Syllabus for MAN-373

MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATIONS

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:

1. Individuals within organizations continue to experience change in their relationships with their own colleagues and with people in other organizations.
2. Technology has an increasingly significant impact on the content and methods of organizational communications, particularly at the managerial level.
3. Managers' roles continue to evolve away from dictatorial and authoritarian models to those emphasizing negotiation, coaching, collaboration, and consensus building.
4. Managerial communicators have to rely on situational analysis and planning in order to achieve ongoing effectiveness in communication.

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.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

      CO1    Explain the historical development of communication as an organizational process affecting

            internal processes and external relationships.

      CO2    Describe managerial communication as a component of organizational communication.

      CO3    Apply concepts for problem solving, conflict management, and negotiation.

      CO4    Explain the key strategies for effective written and oral communication internally and externally.

      CO5    Identify the characteristics of technology that impact and interact with organizational and

                 managerial communication.

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the University's textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Required Textbook

• Hynes, G. E. (2016). Managerial communication: Strategies and applications (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

ISBN-13: 978-1483358550

Additional Reading

You are required to venture beyond the purchased course materials for additional readings. Additional readings are listed in the modules. These articles may be accessed through the databases available to you as a student of Thomas Edison State University. Links to the databases can be found in the myEdison portal under the Educational tab in the My Resources block.

Software

Submit all assignments as Microsoft Word documents unless you have obtained permission from your mentor to submit them with another program. PowerPoint is required to develop one of the written assignments as well as part of the final project.

COURSE STRUCTURE

Managerial Communications is a three-credit, online course consisting of six modules. Modules include an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.

• Module 1: Managerial Communication: Characteristics, the Managerial Dynamic, and the Impact of Technology

• Module 2: Writing Effective Managerial Reports

• Module 3: Verbal and Nonverbal Communication

• Module 4: Conflict Management and Intercultural Communication

• Module 5: Interviews and Meetings

• Module 6: Emerging Issues

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete written assignments, take three proctored examinations, and complete a final project. See below for more details.

Consult the Course Calendar for assignment due dates.

Promoting Originality

One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.

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.

Important: As discussions are dynamic (i.e., ongoing during a specific window of opportunity), they close on a deadline date. After a discussion forum closes, contributions are welcome but will not be taken into account for grading purposes.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete six written assignments. 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.

Note the following guidelines for preparing assignments:

1. Please note that if an assignment directs you to use research resources, you are expected to demonstrate that you have conducted research beyond your text. (In addition, you are expected to properly cite this research as part of the assignment.) An assignment that is well written but fails to indicate that you have done outside research is incomplete.

2. Carefully proofread your document and make any revisions to grammar, content, and style. With the exception of correspondence, professional reporting is prepared objectively in the third person to limit any possible author bias. Eliminate any vague pronouns from the composition (i.e., pronouns that lack concrete antecedents). Check tense, since most reports are written in the literary present to provide a sense of timeliness for the reader. Past tense is best saved for historical reporting, and future tense is appropriate when a report’s subject centers on a prediction.

3. Ensure that any ideas that are not your original work (ideas you have taken from the work of others) are correctly referenced using APA citation format for both in-text and bibliographic entries.

4. Evaluate the document to affirm that the topic of the submission directly relates to the subject of the course (i.e., managerial communications). An essay must clearly demonstrate competency of a lesson learned by including appropriate theory, concepts, and vocabulary. The object of the report—that is, the scenario, situation, or event—must serve as an example that shows the mentor that a lesson can be applied to the workplace.

5. Self-check your work by methodically relating the grading rubric to completed work.

Examinations

Managerial Communications has three proctored examinations during Weeks 4, 8, and 12. See the Course Calendar for the dates of your exam weeks.

For a list of key concepts that may appear on your exams, refer to the study guides available in the Examinations section of the course Web site.

For all of these online examinations you are required to use the University’s Online Proctor Service  (OPS). Please refer to the Examinations and Proctors section of the Online Student Handbook (see the General Information area of the course website) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures. You are strongly advised to make your scheduling arrangements for exams within the first week of the semester.

Online exams are administered through the course website.

Exam 1 (Week 4)

The first exam is a closed-book, proctored exam. It is one-hour long and covers material from Chapters 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8 in the textbook. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions. No materials will be allowed during the exam.

Exam 2 (Week 8)

The second exam is a closed-book, proctored exam. It is one-hour long and covers material from Chapters 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 in the textbook. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions. No materials will be allowed during the exam.

Exam 3 (Week 12)

The third exam is a closed-book, proctored exam. It is one-hour long and covers material from Chapters 4, 5, and 14 in the textbook. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions. No materials will be allowed during the exam.

