Comm 1001 1st Edition Lecture 11 Current LectureMetaphor• Metaphor– clarifies what is unknown or confusing by equating it with an image that is more familiar or vivid– Metaphors offer ethnographers a starting place for accessing shared meaning of a corporate culture– Metaphors are valuable tools for both the discovery and communication of organizational culture.• Ex. Her office is a disaster area.• He is a train wreck. The symbolic interpretation of story• Stories told over and over provide convenient window to view corporate webs of significance • Three kinds of stories1. Corporate stories – tales that carry management ideology and reinforce company policyThree types cont.1. Personal stories – tales told by employees that put them in a favorable light2. Collegial stories – positive or negative anecdotes about others in the organization; descriptions of how things really workRituals• Ritual: this is the way it's always been, and always will be.• Ritual– texts that articulate multiple aspects of cultural life, often marking rites of passage or life transitions– Organizational rites at more traditional companies weave together many threads of corporate cultureCan the Manager be an Agent of Cultural Change?• The possibility of changing culture becomes an appealing idea– Shared meanings are hard to dispel– Members within a company may discount words of management if they don’t fit with the old cultureThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.– Should culture be changed?Critique: Is the Cultural Approach Useful?• Some would regard the quest to alter culture as inappropriate and virtually impossible– Corporate consultants want to understand organizational communication and influence it – Interest in cultural approach has faded over the last 10