Comm 152

Organizational Communication

Organizational Socialization

The process by which one acquires the social knowledge and skills necessary to assume an organizational role; **learning the ropes**

Assimilation

The process of newcomers fitting into and becoming members of organizations

Social Exchange Theory

(Managers and coworkers) attempt to determine whether their relationship is advantageous

Sensemaking Theory

Newcomers attempt to make sense of what they see and experience as they enter and attempt to assimilate into organizations

Uncertainty Reduction/Management Theory

Entering organizations is an uncomfortable experience, individuals seek to reduce their uncertainty

Social Identity Theory

Individuals have a desire to join and be associated with others who share commonalities. 

What are the four stages/phases of organizational assimilation (Jablin,)?

1. Anticipatory
2. Encounter
3. Metamorphosis
4. Exit

What occurs in the first stage of organizational assimilation?

1. Anticipatory


1. Learning about it, the world of work, what it means to work, searching for info on organizations

What occurs in the second stage of organizational assimilation?

2. Encounter


1. Training for job tasks and organization policies, proactively seek out info, adapt, individualize, and role negotiate

What occurs in the third stage of organizational assimilation?

3. Metamorphosis


1. Long term settling in, feeling like a participating, contributing member, developing productive work relationships, developing social relationships, adapting to changes

What occurs in the fourth and final stage of assimilation?

4. Exit


1. Voluntary (planned) or involuntary (unplanned) leaving from an organization

What are the elements of **Van Maanen and Schein’s model** for the *three* dimensions of newcomers’ integration?

1. Functional


1. Different functions of organizations (hr, pr, finances)
2. Inclusionary


1. Becoming more included in an organization
3. Hierarchical


1. Possibility of working up the hierarchy chain

Vocational Anticipatory Socialization (VAS)

The process by which occupational interests are formed and careers are selected; learning about various vocations and, in general, learning about the world of work

What are the five recognized sources of VAS?

1. Family
2. Educational institutions
3. Part-time job experience
4. Peers and friends
5. Mass media

(*A sixth source can be websites)*

What are the five foci (types) of VAS messages?

1. Descriptive
2. Opportunity
3. Self-actualization
4. Self-sufficiency
5. Prescriptive

What are the three career frameworks found by **Jahn & Myers**?

1. Ability Framework
2. Enjoyment Framework
3. Goal-identity Framework

Why is the **ability framework** useful?

The way you look at the career is going to be initiated through how you capitalize your career through your skills

Why is the **enjoyment framework** useful?

Driven by work that is fulfilling, meaningful, and enjoyable

Why is the **goal-identity framework** useful?

Attracted to careers based on a desired identity or status

What do **Jahn and Myers (2014)** discuss as *three* major implications of their findings? 

1. Personality is related to job performance
2. Personality tests can be useful for employee selection
3. Personality traits can be developed

Emerging Adult

A crucial period of self growth involving the exploration of life, opportunities, and the unknown in transitioning from adolescence into adulthood

* Might rely on parents for advice, finances, and support

What are realistic job previews? How are they related to retention?

They tell you the real picture of what is happening in the job, by ensuring that job candidates have a clear understanding of the job before accepting an offer allows a higher retention rate

What occurs when a psychological contract is developed?

We set certain expectations of what it would be like to be a part of the organization

What is a **person-job** **fit**?

His/her abilities

What is a **person-org fit**?

His/her personality

Does person-job or person-org tend to be emphasized?

They are both currently emphasized and considered important for organizational success

Related to socialization, what occurs between job candidates’ acceptance of the offer and their first day?

Basic employment information (first day, benefits), newcomers ask about incidentals, paperwork

What is blue-collar work?

Tedious jobs that are considered routine and repetitive

What is concertive control?

Concertive control

* Workers controlling workers, an attempt to control your behavior without being supervised

Why may connective control have more of a controlling effect than management supervision?

It can cause rate-busting to happen, basically working exceeding the maximum expectation making it a standard 

What is organizational osmosis? 

The effortless adoption of the ideas, values, and culture of an organization

How does organizational osmosis relate to VAS?

Workers are trying to do the best they can for the organization because of what they heard and saw from their family members

What was the paradox about how fathers described their sons’ future work as in the article by **Gibson and Papa**?

Fathers often hold both traditional and nontraditional gender role beliefs simultaneously. While they may endorse traditional gender roles and expect conformity to masculine norms, they may also believe their sons should be free to pursue any career that interests them

What is colloquialism?

Colloquialisms are informal and familiar patterns of speech that are, or are nearly, cliche

How might colloquialism affect the types of jobs we aspire to attain?

They have become our unquestioned reality → society dictates what is considered “a good job”

Who pressured the students in **Clair’s study** to obtain a “real job”?

Peers, parents (specifically fathers), and from themselves

What factors can affect the characteristics of a “real job”? 

