05 Critical Perspectives_syllabus

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COMM644CriticalPerspectivesinOrganizations

Fall2010

Wednesdays6:00–8:45p.m.

Professor: KimWellerGregory,Ph.D.

Dana102C

704.277.6773(c)

[email protected]

OfficeHours: TuesdayandThursday9-9:30a.m.&12-1p.m.

Wednesday:5–6p.m.

AndByAppointment

RequiredMaterials

Textbooks:

Adbusters:JournaloftheMentalEnvironment.(July/Aug2010).Wholebraincatalog,

18(4).

Jensen,D.,&McBay,A.(2009).Whatweleavebehind .NewYork:SevenStoriesPress.

SupplementalReadings:AdditionalreadingswillbepostedontheQueensonline

learningmanagementsystem,Moodle(seemoreinformationbelow).

CourseObjectives

Thiscourseadoptsacriticallenstothestudyoforganizationstobetterunderstandhowpower

andauthorityshapeorganizationalstructuresandpractices.Wealsoinvestigatethepowerfulroleofinstitutionsinshapingsociety.WeexploreandquestionhowWesternframeworks

relatedtocapitalism,consumerism,andecologyshapethewayswedobusiness.Byexposing

howthesedominantparadigmsandpowerstructuresconstrainus,wecanexplorewaysto

resistandtransformthem,givingvoicetoallemployeesandengenderingnewmodelsof

businessandinnovationthataredesperatelyneededintoday’srapidlychangingworld.



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Specificobjectivesofthiscourseareto:

• Gainknowledgeofthehistoricalfoundationsofcriticalorganizationaltheory

• Exploretheroleofpowerandauthorityinshapingorganizationalstructures,processes,

andpractices

• Exposetakenforgrantedorsubversivepowerstructuresandpracticesinorganizations

• Investigatetheroleofcommunicationforthecreationofknowledgeandauthority

• Increasecriticalunderstandingofavarietyoforganizationaldynamicsandpractices,

includingleadership,organizationalculture,communicationtechnology,organizational

andemployeeidentity,andsocialandecologicalresponsibility.

• Exploremeansofresistancetoorganizationalpowerstructuresandgivingvoiceto

marginalizedgroups.

• Playwithpossibilitiesfordoingbusinessmoreinnovativelyandsociallyresponsiblyby

adoptingapostmodernperspectiveoforganizationallife.

CourseRequirements

• Connections:

QMail:DuetoFERPA(FamilyEducationalRightsandPrivacyAct)regulations,Iwillcontact

youthroughyourQMailemailaccount(Link:http://qmail.queens.edu)ratherthanyour

personalorworkemail.Pleasecheckthataccountregularlyorforwardincomingemailsto

apreferredaccount.

Moodle:IwillpostgeneralcourseannouncementsonMoodle,Queens’virtuallearning

environment(asectionofmyQueens;seehttp://moodle.queens.edu/).PleasecheckourMoodlecoursesiteregularly,oryoumaysignuptohavepostingsforwardedtoyouremail

account.

ClassDiscussionForum:Moodlealsoincludesaclassdiscussionforum.Iencourageyouto

usethistoolasameansforsharinginformationandaskingquestionsofyourclassmates

andme.Iencourageyoutohavepostingsforwardedtoyouremailaccount.

• Assignments:PleasesubmitassignmentselectronicallyonourMoodlesiteby6p.m.onthe

assignedday.Anyassignmentssubmittedtomeafterthattimewillbeconsideredlate.

Typically,anylateassignmentthatIchoosetoacceptispenalizedaminimumofoneletter

gradeforeachclassmeetingthatitislate.

Unlessotherwisenoted,assignmentsshouldbetypeddouble-spacedin12-pointfontwith

1-inchmarginsandfollowAPAstyleguidelines.PleasesavedocumentsinMSWordformat

(notPDF)andincludeyourlastnameandthenameoftheassignmentinthedocument

name(e.g.,Smith,BookReview....”).



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• Writing:Asstudentsinagraduateprogram,Iassumethatyourwritingwillbeclear,

coherent,anderrorfree.Ifyoufeellikeyourwritingskillsneedasignificantamountof

work,IurgeyoutomakeanappointmentattheCenterforAcademicSuccessWriting

CenterlocatedinthelowerlevelofDana.([email protected]

704.688.2765;alsoseehttp://www.queens.edu/studentlife/resources/writing_center.asp)

• Grading:Allwrittenassignmentswillreceivelettergradesthatwillbeconvertedtoa

numericalscoreforfinalgradecomputation.Thegradingscaleisasfollows:

A 100–90 Superiorwork.Creative.

