Organizational Communication Chapter 12 Recap/Discussion

Organizations  Communication AND Structure  Related?  If so, how?  Relationship (of both) to organizations?  Organizational Communication  Structure  Networks (social, task, ad-hoc, overlapping)  Role of context and external environments

Formal Communication  Downward  Impact on organization’s culture?  Upward  Limited in organizations – why? agree?/disagree?  ‘Just a gesture’ – huh? agree/disagree?  Impact on organization’s culture?  Horizontal  Benefits? Issues?  Impact on organization’s culture?

Formal Communication  Organizational Charts Communicate:  Structure  Power and authority  Rules for communication

Lunenburg, F. C. (2010). Formal Communication Channels: Upward, Downward, Horizontal, and External. Focus on Colleges, Universities and Schools, 4(1), p. 1-7.

Technical & Vocational Training Corporation

Formal vs. Informal  Not formally defined  Not based on organizational roles or rules  Benefits and/or issues with informal?  Popular example = the grapevine

Grapevine  Pros or Cons   progress/2012/05/22/how-to-prune-your-organizational- grapevine/ progress/2012/05/22/how-to-prune-your-organizational- grapevine/

Organizational Culture

Learning the Culture through Communication Practices  Vocabulary  Stories (corporate, personal, collegial)  Rites and Rituals  Structure (roles, rules, policies, communication networks)  Others?  Websites  Mission Statements  Promotional Materials  Office Spaces  A Crisis (and PR)

Impact of Crisis on Barneys? 

Inside the Office vs. Outside the Office?  Mentioned with constitutive rules  Should you hang out with coworkers outside of the office? Boss vs. Coworkers? 

Examples of Organizational Culture     

HCA #8  Visit an organization’s website; explore three “tabs/sections” that teach you more about the organization. Note: If you pick an online store, you will probably need to scroll to the bottom. You cannot look at tabs that simply sell specific products. For example: (you cannot use Wal-Mart for your assignment)  Tell me what you learned about the organizational culture and what it communicates to potential clients and employees. Discuss the organization’s use of verbal and nonverbal communication. You must pull out specific examples from the website. Factor in what you learned in Chapter 12  1-3 paragraphs; double spaced (Note: if it is 1 paragraph—it should NOT be a 3 sentence paragraph)  Come prepared to present