User:Ahhenderson/Organizational communication

I'm still confused about how to track our word count so I'm going to try and keep an estimate here: 500

''I added the words Aliya added to the Wiki page. ^''

I replaced the section I have edited on interpersonal communication to the actual wiki page. I don't know if I did it correctly (I just cut the old part and pasted the revised version that I edited here in the sandbox) I am going to continue to rewrite/edit existing portions a bit more of that section tonight and tomorrow. It is really wordy and kinda random)

I'm just making some rough notes on things that jump out at me from the Wiki article that we could write about/expand on:


 * A section on the various approaches: classical, human relations/human resources, systems, cultural, constitutive, critical, feminist (👍🏻👍🏻)
 * Include in the section about current research/scholarship at the end of the article a subsection about feminist approaches to organizational communication(👍🏻)
 * I found a great journal article about contributions of queer theory on organizational communication and its understanding of difference (👍🏻)
 * The Lead section looks like it could use some updating (AGREED👍🏻)
 * There is a notation saying that sources need to be updated (however I don't know if this will contribute to our word count so I'm not too focused on this at the moment)
 * The interpersonal communication section is super wordy and gets a bit off topic; we could feasibly rewrite some of it (I NOTICED THAT TOO👍🏻)
 * We could probably add a section about conflict management and one about leadership processes (I REMEMBER SOME LECTURES ABOUT CONFLICT MANAGEMENT 👍🏻)

Lead
Within the realm of communication studies, organizational communication is a field of study surrounding all areas of communication and information flow that contribute to the functioning of an organization. Organizational communication is constantly evolving and as a result, the scope of organizations included in this field of research have also shifted over time. Now both traditionally profitable companies, as well as NGO's and non-for-profit organizations, are points of interest for scholars focused on the field of organizational communication. Organizations are formed and sustained through continuous communication between members of the organization and both internal and external sub-groups who possess shared objectives for the organization. The flow of communication encompasses internal and external stakeholders and can be formal or informal.

Theoretical Approaches to Organizational Communication
Classical Approach: Emerging out of the Industrial Revolution and the increased mechanization of work, classical approaches to organizing involve a vertical flow of communication that is highly formal and often written, mostly in a downward direction. Henri Fayol's work on classical management identifies five elements of management suggesting tasks for managers; planning, organizing, command, coordination, and control; and six principles of management suggesting how managers might enact the aforementioned elements of management; scalar chain, unity of command, unity of direction, division of labor, order, and span of control; relative to this approach.

Human Relations Approach: This approach places an emphasis on the needs and satisfaction of employees. It attempts to unearth how directing attention at these areas can helps managers and other organizational actors motivative employees in order to increase productivity and organizational functioning. In using this approach, researchers commonly refer to Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs to aid in identifying how meeting employee's individual needs have an affect on the overall wellbeing of an organization.

Cultural Approach: The cultural approach to organizing views organizations through a cultural lens, looking at both organizational culture and cultural influences and impacts on organizing. Scholars of cultural organizational communication attempt to identify the value and attributes of strong organizational culture in order to understand its effects on organizational functioning. Edgar Schein suggests three "levels of analysis" for interpreting organizational culture: artifacts, or the experiential elements of an organization; beliefs and values; and the implicit assumptions about and among the organization.

Systems Approach: The systems approach to organizing views organizations as complex organisms and sees interaction with the external environmental as essential to survival. Components of this approach include hierarchical ordering, interdependence, and permeability. Processes of exchange are central to this approach ; the concept of input-throughput-output identifies how this process is identified within this system.

Constitutive Approach: The constitutive approach to organizing views organizations as constituted and maintained through communication processes.

Critical Approach: Critical approaches to organizational communication maintain a focus on power structures and power imbalances in regards to organizing. Critical theory is centered around the argument that power imbalances, and therefore oppression and domination, are innate parts of social structures and organizations. The critical approach seeks to identify organizational sources of power and control in order to empower groups of oppressed people. Within this approach there is a focus on ideological and hegemonic systems.

Feminist Approach: Feminist approaches to organizational communication is a relatively new area of scholarship. Similar to critical approaches, feminist theory highlights domination in organizational structures and gender as a source of power imbalances. Sexual harassment in the workplace is a foremost concern for feminist organizational communication scholars.

Conflict Management
Conflict is experienced by all organizations, therefore strategies to mitigate its effects on the wellbeing of organizations have been developed over time by both researchers and scholars alike. Professionals solely aim to diminish any conflicts that may arise within the workplace in the most effective manner as possible. In order to do this, these employees must possess strong conflict resolution skills.

Since conflicts in the workplace typically arise in various magnitudes, it is important that they are dealt with as soon as possible. For instance, if an individual tends to leave their space consistently messy, it can disrupt the entire office and leave for a multitude of other conflicts to arise if not dealt in a timely manner. Another example is if another co-worker tends to be disruptive or raise their voice. Both instances can be related to both internal and external sources, however, must be dealt with the same sufficiency since they could become reoccurring, daily issues if not dealt with.

A leaders ability in conflict management is important. It was found that leaders who focus on collaboration have a higher success rate than those who focus on avoidant or dominating conflict behaviour. It is also important that leaders are trained correctly on conflict management before being placed on the floor.

- I wanted to look over this section for any edits but I wanted to keep it separate so you could see what I did and choose which, if any, to use and include in the final copy to insert in the official page (Victoria)Conflict is inevitably experienced by all organizations, therefore strategies to mitigate its effects on the wellbeing of organizations have been developed over time by both researchers and scholars alike. Professionals solely aim to diminish any conflicts that may arise within the workplace in the most effective manner possible. In order to do this, these employees must possess strong conflict resolution skills.

Since conflicts in the workplace typically arise in various magnitudes, it is important that they are dealt with as soon as possible. For instance, if an individual tends to leave their space consistently messy, it can disrupt the entire office and cause a multitude of other conflicts to arise if not dealt with in a timely manner. Another example is if another co-worker regularly tends to be disruptive or raise their voice. Both instances can be related to both internal and external sources. However, both must be dealt with to a high degree of effectiveness so as to avoid them becoming reoccurring, daily issues should they not be dealt with.

A leaders' ability in conflict management is an important facet of their managerial skillset. It was found that leaders who place an emphasis on collaboration have a higher success rate in mitigating conflict than those who focus on avoidant or dominating conflict behaviour. It is also important that leaders are trained correctly on conflict management techniques before being placed in a managerial role within an organization.