COMM

644 Critical Perspectives in Organizations

Professor: Office Hours: Required Materials Textbooks: Fall 2010 Wednesdays 6:00 8:45 p.m. Kim Weller Gregory, Ph.D. Dana 102C 704.277.6773 (c) gregoryk@queens.edu Tuesday and Thursday 9-9:30 a.m. & 12-1 p.m. Wednesday: 5 6 p.m. And By Appointment

Course Objectives This course adopts a critical lens to the study of organizations to better understand how power and authority shape organizational structures and practices. We also investigate the powerful role of institutions in shaping society. We explore and question how Western frameworks related to capitalism, consumerism, and ecology shape the ways we do business. By exposing how these dominant paradigms and power structures constrain us, we can explore ways to resist and transform them, giving voice to all employees and engendering new models of business and innovation that are desperately needed in todays rapidly changing world.

Adbusters: Journal of the Mental Environment. (July/Aug 2010). Whole brain catalog, 18 (4). Jensen, D., & McBay, A. (2009). What we leave behind. New York: Seven Stories Press. Supplemental Readings: Additional readings will be posted on the Queens online learning management system, Moodle (see more information below).

Specific objectives of this course are to: Gain knowledge of the historical foundations of critical organizational theory Explore the role of power and authority in shaping organizational structures, processes, and practices Expose taken for granted or subversive power structures and practices in organizations Investigate the role of communication for the creation of knowledge and authority Increase critical understanding of a variety of organizational dynamics and practices, including leadership, organizational culture, communication technology, organizational and employee identity, and social and ecological responsibility. Explore means of resistance to organizational power structures and giving voice to marginalized groups. Play with possibilities for doing business more innovatively and socially responsibly by adopting a postmodern perspective of organizational life. Course Requirements Connections: QMail: Due to FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) regulations, I will contact you through your QMail email account (Link: http://qmail.queens.edu) rather than your personal or work email. Please check that account regularly or forward incoming emails to a preferred account. Moodle: I will post general course announcements on Moodle, Queens virtual learning environment (a section of myQueens; see http://moodle.queens.edu/). Please check our Moodle course site regularly, or you may sign up to have postings forwarded to your email account. Class Discussion Forum: Moodle also includes a class discussion forum. I encourage you to use this tool as a means for sharing information and asking questions of your classmates and me. I encourage you to have postings forwarded to your email account. Assignments: Please submit assignments electronically on our Moodle site by 6 p.m. on the assigned day. Any assignments submitted to me after that time will be considered late. Typically, any late assignment that I choose to accept is penalized a minimum of one letter grade for each class meeting that it is late. Unless otherwise noted, assignments should be typed double-spaced in 12-point font with 1-inch margins and follow APA style guidelines. Please save documents in MS Word format (not PDF) and include your last name and the name of the assignment in the document name (e.g., Smith, Book Review . . . . ).

3 Writing: As students in a graduate program, I assume that your writing will be clear, coherent, and error free. If you feel like your writing skills need a significant amount of work, I urge you to make an appointment at the Center for Academic Success Writing Center located in the lower level of Dana. (contact Jenn Goddu at godduj@queens.edu or 704.688.2765; also see http://www.queens.edu/studentlife/resources/writing_center.asp) Grading: All written assignments will receive letter grades that will be converted to a numerical score for final grade computation. The grading scale is as follows: A 100 90 Superior work. Creative. B 89 80 Good work. Could improve in one of these areas: ideas, argument, or grammar. C 79 70 Adequate work. Could improve in two of these areas: ideas, argument, or grammar. F 69 & below Unacceptable work. Reflects unacceptable level of commitment or skill. Class Attendance: A great deal of learning in this course comes from our in-class discussions, so it is important that you attend class consistently. You may miss 1 class meeting with no penalty. However, for each additional absence, you will receive a 5-point reduction from your final participation grade. Occasionally, an additional absence will be excused, but you must provide me with advance notice and compelling justification for the absence. In addition, this course meets 12 times over the semester. Therefore, a student who misses class more than 3 times (and thus misses more than 1/3 of the class meetings) will receive a failing grade in the course. Confidentiality: Confidentiality on all papers and projects will be honored. The names of people or organizations may be changed for your coursework. Please see me if you have any questions or concerns about your paper or project. University Closings/Cancelled Classes: The best way for the Queens community to receive fast and accurate information about university closings is to sign up for QAlert. QAlert: Sign up to receive campus emergency notifications via voicemail, text and/or e-mail at www.queens.edu/alert. You must register as a new user each academic year, even if youve signed up in the past. For more information, send your inquiry to alert@queens.edu. If classes are meeting but you feel that you cannot find a safe way to get to class, you should notify me as soon as possible. Should I need to cancel class, I will notify you by sending out a message on Moodle.

