Integrate Theory and Content Learning

Each course throughout this program required a major assignment, due at the conclusion, which demonstrated the application of theory and the course’s content.  The assignments that most resonated with me include:

COM 629 – Leadership, Empowerment, and the Management of Meaning: Crisis Leadership Analysis

COM 613 – Constructing Messages and Audiences: Strategic Communication Plan

COM 658 – Creativity and Networks: Strategic Connectivity Plan

COM 664 – Organizational Identity and Brand: Brand YOU Reflection Paper and Professional Identity Plan

Each of these projects in some way have prepared me to take on my final comprehensive communication project, which is the composition of a strategic communication plan for my employer.    The purpose of this strategic communication plan is to help Northshore Technical Community College (NTCC), a higher education institution of the State of Louisiana, communicate its recently developed compensation philosophy and pay strategy to its employees.  It is understood NTCC developed these new practices in efforts to improve employee turnover and engagement within the organization.  A structural analysis will identify structures that impacted the development of the compensation strategy and will impact its implementation.  In addition, a capital analysis will unveil recommended strategies for capital growth and relationship building among employees in hopes to positively address employee turnover.  In COM 680 – Expanding Communication Boundaries, I crafted a Investing Within Topic Proposal.  Now approved, I will work towards its completion in COM 681 – Launching Passion into Practice.

Global Awareness

The course description of COM 638 – Strategic Communication for Global Audiences indicates the increased global climate necessitates new thinking habits and strategies to best craft targeted, integrated messages to a particular audience, whether it be global, national, or local. The course investigated strategies for successful audience analysis, community development and dialogue, image and branding, innovation, marketing, public relations, and risk and crisis management for global and multinational audiences.  The course’s major assignment required exploration of the rapidly expanding role that social and participatory media play in shaping strategic communication initiatives.

The Final Strategic Communication Analysis Project assignment was one of my favorite projects.  I chose to analyze Pokémon Go because I am fascinated in how the game has been able to assimilate itself in other cultures through the process of globalization.  The combination of player’s nostalgia for Pokémon characters and the integrated use of augmented reality technology made the game a success across the globe.   Utilizing the grounded theory approach, four themes emerged from the data collected from the game’s Facebook page.  Analysis of these themes indicate Pokémon Go is expanding the social, cultural, and creative dimensions of play through the globalization process.

My various Strategic Communication Analysis assignments can be accessed here.

Ethical Consideration

As a communications scholar, it is important to be able to identify, analyze and evaluate an ethical dilemma as it relates to a communications scenario.  Equally important, is the ability to provide a recommended course of action to respond.  COM 616 – Communicating Mindfully increased my understanding of how critical self-awareness and emotional intelligence contribute to communicating consciously and productively.  Dialogue, narrative, reflection, and identification were explored as tools for ethical communication in a rapidly changing world.

The Inquiry Project for the course required demonstration of understanding of the material by applying theory to a communication ethics problem from fiction or own experience.  As in many of the course final projects throughout this program, I selected a topic relevant to my current employer, Northshore Technical Community College.  I chose to examine the post-Hurricane Katrina communication of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System and the Louisiana Technical College – Sullivan Campus according to the discourse of renewal framework.  Crises and disasters can serve as powerful forces of organizational change and, in some cases, renewal. “Discourse of renewal emphasizes learning growth and opportunity following crises of all types” (Ulmer, et. al, 2007, p. 18).  There are four theoretical objectives central to the discourse of renewal: “organizational learning, ethical communication, a prospective rather than retrospective vision, and sound organizational rhetoric” (Ulmer, et. al, 2007, p. 18-19).

Works Cited:

Ulmer, R. R., Sellnow, T. L., & Seeger, M. W. (2007). Effective crisis communication: Moving from crisis to opportunity. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.

Writing Literacy

As with most graduate programs, the requirement of writing essays is common; even more so for a communications major.  It is imperative to compose clear, coherent, professional and error-free documents.  Every course within this program required some sort of written assignment that must meet the program’s writing standards.  However, COM 624 – Communication and Culture in a Networked Society seemed to provide the most regular writing practice.  In addition to weekly discussions, the course required six short papers.  Check out my post which contains these works.

Although I have always enjoyed writing, I must say I have benefited greatly from the continuous practice. After reviewing my earlier assignments, I am surprised and extremely proud to see the noticeable improvement in my writing style.  My supervisor has even commented on the change!

