COMM 122: Micro/Macro Organizational Communication Lecture 1 9/28/09

1. COMM 122:Micro/Macro Organizational Communication Lecture 1 9/28/09 Dave Seibold Professor, Department of Communication Division of Social Sciences (L&S) Co-Director, Graduate Program in Management Practice Technology Management Program (CoE)

2. Organizational Characteristics: Cornerstones of Organizational Theory (OT) 1. Goals: Unrealized state that org members deem desirable -- mission, products, services . . . OT: Challenge for orgs = Multiple goals (especially when they are at cross-purposes)

3. Organizational Characteristics: Cornerstones of Organizational Theory 1. Goals: Unrealized state that members deem desirable -- mission, products, services . . . Challenge = Multiple goals (esp when at cross-purposes) Resolution: Top management must (a) achieve balance between competing goals (b) clearly define and communicate goals Why? Design and maintenance of the organization Coordination Motivate members, increase identification w/the organization

4. Organizational Characteristics: Cornerstones of Organizational Theory (OT) 1. Goals 2. Work Type(s) of activity needed to accomplish goals (jobs) Primary (line) versus secondary (staff) work OT: How should these functions relate?

5. Organizational Characteristics: Cornerstones of Organizational Theory (OT) 1. Goals 2. Work 3. Power and Authority Power = ability to influence successfully through individualfactors knowledge, skills, money, personality . . . Authority = influence through officialrecognition by/role in organization OT: What is relationship between these for organizational effectiveness? (e.g., leadership versus ‘managership’)

6. Organizational Characteristics: Cornerstones of Organizational Theory (OT) 1. Goals 2. Work 3. Power and Authority 4. Size and Complexity Success/opportunities --> org growth (including size of org) More members --> assigned to subunits & tasks (delegation) Delegation --> role elaboration (variance in jobs) Increased size and role elaboration --> org complexity (formalization in written rules, policies, procedures)

7. Organizational Characteristics: Cornerstones of Organizational Theory (OT) 1. Goals 2. Work 3. Power and Authority 4. Size and Complexity 5. Design Role elaboration --> how units to be formed/fit together Decisions about form/fit --> org design (structure/process) Structure - e.g., hierarchical work arrangements Process - e.g., deciding work flow Design decisions --> work and unit differentiation Differentiation must be balanced by integration

8. Organizational Characteristics: Cornerstones of Organizational Theory (OT) 1. Goals 2. Work 3. Power and Authority 4. Size and Complexity 5. Design (con’t) OT: What are the structures and processes that organizations utilize to promote integration?

9. Organizational Characteristics: Cornerstones of Organizational Theory (OT) 1. Goals 2. Work 3. Power and Authority 4. Size and Complexity 5. Design (con’t) OT Integration mechanisms? mission, power & authority, control systems, job design, selection & training, reward systems, performance appraisal & feedback, job rotation, CFTs, site visits, socialization processes, retreats, strategic planning, communication (meetings, f-to-f, org wide strategic)

10. Organizational Characteristics: Cornerstones of Organizational Theory (OT) 1. Goals 2. Work 3. Power and Authority 4. Size and Complexity 5. Design 6. Environment = all groups, norms, and conditions w/which org must deal -- critical to org’s inputs and for org’s outputs -- must have boundaries though which inputs/outputs pass

11. Organizational Characteristics: Cornerstones of Organizational Theory (OT) 1. Goals 2. Work 3. Power and Authority 4. Size and Complexity 5. Design 6. Environment -- critical to org’s inputs and for org’s outputs -- must have boundaries though which inputs/outputs pass MANAGING INPUTS: market research, IS security, sales reports, legal counsel, planners’ & analysts’ activities MANAGING OUTPUTS: PR releases, distributions systems, trade agreements, non-compete clauses/contracts

12. Organizational Characteristics: Cornerstones of Organizational Theory (OT) 1. Goals 2. Work 3. Power and Authority 4. Size and Complexity 5. Design 6. Environment 7. Adaptation and Change Orgs exist in turbulent environments w/ discontinuous change OT: How do orgs build in flexibility to deal w/ actual and potential environments? Mechanisms?

13. Organizational Characteristics: Cornerstones of Organizational Theory (OT) 1. Goals 2. Work 3. Power and Authority 4. Size and Complexity 5. Design 6. Environment 7. Adaptation and Change Mechanisms to deal w/ actual and potential environments? strategic planning, internal task forces, consultants, philosophy, human resources, diversity initiatives, new product development, globalization, marketing plans, strategic internal and external communication

14. Organizational Characteristics: Cornerstones of Organizational Theory (OT) 1. Goals 2. Work 3. Power and Authority 4. Size and Complexity 5. Design 6. Boundary/Environment 7. Adaptation and Change 8. Technology = The art and science employed in production/distribution of the organization’s goods and services Examples?

