Organizational Communication

Question 1

Theories of organizational culture

Answer 1

Organizational cultures are created, perpetuated, and changed through communication.

Question 2

The importance of being able to “read” organizational culture

Answer 2

• Organizational culture= $$$
• Can predict performance
• Can foretell the future
• Before employment (is this really a place you want to work?)
• When applying pay attention to culture (increases odds of success)
• As a new employee (quick diagnosis= quick success) “Orinetation”

Question 3

Organizational Culture

Answer 3

Organizational values 
Mission
Goals
Beliefs
Methods of achieving goals
Climate 
Methods of passing on the culture
Rites, rituals, and traditions

Question 4

Classical Approaches

Answer 4

Based on “the machine metaphor”

- Specialization, Replicability, Standardization, Predictable.

Question 5

McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y

Classical approaches are problematic!

Answer 5

He created the term “Theory X” to describe a style of management, typical X style manager will think the typical person is lazy and will try to work the least amount
as they can.
- The average person works as little as possible
- People lack ambition, dislike responsibility and prefer to be lead.
-Leaders are special people and
- workers are self centered and don’t have the needs of the organization in mind.
- They resist change
- People are gullible and not particularly bright.

Managers are responsible for organization, control, and the economic interest of the organization.

• employees must be directed and controlled.
• Without this management, people would be passive or even resistant to organizational needs.

Question 6

Human Relations Approaches

Answer 6

Focus on social factors and satisfaction of the human needs of the worker
- Began in the late 1930’s

EX. Douglas McGregor (1960)
He believed that these Theory X beliefs are widely held, but incorrect.

Advocated Theory Y management

• Work is as natural as play or rest.
• External control and threat of punishment are not the only ways to achieve organizational goals.
• People can exercise self-direction and self-control
• Commitment to organizational objectives is sufficient motivation.
• The average person can learn to accept responsibility and even seek it.

Management Y
Satisfaction and self-actual inaction can be sufficient rewards to motivate achievement.
- humans are naturally imaginative and creative by nature
- Therefore the tools to solve organizational problem are distribute widely (not just in management)
- Under the conditions of modern industrial life, the intellectual potential of the average human being are only partially utilized.

Question 7

The Human Resources Perspective

Answer 7

Recognized abuses of both classical approaches and human relation approaches.

Combines elements of both

• Employees are seen as assets who contribute to organizational goals.
• Cultivate resources

Question 8

Renisis Likert’s System IV

Tells
Sells
Consults
Joins

Answer 8

System 1 TELLS: The exploitive authoritative organization

• Motivation through fear and threats
• Downward (and inaccurate) communication
• Top-level

System II SELLS: Benevolent authoritative organization

• motivation through economic and ego rewards
• Top-down decision making and control
• Does not value exploiting the worker
• Management believe the authoritative style is “best for the worker”

System III CONSULTS: The consultative organization

• Decisions still made at the top
• Employees are consulted
• High lvl of communication

System IV JOINS: The participative organization
- Decision making by all organizational members
- Goals are established by groups
- Control is at lol organizational levels
- Communication is upward, downward, and horizontal
- Value all members contributions
-