4 Honor Code & Plagiarism: The Honor Code, which permeates all phases of university life, is based on three fundamental principles. It assumes that Queens students: a) are truthful at all times, b) respect the property of others, and c) are honest in tests, examinations, term papers, and all other academic assignments. Plagiarism is representing anothers words or thoughts as ones own, and it is a clear violation of Queens Honor Code. It can take many forms, including word-for-word plagiarism or paraphrasing without providing proper citation of source. To learn more, visit the Queens Center for Academic Success located in the basement of Dana (http://www.queens.edu/studentlife/resources/academicresourcecenter.asp) or the following website: http://www.plagiarism.org/. Please contact me if you have any questions or believe a violation of the Honor Code has occurred. Intellectual Property Policy: Queens University of Charlotte faculty and students adhere to the Queens Intellectual Property Policy. See Faculty Handbook, http://moodle.queens.edu, and the Queens University of Charlotte website at http://www.queens.edu. Disability Accommodations: If you are a student with a verified disability and you require accommodations, please provide me with the necessary memorandum that was given to you by Student Disability Services. Contact: The Coordinator of Disability Services: Sandy Rogelberg, 704-337-2508.

Course Assignments Participation Participate in class discussions, assignments, and presentations. Class participation will specifically include: Discussion about something in the Adbusters Whole Brain Catalog (2010) that speaks to you. Small group presentation summing up the ideas of a founding critical theory philosopher. Small group presentation of leadership or cultural corruption somewhere in the world. Class discussion and critical review of the Jensen and McBay (2009) What We Leave Behind book (Note: Bring 3 thought-provoking questions for the class to discuss). * Extra credit for showing the class a video, web site, or blog thats relevant to course material and cool.

 * Extra credit for posting any of your class assignments on www.thoughtbox- charlotte.org Class Twitter Account Send two tweets per week to the class Twitter account (@comm644crit) about something youve noticed with your critical eye (i.e., examples of hidden but pervasive organizational power structures and/or corporate colonization of civilization). Cultural Studies Book Review Paper (5-7 pages) & Presentation Review a cultural studies book on any topic that interests you. Incorporate specific course terms, theories, and material.

Go to the Magers and Quinn website and explore the counter culture studies offerings. http://www.magersandquinn.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=34_582 Go to www.amazon.com and type in cultural studies. Also, Joseph-Beth Booksellers at Southpark has an excellent cultural studies section. Act of Resistance Paper, video blog, podcast, film, or written blog. Document a way that you or someone else you know is resisting organizational power structures and doing something subversive. Can be a real-life scenario or review of a film. New Ways of Being Paper, video blog, podcast, film or written blog. Find something new and different in the established and mundane. Want cool ideas to get you thinking? See TED website. www.ted.org

Course Evaluation Weight of assignments to be determined by students during the first class meeting. Instructor suggestion: Act of Resistance Participation 25% New Ways of Being Class Twitter Account 10% Student Determination: Cultural Studies Book Review 25% Participation

20% 20% ___

 Class Twitter Account Cultural Studies Book Review ___ ___ Act of Resistance New Ways of Being ___ ___

Paper Expectations Any paper in the course should include: an introduction that situates your topic within a historical and social context, describes the importance and relevance of your topic, offers a brief thesis that will guide your paper, and previews your major arguments. a body with paragraphs that each include a main argument followed by support for that argument. Support should include specific course material and proper citations (APA). and, most importantly, a conclusion that summarizes your main thoughts and the importance of your findings or ideas. I am always looking for the So What? answer in any conclusion. What does all of this mean for a critical look at organizational life? Be sure that you proofread your work eliminating any spelling, grammatical, and formatting errors. Your grades will be based in part on the quality of your writing.

 TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE See complete references of readings below course schedule. DATE Sep 8 DISCUSSION TOPICS IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES READINGS/ASSIGNMENTS DUE

Introduction to the Course Corporate Colonization of Civilization Assign Founding Theorist Groups Sep 15 Critical Theory Historical Perspectives Power & Authority Systems of Control Founding Theorists Foucault Habermas Gramsci Discourse and Knowledge Discourse and Discipline Sep 22 Democracy & Economics Capitalism Consumerism The American Dream Discussion of Adbusters catalog Sep 29 Organizational Culture Leadership Corruption Group Presentations of Leadership/Cultural Corruption

Cheney et. al. (2004), Ch. 9 (pp. 243-266) Deetz (2005) Group Presentation of Founding Theorists (see helpful websites below)

Read Adbusters Catalog Be prepared to describe something that resonated with you Conley, L. (2008) Group Example of Leadership Corruption Iacocca (2007) Ward (2010) Western (2008)

 DATE Oct 6 DISCUSSION TOPICS IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES Digital Media Corporate colonization of Cyberspace READINGS/ASSIGNMENTS DUE Go online and read about net neutrality issue: Google, AT&T, Apple & Al Franken (see some links to get you started below) Samuels (2010) link below Jensen & McBay book completed Conley, D. (2008) Allen (2005) Review: Eisenberg, Goodall, & Trethewey (2010) Ch. 6 Cheney et. al. (2004), Ch. 9 (pp. 266-273) Mumby (2005) Act of Resistance Assignment Due Taylor (2005)

Oct 13 Globalization Ecology In-class discussion of Jensen & McBay book Oct 20 Identity & Marginalized Voices Family Gender Race/Ethnicity Oct 27 Resistance Discourse Dialectics Social Currency Act of Resistance Presentations Nov 3 Postmodern Perspectives Book Review Presentations

 DATE DISCUSSION TOPICS IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES ASSIGNMENTS DUE Yunus (2010) Intro, Ch.1, Ch. 9

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Nov 10 New Ways of Being: Social Business Book Review Presentations Nov 17 Instructor @ NCA Conference Nov 24 NO CLASS Dec 1 New Ways of Being: New Thinking Book Review Presentations Dec 8 New Ways of Being: New Identities Book Review Presentations Dec 15 Final Exam Period New Ways of Being Presentations

Catch up!

Pink (2006) pp. 1-67 Levitt & Dubner (2009) Eisenberg (2007), Ch. 11, Ch. 12

New Ways of Being Assignment Due

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References Jurgen Habermas Habermasian Reflections http://habermasians.blogspot.com/ Michel Foucault michel-foucault.com http://www.michel-foucault.com/links/index.html Pugh & Hickson (2007) pp. 110-114 (on Moodle) Pugh, D. S., & Hickson, D. J. (2007). Writers on organizations. 6th ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. The Nomadic Spirit: Critical Thinkers Resource http://www.synaptic.bc.ca/ejournal/foucault.htm Antonio Gramsci Gramsci Links Archive http://www.victoryiscertain.com/gramsci/ Biography.com http://www.biography.com/articles/Antonio-Gramsci-9317929 Readings Adbusters (2010, Summer). Whole Brain Catalog, 90(18). New York: Adbusters. Allen, B. (2005). Social constructionism. In S. May & D. K. Mumby (Eds.), Engaging organizational communication: Theory & research (pp. 35-53). New York: Bedford/St. Martins. Cheney, G., Christensen, L. T., Zorn, Jr., T., & Ganesh, S. (2004). Organizational communication in an age of globalization: Issues, reflections, practices. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press. Conley, D. (2009). Elsewhere, U.S.A. New York: Pantheon. Conley, L. (2008) Obsessive branding disorder: The illusion of business and the business of illusion. New York: Public. Deetz, S. (2005). Critical theory. In S. May & D. K. Mumby (Eds.), Engaging organizational communication: Theory & research (pp. 85-111). New York: Bedford/St. Martins.

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Eisenberg, E. M. (2007). Strategic ambiguities: Essays on communication, organization, and identity. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Eisenbergy, E., Goodall, Jr., & Trethewey, A. (2010). Organizational communication: Balancing creativity and constraint. 6th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martins. Iacocca, L. (2007). Where have all the leaders gone? New York: Scribner. Pink, D. H. (2007). A whole new mind: Why right-brainers will rule the future. New York: Riverhead Books. Samuels, J. (2010). Steve Jobs is watching you: Apple seaking to patent Spyware. Electronic Frontier Foundation. http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/08/steve-jobs-watching-you-apple-seeking- patent-0 Taylor, B. C. (2005). Postmodern theory. In S. May & D. K. Mumby (Eds.), Engaging organizational communication: Theory & research (pp. 113-140). New York: Bedford/St. Martins. Ward, V. (2010). The devils casino: Friendship, betrayal, and the high-stakes games played inside Lehman Brothers. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Western, S. (2008). Leadership: A critical text. Los Angeles: Sage. Yunus, M. (2010). Building social business: The new kind of capitalism that serves humanitys most pressing needs. New York: Public Affairs. Net Neutrality Debate Lasar (2010). Net protestors lay siege to Google http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/08/the-siege-of-google.ars http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/08/steve-jobs-watching-you-apple-seeking-patent-0 Al Franken website. http://blog.alfranken.com/

