COMM 362 - Small Group and Organizational Communication

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SP, alternating years. This course is designed to guide class members through the issues and research literature related to communication within and from organizations and small groups. We focus on approaches, theories, and research findings concerning conceptions of organizations, various traditions in the study of organizations, metaphors for organizational communication, culture and climate within organizations, group processes, leadership, socialization/assimilation/membership negotiation, power, motivation/performance, organizational innovation and change, team-based structures and alternative forms of organizing, and strategic organizational communication. The unit of analysis undergirding the course is the actions of individuals or groups within organizations, especially actors’ messages and symbolic interactions, as well as the behavior of entire organizations or sets of organizations. Although organizations are such an ever-present, taken-for-granted aspect of our lives, you may not have developed a full understanding of them. For this reason, this course includes activities and assignments designed to enhance appreciation and analysis of organizations and organizational communication. The course also addresses competencies needed to communicate effectively in organizations and those skills useful for aiding others in organizations to attain personal and organizational goals.