Preface  

Chapter One

Organizational Communication: A Competency-Based Approach  

The Changing Nature of Organizations and Work  

Challenges for Individuals and Organizations

The Communications Era  

Communication: The Key to Organizational Excellence  

Excellence in Communication: Communication Competency  

Organizational Communication: A Competency-Based Approach  

The “What Business Is This of Ours?” Case  

Basics of Human Communication  

Defining Communication  

The Human Communication Process  

Source/Receiver  

Encoding/Decoding  

Message  

Channel  

Noise  

Competence  

Field of Experience  

Communication Context  

Effect  

The Construction of Shared Realities  

Concepts of Organizations  

Definitions of Organizational Communication  

Organizational Communication as Process  

Organizational Communication as People  

Organizational Communication as Messages  

Organizational Communication as Meaning  

Organizational Communication as Purpose  

Self-Assessment of Personal Development Needs  

Chapter Highlights  

Workshop  

The Case against Hiring Karen Groves  

The “What Do You Mean I’m Not Getting a Raise?” Case  

Tips for Effective Communication  

References and Suggested Readings  

Chapter Two

Perspectives for Organizational Communication  

The Coronado Company’s Quality Defects Case  

Introduction  

The Functional Tradition  

Organizational Communication Systems: Component Parts  

Communication Inputs  

Communication Throughput  

Communication Output  

Open versus Closed Systems  

Message Functions  

Organizing Functions  

Relationship Functions  

Change Functions  

Message Structure  

Communication Networks  

Communication Channels  

Message Direction  

Communication Load  

Message Distortion  

The Functional Tradition: Summary of Essential Characteristics  

The Meaning-Centered Approach  

Communication as Organizing and Decision Making  

Communication as Influence  

Identification  

Socialization  

Communication Rules  

Power  

Communication as Culture  

Communication Climate  

The Meaning-Centered Approach: Summary of Essential Characteristics  

Emerging Perspectives  

Communication as Constitutive Process  

Communication Constitutes Organization

Postmodernism and Organizational Communication  

Critical Theory and Organizational Communication  

Feminist and Race Perspectives and Organizational Communication  

Institutions and Organizational Communication  

Global Cultures and Organizational Communication  

Technology and Organizational Communication  

Emerging Perspectives: Summary of Essential Issues  

Chapter Highlights  

Workshop  

The United Concepts Advertising Agency Dilemma Case  

The “Newcomers Aren’t Welcome Here” Case  

Tips for Effective Communication  

References and Suggested Readings  

C