MAN-373-OL


	Syllabus for MAN-373-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Managerial Communications is an upper-level undergraduate course that explores key theories and strategies of contemporary organizational communications. It recognizes that challenges exist for creating and implementing effective communication both inside organizations—between individuals and groups—and outside organizations—with markets, partners, and influential third parties.

The course is structured around four fundamental beliefs:

Organizations will continue to experience change in their relationships with their own colleagues and with people in other organizations.

Technology will have an increasing impact on the content and methods of organizational communications, particularly at the managerial level.

Managers' roles will continue to evolve away from dictatorial and authoritarian models to those emphasizing negotiation, coaching, collaboration, and consensus building.

Managerial communicators will have to rely on situational analysis and planning in order to achieve ongoing effectiveness in communication.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

Managerial Communications has two overall objectives: (1) to introduce key concepts of communication theory, strategy, and implementation within organizational settings and (2) to develop students' skills in applying these concepts to realistic situations in a variety of workplace environments.

By the conclusion of this course, you should be able to:

Explain the historical development of communication as an organizational process affecting internal processes and external relationships.

Define the steps in the process of human communication.

Compare interpersonal communication at individual and group levels.

Describe managerial communication as a component of organizational communication, and relate it to the roles and responsibilities of managers.

Identify the characteristics of technology that impact and interact with organizational and managerial communication.

Explain the key strategies for effective written and oral communication within and between organizations.

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REQUIRED COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following course materials to do the work of this course. The textbook and the Harvard articles are available from the textbook supplier, MBS Direct. The Course Documents are located in the Course Documents area of the course Web site.

Textbook

Managerial Communication: Strategies and Applications, 4th ed., by Geraldine E. Hynes (New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2008).

Harvard Articles

Seven Harvard Management Communication Letter and Harvard Management Update articles; you can purchase a password from MBS to access these articles

Course Documents

In-Sites

In-Sites are mentor-created commentaries on topics relevant to the units in which they are assigned. They are located in the Course Documents area of the course Web site.

Appendix of Organizational Structures

The appendix is located in the Course Documents area of the course Web site.

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OPTIONAL COURSE MATERIALS

You are encouraged to venture beyond the required course materials for additional learning opportunities. Suggested supplemental readings are listed in the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site for the units in which they are to be read. These articles may be accessed through the New Jersey Virtual Academic Library Environment (VALE). Instructions for accessing VALE are given on the Optional Reading pages. Business publications are also suggested.

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COURSE STRUCTURE

Managerial Communications is a three-credit upper-level undergraduate course consisting of eight units grouped into four modules:

Managerial Communication—History, Characteristics, and the Managerial Dynamic

Organizations—Structures and the Effect of Emergent Technologies

Communication Meets Management— Challenges, Written Processes, and Oral Processes

Emerging Issues

You are required to submit six (6) written papers at intervals throughout the course and to participate in five (5) graded online discussions. You are also required to take a proctored midterm and complete a final project in the form of a case analysis. The final project includes two submissions: an outline and your final case analysis.

For the course's assignment modules and unit learning activities (study assignments, optional reading, online discussions, and written assignments), go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. (See also the course Calendar.)

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ONLINE DISCUSSIONS

Managerial Communications requires you to participate in periodic online class discussions. In addition to an ungraded introduction forum in unit 1, you are required to participate in five graded online discussions.

Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and at least two subsequent comments on classmates' responses. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

For additional information on online discussions, see Online Discussions in the Online Student Handbook.

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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

You are required to submit six (6) written assignments for Managerial Communications. Each assignment is an essay. The assignments are the primary means for you to express yourself verbally, controlling content and meaning and demonstrating the ability to analyze, assess, and integrate concepts and situations. Your assignments should be professionally presented, using clear syntax and correct grammar and spelling.

Each written assignment should be 3–4 typed, double-spaced pages. As necessary, you should use research sources in addition to your required course materials and suggested (optional) materials listed in the syllabus. These may be print or online sources. When you are paraphrasing or quoting from any source, remember to cite the source, using footnotes or endnotes and a bibliography. When listing sources, you may use any one of the standard styles, such as MLA, APA, or The Chicago Manual of Style.

Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.

When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the

>>View/Complete Assignment

link provided at the bottom of the respective assignment page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and submit your assignment file.

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MIDTERM EXAMINATION

Managerial Communications requires you to take a proctored midterm examination. Consult the course Calendar for the scheduling of this exam.

The midterm is a closed-book examination that covers all the material assigned in units 1–4 of the course. It is two hours long and consists of multiple-choice items and scenarios. The multiple-choice questions focus on definitions and explanations, and the scenarios ask you to apply your topical knowledge to make choices, offer recommendations, and produce your own situational analysis.

You may take the midterm examination only during the designated exam week, at an approved location, and with an approved proctor. In this regard, you need to schedule your exam and submit your "Proctor Request Form" with the necessary documentation during the first week of the semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site.)

If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken the midterm exam, you must let your examination proctor know when you plan to take the exam and contact the Office of Test Administration (609-984-1181) two weeks in advance to request that your exam be sent to the proctor.

For more information on scheduling a proctored examination, see the section Examinations and Proctors in the Online Student Handbook.

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FINAL PROJECT

You are required at the end of the semester to submit a final project in the form of a case analysis. The final project will be worth 20 percent of your final grade for the course. Your grade will be based on how well you develop a case, ask relevant questions, and use concepts in your solution applications.

Before you complete your analysis, you will need to master the course material presented in the course assignments. This does not mean, however, that you should leave the preparation of your project to the end of the semester. Be sure that you read about the final project when you start the course so that you know what is required.

For details of the final project case analysis, see the Final Project area of the course Web site. The section called "Case Analysis Strategies for Success" will give you information about specific preliminary work that will help you prepare for this project. In addition, you are asked to submit an outline of your scenario and the questions you are developing for your case analysis. For details regarding the due dates of the outline and case analysis, see the course Calendar.

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GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Written assignments (6)	35 percent
Online discussions (5)	15 percent
Midterm Examination	30 percent
Final Project	20 percent

Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, course examinations, and projects are based on the following numerical grades:

A	=	93–100	C+	=	78–79
A–	=	90–92	C	=	73–77
B+	=	88–89	C–	=	70–72
B	=	83–87	D	=	60–69
B–	=	80–82	F	=	Below 60

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, projects, papers, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.

Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule your midterm exam and arrange for proctors, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.

Arrange to take your midterm examination by following the instructions in the Online Student Handbook. Then complete the "Proctor Request Form" and submit it to the Office of Test Administration (OTA). You must make arrangements to take your midterm examination and send in your "Proctor Request Form" to OTA before the end of the first week of the current semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site.)

Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.

If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips
Consider the following study tips for success:

To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking your examination. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.

Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

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Syllabus Index

This document contains the following main sections:

Course Description

Course Objectives

Required Course Materials

Optional Course Materials

Course Structure

Online Discussions
Written Assignments

Midterm Examination

Final Project

Grading and Evaluation

Strategies for Success