Fluent Essays

Task PART A. Choose 4 of the 8 possible prompts to create a list of goals of your desired communication in an organization by applying concepts we discussed in this course. Use these prompts to guide you (You have already laid the groundwork for most of them in the weekly assignments. You are free to copy and paste to fit the question prompt below as long as you cite which assignment). (35 points) Ch 2 How will you engage in Ethical organizational communication?  Ch 3 and 4 How do you plan to balance the Scientific Method (Classical theories) as well as the human relations (Modern Theories)?   Ch 5 How will you effectively use Formal and Informal networks to communicate with internal stakeholders? Ch 6 i. How will you contribute to a supportive Organizational Communication Climate?                       ii. How will you display Cross-Cultural communication Skills?         5. Ch 7  i. How will you take on Leadership Role/s?                     ii. How will you be an effective Follower?        6. Ch 9 i. How will you develop effective teams?                    ii. How will you manage disruptive behaviors?        7. Ch 12 How will you manage Conflict and Negotiation in an organization?        8. Ch 14 How will you communicate with external stakeholders using effective writing and presentation (verbal and non-verbal communication) skills?  PART B. How will you develop these goals to action- what will you do to achieve these goals? What strengths will you cultivate/ What characteristics will you need to develop? (10 Points) PART C. Why do you want to be this communicator? (5 points) Criteria for success: Apply concepts from the chapters we discussed in our course using theory and in-text citations. Feel free to include information from outside of the course as well (Other courses or from your own independent research). Don't forget to cite! You can add a meaningful quote or visual aid to demonstrate a point.   Your responses should be meaningful and demonstrate your learning this quarter. Published by: Flat World Knowledge, Inc. 1111 19th St NW, Suite 1180 Washington, DC 20036 © 2014 by Flat World Knowledge, Inc. All rights reserved. Your use of this work is subject to the License Agreement available here http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/legal. No part of this work may be used, modified, or reproduced in any form or by any means except as expressly permitted under the License Agreement. Jason S. Wrench About the Authors Jason S. Wrench (EdD, West Virginia University) is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Communication at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Dr. Wrench specializes in workplace learning and performance, or the intersection of instructional communication and organizational communication. His varied research interests include communibiology, computer-mediated communication, empirical research methods, humor, risk/crisis communication, and supervisor- subordinate interactions. Dr. Wrench regularly consults with individuals and organizations on workplace communication and as a professional speech coach for senior executives. Dr. Wrench has published eight previous books: Intercultural Communication: Power in Context, Communication, Affect, and Learning in the Classroom (2000, Tapestry Press); Principles of Public Speaking (2003, The College Network); Human Communication in Everyday Life: Explanations and Applications (2008, Allyn & Bacon); Quantitative Research Methods for Communication: A Hands-On Approach (3rd ed., 2016, Oxford University Press); The Directory of Communication Related Mental Measures (Summer 2010, National Communication Association); Stand Up, Speak Out: The Practice and Ethics of Public Speaking (2011, Flat World Knowledge); Communication Apprehension, Avoidance, and Effectiveness (2013, Allyn & Bacon); and Training & Development: The Intersection of Communication & Talent Development in the Modern Workplace (2014, Kendall Hunt). Dr. Wrench is also the editor of four books on the subject of organizational communication: Casing Public Relations, (2014, Kendall Hunt) Casing Organizational Communication (2011, Kendall Hunt), Workplace Communication for the 21st Century: Tools and Strategies that Impact the Bottom Line: Vol. 1. Internal Workplace Communication, and Vol. 2. External Workplace Communication (2013, both with Praeger). Furthermore, Dr. Wrench has published more than thirty research articles that have appeared in various journals, including: Communication Quarterly, Communication Research Reports, Education, Human Communication, Journal of Homosexuality, Journal of Intercultural Communication, Southern Communication Journal, The Source: A Journal of Education, and The NACADA Journal (National Association of Campus Advising). Narissra Maria Punyanunt-Carter (PhD, Kent State University, 2002) is an associate professor in the department of communication studies at Texas Tech University. Narissra teaches interpersonal communication, gender, nonverbal, and romantic relationships. Dr. Punyanunt-Carter's research interests include romantic relationships, computer-mediated communication, father-daughter Narissra Maria Punyanunt-Carter communication, and mass media portrayals of romance. She is a consultant for several book publishers, such as Bedford St. Martin’s, Rowan & Littlefield, Oxford, MCGraw-Hill, and Wadsworth. She has published many articles, which have been featured in Southern Communication Journal, Howard Journal of Communication, Communication Research Reports, and Communication Quarterly. She has devoted an extraordinary amount of work towards her discipline, department, the university, and the community of Lubbock. She has served as a permanent or ad-hoc reviewer for ten different peer-reviewed journals. She have been an advisor for more than five different Texas Tech University student organizations and one national honor society. She was awarded Advisor of the Year 2013 by the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (honor society). She is the TTU advisor for Delta Phi Omega and Delta Epsilon Psi (the first sorority and fraternity for Asian Americans). She has published nine book