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Pols/Comm 567, PA 594 Topics in Political Communication Dr. Doris A. Graber Spring, 1999
Information Management in Public Sector Organizations

Overview:
Information Management in public sector organizations differs substantially from its counterparts in the private sector. The primacy of politics, the need for openness and accountability, and the need to compete for funding are among the primary reasons.

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How do public sector organizations juggle these competing demands when they devise their communication strategies to achieve their objectives? What social science theories provide guidance and how do they square with the real life evidence of what works and what doesn't? What changes have been brought about by new communications technologies and what changes in laws and public policies are needed to assure efficient and effective governmental communication as we move into the next century? These are some of the questions on which this course will focus. Special attention will be given to problems of information-gathering and decision-making, secrecy, privacy and publicity, diffusion of information, public relations, transactions with clients of political institutions, mass media management, and external communication strategies.

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Texts:
The following books should be purchased for this course:

Alexander L. George. Presidential Decisionmaking in Foreign Policy: The Effective Use of Information and Advice. Boulder, CO: Westview, 1980.

Doris A. Graber. Public Sector Communication: How Organizations Manage Information. Washington, D.C.: CQ Press, 1992.

David Whiteman, Communication in Congress: Members, Staff, and the Search for Information, Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1995.

Selected Readings on Information Management, 1999. The instructor will make samples of each of the selected readings available so that students can make their own copies. The citations for the readings will also be posted on the web site for the course.

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Your texts are identified in the syllabus as George, Graber, and White. Names of the authors of the outside readings will be announced in class. They have been selected to familiarize you with some of the classics in the field as well as some of its rising stars. An up-to-date list of books that cover various topics discussed in the course is available from the instructor for students who wish to do explore some topics in greater depth. It includes the books and journals from which the Selected Readings on Information Management were taken.

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Week 2 Readings:

1. Kathleen J. Krone , Frederic M. Jablin and Linda L. Putnam, "Communication Theory and Organizational Communication: Multiple Perspectives", pp. 18-40 in Jablin, Frederic, et al, Handbook of Organizational Communication,Sage,1987.

Putnam, Linda L. "The Interpretive Perspective: An Alternative to Functionalism," pp. 31-54 in Linda Putnam and Michael Pacanowsky, eds., Communication and Organizations, Sage, 1983.

Examinations and Papers

Three open-book examinations will test your understanding of the basic concepts and problems of information management in the public sector. Each will take up half of the class period and will count for 20 percent of your final grade. The first exam, on February 9th, will cover Topics 1-5. The second, on March 23rd, will cover Topics 5-10. The third, on April 27th, will cover topics 10-15. The remaining 40 percent of your grade will be based on the quality and presentation of a series of brief reading analysis papers. FirstClass Technology will be used for these submissions. The details will be explained in class. There will be no comprehensive final examination.

Time Table

Due Date Topic Reading(s)

1-12 Opening discussion. Aims of the course. Overview of the field of political communication. Models and their uses. The unique problem of information management in the public sector.

1-19 Multiple perspectives on communication theories and organizational communication. The rise of interpretive perspectives. Graber, Preface and ch. 1. Outside Readings.

1-26 The nature and quality of organizational intelligence; message fidelity and distortion; political secrecy and publicity in democratic societies; collecting information for regulatory agencies. Graber, ch. 2. Outside Readings

2-2 Organizational cultures. Graber, ch. 6, 10

2-9 (1st part) Organizational climates Outside Readings

2-9 (2nd part) EXAM 1

2-16 Network patterns and their impact on communication flows and the distribution of power and influence; individual network roles; problems in network configurations. Graber, ch. 5, 9; Outside Readings.

2-23 The interface of structure and function; information channels and flows; problems of hierarchy, centralization, specialization. Graber, ch. 3; Outside Readings.

3-2 Models and examples of information flows in governmental decisionmaking; the characteristics of routine decisions; impediments and malfunctions during normal and crisis situations. Graber, ch. 4; George, chs. 1-5.

3-9

Coping with decision-making problems: theories and applications; what works and what doesn't. George, chs. 6-14.

3-23 (part 1) Political language as an organizational tool; information management in small bargaining groups; the impact of technological changes. Outside Readings.

3-29 (part 2) EXAM 2

3-30 Data collection and analysis techniques in Congress; how staffers do their work; survival tactics. Whiteman, ch. 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, Appendixes.

4-6

Public information and relations activities; working with the media; media impact on public policy formation, adoption, implementation and public support. Graber, ch. 7; Whiteman ch. 3, 6, 7.

4-13 Theories of persuasion; applications in public communication campaigns and lobbying. Outside Readings.

4-20
Communicating with public agency clients: problems and solutions; citizen efforts to contact government officials; the state of research on client communication. Graber, ch. 8; Outside Readings.

4-27 (part 1) Brief course review

4-27 (part 2) EXAM 3

	Time Table

Due Date	Topic	Reading(s)

1-12	Opening discussion. Aims of the course. Overview of the field of political communication. Models and their uses. The unique problem of information management in the public sector.

1-19	Multiple perspectives on communication theories and organizational communication. The rise of interpretive perspectives.	Graber, Preface and ch. 1. Outside Readings.

1-26	The nature and quality of organizational intelligence; message fidelity and distortion; political secrecy and publicity in democratic societies; collecting information for regulatory agencies.	Graber, ch. 2. Outside Readings

2-2	Organizational cultures.	Graber, ch. 6, 10

2-9 (1st part)	Organizational climates	Outside Readings
2-9 (2nd part)	EXAM 1

2-16	Network patterns and their impact on communication flows and the distribution of power and influence; individual network roles; problems in network configurations.	Graber, ch. 5, 9; Outside Readings.

2-23	The interface of structure and function; information channels and flows; problems of hierarchy, centralization, specialization.	Graber, ch. 3; Outside Readings.

3-2	Models and examples of information flows in governmental decisionmaking; the characteristics of routine decisions; impediments and malfunctions during normal and crisis situations.	Graber, ch. 4; George, chs. 1-5.

3-9	Coping with decision-making problems: theories and applications; what works and what doesn't.	George, chs. 6-14.

3-23 (part 1)	Political language as an organizational tool; information management in small bargaining groups; the impact of technological changes.	Outside Readings.
3-29 (part 2)	EXAM 2

3-30	Data collection and analysis techniques in Congress; how staffers do their work; survival tactics.	Whiteman, ch. 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, Appendixes.

4-6	Public information and relations activities; working with the media; media impact on public policy formation, adoption, implementation and public support.	Graber, ch. 7; Whiteman ch. 3, 6, 7.

4-13	Theories of persuasion; applications in public communication campaigns and lobbying.	Outside Readings.

4-20	Communicating with public agency clients: problems and solutions; citizen efforts to contact government officials; the state of research on client communication.	Graber, ch. 8; Outside Readings.

4-27 (part 1)	Brief course review
4-27 (part 2)	EXAM 3