Communication as Constitution of Organizations (CCO), Diversity, Socialization, Feminist Theory, and Key Terms

CCO (Communication as Constitution of Organizations)

• What is CCO? Theory that communication is the organization.
• What does CCO reject? The idea that organizations are static containers.
• What does CCO say creates organizations? Communication, not just structure.
• Why is CCO important? It was the first organizational theory made by communication scholars.
• What is the CCO metaphor? Organizations are communities.
• Who is Robert McPhee? He created the Four Flows Model of CCO.
• What is the Four Flows Model? Explains how communication builds organizations.
• What is Membership Negotiation? How people join or leave an organization.
• What is Self-Structuring? Creating rules, policies, and roles within an organization.
• What is Activity Coordination? Communicating to get tasks done.
• What is Institutional Positioning? How an organization presents itself to outsiders.
• Who is François Cooren? A CCO scholar in the Montreal School.
• Who is James R. Taylor? Founder of the Montreal School in CCO.
• What is the Montreal School? Focuses on how text and talk create organizations.
• What's an example of Montreal School logic? Small talk leads to notes, which leads to policy.
• Who is Karl Weick? Influenced CCO with Sensemaking Theory.
• What is Social Constructionism? The idea that reality is created through communication.
• What is Non-summativity? Organizations are more than just the sum of their parts.
• What is Holism? Systems working together create something new.
• What is Organizational Culture? Shared values built through communication.
• How do organizations form, according to CCO? By speaking ideas into reality.
• How are organizations maintained? Through daily communication.
• How do organizations change? By talking about problems and solutions.
• What is an example of CCO at JMU? "Dukes Hold Doors" becoming a norm.
• How is BTS ARMY like an organization? Coordinated action and shared norms.

Diversity

• What are "pink collar" jobs? Female-dominated, undervalued professions.
• How does Critical Theory view gender in organizations? Masculine traits are often favored.
• How does race relate to Critical Theory? Race affects power and opportunity.
• How does Critical Theory view diversity? It critiques tokenism and structural bias.
• Why is communication central to power? It's how control and resistance happen.
• What does Critical Theory say about identity? It's shaped through communication.
• What is resistance in Critical Theory? Pushing back through speech or action.
• What is the "Karen archetype"? A middle-aged white woman asserting privilege (e.g., "I'd like to speak to your manager").
• Differentiate stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. Stereotypes are cognitive patterns, prejudice is attitudes, and discrimination is actions.
• What is ethnocentrism? Judging other cultures by one's own standards, often marginalizing differences.
• What is psychic unity in teams? Psychological cohesion despite demographic diversity (e.g., shared goals).

Socialization

• What is socialization? The process in which an organization attempts to shape an individual to meet their needs.
• What is individualization? The process by which the individual attempts to shape an organization to meet their needs.
• Define role-taking. When individuals adopt role behaviors suggested by other organization members.
• Define role-making. When individuals influence others to accept their concept of a role.
• What is anticipatory socialization? Expectation forming (from family, media, school, peers).

Feminist Theory

• What is emotional labor? Managing emotions as part of a job (e.g., customer service), often gendered and undervalued.
• Define intersectionality in Feminist Theory. Overlapping systems of oppression (race, gender, class) shaping workplace experiences.
• What is a gendered organization? Structures that perpetuate inequalities (e.g., "pink collar" jobs, glass ceiling).
• How does Feminist Theory critique language in organizations? Terms like "real job" stigmatize roles associated with marginalized groups.
• What is the glass ceiling? Invisible barriers preventing women/minorities from advancing in organizations.

Key Terms

• What is ideology? Beliefs like "hierarchy is necessary and useful" that justify power imbalances.
• What is hegemony? Blindly accepting rules from management as natural.