Comm Theory- Chapter 12- Dr. Karen Stout- Organizational Communication

Front 1

What can you do with a degree in organizational?

Back 1

With a Bachelors in Organizational Comm:
- You can be a manager
- Leader in any business, government, or non-profit setting
- Event planning
-Public Relations
- pretty much org. comm=interest=JOB

With a masters in Org. Comm:
- you can be a program/division manager
-executive, entrepreneur, consultant, community college teacher

With a PHD in Org. Comm:
- consultant
professor

Front 2

Organizational Communication

Back 2

What she had to say:
- It is a complex hybrid of other forms of communication combined, such as: intercultural, family, interpersonal, rhetorical comm are all within org. comm

Org comm is both theoretical and practical:
- it is important to know the theories so you can apply them in real life.

It consists of:
- transactional communication- simultaneous exchanges
- task orientation
-relationship building
-coordination of purpose
-control for efficiency and effectiveness

The Book says that there are three key features to org. comm:
- structures
-communication networks (informal and formal)
- links to external environments ( what contexts are orgs embedded into)

Front 3

Structures

Back 3

She says:
- that structures are divisions into departments and hierarchies that go up and down and <-- and -->

The book defines structures as:
- these organize relationships and interaction between members of an org through hierarchies.
- there are 4 kinds of structures within an org:
- roles: responsibilities and behaviors expected of people becuase they are ties with specific positions.
- Rules: which consist of constitutive and regulative rules. C- defines what kind of communication means what while R- regualtes what kind of communication can happen between what people, at what times, and what is appropriate
- communication networks: which are informal and formal links memberes of an org together through interaction and relationships
- policies: are formal statements of practices that reflect and uphold the overall culture of an org.

Front 4

Processes

Back 4

-Processes go hand in hand with structures in terms of the chain of command.
- Processes are ways of getting things done in the work place ( they consist of steps and decision making)
- processes are formal means of communicating

Front 5

Networks

Back 5

she defines networks as the way we really talk to one another in organizations

- "normalizing process"

- They are formal and informal linkages between individuals and groups in an org

- Groups: there are workgroups and cliques
- Individuals: some individuals serve as liasons, some as bridges

The book says:
- comm networks are a key role in how cultures express and reinforce their culture.
- formal networks are displayed in job descriptions and org. chart which shows who communicates with who
- these go upwards (subordinates to superiors_
- and downwards (superiors to subordinates)
- informal networks could be things such as carpools, nearby business partners, friendships between co-workers
- grapevine communication happens within informal networks

Front 6

Liasons

Back 6

- Are individuals that serve as links between groups.
- say you are an athlete and in a band. then you would be a liason between these two groups

Front 7

Bridges

Back 7

..... individuals can serve as bridges to help members of an org get to somewhere they need to be?

Front 8

Gossip vs. Rumors

Back 8

GOSSIP:
- consists of personal information about a person being spread
- THESE TEND NOT TO BE TRUE

RUMORS:
- this is information being spread about how things are getting done in a company
- THESE TEND TO BE TRUE

-gossip and rumors are effective and efficient means of communicating
- gossip tends to be perceptions while rumors tend to be realities

Front 9

Organizational Culture

Back 9

- These are the stories, rituals and practices of an org. that create symbolism and meaning for members

- these create " the personality" of a company
- they create a spiderweb that enables and contains us

The book says that org. culture:
- consists of ways of thinking, acting, and understanding work that are shared by members of an org. and that reflects an orgs. identity
- as employees interact, they create, sustain and sometimes change an orgs. culture.

Front 10

Culture (nested)

Back 10

- what is meant by this is that small cultures link to larger cultures that they are embedded in

- functional: formal
- interpretive: informal

Front 11

Indicators of Culture

Back 11

there are seven indicators of culture in an org, but the book only addresses four of:

- language/vocab
-metaphors
- stories:
- rites and rituals

* attire

Front 12

Indicators of Culture (Vocab/language)

Back 12

- the language of an org. reflect and expresses its history, norms, values, and identity

there is hierarchical language:
- which is vocab that designates status: like yes sir
- there is also unequal address- which communicates rank: for example if you are higher up you might be abke to call the CEO by his first name

Front 13

Indicators of Culture (Stories)

Back 13

stories are shared in org to help sustain and creat the orgs cultures.

corporate stories:
- convey the values, styles, and history of an org.
- we tell these to new members of an org in order to socialize them into the org and for them to see the orgs ideology

Personal stories:
- these are stories told by members of an org themselves
- personal stories are accounts that announce how members see themselves and how they want to be seen by others

collegial stories:
- these stories offer accounts of other members of the org.
- they are told by co-workers to forewarn others about what we can and cannot expect from others in an org.
- part of the informal network

Front 14

Indicators of Culture (metaphors)

Back 14

each org. has some kind of an metaphor that org works by.

for example: westerns is: active minds changing lives
- hers when working at red lion was they had to take care of their "pride"

Front 15

indicators of culture ( rites and rituals)

** attire is also an idicator.

Back 15

rites and rituals are verbal and and non-verbal practices that express and reproduce org. cultures and its identity

Rites:
- are dramatic and planned sets of activities that bring together cultural ideology in a single event
-rites of passages: marks members ships like promotions
- rites of intergrations: affirms sense of community, so things like company picnics
- blaming rites: firings, demotions
-enhancement rites: praises individuals and teams that embody the orgs goals and self images
-renewal rites: aims to revitalize and update ors, like training workshops, seminars, retreats
- conflict resolutions rites: are standard methods of dealing with differences among members

Rituals:
- are forms of comm that occur regularly and members perceive to be as familar and routine parts of org. life
- these are repeated comm performances
- there are personal, social, and task rituals
- personal: is expressed to represent orgs identity
-social: encourages social