B 89–80 Goodwork.Couldimproveinoneoftheseareas:ideas,

argument,orgrammar.

C 79–70 Adequatework.Couldimproveintwooftheseareas:ideas,

argument,orgrammar.

F 69&below Unacceptablework.Reflectsunacceptablelevelofcommitment

orskill.

• ClassAttendance:Agreatdealoflearninginthiscoursecomesfromourin-class

discussions,soitisimportantthatyouattendclassconsistently.Youmaymiss1class

meetingwithnopenalty.However,foreachadditionalabsence,youwillreceivea5-point

reductionfromyourfinalparticipationgrade.Occasionally,anadditionalabsencewillbe

excused,butyoumustprovidemewithadvancenoticeandcompellingjustificationforthe

absence.

Inaddition,thiscoursemeets12timesoverthesemester.Therefore,astudentwhomisses

classmorethan3times(andthusmissesmorethan1/3oftheclassmeetings)willreceivea

failinggradeinthecourse.

• Confidentiality:Confidentialityonallpapersandprojectswillbehonored.Thenamesof

peopleororganizationsmaybechangedforyourcoursework.Pleaseseemeifyouhave

anyquestionsorconcernsaboutyourpaperorproject.

• UniversityClosings/CancelledClasses:ThebestwayfortheQueenscommunitytoreceive

fastandaccurateinformationaboutuniversityclosingsistosignupforQAlert.

QAlert:Signuptoreceivecampusemergencynotificationsviavoicemail,textand/ore-mail

atwww.queens.edu/alert.Youmustregisterasanewusereachacademicyear,evenif

you’vesignedupinthepast.Formoreinformation,sendyourinquiryto

[email protected].

Ifclassesaremeetingbutyoufeelthatyoucannotfindasafewaytogettoclass,you

shouldnotifymeassoonaspossible.ShouldIneedtocancelclass,Iwillnotifyyouby

sendingoutamessageonMoodle.



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• HonorCode&Plagiarism:TheHonorCode,whichpermeatesallphasesofuniversitylife,is

basedonthreefundamentalprinciples.ItassumesthatQueensstudents:a)aretruthfulat

alltimes,b)respectthepropertyofothers,andc)arehonestintests,examinations,term

papers,andallotheracademicassignments.

Plagiarismisrepresentinganother’swordsorthoughtsasone’sown,anditisaclearviolationofQueens’HonorCode.Itcantakemanyforms,includingword-for-word

plagiarismorparaphrasingwithoutprovidingpropercitationofsource.Tolearnmore,visit

theQueensCenterforAcademicSuccesslocatedinthebasementofDana

(http://www.queens.edu/studentlife/resources/academicresourcecenter.asp)

orthefollowingwebsite:http://www.plagiarism.org/.Pleasecontactmeifyouhaveany

questionsorbelieveaviolationoftheHonorCodehasoccurred.

• IntellectualPropertyPolicy:QueensUniversityofCharlottefacultyandstudentsadhereto

theQueens’IntellectualPropertyPolicy.SeeFacultyHandbook,http://moodle.queens.edu,

andtheQueensUniversityofCharlottewebsiteathttp://www.queens.edu.

• DisabilityAccommodations:Ifyouareastudentwithaverifieddisabilityandyourequire

accommodations,pleaseprovidemewiththenecessarymemorandumthatwasgivento

youbyStudentDisabilityServices.Contact:TheCoordinatorofDisabilityServices:Sandy

Rogelberg,704-337-2508.

CourseAssignments

Participation

Participateinclassdiscussions,assignments,andpresentations.

Classparticipationwillspecificallyinclude:

• Discussionaboutsomethinginthe AdbustersWholeBrainCatalog(2010)that

speakstoyou.

• Smallgrouppresentationsumminguptheideasofafoundingcriticaltheory

philosopher.

• Smallgrouppresentationofleadershiporculturalcorruptionsomewhereinthe

world.

• ClassdiscussionandcriticalreviewoftheJensenandMcBay(2009)WhatWe

LeaveBehind book(Note:Bring3thought-provokingquestionsfortheclassto

discuss).

*Extracreditforshowingtheclassavideo,website,orblogthat’srelevanttocourse

materialandcool.



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*Extracreditforpostinganyofyourclassassignmentsonwww.thoughtbox-

charlotte.org

ClassTwitterAccount

SendtwotweetsperweektotheclassTwitteraccount(@comm644crit)about

somethingyou’venoticedwithyourcriticaleye(i.e.,examplesofhiddenbutpervasive

organizationalpowerstructuresand/orcorporatecolonizationofcivilization).

