Chapter 8 introduces students to organizational communication and how their communication 
behavior affects their success at work. We discuss the historical roots of this field, uncover 
myths about working in an organization, and then move on to the study of relationships at work: 
superior-subordinate, co-workers, friends, and even romance at work.  Since we spend so much of 
our adult life at work it is critical for us to appreciate how our success as a communicator will
help us  develop effective working relationships, form friendships, and accomplish our career 
objectives, all at work. We want students to begin thinking about their work life and how these 
communication principles will apply later in their careers. - Dr. Sue DeWine, Author



Chapter 8: Interacting in Organizations

Chapter Outline

Organizational communication is defined by Tortoriello, Blatt and DeWine as the "flow and impact of messages within a network of interactional relationships."

I. A Historical Approach

The scientific, or bureaucratic approach to management, formulated by Max Weber, Frederick Taylor, and Henri Fayol in the early 20th century tried to find the most efficient way to complete a task. It was based on

The human relations approach to management, developed in the 1930s, focused on the attitudes of workers as affecting productivity. This was the beginning of the story of organizational communication by W. Charles Redding. It led to a general systems mode of communication, which recognized that every part of a system is connected to every other part.

The approach of the 1990s was to focus on democracy in the workplace. S.A. Deetz and G. Chaney stress giving workers a voice.

II. Changes in the Workplace

In the 1990s there have been many changes in the workplace.
· Downsizing (reducing staff) but producing more. Better communication is needed to keep survivors' loyalty.
· Empowerment programs to give employees more participation in decisions.
· Total quality management (TQM) approach that focuses on improvement of the product.
· Re-engineering to develop new. More efficient processes.
· Computer-mediated communication (e-mail) to increase efficiency.

III. Interpersonal Relationships at Work

The increase in workers' participation in management has increased the importance of interpersonal relationships.

A. The Nature of Superior-subordinate Relationships According to Jablin,

The Use of Persuasion
    According to Rubin, Palmgreen, and Sypher, persuasion takes many forms, such as
    1. Promising a reward.
    2. Threatening punishment.
    3. Liking the person to win cooperation.
    4. Pregiving a reward before requesting compliance.
    5. Punishing the person until compliance.
    6. Debt owed for past favors.
    7. Altruistic request for help.
    Esteem for the person more for compliance and less for failure to comply.
According to White, there are strategies to resist persuasion.
1. Citing conflicting personal belief.
2. Postponing action.
3. Table-turning so the requester has to help complete the task.
4. Negotiating by offering alternative actions.
5. Refusing.
6. Citing constraints of time and money.
7. Citing conflicting plans.
Some of these strategies indicate who holds power in the relationship, either management or employees in a union.

Assimilation into the Organization

    Assimilation has three stages:
    1. Anticipatory socialization before the employee joins.
    2. Encounter when the employee enters.
    3. Metamorphosis when the employee changes behavior to meet the standards of the organization.

      4.  
    If the employee does not assimilate well, he or she will probably be asked to leave.
Openness
    Most employees want more open communication with superiors.
IV. Peer Communications

Friendships are an outlet for employees to express emotions that they cannot express to their superiors.

Employees do not have to like their co-workers, but they do have to figure out how to work with them.

Cross-functional teams are an example of communication that cuts across all areas and divisions in an organization.

Management in the twenty-first century will have to deal with a culturally diverse work force. Cooperation among diverse groups will be important.

Friends at Work

    Friendships in the workplace make people vulnerable.
     
Office Romances
    Since office romances do occur, we have to find ways to cope with them.
    1. Share confidences only with people outside the organization, or respect the confidences of people in it.
    2. Don't start an intimate relationship without being prepared to accept the consequences, such as one person's leaving.
    3. Recognize that men and women cope with friendships differently.

      4.  
Sexual Harassment
    Sexual harassment occurs when one person asks for sexual favors in exchange for work-related favors, such as promotion.

    A hostile work environment prevents an employee from performing his or her work as a result of stress or harassment.

V. Information Flow

The work of the organization is done primarily through the flow of information, including specific directions and a vague sense of the organizational culture.

The more hierarchical the organization, the more likely the information will be distorted.

There are many reasons for lack of understanding.

There are three ways to cope with uncertainty:
  1. If there is only a little uncertainty, rely on rules.
  2. If there is more uncertainty, make more effort to communicate.
  3. Recognize that the greater the uncertainty, the less useful rules are and the more important it is to be flexible.
There are a number of ways to survive the organization:
  1. Develop communication and group problem-solving skills.
  2. Superior and subordinate should be in relative agreement.
  3. Share more information.
  4. Communicate with peers.
  5. Separate office romances from sexual harassment.
  6. Follow up memos with face-to-face reinforcement.
  7. Pay attention to clues about the climate and culture.
  8. Create a paper trail to document decisions.
VI. Organizational Climate and Organizational Culture

Organizational climate is the relationship between boss and employee and between co-workers, roles and policies, and the way work is done.

Organizational culture is language, dress style, rituals, and values.

A positive climate has the following characteristics:

  1. The company is proactive, not reactive.
  2. The company pays close attention to the customer.
  3. Workers are given more responsibility as entrepreneurs.
  4. The company believes its most important asset is its people.
  5. Everyone understands the company's core values.
  6. The company sticks to its knitting, what it knows best.
  7. There is a simple structure and a lean staff.
  8. The company is simultaneously loose and tight, flexibly adapting to changing circumstances.
There are three ways to cope with dishonesty:
  1. 1. Put everything in writing, creating a paper trail.
  2. 2. Have witnesses.
  3. 3. Detach yourself from the political "game."
Activity

Helpful Links!

"Women In Organizations" - Research and links addressing the role of women in modern organizations

"Workforce Online" - An Online magazine that focuses on HR, job trends, case studies, and polls in and for today's organizations.

At Your Bookstore

DeWine, S. (1994).  The Consultant's Craft:  Improving Organizational Communication. New York, NY:  St. Martin's Press.
Goodall, H.L. (1994).  Casing the Promised Land: The Autobiography of an Organizational Detective as Cultural Ethnographer.
James, T. (1996).  Breakaway Management:  Overcoming Dysfunction in the Workplace.
Kanter, R.M. (1989).  When Giants Learn to Dance.  New York, NY:  Simon & Schuster.
Wood, J.T. (1992).  "Telling Our Stories:  Sexual Harassment in the Communication Discipline."  Applied Communication Research, 20 (4), 349-362.