SPC 3210 Final Exam Chapter 16 Organizational Culture Theory Conceptualized by Michael Pacanowsky and Nick O Donnell Trujillo this theory looks to examine how organizations communicate and evolve over time These two men argue that this theory invites researchers to observe record and make sense of the communicative behavior of organizational members Because of the ever changing life cycle of organizations members can obtain confusion anxiety frustration or excitement In this theory culture is referred to the way of living within an organization This can include employee morale attitudes and levels of productivity The Cultural Metaphor Of Spider Webs and Organizations Culture originally referred to preparing the ground for tending crops and animals It was interpreted as fostering growth Pacanowsky and Trujillo believe that organizational culture indicates what constitutes the legitimate realm of inquiry But Organizational Culture is defined as the essence of organizational life In their theoretical model they have applied the Symbolic Interpretive approach articulated by Clifford Geertz Gerrtz believes that culture is like the webs spun by a spider They are very intricate designs and are different from all others He contends that each strand of a spiders web represents a discrete aspect of the organization Pacanowsky and Trujillo applied these basic principles to organizations and found that managers and employees spin their own webs alike Therefore people are critical in the organization and it is important to study their behaviors in conjunction with the overall organization They also claim that members of organizations engage in a number of communication behaviors that contribute to the culture of the company gossip jokes backstabbing romance etc Assumptions of Organizational Cultural Theory 1 Organizational members create and maintain a shared sense of organizational reality resulting in a better understanding of the values of an organization This assumption pertains to the importance of people in all positions in organizational life At the core of this assumption are the values of an organization These values are the standards and principles within a culture that have intrinsic worth to a culture Values inform members about what is important 2 The use and interpretation of symbols are critical to an organization s culture 1 Organizational members create use and interpret symbols that are important to the company s culture every day These symbols represent shared meaning of organizational members and include verbal and nonverbal communication These symbols communicate the values of an organization These symbols can include buildings logos rituals slogans jargon etc 3 Cultures vary across organizations and the interpretations of actions within these cultures are diverse Interpretation of communication that takes place within an organization differs depending on the organization Ethnographic Understanding Laying it on Thick Geertz argues that to understand a culture one must see it from the members points of view In order to do this he believes researchers should become ethnographers Ethnography is a qualitative methodology that uncovers and interprets artifacts stories rituals and practices to reveal meaning in a culture Ethnography calls for observation participation note taking interviews etc While Geertz was an ethnographer he relied on his field journal to record his experiences and ideas In his writings he concludes that ethnography is a kind of thick description or an explanation of the intricate layers of meaning underlying a culture Organizational Culture Theory is rooted in ethnography and organizational culture should be viewed by adopting these principals The Communicative Performance Pacanowsky and Trujillo contend that organizational members act out certain communication performances which result in a unique organizational culture Performance is a metaphor that suggests a symbolic process of understanding human behavior in an organization Performances can be classified into 5 categories Ritual Performances Passion Performances Sociality Performances Politics Performances and Enculturation Performances Ritual Performances These performances are those communications that happen on a regular and recurring basis Rituals include 4 types personal task social and organizational Personal Rituals these include things that you do routinely each day at the workplace ex Checking email or Voicemail Task Rituals routinized behaviors associated with a persons job ex If you work at mcdonalds making cheese burgers and working the register 2 Social Rituals verbal and nonverbal Routines that normally take into consideration the interactions with others ex Employees getting together for happy hour every Friday Organizational Rituals frequently occurring company events such as meetings These are organizational stories that members enthusiastically relate to and share with others Just refers to employees sharing stories with each other These are common extensions of civility politeness and courtesy used to encourage cooperation among members a little goes along way directly relates to these Performances in which member is exercising power or control Acquiring and maintaining power or control is a hallmark in US corporate life When members engage in these performances they essentially communicate a desire to picnics etc Passion Performances Social Performances Political Performances influence others Enculturation Performances This refers to how members obtain the knowledge and skills to be contributing members of the organization These may be bold or subtle but they demonstrate a members competency Critique of Organizational Culture Theory Heurism applicable in many contexts and cultures Utility useful and relevant in explaining virtually any employee member experience within an organization Logical Consistency high level of consistency because of the concept of culture some feel the theory relies too much on shared meaning which in turn jeopardizes consistency Chapter 18 The Rhetoric Why Studying Public Speaking is Important It is a skill employers seek in potential employees It allows us as a society to be open to listening to conflicting viewpoints 3 Information communicated to a group can resonate beyond the initial group Public speaking is a critical skill in a democratic society The Rhetorical Tradition Aristotle is generally credited with explaining the dynamics of public
View Full Document
Unlocking...