COMM 164F: COMMUNICATION & GLOBAL ORGANIZATIONS / F. VARONA / SPRING 2010
ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION DIAGNOSIS RESEARCH PAPER

PURPOSE: The purpose of this assignment is to develop awareness of successful communication practices, communication weaknesses, and needs that organizations are facing here and now. This assignment is part of the service-learning component of this class. Service-Learning is a form of experiential education that believes that learning occurs through a cycle of action and reflection. In so doing you will have the opportunity of learning from the community while providing a service to it. If you have not started your Service-Learning experience, you can select for the purpose of this paper any present or past organization.

CONTENT: The issues to be addressed in this paper are: 1) a major communication strength, 2) a major communication weakness, and 3) a major communication need that you have encountered in the organization. To identify and describe these three communication features of the community organization you must first, select an organization; second, conduct some interviews; and third, write the paper according to the following instructions:  

STRUCTURE:
1. Start with a very brief opening statement on the purpose of the paper and preview main points.
2. Describe (briefly) the ORGANIZATION. Type of organization, its mission, where it is located, number of people, structure of the organization, and your responsibilities and tasks. (1/2 a page; 3 points)
3. Identify and analyze a major communication strength (1 and 1/2 pages; 4 points)
4. Identify and analyze a major communication weakness (1 and 1/2 pages; 4 points)
5. Identify and analyze a major communication need (1 and 1/2 pages; 4 points) (Make sure the Communication Need is different from the Communication Weakness)

To analyze each COMMUNICATION CHARACTERISTIC (strength, weakness, and need) discuss the following issues to demonstrate why is a major communication strength, a major communication weakness, and a major communication need?  In doing so explain what are some of the positive and/or negative results of each one (strength, weakness, and need) in relation to: a) the well being of the people that work in the organization, b) the well functioning of the organization, c) the effectiveness of the processes use to get the job done, d) the quality of the service provided, etc. And finally e) explain the possible causes or reasons for the major communication strength, weakness, and need.

To do this organizational communication diagnosis you MUST CONDUCT SOME INTERVIEWS with organizational people in different positions and before you do so you MUST DEVELOPED AN INTERVIEW GUIDE. You must support the content of your paper with at least 4 (four) sources (select representative sources from managers, supervisors, subordinates, and customers). These sources must be properly cited in the text and listed in the REFERENCE section at the end of the paper in page 6.
In order to get a good grade on this paper, try to answer the questions thoroughly, creatively and in depth. If you have any questions concerning this assignment, please see me.
This paper is 5 pages, typed, 1.5 lines spaced. It is worth 15 points.

This paper is due:_______________________

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