Organizational Communication : Perspectives and Trends

by Michael J. Papa

• ISBN13: 9781412916844
• ISBN10: 1412916844
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-11-20
• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc

Summary

Communication in organizations has changed drastically since the release of the first edition of this bestselling textbook. This fully revised and updated edition delves into state-of-the-art studies, providing fresh insights into the challenges that organizations face today. Yet this foundational resource remains a cornerstone in the examination of classic research and theory in organization communication. Beginning with an extended analysis a?? from an organizational communication vantage point a?? of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, this groundbreaking edition weaves recent and memorable case materials with up-to-date research and theory, creating a meaningful and comprehensive view of organizational communication. The authors take the unique path of describing and evaluating communication in organizations by focusing on three major perspectives for understanding organizations: traditional, interpretive, and critical. Because these perspectives differ in the ways that they study communication and in the assumptions that they make about the nature of organizations, the authors are able to offer diverse insights into communication in organizations. These three perspectives are used to examine communication functions and structure, organizational culture, information technology; cultural control, diversity, and change; new forms of organizing such as lattices and heterarchies, group relations, leader-member relations, power, conflict, and strategic communication; and new millennium thinking about organizations. Packed with current case studies and commentary, Organizational Communication features an impressive range of contemporary global institutions such as General Motors, Triyo Industries of Japan, Enron, Wal-Mart, Ben & Jerrya??s, The Carter Centera??s Peace Programs, Canadaa??s public health programs, social change programs in rural India, and more.A A Important new topics in this edition include New Communication StructuresA Cultural Diversity and EmpowermentA Implications of Information TechnologyA Affirmative Action and Supreme Court CasesA Transformational LeadershipA New Millennium Trends Instructora??s Resource CD AvailableA A An easy-to-follow instructora??s manual on CD is available for qualified textbook adopters. This valuable instrument includes PowerPoint presentations, keyword definitions, discussion and exam questions, suggested activities, sample syllabi, recommended assignments, hyperlinks to complementary Internet video, and more. IRCDs are available for qualified instructors only. To request an IRCD for this book please contact Customer Care at 1.800.818.7243 (6 am a?? 5 pm Pacific Time) or by emailing [e-mail] with course name and enrollment and your university mailing address to expedite the process.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xiii
Prologue	p. xix
An Orientation to Organizational Communication	p. 1
Organization and Communication
The Concept of Organization
The Concept of Communication
Perspectives on Organizational Communication
The Traditional Perspective
The Interpretive Perspective
The Critical Perspective
Summary
Communication and Its Functions	p. 19
A Precaution: Function and Structure Relationship
Communication, Information, and Meaning
Information and Meaning
Verbal Behavior
Nonverbal Behavior
Functions of Communication
Traditional Function Categories
Interpretive Functions of Communication
Critical Functions of Communication
Interpersonal Communication: Relationship Development Among Workers
Summary
Organizational Communication Structure	p. 49
Traditional Approach to Structure
Formal Communication
Downward Communication
Upward Communication
Horizontal Communication
Diagonal Communication
Information Distortion From the Traditional Perspective
Informal Communication
Communication Structure as a Network
Advantages of a Network Perspective
Uses of Network Analysis
Loose Versus Tight Coupling
Interpretive Approaches to Communication Structure
Muddled Distinctions
Structure as a Social Construction
The Relationship Between Structure and Culture
Information Distortion From the Interpretive Perspective
Critical Approaches to Communication Structure
Structure and Control
Structure and Oppression
Information Distortion From the Critical Perspective
New Communication Structures, Cultural Diversity, and Empowerment
Summary
Organization Theory: Prescriptions for Control	p. 79
Scientific and Classical Management
Taylor's Scientific Management
Fayol's General Management
Weber's Bureaucratic Theory
Transitional Theories
Follett's Administrative Theory
Barnard's Executive Functions
The Human Relations Movement
The Hawthorne Studies and Elton Mayo
Human Resource Development
Maslow's Need Hierarchy
McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y
Likert's Four Systems
The Transition to Theory Z
Summary
Organization Theory: Metaphors of Biology	p. 103
System Theory
System Concepts
Influence on Organizational Communication
System Theory, Complexity, and Chaos
Weick's Theory of Organizing
Equivocality Reduction
Fundamental Propositions
The Evolutionary Metaphor
Retrospective Sense Making
