Zero Textbook Cost Syllabus for COM 3078 (Group Communication)

This course focuses on small-group communication in private, public, and business settings. Topics include types and functions of groups, group-communication theory, issues of power and trust in group communication, effective communication in face-to-face and virtual teams, group conflict, group cohesiveness and team-building, and communication strategies for collaborative problem-solving and decision-making. The format of the course is designed so you will have the opportunity to develop and practice your group communication skills. Therefore, the goal is to provide you with new perspectives on the process of group and team communication, as well as increased options for communicating effectively in group and team settings. You will take part in student-facilitated discussion, group/team interaction and projects, lectures, and individual assignments. This course relies heavily on self-initiated learning and is enhanced by group interaction and personal reflection

LEADERSHIP CONCERNS: DISCURSIVE FRAMING WITHIN THE DISENGAGEMENT/GROWTH PHASE OF A SMALL BUSINESS

Small businesses are an integral part of the U.S. workforce. Leaders of small businesses are often presented with opportunities to communicate the changes and transitions that occur as a small business grows. This research assesses the process of leader sensegiving and employee sensemaking through the use of framing as a discursive resource within the context of a small business. A qualitative approach, capturing 27 in-depth interviews assesses the framing-to-sensemaking overlap in a small business setting. Results indicate that framing and sensemaking unfold as a process: either as a harmonious framing-to-sensemaking outcome or a discordant framing-to-sensemaking outcome

New Trends in Globalisation: An Examination of the Brazilian Case

This analysis looks at the role of Wal-Mart in Brazil by using glocalisation theory. Glocalisation refers to the strategies and practices adopted by transnational corporations to cater to local cultures and customs. In the case of Wal-Mart in Brazil, it unsuccessfully attempted to impose the US strategy of management practices, employee standards, low wages, EDLP (every-day-low pricing) for buyers, fierce pressure on suppliers, harsh anti-union policies and aggressive expansionism tendencies. In this, Wal-Mart was met with heavy resistance because it failed to glocalise. However, Wal-Mart changed tack or ‘compromised’ by following glocalisation principles and made deep inroads in the Brazilian market. This analysis is important for two reasons. First because it analyses the functioning of a giant corporation that ventured into unchartered territory from a theoretical perspective; an endeavour that has few scholars have hitherto undertaken. Second, in recent years, there has been scant consideration of the Brazilian market and its role in the global retailing process.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Shaping Student Activists: Discursive Sensemaking of Activism and Participation Research

As social media becomes a more potent force in society, particularly for younger generations, the role in activism has been contested. This qualitative study examines 35 interviews with students regarding their perceptions of the use of social media in social change, their perceptions of activists, and their level of self-identification as an activist. Data suggest that students use media to engage in offline participation in activist causes, because offline presents a “safe” place to begin their involvement. Findings also point to the unified pejorative connotations of the term “activist”, yet also demonstrate ways that students transform the negative stereotype of activists in a way that creates a more positive image of activists. Most participants in the study were able to see sufficient positive characteristics in behaviors they associated with activism to prompt the students to identify themselves as “activists” or “aspiring activists”. We offer 3 practical recommendations for teachers who seek to increase service learning vis a vis activism in their classrooms

Negotiating the Meaning of Team Expertise: A Firefighter Team’s Epistemic Denial

In this case study, we report how a team of firefighters critiqued one of its member’s decisions to facilitate learning and process improvement. The study is supported by 500+ hr of ethnographic observations, documents, and 11 retrospective interviews, which captured how the team’s talk about the member’s decision shaped their interpretations of their own and others’ expertise—interpretations that ironically undermined learning. Constant comparative analysis revealed that these firefighters positioned themselves as experts by crediting either personal experience or technical knowledge and then discrediting the alternative way of knowing. We labeled this process epistemic denial. The process of epistemic denial was rooted in identity concern; specifically, veteran team members relied on personal experience and newer members relied on technical information gained from training to assert their expertise, and to devalue others’ expertise. The article concludes with recommendations for avoiding problems associated with epistemic denial in high-reliability teams.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Cyberterrorists: Their Communicative Messages And The Effect On Targets

