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This course examines how we think and talk about workplace communication and how this shapes how communication is managed.
This is practical paper that provides communication management skills and knowledge that are important for all managers and business owners as well as those aspiring to these roles.This paper examines how we think and talk about workplace and organizational communication and how this shapes the way communication occurs and is managed. It portrays organisations and the workplaces they provide as dynamic discursive systems created by the interaction of task, technology, and social processes. It critically examines how these discursive system shape rationality, decision-making, personal identity, and participation. The focus is on communication from both managerial and subordinate perspectives. It explores communication management in specific contexts: high reliability organisations, health sector, emergency services, crisis, science and technology dissemination, public relations and change management.Relationship to other coursesThis is a transdisciplinary management paper, incorporating theory and practice from organisational communication, organisational behaviour and management as well as sociology, psychology, mass communication and media studies in order to understand the challenges of the communication management function in and around contemporary organisations. It is a perfect complement for a range of courses that address professional practice in the areas of management (including HRM and leadership), media studies, journalism and public relations.WorkloadThis course requires students to read set readings and textbook chapters prior to scheduled class times. The set readings are all available on LEARN or via the Multisearch function on the UC Library webpage. Overall, on average 3-5 hours of work in addition to lecture attendance is required each week. Some of this work will be group-based.
The aim of this course is to explore the complexities of organisational communication and critically examine the challenges these pose for communication management in ways that allow students to develop a sound understanding of the principles and practices of responsible and effective internal and external communication management.Upon completion of this course students will be able to:Describe the challenges associated with effective internal and external organisational communication management and explain how these challenges can be responsibly addressed.Critically analyse examples of organisational communication in terms of how these promote or hinder inclusion, participation, influence and understanding using a range of conceptual frameworks.Apply the principles of effective communication management to the design and assessment of communication strategies for change management, crisis response, advocacy, public relations, negotiation and public presentation.Students will learn to critically analyse contemporary organisational communication, synthesise effective and responsible communication management strategies using communication theory and examples of best practice and communicate these strategies in writing in a competent professional manner.BCom Graduate ProfileMGMT330 addresses the BCom learning goals in the following manner: 1. Graduates can demonstrate advanced knowledge of team leadership and group dynamics informed by the broader context of commerce.The course examines both the internal and external organisational communication that contribute to effective organizational processes and business success. In doing so, it specifically addresses team leadership and group dynamics. Simulations are used to practice team leadership and illustrate key aspects of group dynamics.These represent just one way in-class activities provide you with an opportunity to apply what you learn about leadership communication and group communication to organisational situations.2. Graduates are able to use problem-solving and analytical skills to address specific organizational scenarios.The in-class exercises require the use of analytical and problem solving skills to interpret and solve cases based on typical organizational communication challenges that a communication manager would encounter and be expected to manage.3. Graduates can understand issues from a range of ethical, global, and multicultural perspectives.This course specifically addresses cultural competence in order to equip you with knowledge and skills needed for effective communication management in culturally diversity situations both within the organization and when dealing with external stakeholders. It also explains the importance of designing organisational communication strategies that are consistent with the legal and ethical obligations enshrined in New Zealand and international law.4. Graduates are able to communicate effectively both orally and in written form.Oral and written communication skills are specifically addressed throughout this course. In-class activities teach interpersonal, group, public and mass communication skills as well as the skills required to manage these at an organizational level.
This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:
Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award
Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.
Employable, innovative and enterprising
Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.
Biculturally competent and confident
Students will be aware of and understand the nature of biculturalism in Aotearoa New Zealand, and its relevance to their area of study and/or their degree.
Globally aware
Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.
MGMT206 or COMS201 or SOCI 219 or MKTG201
Lectures will have face-to-face sessions but will also be available in a virtual format. This is to ensure that students can complete the course from a distance. It will also ensure that if the COVID19 alert level goes back to 3 or 4 students can be confident that their studies will not be disrupted.Tutorial Activities:Included in lecture time so students are encouraged to attend all lecture sessions. Group Zoom tutorials will be held in office hours 3.00 – 4.00 pm or by negotiation.
