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Unit outline_

MECO6927: Organisational Communication

Semester 2, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit of study introduces key concepts in organisational communication. Students will explore various structures of organisations and how those structures affect the flow of communication within workplaces. Upon the completion of the unit, students will develop their understanding of key concepts in organisational communication and apply them to analyse communication problems in organisations. Students will also be able to offer well-grounded criticism on selected organisational issues.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Media and Communications
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator Mitchell Hobbs, mitchell.hobbs@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Rebecca Johnson, rebecca.johnson@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Presentation group assignment Discussion facilitation
Students lead a brief discussion on the weekly topic
10% - 500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO3 LO4
Assignment Essay 1
Students individually address the essay questions
20% Week 05
Due date: 25 Sep 2020 at 22:00
1250 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2
Assignment Essay 2
Students individually address the essay questions
20% Week 10
Due date: 06 Nov 2020 at 22:00
1250 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2
Presentation group assignment Project presentation
Students present their project to the class
10% Week 12 500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO4
Assignment group assignment Research report
Student group submits a report on their research project
40% Week 13
Due date: 23 Nov 2020 at 21:00
2500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5
group assignment = group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction to the course Seminar (2 hr)  
Week 02 Organisational communication in action Seminar (2 hr) LO2 LO3
Week 03 Classical/HR approaches Seminar (2 hr) LO1
Week 04 Systems and cultural approaches Seminar (2 hr) LO1
Week 05 Constitutive and critical approaches Seminar (2 hr) LO1
Week 06 Socialisation and DM processes Seminar (2 hr) LO3 LO4
Week 07 Organisational conflict and change Seminar (2 hr) LO2 LO3
Week 08 Emotions in the workplace Seminar (2 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 09 Dealing with diversity Seminar (2 hr) LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 10 Influence of technology Seminar (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4
Week 11 Globalisation, wrap-up Seminar (2 hr) LO3 LO4 LO5
Week 12 Group project presentations Seminar (2 hr) LO5

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
  • Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
  • Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

e-Textbook: Miller, K. (2014). Organizational Communication: Approaches and Processes (7th Ed), Wadsworth Publishing: Belmont, CA.

Any additional recommended readings for this unit can be accessed on the Library eReserve link available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. identify and analyse the types, forms, features and functions of organisational communication
  • LO2. demonstrate how the key concepts of organisational communication and organisational theory provide insights into organisational functioning
  • LO3. develop an understanding of the role of organisational communication in an organisation
  • LO4. apply the skills of business communication
  • LO5. produce an organisational communication analysis and strategy brief for a client.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Thank you for your feedback on the Unit of Study Survey (USS) for MECO6927. The unit was overall quite well evaluated, especially in terms of enthusiasm of the teacher and hence innovative classroom environment, and a hands-on approach to make theories come alive with examples and activities. There were only very few things mentioned for improvement that we will attempt to work on following from your comments. Some of you had mentioned that this was a lot of material to digest and study. While this clashes a bit with other comments and general expectations for postgraduate coursework, we will try to adjust to a different arrangement for the content. Aside from that, I was very satisfied that the unit found your endorsement, In fact, a majority of you (around 95%) were satisfied with this course and found it intellectually rewarding.
  • As per School policy, students must complete all assignments in the unit to obtain a grade and avoid an automatic Absent Fail (AF) mark
  • Note that assessment weighting has been adjusted from the one displayed in the faculty handbook. The latter is currently adjusted and will display the correct assessment weights by Academic Year 2021. That is, the percentages per assignment in this outline and Canvas are the correct ones. 
  • Contact your seminar teacher for course-specific questions (e.g., group issues, etc.), contact the unit coordinator for larger issues (simple extensions, special consideration, seminar switches/course clashes, etc.)
  • Apply for extensions (where applicable) sufficiently ahead of the due date, not the day before or day of (exceptions are emergencies). Note that there are no individual extensions for group efforts. 
  • If you drop a class after being assigned to a group, please contact both the coordinator and your group mates immediately. 
  • If you are unsure about whether this unit is right for you (in case it is an elective), please make an appointment with the coordinator and discuss it instead of disrupting class proceedings by enrolling/disenrolling within a week or two. 
  • More information can be found on Canvas after enrolment

Work, health and safety

There are no specific WHS requirements for this unit.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.