SERVICE-LEARNING GROUP PROJECT
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.

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 research project. (1/5 of a page)

II. 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.

III. 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)

IV. Description of the research methods (1/2 of a page)
1. Describe of the method you are going to use for collecting data (Interviews). A copy of your Interview Guide should go as an appendix after the Reference Section. (Description should include: Names of the FOCAL AREAS and number of questions for each focal area)

The Interview Guide should have 4-5 Focal Areas (Subtopics of the Main Topic of the research project) and under each focal area you should have 2-3 questions. The total number of questions for the Interview Guide should be around 10-15.(Instructions will be given in class).

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

2. Describe the method you are going to use for analyzing data:  content analysis for interviews. (Instructions will be given in class).
3. Description of the sample. Describe the sample you are going to use for this study (how many subjects and some of their characteristics: education, sex, cultural background, tenure, and position).

V. Research results or findings (2 pages)

In this section report the findings gathered through the interviews (Outline, in rank order, the most important ones by FOCAL AREAS),

VI. Conclusions (Report 4 or 5 main conclusions: one for each 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 (textbook) if they are related. A good conclusion integrates findings and theoretical imputs in a paragraph format.

VII. Action Plan and Recommendations (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. 

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

The two main sources of information in order to complete this assignment are:

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 in page 11 (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.
- The WRITTEN REPORT should be 10 pages, typed, 1.5 spaced
- Prepare a Presentation Outline for classmates (2 pages)
- Please hand in TWO COPIES of written report

This group project will require a formal presentation (Power Point Presentation) in class, of the final report. Each group will have 30 minutes for this presentation. Each member of the group will have 5-6 minutes to present a section of the final project report. At least 15 minutes must be reserved for group discussion with class members.

Back to Syllabus