COM-SP07

COM 600 Short Paper Guidelines and Rubric

This short paper is designed to show student expertise in a particular course element. In this case, the student is showing expertise in the importance of ethical behavior in one’s leaders.

For this short paper, imagine you are working at Enron in the late 1990s. Share an example of unethical organizational decision making from a company leader. Specifically, the paper should address the ethical foundation necessary for effective leadership. What impact would unethical decision making have on an organization? Students should look for opportunities for critical analysis of the communications process as well as how systems theory frames those arguments. The research paper should be drawn from the specific readings in the course material and include the following:

 The weaknesses of the decision-making process, paying particular attention to ethical behaviors of company leaders

 The impact of ethical behavior on the communications process by company leaders and the resulting impact of those decisions on overall company goals and strategies

 Your recommendations for company leaders to create best practices for ethically based organizational communications decisions

Guidelines for Submission: The paper should be submitted as a 2- to 4-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and sources cited in APA format.

Instructor Feedback: This activity uses an integrated rubric in Blackboard. Students can view instructor feedback in the Grade Center. For more information, review these instructions.

Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Weaknesses and Ethical Behavior

Discusses the weaknesses of the decision- making process and correlates them with the ethical behaviors of company leaders

Discusses the weaknesses of the decision- making process but does not directly correlate them with the ethical behaviors of company leaders

Does not discuss the weaknesses of the decision-making process

30

Impact of Ethical Behavior Explores the impact of ethical behavior on the communications process by company leaders and the resulting impact of those decisions on overall company goals and strategies

Explores the impact of ethical behavior on the communications process by company leaders but does not explore the resulting impact on company goals and strategies

Does not explore the impact of ethical behavior on the communications process

30

Best Practices Recommendations

Provides recommendations for best practices for ethically based communications decisions that are supported by course materials

Provides recommendations for best practices for ethically based communications decisions but does not support recommendations with course materials

Does not provide recommendations for best practices for ethically based communications decisions

30

Articulation of Response Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, or syntax

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, or syntax that negatively impact understanding of ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, or syntax that prevent understanding of ideas

10

Total 100%