Syllabus

COM217LEC-RL Communication in Organizations

Spring 2016
3 Credits
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 3:30 4:45 PM
218 NSC
Contact information:
Instructor:

Office:
Office Hours:
Contact:

Teaching Assistant:

Richard H. Lesniak, PhD

Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Communication
352 Baldy Hall
Thursdays, 2:00 3:00 pm or by appointment
Cell & Text: 716-984-2798
Email: lesniak@buffalo.edu
Google hangout: rick.lesniak@gmail.com
Katie Matthews
Cell and text: 315-506-0560
Email: katiemat@buffalo.edu

Course Goals
Communication 217, Communication in Organizations, is an introduction to the study of the
essential component of organizing, communication. This course provides a research-based
introduction to the principles of communication within organizations, including basic
approaches, processes, and methods. This course will increase your awareness and
understanding of communication-related phenomena in the context of organizations, real and
virtual, with a focus on practical applications.

Required Texts

Organizational Communication: Approaches and Processes, 7th Edition, Katherine Miller,

CENGAGE Learning, 2015, ISBN-13: 978-1-285-16420-5

This book is available in hard cover to own or rent, or as an eBook from:

http://www.cengagebrain.com/shop/isbn/9781285164205

Previous editions of this book are NOT acceptable.

Class Format

The class will be conducted primarily in lecture format. It is possible, however, to have
meaningful and constructive discussion in a class of this size, and I welcome the opportunity to
do so. This will require you to have read the materials listed on the course schedule before class.
Feel free to ask questions at any point during class. Most lectures will be accompanied with
slides that will be made available to you in advance on UBlearns.
As encouragement to come to class and to read materials before class, I will often provide
worksheets for you to complete during class that must be completed and handed in during class
on that date for class participation credit.

Student Learning Objectives

Learning Objective 1. Understand the history and evolution of modern organizational structures
and philosophies.
Learning Outcome 1. Identify and understand the three major approaches to the
structure of todays organizations. Specifically, students will be able to identify classical,
human relations, and human resources components of organizations, and understand the
relative strengths and weakness of each.
Learning Outcome 2. Students will also identify and understand two contemporary
approaches regarding organizational structure and functioning. Specifically, students will
be able to identify systems, cultural, constitutive, critical and feminist approaches to
organizations, well as understand the methods for studying each of these approaches.
Learning Objective 2. Develop competency in the principles and practices of organizational
communication.
Learning Outcome 3. Students will gain an understanding of communication practices
within the context of formal organizations. Specifically, students will be able to identify,
operationalize and explain communication phenomena in the context of organizational
socialization, decision-making, and conflict management.
Learning Outcome 4. Students will also gain an understanding of communication
practices within the context of change within organizations. Specifically, students will be
able to identify, operationalize and explain communication phenomena in the context of
organizational change and leadership, and technological processes.

Exam Policy

Examination questions are constructed from lecture material, discussions, projects and guest
lectures. Exams are multiple choice, true/false, matching, short answer and brief essay questions,
administered closed book, closed notes and in class. In general exams are non-cumulative, but
may include questions built upon material tested in earlier exams.
Make-up exams will not be given without a written medical excuse or other appropriate
documentation.

Cases
A key component in the process of developing professional competencies is to utilize real-world,
practical problems for analysis, discussion and composition. Case Learning provides the
opportunity to apply theory to practical situations, yet still maintain the safety and control of the
classroom environment. Each case is selected to exercise your knowledge, build skills and
provide practical insights.
Cases will be assigned to groups of three to four students during the semester. Each group will
complete the case analysis, and prepare a written report. The majority of group work occurs
outside of scheduled class time.
Case learning grades are assigned as a group. Students will have the opportunity to evaluate peer
performance at the end of each case. Students with acceptable absences will be given an
opportunity to make up casework by arrangement with the instructor.

Grading Policies
The cumulative number of points earned from tests, projects and class participation determines
your final grade. Final grades will be assigned as:
94-100 points A
91-93 points A88-90 points B+
84-87 points B
81-83 points B-

78-80 points C+
74-77 points C
71-73 points C68-70 points D+
64-67 points D
<64 points F

Points are earned as follows:

Methods

Points

Participation:
Syllabus Quiz
Worksheets, Discussion Questions
Course Evaluation
Classroom Participation
Cases (2)
Tests (3)
TOTAL:

22

My Goal

1
13
1
7
20
58
100

Late projects and other

assignments will be penalized one point per day including weekends.
All assignment and test grades are viewable using the My Grade student tool on UBlearns.
There are no opportunities to earn extra credit points.

Participation Points
Classroom participation points will be awarded on the following criteria:
Points
0
1
3
5
7

Criteria
Student never participates in classroom discussion and has never offered ideas.
Student hardly ever speaks up in class during discussions or offers ideas
Student participates in discussions or offers ideas once in a while.
Student often participates in discussions and offers ideas.
Student is constantly participating in class discussions and offers ideas.