chapters, forty-five journal articles, one book review, and one book. She has been listed as a lead article writer many times. She has also received a top paper award at a regional conference. She served as a mentor for Mentor Tech (for ten years) as well as for the teaching, learning, professional, and developmental center. She was recently elected as Vice-Chair Elect of the Mass Communication division of the National Communication Association. Recently, she was awarded by the Honors College as the “Faculty Member of the Year.” Mark Ward Sr. Mark Ward Sr. (PhD, Clemson University) is an assistant professor of communication at the University of Houston- Victoria in Victoria, Texas, where he teaches organizational and business communication, public relations, leadership, conflict management, intercultural communication, and communication theory. His recent book, Deadly Documents (2014, Baywood Publishing), examines the organizational culture of the Holocaust through analyses of everyday Nazi bureaucratic documents, and his work on the subject has appeared in the Journal of Business and Technical Communication, Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, and Holocaust Studies. Dr. Ward’s research interests include ethnography of religious organizations and intersections of religion and media. He serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Communication and Religion and Executive Council of the Religious Communication Association, which named his ethnography of religious media its 2014 Article of the Year. His work on religious organizations and media has been published in Intercultural Communication Studies, Journal of Communication and Religion, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Organizations, Journal of Media and Religion, Journal of Radio and Audio Media, and other venues. Author of two books on the history of religious broadcasting, he is editor of the multivolume series, The Electronic Church in the Digital Age: Cultural Impacts of Evangelical Mass Media (in press, Praeger). Before entering academe, Dr. Ward was communications director and journal editor for several national and international nonprofits and industry trade associations. He continues to write regularly as an independent business journalist. Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank their friends, family, and colleagues along with all of those at Flat World Knowledge who have shepherded this book along the way. The authors would also like to thank the following colleagues who have reviewed the text and provided comprehensive feedback and suggestions for improving the material: Janice W. Anderson, SUNY – New Paltz Michael Bannon, University of Pittsburgh Jaime Bochantin, Western Illinois University/DePaul University Susan Easton, Rollins College Francine Edwards, Delaware State University Cerise Glenn, University of North Carolina at Greensboro Sandy Hanson, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Stephanie Klatzke, Northern Kentucky University Amber Messersmith, University of Nebraska-Kearney Diane Monahan, Saint Leo University Tracy Nichols, Austin Peay State University Chad O’Connor, Northeastern University Jennifer Ohs, Saint Louis University James Parker, Austin Peay State University Brian Richardson, University of North Texas Sergei Samoilenko, George Mason University Suchitra Shenoy, DePaul University Preface The face of business as we know it is rapidly changing, so to keep up with these changes, organizations are forced to look for new strategies that are often completely “outside the box.” As a necessity, many organizations are now forced to compete in a global market. For example, one small business in Berlin, Ohio, Memory Lane Magnets, the retail/wholesale division of the Catalpa Trading Company, began by making and selling magnets out of an old-fashioned malt shop. However, when the business decided to put itself on the Internet, the business quickly found that many of their orders were international. In essence, a small business went from being a very local establishment to an international retailer very quickly because of the Internet. However, it’s not just small businesses that have global presences. Dr. John S. Pemberton of Atlanta, Georgia, created a formula for a new drink in 1886, which was a household staple starting in 1895. He created a sugary syrup that when combined with carbonated water became what is widely known today as Coca-Cola. Today, Coca-Cola has more than 400 beverage brands in more than 200 countries. According to Shenkar and Lou, Coca-Cola “relied on international markets for 73 percent of its gallon volume in 2005. At 29.4 percent of the total, net operating revenue was highest for the European Union in the same year, followed by North America with 28.4 percent, and 19.5 percent for North Asia, Eurasia, and the Middle East (combined).” [1] This process of taking a corporation from one small community and making it a global phenomenon is called globalization, or “the acceleration and extension of interdependence of economic and business activities across national boundaries.” [2] In fact, Kearney demonstrated that 62 countries accounted for 96 percent of the accumulated gross domestic product (GDP). [3] All 62 countries have very active globalization among their corporate sectors. As a result of globalization, the need for people skilled in international business has become a necessity. According to Shenkar and Lou, international business refers to “business activities that involve the transfer of resources, goods, services, knowledge, skills, or information across national boundaries.” [4] According to the IBM Global CEO study in 2008, one of the skills necessary for international business is recognizing “the importance of social connections within and across organizations.” [5] Specifically, “Social networking and real-time collaboration tools improve communication and close the distance between people in different locations. Good ideas develop and spread quicker, and problems are solved faster.” [6] In essence, IBM’s study of more than 1,000 chief executive officers (CEOs) in international businesses found that effective communication