Colleen Mills
Guest Speakers
*Class time refers to the time scheduled on the timetable. Attendance at class may be via Zoom. The details of how this will work will be finalised once the class size is known.The group presentation assignment is due at 11:59pm on 4 October.If problems arise electronic files of presentations can be submitted to the Examiner via the Cloud by midnight on the due date.This is a participation-based class. Students need to participate in the class activities which may occur via Zoom. The results of all activities are assessed in the tests.Students need to have regular access to Zoom.If extraordinary and unforeseen circumstances arise that seriously impair a student’s ability to complete an assessment task (assignment, quiz or test) an application for special consideration should be made within 7 days of the due date of the assessment task. See Special ConsiderationGrading:Marks for the quiz, test and presentation assignment may be scaled before a final grade is determined. Students should not regard 50% as a pass mark.
Crossman, Joanna. , Bordia, Sarbari., Mills, Colleen; Business communication : for the global age ; 1st ed; McGraw-Hill, 2010.
This book is a required text that contains significant sections of the course content. It is not possible to satisfactorily participate in the course without access to it.Additional readings will be available on LEARN. Lecture notes should be treated as the study guide for the course.ReadingsReadings can be accessed via the UC Library’s Multisearch function. Those that cannot be accessed this way will be uploaded onto LEARN. Designated groups will be assigned a reading from the list below and will co-lead a class discussion based on this reading. This discussion will seek to determine what the practical implications of the reading are for a Communication Manager (CM). 10% of the course mark is assigned this task. The criteria will be designed in an in-class workshop and will focus on how well the discussion is managed by the group. These student-led discussions will be distributed across the course (one or two each week) with groups having readings that correspond to the lecture topic scheduled for their presentation date.Arnaud, N., Mills, C. E., & Legrand, C. (2016). Liberation through narrativity: A case of organization reconstruction through strategic storytelling. Revue Management International, 20(2), 107-118.Arnaud, N., Mills, C. E., Legrand, C., & Maton, E. (2016). Materialising strategy in mundane tools: The key to coupling global strategy and local strategy practice? British Journal of Management, 27, 38-57.Cornelissen, J. (2011). Corporate communications in historical perspective: Marketing, public relations and corporate communications. In Corporate communications: Theory and practice. (pp. 32-55). London, UK: Sage.Garrett, J. L., & Kouzmin, A. (2007). Communicating throughout Katrina: Competing and complementary conceptual lenses on crisis communication. Public Administration Review, 67, 171-188.Helm, S. (2007). One reputation or many? Corporate stakeholders’ perceptions of corporate reputation. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 12(3), 238-254.Huang, Y-H. (2006). Crisis situations, communication strategies, and media coverage: A multi-case study revisiting the communicative response model. Communication Research, 33(3), 180-205.Mills, A. J. (1995). Managing subjectivity, silencing diversity: Organizational imagery in the airline industry. The case of British Airways. Organization, 2(2), 243-269.Mills, C. E. (2010). Experiencing gossip: The foundations for a theory of embedded organizational gossip. Group and Organizational Management, 35(2), 213-240.Mills, C. E. (2006). Modelling sensemaking about communication: How affect and intellect combine. Southern Review, 38(2), 9-23.Zhao, X., & Mills, C. E. (2019). Reconciling multiple realities in an international joint venture: A case for deliberately fostering communication hybridity at the interfirm interface. Communication Research and Practice, 5(1), 57-72.O’Sullivan, J., & Mills, C. E. (2009). The Maori cultural institution of hui: When meeting means more than a meeting. Communication Journal of New Zealand, 10(2), 18-39.Skipper, M., Hargie, O., & Tourish, D. (2009). A communication audit of a hospital clinic. In Hargie and Tourish (Eds.). Auditing communication: A handbook of research, theory and practice. London, UK: Routledge (pp. 260-273).
LEARN Coversheets - Group and Individual
Class RepresentativeA class representative may be asked to volunteer in the first few weeks of class. Any problems with the course can be raised with the class rep. The class representative will take up any issues raised by class members with the lecturer concerned as they occur.Departmental Academic PoliciesThe Department assumes that you have read this document.You should also read the General Course and Examination Regulations Dishonest PracticeThe University of Canterbury considers cheating and plagiarism to be serious acts of dishonesty. All assessed work must be your own individual work unless specifically stated otherwise in the assessment guidelines. Material quoted from any other source must be clearly acknowledged. You must not copy the work of another person (student or published work) in any assessment including examinations, tests and assignments. Any person, who is found to have copied someone else's work, or to have allowed their work to be copied, will receive a fail grade for that piece of assessment and may face disciplinary action which may lead to a fine, community service or exclusion from the university.IMPORTANT: Where there are concerns regarding the authorship of written course work, a student can be required to provide a formal, oral explanation of the content of their work.Citations and referencing
Domestic fee $822.00
International fee $3,688.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
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