For this assignment, you will create a communication strategy that fosters change and innovation in an organization. Explain the context in which it occurs and the options that are available. Develop a solution that will solve the organizational issue and meet the needs of the people involved.
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For this assignment, you will create a communication strategy that fosters change and innovation in an organization.
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Feel free to use the same organization you researched for the Unit VI and Unit VII Assignments. You are not limited to this organization, but it may be easier to complete the assignment since you have already researched it for Unit VI and/or Unit VII. You can use the same sources for all assignments, if applicable.
In the report, you will provide a potential audience analysis, create a purposeful message, and discuss a type of channel that you could use for feedback. Include answers to Neal’s (2010) communication questions, which are listed below:
- What am I trying to achieve?
- How will my audience react to what I am trying to achieve?
- Will my message be resisted?
- What do I know about my audience that will help me tailor my message? (p. 40)
Do not include the question/answers in a bullet or list format. Instead, integrate the responses in your paragraphs.
Use the standard five-paragraph format (introduction/body/conclusion). Include at least two academic sources. APA format should be used. The assignment should be a minimum of two pages in length. Content, organization, and grammar/mechanics will be evaluated.
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Runninghead: TITLE OF PAPER 1
Title of Paper
Student Name
Columbia Southern University
This is the running head. The words
“Running head:” should only appear on the
title page. On all subsequent pages, the
header should consist of the title in all capital
letters. Be sure that the title within the
running head is 50 characters or less,
including spaces.
Paper Format
1 inch margins
Double spacing
Suggested font-Times New Roman 12 pt.
Paragraphs indented .5 inch (usually default Tab)
TITLE OF PAPER 2
Title of Paper
The first paragraph should introduce the organization and the issue you plan to address.
This should be brief, as you will go into more detail later in the paper. The thesis statement needs
to be the last sentence in the introduction.
Summary
The second paragraph should be a summary of the situation. Look at the following
example from Unit I, which summarizes the issue with the Volkswagen Corporation as a model:
Scientists from the University of West Virginia tested Volkswagen diesel vehicles and
found that the company was able to cheat on emissions tests with software that indicated the
vehicles’ emissions were far lower than they actually were. Over 11 million vehicles were
equipped with the “defeat devices” (Varandani, 2015). The use of devices designed to fool U.S.
regulators has resulted in a federal lawsuit against the company.
As reported by the National Public Radio (NPR) in “U.S. Files Lawsuit Against
Volkswagen Over Emissions Trickery,” the vehicles are actually putting up to 40 times more
pollution into the air than U.S. standards allow (as cited in Chappell, 2016). Over 600,000
vehicles produced by Volkswagen violate the U.S. Clean Air Act. Statements by Michael Horn,
the CEO of Volkswagen’s U.S. business concerns, and Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller
further damaged the reputation of organization. The scandal resulted in the resignation of many
top-level Volkswagen employees and a drop in the company’s stock price. Volkswagen faces
billions of dollars in potential fines and also the cost of retrofitting its vehicles with systems to
limit emissions.
Communication Strategy
Each paragraph should be at least three sentences in length. Each
paragraph should only include one topic.
TITLE OF PAPER 3
Begin this section of the essay by discussing the potential audience for your strategy.
Remember that you are creating a strategy that fosters change and innovation in the organization
based on what you have learned throughout the course. You need to explain how the strategy
addresses the needs of your audience. With the Volkswagen Corporation issue, for example, the
audience could be the senior executives in the company, the U.S. federal government, and/or
past/future U.S. consumers of the product. In the following paragraph, the scope of the audience
is limited to the customers who have purchased the vehicles in question, but it is only one
potential option.
It is likely that U.S. customers who purchased diesel vehicles with the emissions defeat
device will need to bring their vehicles into service centers for government-mandated system
changes. Normally, the U.S. federal government requires corporations to bring vehicles up to
regulation. It is probable that making changes to the software or components will bring
compromises in fuel economy, performance, and/or reliability.
Backlash from this situation could negatively affect future sales. Some customers will be
inconvenienced by the recall while others will have doubts about the efficiency of future
products. In addition, consumers did not have the use of the environmentally friendly car they
thought they were purchasing, and resale values are apt to fall.
The Volkswagen Corporation needs to address these customer concerns. Setting up a
dedicated website to communicate with customers will be a good first step in mitigating the
criticism. The website will provide regular updates on Volkswagen’s progress in bringing the
diesel models into full compliance. Once the technical issues are resolved, the recall program can
be linked into the website. Current customers will be able to register online and schedule the
repairs required by the recall at dedicated Volkswagen service centers and dealerships. In
Potential Audience
Audience Reaction
TITLE OF PAPER 4
addition, any independent testing of the new, compliant emissions systems will be made
available on the website for the general public to review.
Since the website is a global communications channel, it will help spread Volkswagen’s
message that the organization is changing its policies and making industry-leading innovations in
clean technology. Providing transparency to the compliance process through regular updates will
alleviate customer anxiety, and having a centralized location for customers to register for repair
will make the process more convenient. Finally, providing independently verified test results in a
public forum will reassure used car buyers that the vehicles are now clean burning diesels, which
will help improve resale value.
Conclusion
In many ways, the conclusion acts as the final word in the paper. A good conclusion is
the matching bookend to your introduction, and it is never a straight reiteration of everything that
you have just presented in the paper.
