In this course you will learn how to develop knowledge and skills necessary for conducting strategic analysis, decision making, and evaluation in complex organizations with particular focus on organizational health and vitality. Students will be introduced to approaches that assist in discerning intentions, roles and foci for Organization Development (OD) and change processes, and in finding a best fit with the practitioner’s style and capabilities.
OD practitioners have focused on supporting the strategic goals of organizations through various interventions that are designed to create alignment between people and strategy, and to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the realization of goals. OD practitioners are often called upon to support changes that arise from marketplace changes, economic conditions and workforce fluctuations. Increasingly, vibrant, healthy organizations prove to be those that have learned to renew themselves while on the way to realizing their strategies and goals. Addressing organizational health and vitality often starts with an understanding of how these elements relate to performance. “Performance” is typically assessed with “hard” measures, such as what an enterprise delivers to stakeholders in financial and operational terms. Other metrics are also employed, such as net operating profit, return on capital employed, total returns to shareholders, net operating costs, and stock values.
This course will help you to expand your repertoire by exploring various frameworks, approaches and practices OD practitioners can use to craft strategic changes related to organizational health and vitality (alignment, execution and renewal). We will build an understanding of the central concept of organizational health and vitality, by exploring a number of concepts that contribute to it.
Author: Darija
PCOM530: Strategic Digital Communication
Introduces students to communication in the digital landscape. Distinguishes between digital and traditional/analog media and how a strong strategic communication must include elements of both to be effective. Helps students identify the advantages, shortcomings and risks of digital communication, and the significance of evaluating and reporting the impact of digital communication. Includes case studies, discussion forums for collaborative learning, an exercise drawn from the corporate world where students must convince cynical senior management about the need for and value of digital communication, and a team effort to develop a well-rationalized digital communication campaign plant.
PCOM540: Communication, Culture, Media and Technology
Presents an overview of the historical development of theories and approaches to media and cultural studies as they interconnect with communication studies. Considers the meaning and production of culture, the culture industry, and various interpretive practices. Explores how mass media has influenced and been influenced by cultural industries and contextualizes our current digital age in relation to other major advancements in communication history. Drawing on contemporary media and cultural theory, the course investigates how our current digital environment modifies our definitions of privacy and the public, civil society, political participation, and culture through case studies and applied and experiential activities.
PCOM631: Media Production
Introduces the principles, styles, and strategies that characterize the creation and distribution of research-based media into the public sphere. Students practice the mechanics of combining digital photography, video, sound and text into sequentially based options using various styles and channels. Involves working peer-to-peer and with the instructor to analyze, foster and cultivate audiovisual grammars through creative processes.
PCOM632: Conflict Analysis and Management
Provides a rich exposure to theories and practices of dispute resolution through the eyes of a practicing mediator and empowers the learner to be more effective and secure in responding to conflict. Examines conflict at interpersonal, community, and organizational levels. Concepts of analysis are applied, models of response are learned, and various skills of interpersonal communication are practiced.
PCOM633: Strategic Communication
Explores effective management of external communication systems and processes in an organizational context. Reference is made to the linkages between all major communication efforts, including engagement, marketing and advertising; however, the emphasis of the course is on public relations, stakeholder relations, and corporate communication. The course focuses on the requisite skill set of corporate communication leaders, including reputation management, crisis management and strategic communication planning. Current trends, such as the use of social media channels, are highlighted. The course is delivered through a combination of case studies, experiential exercises, and interactive lectures designed to provide an opportunity to apply learnings through realistic scenarios and role playing.
PCOM640: Communication Policy, Politics and Law
Takes as its premise the political and ideological nature of communication, media and culture. Surveys classic and contemporary sources, themes and debates in the academic communication literature as these relate to disciplinary subfields such as policy, political economy, political communication, technology studies, cultural economics, law and ethics, and as they manifest in the interpersonal, print, broadcast, and telecommunications realms. Learners explore topics ranging from trans-national and state-level concerns to civil society; from electoral politics to those of social movements and countercultures; and from major policy documents and regulatory bodies in Canada and abroad to issues like terrorism and propaganda, privacy and surveillance, digital media and intellectual property that test the capacity of policymakers.
PCOM645: Organizational Design, Communication and Knowledge Management
Organizational leaders must consider the impact of their design choices not only on business performance, but also on employees, customers, and the communities and societies in which they operate. This course discusses the systematic approach to configuring and aligning structure with strategy and includes an examination of the links between communications, processes, knowledge, metrics, leadership and people practices, with culture and strategic direction in organizations. Using case studies, application of theoretical principles, interactive discussions and activities, students will explore how organizations can be designed for optimal performance and sustainability. Focuses on effective organizational design in both traditional and innovative organizations with special emphasis on innovative organizational forms and knowledge management principles. Team projects include inventing new possibilities for real organizations.
PJMN500: The Right Side of Project Management
Combines the tools and techniques needed to manage risk, time and costs effectively, with the essential humanistic components of project leadership. Students can expect to gain critical stakeholder engagement techniques, including negotiation, conflict resolution, change leadership and collaboration in conjunction with a practical focus and application on the constraints faced on any project: time limits, human resources, materials, budget and specifications.
PJMN501: Managing Complex Projects
Project managers use specific proven techniques and strategies for achieving outstanding results. Several models have evolved to provide contextual frameworks for integrating projects within an organization’s strategic goals. This course includes and examines the benefits realization approach and the SMART (strategically managed, aligned, regenerative and transitional) model.