Incomplete Policy

A grade of incomplete (I) indicates that additional course work is required to fulfill the
requirements of this course. You may only be given an I grade if you have a passing average in
coursework that has been completed and have well-defined parameters to complete the course
requirements that could result in a grade better than the default grade. You must request a grade
of Incomplete by having a discussion with me to substantiate your need for an extension, and to
create a firm plan for completion within the next semester. You may not repeat the course to
satisfy a grade of Incomplete.
For more information on university grading policy, including Incompletes, see
http://undergrad-catalog.buffalo.edu/policies/grading/explanation.shtml

Academic Integrity
The Department of Communication takes academic integrity seriously, and will not tolerate
plagiarism or any other form of cheating.
You commit plagiarism when you make use of others work without proper attribution. Any time
you use someones unique ideas, you must properly cite the printed, electronic, or other source of
that work. If you use a phrase (any non-obvious combination of a few words) from another
persons work, you must also place these words within quotation marks and cite the source. You
must turn in your own original work for an assignment. You may not, except with explicit
permission from your instructor, turn in work that has been turned in for other classes. During
examinations and other assignments you must present your own work, and must follow all of the
rules provided by the instructor or other administrators in the class.
Plagiarism and other forms of cheating, even if unintentional, will result in sanctions that can
include an F in the class and a notation in your academic record. The instructor has the further
ability to press charges and impose sanctions at the university level, up to and including
expulsion. In addition, if you are aware that another student in the class is guilty of academic
dishonesty, and fail to inform the instructor, you are also subject to sanctions.
If you are ever unsure about whether something constitutes cheating or plagiarism, please
approach your instructor before turning in your work. He or she will happily help you to
understand how to avoid academic dishonesty. For further information, this resource on proper
citation and how to avoid plagiarism may be of help:
UB Statement on academic integrity: http://academicintegrity.buffalo.edu/

Disability
If you have a disability and may require some type of instructional and/or examination
accommodation, please inform me early in the semester so that we can coordinate the
accommodations you may need. If you have not already done so, please contact the Accessibility
Resources office. The office is located at 25 Capen Hall and the telephone number is (716) 6452608.

COM217LEC-RL Spring 2016 Schedule of Classes

Date

Chapter

1/26
1/28

Introduction
Challenges

2/2, 2/4

Classical
Approaches

2/5
2/9, 2/11

Syllabus
Quiz Due (5
PM)
Human
Relations
and Human
Resources
Approaches
Case 1
Introductio
n

Learning Objectives

Reading

Course Syllabus, Cases, Grading, etc

Know how globalization, terrorism,
changing demographics, and
climate are complicating todays
world.
Understand the seven
conceptualizations of
communication and the concept of
requisite variety.
Know the difference of the
transmission model and the
constitutive model.
Understand the machine
metaphor.
Understand the Theory of Classical
Management and be able to
recognize classical management in
contemporary organizations.
Know the key points of the Theory
of Bureaucracy and the Theory of
Scientific Management.

None
Chapter 1

2/16, 2/18

Systems and
Cultural
Approaches

Understand the Hawthorne

studies, Maslows Hierarchy of
Needs, Macgregors Theory X and
Theory Y and how they all relate to
the human relations approach.
Be able to describe
communication patterns in
classical, human resources and
human relation approach and how
the faults in the human relations
approach led to the human
resources approach.
Understand the Managerial Grid
and System IV management and
how they describe aspects of
human resources organizations.
Understand and be able to explain
the system components, processes
and properties.
Be familiar with both the
cybernetics as a system theory

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

2/23
2/25, 3/1

Test 1
Constitutive
Approaches

3/3, 3/8

Critical and
Feminist
Approaches
Case 2
Introductio
n

3/6
3/10, 3/22

Case 1 Due
(11:59 PM)
Socialization
Processes

and Weicks theory of organizing.

Know the research methods for
studying systems, focusing on
network analysis.
Know the ways of describing
organizational cultures as
complicated, emergent, unitary,
and ambiguous.
Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4
Understand the weaknesses in the
container metaphor and how
theorist developed constitutive
perspective.
Know structuration theory.
Describe the Four Flows of
organizational communication.
Understand what makes the
critical approach unique and be
able to describe how power can be
represented through production
and organization discourse.
Know the concepts of ideology,
homogeny, emancipation, and
resistance and how they fit
together.
Know the feminist approaches to
organization communication and
the theory of concertize control.

3/24, 3/29

DecisionMaking
Processes

Understand the processes of

organizational socialization know
the three major phases of
organization socialization and
know what critical processes are
active in each phase.
Be familiar with the newcomer
information-seeking tactics.
Understand the functions of
employment interviews and know
the processes which roles are
developed over time.
Understand the different models
of the decision-making process.
Be familiar with the term
Groupthink.
Know the various roles
participation has in decision-

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

3/31
4/5, 4/7

4/11
4/12, 4/14

making.
Understand knowledge
management systems.
Test 2
Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8
Conflict
Be able to define organizational
Management
conflict and explain the stages and
levels at which they may occur.
Know the carious roles of third
parties in conflict resolution.
Understand how personal,
relational, organizational and
cultural factors can influence the
conflict process.
Case 2 Due
(11:59 pm)
Organization
al change
and
Leadership
processes

4/19, 4/21

Organization
al Diversity
Processes

4/26, 4/28

Technologica
l Processes

5/3
5/5

Test 3
Wrap-up

Know that change is often part of

the organizational life cycle.
Know the problems with planned
changes and the communication
strategies that address the
problem.
Know the leadership models and
tools for framing in leadership.
Be able to describe how the
workplace is changing in terms of
representation of women and
minorities and how their
experiences may differ from those
of a white male.
Know the approaches to the
multicultural workplace and how
diversity can improve an
organization.
Be able to explain the different
managements of cultural diversity.
Be able to explain the process of
technology adoption in an
organizational setting according to
three theories.
Appreciate how technology shifts
communication patterns, and how
it changes organizational
structures.
Chapters 9, 10, 12, 13

Chapter 9

Chapter
10

Chapter
12

Chapter
13