CulturalStudiesBookReview

Paper(5-7pages)&Presentation

Reviewaculturalstudiesbookonanytopicthatinterestsyou.Incorporatespecific

courseterms,theories,andmaterial.

GototheMagersandQuinnwebsiteandexplorethecounterculturestudiesofferings.

http://www.magersandquinn.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=34_582

Gotowww.amazon.comandtypeinculturalstudies.

Also,Joseph-BethBooksellersatSouthparkhasanexcellentculturalstudiessection.

ActofResistance

Paper,videoblog,podcast,film,orwrittenblog.

Documentawaythatyouorsomeoneelseyouknowisresistingorganizationalpowerstructuresanddoingsomethingsubversive.Canbeareal-lifescenarioorreviewofa

film.

NewWaysofBeing

Paper,videoblog,podcast,filmorwrittenblog.

Findsomethingnewanddifferentintheestablishedandmundane.

Wantcoolideastogetyouthinking?SeeTEDwebsite.www.ted.org

CourseEvaluation

Weightofassignmentstobedeterminedbystudentsduringthefirstclassmeeting.

Instructorsuggestion:

Participation 25%

ClassTwitterAccount 10%

CulturalStudiesBookReview 25%

ActofResistance 20%

NewWaysofBeing 20%

StudentDetermination:

Participation ___



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ClassTwitterAccount ___

CulturalStudiesBookReview ___

ActofResistance ___

NewWaysofBeing ___



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PaperExpectations

Anypaperinthecourseshouldinclude:

• anintroductionthatsituatesyourtopicwithinahistoricalandsocialcontext,describes

theimportanceandrelevanceofyourtopic,offersabriefthesisthatwillguideyourpaper,andpreviewsyourmajorarguments.

• abodywithparagraphsthateachincludeamainargumentfollowedbysupportforthat

argument.Supportshouldincludespecificcoursematerialandpropercitations(APA).

• and,mostimportantly,aconclusionthatsummarizesyourmainthoughtsandthe

importanceofyourfindingsorideas.Iamalwayslookingforthe“SoWhat?”answerin

anyconclusion.Whatdoesallofthismeanforacriticallookatorganizationallife?

Besurethatyouproofreadyourworkeliminatinganyspelling,grammatical,andformatting

errors.Yourgradeswillbebasedinpartonthequalityofyourwriting.



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TENTATIVECOURSESCHEDULE

Seecompletereferencesofreadingsbelowcourseschedule.

DATE

DISCUSSIONTOPICS

IN-CLASSACTIVITIES

READINGS/ASSIGNMENTS

DUE

Sep8

IntroductiontotheCourse

CorporateColonizationof

Civilization

AssignFoundingTheoristGroups

Sep15

CriticalTheoryHistoricalPerspectives

Power&Authority

SystemsofControl

FoundingTheorists

Foucault

Habermas

Gramsci

DiscourseandKnowledge

DiscourseandDiscipline

Cheneyet.al.(2004),Ch.9(pp.243-266)

Deetz(2005)

GroupPresentationof

FoundingTheorists

(seehelpfulwebsitesbelow)

Sep22

Democracy&Economics

Capitalism

Consumerism

TheAmericanDream

DiscussionofAdbusterscatalog

ReadAdbustersCatalog

Bepreparedtodescribe

somethingthatresonatedwith

you

Conley,L.(2008)

Sep29

OrganizationalCulture

Leadership

Corruption

GroupPresentationsofLeadership/Cultural

Corruption

GroupExampleofLeadership

Corruption

Iacocca(2007)

Ward(2010)

Western(2008)



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DATE

DISCUSSIONTOPICS

IN-CLASSACTIVITIES

READINGS/ASSIGNMENTS

DUE

Oct6

DigitalMediaCorporatecolonizationof

Cyberspace

Goonlineandreadaboutnetneutralityissue:Google,AT&T,

Apple&AlFranken(seesome

linkstogetyoustartedbelow)

Samuels(2010)linkbelow

Oct13

Globalization

Ecology

In-classdiscussionofJensen&McBaybook

Jensen&McBaybook

completed

Oct20

Identity&MarginalizedVoices

Family

Gender

Race/Ethnicity

Conley,D.(2008)

Allen(2005)

Review:Eisenberg,Goodall,&

Trethewey(2010)Ch.6

Oct27

Resistance

Discourse

Dialectics

SocialCurrency

ActofResistancePresentations

Cheneyet.al.(2004),Ch.9(pp.

