STCO 622 Strategic Organizational Communication

Analysis of theories and practices that assist individuals in success in organizations. Students develop the ability to add value to employing organizations and enhance individual careers.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

This course examines the theories and practices of contemporary organizational communication. This course will allow the student to understand how and why organizations operate as they do. Upon completion of the course, the student will have a better understanding of managing people, motivating employees, managing organizational stress, developing teams or groups in organizations, making decisions in organizations, leading employees, and designing organizational jobs. The course will prepare the student for developing effective organizational communication skills that will lead to success in his/her career and organizational work.

Textbook readings

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in Course Overview.

Discussion: Class Introductions

The student will introduce himself or herself to the class by answering some questions in a thread of at least 250 words.

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will craft a prompt using the topics covered in the Learn sections. The prompt must address a topic from the reading and ask an application question to which his/her peers can create a reply. The student will then read all the prompts created by his/her peers and reply to 2 peers. 

Theoretical Comparison Chart Assignment

This assignment assesses your ability to apply organizational communication theories diagnostically to a real-world decision-making scenario. Rather than summarizing theory, the student will use a theoretical comparison chart as an analytic tool to evaluate how different perspectives explain the communication challenges present in the case. 

Applied Analysis Paper Assignment

This assignment assesses the student’s ability to analyze corporate branding and corporate social responsibility (CSR) as organizational communication practices that shape stakeholder trust, legitimacy, and ethical decision‑making. In addition to applying organizational communication theory, the student will evaluate branding and CSR efforts through a biblical worldview, examining how Christian principles inform ethical communication, stewardship, and organizational responsibility. This assignment emphasizes diagnostic reasoning, theory‑driven insight, and worldview integration, rather than description or opinion. 

Crisis Communication Plan Assignment

This assignment assesses the student’s ability to diagnose an organization’s crisis vulnerability and design a comprehensive crisis communication plan using the Pearson & Mitroff Crisis Management Checklist. Rather than reacting to a crisis after it occurs, this framework emphasizes anticipation, preparedness, communication systems, and learning as core organizational responsibilities. 

Quizzes (8)

The student will have weekly quizzes. These quizzes will be open-book/open-notes and will each contain multiple-choice and/or true-false questions that cover material from the textbook readings.