2.3.7.2 Organizational
Communication as a Descriptor
The second way we can view the term «organizational
communication» is as descriptor for what happens within organizations.
Deetz explains, «To think of communication as a way to describe and
explain organizations. In the same way that psychology, sociology, and
economics can be thought of as capable of explaining organizations' processes,
communication might also be thought of as a distinct mode of explanation or way
of thinking about organizations.
The organizational communication as it has been studied in the
past and continues to be studied today is a hybrid field, which means that
people in a variety of different academic areas conduct research on the topic.
People in anthropology, business, psychology, sociology, and other academic
areas conduct research that is fundamentally about organizational
communication. Communication scholars differ in how we approach organizational
communication because our training is first, and foremost, in human
communication, so we bring a unique history and set of tools to the stud of
organizational communication that other scholars do not possess.
2.3.7.3 Organizational
Communication as a Phenomenon
The final way one can view the term «organizational
communication» is to view it as a specific phenomenon or set of phenomena
that occurs within an organization. For example, when two employees get into a
conflict at work, they are enacting organizational communication. When the
chief financial officer of an organization is delivering a PowerPoint
presentation on the latest quarterly earnings to the organization's board of
directors, he or she is engaging in organizational communication. The latest
advertisement campaign an organization has created for the national media is
another example of organizational communication.
According to Innis (1950:7) the Ancient History of African
Communication Means; said that the uniqueness of the African means of
communication is embedded in their originality, creativity, tradition and
culture of the people. These essentially make them highly effective and
enduring in the dissemination of information personally, inter-personally and
through group communications. Really, the African Oral Media like the use of
gongs, drum beats, town criers, puppet shows, dance, singing and masks actually
influenced the Greek and the Roman civilizations (Scannell,2009) which Harold
Adams Innis, a Canadian economic historian of the 1940s, who influenced the
thoughts of McLuhan, describes as the best means of communication that will be
enduring.
There are four types of organization communication, these
include: interpersonal, intra-group, intergroup, public or mass communication
(Hume, 2001& Dawkin, 2005:37)
a) Interpersonal communication: this is communication between
people. Usually it is face to face. For example: a manager and an employee.
b) Intra-group communication: this relates to the interaction
of people within a small group such as a department in an organization.
c) Intergroup communication: this refers to the sharing of
information between groups of people. For instance between one department and
another.
d) Public or mass communication: this is communication made to
the general public. It relates to lots of people at once. For instance: TV,
radio or newspaper advertisements.
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