Critical Theory of Communication in Organizations

To begin this post, I would like to reflect on some personal experiences of communication in organizations. I have worked in jobs with varying styles of how the organization is run. My best experience has been my most recent. I have a female boss (very inspirational woman), the environment is moderately loud and humorous, 10 personalities all get along great, there are open lines of communication, yet there are distinct roles of authority. I feel this office environment works so well because of my boss. She treats everyone the same, laughs a lot (in a way that makes uncomfortable situations feel very comfortable), but she is also firm and tells one how it really is. I have never been in such a joyful, yet productive office in my life (granted I am in still in college, but I have been around an office environment my entire life due to my mother). Some of my worst experiences within organizations included those where the communication was greatly lacking, and there was too much ego and power in combination with each other. An example that comes to mind is a summer job that I once had. The owner seemed nice, and the managers (husband and wife) seemed okay. The owner was only there once or twice a week, and the managers were only doing their jobs once or twice a week. When the owner wasn't there, the managers weren't so nice. It was a bit of a sour experience that I was more than grateful to get away from. To tie these two organizations into Stanley Deetz's "Critical Theory of Communication in Organizations," I will say, in my experience, when my opinion is valued (even if I am the entry level employee being paid minimum wage, or nothing), I am a significantly more productive employee. Furthermore, I become a great asset to the company because I am motivated, engaged, and striving to truly help in anyway that I can. However, if I do not feel my opinion is valued in anyway, I feel discouraged and replaceable. 

To further exemplify what I am trying to describe, I have provided a clip from the movie "The Devil Wears Prada," below. In this clip, Miranda (the boss), pays no attention to the opinions of her employees. This creates an uncomfortable, and discouraging atmosphere. Thus, there is also a lot of deep rooted anger and frustration as well that incurs.

So what it Deetz's theory all about anyway?

Stanley Deetz decided to take a critical look at how organizations within the United States are run, how they effect our lives, and how they compare to other cultures. This is described as critical because he is critiquing and examining communication practices in organizations. Basically, he found that corporations are influencing us in nearly every aspect of our lives to the way we talk, schedule our time, and describe ourselves. This essentially describes the term, corporate colonization, which is the encroachment of modern corporations into every area of life outside of the workplace.

Undermining decision-making

With the current communication trends in organizations, like I explained in my personal experiences, people who could help with decision making, are often not in the process of decision making. Not to say that everyone should be involved at all times, but often times those people that are not at the very top, having nothing or very little to do with decisions that are being made (possibly big decisions about their personal working environments). If a CEO is making a decision about a job that, that CEO knows nothing about, they probably shouldn't be the person making the decision. It would be wise of that CEO to ask the people who know very well, what is happening, and how that decision can be best solved. If a CEO fails to do this, they fail the people of their company. This is because they are the people effected by the consequences of poor knowledge, which leads to poor decision making practices. Sometimes this means families end up with no or little healthcare, retirement, or extremely low wages.

Deetz and managerial control

Deetz sees managerial control as just that, control. He believes that this system is simply put in place to control others, even though, workers are seeking freedom. The real issue with this is that the control of others often times becomes more important than even things like financial gains. Furthermore, Deetz explains that managers are often praised for "putting out fires." This is brought up because if you are simply "putting out fires," there was no discussion to be had about the initial issue. Thus, no problem really gets solved. If anything, it becomes worse because grudges and deep emotional issues are formed this way.

Terms and their meanings

The following terms are connected through managerial control of organizations. 

• Consent: The process by which employees actively, though unknowingly, accomplish managerial interests in a faulty attempt to fulfill their own. 
• Systematically Distorted Communication: Operating outside of employees' awareness, a form of discourse that restricts what can be said or even considered.
• Discursive Closure: Suppression of conflict without employees realizing that they are complicit in their own censorship

The first, consent, I feel is affluent because of our "need" to work and gain the likeness of our boss. If we do this, then we succeed. The second, systematically distorted communication, seems almost like trickery within the system of communication. Employees are "tricked" into believing they are acting freely, when in reality they are not. The third, discursive closure, seems like more of a mentality. Thus, each kind of builds itself on the other, and can all be prevalent within an organization. It is also possible for "bits and pieces" to be true within the communication of an organization.

Solutions from Deetz!

Although Deetz doesn't have any solutions to which he truly believes in himself (because at this point they are a bit idealistic), he has good ideas on where to begin the process of establishing a new system of organizational communication. Thus, the following:

• Involvement, with free expression of ideas that may or may not affect managerial decision making.
• Participation, where stakeholders negotiate power and openly reach collaborative decisions.
• Politically Attentive Relational Constructionism, is based off of conflict communication, looked at in a collaborative way.

