will be checked automatically6 the fourth one is checked by the teachers within 5 days. The grades are published in SmartLMS not later than the day stated in RUZ as grades announcement.
  • non-blocking Case study on Ethics
  • non-blocking Attendance&Participation
Interim Assessment

Interim Assessment

  • Interim assessment (1 module)
    0.3 * Career Trajectory + 0.3 * Curriculum vitae + 0.4 * Written examination
  • Interim assessment (4 module)
    0.1 * Leader analysis + 0.2 * MOOC Assignment + 0.2 * Test 1 + 0.2 * Test 2 + 0.3 * Written examination
Bibliography

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

  • International Association of Business Communicators, & Gillis, T. L. (2011). The IABC Handbook of Organizational Communication : A Guide to Internal Communication, Public Relations, Marketing, and Leadership (Vol. 2nd ed). San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=363478

Recommended Additional Bibliography

  • Corrado, F. M. (1994). Communicating with Employees : Improving Organizational Communication. Menlo Park, CA: Course PTR. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=112936
  • Kramer, M. W. (2004). Managing Uncertainty in Organizational Communication. Mahwah, N.J.: Routledge. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=109913
  • Walker, R., & Aritz, J. (2012). Discourse Perspectives on Organizational Communication. Madison, [N.J.]: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=449158