570006 Driving Stakeholder Engagement
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Description
Successful communication initiatives all share one thing in common; a well-designed and implemented engagement strategy. In this subject, students examine the concept of stakeholder engagement to develop a holistic understanding of the factors that generate or hinder engagement. Students explore key concepts in the phenomena of public engagement, disengagement, and non-engagement such as motivation, trust, cynicism, authenticity and credibility whilst also considering the notions of stakeholders, stake-seekers, audiences and publics. Ultimately, students build the skills required to investigate and apply strategies to enable mutual gains, manage conflict and develop social capital. Students research best practice in engagement with Indigenous organisations and communities and consider cultural competencies needed for practitioners working with and for Indigenous Australians.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| a. | Critically evaluate current theories of stakeholders, publics and engagement for strategic communication practice |
|---|---|
| b. | Demonstrate an understanding of how stakeholders and publics are constructed and engaged |
| c. | Critically analyse and reflect on cultural competencies needed by engagement professionals to ethically engage with Indigenous stakeholders |
| d. | Demonstrate an understanding of stakeholder engagement theory and apply it through analysis of professional practice examples |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences:
- Apply a specialised body of practice-oriented knowledge and skills to develop, implement and evaluate innovative and multi-media solutions to major, real-world communication challenges with a high level of personal autonomy and accountability (1.1)
- Critically analyse and reflect on strategic communication models and practices to plan and execute a substantial body of research that synthesise information across diverse platforms in response to communication issues and challenges (2.1)
- Critically reflect on strategic communication practice when working with and for Indigenous peoples to build professional capability (4.1)
- Persuade and engage diverse audiences through both written and oral communication strategies across a range of media formats with consideration of others' needs and views (6.1)
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject is made up of six modules delivered online over six weeks (one module per week), in addition to Orientation week. Students work through each module at their own pace, with asynchronous interactive activities attached to each module/topic. Activities provide opportunities to learn, apply and discuss the knowledge gained in a practical manner. Within each module, content is delivered through a mixture of reading material, short videos, interactive activities and both essential and suggested readings. Online synchronous sessions are held four times during the session, to allow students to interact, ask questions of teaching staff, and receive clarification for assessments.
Content (topics)
This subject introduces students to research and theory building in stakeholder/public engagement. Students examine different worldviews, theories and models that inform current practices of engagement. They critically examine best practice in Indigenous engagement through real world case studies of engagement by Indigenous organisations. Students look to apply self-reflection on individual cultural competencies to their future work to be inclusive and ethical engagement professionals.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Stakeholder Investigation and Analysis
| Objective(s): | a and b | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 30% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 800 words | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Best Practice in Engagement – Analysis and Reflection
| Objective(s): | a and c | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 1250 words | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 3: Stakeholder Engagement Plan
| Objective(s): | a, b and d | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 30% | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 800 words | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
Students must submit all assessments and must achieve at least 50% of the subject’s total marks.
Recommended texts
Anastasi, C. 2018, Strategic stakeholder engagement: A voice behind the curtain, Routledge, London & New York.
Boutilier, R. 2012, A stakeholder approach to issues management, Business Expert Press, New York, NY.
Butsch, R. & Livingstone, S. 2014, Meanings of audiences: comparative discourses, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon, & New York.
Coombs, W.T. & Holladay, S.J. 2010, PR strategy and application: Managing influence, Wiley, Chichester, UK; Blackwell, Malden, MA.
Demetrious, K. 2013, Public relations, activism, and social change, Routledge, New York.
Fisher, R. & Ury, W. 2011, Getting to yes: Negotiating an agreement without giving in, Random House, London.
Freeman, R.E., Harrison, J.S., Wicks, A.C., Parmar, B.L. & de Colle, S. 2010, Stakeholder theory: The state of the art, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
Freeman, R.E., Harrison, J.S. & Zyglidopoulos, S. 2018, Stakeholder theory: Concepts and strategies, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.
Johnson, K.A. & Taylor, M. (eds) 2018, The handbook of communication engagement, Wiley Blackwell, Hoboken. Ki, E.-J.,
Kim, J.-N. & Ledingham, J.A. (eds) 2015, Public relations as relationship management: A relational approach to the study and practice of public relations , 2nd edn, Routledge, New York.
Kim, J.-N., Grunig, J. E., 2011, 'Problem sovling and communicative action: A situational theory of problem solving', Journal of Communication, Vol. 61, pp.120-149.
Kim. S., Krishna, A. 2017, 'Communication or action? Strategies fostering ethical organizational conduct and relational outcomes', Public Relations Review, Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 560-567.
Lewicki, R.J., Saunders, D.M. & Barry, B. 2015, Negotiation, 7th edn, McGraw Hill Eduation, New York.
Macnamara, J. 2016, Organizational listening: The missing essential in public communication, Peter Lang Publishing, New York.
Moloney, K. 2020, Rethinking public relations: Persuasion, democracy and society, 3rd edn, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon.
Oetzel, J. & Ting-Toomey, S. (eds) 2013, The SAGE handbook of conflict communication: Integrating theory, research, and practice, 2nd edn, Thousand Oaks, CA. 13/03/2023 (Autumn 2023) © University of Technology Sydney Page 7 of 9
Robertson, S.P. 2018, Social media and civic engagement: History, theory, and practice, Morgan & Claypool Publishers, San Rafael, California.