266-273)

Mumby(2005)

ActofResistanceAssignment

Due

Nov3

PostmodernPerspectives

BookReviewPresentations

Taylor(2005)



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DATE

DISCUSSIONTOPICS

IN-CLASSACTIVITIES

ASSIGNMENTSDUE

Nov10

NewWaysofBeing:

SocialBusiness


Yunus(2010)Intro,Ch.1,Ch.9

Nov17

Instructor@NCAConference

Catchup!

Nov24

NOCLASS

Dec1

NewWaysofBeing:

NewThinking


Pink(2006)pp.1-67

Levitt&Dubner(2009)

Dec8

NewWaysofBeing:

NewIdentities


Eisenberg(2007),Ch.11,Ch.12

Dec15

FinalExamPeriod

NewWaysofBeingPresentations

NewWaysofBeingAssignment

Due



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References

JurgenHabermas

HabermasianReflections

http://habermasians.blogspot.com/

MichelFoucault

michel-foucault.com

http://www.michel-foucault.com/links/index.html

Pugh&Hickson(2007)pp.110-114(onMoodle)

Pugh,D.S.,&Hickson,D.J.(2007).Writersonorganizations.6thed.ThousandOaks,CA:Sage.

TheNomadicSpirit:CriticalThinkersResource

http://www.synaptic.bc.ca/ejournal/foucault.htm

AntonioGramsci

GramsciLinksArchive

http://www.victoryiscertain.com/gramsci/

Biography.com

http://www.biography.com/articles/Antonio-Gramsci-9317929

Readings

Adbusters(2010,Summer).WholeBrainCatalog,90(18).NewYork:Adbusters.

Allen,B.(2005).Socialconstructionism.InS.May&D.K.Mumby(Eds.),Engagingorganizational

communication:Theory&research(pp.35-53).NewYork:Bedford/St.Martin’s.

Cheney,G.,Christensen,L.T.,Zorn,Jr.,T.,&Ganesh,S.(2004).Organizationalcommunicationinan

ageofglobalization:Issues,reflections,practices.LongGrove,IL:WavelandPress.

Conley,D.(2009).Elsewhere,U.S.A.NewYork:Pantheon.

Conley,L.(2008)Obsessivebrandingdisorder:Theillusionofbusinessandthebusinessof

illusion.NewYork:Public.

Deetz,S.(2005).Criticaltheory.InS.May&D.K.Mumby(Eds.),Engagingorganizational




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Eisenberg,E.M.(2007).Strategicambiguities:Essaysoncommunication,organization,andidentity .

ThousandOaks,CA:Sage.

Eisenbergy,E.,Goodall,Jr.,&Trethewey,A.(2010).Organizationalcommunication:Balancing

creativityandconstraint .6thed.NewYork:Bedford/St.Martin’s.

Iacocca,L.(2007).Wherehavealltheleadersgone?NewYork:Scribner.

Pink,D.H.(2007). Awholenewmind:Whyright-brainerswillrulethefuture.NewYork:Riverhead

Books.

Samuels,J.(2010).SteveJobsiswatchingyou:AppleseakingtopatentSpyware.ElectronicFrontier

Foundation.http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/08/steve-jobs-watching-you-apple-seeking-

patent-0

Taylor,B.C.(2005).Postmoderntheory.InS.May&D.K.Mumby(Eds.),Engagingorganizational


Ward,V.(2010).Thedevil’scasino:Friendship,betrayal,andthehigh-stakesgamesplayedinside

LehmanBrothers.Hoboken,NJ:JohnWiley&Sons.

Western,S.(2008).Leadership:Acriticaltext .LosAngeles:Sage.

Yunus,M.(2010).Buildingsocialbusiness:Thenewkindofcapitalismthatserveshumanity’smost

pressingneeds.NewYork:PublicAffairs.

NetNeutralityDebate

Lasar(2010).NetprotestorslaysiegetoGoogle

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/08/the-siege-of-google.ars

http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/08/steve-jobs-watching-you-apple-seeking-patent-0

AlFrankenwebsite.http://blog.alfranken.com/



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COMM644:CriticalPerspectivesinOrganizationsFall2010

Instructor:KimWellerGregory,Ph.D.

PaperGradingStandards

ItisimportantforyoutorealizethatwhenIgradeyourpaper,Iamlookingata final

product .Thatis,Icannotgradetheprocessitself.Therefore,itisessentialthatthehard

workyouputintoyourpaperbedemonstratedinthepaperitself.

