Provost's Office



Provost’s Office

February 2001

For instructions, please consult:

DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM: Communication

COURSE PREFIX Com NUMBER 524

PREVIOUS PREFIX/NUMBER COM 524

COURSE TITLE Political Communication in Organizations

ABBREVIATED TITLE POL COM IN ORGS (18 including spaces)

SCHEDULING: Fall ___ , Spring _x__ , Summer ___ , Every Year ___

Alt.Year Odd ____ Alt.Year Even __x__ Other________________

CREDIT HOURS 3 OFFERED BY DISTANCE EDUCATION ONLY _______

CONTACT HOURS: Lecture/Recitation _3 Seminar___ Laboratory_0__ Problem___

Studio___ Independent Study/Research___ Internship/Practicum/Field Work___

GRADING: ABCDF _x___ or S/U ____ DATE OF LAST ACTION: _______________

PREREQUISITE(S) Graduate Standing

COREQUISITE(S) ________________________________________________________

PRE/COREQUISITE for Following Course(s)___________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

RESTRICTIVE STATEMENT(S) _____________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Explore effects of modern communication techniques on political life in organizations. Examine formulation and articulation of political messages in private organizations and governmental institutions.

CURRICULA/MINORS FOR WHICH COURSE IS DESIGNED:

Required: _______________________________________________________________________________________________

Qualified Elective: MS in Organizational Communication

GER LIST(S):_______________________________________________________________________________________________

INSTRUCTOR RESPONSIBLE FOR COURSE/RANK: Ken Zagacki / Associate Professor

ANTICIPATED ENROLLMENT/SEMESTER: 25 Maximum No./Sect: 25 Multiple Sections: Yes ____ No __x__

RECOMMENDED BY:

_______________________________________________________________

Head, Department/Program Date

ENDORSED BY:

_______________________________________________________________

Chair, College Courses & Curricula Committee Date

_______________________________________________________________

College Dean Date

_______________________________________________________________

Chair, University Courses & Curricula Committee Date

_______________________________________________________________

Chair, Council on Undergraduate Education Date

APPROVED:

______________________________________________________________

Provost's Office Date

Political Communication in Organizations

Com 524

Justification: This class will enable graduate students in communication, political science, public administration, international relations, and other disciplines to explore the ways in which private organizations as well as government institutions formulate and articulate political messages. Because of the increasing political influence of corporate and government entities, many graduate programs in organizational communication, at other universities, offer similar classes. However, no such course is currently part of the graduate curriculum at NCSU. Com 598, therefore, will fill an existing need.

Course Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1) Understand and discuss a wide range of political theories and perspectives about how political life in organizations is affected by modern techniques of communication;

2) Describe, from both a theoretical and practical point of view, how democracy is best facilitated/hindered in modern organizations;

3) Evaluate specific organizations for their democratic practices and identify/implement organizational structures-policies that best facilitate democratic interaction among employees and employers in an organization invented by the student

Required Texts:

Edelman, M. Symbolic Uses of Politics, University of Illinois Press, 1990 ($13.95)

Deetz, S. Transforming Communication, Transforming Business: Building Responsive and Responsible Workplaces, Hampton Press, 1995. ($24.95)

Cohen, R. Negotiating Across Cultures: International Communication in an Independent

World, US Inst Pe, 1997 ($19.95)

Required Additional Readings: (None)

Resources: Reallocation of existing resources permits offering this class.

Consultation with Other Departments: No other department is likely to be affected.

Political Communication in Organizations

Com 524

Instructor: Kenneth Zagacki

Office: Winston Hall #207

Office phone: 515-9748

email: kszagack@social.chass.ncsu.edu

Introduction: This course surveys how political life in organizations is affected by modern techniques of communication. Democracy has always depended on open and direct communication between its citizens and those who govern or administer to them. In the United States that has been true since Colonial times. But with the advent of mass technologies, the range, depth, and importance of communication practices have changed in revolutionary ways. Today, government institutions but also multi-national corporations have their own press offices, their own uplink and downlink facilities, their own Internet addresses, their own marketing campaign machines --and they use these devices fully although sometimes not effectively. At the same time, media industries are turning into conglomerates and that fact has enormous political implications. Too, entire new specializations have developed in the world of organizational politics--the spin experts, the investigative reporters, the media handlers, advertising's time-buyers, the lobbyists with their cell phones, the experts in international bargaining and negotiation--all of these persons now crowd on top of one another in Washington, D.C. and in Raleigh, North Carolina. In this class, students will study these phenomena, these people, and the major thinkers who theorize about them. But mostly they will ask whether or not democracy, both inside and outside of the organizational context, is made better or worse, helped or hurt, by this new and complex organizational world.

Justification: This class will enable graduate students in communication, political science, public administration, international relations, and other disciplines to explore the ways in which private organizations as well as government institutions formulate and articulate political messages. Because of the increasing political influence of corporate and government entities, many graduate programs in organizational communication, at other universities, offer similar classes. However, no such course is part of the graduate curriculum at NCSU. Com 598, therefore, will fill an existing need.