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Instructor: Kim Weller Gregory, Ph.D. Paper Grading Standards

COMM 644: Critical Perspectives in Organizations Fall 2010

It is important for you to realize that when I grade your paper, I am looking at a final product. That is, I cannot grade the process itself. Therefore, it is essential that the hard work you put into your paper be demonstrated in the paper itself. It also is important to remind you that grading is a subjective (rather than objective) business. The following criteria are provided to you for guidance, but there are no hard and fast rules. A paper does not have to contain all characteristics for it to be considered for a specific grade. An A paper: Rich in content Demonstrates creative and careful thought Argument(s) well supported with a broad range of evidence Soundly structured. Argument is well organized Stylistically sound Varied sentence structure, fewif anygrammatical errors, introduction and conclusion are "tight" and draw the reader in, phrasing is clear and cogent Paper reflects a superior job of fulfilling the assignment. A B paper: Content is satisfactory Thoughts are clearly expressed and thorough Argument(s) fairly well evidenced, but not as complete and thorough as in an A paper Specific points are logically ordered and unified around a clear claim Stylistically fine Nearly free of grammatical errors, good opening and concluding paragraphs, fairly smooth transitions and sentence structure Paper reflects a fairly good job of fulfilling the assignment.

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A C paper: Content is adequate Reasonable amount of knowledge presented, but ideas are typically in the form of vague generalities Evidence presented addresses the claim(s) Reasonably well organized and presented Stylistically average Some grammatical errors, introduction does little to entice the reader and conclusion does little to wrap up ideas, sentence structure is monotonous and occasionally awkward A C paper gets the job done, adequately fulfills the assignment but is missing one or two importance things, and lacks creativity and rigor. One might respond after reading the paper, So what? A D paper: Content is fairly weak Arguments are not clear and concise Evidence is inadequate, claims are illogical, poorly supported Outline of claims and arguments exists, but is weak and ineffective Stylistically weak Sentences are awkward and unclear, lots of grammatical errors. Paper does not appear to have been proofread Paper reflects an inadequate job of fulfilling the assignment. Paper appears to have been developed and/or written in a hurry. An F paper: Content is poor No thesis, no well developed ideas Evidence is poor or nonexistent Organization is nonexistent, incoherent Stylistically poor Lots of grammatical errors, terrible sentence structure, no discernable introduction or conclusion Paper reflects a poor job of fulfilling the assignment.

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Instructor: Kim Weller Gregory, Ph.D. Acceptance of the syllabus I have read and understand the syllabus for this course. I have discussed any concerns or clarifications with the instructor and I agree to abide by the conditions of the syllabus, complete the required coursework, and be an active participant in class. Signed __________________________________________ Print name & date __________________________________________ Phone number __________________________________________ E-mail __________________________________________

COMM 644: Critical Perspectives in Organizations Fall 2010

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Instructor: Kim Weller Gregory, Ph.D. Honor Code Pledge Strict adherence to the Honor Code as set forth by Queens University of Charlotte is followed in this class. Please report any suspected violations of the Honor Code to me immediately. Members of this class are encouraged to review the Universitys Honor Code. If any work or assignment appears unclear or presents questions related to academic integrity, I urge you to talk with me to obtain further clarification. Plagiarism is in violation of the Honor Code and it could result in expulsion from the university. Honor Code: As a member of the Queens Community, I will endeavor to create a spirit of integrity and honor for its own sake at Queens University of Charlotte. I pledge truthfulness and absolute honesty in the performance of all academic work. I pledge to be truthful at all times, to treat others with respect, to respect the property of others and to adhere to University policies. Accepting both the privileges and responsibilities of living by this code of honor, I resolve to uphold this code and not to tolerate any violations of its spirit or principles. Signed: _________________________________ Date:__________ Print name: ____________________________________________

COMM 644: Critical Perspectives in Organizations Fall 2010