Luhmann's Social Systems Theory
Systems as Communications
Episodes, Stability, and Change
Communications and Decision Contingencies
Evolutionary Psychology
Nature Versus Nurture: A False Dichotomy?
The Theory of Evolutionary Psychology
Examples in Organizational Communication
Summary
Organization Theory: Communication and Culture	p. 127
Communication and Culture: A Way to Understand Organizations
Traditionalist Perspective
Interpretivist Perspective
Critical-Interpretivist Perspective
Merging Perspectives
Approaches to Understanding Organizational Culture
Language and Worldview
Knowledge Structures
Consensual and Contested Meanings
Multiple Cultures Perspective
Metaphors
Narratives
Rites and Ceremonies
Reflexive Comments
Fantasy Themes
Describing Organizational Culture: The Case of Ben & Jerry's
Summary
Information Technology	p. 161
Information Technology and Change Traditional Perspective
Purposes of Information Technology
The Digital Divide and Information Technology Fluency
Organizational Impact of Information Technology
Interpretive Perspective
Technology's Influence on Sense Making
Social Construction of Information Technology
Critical Perspective
Technology and Managerial Authority
Technology and Neoliberal Hegemony
Technology and Global Control
Technology and Resistance
The Technologized Life
Summary
Cultural Control, Diversity, and Change	p. 193
Cultural Control
Limits of Managerial Action
Ideology
Organizational Socialization and Assimilation
Organizational Culture and Diversity
Traditional Perspectives on Cultural Control, Diversity, and Change
Affirmative Action and Its Misconceptions
Managing the Diverse Organization
Interpretive Perspectives on Cultural Control, Diversity, and Change
How Diversity Affects Organizational Culture
Age
Critical Perspectives on Cultural Control, Diversity, and Change
Gender
Race and Ethnicity
Class
Physical Abilities
The Ethics of Diversity
Summary
Group Relationships	p. 233
Traditional Perspective on Group Relationships
Communication Skills: Communication Competence in Groups
Groups as Organizational Subsystems
Group Decision Making and Problem Solving
Roles and Role Categories in Groups
Interpretive Perspective on Group Relationships
The Bona Fide Group Perspective
Norms and Conformity
Values and Sense Making
Decision Making and Culture
Critical Perspective on Group Relationships
Giddens's Structuration Theory and the Creation of Social Structure
Summary
Leader-Member Relationships	p. 259
Limitations of Leadership Theory and Research
Executive Leadership
Leadership in the Dyad
The Leader as Individual
Traditional Perspective
Theories of Leadership Behavior
Leadership as Development
Motivation and Control
Member Behavior Toward Leaders
Interpretive Perspective
Leadership, Structure, and Meaning
Leadership and Ethics
Critical Perspective
Leader as Individual Agent
Leadership Discourse in General
The Discourse of Resistance
Summary
Power	p. 291
Traditional Views of Status and Power
Types of Power
Dimensions of Power
Resource Dependency
Interpretive Perspectives on Power
Power in the View of Critical Theory
Power and Legitimation
Power and Organizational Structure
Power, Symbols, and Systematic Distortion
Communication Distortion in Organizational Hierarchies
Limits of Ideological Manipulation
Critical Theory in Organizational Communication Research
Reconceptualizing Power
Power and Conflict: Connected and Separate Phenomena
Summary
Conflict	p. 317
Traditional Perspectives on Conflict
Interpersonal Conflict
Bargaining and Negotiation
Interpretive Perspectives on Conflict
Cultural Context: Gender, Race, and Nationality
Dialogic Culture
Critical Perspectives on Conflict
Contradiction Between Capitalism and Democracy
Coalitions and Intergroup Conflict
Feminist Bureaucracy as Organized Dissonance
Ethics in Conflict
Summary
Strategic Communication	p. 349
Characteristics of Strategic Communication
Models of Strategy
Strategic Communication as Public Communication
The Source in Strategic Communication
Strategic Communication as Transaction
The Traditional Perspective
Internal Communication
External Communication
Risk and Crisis Communication
The Interpretive Perspective
Limits of the Effectiveness Model
Transactional Strategic Communication
Constraint and Crisis
The Critical Perspective
Strategy and Hegemony
Coping With Power
Transformation and Strategic Communication
Summary
New Millennium Thought: Perspectives and Trends	p. 381
Perspectives on the New Millennium
Traditional Perspectives and the New Millennium
Interpretive Perspectives and the New Millennium
Critical Perspectives and the New Millennium
The Concept of Emancipation in Organizational Studies
Self-Reflection and Self-Transformation
Microemancipation
Questioning, Utopian, and Incremental Emancipation
Self-Managed Work Teams and Concertive Control
Workplace Democracy
Feminist Theories and Organizational Communication
A Feminist Organization: Casa de Esperanza (House of Hope)
Trends Influencing Organizations Today
Globalization of the Marketplace and Global Competitive Pressures
Gender and Diversity
Quality and Customer Satisfaction
Political and Legal Pressures on Organizations
Stress at Work
Inadequately Educated Workforce
Critical Questioning of Corporate Values
Stakeholder Perspectives
Summary
Author Index	p. 421
Subject Index	p. 431
About the Authors	p. 449
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