Queens University COMM 660G: Special Topics Organizational Culture Fall 2011

Contact Information: Janet McPherson, Ph.D. E-mail: mcphersonj@queens.edu Phone: (336) 970-7371 (cell) (feel free to text, but please include your name) Twitter: JanetMcPherson1, #660culture Office Hours: By Appointment (please call or e-mail for appointment) Course Meetings: Wednesday, 6:00pm-8:45pm McEwen 202 Course Objective: The purpose of this course is to provide students with the opportunity to explore the dimensions of organizational culture and to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct an organizational cultural analysis. Required Materials: Driskill, G. & Brenton, A. (2011). Organizational Culture in Action: A Cultural Analysis Workbook (2nd ed.). Sage. Tompkins, Phillip, K. (1993). Organizational Communication Imperatives: Lessons of the Space Program. Roxbury. Supplemental Readings as assigned. Available in class or online.

Site Visits: In order to expose students to a variety of organizational cultures, our course will include at least three site visits to organizations in our community, each representing a different industry. I will help the class prepare for each visit, but it is up to the students to research and develop meaningful questions to pose to the host(s). Students are expected to arrive at the sites on time and appropriately dressed for each venue. We will discuss transportation and other logistics in the class meeting prior to the site visit.

Assignments and Grading: Keeping in mind that most participants in this course are full-time, working adults, I have designed the course to be as straightforward as possible. Assignments: All assignments are due at 6:00pm on the date provided in the syllabus. Assignments submitted after that date and time will be accepted at the discretion of the professor and, if accepted, will be penalized by a minimum of one letter grade for each class meeting the assignment is late. Assignments must be typed and should be double-spaced in 12-point font (Times New Roman, Calibri, or similar) with one-inch margins. All assignments must adhere to APA Guidelines and include appropriate citations. APA reference manuals can be found in most bookstores and several useful writing guides can also be located online. As this is a graduate level course, I expect all work submitted to be wellwritten. That includes writing that is clear, succinct, and free of grammatical errors. If you feel like you need additional help with writing, please contact the Queens University Center for Academic Success Writing Center located on the lower level of Dana. Please contact Jenn Goddu at godduj@queens.edu or 704.688.2765 if you have additional questions. Please note that I will not necessarily correct all assignments for grammatical errors. I will, however, make comments regarding the content of the paper. If a paper includes numerous grammatical errors or is difficult to read, your grade will reflect the need for improvement in this area. Grading: The following grading scale will be used to evaluate all course assignments. A numerical grade will be given for each assignment and all grades will be totaled at the end of the semester to determine the final course grade. A 100-90 Outstanding work. Paper includes a strong, well-supported argument, is clear and concise, free of grammatical errors, and appropriately cited. Demonstrates a working understanding of the theory presented in class and in the reading materials. Good work. Includes most of the elements listed above, but could improve in one of these areas: ideas, argument, grammar, or documentation. Acceptable work. Includes some of the elements listed above, but could improve in two of these areas: ideas, argument, grammar, or documentation.

B 89-80

C 79-70

F 69 and below Unacceptable work. Does not demonstrate an understanding of the course content and/or reflects a lack of commitment to the assignment. Late Work Acceptance Policy Late work is accepted at the discretion of the professor. Please note that some deadlines are based on requirements outside of my control (for example, IRB proposals), so late submission of these assignments may compromise your ability to complete other projects. Confidentiality: At times, you will be asked to reflect upon your personal experience and write about actual people and organizations. While confidentiality on all papers and projects will be highly respected, students are encouraged to change the names of individuals and organizations in their coursework. If you have additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Class Attendance: While I recognize the numerous personal and professional demands placed on working graduate students, class attendance is critical to your success in this course. Much of your learning will come from our class discussions and activities, and you will also be working with your classmates in groups and teams on a regular basis. Therefore, your attendance not only affects your learning, but that of your classmates as well. You may miss 1 class meeting over the course of the semester with no penalty. However, for each additional absence you will receive a 5-point deduction from your final participation grade. Over the course of the semester, any student who misses more that 3 classes will receive a failing grade for the course. Please note that if you miss a site visit, you will NOT be allowed to make up the working file from that week. Instead, expect your course grade to be lowered by 5% (the equivalent of one working file) for each site visit you miss. If you have a prior commitment, please see me in advance. Most importantly, I ask that you communicate with me if you are going to miss class or need to arrive late or leave early. This is especially important on the days of our site visits. At some of these sites, security will have to be notified if you plan to enter or exit separate from the group. You can reach me by cell phone or through e-mail. I may need to re-arrange the order in which we do things in class based upon the number of students present for any given course meeting.

