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9593B Information Age Communication 
Module Purpose
The
purpose of the module is to provide knowledge of contemporary
organisational communication practices and the impact
of recent changes in communication technology on human
communication in the workplace.
How to use these Resources
These
resources will assist you in finding appropriate online
material to help broaden your understanding of the concepts
involved and to complete assessment events for the module.
They are meant to complement the work done in a classroom
with a teacher.
For
each learning outcome this page provides some activities to
lead you to some key sites, some background reading and some
additional sites to explore if you choose.
Learning
Outcomes
When you finish the module you should be able to:
- Outcome
- Analyse the purposes and methods of communication
in
organisations.
- Outcome
- Analyse communication practice in large and small
organisations and in different workplace settings.
- Outcome - Analyse the impact of the information explosion
on the
communication process in organisations.
- Outcome
- Propose a strategy for communication management
in the
workplace or in a community organisation.
Outcome
1
- Outcome - Analyse
the purposes and methods of communication in
organisations.
Activity 1
Read
the article
How
effective leadership and good communication affect the bottom
line.
Make notes that you could use as the basis of a short speech
on the importance of communication skills for managers.
Activity 2
Read
the article
How
do you best use available communication channels?
From it write down, in the form of a memo, five practical
suggestions you could pass on to people in your workplace to
save time and effort.
Activity 3
Read
the article Effective
Organizations (Organization Development). What are the
implications of the flattening of organizations for the
management of communications?
Background
reading
Are
your programs centered on face-to-face conversations? -
(if not, you’re wasting your efforts).
The author argues that organizations—even some of the
most sophisticated organizations—often forget the
critical importance of face-to-face communication. Lots
of case studies and examples.
Gender
Differences in Communication - A summary of the key research findings. What are the implications
for women managers communicating with male employees and
vice versa?
Organizational
Communication
(The Ivy Sea Online Communication Centre) -
Contains a huge variety of practical articles on such
subjects as
Three
Tools for Boosting Communication Effectiveness,
The
ins and outs of organizational culture and
Do
you have tribes or factions? Some articles are free
and some are by subscription to the VIP Library. Don't miss checking
out the
Archive.
Other useful
websites
What
type of consultant and adviser are you? - A five minute on-line questionnaire to assist you to evaluate
your consultancy (and communication) style.
25
Fast Ideas for Slower Times - The theme of the Fast Company conference in May 2001 was
"Tougher Times Demand Smarter Thinking". This
site contains a summary of what the organisers said were
the 25 smartest insights they took away from the event.
Online
Newsletter
of the The (American) Institute for Management Excellence
has a monthly many practical articles like
The
Essence of Leadership.
Outcome
2
- Outcome - Analyse communication practice
in large and small organisations
and in different workplace
settings.
Activity 4
How
does your organization get information out to its workers?
Select five methods and consider how effectively they are
currently being used:
Face to face Communication
- a short and practical article which argues that face to
face is best.
The
Company Newsletter - Revving up a Company Workhorse
- a short practical article on ways to decide whether your
company needs a newsletter and, if so, how to make it
most effective.
3M
Meeting Network - Guides to Great Meetings - contains
practical advice on effective meetings. Includes information
on agendas, brainstorming, presentations, listening, creative
problem solving, videoconferencing and more. Some great
hints on the use of new technology in meetings.
E-mail
Etiquette - Why is it Important? - About.com's great page on how to use email most effectively
as a business tool.
Surviving
a Business Conference - a practical guide on how to behave and get the most out
of conferences and other networking opportunities
Tips
for Creating Memorable Web Pages - short practical ideas for the manager thinking about creating
a first Internet site.
Activity 5
How
could your organisation get more useful information and
feedback from its employees? Read the following articles:
•
Feedback from employees is essential
•
Employee surveys
Other useful websites
Online Women's Business Centre
Outcome 3
- Outcome - Analyse
the impact of the information explosion on the
communication
process in organisations.
Activity 6
Go to
About.com's article on
Information Overload
and think about how well you are using these ideas. Write
down five additional strategies an organization could use to
cope with the information explosion.
Background
reading
Dying
for Information - in October 1996, Reuters conducted the first ever study
into Information Overload, called Dying for Information,
which interviewed 1300 managers and revealed the significant
extent to which overload is becoming a problem in the
information age. This paper examines the findings and
implications of this research and concludes that organisations
need to allocate significant resources to the management
of information.
Information/Work
Overload Annotated Webliography - a page designed to assist computer programmers cope with
information explosion and overload. Contains summaries
of research, articles and excellent links.
Information Management
- some web definitions
Knowledge Management
- an overview of links and resources in this new field
Outcome
4
- Outcome - Propose
a strategy for communication management in the workplace
or in a community organisation.
Activity 7
Go to
David Kirsh's article
A
Few Thoughts on Cognitve Overload. Read his conclusion
and write down his three major headings for improving
communication management together with some relevant
examples. How would you provide for specialist management of
information in your strategy?
Activity 8
Look
at the Event
Overview for DCI's Corporate and e-Business Portals
Conference. Then read the case study
Tapping
Knowledge from InfoWorld which shows how Proctor and
Gamble used computer technology & knowledge-sharing
software to enable their 110,000 employees worldwide to
transform departmental experts into tangible information
resources for the whole company. What part does computerised
sharing of knowledge play in your strategy? How could you
gather expert opinion on the best software to facilitate
it?
Activity 9
Consider whether this
10 Point Knowledge Management Checklist would be
helpful in your organisation.
Background
reading
Management
Skills for the 21st Century - the
group decision-making technique used in this exercise
revealed that the effective 21st century manager is likely
to be a transformational leader. That is, a masterful
change agent who, through the use of outstanding interpersonal
skills and analytical application, is able to motivate
others by sharing a strategic vision, while at the same
time adhering to a rigorous ethical code.
The Knowledge Management Network
Other useful
websites
Journal
of Computer Mediated Communication - a peer-reviewed academic journal dealing with all aspects
of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC). Past issues
have focussed on such subject areas as Networks and Netplay,
Virtual Environments and Studying the Net.
Last
updated:
23 August, 2006
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