Constitutive Approaches

comm ch 5

container metaphor

a conceptualization of the organization as a “container” within which communication occurs. the nature of communication processes might vary greatly within the container, but for these approaches the org is seen largely as a thing that holds communication processes and that influences the nature of those processes.

ex. the communication “contained” in a human resources org is likely to encourage expression of new ideas and value employee contribution to org goals.

social constructionist position

reality is not an objective thing, but instead an intersubjective construction created through communication. “we create our social world through our words and other symbols, and through our behaviors”

ex. a social constructionist would not see bureaucracy as an objective concept with unwavering meaning but it should be understood as an idea that has developed over years of communicaiton processes.

communicative constitution of organization (CCO)

similar to social constructionism within an organizational communication context. CCO rejects seeing the org as a thing or container that bounds communication, instead tries to understand the complicated processes through which our interactions create, re-create, and change organizations.

structuration theory

coined by Anthony Giddens, posits that the social world is generated through the agency (suggesting there is a possibility people can “act otherwise”) of active participants. there are rules and resources (structures) that agents draw on while they interact in the social world, but these structures can also be changed during course of interaction.

ex. when entering a grocery store, there are rules guiding how you are to behave. some are explicit (needing to pay), others are more implicit (exchanging pleasantries). these constrain our behavior by giving us specific directions on how to act. there are also ways that the agency of actors within grocery store can resist/oppose structures. through agency, structures can be changed, either for time being or for future. thus, we are producing and reproducing the structures that enable/constrain behavior.

structures

rules and resources within structuration theory that agents draw on while they interact in social world, that can also be changed during the course of interaction

agency

under structuration theory, agency suggests that there is a possibility people can “act otherwise” in a situation.

constraint

under structuration theory, constraint is when structures limit our behavior by giving us specific directions about how to act. however, under agency, you may also resist or oppose structures that cause constraint.

duality of structure

communication and organizational structure are dependent and continuously create one another, producing and reproducing the structures that enable and constrain our behavior.

ex. when entering a grocery store, there are rules guiding how you are to behave. some are explicit (needing to pay), others are more implicit (exchanging pleasantries). these constrain our behavior by giving us specific directions on how to act. there are also ways that the agency of actors within grocery store can resist/oppose structures. through agency, structures can be changed, either for time being or for future. thus, we are producing and reproducing the structures that enable/constrain behavior.

discourse (little d)

referring to the study of talk and text and social practices. having diverse opinions, “compassion” could be a Discourse that holds sway for many human service workers, compassion is an enduring system of thought. however, the way social workers talking with clients or how nurses treat patients are ways that “compassion” could be instantiated int he ongoing discourse of a human service org.

Discourse (big D)

refers to the general and enduring systems of thought. having diverse opinions, “compassion” could be a Discourse that holds sway for many human service workers, compassion is an enduring system of thought. however, the way social workers talking with clients or how nurses treat patients are ways that “compassion” could be instantiated int he ongoing discourse of a human service org.

co-orientation

the process through which people coordinate activity through interaction. achieved through the interlinked ideas of conversation and text.

conversation

the ongoing interaction among individuals facilitated by language.\

text

substance or meaning, able to take many forms, an understanding of a particular interaction, memo, value for formality, etc. text is the product of conversational process, but it is also its raw material and principal occupation.

distanciation

the notion that the meaning created in the relationship between text and conversation can be codified (books, computer software) and thus make a difference in situations beyond initial interaction.

scaling up process

a process that original intent of a speaker is embedded in conversation and then distanced from that conversation, scaled up, through its transformation through text. it is a series of steps, or degrees of separation.

first degree of separation - intent of speaker is embedded in conversation (patrick suggests new way to connect homeless people with jobs)

second degree of separation - conversation is given narrative representation (heather tells others about patricks ideas that he shared w her)

third degree of separation - text is transcribed into a more permanent form (written plan is developed based on patricks ideas)

fourth degree of separation - specialized language is developed that is used in subsequent texts and conversations (specific terminology created for components of patricks plan so others can join the planning)

fifth degree of separation - text and conversations are transformed into material and physical frames (procedure manuals created, kiosks built in locations)

sixth degree of separation - the standardized form is disseminated to a broader public (new system is shared with nonprofits in other urban areas)

degrees of separation

scaling up process

first degree of separation - intent of speaker is embedded in conversation (patrick suggests new way to connect homeless people with jobs)

second degree of separation - conversation is given narrative representation (heather tells others about patricks ideas that he shared w her)

third degree of separation - text is transcribed into a more permanent form (written plan is developed based on patricks ideas)

fourth degree of separation - specialized language is developed that is used in subsequent texts and conversations (specific terminology created for components of patricks plan so others can join the planning)

fifth degree of separation - text and conversations are transformed into material and physical frames (procedure manuals created, kiosks built in locations)

sixth degree of separation - the standardized form is disseminated to a broader public (new system is shared with nonprofits in other urban areas)

ventriloquism

suggests that one agent in an organization can do the speaking for other agents, like a ventriloquist and a dummy.

the four flows

we can understand the communicative constitution of organization by appreciating the types of communication flows that happen during the process of organizing.

membership negotiation flow

the first flow, organizations are communicatively constituted through people who bring the org into existence and enter and exit over time. membership is often not a simple yes-or-no issue, so comm processes of membership negotiations are varied and continuous. includes the idea of crossing some boundaries like the boundaries of knowledge, legitimacy, and connection that can separate org members from others.

negotiating membership boundaries could involve asking questions or sharing info, storytelling, intros, and initiation events. they continuously serve to shift and change membership status.

self-structuring flow

the second flow, considering the processes that serve to design the org, providing guidance about resource allocation, institute policies and procedures, and creating rules abt how work is accomplished. self-structuring flow is what distinguishes orgs from regular groupings, providing norms, standards, and rules for getting work done in orgs. it also includes communication that is saved in more permanent forms like legal documents, policies, and schedules. many aspects of interaction that don’t need to be spoken about because they are codified in self-structuring flow.

activity coordination flow

the third flow, referring to the ongoing interaction that is necessary to get work done in an organization. this flow highlights the idea of interdependence (systems theory), various actors depend on each other to accomplish things and must communicate to coordinate activities within an org. activity coordination flow is brought into play when communication from self-structuring flow does not provide enough guidance regarding ongoing activities of the org. (ex. needing to talk to customer service about flight plan changes due to extenuating circumstances like a death in the family, where self-structured models like automated responses are not sufficient).

this flow only suggests that orgs are in a very basic way constituted by ongoing and interdependent communication, and does not automatically suggest that everyone has the same goals or purpose.

institutional positioning flow

the fourth flow, existing at the macro level of interorganizational communication. involves a number of different types of interaction, communication in this flow requires establishing relationships with other entities in the environment, establishing ways that info/other resources can move among relevant orgs.

ex. organizations might have departments that are charged with material procurement, with collecting on accounts, with marketing the product, or with the legal complications that can arise in complying with gov regulations. all of these are part of the institutional positioning flow as they involve the way which relationships are set up and maintained with other organizations.

organizational identity

an issue that arises within institutional flow, as a particular organization tries to establish itself as a viable partner or create/maintain an image that helps it position itself with other organizations in the larger environment or with the public.

materiality

refers to how physical objects, spaces, and bodies actively shape and get shaped by the ongoing communication that builds an organization.

from book: concerns with objects such as buildings and furniture or with the bodies we inhabit.