Communication Strategy
How the Strategy Addresses the Needs of the Audience
TITLE OF PAPER 5
References
Chappell, B. (2016, January 4). U.S. files lawsuit against Volkswagen over
emissions trickery. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-
way/2016/01/04/461927119/u-s-files-lawsuit-against-volkswagen-over-emissions-
trickery
Varandani, S. (2015, December 17). Volkswagen emissions scandal: European parliament backs
inquiry into German automaker, probe could last a year. International Business Times.
Retrieved from http://www.ibtimes.com/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-european-
parliament-backs-inquiry-german-automaker-probe-2230060
The word “References”
should be centered at the
top of the page and is not
boldface.
This is an example of a reference list. All in-text citations must have a corresponding entry on the
reference list. It is formatted with a hanging indent and double-spacing.
Runninghead: TITLE OF PAPER 1
Title of Paper
Student Name
Columbia Southern University
This is the running head. The words
“Running head:” should only appear on the
title page. On all subsequent pages, the
header should consist of the title in all capital
letters. Be sure that the title within the
running head is 50 characters or less,
including spaces.
Paper Format
1 inch margins
Double spacing
Suggested font-Times New Roman 12 pt.
Paragraphs indented .5 inch (usually default Tab)
TITLE OF PAPER 2
Title of Paper
The first paragraph should introduce the organization and the issue you plan to address.
This should be brief, as you will go into more detail later in the paper. The thesis statement needs
to be the last sentence in the introduction.
Summary
The second paragraph should be a summary of the situation. Look at the following
example from Unit I, which summarizes the issue with the Volkswagen Corporation as a model:
Scientists from the University of West Virginia tested Volkswagen diesel vehicles and
found that the company was able to cheat on emissions tests with software that indicated the
vehicles’ emissions were far lower than they actually were. Over 11 million vehicles were
equipped with the “defeat devices” (Varandani, 2015). The use of devices designed to fool U.S.
regulators has resulted in a federal lawsuit against the company.
As reported by the National Public Radio (NPR) in “U.S. Files Lawsuit Against
Volkswagen Over Emissions Trickery,” the vehicles are actually putting up to 40 times more
pollution into the air than U.S. standards allow (as cited in Chappell, 2016). Over 600,000
vehicles produced by Volkswagen violate the U.S. Clean Air Act. Statements by Michael Horn,
the CEO of Volkswagen’s U.S. business concerns, and Volkswagen CEO Matthias Mueller
further damaged the reputation of organization. The scandal resulted in the resignation of many
top-level Volkswagen employees and a drop in the company’s stock price. Volkswagen faces
billions of dollars in potential fines and also the cost of retrofitting its vehicles with systems to
limit emissions.
Communication Strategy
Each paragraph should be at least three sentences in length. Each
paragraph should only include one topic.
TITLE OF PAPER 3
Begin this section of the essay by discussing the potential audience for your strategy.
Remember that you are creating a strategy that fosters change and innovation in the organization
based on what you have learned throughout the course. You need to explain how the strategy
addresses the needs of your audience. With the Volkswagen Corporation issue, for example, the
audience could be the senior executives in the company, the U.S. federal government, and/or
past/future U.S. consumers of the product. In the following paragraph, the scope of the audience
is limited to the customers who have purchased the vehicles in question, but it is only one
potential option.
It is likely that U.S. customers who purchased diesel vehicles with the emissions defeat
device will need to bring their vehicles into service centers for government-mandated system
changes. Normally, the U.S. federal government requires corporations to bring vehicles up to
regulation. It is probable that making changes to the software or components will bring
compromises in fuel economy, performance, and/or reliability.
Backlash from this situation could negatively affect future sales. Some customers will be
inconvenienced by the recall while others will have doubts about the efficiency of future
products. In addition, consumers did not have the use of the environmentally friendly car they
thought they were purchasing, and resale values are apt to fall.
The Volkswagen Corporation needs to address these customer concerns. Setting up a
dedicated website to communicate with customers will be a good first step in mitigating the
criticism. The website will provide regular updates on Volkswagen’s progress in bringing the
diesel models into full compliance. Once the technical issues are resolved, the recall program can
be linked into the website. Current customers will be able to register online and schedule the
repairs required by the recall at dedicated Volkswagen service centers and dealerships. In
Potential Audience
Audience Reaction
TITLE OF PAPER 4
addition, any independent testing of the new, compliant emissions systems will be made
available on the website for the general public to review.
Since the website is a global communications channel, it will help spread Volkswagen’s
message that the organization is changing its policies and making industry-leading innovations in
clean technology. Providing transparency to the compliance process through regular updates will
alleviate customer anxiety, and having a centralized location for customers to register for repair
will make the process more convenient. Finally, providing independently verified test results in a
public forum will reassure used car buyers that the vehicles are now clean burning diesels, which
will help improve resale value.
Conclusion
In many ways, the conclusion acts as the final word in the paper. A good conclusion is
the matching bookend to your introduction, and it is never a straight reiteration of everything that
you have just presented in the paper.
Communication Strategy
How the Strategy Addresses the Needs of the Audience
TITLE OF PAPER 5
References
Chappell, B. (2016, January 4). U.S. files lawsuit against Volkswagen over
emissions trickery. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-
way/2016/01/04/461927119/u-s-files-lawsuit-against-volkswagen-over-emissions-
trickery
Varandani, S. (2015, December 17). Volkswagen emissions scandal: European parliament backs
inquiry into German automaker, probe could last a year. International Business Times.
Retrieved from http://www.ibtimes.com/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-european-
parliament-backs-inquiry-german-automaker-probe-2230060
The word “References”
should be centered at the
top of the page and is not
boldface.
This is an example of a reference list. All in-text citations must have a corresponding entry on the
reference list. It is formatted with a hanging indent and double-spacing.
