Seminar in Communications and Management Concepts

Manhattanville College
Purchase, NY

Spring 2007

Wed. Feb. 21, 28
Mar. 7, 14, 21, 28
Fri. March 9
6:00pm-9:30pm
Sat. Mar. 17
9:00am-5:00pm

Adjunct Assistant Prof. Harlan Whatley

COMM 3060 Seminar in Communications and Management Concepts

An overview of the field of communications, oriented towards management applications, this course will begin by covering basic theories and models of communication. After briefly introducing such fields as speech, writing, nonverbal communication and interpersonal, group and corporate communication, the course will examine the use of various media in the service of mass communication. Historical context will be considered in examining media technology from the printing press and publishing to cinema, radio, television and new media such as the Internet. The course will consider professional ethics and the kinds of work in planning, leadership and operations undertaken by managerial professionals in fields of communication including media production, advertising and public relations.

Required Reading

Marketing Communications Management: Concepts and Theories, Cases and Practices by Paul Copley. Butterworth-Heinemann; New Ed edition (November 22, 2004) ISBN 0750652942

Suggested Reading(You are not required to purchase these texts)

Communication as ... Perspectives on Theory by Gregory J. Shepherd (Editor), Jeffrey St. John (Editor), Ted Striphas (Editor). Sage Publications, Inc.; New Ed edition (May 26, 2005) ISBN 141290658X

E-Marketing by Judy Strauss, Adel El-Ansary, Raymond Frost. Prentice Hall; 4th edition (March 4, 2005) ISBN 0131485199

A Social History of the Media: From Gutenberg to the Internet by Asa Briggs & Peter Burke. Polity Press; 2 edition (October 1, 2005) ISBN 0745635121


Attendance and Ground Rules

* It is expected that you will attend class regularly.
* If for some reason you miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out any information that was discussed in class.
* Please make sure your cell phones, beepers and PDAs are off or on vibrate.
* If you are having difficulty, do not wait until the end of the semester to come talk to me.
* Please talk to me as soon as possible if you are having any difficulties.

Course Activities/Assignments/Requirements

Paper 1* 20%
Exam 20%
E-Project* 20%
Attendance 20%
Participation 20%

* Papers will be 8 to 10 pages (not including the title page or references)

All papers will be double-spaced, typed or word-processed, in a readable font, e.g. Times New Roman, Arial, etc. Topics are listed in the course calendar and will be discussed in class.

Grades

We will follow the Manhattanville College grading scale.

Calendar

Wednesday, Feb 21

Introduction to the seminar

Discussion of source material and course material

Lecture: Basic theories and models of communication:

• Speech
• Writing
• Nonverbal communication

Assignment: Copley, ch. 1 & 2

Wednesday, Feb 28

Lecture: Basic theories and models of communication

• Interpersonal communication
• Group communication
• Corporate communication

Assignment: Copley, ch. 3 & 4

Wednesday, Mar 7

Lecture: Media in the service of mass communication

• Print
• Radio
• Motion pictures/film

Friday, Mar 9

*** Paper 1 due ***

Topic: Media Convergance

Communication and cultural theorist, Marshall McLuhan said:

“The past went that-a-way. When faced with a totally new situation,
we tend always to attach ourselves to the objects, to the flavor of the
most recent past. We look at the present through a rear view mirror.
We march backwards into the future.”

We live in a world of converging media where YouTube allows you to watch video via the Internet, music is purchased and downloaded from iTunes to your iPod and your “cell phone” or PDA allows you to receive calls, send and receive e-mails and actually view video clips. Why buy a hardcover or paperback book when you can download an e-book? Why buy a newspaper when you can get it on-line and print the articles?

Write a paper describing the convergence of different forms of media and if you think the converging of the different mediums is better or worse and why? What are the ramifications for the masses? Discuss the social implications of convergence.


Lecture: Media in the service of mass communication

• Television
• Internet and e-mail
• Video

Wednesday, Mar 14

Spring Break – no class

Saturday, Mar 17

*** Exam ***

Lecture: Ethics and Media

Video Documentary: Enron: the Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)

Assignment: Copley, Ch. 5 - 8

Wednesday, Mar 21

Lecture: Fields of communication
• Media Production
• Advertising
• Public Relations

Assignment: Copley, Ch. 12 - 15

Wednesday, Mar 28

* Conclusion
* Presentation of e-project to class

*** E-Project due ***

Topic:

Compare and contrast the communication and media efforts, both internal and external, of a company or corporation, large or small. Expound on the planning, leadership and operations methods and techniques of managerial professionals and the different fields of communication utilized including media production, advertising and public relations. Feel free to comment on and discuss the ethics of these media efforts.

You may choose to complete this assignment as a traditional research paper with legitimate and well-researched sources or as a media project including actual examples from the different fields of communication, e.g. corporate identity (logos, slogans, etc.), print advertisements and press releases. The firm used may be either real or fictional.