is one of the most important parts of globalization. Effective communication is not only important for international business, but highly bankable as well. IBM’s 2008 study on global human capital related the case of the Maybank Group, a leader in the banking industry in Malaysia. In 2007, Maybank instituted a corporate training program for mid-level managers that emphasized skills in communication, coaching, and leadership. While the initial group of trainees consisted of seventy-five midlevel managers, those managers have subsequently trained more than three thousand individuals in communication, coaching, and leadership. The Maybank Group estimates that as a result of this skills training “an estimated US$20 million in business impact has already been achieved.” [7] Ultimately, understanding organizational communication is necessary for all organizations. This book is titled Organizational Communication: Theory, Research, and Practice. The subtitle of this book really explains the approach we took when writing this book. Our goal was really examine the intersection among organizational communication as an actual practice, the theoretical basis within the field of organizational communication, and the wealth of research related to organizational communication both within the field of communication studies but also within closely related fields like industrial psychology, talent development, organizational behavior, etc. This book will explore the best in organizational communication theory, research, and practice. Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 will introduce a wide range of both historic and modern theories related to organizational communication. Theories help organizational communication scholars understand how communication within, between, and among organizational stakeholders occurs. A theory is a well-substantiated system of scientific facts that explains a natural phenomenon. In essence, theories stem from previous scientific research in an effort to help scientists explain, predict, and control a natural phenomenon. We will discuss more of the concept of the word theory and what it implies in Chapter 3. While Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 will introduce you to the core theories in organizational communication, a variety of other theories will be introduced throughout the text when appropriate. Obviously, this book cannot introduce you to every communication theory or even every organizational communication theory, so please understand that the theories discussed in this book are just the highlights of an ongoing body of research. In addition to making sure that the book is full of theories to help organizations explain, predict, and control organizational communication phenomena, this book will examine the best of historical and modern research in organizational communication. Obviously, the whole book is based on organizational communication research, but we will periodically highlight individual researchers who have made important contributions to the field and new avenues of research being undertaken by organizational communication scholars. Our goal with this text is to introduce you to both the classic research and the current research that is shaping the field of organizational communication. Lastly, this book will introduce you to a series of “best practices” in organizational communication. According to Webster’s New Millennium Dictionary of English, a best practice is “a practice which is most appropriate under the circumstances, esp. as considered acceptable or regulated in business; a technique or methodology that, through experience and research, has reliably led to a desired or optimum result.” [8] In essence, when we use the term “best practice,” we are talking about how to implement the concepts discussed in this book in a realistic manner in your organization. Some of the best practices discussed in this book are from a subordinate’s perspective, and others are from a supervisor’s perspective. Whether one is a low-level employee or a CEO, there are practices that research has shown will increase both the quality and quantity of communication within an organization. Students Read This According to the Microsoft Office Personal Productivity Challenge, which surveyed 38,000 employees in 200 countries, the biggest challenges organizations face are unclear objectives, lack of team communication, and ineffective meetings. Furthermore, the study found that workers average only three productive days out of a typical five-day work week. Whether reading the numerous e-mails one gets every day (42 e-mails per day internationally; 56 e-mails per day in the United States) or spending an average of 5.6 hours per week sitting in meetings that 69 percent of those surveyed say are useless, people are bombarded by communication opportunities in modern organizations. As a student taking your first or second course in organizational communication, you will no doubt spend a huge portion of the rest of your life working within, volunteering for, or utilizing organizations. As such, understanding organizational communication is ultimately in your best interest. Even corporate America has come to the realization that organizational communication is very important. Type the phrase “communication skills” into any job-search database on the Internet, and you will find thousands of potential employers realizing the necessity of good communication skills. For example, we typed “communication skills” into Monster.com and found over five thousand jobs that used the phrase. When we typed “organizational communication” into Monster.com, we received over one thousand job advertisements. We even found more than three hundred job advertisements for the phrase “business communication.” This process could be done in any online job search tool (e.g., monster.com, indeed.com). Furthermore, in the business-book industry, communication is a frequently addressed topic. Type the phrase “business communication” into a library or book distributor’s search engine, and you are likely to find thousands of titles. We typed “business communication” into Barnes & Noble’s website