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Course syllabus - Communication in complex organizations

Scope

7.5 credits

Course code

ITE416

Valid from

Autumn semester 2020

Education level

Second cycle

Progressive Specialisation

A1F (Second cycle, has second-cycle course/s as entry requirements).

Main area(s)

Innovation and Design

School

School of Innovation, Design and Engineering

Ratified

2017-01-31

Revised

2020-01-24

Literature lists

Course literature is preliminary up to 8 weeks before course start. Course literature can be valid over several semesters.

    • Ratified date: 2021-09-13
    • Latest update: 2021-09-13

    Articles

    Artiklar kommer att delas ut under kursens gång

    .,

    • Ratified date: 2020-09-11
    • Latest update: 2020-09-11

    Articles

    Anderson, P.

    Perspective: Complexity Theory and Organization Science

    Organization Science (Providence, R.I.), 10(3), 1999

    URL: Link

    216-232

    Andersson, R.

    Employee Communication Responsibility: Its Antecedents and Implications for Strategic Communication Management

    International Journal of Strategic Communication, 13(1), 2019

    URL: Link

    60-75.

    D’Ignazio, C.; Klein, L.F.

    Feminist data visualization. In Workshop on Visualization for the Digital Humanities (VIS4DH)

    Baltimore. IEEE, 2016

    Available on Canvas

    Gulbrandsen, I.; Just, S.

    In the Wake of New Media: Connecting the Who with the How of Strategizing Communication

    International Journal of Strategic Communication, 10(4), 2016

    URL: Link

    223-237

    Hallahan, K.; Holtzhausen, D.; van Ruler, B.; Verčič, D.; Sriramesh, K.

    Defining strategic communication

    International Journal of Strategic Communication, 1(1), 2007

    3-35. doi:10.1080/15531180701285244 [Taylor & Francis Online], [Google Scholar]
    Available on Canvas

    Heide, M.; von Platen, S.; Simonsson, C.; Falkheimer, J.

    Expanding the scope of strategic communication: Towards a holistic understanding of organizational complexity

    International Journal of Strategic Communication, 12(4), 2018

    452-468
    Available on Canvas

    Heide, M.; Simonsson, C.

    Struggling with internal crisis communication: A balancing act between paradoxical tensions

    Public Relations Inquiry, 4(2), 2015

    URL: Link

    223-255

    Lauring, J.

    Intercultural Organizational Communication: The Social Organizing of Interaction in International Encounters

    Journal of Business Communication, 48(3), 2011

    URL: Link

    231-255

    Lee, M.; Edmondsson, A.

    Self-managing organizations: Exploring the limits of less-hierarchical organizing

    Research in Organizational Behavior, 37, 2017

    URL: Link

    35-58

    Nothhaft, H.; Werder, K.; Verčič, D.; Zerfass, A.

    Strategic Communication: Reflections on an Elusive Concept

    International Journal of Strategic Communication, 12(4), 2018

    URL: Link

    352-366

    Tsoukas, H.

    Don't Simplify, Complexify: From Disjunctive to Conjunctive Theorizing in Organization and Management Studies

    Jour. of Manage. Stud., 54, 2017

    URL: Link

    132-153

    van Ruler, B.

    Communication Theory: An Underrated Pillar on Which Strategic Communication Rests

    International Journal of Strategic Communication, 12(4), 2018

    URL: Link

    367-381

Objectives

The aim of the course is to give the student an understanding of and knowledge about how different communications strategies work in complex organizations, and how culture, ethnicity and gender can affect the communication.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, the student shall be able to:
1. apply appropriate methods and be able to choose relevant media in order to support the communication between different parts in an organisation for a specific purpose
2. choose, motivate and apply communication strategies in regard to cultural and ethnical aspects within and between organizations
3. asses how communication can support processes in innovation and design
4. analyse and assess how gender, culture and ethnicity affect communication within and between organisations
5. analyse and understand what affects different communication process and situations; and how the consequences of communication appears

Course content

The focus of the course is on communications strategies for complex organisations.  From literature studies, lectures and seminars the student will be introduced to how gender, culture and ethnicity affect the communication within and between differen organisations.

Specific requirements

A completed Bachelor´s degree, equivalent to 140 credits. In addition, Swedish B/Swedish 3 and English A/English 6 are required. For courses given entirely in English exemption is made from the requirement in Swedish B/Swedish 3.

Examination

Seminar (SEM3), 2 credits, (examines the learning objectives 4 and 5), marks Fail (U) or Pass (G) 
Project (PRO1), 5,5 credits, (examines the learning objectives 1-5), marks Fail (U), Pass (G) or Pass with Distinction (VG)

A student who has a certificate from MDU regarding a disability has the opportunity to submit a request for supportive measures during written examinations or other forms of examination, in accordance with the Rules and Regulations for Examinations at First-cycle and Second-cycle Level at Mälardalen University (2020/1655). It is the examiner who takes decisions on any supportive measures, based on what kind of certificate is issued, and in that case which measures are to be applied.

Suspicions of attempting to deceive in examinations (cheating) are reported to the Vice-Chancellor, in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance, and are examined by the University’s Disciplinary Board. If the Disciplinary Board considers the student to be guilty of a disciplinary offence, the Board will take a decision on disciplinary action, which will be a warning or suspension.

Study guide

Grade

Three-grade scale