In conclusion, the United States is deeply flawed in its systems of communication, especially in that of organizations. However, with great thought, there is possibility for a great future where there is a more collaborative effort, and the rule of control is extinguished.

Cultivation Theory

Cultivation theory was theorized by George Gerbner. He recognized that the television was creating a dramatic shift in the way that people were influenced on a daily basis. Furthermore, according to Gerbner, he believed that violence was a staple to the television world because it was the cheapest, and most dramatic way to create entertainment. With that, Gerbner came up with "mean world syndrome."
Mean world syndrome is a mindset created from too much TV viewing that creates an overall mistrust of other people. However, keep in mind that much research on this topic has come up short as inconclusive.

After reviewing this theory, I was able to understand and relate to the theory well, simply through personal experiences. Many current movies and television shows are along the lines of gruesome, thriller, crime dramas. In the media today there has been a lot of discussion about this relating to real-world violence (school shootings, gruesome murders, and general gun violence). While this is all very relevant to the cultivation theory, I would like to propose a less direct link–reality TV.

Reality TV from what I have experienced, has created a false reality for many (primarily young) people. I say this with shows in mind like "Keeping Up With the Kardashians." This shows "characters" essentially create a world where materialistic values rule. There is less of a focus on others, and more of a focus on self. This world alters the importance of more traditional "human" values. The link between this and the mean world syndrome may be distant, but I find the link to be "the general mistrust of others…by heavy TV viewers." If one were to watch this show (or shows similar) they would probably begin to feel like they were not good enough because their lives are incomparable to the lives of the Kardashians. With that in mind, various fears would most likely emerge to things like eating disorders, robbery, plastic surgery, and people becoming really annoying to try to fit in (just being honest).  Clearly, the fear isn't a criminal fear as much as it is a personal fear–a self fear.

In conclusion, this is a stretch I realize, but I think that it has some connection. The world is changing, and even though reality TV has had somewhat of a drop in viewership, there is still a large following. Many people have been vocal about the obvious effects that have taken place since reality TV, but we have yet to see the long term effects.

Symbolic Convergence Theory- #AwkwardMoments #Lamingtons #DontIgnoreMeILoveThatShow

We all have those awkward moments in life like going on dates and trying to find things in common, or even working on group projects and attempting to relate to group members to make the experience more enjoyable. Our natural instinct is often times to relate to the people around us, and create some type of community. In some circumstances, this can feel like a forced practice because you (and everyone else) wants to fit in, in the end. Below I will discuss what the heck our minds are thinking.

In the above video from Natalie Tran, she is attempting to great a a unifying system between herself, and the people that she encounters. Natalie describes feeling like she is in a "special club" with a person when they are wearing something like a shirt, from a show that she also enjoys. This "special club" is called a fantasy chain. This is where two or more people become excited, and begin to bond about something that unifies them (movie, event, music, etc.). In the video, Natalie gives examples of failed attempts to create a fantasy chain. In her attempts, she uses many dramatizing messages to attract the attention of the other person, but she fails to create dramatizing messages that correlate well with her fantasy chain "topic." That's why I feel she has failed in creating a successful fantasy chain. 

Dramatizing messages normally come before the fantasy chain. These messages "paint the picture" for the fantasy chain itself. Thus, the other persons in the group can better relate to the attempt of creating a "special club." Personally, I can relate well to what Natalie is saying. I can remember accounts of failed attempts to successfully lead a group into a fantasy chain. That's always an awkward moment so, it's advisable to have a backup plan.

This video really focuses on the interactions of strangers, and creating fantasy chains. However, often these occur between groups of friends, or people you may regularly encounter. With that, the fantasy chain can continue by creating symbolic cues. These cues are triggers that bring the group, or part of the group back into the fantasy chain. Some examples of cues could include a hand motion like two thumbs-up and a cheesy smile, or it could be a code word. The symbolic cue can be virtually anything, but it is agreed upon within the group. Most likely, the group doesn't even realize this, they just begin doing it.

As a fantasy chain grows through the various stages, a symbolic convergence can be formed. This is where the group begins to think in the way of a group, when speaking about their fantasy theory. It is no longer just an individuals experiences, it is now the groups. Therefore, creating an overlap and a stronger group bond. Furthermore, this is a very strong attribute to have in a group because it helps in creating a cohesive group communication. Clearly an attribute that would be ideal to anyone working in a group.

