SPC 3210 Final ExamChapter 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 Theory1. 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, picnics, etc.Passion Performances- These are organizational stories that members enthusiastically relate to and share with others.- Just refers to employees sharing stories with each other.Social Performances- These are common extensions of civility, politeness, and courtesy used to encourage cooperation among members.- “a little goes along way” directly relates to these.Political Performances- 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 toinfluence 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 RhetoricWhy 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 viewpoints3• Information communicated to a group can
View Full Document
Unlocking...