University Closings or Cancelled Classes: Queens University offers QAlert, which will provide you with campus emergency notifications via voicemail, text message, and/or e-mail message. Please sign up for this service at www.queens.edu/alert. You must register as a new user for each academic year. For more information about this service, please e-mail alert@queens.edu. Additionally, students can call the Student Information HotLine at (704) 3372567. Should I need to cancel class for any reason, I will notify you by e-mail as soon as possible. Please check your e-mail prior to coming to campus each week. In addition, I will tweet the announcement using the hashtag #660culture. Honor Code and 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 on 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 wordfor-word (global) plagiarism, or paraphrasing without providing proper citation of the source (patchwork). To learn more, please visit the Queens Center for Academic Success located on the lower level 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 about plagiarism or if you 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 the Faculty Handbook at http://moodle.queens.edu and the Queens University of Charlotte website at http://www.queens.edu for more information. Electronic Media Use Policy: Students are permitted to use laptop computers in class, but are asked to close them during class discussions and presentations. Cell phones should be turned to silent during class and, in the case of an emergency, students should exit the classroom before taking a call. Use of Twitter is acceptable on a limited basis, though not during class discussions and presentations. If electronic devices of any kind become a distraction during class, students will be asked to put them away for the duration of the class.

Disability Accommodations: If you are a student with a documented disability and you require accommodations, please provide me with the necessary memorandum given to you by Student Disability Services. If you have additional questions or concerns about Disability Services at Queens University, please contact Sandy Rogelberg, Coordinator of Disability Services, at 704.337.2508. Institutional Review Policy: Human Participant Research All student-directed research that involves human participants must have a faculty sponsor. Additionally, all research that involves human participants must be reviewed and approved by the university institutional review board (IRB) PRIOR to the initiation of any research activities. IRB Information and approval forms are available on the myQueens portal (http://myqueens.queens.edu). First, sign into myQueens and then click the Shared Documents link on the left side of the screen. This will take you to the Institutional Review Board Documents folder. Also, if you have not already done so, you must complete the required Human Subjects Training Tutorial. It can be found at https://www.citiprogram.org. Please be sure to complete the STUDENT course, as it is much shorter than the one designed for faculty and administrators. Include a copy of the completion certificate with your proposal. Course Assignments: Below is a description of the course assignments. Further direction will be provided in class. 1) Cultural Analysis Proposal including IRB review (15%)- Compose a formal proposal for conducting your cultural analysis. In this proposal, you should identify and describe in detail the organization with which you hope to work, including why you chose this particular organization. In addition, identify your point of contact in the organization, your goals for the cultural analysis and the benefits to the organization. Also, include a general overview of how you plan to conduct your analysis including research methods you will use. Finally, include a short bio of yourself that you are prepared to share with the organization. In addition, students must complete the full institutional review board approval form prior to beginning their cultural analysis project. Please see Institutional Review Policy section above for information regarding this process and access to the required forms. PLEASE NOTE: ALL IRB FORMS MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER 21st FOR CONSIDERATION AT THE OCTOBER IRB MEETING. Finally, the IRB form will ask for proof of completion of the CITI Human Subjects Training Tutorial. Please complete this training prior to submitting your IRB proposals. Go to https://www.citiprogram.org to complete the training.