This qualitative study provides a semiotic perspective on cyberterrorism and its opportunity to cause maximal damage while using terrorist propaganda. The very definition of cyberterrorism refers to Internet use, technology, and computer-based networks against critical infrastructures. The application of Stamper\u27s Semiotic Ladder - morphological, empirical, syntactical, semantic, pragmatic and social world - to the various methods of propaganda utilized by cyberterrorists will uncover aspects on the transition from traditional to modern methods of attack, cyberterrorist communication, and the recruitment of new members to their cause. Additionally, this research focused on the role of the media in the equation of planning by propaganda to the fruition of an attack. Interviews were collected from ten participants during 30-60 minute segments. Based on the data, five themes emerged: (1) Acknowledgement of the Existence of Cyberterrorism, (2) Postmodern Propaganda and Publicity, (3) Detrimental Effects on Targets, (4) Media Implications , and (5) Communicative Messages. This provides readers with an organized order to the data and provides a way to progressively detail cyberterrorism, with a specific focus on the actual effects of their semiotic intents on targets, on the public, and on the world at large or what is being conveyed. Ultimately, the themes that emerged follow Stamper\u27s Semiotic Ladder, starting with surface level understanding of cyberterrorism and work up to the global impact of cyberterrorism on various aspects of culture, beliefs, and expectations

Cultural Adaptation Of An Mnc In Mexico: A Success Story

This paper analyzes Wal-Mart\u27s successful venture in Mexico by following a model of globalization called glocalization. Coined by Robertson (J Int Commun 1(1):33-52, 1994), glocalization refers to the cultural adaptation strategies adopted by an MNC (multinational corporation) in order to cater to local preferences worldwide. A major finding of this paper is that globalization is not a monolithic phenomenon whereby an MNC forces its corporate culture and policies on foreign markets. As demonstrated by the authors in this analysis, even in Mexico Wal-Mart was unable to impose its Bentonville, Arkansas, blueprint of low wages for employees, hard-hitting pressure on manufacturers, uncompromising anti-union policies, and ruthless expansionist wishes. Rather, Wal-Mart had to cater to local tastes in various parts of that nation. © 2011 Springer-Verlag

Teaching Small Group Communication: A Do Good Project

This paper focuses on the parameters of a semester-long project called the “Do Good” project, geared towards developing small group communication skills in undergraduate students. This project highlights participation in a social engagement project that allows students to bridge concepts learned in small group communication lectures (e.g., team dynamics, project management, conflict resolution, decision making, leadership) with community outreach. Included are an overview of the project, and examples for how each component both challenges students’ ability to communicate in groups and provides motivation that foster students’ ability to link in-class knowledge with practical, real world application

Cyberterrorist messages: A semiotic perspective

This paper provides a semiotic perspective on cyberterrorism and its opportunity to cause maximal damage while using terrorist propaganda. By and large, cyberterrorism refers to the use of the Internet, technology, and computerbased networks against critical infrastructures. A major premise of this paper is that the Internet revolutionizes the way in which cyberterrorists communicate, recruit new members, and advertise propaganda for their cause. In an attempt to shed light on the transition from traditional to modern methods of attack, the authors apply the different levels of Stamper\u27s Semiotic Ladder-morphological, empirical, syntactical, semantic, and pragmatic-to cyberterrorism

Cyberterrorist Messages: A Semiotic Perspective

This paper provides a semiotic perspective on cyberterrorism and its opportunity to cause maximal damage while using terrorist propaganda. By and large, cyberterrorism refers to the use of the Internet, technology, and computerbased networks against critical infrastructures. A major premise of this paper is that the Internet revolutionizes the way in which cyberterrorists communicate, recruit new members, and advertise propaganda for their cause. In an attempt to shed light on the transition from traditional to modern methods of attack, the authors apply the different levels of Stamper\u27s Semiotic Ladder-morphological, empirical, syntactical, semantic, and pragmatic-to cyberterrorism