Module 2 – SLP

Managing Groups and Teams

Communication Climate

Communication is the grease which makes relationships in
organizations run smoothly, and by extension, directly affects the
effectiveness of the organization itself. Communication climate refers
to the mood or tone of interpersonal communications and determines in
great part how people feel about each other and how they carry out their
work activities. Thus, communication climate has a great deal of
influence over the organizational climate or general atmosphere of the
work environment. Read the following blog about what it is like to work
in a defensive climate:

Dukes, A.J. (2012). Defensive v Supportive Climates in the Workplace. Retrieved from http://scom320class.blogspot.com/2012/07/defensive-v-supportive-climates-in.html

As you can see from this blog entry, defensive climates create a
situation where employees do not raise work concerns, or communicate
their needs. They are careful about what they say and guard their
opinions. Frequently they exhibit low motivation.

Supportive climates, on the other hand, encourage employee
participation and engagement, an open exchange of information, and
constructive conflict. Employees who work in supportive environments
often exhibit greater organizational commitment, an attitude cited as
highly desirable in Module 1.

The Communication Climate Inventory was developed as a means of
measuring the degree of supportiveness and defensiveness in an
organization. For this SLP, take the inventory and score your
organization’s communication climate using the scale below. Take the Communication Climate Inventory.

Defensive Score

Supportive Score

SLP Assignment

Compose a 2- to 3-page blog like the one
you read for this SLP, describing the climate in your organization,
department, or team. Do not use the actual name of the organization –
you can make up a pseudonym. Include the following in your description:

Is the climate supportive or defensive? Does this align with the
results of your Communication Climate Inventory? Attach your Inventory
results as an appendix. (Note: This appendix requirement will likely
increase your paper’s Turnitin similarity score; your professor is aware
of this.)

How does the communication climate affect motivation and organizational/team commitment?

How could you improve the communication climate in your organization, department, or team?

What communication skills would you like to learn or improve on in order to create a supportive communication climate?

Be sure to support your analysis with concepts and principles
introduced in the background readings on communication as well as
conflict and teams (if appropriate). You may also incorporate outside
research to supplement the background material. Cite all sources
properly.

SLP Assignment Expectations

Your paper will be evaluated using the criteria as stated in the SLP rubric. The following is a review of the rubric criteria:

Assignment-Driven: Does the paper fully address all
aspects of the assignment? Is the assignment addressed accurately and
precisely using sound logic? Does the paper meet minimum length
requirements?

Critical Thinking: Does the paper demonstrate
graduate-level analysis, in which information derived from multiple
sources, expert opinions, and assumptions has been critically evaluated
and synthesized in the formulation of a logical set of conclusions? Does
the paper address the topic with sufficient depth of discussion and
analysis?

Business Writing: Is the essay logical, well
organized and well written? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary
appropriate for graduate-level work? Are section headings included? Are
paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of responding,
or is justification/support instead conveyed through excessive use of
direct quotations?

Effective Use of Information: Does the submission
demonstrate that the student has read, understood and can apply the
background materials for the module? If required, has the student
demonstrated effective research, as evidenced by student’s use of
relevant and quality (library?) sources? Do additional sources used
provide strong support for conclusions drawn, and do they help in
shaping the overall paper?

Citing Sources: Does the student demonstrate
understanding of APA Style of referencing, by inclusion of proper
citations (for paraphrased text and direct quotations) as appropriate?
Have all sources (e.g., references used from the Background page, the
assignment readings, and outside research) been included, and are these
properly cited? Have all sources cited in the paper been included on the
References page?

Timeliness: Has the assignment been submitted to TLC (Trident’s learning management system) on or before the module’s due date?