and found more than fifteen thousand titles that address the subject. While some of these books are textbooks, most are not. For example, Morrison and Conaway’s book Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More than 60 Countries helps individuals navigate the world of nonverbal communication in international business. [9] Crowley and Elster’s book Working with You Is Killing Me: Freeing Yourself from Emotional Traps at Work is all about how to communicate and interact with coworkers who are driving you crazy. [10] There’s even a book that attempts to explain how to understand all the double-talk and nonsense that one hears in modern business: Why Business People Speak like Idiots: A Bullfighter’s Guide, by Fugere, Hardaway, and Warshawsky. [11] In essence, there are a lot of people out there saying they know a thing or two about effective communication in organizations. So, how is this book different from other books on the market? First, this book is based in scientific evidence and not the authors’ experiences and opinions. Although we do offer our experiences to help illustrate various concepts, we do not recommend behaving in a specific way within an organization because it has worked for us. Instead, the concepts and information within this book have been researched by qualified social scientists in a variety of fields. When there is conflicting information about a specific topic, we will let you know that not everyone has found the same thing, which does happen. Second, this book is designed to tell it like it is and not how we wish it was. The fact is, organizations are often messy and do not follow “the guidelines.” Organizations can be downright cruel and unethical places, and it is highly likely that at some point you’ll find yourself in a less-than-perfect organization. For this reason, we will discuss topics like bullying, harassment, and discrimination. Lastly, we try to make this book as relevant to your life as humanly possible. We realize that the information within this book can have a real impact on your future. We often have students who are able to take the information taught in organizational communication and immediately start applying it to their own lives. However, there are also some foundational concepts that may not be as clearly applicable. Often, foundational concepts exist within textbooks as a way to prepare you for more complicated material later in the book. For example, we take a historical approach to various concepts in this book. We strongly believe that understanding where something came from will help you understand how and why it is used in modern business today. The simple fact is that concepts often build on one another, so to understand a current concept you need to understand where that concept came from in the first place. For example, in Chapter 2 we will examine a number of theories of organizational communication. Each new generation of theory came about to some extent because of problems with the previous one, so to understand the most recent organizational theories, you must understand the historic organizational theories as well. Overall, we hope that you find this book enriching both in your academic life and in your professional life. The book contains various features that will help you learn the content. Each chapter starts with a set of objectives and ends with a series of brief case studies and discussion/review questions. The objectives can help you see the major concepts in the chapter right up front. You can also use the objectives after you’ve completed reading the chapter to make sure you understand its major components. The case studies are designed to help you see how content within the chapter is actually practiced in the modern business world. Each case study is followed by a series of questions designed to help you critically use the chapter’s content. Lastly, each chapter has a set of discussion/review questions, which are also designed to help you think more critically about the chapter’s content. As for your professional life, we hope that the information contained within this book will help you manage the organizational world. While one book cannot save your life or guarantee you career success, money, or eternal happiness, we can guarantee that this book will prove practical and useful. Whatever kind of organization you become involved with in life, the information within this book will help you navigate and understand organizational communication. Instructors Read This We know that choosing the appropriate textbook for your classroom is always a time-consuming process. If you’re considering adopting this book, thank you for taking the time to look at this textbook and compare it to other books on the market. If you’ve already adopted this book, thank you very much, and we hope you find this book very useful in your own classroom. Organizational Communication: Theory, Research, and Practice has a lot of content that is available in other books while including content not available in other organizational communication books on the market. We’ve also included a number of pedagogical features in the book to make the reading experience more meaningful. The field of organizational communication has undergone an interesting history over the past century. Starting out as simple how-to manuals for business speaking and developing into the full-fledged discipline that it is today, organizational communication is a unique area of study with its own history, trends, and research methodologies. When selecting an organizational communication textbook, many professors struggle with finding a book that is theoretically strong, current, and relevant to their students. First, this book examines both the historical and modern theories of organizational communication. While there are clear theory chapters (Chapter 2 and Chapter 3), the book also incorporates other theories throughout the book when examining various issues. To make this book theoretically strong, we have included one chapter that examines the historic theories of organizational communication and one that examines modern theories of organizational communication. We believe a