Course Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1) Understand and discuss a wide range of political theories and perspectives about how political life in organizations is affected by modern techniques of communication;

2) Describe, from both a theoretical and practical point of view, how democracy is best facilitated/hindered in modern organizations;

3) Evaluate specific organizations for their democratic practices and identify/implement organizational structures-policies that best facilitate democratic interaction among employees and employers in an organization invented by the student

Required Texts:

Edelman, M. Symbolic Uses of Politics, University of Illinois Press, 1990 ($13.95)

Deetz, S. Transforming Communication, Transforming Business: Building Responsive and Responsible Workplaces, Hampton Press, 1995. ($24.95)

Cohen, R. Negotiating Across Cultures: International Communication in an Independent

World, US Inst Pe, 1997 ($19.95)

Required Additional Readings: (None)

Assignments:

Students will take two major exams and write one research paper. The exams will be short answer and essay and will cover lecture material and class readings. The paper should examine any concept/theory/praxis examined during the semester. The paper should be at least 20 pages in length, with proper citation. Each assignment will be worth 1/3 of the student’s final grade.

Grading Scale

A+=97-100, A=93-96, A-=90-92

B+=87-89, B=83-86, B-=80-82

C+=77-79, C=73-76, C-=70-72

D+=67-69, D=63-66, D-=60-62, F=59 and below

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is an act of deceit that is taken very seriously by the Department of Communication and by the University. (By the way, plagiarism is using someone’s work—be it words or ideas—without giving her or him credit). Your Student Handbook contains a statement about Academic Integrity. Be sure you abide by it. If you are found plagiarizing you risk failure and even more stringent disciplinary actions. This is particularly important with Web-based materials. If you use someone else’s image/words/audio, you must get permission and give appropriate credit on your site. Sometimes it is better to create a link to another Web page rather than incorporating the content into your page. Please go to and read carefully the Academic Integrity statement issued by NC State.

Accessibility

Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take advantage of available accommodations, students must register with Disability Services for Students at 1900 Student Health Center, Campus Box 7509, 515-7653. For more information on NC State’s policy on working with students with disabilities, please see .

Departmental Equity Statement

All persons, regardless of age, race, religion, gender, physical disability, or sexual orientation shall have equal opportunity without harassment in Department of Communication courses and programs. Any harassment should be reported immediately to either the classroom instructor or the department head.

Schedule:

Week 1: Introduction to Political Communication in Organizations (Edelman, Chapters 1-2)

Week 2: Political Leadership and Symbolism in the Organizational Context (Edelman, Chapters

3-5)

Week 3: Politics and the Language of Organizations (Edelman, Chapters 6-7)

Week 4: Changing Political Goals in the Organizational Context (Edelman, Chapters 8-9)

Week 5: The Challenges of Democracy for Contemporary Organizations (Deetz, Chapters

1-2)

Week 6: Corporations and Public Decision-Making (Deetz, Chapter 3)

Week 7: A Multiple Stakeholder Model of Representation (Deetz, Chapter 4) Exam 1 Scheduled

for this week

Week 8: Diversity and the New Negotiative Context and Communication in the Age of

Negotiation (Deetz, Chapters 5-6)

Week 9: Dialogic Communication and Political Practice in the Organizational Setting: Can It

Work: (Deetz, Chapter 7)

Week 10: Greedy Corporation, Consent, and Initiating the Dialogue (Deetz, Chapters 8-11)

Week 11: Democratic Organizations, Stakeholders and the “Saturn Case” (Chapter 12)

Week 12: Future Challenges for Organizational Communication: Intercultural Negotiation and

Organizations (Cohen, Chapters 1-4)

Week 13: How the Intercultural Communication Process Works: Pre-negotiation and Opening Moves (Cohen, Chapters 5-6)

Week 14: The Middle Game (Cohen, Chapters 7-9)

Week 15: The End Game of Intercultural Organizational Negotiation (Cohen, Chapters 10-12)

Final Papers due this week

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|TYPE OF PROPOSAL: | |

| New Course |_x___ |

| Course to be dropped |____ |

| Course Review |____ |

| Course Revision* |____ |

| GER List Action |____ |

| Dual-level Course |____ |

| | |

| * REVISION IN: | |

| Prefix/Number |____ |

| Title/Abbreviated Title |____ |

| Scheduling |____ |

| Credit Hours/Contact Hours |____ |

| Grading Method |____ |

| Pre/Corequisite |____ |

| Restrictive Statement |____ |

| Description |____ |

| Content |____ |

| Student Learning Objectives |____ |

| Scheduling |____ |

Proposed Effective Date: 05/16/02

Approved Effective Date: ____/____/_____

DOCUMENTATION AS REQUIRED:

Course Justification __x___

Proposed Revision(s) with Reasons ______

Student Learning Objectives __x___

Assessment Statement ______

Enrollment for last 5 years ______

Resources __x____

Consultation with other Departments __x____

GER Justification ______

Syllabus (Current and Proposed) __x____

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

COURSE ACTION FORM

CATALOG DESCRIPTION (Limit to 80 words):

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