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:
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:
You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the College's textbook supplier, MBS Direct. The Course Documents are located in the Course Documents area of the course Web site.
Harvard Articles
Course Documents
You are encouraged to venture beyond the required course materials for additional learning opportunities. Suggested supplemental readings are listed in the Modules areas of the course Web site. These articles may be accessed through the New Jersey Virtual Academic Library Environment (VALE). Instructions for accessing VALE are given within the Study Materials section of each module. Business publications are also suggested.
Managerial Communications is a three-credit upper-level undergraduate course consisting of seven modules:
You are required to submit six (6) written papers, in APA format, 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 in separate weeks: an outline and your final case analysis.
For pointers on APA formatting, along with helpful examples, go to the APA Format Help and APA Sample Paper areas of the course site.
For the course's assignment modules and learning activities (study assignments, optional reading, online discussions, and written assignments), go to the Modules in the course Web site.
For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written assignments, take a proctored midterm examination, and complete a final project. See below for more details.
Consult the course Calendar for assignment due dates.
Written Assignments
You are required to complete six (6) written assignments, in APA format. 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 in APA format using clear syntax and correct grammar and spelling.
For an evaluation rubric relating to written assignments, go to the Rubrics area of the course site.
Go to the Submit Assignments area of the course Web site to submit all written assignments.
For additional help regarding preparing and submitting assignments, see the Student Handbook located within the General Information section of the course Web site.
Online Discussion Forums
Managerial Communications requires you to participate in periodic online class discussions. In addition to an ungraded introduction forum in module 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 an evaluation rubric relating to online discussions, go to the Rubrics area of the course site.
For posting guidelines and additional help with discussion board assignments, please see the Student Handbook located within the General Information section of the course Web site.
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 modules 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 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 no later than the end of 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) three 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 Student Handbook located within the General Information section of the course Web site.
Final Project
You are required at the end of the semester to submit a final project in the form of a case analysis in APA format. 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, use concepts in your solution applications, follow APA formatting, and document your sources (references and in-text citations).
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 take the time to 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, within Module 5 you are asked to submit an outline of your project (describing the 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.
For an evaluation rubric relating to the final project case study, go to the Rubrics area of the course site.
Go to the Submit Assignments area of the course Web site to submit final project.
For additional help regarding preparing and submitting assignments, see the Student Handbook located within the General Information section of the course Web site.
Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:
|
Written assignments (5) |
35 percent |
|---|---|
|
Online discussions (5) |
15 percent |
|
Midterm exam |
30 percent |
| Final project |
20 percent |
All assignments will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:
| A | = | 93–100 |
| A– | = | 90–92 |
| B+ | = | 88–89 |
| B | = | 83–87 |
| B– | = | 80–82 |
| C+ | = | 78–79 |
| C | = | 73–77 |
| C– | = | 70–72 |
| D | = | 60–69 |
| F | = | Below 60 |
First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:
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 examinations.