Assignment

Effective communication is dependent on the context in which it occurs. Your task is to analyze the culture of an organization and its communication practices. Describe how effective communication and ethics are said to go hand in hand.

Step 1: Select an organization.

Selecting a well-known and established organization that employs more than 10,000 people will likely provide more research resources. Begin with a brief overview of organization. What is the organization and what is its purpose? How many people does it employ? How long have they been in business? What is its mission statement or philosophy? In your paper, include a paragraph or two on the organization you choose.

Example: State Farm insurance was founded in 1922 and is one of the leading insurance companies. State Farm provides 75 million policies including home and auto insurance to customers throughout the United States and Canada. It also provides a variety of financial products and services. Its corporate headquarters is in Bloomington, IL but its 17,000 agents and 68,000 employees are located throughout North America. According to its Web site, StateFarm.com, their founder's philosophy of fair insurance prices and settlement amounts remains the foundation of their principles, vision, values, and success.

Step 2: Review the history and research.

It is important to read business journals to find out what researchers already know about your topic. Familiarizing yourself with the information on the company's Web site will help you avoid duplicating research that's already been done, and it will also give you ideas for creating your assignment.

Example: For the topic above, read the State Farm story on its Web site. Using the Internet, search images of the company's organizational chart.

The Potomac College Library provides access to over 3,400 periodical titles through its database. (Read your course syllabus or contact the library for more information.) Read one or more articles related to your company's organizational culture.

Step3: Evaluate your company based on:

• The dimensions of organizational culture in Chapter 2 of your textbook, (sociability, power distribution and job autonomy, degree of structure, achievement rewards, opportunity for growth, tolerance for risk and change, conflict tolerance, and emotional support)

•  Its physical setting (see page 61 of your text)

• What the company says about itself (press releases, advertisements, annual reports, etc).

• The company's dress codes, traditions and rituals, etc.

In your paper include a 1-page summary of the article(s) you read. Each summary must tell what each article is about and then convey the findings.

Step 4: Formulate a theory.

Your theory should be a statement about whether your organization is a Theory X or Y organization and why. (Table 2-4). It should be based on cited research and the dimensions of organizational culture.

Example: For the topic above, the research states that State Farm is one of the best companies to work for with high employee satisfaction in the categories of job responsibilities, benefits, and salary. Theory: State Farm is a Theory Y organization because employees are encouraged to be self-directed and contribute creative ideas to management. They are rewarded with cash and prizes for excellent work.

Step 5: Evaluation and Measurement of Organizational Culture.

Consider each of the dimensions of organizational culture from your theory and explain exactly how you would measure them.

Example: How would a consultant measure the dimensions of organizational culture?

Identify the dimensions of organizational culture used in your theory. Define each one. Compare and contrast the communication channels in Chapter one to determine strengths and weaknesses and appropriateness of each to measure the dimensions of organizational culture.

Describe communication channels you would use to measure the dimensions in your theory. Which of the communication channels in Table 1-3 would you use to measure the dimensions? Explain why the communication channels you selected are appropriate.

SUMMARY: Mid-term Project Requirements

• 1 paragraph about your selected organization
• 1-page summary of each article read
• Your Theory about the Company (Theory X or Y)
• Culture evaluation and measurement
• APA formated bibliography

Writing Requirements

• APA format, 3-4 pages in length (excluding cover page, abstract, and reference list)