1. Definition of organizational communication? An organization involves a social
collectivity in which activates are coordinated in order to achieve both
... [Show More] individual,
collective goals.
2. What was said about organizations and communication? – Organizations
exist in Communication; they do not exist outside of communication behaviors. In
other words, we can think of ‘organizations as communication’
3. What are the topics of communication?
Production/Task – Instructions, rationales, Standards, feedback, indoctrination -
How to do the job?
Maintenance of Authority–Structural chain of command,decision,access resource
- Who makes the decisions, these are the rules.
Social and Relational – Developing friendships; of high concern to employee -
Friendship.
Innovation – creativity, change, problem-solving, small group- the movers and
shakers -Creative, How can we make this better.
4. What are the various “directions” in which org. communication is directed?
Formal Downward- Higher Authority to lower authority in hierarchy(Insufficient or
information overload – difficult to judge and to manage)
[ISSUES OF FORMAL DOWNWARD]
Positive Feedback – Associated with commitment, motivation, increases in
organizational citizenship.
Negative Feedback – Associated with defensive feeling counter productive
behaviors, and intentions to quit.
Information distribution – Doesn’t always make it to the lower levels where most
of the people are.
Formal Upward – Lower Authority to higher authority
[ISSUES OF FORMAL UPWARD]
Lack of Receptivity – Managers are often not open to information
Power differentials – Fear of repercussions for providing negative information
Upward distortion – overly sugar-coated information. Doesn’t truly inform.
Self-promotion or ingratiation – it’s important to be visible to managers, but
excessive self-promotion is viewed negatively.
Horizontal or lateral – Between peers or people of equal or nearby equal status in
the hierarchy
[ISSUES OF Lateral]
Competition – Information is power and so some limit sharing what they know
Specialization – often difficult to understand one another
Territoriality – include physical resources or claiming responsibilities and
functions
Lack of incentive – without a tangible reason(other than social) many won’t
bother.
Informal – Casual, on-going; Most common channel of organizational
communication.(Appx 70%) ; [Show Less]