 

Digital and Media Literacy

Image from Futurelab.com

An important part of this program is the effective use and leverage of traditional, digital, and emerging media.  In COM 601, I was required to create the various media accounts that I would utilize throughout the program.  The most important being this graduate blog.  I was also introduced to YouTube, Audacity, and Windows Movie Maker.  I must admit, I was familiar with these applications prior to graduate school, but I wasn’t as well versed as I am now.  Check out my very first post.  I may have been a little overwhelmed at the time.  However, I soon learned how to utilize these tools with ease.

COM 655 – The Mediated Self and Changing Relationships provided the opportunity to complete a Digital Literacy Project.  The goal of this assignment was to translate and illuminate academic research in such a way that enhances a designated audience’s digital literacy.  After reading danah boyd’s 2014 book, It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens, I altered my initial point-of-view when it comes to teens’ access to social media.  Check out my blog post regarding my project.

Research Literacy

Image from slideshare.net

Every course within the online Masters of Arts in Communication program requires some sort of research project.  Most of the inquiry projects required articulation of a communication platform, adoption of an epistemological standpoint, location, aggregation, and analysis of credible research, drafting of a literature review that supports and illuminates a chosen area of inquiry, and composition of supporting arguments using at least one theoretical framework.  The inquiry project in COM 601 – Communication Fluency provided the skills needed to locate credible research, analyze and evaluate a variety of texts, and ask good questions.  It was in this course I learned about Literature Reviews, there importance to the research process, and had the opportunity to complete my very first one. Check it out COM 601 Literature Review.  COM 610 – The Social Creation of Organizing provided the unique opportunity to complete a research project in two different mediums.  For the first half of the Textual Analysis, the traditional medium of written words was utilized; complete with an introduction, literature review, and a methodology section.  However, the second half of the project, including my findings, implications, and conclusion, was presented in a digital format. This assignment can be viewed here.

Theoretical Literacy

One of the primary goals of Queens University of Charlotte Masters of Arts in Communication program is to allow students to master communication theory and its application to practical strategy.  In each and every course of this program, I was presented various theories and was challenged to apply them in real-life scenarios.  The very first course, COM 601 – Communication Fluency, provided the building blocks to paradigms of communication knowledge as well as essential communication theory.

Check out my blog entry regarding Robert Craig’s division of the world of communication into seven traditions here.  Craig’s traditions provide a different interpretation of communication and upon understanding this variance can be used to engage in dialogue on the practice of communication.  As you can see from this blog post, I was able to recognize that I quite often utilize socio-psychological theory in my profession.  Understanding how people behave in communication situations by examining the relationship between communication and variables like personal traits, situational differences, and learning is essential when investigating the root cause of a conflict is imperative to a human resource professional.

As I have progressed through this program, I find that I am better able to articulate communication problems I encounter during the work day.  With the knowledge gained from the “lens” of various communication theories, I can access information, analyze and evaluate messages and texts, create dialogue, reflect on social and ethical considerations, and engage in the community across all communication platforms with a variety of audiences (Hobbs, 2010).  Therefore, the content I have learned throughout this program is transferring and enriching my performance in my profession.

Works Cited:

Hobbs, R. (2010).  Digital and media literacy: A plan of action.  Washington DC: Aspen Institute.

Capstone Topic Proposal

Throughout COM 680, I have been analyzing research and drafting my proposal for my final capstone project for my masters’ program.  A LOT of work went into this proposal and I know I have a lot of work left in COM 681 to see it to its completion.

You can read the final draft of my topic proposal at this link provided.  Investing Within Topic Proposal

Home Stretch!

I can’t believe it!  I have actually made it to my last semester at Queens University.  The final two courses are going to be crazy busy.

COM 680 is all about selecting a topic for the final capstone project.  I must be honest, I had some difficulty committing to a topic for the final project.  In fact, I panicked so bad in week 3, I trashed all of my research and changed my topic.  Looking back, I think it was the best decision for me.  Initially, I chose a light-hearted topic about Southern Mothers.  However, I quickly realized I was having difficulty juggling projects at work and the project for school.  So, in the end, I decided to select a topic in which I could combine work with school.

Below is my inquiry project proposal as presented in my Comprehensive Exam.

Investing Within

The phrase, “our people are our greatest asset,” is well known amongst organizational leaders.  The success or failure of an organization is largely dependent on its employees.  Without its people, organizations are simply unable to fulfill its mission.  Furthermore, the inability to retain and engage valuable employees can be detrimental to an organization’s success.