Statement about Cheating

You are on your honor not to cheat during an exam. Cheating means:

• Looking up any answer or part of an answer in an unauthorized textbook or on the Internet, or using any other source to find an answer.
• Copying and pasting or, in any way copying responses or parts of responses from any other source into your exams. This includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from other documents or spreadsheets, whether written by yourself or anyone else.
• Plagiarizing answers.
• Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take an exam.
• Copying any part of an exam to share with other students.
• Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at an exam because your connection to the Internet was interrupted when that is not true.

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in an exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

Final Project (Outline, Report, and PowerPoint)

You are required at the end of the semester to submit a final project in the form of a case analysis report in APA format along with a PowerPoint presentation of that report. You are also required to submit a preliminary outline for this project. The final project is worth 26 percent of your final grade for the course (the outline is ungraded but required, the written report is worth 16 percent, and the PowerPoint is worth 10 percent). Your grade on the report is based on how well you fulfill the assignment requirements, perform and present results of your research, present concepts, and draw conclusions. Writing mechanics and APA formatting are also considered in grading. The PowerPoint will be evaluated based on its presentation of content, design, continuity, and use of images. You will be able to view the rubrics that will be used to evaluate each of the parts of your final project.

Before you can complete your report, you must master the course material presented in the course activities. You should not, however, leave the preparation of your project until the end of the semester. You should choose your topic by the end of Week 8 and are required to submit the preliminary outline during Week 10. 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 outline, final report, and PowerPoint, see the Final Project area of the course website. For details regarding the due dates, see the Course Calendar.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

• Online discussions (5)—10 percent
• Written assignments (6)—24 percent
• Examinations (proctored online, 3)—40 percent

• Exam 1—15 percent
• Exam 2—15 percent
• Exam 3—10 percent

• Final project—26 percent

• Outline—complete/incomplete*
• Report—16 percent
• PowerPoint—10 percent

*The final project outline is ungraded but required and will be assessed on a complete/incomplete basis.

All activities 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:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings).

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 exams, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State University.

• Arrange to take your examination(s) by following the instructions in this Syllabus and the Online Student Handbook.

• Familiarize yourself with the learning management systems 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 be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting activities 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 Course Calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting activities, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking examinations.

• Check Announcements regularly for new course information.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Thomas Edison State University is committed to maintaining academic quality, excellence, and honesty. The University expects all members of its community to share the commitment to academic integrity, an essential component of a quality academic experience.

Students at Thomas Edison State University are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.

All members of the University community are responsible for reviewing the Academic Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog and online at www.tesu.edu.

Academic Dishonesty

Thomas Edison State University expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the University insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty can take the following forms:

• Cheating
• Gaining or providing unauthorized access to examinations or using unauthorized materials during exam administration
• Submitting credentials that are false or altered in any way
• Plagiarizing (including copying and pasting from the Internet without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources)
• Forgery, fabricating information or citations, or falsifying documents
• Submitting the work of another person in whole or in part as your own (including work obtained through document sharing sites, tutoring schools, term paper companies, or other sources)
• Submitting your own previously used assignments without prior permission from the mentor
• Facilitating acts of dishonesty by others (including making tests, papers, and other course assignments available to other students, either directly or through document sharing sites, tutoring schools, term paper companies, or other sources)
• Tampering with the academic work of other students

Plagiarism

Thomas Edison State University is committed to helping students understand the seriousness of plagiarism, which is defined as using the work and ideas of others without proper citation. The University takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing are subject to discipline under the academic code of conduct policy.

If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, or without identifying it as a direct quote, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > Citing Sources.)

Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else’s. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.

Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.

Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.

For examples of unintentional plagiarism, advice on when to quote and when to paraphrase, and information about writing assistance, click the links provided below.

Examples of Unintentional Plagiarism

When to Quote and When to Paraphrase

Writing Assistance at Smarthinking

Disciplinary Process for Plagiarism

Acts of both intentional and unintentional plagiarism violate the Academic Code of Conduct.

If an incident of plagiarism is an isolated minor oversight or an obvious result of ignorance of proper citation requirements, the mentor may handle the matter as a learning exercise. Appropriate consequences may include the completion of tutorials, assignment rewrites, or any other reasonable learning tool in addition to a lower grade for the assignment or course. The mentor will notify the student and appropriate dean of the consequence by e-mail.

If the plagiarism appears intentional and/or is more than an isolated incident, the mentor will refer the matter to the appropriate dean, who will gather information about the violation(s) from the mentor and student, as necessary. The dean will review the matter and notify the student in writing of the specifics of the charge and the sanction to be imposed.

Possible sanctions include:

• Lower or failing grade for an assignment
• Lower or failing grade for the course
• Rescinding credits
• Rescinding certificates or degrees
• Recording academic sanctions on the transcript
• Suspension from the University
• Dismissal from the University