There are four main definitions of organizational communication. First, communication is seen as an information transfer. With this theory, language is used to transfer thoughts and feelings from person to person, speakers and writers insert thoughts and feelings into words (which, these words contain the thoughts and feelings) and then finally, the receivers (the listeners or readers) then extract the thoughts and feelings from these pieces of work. This is assumed to be very effective for the receiver of communication understands and reacts to what the speaker or writing is trying to convey. It is criticized though for over-simplification and can oversee some complications due to how the message can be interpreted from the speaker to the listener (or the writer to the reader).
Next, organizational communication is seen as a transactional process. Through processing the information after the transfer, you create a relationship from speaker to listener. Through this process, the parties involved in the communication begin to pick up non verbal cues such as body language and other physical reactions to the message sent. Often times, this reaction can be more substantial than the words being exchanged back and forth (hence the common phrase ‘actions can speak louder than words’). The goal of the sender is to deliver a clear message that listener can understand without misinterpretation. If there is no misinterpretation and the sender and receiver are on the same page, the effectiveness of the delivery is very successful.
Organizational communication is also seen as a strategic control. Individuals try to control their own environments in which messages are being transferred. Depending on your environment, as the communicator, you choose what you say that will be acceptable politically, socially, morally and ethically. These strategies are chosen to try and motivate the communication process and achieve whatever goal is being sent from sender to receiver. By strategic control, effectiveness can be measured though the reactions of the message. Due to the message sent, multiple interpretations can be accomplished which can be both beneficial and harmful. Due to this independent way of thinking, there is a strong emphasis on individual thinking instead of group or community effort. This is a strong idea also in classical communication theories.
Finally, organizational communication is seen as a balance of creativity and constraint. This method has a strong emphasis on individualism. Creativity and independent thought processes through message sending and receiving can strengthen the community in which the information is being transferred. There needs to be a balance between the two in order for the message to effectively get across.
The classical management theory management approach emphasizes that organizations run like machines. Classical management supports scientific rationality for it leads to improved productivity within the workplace. Like discussed in chapter three, division of labor and a sense of hierarchy within the workplace is present and is fully supported by the top-down communication strategies. Of the different organizational communication definitions, the two that support the classical theory the most are strategic control and the balance of creativity and constraint. Individual creativity and power can lead to an organizations success. Through strategic control, classical theory supports how individuals interpret messages as long as it betters the community in which the message is being transferred. Same in the balance of constraint and creativity, the idea that the message is based on an individual learning process instead of a group only further support classical management theories. Group work and team work is more strongly emphasized in the human relations approach rather than in classical theory. The first two definitions of organizational communication also support human relations more than classical theory for they discuss how humans relate with one another as the message is being transferred from sender to receiver. The concepts of psychology and improved human relations are not parallel with classical management theory as much as it is with HR. Thus, only strategic and creative balance are the two organizational communication theories which are most like the classical management theories.
Next, organizational communication is seen as a transactional process. Through processing the information after the transfer, you create a relationship from speaker to listener. Through this process, the parties involved in the communication begin to pick up non verbal cues such as body language and other physical reactions to the message sent. Often times, this reaction can be more substantial than the words being exchanged back and forth (hence the common phrase ‘actions can speak louder than words’). The goal of the sender is to deliver a clear message that listener can understand without misinterpretation. If there is no misinterpretation and the sender and receiver are on the same page, the effectiveness of the delivery is very successful.
Organizational communication is also seen as a strategic control. Individuals try to control their own environments in which messages are being transferred. Depending on your environment, as the communicator, you choose what you say that will be acceptable politically, socially, morally and ethically. These strategies are chosen to try and motivate the communication process and achieve whatever goal is being sent from sender to receiver. By strategic control, effectiveness can be measured though the reactions of the message. Due to the message sent, multiple interpretations can be accomplished which can be both beneficial and harmful. Due to this independent way of thinking, there is a strong emphasis on individual thinking instead of group or community effort. This is a strong idea also in classical communication theories.
Finally, organizational communication is seen as a balance of creativity and constraint. This method has a strong emphasis on individualism. Creativity and independent thought processes through message sending and receiving can strengthen the community in which the information is being transferred. There needs to be a balance between the two in order for the message to effectively get across.
The classical management theory management approach emphasizes that organizations run like machines. Classical management supports scientific rationality for it leads to improved productivity within the workplace. Like discussed in chapter three, division of labor and a sense of hierarchy within the workplace is present and is fully supported by the top-down communication strategies. Of the different organizational communication definitions, the two that support the classical theory the most are strategic control and the balance of creativity and constraint. Individual creativity and power can lead to an organizations success. Through strategic control, classical theory supports how individuals interpret messages as long as it betters the community in which the message is being transferred. Same in the balance of constraint and creativity, the idea that the message is based on an individual learning process instead of a group only further support classical management theories. Group work and team work is more strongly emphasized in the human relations approach rather than in classical theory. The first two definitions of organizational communication also support human relations more than classical theory for they discuss how humans relate with one another as the message is being transferred from sender to receiver. The concepts of psychology and improved human relations are not parallel with classical management theory as much as it is with HR. Thus, only strategic and creative balance are the two organizational communication theories which are most like the classical management theories.
No comments:
Post a Comment