COMM 144: Organizational Communication

SERVICE-LEARNING GROUP PROJECT - ENGAGEMENT UNIT
ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION INTERVENTION

The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with the opportunity of integrating service and learning through reflection and action. Therefore, you goal as a team is first to offer a meaningful service to a community organization; and second, to learn how to conduct organizational communication interventions. The process entails the following tasks: gathering, analyzing, interpreting data, and developing an action plan to improve organizational communication.

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE

Each team selects:
1) A SPECIFIC ISSUE OR TOPIC for the intervention. (For example, the topic of one of the chapters from textbook).
2) A SPECIFIC COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION (For example, one of the community organizations in which team members have been doing the service-learning experience).
3) COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING TASKS:

I. Introduction: Purpose and Preview the main points of the Intervention Report (Table of Content) (1 page)

II. Intervention Proposal: 1. Purpose of the intervention; 2. Topic and Focal Areas (5); 3. Methods for gathering, analyzing data, and participants (sample); 4. Calendar (completion dates); 5. Benefits for the Organization. (1 page)

III. Literature review on the topic selected (2 pages) This literature research should be based on 2 different articles or book chapters where the topic selected is being discussed. Discuss the four (4) most important insights (the new perspective) that you have gained on the communication issue selected after reading the two sources ( 2 Research Articles or Book Chapters). What are the insights that you consider to be most relevant for you to have a better understanding of the issue and to guide the design of the of action plan for promoting organizational change.

IV. Description of the sample: (1/2 of a page) First, Indicate the type of Non-Probalility Sampling you are going to use and why. Second, Describe the sample you used for this study (how many subjects and some of their characteristics: education, sex, cultural background, tenure, and position). The information should be collected by the DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS (5-7 questions) that go at the end of your Questionnaire or Interview Guide.

V. Description of the organization (1/2 of a page) Describe briefly the organization or department in which you are conducting this study (Type of Org., Mission, Number of Members and Cultural Background, Org. Structure (Chart), Location).

1. Describe of the method you are going to use for collecting data: You can select one of these methods:

a) Interviews: Describe the INTERVIEW GUIDE you are going to use for collecting data.

(Description should include: Names and definitions of each Focal Area and number of questions for each Focal Area)

The Interview Guide should have 5 Focal Areas (Subtopics of the Main Topic of the research project) and under each focal area you should have 3 questions. The total number of questions for the Interview Guide should be around 15. (Instructions will be given in class).
A copy of your Interview Guide should go as an appendix after the Reference Section
Every team member will conduct 2 interviews using the same Interview Guide: Sample of Cover Letter & INTERVIEW GUIDE

b) Questionnaire or Survey: Describe the QUESTIONNAIRE OR SURVEY you are going to use for collecting data.A copy of your questionnaire should go as appendixes after the Reference Section.

(Description should include: Names of the Dimensions or Focal Areas and number of questions for each Dimension)

The Questionnaire should have 5 Dimensions or Focal Areas (Subtopics of the Main Topic of the research project) and under each focal area you should have 5 questions. The total number of questions for the questionnaire should be 25. (Instructions will be given in class).
Every team member will be responsible for collecting 5 questionnaires using the SAME QUESTIONNAIRE : Sample of Cover Letter & QUESTIONNAIRE

In this section report the findings gathered through the interviews (Outline, in rank order, the most important ones by FOCAL AREAS) and select and outline the 6 more important for each Focal Area (2 for each question).

VIII. Conclusions (Report 1 o 2 main conclusions for each of the Focal Area)(2 pages) Report the most significant learnings you have gained about the organization based on the findings reported in the above section. Present these learnings in the form of conclusions. Try to integrate in conclusions, some of the theoretical inputs discuss in the literature review or other sources (textbooks) if they are related. A good conclusion integrates findings and theoretical imputs in a paragraph format.

IX. Action Plan and Recommendations. (Report 2 actions to improve each Focal Area)(2 pages) .Develop an Action Plan in the form of recommendations for the organization to improve based on your conclusions. These recommendations should specify concrete actions to be implemented to promote organizational change.

X. Major Learnings (1 page). Report 5 major learnings that you (as a team) have accomplished by conducting this Organizational Communication Intervention in a non-profit organization.

A. Library research to complete the literature review.
B. Field research. Field research means that you must gather information using two of the methods suggested above. It is the responsibility of the group to develop an INTERVIEW GUIDE BEFORE YOU CONDUCT INTERVIEWS (Instructions will be given in class).

Every team member will conduct 2 interviews using the same Interview Guide

- The REFERENCES should go at the end of the written report (Books, Journals, and persons interviewed with their names, status, and date of the interview).

- A copy of the Interview Guide should go at the end of the Report after the References.

EVALUATION

Team and Individual performance

1. TEAM WRITTEN REPORT: a) Relevance of content, b) quality of writing, c) Clear explanation, d) structure of content, e) professional layout of written report. (Each team member will be evaluated independently on the sections for which he /she is responsible)	10 points
2. Presentation outline summary of the whole presentation (2 pages)	3 points
3. Interview Guide/or Questionnaire	5 points
4. Visual aids	2 points
Total Points:	20 points