strong theoretical foundation is important for any student studying organizational communication. Second, this book contains information about the history of the field, while demonstrating the new ideas and avenues of research currently being undertaken. We believe students should have a firm grasp of this history of the field, but they also need to know the current state of the field. Throughout the book, we examine the history behind concepts and then show how those concepts are currently being used in research. Lastly, we wanted our book to be relevant to your students. One of the greatest challenges current professors have is teaching a generation of students more concerned with how knowledge will impact their lives than with the process of learning. For this reason, we incorporated our own personal anecdotes from working in various professions and used a variety of case studies from real organizations to help students see how the information contained within the book is actually exhibited within the real working environment. Furthermore, each chapter ends with a set of discussion/review questions that ask students to relate and apply the content of the chapter. In addition to being theoretically strong, current, and relevant to students, we incorporated three clear directions within this book: an international focus, communication ethics, and the interdisciplinary tradition of organizational communication. In a world where multinational corporations and globalization are commonplace, preparing individuals for interacting with others in organizations around the world is increasingly important. All three of the authors of this book have extensive international experience that includes living abroad and studying international business. Many of the anecdotes and case studies included in this book use a very specific international focus to demonstrate how the book’s concepts can be applied to international organizational communication. Second, we strongly believe that ethics is an extremely important part of the modern landscape of organizations. While some books include specific chapters examining ethics, we’ve decided to include issues of ethics at every turn in this book. Understanding how to be an ethical communicator in a modern organization is an extremely important reality in today’s business. Lastly, our book embraces the interdisciplinary tradition of organizational communication. While we strongly believe that communication scholars add a unique perspective to the discussion of organizational communication, we also realize that there are many scholars in industrial/organizational psychology, organizational behavior, and organizational sociology who have strongly impacted our view of organizational communication and continue to add to the discussion of organizational communication. While this is a book that first and foremost examines organizational communication, we believe it is necessary to include numerous variables that appear in modern organizational communication research but have not made their way into other organizational communication textbooks (e.g., organizational justice, organizational citizenship, organizational charlatanism). In addition to being theoretically strong, current, and relevant to students, we incorporated three clear directions within this book: an international focus, communication ethics, and the interdisciplinary tradition of organizational communication. In a world where multinational corporations and globalization are commonplace, preparing individuals for interacting with others in organizations around the world is increasingly important. All three of the authors of this book have extensive international experience that includes living abroad and studying international business. Many of the anecdotes and case studies included in this book use a very specific international focus to demonstrate how the book’s concepts can be applied to international organizational communication. Second, we strongly believe that ethics is an extremely important part of the modern landscape of organizations. While some books include specific chapters examining ethics, we’ve decided to include issues of ethics at every turn in this book. Understanding how to be an ethical communicator in a modern organization is an extremely important reality in today’s business. Structure of the Book Chapter 1 is designed to introduce the world of organizational communication. Specifically, this chapter provides definitions for both “organization” and “communication,” followed by a history of the field and an explanation of the three research traditions used in organizational communication. Chapter 1 introduces you to some of the major terms necessary for understanding organizational communication. The chapter also explores the history of organizational communication and the major methodological tools organizational communication scholars have at their disposal to understand organizational communication. Chapter 2 specifically delves into the world or organizational communication ethics. The chapter is broken into three distinct sections: business ethics, communication ethics, and organizational communication ethics. Ethics is a very important part of the organizational communication landscape today. Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 respectively introduce classical and modern theories of organizational communication. These two chapters demonstrate how the field has progressed historically in terms of perspectives on organizational structure and management. Chapter 5 examines how communication formally and informally occurs within organizations. Additionally, this chapter provides a brief introduction to the research practice of communication network analysis. Chapter 6 delves into the area organizational climate, culture, and globalization. It’s important in today’s world to understand the importance that both an organizations climate and culture have on organizational members. Furthermore, the days when organizations existed in isolation within specific nation-states are rapidly disappearing. The book looks at both the nature of globalization and its impact around the world. …