2) Cultural Analysis Project (40 %) For your final project, you will conduct a formal cultural analysis of an organization of your choosing. Using your workbook as a guide, you will complete a thorough cultural analysis, which you will then briefly (10 minutes max!) present to the class during our final meeting. You may work with a partner on this project if you choose, but I will expect that the analysis will be twice as thorough and include twice as much research. 3) Discussion Facilitation (20%) - In a small group, you will facilitate the class discussion on a particular element of organizational culture. The topics correspond with chapters in the text, though you are expected to go beyond the chapter and introduce the class to other readings, research, media, case studies, etc. that relate to and illustrate the assigned topic. In addition, you should be prepared to lead the class in a meaningful discussion on the topic. While this is not a formal presentation, you will be graded on your preparedness and how well you manage the discussion among your classmates. Be creative, be thoughtful, and be relevant! 4) Working Files (15%)-After each of the three site visits, you will be asked to write up your thoughts on the visit and how the visit helped you make sense of the material we have discussed in class. What connections did you see? What surprised you? Because this class is an ongoing journey into organizational culture, you should bring in topics covered earlier in the course. Please note that these working files will be easier to complete if you come to each site visit with thoughtful and relevant questions for our host. In other words, ask about what you want to write about in your working file. If you fail to ask such questions, you may have a harder time connecting the experience to your learning. 5) Participation (10%) -You are asked to come to each class meeting on time, prepared and contribute to the class discussions and activities. In addition, you are expected to participate in all site visits and complete all projects that are assigned. Remember that the quality of your comments and questions is just as important as the quantity!

Course Calendar
Please note that the course calendar is subject to change at the discretion of the professor or due to changes by our site visit hosts or guest speakers.

Date September 7

Topic/Activity Class Introductions Review Syllabus

Readings Due Driskill & Brenton, Ch. 1 & 2

Assignments Due

September 14 September 21 September 28

Overview of Term Project Defining Organizational Culture Elements of Culture Data Collection and Interpretation Site Visit #1 Trader Joes 1133 Metropolitan Avenue #100, Charlotte, NC (will discuss at Zoes Kitchen) Culture Topics: Diversity Site Visit #2 Blumenthal Performing Arts Center 130 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC

Driskill & Brenton, Ch. 3 Driskill & Brenton, Ch. 4 Driskill & Brenton, Ch. 5, 6, 7, & 8 Kowitt, B. (2010). Inside Trader Joes. Fortune. [online]. Available: IRB Forms Due Cultural Analysis Proposal Due

October 5

http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/20/new s/companies/inside_trader_joes_full_ver sion.fortune/index.htm

October 12 October 19

Driskill & Brenton, Ch. 9 Gebert, D. & Boerner, S. (2005). Organizational Culture and Creative Processes: Comparing German Theater Companies and Scientific Institutes. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 16 (2). Available: Driskill & Brenton, Ch. 10

Working File #1 Due Group #1 Facilitates

http://www.mackcenter.org/swj_db/artic les/1252

October 26

Culture Topics: Change

Working File #2 Due Group #2 Facilitates

November 2

Site Visit #3 McGuireWoods 201 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC

Read the About Us section of the firms website at www.mcguirewoods.com Boyd, J. (2009). Culture and Its Impact on Challenges Facing Law Firms. [online]. Available:
http://www.johnboydconsulting.com/files/L aw_Firm_Culture_Article_5-04-2010.pdf

Williams, A. (2010). No Longer Their Golden Ticket. New York Times [online]. Available:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/fashio n/17lawyer.html?sq=law%20firm%20cultu re&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=1&adxnnlx=13 13780777-pfJwZT39LMvFu4nXD++pmg

November 9

Guest Speaker: Anne Tompkins, U.S. Attorney, Western District of North Carolina Culture Topics: Ethics Thanksgiving- No Class Meeting Leadership Book Club Presentations

Read Ms. Tompkins bio at http://www.justice.gov/usa o/ncw/attorney/index.html Driskill & Brenton, Ch. 11 Work on Organizational Analysis Project Driskill & Brenton, Ch. 12 Tompkins book Individuals Present on Cultural Analysis Projects

Working File #3 Due

November 16 November 23 November 30 December 7 December 14

Group #3 Facilitates

Group #4 Facilitates Cultural Analysis Project Due Cultural Analysis Presentation Due