According to an article written by Strategic HR Partners, LLC. (2015), “Employers that want to succeed in this increasingly competitive environment must have a well-designed compensation plan that motivates employees, controls compensation costs, and ensures equity” (p. 1).  The best compensation plans mirror the culture of the employer.  Therefore, employers should establish a compensation philosophy.  Once the philosophy has been established, then a compensation strategy can be developed.  Establishing an effective compensation strategy is a critical part of improving employee engagement and retention (SHRM, 2017).  An equally important piece is the communication of the philosophy and strategy to employees.

Northshore Technical Community College (NTCC) is a higher educational institution located in southeastern Louisiana.  Its mission is to provide “quality workforce training and transfer opportunities by awarding associate degrees, technical diplomas and certificates to students seeking a competitive edge in today’s global economy” (Northshore Technical Community College, 2014).  Without qualified faculty and staff, the College is unable to fulfill the public promise.  According to the college’s staffing analytics, NTCC has experienced a high employee turnover rate, approximately 42%, during the last five years.  Employee exit survey results indicate the reason for the turnover is due to outdated and pay practices that are not competitive with the labor market area.  To address this issue, NTCC leadership intends to adopt a compensation philosophy that reflects the college’s values and revise current salary structures with adjusted pay ranges.

My study will examine NTCC structures that will impact the development of a compensation philosophy and strategy.  In addition, it will examine the resource needs and challenges of the college.  The goal is to help understand, support, and develop compensation change initiatives and communications for Northshore Technical Community College.  The analysis will include staffing and compensation statistics for NTCC employees and the labor-market area in which the college operates, exit survey results, relevant peer-reviewed and non-peer reviewed articles, and the operation structure, functions, and existing NTCC compensation communication strategies.  I aim to understand the general perceptions and attitudes among exiting employees regarding NTCC’s current pay practices, and what can be strategically implemented to positively influence and change those perceptions in hopes to attract and retain qualified employees.

My study will be grounded in public relations and social theory.  A structural analysis, based in Gidden’s Structuration Theory, will examine structures present at NTCC and how NTCC personnel can alter or reinforce those structures to implement a relevant compensation philosophy.  McArthur (2014) indicates “a structural analysis may prove effective at revealing unseen factors that impact a change” (p. 35).  Structures of signification, legitimation, and domination will be analyzed to identify opportunities the organization has to make changes to a particular area.  Secondly, applying theorist Pierre Bourdieu’s capital analysis will reveal what capital exists, what capital is needed, and what capital can be built to help NTCC boost employee retention.  This analysis includes resources present in institutionalization structures, economic capital, knowledge capital, social capital, and symbolic capital (McArthur, 2014, p. 22).  The results can be used to help understand the resources available to the college.  The application of Gidden and Bourdieu theories will result in analyses that can be used to develop a strategic communication plan which addresses NTCC employee retention initiatives

 

 

References:

Choppin, J. (1996). “Our people are our greatest asset…” Management Development Review, 9(3), 8-8.

Ihlen, O., Fredriksson, M., & Ruler, B. V. (2009). Public relations and social theory: key figures and concepts. New York, NY: Routledge.

McArthur, J. A. (2014). Planning for strategic communication: a workbook for applying social theory to professional practice. Charlotte, SC: John A McArthur.

Northshore Technical Community College. (2014). Retrieved September 10, 2017, from http://northshorecollege.edu/about-our-college/our-mission

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). (2017, March 17). Developing and Sustaining Employee Engagement. Retrieved September 10, 2017, from https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/sustainingemployeeengagement.aspx

Strategic HR Partners, LLC. (2015, January 24). Compensation. Retrieved September 10, 2017, from http://strategicpartners-hr.com/compensation/

 

 

 

Short Papers

COM 624 was designed to introduce the concepts, theories, functions and behaviors associated with communication and culture within our technologically connected realities.  I was able to observe, explore, and analyze a variety of perspectives on cultural engagement, giving special attention to the related perceptual, cognitive and affective processes that influence how people communicate using new media networks.

The coursework of this class explored how digital connectivity in a networked society has changed and transformed culture.  I was able to investigate how networking affects traditional conceptions of knowledge and information creation, production, transmission and censorship.

For six weeks of the course, I was required to write a short papers in lieu of one large project.  The writing prompts for each paper was based on weekly course content.

Here are the papers I submitted for this course.

Short Paper 1 – The Impact of Technology on Communication

Short Paper 2 – The Online Self

Short Paper 3 – Who’s Ready to Shop?

Short Paper 4 –  Social Dieting – Does it Really Work?

Short Paper 5 – Social Media – Tool or Hindrance to Social Movements

Short Paper 6 – Humans or Cyborgs