Lecture 1 - Organisational communication and Management theory

What is organisational communication?

• Communication that happens within organisations (Emails, newsletters, chats, meetings)

• Organisations as containers where communication flows inside

• Explanatory framework from which to understand complexities of organising

• To study organisational community action = to examine and improve the fundamental social processes of organising

Complexity of communication

1. Information transfer → exchange of data to the right people

2. Shared meaning → mutual understanding and interpretation of messages by different members

3. Transactional → continuous interaction, meaning-making, relationship-building

Models of communication

1. Transmission Model of Communication

2. Constitutive Model of Communication

Transmission model of communication

Effective organisational communication: Transmitting the right information to the right people at the right times in the right ways

Constitutive model of communication

• Communication shapes our social realities and how we socially construct the meanings and interpretations that shape our lives

• Communication constitutes (creates, define, makes up) our social worlds

• Organisations are seen as communicative entities built on ongoing interactions and shared interpretations

Organisations are…

…social realities → orgs shaped by human actions and communication

…manifestations of human activity and communication → dynamic collections of interactions, decisions, relationships, negotiations and cultural norms

…communicative → continuous evolution through communication, influencing and being influenced by the interactions between members

Shortcomings of transmission model

• Good at examining how people transmit information within the system, not good at understanding and explaining the nature of organisations

• Sees communication as a neutral pipeline of information, ignores how interactions create or change the things we are communicating about

• Static model, not capturing the dynamic and relational processes that are fundamental to how organisations evolve

Aspects of organisations

• Organisations have implicit norms that are sustained through communication → roles, decision-making processes, cultures, ways of working, and structures

• These aspects are often taken for granted and invisible until examined

• Formal hierarchies, informal cultures and routine communication practices are crucial to maintaining organisational functioning

How communication shapes an organisation

• Communication defines an organisation’s culture, establishes norms, and influences the way decisions are made

• Shapes organisational identity and reality by facilitating the social processes of negotiation, agreement and conflict

Communication as a lense to explain other social phenomena

• Organisational communication helps us understand broader social phenomena like power dynamics, leadership styles and employee motivation

• Examining how communication flows and is interpreted, we gain insight into how organisations reflect, reinforce or challenge societal values

Post-positivist perspective

Purpose: To understand how an organization is functioning by identifying causal relationships (e.g., if X happens, then Y will follow)

Goal: Improve functioning and efficiency by identifying quantifiable variables and causal patterns

• Quantitative methods: Focus on data and statistics, aiming for objectivity, reliability (replication), and generalizability (predicting phenomena)

• Example: A post-positivist researcher might explore why certain management interventions are more successful than others, or investigate the prevalence and impact of workplace bullying.

Interpretive perspective

Focus: The interpretive perspective seeks to understand the subjective meaning of experiences—how individuals within organizations interpret and make sense of their interactions and environment

• Reality and knowledge are constructed through communication.

• Qualitative research methods (e.g., interviews, participant observation) are used to gather rich, detailed insights from multiple perspectives.

• Unlike the post-positivist approach, interpretive researchers embrace biases and recognize that meaning-making is socially negotiated.

• Example: How do employees interpret management's communication about work conditions? The interpretive researcher might find diverse viewpoints on whether communication from leadership feels supportive or manipulative.

Critical & feminist perspectives

Focus: Critical perspectives view organizations as sites of power and domination. These perspectives aim to identify and challenge power imbalances

Goal: Transformative action, promoting resistance and the emancipation of marginalized or oppressed groups

Feminist approaches

Organizations are seen as inherently patriarchal, dominated by masculine ideologies that prioritize control, rationality, and competitiveness over cooperation, intuition, and empathy

Masculine ideology: Aggressiveness, competitiveness, control, rationality, individuality

Feminine ideology: Cooperation, intuition, connectedness, empathy, emotion

Communication as constitutive: Power dynamics and gender norms are enacted and perpetuated through communication processes within organizations

Example: If a tree falls in the woods and there is no one there to hear it, did it really make a sound?

Post-positivist: Would argue that the tree makes a sound if we can measure the vibrations

Interpretive: Would explore how we define "sound" and suggest that without someone listening, there may not be a shared experience of sound

Critical: Would question why the tree fell in the first place, who benefits from its fall, and what the larger environmental and societal implications are, such as deforestation practices

First management theory

• Reflects on society at that moment in history

• Industrialisation → Machine Theory: every employee has a specific defined role within the system to maintain productivity

• Post-Positivist lens + Machine theory = dynamic system influenced by human behaviour, introduces a richer perspective

• Standardized human labor: rational, impersonal way of organizing in the best possible way, prioritizes process over individual needs or creativity

Classical management theory methods (top-down)

Taylor (prescriptive, micro): Focuses on efficiency and the optimization of tasks. Managers are the thinkers, workers are the doers. Tasks are broken down into simple, repeatable actions

Fayol (prescriptive, macro): Emphasizes command, coordination, control, and the overall organizational structure. It focuses on maximizing productivity across the entire organization

Weber (ideal): Advocates for authority, hierarchy, and formal rules to ensure fairness and transparency within the organization

Human relations management key things:

• Hawthorne studies: experiments designed to find ways to increase productivity

• Serendipity: Looking for something, you find something else

• Importance of human factors: personal attention

Human resources management

• From human relations to human resources → Balance emotions and efficiency

• Became popular in 1970s and 1980s → Economy shifted from manufacturing to service

• Human assets → Employees seen as sources of creativity, innovation, and problem solving

Theory X, Y, Z

Theory X: Assumes that employees are inherently lazy and need to be controlled through external motivation and supervision

Theory Y: Assumes that employees are self-motivated and seek responsibility, and should be empowered to make decisions

Theory Z: Combines elements of both X and Y, emphasizing long-term employment, strong organizational culture, and mutual trust between employees and management