Effective Strategies for Team Working and Communication in the Workplace

Team Working Strategies

1. To introduce students to strategies for effective team working.
2. To develop students’ awareness of the range of communication skills integral to success within the workplace.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon the successful completion of this module, the student will be able to:
1. Apply the main theories relating to group dynamics, team working and communication to their own workplace examples.
2. Prepare and deliver a short presentation within a team working context.

READING

Please refer to your module outline for relevant reading for this module. Your tutor will also provide links to relevant articles on Moodle, which you will be expected to read and discuss as part of your weekly learning activities

· Referencing: In the main body of your submission you must give credit to authors on whose research your work is based. Append to your submission a reference list that indicates the books, articles, etc. that you have read or quoted in order to complete this assignment (e.g. for books: surname of author and initials, year of publication,title of book, edition, publisher: place of publication).

Mode of assessment Volume Weighting Practical portfolio of set in-class exercises or equivalent (e.g. various communications such as emails, business letters / case study analysis / other evidence generated during classroom activities)

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the assessment brief for June 2020 term reflects the need for the entirety of the assessment to take place online.

TASK DESCRIPTION

Write a report of 2000 words demonstrating your understanding of the models of communication and thecommunication skills discussed in class, and refer to any case studies done to show how these helped your understanding. Give examples of poor communication in your own or your friend’s workplace and suggest how it could be improved by using your findings from published literature (i.e. refer to theory). Including scans/screenshots of any in-class activities, own research notes and the feedback you received from the lecturer (in the form of an appendix at the end of your document) will contribute to the mark.

GUIDANCE FOR STUDENTS IN THE COMPLETION OF TASKS

NOTE: The guidance offered below is linked to the five common assessment criteria Research-informed Literature Your work must be informed and supported by scholarly material that is relevant to and focused on the task(s) set. You should provide evidence that you have accessed a wide range of sources, which may be academic, governmental and industrial; these sources may include academic journal articles, textbooks, current news articles, organisational documents, and websites. You shouldconsider the credibility of your sources; academic journals are normally highly credible sources while websites require careful consideration/selection and should be used sparingly. Any sources you use should be current and up-to-date, mostly published within the last five years or so, though seminal/important works in the field may be older. You must provideevidence of your research/own reading throughout your work, using in-text citations in the main body of your work and a reference list that is alphabetical at the end of your work. Please use the Harvard referencing system.

Knowledge and Understanding of Subject

Your work must demonstrate the growing extent of your knowledge and understanding of concepts andunderlying principles associated with the subject area. Knowledge relates to the facts, information and skills you have acquired through your learning. You demonstrate your understanding by interpreting the meaning of the facts and information (knowledge). This means that you need to select and include in your work the concepts, techniques, models, theories, etc. appropriate to the task(s) set. You should be able to explain the theories, concepts, etc. meaningfully to show your understanding. Your mark/grade will also depend upon the extent to which you demonstrate your knowledge and understanding; ideally each should be complete and detailed, with comprehensive coverage.

Analysis

Your work must contain evidence of logical, analytical thinking, evaluation and synthesis. For example, to examine and break information down into parts, make inferences, compile, compare and contrast information. This means not just describing What! but also justifying: Why? How? When? Who? Where? At all times, you

Must provide justification for your arguments and judgements. Evidence that you have reflected upon the ideas of others within the subject area is crucial to you providing a reasoned and informed debate within your work. Furthermore, you should provide evidence that you are able to make sound judgements and convincing arguments using data and concepts. Sound, valid conclusions are necessary and must be derived from the content of your work. There should be no new information presented within your conclusion. Where relevant, alternative solutions and recommendations may be proposed.

Practical Application and Deployment

You should be able to demonstrate how the subject-related concepts and ideas relate to real world situations or a particular context. How do they work in practice? You will deploy models, methods, techniques, and/or theories, in that context, to assess current situations, perhaps to formulate plans or solutions to solve problems, some of which may be innovative and creative. This is likely to involve, for instance, the use of real world examples and cases, the application of a model  anorganisation and/or benchmarking one organisation against others based on stated criteria. You should show awareness of the limitations of concepts and theories when applied in particular contexts.

Skills for Professional Practice

Your work must provide evidence of the attributes expected in professional practice. This includes demonstrating your individual initiative and/or collaborative working. You must communicate effectively in a suitable format, which may be written and/or oral, for example, essay, management report, presentation. Work should be coherent and well-structured in presentation and organisation. Essential Resources:

· Resources listed on the lecture schedule and on Moodle
· Programme of Study Handbook