Communication 222c

Technology and Organization

University of California, Santa Barbara

Communication 620

Organizations and Communication Technologies

Annenberg School for Communication, University of Southern California

Course Description

Rationale and Overview

In this course we will examine what the changing technological landscape means in terms of human communication, with particular emphasis on new technologies’ effects on, within, and across organizations. The course will focus on theoretical and empirical research on (i) the nature and study of technology and organization, (ii) choice, use, and effects of communication technologies in organizations, (iii) teams and technologies in the global and virtual world, (iv) social networks and interpretative processes in structuring technology in use, (v) communication and information technologies and collective action, (vi) technology-supported distributed knowledge and cognition, (vii) information technologies and organizational knowledge systems, (viii) the evolution of organizational forms, and (ix) philosophical controversies and methodological issues on organizational communication and technologies.

Throughout the class, we will concentrate on theory, evidence, and directions of and for future research. Readings for this course will guide us in this pursuit. Each participant is expected to come to class prepared to discuss each of approximately six required readings per session. The readings will be the shared knowledge base among participants that will serve as the core of our discussion. Like most graduate seminars, our success depends to a large degree on you being prepared. Please do the readings carefully, critically, and prior to class meetings. Come prepared to share your ideas, thoughts, and questions and to contribute to our collective discussion on the topic of the day. Determine what you believe to be the major contribution, most interesting finding, or most intriguing point suggested by the reading. What is compelling about the reading? What has the author offered that is new or that adds to our understanding of the topic? What critiques do you have of the work?

Method

This course will be taught cooperatively via video conferencing on the Internet by faculty at the the University of California at Santa Barbara and the University of Southern California. In this manner, students will take advantage of web-based audio and video to collaborate in the instructional experience across campuses. In effect, this course provides students interested in the organizational implications of advanced communication and information technologies the opportunity to study these phenomena while exploring their use firsthand.