Overview
Captain
Crozier, Commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, wrote and
distributed a controversial letter in March of 2020 that pleaded for help for
crew members stricken by the COVID-19 virus. The communication was sent to
several recipients and eventually found its way to the news media. The
situation became front-page news and was actively debated in the media. Senior
leaders believed that Captain Crozier may have avoided his chain of command for
fear that his immediate leader would suppress the issue and expose the sailors
to unnecessary danger. His decisions and actions that lead up to his writing of
the letter are fraught with ethical dilemmas.
In
this assignment, you are asked to identify the communication strategy used and
analyze ethical aspects surrounding Captain Crozier’s decision to widely
disseminate the letter.
Preparation
Thoroughly
research the issues using the Internet and the resources provided in What You
Need to Know. You may need to conduct additional research to support your
analysis. You must use a minimum of three scholarly resources
outside of the course text in this assignment.
As you
can see by your research, there is a lot going on behind the scenes in this
scenario. However, it is clear that the Captain of the USS Theodore
Roosevelt was facing a difficult ethical situation and tried to find
the best way to communicate his concerns. There are many questions that likely
come to mind, such as:
·
What was the dilemma
facing the Captain? How might he have weighed his decision?
·
Should the Captain have
sent the message? Why or why not?
·
Was the content of the
communication appropriate, taking into consideration the recipient(s) of the
letter? Did he distribute the letter for maximum effect?
·
What should he have done
differently?
·
Did the Captain violate
Navy ethical guidelines? Are his actions at odds with communication guidelines?
Is that how he should be judged?
·
Was his punishment
justified?
·
How do you think his
crew felt? Is that relevant?
Instructions
Consider
the Captain’s decision to send the letter, the manner in which the letter was
sent, and the recipient(s) of the letter. Complete both parts of this
assignment in a single Word document.
Part 1: Analyze the Scenario
·
Analyze the ethical
decision that the Captain faced as it relates to how he communicated his plea
and in the context of his position. Consider the sender, receiver, message, and
channel.
·
Analyze the primary
failures and successes of the Captain’s communication strategy. Make sure to
consider how the letter was distributed, the Captain’s possible intent, and the
content of the letter.
·
If this situation had
occurred in the private sector and not the military, would the outcomes have
been similar or different? Defend your reasoning.
Part 2: Write a Communication
Imagine
that you were the commanding officer of another naval ship who had followed
this sequence of events closely. Your ship’s Public Affairs Officer reports to
you and is responsible for many of the ship’s external communications, and you
are anxious to share your lessons learned from the USS Theodore
Roosevelt situation.
Send a
communication to your Public Affairs Officer that conveys and re-enforces the
primary lesson(s) learned from the incident on the USS Theodore
Roosevelt. Be sure you focus on the actions of the Captain. The medium is
your choice, but it is also very important, so state the medium you have chosen
within your message and the reason you feel it is the most appropriate medium
to use. Address possible reasons such as confidentiality, tone, and convention.
Additional Requirements
·
Format: Complete both parts of this assignment in a single
Word document.
·
Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract
from the overall message.
·
APA style and
formatting: Resources and citations
are formatted according to current APA style and formatting standards.
·
Font: Times New Roman, 12 point, Arial, 11 point, or
Calibri, 11 point.
·
Length: Part 1 should be 3–4 pages, double spaced, and Part 2
should be 1 page, double spaced. Page count does not include your cover page or
reference page.
·
Cited resources: Use a minimum of three scholarly sources outside of
the course text. All literature cited should be current, with publication dates
within the past five years.
Describe how the scenario might have plausibly played out in the
private sector.
Write a communication that effectively presents lessons learned.
Analyze the outcomes of a communication strategy.
Analyze an ethical decision as it relates to communication.
Address assignment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating
appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.
Apply APA formatting to in-text citations and references.