It can change for an individual based on age, education, experience

Overall, has there been much variance in what students think of as “real jobs” in the past 20+ years?

No, although different generations have different expectations and needs from a “real job”

What do most movies focused on pre-teens communicate about **the value of school**?

In terms of school, movies are often portraying school as a place of socializing and self-discovery → showing priority of extracurricular activities & socializing with friends over studying

What do most movies focused on pre-teens communicate about **the value of hard work to get ahead**? 

In terms of hard work, movies portray success as the result of natural talent, luck, or chance, rather than hard work and dedication

What do most movies focused on pre-teens communicate about **the types of work suitable to young women?** 

Movies often perpetuate gender stereotypes by portraying female characters in traditionally feminine roles (cheerleading or fashion design)

In the movies, how are mothers (women) typically portrayed?

Mothers are typically portrayed as nurturing and caring figures who prioritize the needs of their children above all else, selfless and sacrificing, or overprotective and controlling figures, or absent or neglectful figures

In the movies, what role do fathers have in girls’ career pursuits?

Fathers can be seen as supportive and encouraging where they empower their daughters to pursue their passions, some can be restrictive or disapproving who discourage their daughters 

What are some causes and effects of girls not negotiating?

* **Cause**: It can appear as pushy or aggressive


* **Effect**: They have lower salaries, decreased job satisfaction, and reinforce stereotypes

Why do organizations socialize newcomers?

* Organizations try to foster enthusiasm with newcomers. 


* They do this to ensure long term success, to ease coordination of activities between new and existing workers, and to shape newcomers into loyal members
* Orgs also incur high costs for hiring and training, and they do not want it to be all for nothing

What are **Van Maanen and Schein**’s six socialization tactics?

1. Collective Socialization
2. Formal Socialization
3. Informal Socialization
4. Individual Socialization
5. Serial Socialization
6. Disjunctive Socialization

Collective Socialization (institutional)

New employees are socialized as a group and learn the organization's values and norms from other employees. This may include group orientation programs, training sessions, or team-building activities.

Formal Socialization (institutional)

New employees are provided with a structured training program that outlines the organization's culture, values, and expectations. This may include classroom instruction, online courses, or mentorship programs.

Informal Socialization (individual)

New employees learn the organization's culture, values, and norms through informal interactions with other employees, such as lunchtime conversations, hallway chats, or after-work events.

Individual Socialization (individual)

New employees are provided with a customized socialization plan based on their specific needs and goals. This may include personalized training programs, one-on-one meetings with managers, or job shadowing opportunities.

Serial Socialization (institutional)

New employees are assigned a mentor or sponsor who has already been socialized into the organization's culture. The mentor provides guidance and support to help the new employee navigate the organization's culture and expectations.

Disjunctive Socialization (individual)

New employees are encouraged to challenge the organization's culture and values. This may include questioning the status quo, proposing new ideas, or pushing back against established norms. This tactic is more commonly used in organizations that value innovation and creativity.

If you wanted a newcomer to enter into his/her new role and feel free to innovate, which tactics would you use?

* Disjunctive tactic
* Makes the newcomer feel empowered to bring new perspectives and solutions to the organization
* Individual tactic
* Gives them the autonomy and support they need to innovate and make meaningful contributions to the organization

If you wanted to ensure job satisfaction, org identification, and reduce the chances that he/she leaves right away, which would you use? 

* Collective tactic
* Helps the newcomer build relationships with their peers and feel like part of the team
* Formal tactic
* Gives them a clear understanding of what is expected of them and how they can contribute to the organization's success
* Serial tactic
* Helps them feel valued and supported, and reduce the likelihood of them leaving the organization right away.

How can employers best ensure that members have role clarity?

* Develop clear job description


* Provide regular feedback
* Set performance goals
* Communicate expectations
* Encourage questions
* Provide training/development
* Ensuring assimilation

What are the *six* processes involved in org assimilation?

1. Becoming familiar with others
2. Becoming familiar with/adapting to the culture
3. Feeling recognized
4. Becoming involved
5. Developing job competency
6. Negotiating one's role

What do we mean by proactive socialization?

A newcomer's effort to self socialize. They do it by actively engaging in assimilation processes, and information seeking. 

When newcomers seek out information, what three questions might they be attempting to answer? 

1. What must I do to succeed?
2. Am I succeeding?
3. Am I accepted by others?

What are social costs involved in information seeking? 

