Term
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Definition
| system consisting of a large number of people working together in a structured way to accomplish multiple goals; Ex. college- many people working together to achieve common goals |
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Term
| Characteristics of Organizations |
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Definition
| Interdependence, hierarchal structure, linkage to the environment, dependence on communication |
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Definition
| Best defines organization; all members within organization are connected to one another, one aspect affects every other part, reason people join organizations because they know working together they can accomplish goals couldn't achieve on their own |
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Definition
| System that is divided into orders and ranks; status and power are not equally distributed |
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| Form of hierarchy, clear chain of command; specialized jobs and employes are rewarded on basis of performance |
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Term
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Definition
| Organizations cannot survive without a healthy environment, they change their environments; Ex. corporation mores its corporate headquarters its former community suffers; must be aware of the damage they can cause, be capable of adapting to changes in environment surrounding them |
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| Dependence on Communication |
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Definition
| People in organizations argue, cooperate, make decisions, solve problems, forge relationships |
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Term
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Definition
| Organizational identity that communication creates and maintains; Poole and McPhee spoke of importance |
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Term
| Formal Channels of Communication |
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Definition
| Information flows through a structured chain of command officially recognized by the organization; Ex. worker hands report to manager, sends it to supervisor |
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Term
| Informal Channels of Communication |
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Definition
| Information takes a more personal and less structured path; Ex. Sales representative meets the head of personnel's secretary in the lunchroom and discusses rumors about cutbacks |
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Term
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Definition
| Visual representation of the organization's chain of command; shows formal channels, Ex. Campus Saftey Organizational Chart; indicate where in a hierarchy of responsibility and power each job is located |
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Term
| Organizational Communication |
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Definition
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Term
| Downward Flow of Communication |
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Definition
| When someone near the top of the organization sends a message to someone near the bottom; Ex. Associate director of campus safety sends memo to the escort service supervisor |
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Term
| Characteristics of Downward Flow |
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Definition
| Instructions, appraisals, announcements flow downward, problems: too much or too little information, message filtering; people may react negatively to power |
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Term
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Definition
| Problem in formal communication, as flows downward message lost in process; more links it must pass more distorted it becomes |
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Term
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Definition
| Transmission of a message in a one-way direction from one person to the next, sometimes clarity of message is overestimated, if anticipate that info will anger people, decrease competitive edge, or be criticized information may be kept to themselves |
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Term
| Effects of Serial Transmission |
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Definition
| Leveling, Sharpening, Assimilation |
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Term
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Definition
| Details are left out as the amount of information in the message is reduced; Message grows shorter |
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Term
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Definition
| Certain high points are given special significance and elaboration |
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Term
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Definition
| Memory of the message is affected by the sender's frame of reference; unfamiliar material is changed so that it makes sense to the sender |
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Term
| Improve Accuracy in Serial Transmission |
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Definition
| Managers build redundancy into their messages, employees ask for clarification |
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Term
| Upward Flow of Communication |
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Definition
| Message travels from the bottom of the chart toward to top; Ex. Message from a records clerk ends up on the desk of the operations director |
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Term
| Characteristics of Upward Flow |
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Definition
| Examples: progress reports, warnings of job-related problems, suggestions, feedback (alert superiors to changes in client's needs); often neglected to avoid negative information/change, often distorted (bearers of bad news), withhold information reflecting badly on them, affected by gatekeepers |
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Term
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Definition
| Affect upward flow; someone (administrative assistant/receptionist) who is in a position to pass on or discard information; filter out trivial messages, suppress needed information |
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Term
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Definition
| Managers seek out bad news and encourage subordinates to tell the truth no matter how negative it may be, unnecessary gatekeepers eliminated, specialized channels, Most imp- establish climate of trust and openness |
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Term
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Definition
| Special position that listens to workers at lower levels of organization and passes their concerns directly to the top |
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Term
| Horizontal Flow of Information |
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Definition
| Communication occurs between people at the same level; Ex. investigator discusses car break in with a parking attendant and a patrol officer, or heads of a community meet to discuss budget needs |
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Term
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Definition
| Individuals in Kansas/Nebraska to try to contact strangers in Massachusetts, discovered we are all part of a giant network connected to others by "six degrees of separation" |
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Term
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Definition
| Informal channels, comes from Civil War when telegraph lines were threaded through trees, describes any system of message that does not follow a straight-line, predictable pattern |
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Term
| Characteristics of Grapevines: Hellwig and Davis |
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Definition
| Hellwig and Davis- grapevine arises because individuals have personal interests and needs that are not satisfied by formal channels, rumor only makes up a small proportion of the information on grapevine, contains useful and valid information as well, information on grapevine may be incomplete but is accurate |
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Term
| Characteristics of Grapevines: Conrad |
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Definition
| Richer in content that formal communication, operates on face-to-face basis, allows for immediate feedback and clarification; concern for lack of control |
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Term
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Definition
| Gary Kreps; Consists of collectively held logics and legends about organizational life and the organization's identity |
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Term
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Definition
| Sense of disorientation occurring when the rules you're used to playing no longer work; people in organizational cultures need to know what is going on and find a way to adapt to new surroundings |
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Term
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Definition
| Newcomers should be helped to make sense of organization; when they enter organization they have trouble understanding what's going on because their old scripts/schemata no longer work; experience surprise |
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Term
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Definition
| Emotional reaction to differences between life in the organization and life outside it; emotional state occurring when one's expectations about job or oneself are disconfirmed |
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Term
| Pacanowsky and O'Donnell-Trujillo |
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Definition
| Organizational culture can be seen in communication practices including metaphors, stories, rituals; by observing these we can better understand organization's values, beliefs, and attitudes |
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Term
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Definition
| Linguistic expressions that allow us to experience one thing in terms of another; shape and reflect the way we see the world; Ex. Your part of the family- expect to take care and protect one another, weaker members treated like children; Ex. Military "Blast the competition" |
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Term
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Definition
| Help make sense of organizational culture by reflection company values; Ex. "Innovation is Encouraged"- scotch tape discovered by accident |
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Term
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Definition
| Trice/Beyer; publicly preformed elaborate, dramatic, planned sets of activities that consolidate various forms of cultural expressions into one event |
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Term
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Definition
| A system of several rites connected with a single occasion or event; Ex. Graduation- Ceremonial consisting of many rites (receptions, parties, awards ceremonies) |
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Term
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Definition
| Rites of passage, degradation, enhancement, renewal, integration |
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Term
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Definition
| Celebrate new identities; Ex. basic training, first-year orientation |
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Term
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Definition
| Strip away power; Ex. impeachment, judicial hearing |
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Term
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Definition
| Reward achievement; Ex. Academy awards, honor society |
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Term
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Definition
| Improve Organization; Ex. Diversity awareness, retreat |
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Term
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Definition
| Create commitment; Ex. End of semester party |
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Term
| Professional Relationships |
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Definition
| Differ from personal relationships by choice and power; purpose is to accomplish work, need to work together, acknowledge role and status differences |
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Term
| Rules for Professional Behavior |
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Definition
| Acknowledge different organizational roles, remember goal is work, manage time and responsibilities, balance inclusion and distance, acknowledge others' comfort and concerns, put aside personal feelings, manage disagreement and criticism |
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Term
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Definition
| (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission); Unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors, verbal/physical conduct of a sexual nature; affects employment, interferes with work performance, creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment |
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Term
| Conrad- Sexual Harassment |
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Definition
| "normal" employee identified as male, support systems for women and people of color are weak/nonexistent, power is unequal |
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