Instructions

Communication Audit Project

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 to conduct a communication audit

SHRM Competency:

Consultation – The ability to provide guidance to organizational stakeholders.

PROBLEM

All organizations have communication challenges. How do you identify and address these issues as a HR professional or consultant? How can your organization overcome this challenge and improve the communication flow?

In this project, you will use a diagnostic tool called a communication audit (see attached document labeled What is a Communication Audit) in order to assess organizational communication within an organization of your choice.

STEPS

• Administer the communication audit survey (see attached document labeled Communication Audit Survey) in your organization. In order to obtain valid results, you want to survey between 15-20 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.
• You will then analyze and synthesize the results of the data (see attached document labeled Collecting and Analyzing the Data from Your Survey) obtained from your audit effort.
• 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.
• Create and deliver a presentation in MS PowerPoint 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:

• 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 below. 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 responses for each question.

Presentation:

Your presentation should be professional and creative. Adding audio and/or visual elements on the slides is required. 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 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

Use presentation software: MS PowerPoint.