Co-op Report Guidelines: Speech Communication Program
Narrative analysis work report
A narrative analysis work report is optional for students in 1A to 4B. The audience for this
report is primarily yourself and the Speech Communication (SPCOM) faculty. It is less a work
term report for an employer than an exploration of communication in the workplace.
A self-reflexive analysis of three to four communication incidents or issues in the workplace,
grounded in SPCOM courses that you have taken, and that broadly focus on a
communication skill that you exercised, or saw exercised, at work: persuasion,
collaboration, team building, conflict management, etc. For example, you could analyze:
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An informative or persuasive speech you gave or heard at work (SPCOM 223)
A situation in which you observed effective or ineffective listening strategies (SPCOM
100)
An effective or ineffective interview that you were a part of or observed (SPCOM 225)
An effective or ineffective team experience (SPCOM 324)
An effective or ineffective leadership style you observed (SPCOM 227)
A specific conflict, either one in which you are involved or one you observe: its stages,
the communication styles used by workers, its resolution, and impact (SPCOM
100/324/432)
This list is to give you a start on the kinds of communication experiences you might focus on,
and is not exhaustive. Your report must combine experiential observation and theoretical
references, which may be, but must move beyond, our course textbooks.
Structure for the Narrative Analysis Work Report:
This narrative analysis report should be 10-12 double-spaced pages, including the following
components:
• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Letter of Submittal
• Summary: purpose, scope, summary of analysis
• Introduction: your job description and duties, the organization, focus of the report
• Analysis of three to four communication incidents:
o Use American Psychological Association (APA) style in-text referencing.
o For each incident or issue, provide a description of the communication situation, and then an indepth analysis.
o You need to apply communication theory to analyze your experience.
• Conclusion: what you have learned about applying communication theory to real life
• References: APA Style