* Time-consuming
* Can lead to delays in completing tasks, which leads to missed deadlines or opportunities.
* Expensive resources
* Acquiring databases or books may create a financial burden for individuals or organizations
* Ruining reputation
* Asking for help may affect perceived competence/intelligence by others
* Invading privacy
* Sharing personal information may be uncomfortable, especially if it’s medical/financial records
* Violating social Norms
* It may be inappropriate or disrespectful to question authority or seek information from sources outside of one's own community

Simple Conflict

When two people clearly understand what each other wants, but neither can get what they want without preventing the other from getting what they wants

* Keep the conflict simple – i.e., issue-oriented
* Avoid  implying that you have made up your mind
* Try waiting awhile before discussing the conflict
* Clarify issues and get all relevant facts
* Emphasize that cause(s)/results affect both parties

Pseudo Conflict

When people __actually agree, but perceive themselves as disagreeing__

* Make sure your own messages are clear 
* Check your understanding of others’ messages 
* Verify perceptions of conflict through communication

Ego Conflict

When others’ needs to defend their egos become part of the disagreement; most personally damaging form of conflict.

* May require third-party intervention (mediation, arbitration)
* Gives people chance to bring up their concerns, then stop
* Rather than explaining conflict, merely describe it: ask what happened, rather than why
* Find sources of conflict (e.g., org vs team vs interpersonal) and search for common ground  

How are anger and listening a part of conflict and conflict resolution?

To prevent or diffuse anger, we need to listen and understand what the angry individual needs that they are not receiving.

DESBO

A conflict resolution strategy that you can use to


1. Tell the person whom you have conflict with about their troublesome behaviors, citing examples
2. Tell them how it makes you feel
3. Describe how you would prefer they behave in similar situations in the future
4. Ask them whether they are okay with responding that way in the future. 

What are the key dimensions of feedback?

1. **Sign/Valence**
2. **Usefulness/Utility**

Other dimensions include timeliness, specificity, and frequency

Relate to valence and usefulness.

* Low usefulness + Low valence = Aggression
* Low usefulness + High valence = Flattery
* High usefulness + Low valence = Praise
* High usefulness + High valence = (Constructive) criticism

Baby boomers

Dedicated to career, workaholics, value respect and FtF communication

Gex X

Self reliant, skeptical, get to the point, like task variety, don’t want micromanagement

Millennial

Eager to learn, confident, collaborative, entrepreneurial, lack FtF skills 

Gen Z

Entrepreneurial, seek out orgs that care for them, prefer videos over text, unique and want to connect with unique others, no traditional opinion categories (gun-toting liberal), fun workplace, expect growth opportunities, model how to accept diversity

How does Gen Z feel about working in groups? Implications?

* Gen Z wants to work supported by others, but does not want to rely on others for success


* Gen Z might have to work in groups and learn to motivate others. 

What are some of the behaviors and preferences that Gen Z and Millennials have that might cause conflict with Baby Boomers and/or Gen X?

* Senior workers believe newcomers should have to pay their dues, however most Gen Z expect to change jobs every 1-2 years


* Boomers question Millennials and Gen X commitment and dedication to the organization
* Millennials and Gen Z often want more flexibility and they are more interactive, curious, and want meaningful work
* Gen X and Baby Boomers are taught to just work, there are differences in priorities of work life balance and long term stay in organizations which may lead older generations to see newer ones as lazy
* Millennials and Gen Z expect close relationships and frequent feedback from supervisors, but older generations think that new generations lack ability to work autonomously

How do **Baby Boomers** feel about work-life balance?

They’re workaholics

How does **Gen X** feel about work-life balance?

Often unwilling to give up personal/family time for work; they want some balance between work and personal time

How do **Millennials** feel about work-life balance?

Expect work life balance and will adjust their schedules unilaterally, but they do not mind having fluid boundaries

How does **Gen Z** feel about work-life balance?

Wants flexibility but they also want separation between work and their personal lives

What do we mean when we talk about an organization’s culture? 

Org culture is personality or the character of the organization that has been shown to impact meanings members make of social interactions and events

What is the relationship between org culture and org assimilation? 

When entering or already in an org, you have to be familiar with and adapt to the culture

* You grasp and accept what is considered normal inside the org culture as it is a significant part of assuming new org roles

What are the three types of org norms?

* **Pivotal norms**
* Relevant norms
* Peripheral norms

Pivotal norms

Behavioral patterns that have to be followed in order to maintain a part of organization

* ex. you can’t show up to work drunk

Relevant norms

Having a direct association with something, and participate as expected

* ex. raising your hand to speak, working as a team and falling into categories of team leaders vs. members

Peripheral norms

People may notice, but they wont say something if you break the rule

* ex. taking an extra 5 minutes on your lunch break

What are the three stages of acculturation?

* Externalization


* Objectification


* Internalization

Externalization

Newcomers learn about the org and the proper way to act in the environment

Objectification

They begin to see the way that people act in the org as normal

Internalization

They begin to evaluate themselves according to the org’s core assumptions

What is a strong culture and why might management work to instill a strong culture?

* In a strong culture, managers devote considerable effort toward aligning personalities, communication, practices, systems and values
* Ex. military, disney
* Managers may instill a strong culture because they don't have to closely monitor employees due to shared perspectives, general presumptions, and values with the org and other members. This may lead to less people leaving the job, so the jobs don't inquire high costs of employee quitting.