CONNECTIONS

Core competencies:

Analytic Inquiry

Use of Information Resources

This assignment allows you to demonstrate mastery of the course outcomes :

Apply communication theories to organizational communication challenges

Analyze and assess the communication dynamics of an organization through the completion of a communication audit

SHRM Competency:

Consultation – The ability to provide guidance to organizational stakeholders.

PROBLEM

What are the communication challenges organizations face today? Once they are identified, how does an organization overcome these challenges and improve their communication flow? In this three-part assignment, you will first conduct a communication audit to assess organizational communication within an organization of your choice. A communication audit is a method of research that reveals how your stakeholders view your organization’s communication methods and effectiveness. We will provide you with a survey (below) that you will use to measure this perception, and you will administer it in your organization.

You will then analyze and synthesize the results of the data obtained from your audit efforts and select one critical communication challenge in your organization, conduct research and develop suggestions for addressing that specific communication challenge. Last, you will present the result of your audit, your research, and suggestions for improvement in a presentation.

Your goals:

• Administer the communication audit in your organization. This should be an organization you work for or have access to such as a school or church organization.
• Analyze and synthesize the results of the data from the communication audit.
• Based on the communication audit identify one critical communication challenge that needs to be addressed within your organization.
• Create and deliver a presentation that provides the results of your audit with suggestions for improvement based on the data obtained from the audit and the literature on organizational communication.

Directions:

Assume you are the Director of Human Resources at your chosen organization. You are tasked with conducting a communication audit and presenting the results to leadership. Your goal in conducting the communication audit is to identify one main communication challenge within an organization that needs to be addressed.

You will complete the following tasks:

1. Conduct a communication audit survey. In order to obtain valid results, you want to survey between 8 to 10 people. You may print out the survey and distribute it in person for completion, or you may administer it online, for example, using Survey Monkey or Google Forms. The survey includes questions that tap into five different areas of organizational communication: (1) Receiving information from others, (2) Sending information to others, (3) Sources of information, (4) Timeliness of information, and (5) Channels of communication. Within these five areas of organizational communication, identify one major area of concern to address based on the responses from the survey.
2. You will then analyze and synthesize the results of the data obtained from your audit effort and create your Audit Report using the format below. 
3. Based on the communication audit identify one critical communication challenge that needs to be addressed within your organization. Research the scholarly literature for recommendations about how the organization can address this issue.
4. Create and deliver a presentation that provides the results of your audit with suggestions for improvement based on the data obtained from the audit and the literature on organizational communication.

 FORMAT

Audit Report:

Communicate the results of the Communication Audit by developing an audit report, using APA format. Include a title slide with your project title (e.g., “Communication Audit”), the organization’s name, your name, class, instructor, and date.

Present an introduction that describes your research methodology and provides details of the survey administration, response rate, and characteristics of the survey population. Develop a professionally-written narrative in which you describe the data using appropriate tables, charts, and graphs. Include a detailed analysis followed by a summary of your findings, using the example in the “Collecting and Analyzing Data” file in the content area. Identify the top communication challenge from your survey, and present your recommendations to strengthen this communication challenge, based on the scholarly literature. In the appendix, present the survey questions and the number of responses for each question.

Your report should be professional and creative. You must have a minimum of 3 reliable sources in your citations. Use APA format for the  in-text citations you use to support your arguments. Don’t forget to check your spelling! As a friendly reminder, all words must be yours and your own typing. You may not copy text directly from a source.

Presentation:

Communicate the results of the Communication Audit by developing a presentation, using APA format. Include a title slide with your project title (e.g., “Communication Audit”), the organization’s name, your name, class, instructor, and date.

Present an introduction that describes your research methodology, providing details of the survey administration, response rate, and characteristics of the survey population. Clearly present a narrative to describe the data using appropriate tables, charts, and graphs. Include a detailed analysis followed by your findings. Identify the top communication challenge from your survey, and present your recommendations to strengthen this communication challenge, based on the scholarly literature. In the appendix, present the survey questions and the number of responses for each question.

Your presentation should be professional and creative. Adding audio and/or visual elements on the slides is highly recommended. Text should be the proper size for viewing during a presentation. Your presentation will need title and citation slides. You must have a minimum of 3 reliable sources in your citations. Use APA format for your citations. Don’t forget to check your spelling! As a friendly reminder, all words must be yours and your own typing. You may not copy text directly from a source.

You may use presentation software of your choice. Examples include (but are not limited to):