Italsoisimportanttoremindyouthatgradingisasubjective(ratherthanobjective)

business.Thefollowingcriteriaareprovidedtoyouforguidance,butthereareno“hard

andfast”rules.Apaperdoesnothavetocontainallcharacteristicsforittobeconsidered

foraspecificgrade.

AnApaper:

Richincontent• Demonstratescreativeandcarefulthought

• Argument(s)wellsupportedwithabroadrangeofevidence

• Soundlystructured.Argumentiswellorganized

Stylisticallysound• Variedsentencestructure,few—ifany—grammaticalerrors,introductionand

conclusionare"tight"anddrawthereaderin,phrasingisclearandcogent

Paperreflectsasuperiorjoboffulfillingtheassignment.

ABpaper:

Contentissatisfactory• Thoughtsareclearlyexpressedandthorough

• Argument(s)fairlywellevidenced,butnotascompleteandthoroughasinan

“A”paper

• Specificpointsarelogicallyorderedandunifiedaroundaclearclaim

Stylisticallyfine• Nearlyfreeofgrammaticalerrors,goodopeningandconcludingparagraphs,

fairlysmoothtransitionsandsentencestructure

Paperreflectsafairlygoodjoboffulfillingtheassignment.



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ACpaper:

Contentisadequate• Reasonableamountofknowledgepresented,butideasaretypicallyintheform

ofvaguegeneralities

• Evidencepresentedaddressestheclaim(s)

• Reasonablywellorganizedandpresented

Stylisticallyaverage• Somegrammaticalerrors,introductiondoeslittletoenticethereaderand

conclusiondoeslittleto“wrapup”ideas,sentencestructureismonotonousand

occasionallyawkward

A“C”papergetsthejobdone,adequatelyfulfillstheassignmentbutismissingoneor

twoimportancethings,andlackscreativityandrigor.Onemightrespondafterreading

thepaper,“Sowhat?”

ADpaper:

Contentisfairlyweak• Argumentsarenotclearandconcise

• Evidenceisinadequate,claimsareillogical,poorlysupported

• Outlineofclaimsandargumentsexists,butisweakandineffective

Stylisticallyweak• Sentencesareawkwardandunclear,lotsofgrammaticalerrors.Paperdoesnot

appeartohavebeenproofread

• Paperreflectsaninadequatejoboffulfillingtheassignment.Paperappearsto

havebeendevelopedand/orwritteninahurry.

AnFpaper: Contentispoor

• Nothesis,nowelldevelopedideas

• Evidenceispoorornonexistent

• Organizationisnonexistent,incoherent

Stylisticallypoor• Lotsofgrammaticalerrors,terriblesentencestructure,nodiscernable

introductionorconclusion

Paperreflectsapoorjoboffulfillingtheassignment.



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COMM644:CriticalPerspectivesinOrganizations

Fall2010


Acceptanceofthesyllabus

Ihavereadandunderstandthesyllabusforthiscourse.Ihavediscussedanyconcernsor

clarificationswiththeinstructorandIagreetoabidebytheconditionsofthesyllabus,complete

therequiredcoursework,andbeanactiveparticipantinclass.

Signed __________________________________________

Printname&date __________________________________________

Phonenumber __________________________________________

E-mail __________________________________________



17

COMM644:CriticalPerspectivesinOrganizations

Fall2010


HonorCodePledge

StrictadherencetotheHonorCodeassetforthbyQueensUniversityofCharlotteisfollowedin

thisclass.PleasereportanysuspectedviolationsoftheHonorCodetomeimmediately.

MembersofthisclassareencouragedtoreviewtheUniversity’sHonorCode.Ifanyworkorassignmentappearsunclearorpresentsquestionsrelatedtoacademicintegrity,Iurgeyouto

talkwithmetoobtainfurtherclarification.PlagiarismisinviolationoftheHonorCodeandit

couldresultinexpulsionfromtheuniversity.

HonorCode:

AsamemberoftheQueensCommunity,Iwillendeavortocreateaspirit

ofintegrityandhonorforitsownsakeatQueensUniversityofCharlotte.

Ipledgetruthfulnessandabsolutehonestyintheperformanceofall

academicwork.

Ipledgetobetruthfulatalltimes,totreatotherswithrespect,torespect

thepropertyofothersandtoadheretoUniversitypolicies.

Acceptingboththeprivilegesandresponsibilitiesoflivingbythiscodeof

honor,Iresolvetoupholdthiscodeandnottotolerateanyviolationsof

itsspiritorprinciples.

Signed:_________________________________Date:__________

Printname:____________________________________________

05 Critical Perspectives_syllabus

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