15. Organizational Characteristics: Cornerstones of Organizational Theory (OT) 1. Goals 2. Work 3. Power and Authority 4. Size and Complexity 5. Design 6. Boundary/Environment 7. Adaptation and Change 8. Technology Examples? QWL, CPI, 360 Feedback, Six Sigma, Change Mngt, Plant Optimization, Inventory Controls, Tracking systems

16. Organizational Characteristics: Cornerstones of Organizational Theory (OT) 1. Goals 2. Work 3. Power and Authority 4. Size and Complexity 5. Design 6. Boundary/Environment 7. Adaptation and Change 8. Technology 9. Communication a) Often treated only as information transmission in OT b) Or as integration mechanism (coordination, cooperation) c) But also is symbolic exchange and sense making

17. Organizational Characteristics: Cornerstones of Organizational Theory (OT) 1. Goals 2. Work 3. Power and Authority 4. Size and Complexity 5. Design 6. Boundary/Environment 7. Adaptation and Change 8. Technology 9. Communication

18. Types of Organizations Service Production Governmental/Regulatory Professional Advocacy Fund Raising Religious Communal Total

19. Types of Organizations Reasons to distinguish among types of organizations … 1. Reduces tendency to reify organizations 2. Have different environments 3. Contingency theory (environment x org type --> performance) 4. Practical implications re:orgs as employers, customers, etc.

20. Schools of Organizational Theory as Paradigms Thomas Kuhn (TheStructure of Scientific Revolutions) Paradigm Paradigm shift Examples Why study ‘old’ paradigms? 1. For understanding - old ones embedded in new(er) ones 2. So do not reproduce same limitations 3. Practical reasons - proponents of past still in present

21. Schools of Organizational Theory as Paradigms Classical/Traditional School Human Relations/Human Resources School Systems School Interpretive/Cultural School Critical School These “schools” or traditions or perspectives are not theories, but are metatheoreticalorientations

22. Schools of Organizational Theory Classical/Traditional School Historical roots Theorists Max Weber – Bureaucratic/Administrative Perspective Henri Fayol – Industrial Management Perspective Fredrick Taylor – Scientific Management Perspective

23. Classical/Traditional School Historical roots Industrial Revolution of 19th century brought traditional structures into new arenas (hierarchy, division of labor, role specialization). In US, IR marked time of hope (growing business, capital expansion, successful industrialists, technological advances via science and engineering). It also was a period of great worry (compulsory supervision, suppression of labor rights, nepotism, no long-range planning)

24. Classical/Traditional School Max Weber – Bureaucratic Theory Background and foci… Major German sociologist/social theorist (1864-1920) of society, institutions, and organizations of religion(s) and religious institutions The Theory of Social and Economic Organization (treatise on bureaucracy as fundamental structure of organizing)

25. Classical/Traditional School Max Weber – Bureaucratic Theory Studied Chinese civilization over 3000 years, Prussian Army, Roman Catholic Church, European monarchies… Probs w/ existing forms of organization (patriarchy, feudalism) as models for contemporary industrial organizations: Unity of command - too much power in central roles Authority based on tradition or force - too abusive

26. Classical/Traditional School Max Weber – Bureaucratic Theory (con’t) Features of Bureaucacy - Hierarchy of offices and positions Centralization of power Rational-legal authority enacted via rules that are exhaustive, stable, ordered Positions filled via expert qualifications/training Management via written documentation (archived) Roles = duties and job descriptions, division of labor Resources belong to the office not office holder Tenure (as opposed to employment at whim of leader)

27. Classical/Traditional School Max Weber – Bureaucratic Theory (con’t) Bureaucracy as “ideal type” of organization: Based on rational-legal authority (rather than traditional authority or charisma) Based in positions whose function is to maintain the org Implies existence of specialized administrative staff Epitome of administrative rationality (hierarchical arrangement of “offices,” not of individuals) Bureaucratization = ratio of admin to production members

28. Classical/Traditional School Henri Fayol – Industrial Management Theory French industrialist (owned and managed large coal and steel companies for more than 30 years in early 1900s) Like Weber, concerned with structure of organization and with large-scale structure Unlike Weber, organization-centered (not societal), & as practitioner (not as academic/theorist)

29. Classical/Traditional School Henri Fayol – Industrial Management Theory Credited w/ rise of Administrative Theory and Industrial Management Coordination (via control) & specialization (via division of labor) = the major activities of managment ‘14 Principles’ as guidelines for managing . . . (see Miller text) Scalar principle - single pyramidal structure of control relationships Unity of command principle - orders from only one superior Span of control principle - not more subs than sup can manage Exception principle - Departmentalization principle - Line-staff principle -

30. Classical/Traditional School Henri Fayol – Industrial Management Theory He also introduced a footnote in OT history, but w/ major impact on how orgs conceptualized thereafter AND w/ implications for communication… His concept = “the gangplank” (also know in OT as “Fayol’s bridge”) Employees could violate chain of command and could communicate with others at same level of hierarchy: when supervisors have given prior approval when a crisis exists (even if without prior approval) Implications: Underscored need for coordination in orgs & among members Introduced possibility of lateral communication in organizations

31. Classical/Traditional School Fredrick Taylor – Scientific Management (Taylorism) “Bottom up” approach to organizational structure Focus on individually-centered structure via job study Response to workers’ “soldiering”/managers’ incompetence Goals Reduce inefficiencies of poorly designed organizations Increase workers’ motivation Components “Complete Mental Revolution” Scientific procedures

32. Classical/Traditional School Scientific Management (Taylorism) 3 “Attitudes” Underlying Taylor’s Mental Revolution Scientific design of organizations Motivation through increased economic rewards Cooperation between labor & management

33. Classical/Traditional School Scientific Management (Taylorism) 4 “Principles” for Implementing Scientific Management Scientific job design – time-motion studies Scientific selection of workers – match abilities to job Adequate training & rewards – pay person/not job Division of labor & responsibilities – functional forepersons

34. Communication in Classical/Traditional School Emphasizes written channels primarily Direction downward primarily, often distorted Little opportunity for input/upward influence “Trained communication incapacity”