CHAPTER 15 ADAPTIVE STRUCTURATION THEORY Organizational Theory Introduction Groups are produced through social rules These rules allow us to interact with and understand one another These rules restrict groups to behaving in certain ways Groups and organizations use social interactions to assist them in achieving their goals e g socializing during new employee receptions conducting meetings training sessions a System is a group or organization and the behaviors the group engages in to pursue its goals b Structure refers to the rules and resources that members use to guide their behavior and sustain their system Structuration refers to the production reproduction and transformation of social environments through rules and resources in relationships Assumptions Groups and organizations are produced and reproduced through the use of rules and resources Behaviors of group members result in change Each behavior is guided by past rules or history how we behave o In the work world you are new there and the first day you show up in a sharp business suit and everyone else is just casual Structure is a necessary for interaction o If a rule is successful we are likely to use it in the future if it is not successful we are less likely to use it in the future o Rules are not a bad thing they are good Communication rules serve a dual function as the medium for and the outcome of interactions View rules as blueprints for guiding behaviors Communication is governed by a combination of rules Power structures are present in organizations and guide the decision making process by providing information on how to best accomplish our goals Power enables us to achieve results All group members have some sort of power o Everyone has some sort of power however power is not always distributed equally Groups decide how power is assigned among members o The structure of power Elements of Structuration Theory Human activity creates the social environment Elements that explain the phenomena of group interactions Agency the specific behaviors or activities humans engage in Example If you had a question you would raise your hand Reflexivity the ability to monitor their actions and behaviors to think about to understand to comprehend our actions and behaviors Example If you are not called on while raising your hand you will think you have to do something different and change your behavior so you are noticed or maybe the teacher is monitoring the behaviors of the class and doesn t have time to call on you so the teacher will continue on with the lecture ignoring your raised hand How we behave in these groups is how we define these groups Agency and Reflexivity allow group members to articulate reasons for their behaviors and the goals of the group Discursive consciousness the ability for an individual to articulate your thoughts and knowledge that can be shared with others being able to engage in good communication with others and come to a mutual understanding and comprehension Practical consciousness the thoughts or feelings that cannot be put into words Duality of Structure Relies on rules and resources used to guide organizational decisions a duality a combination of both Rules why a goal is done not all rules are equally made when making a decision depends on resources available Resources how that goal is accomplished Allocative the ability for the organization to generate material assistance actual tangible resources such as money supplies transportation etc Authoritative do we have the cognitive ability can these people work together are these goals liked by whoever is receiving this objective Duality of Structure Types of social power to describe authoritative resources i Reward power provides positive reinforcement 1 If your friend comes over before going out and asks how her outfit is she wants to hear it looks great ii Coercive power provides negative reinforcement 1 Being grounded or punished iii Referent power because of our relationship you have this power 1 Because its your little sister she gets first pick of your hand me downs and old clothes iv Legitimate power authoritative power 1 Your boss v Expert power individuals influence on your opinion because of their knowledge or expertise on a subject Critique Scope sufficiently and effectively expansive Heuristic applied successfully in organizational communication and group decision making Parsimony difficult to read and understand Banks Riley 1993 Utility more study is needed on the applicability to real life situations CHAPTER 16 ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE THEORY Introduction Change and complexity are integral to an organization s life cycle Organizations and its members evolve over time Researchers can make sense out of an organization by examining the communication among its members Culture Metaphor Spider Web People spin webs and cultures are like spider webs no 2 webs are a like just like no 2 cultures are alike Various types of communication are used to create the web 1 Cultures are intricate much like the designs of spider webs 2 Each strand of the web represents a discrete aspect of the organization 3 People are critical to the organization just as spiders are to the web Thus it is important to examine their interactions with one another to determine the impact on the organization 4 Various types of communication are used in creating the web e g stories gossip jokes Assumptions A Organizational members create and maintain a shared sense of organizational reality resulting in a better understanding of the values of the organization Viewing what is important B The use and interpretation of symbols are critical to an organization s culture a Physical symbols buildings decor material objects logos b Behavioral symbols ceremonies rituals communication patterns rewards or punishments c Verbal symbols jokes jargon nicknames stories metaphors C Cultures vary across organizations and the interpretations of actions within these cultures are diverse This theory understands that what it is investigating cannot be generalized Ethnography Ethnography is a qualitative methodology that uses the stories rituals and artifacts shared by an organization s members to reveal how meaning is assigned within that culture Methods of investigation employed in ethnography Direct observation Participant observation Interviews Communicative Performance organizational culture Organization members act out communicative performances creating a unique Types of cultural