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2012/2013  KAN-MAIBC_MCO2  Strategic Communication; Exchanges,Conflicts and Agreements in the Organization

English Title
Strategic Communication; Exchanges,Conflicts and Agreements in the Organization

Course information
Language English
Exam ECTS 15 ECTS
Type Mandatory
Level Full Degree Master
Duration One Semester
Course period Autumn
Time Table Please see course schedule at e-Campus
Study board
Study Board for MA in International Business Communication
Course coordinator
  • Anne Marie Bülow - Department of International Culture and Communication Studies
Main Category of the Course
  • Communication
  • Organization
  • Language and Intercultural Studies
Last updated on 31-08-2012
Learning objectives
To equip students to identify, explain and deal with patterns of professional, strategic communication with and between employees in the multicultural and dispersed organization, and to enable them to make informed choices of a language- and/or culture-related nature.

By the end of the course, it is expected that the student can
  • recognize the flow of information in local and dispersed work groups and in organizations
  • identify and explain potential pitfalls of a language or culture related nature
  • analyze conflict and solution potential
  • conduct successful negotiation, online as well as in face-to-face contact
  • comprehend and produce complex spoken English argumentation in a professionally adequate style
Examination
Strategic Communication; Exchanges,Conflicts and Agreements in the Organization:
Type of test Oral Exam
Marking scale 7-step scale
Second examiner External examiner
Exam period Winter Term
Aids Open Book, Written and Electronic Aid is permitted
Duration 20 Minutes
Exam requirements: the exam should demonstrate that the students
  • have knowledge of the relevant areas of strategic interpersonal and intercultural theory, including negotiation, decision and conflict solution theories
  • can relate to theory, analytical methods and empirical data with critical reflection
  • can explain language- and culture-related choices and strategies
  • can analyze conflict and solution potential
  • can produce complex spoken argumentation in fluent, correct and professionally adequate English
Examination
After drawing a question representing issues and themes from the course, the student has 20 min.s preparation time before presenting and discussing the question.
Themes may include any aspect of the course material, e.g. the language of professional crisis management dialogue, conflict resolution, negotiations across cultural barriers, discussions/negotiations in online environments, etc.

1 grade is given for oral English (strategic communicative competence in English), and 1 grade for theoretical/analytical competence

Re-take: same as ordinary exam, but grading is only given for non-passed elements.
Course content

Thematic clusters, angled to include international and intercultural aspects:

  • interpersonal relations, power and influence
  • distributive and integrative negotiation
  • decisions in organizations and in work groups
  • conflict and mediation

 Theoretical basis:
 
To provide a context for the basic theme of strategic interpersonal communication, the course utilizes concepts found in conversation analysis, argumentation theory, impression management theory, negotiation and decision theory, and intercultural conflict handling theory.
 
Practical skills:
 
Communicative skills in English will be addressed through

  • tests of listening skills
  • analyses of the work group’s own interaction in negotiation
  • active implementation of professional language skills in (online) course activities and group/class/tutorial presentations.

Skills in strategic decision making, risk assessment, and conflict handling are trained through negotiation cases and simulations.
 
Teaching methods
The course contains seminars, lectures with guests, and group assignments related to interactional genres in organizations, e.g. analyses of employment interviews, complaints handling, and meeting facilitation, conducted on an interactive platform.
There will full-day, monitored negotiation simulations in order to provide feedback to individual students on their performance.
Student workload
Lectures 20 hours
Preparation for lectures 100 hours
Seminars 24 hours
Preparation for seminars 100 hours
Group assignments and feed-back 138 hours
Exam (incl. preparation) 30 hours
Expected literature

Textbooks, e.g.
Hames, David S. Negotiation: Closing Deals, Settling Disputes, and Making Team Decisions . Sage 2012.
Cheney et al., Organizational Communication in an Age of Globalization (same as K1)

Excerpts from books, anthology chapter and journal articles, e.g. 
Champoux, Joseph E 2003.  Organizational behaviour, 2nd ed. Thomson SW. Chapter 14: Decision-making and problem-solving processes. 
DuBrin, Aj.  Impression Management in the Workplace: Research, Theory, and Practice. Routledge 2010.
Hargie, Owen 2011: Skilled Interpersonal Communication: Research, Theory and Practice, (5th ed)
Huczynski, Andrzej 2004 (2nd ed) Influencing within organizations. London: Routledge.
Salacuse, Jeswald W 2003. The Global Negotiator. Making, managing, and mending deals around the world in the twenty-first century. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

 
Last updated on 31-08-2012