To tie this all together, and put a bow on it, Natalie is a prime example of how a simple dramatizing message (her video language describing the events), can lead to a fantasy chain (her video style/humor, which creates a following of people on the internet), which has created several different symbolic cues within Natalie's internet community (example: laming tons), and thus creating a symbolic convergence of those who watch Natalie's, CommunityChannel (followers act as a community, and they have their own language that would not be acceptable to the general public). Because Natalie's videos are on YouTube, they have created a public fantasy chain, which is a very common occurrence in our world today. These chains are what makes some things go viral on the internet, or in news media.

To conclude, I encourage you to start looking for symbolic convergence in your own life. By being more observant, and understanding the process, you will be able to improve your group work. Therefore, being a better team player, and overall more likable within a group.

Cognitive complexity, explained

The video above is displaying a simple test that is designed to measure the cognitive complexity of ones interpersonal perception. This test is called the "Role Category Questionnaire," also known as the RCQ.

The definition of cognitive complexity is "the mental ability to distinguish subtle personality and behavior differences among people." The 8th edition of Em Griffins text, "A First Look At Communication Theory" explains this definition in greater detail.

How is cognitive complexity relevant to communication?

Cognitive complexity is relevant to communication because it is how each person sees the world, and makes sense of their surroundings. Highly cognitive complex individuals are able to take the role of other individuals, and better understand their personality. Thus, when taking an RCQ test, they are able to come up with several defining terms to describe that persons personality.

With that in mind, it is imperative to have some amount of cognitive complexity to have successful communication with individuals from different backgrounds.

In conclusion, cognitive complexity can be built by being learned. A person who studies communication theory, may have a higher cognitive complexity simply because they are more aware of the theory itself. Furthermore, as a person grows older their cognitive complexity does too. However, it begins to “level out” once a person reaches their mid twenties. This could be do to the fact that the brain has stopped maturing. Nonetheless, cognitive complexity is an excellent skill to have, and can help you in all aspects of life.

Metatheory- comparing and contrasting the scientific and interpretive standards for evaluating theories.

First, what does it mean to be a scientific theorist verses an interpretive scholar?

As explained in the 8th edition, “First Look At Communication Theory,” by Em Griffin, it is explained that a theorist that uses a scientific approach is “a scholar who applies the scientific method to describe, predict, and explain reoccurring forms of human behavior.” An interpretive approach is described as “the linguistic work of assigning meanings or value to communicative texts; assumes that multiple meanings or truths are possible.”

Second, how are they different?

To better understand how they are different, scientific standards must be proven through the scientific method (purpose, research, hypothesis, experiment, analysis, conclusion). Furthermore, through the scientific standard, one does not have free will–“puppets on a string.” The interpretive standard does not have to be proven through the scientific method. This standard is simply based off of multiple meanings that change with different perspectives. A large part of the interpretive standard is the belief in free will–we make our own choices (reference comic below).The interpretive standard also seeks truth, but many interpretive scholars believe that truth is greatly subjective.

Third, what do they have in common?

Both standards believe that the study of communication theories, regardless of if it is scientific or interpretive, feel that simply knowing these theories will improve relationships and society as a whole. Thus, whatever you believe, it is important to educate oneself about the theories of communication.

Fourth, how is this information helpful when learning communication theories?

When you are aware of the two different standards of communication theory, you can easily categorize new theories that you come upon. By doing so, you can keep your mind better organized, and easily find theories that are relevant to any given situation.

Introduction

My name is Teal, and I am studying both speech communication and graphic design. I was originally  studying only graphic design, but as I came to recognize all of my talents, it made sense for me to obtain both degrees. After graduating with both degrees, I would like to work in the field of Public Relations and Marketing. Specifically, in a way that I can help people, possibly in the health care industry. Currently, I'm working as an Intern in that industry, and it is suiting me quite well.

Communication, along with psychology and statistics, have greatly interested me for much of my life. Studying how people are, why they do things, and what they mean, are all fascinating to me. The study of communication in particular, is interesting because we communicate constantly nonverbally, or verbally. It's simply something we cannot turn off.

Between my joy for writing, design, speeches, and an interest in why we do the things we do, I was never quite certain on how I could combine all of my interests, into an actual career. When I discovered the world of PR & Marketing, it felt as though everything "clicked", and I became very excited about what the future held for me!

Beyond that, in my spare time, I enjoy going on long hikes, or simply enjoying the outdoors in some fashion. With that being said, I have a small blog tealstreksandtravels.blogspot.com that you are more than welcome to check out! The blog posts are extremely detailed, detailing the entire hike to truly take you on the journey. Enjoy!

Best,

Teal

Hart's Cove-Summer 2013