COM 380 Final

Weick's notion of the _________ environment expands the traditional idea of a system environment beyond the physical environment

Information

Interdependence

The need of system components to rely on other components in order to function.

radical-critical approach

The theorist is concerned with the "deep structures" that produce and reproduce relationships in organizational life. Their role is to explore the ways in which economic, social, and communicative relationships produce and maintain organizational power relationships.

Equivocality

The unpredictability inherent in the information environment of an organization

characterized by directly exerting authoritarian control

simple control

Holism

system property that suggests that a system is more than the sum of its parts

Sense making

the cycles in which organizational members introduce and react to ideas that help to make sense of the equivocal information environment

simple control

the direct and authoritarian exertion of control in the workplace

emancipation

the liberation of people from unnecessarily restrictive traditions, ideologies, assumptions, power relations, identity formations, and so forth, that inhibit or distort opportunities for autonomy, clarification of genuine needs and wants, and thus grater and lasting satisfaction. most see emancipation as a process of emerging awareness and communicative action on the part of the oppressed.

pluralist frame of reference

the organization consists of many groups with divergent interests. Conflict is seen positively as, "an inherent and ineradicable characteristic of organizational affairs".

radical frame of reference

the organization is viewed as a battleground where rival forces strive for the achievement of largely incompatible ends

Deviation

"Amplifying Feedback" Responses that serves to change system functioning through growth and development

Permeability

"Permeable boundaries" The ability of systems components to allow information materials to flow in and out

Systems Metaphor

"living growing organism" - understanding of organization as complex organisms that must interact with their environment to survive.

Three people were fired at ABC Corporation. Eugene was fired because he was incompetent. Rita was fired because she was unethical. Kayla was fired because of economic conditions. This illustrates the systems property of

Equifinality

In Weick's theory of organizing, _________ refers to the uncertainty that is inevitable in the environment .

Equivocally

Deviation

Reducing feedback "response" that serves to keep organizational functioning on a steady course

Requisite variety

The need for organizations and groups to be as complicated as the problems that confront them.

Hierarchal Ordering

System components are arranged in highly complex ways that involve subsystems and super systems

Negative Entropy

The ability of systems to sustain themselves and grow

Equifinality

The idea that a system can reach the same final state from differing initial conditions and by a variety of paths; and a variety of paths from the same initial path

modes and means of production

according to Marxist theory, modes of production are the economic conditions that underlie the production process and the means of production are the actual work process involved in production.

Theory of Concertive Control

attempts to explain how power relationships can be transformed in an era of team-based and "alternative form" organizations

systems theory originated with the study of

biology

resistance

considers how workers can exert counter-pressure on this exercise of power and control. sometimes seen in collective and organized processes such as unionization, strikes, boycotts, and large-scale social movements

traditional approach

considers power to be a relatively stable entity that people or groups possess

unitary frame of reference

emphasis is placed on common organizational goals. Conflict is seen as rare and negative, and power is the natural prerogative of management.

stockholders who manage their funds by looking at a wide variety of media sources for information are reducing their ______________, according to Weick.

equivocality

Critical theorists do not consider organizations to be sites of domination

false

In Weick's new of organizing, responding to highly equivocal information requires the use of assembly rules.

false

hierarchical ordering is a systems principle that implies that the functioning of one component of the system relies on other components of the system

false

in a hegemonic relationship, the controlled group accepts, but does not actively participate in the control process

false

scholars taking a traditional approach to power believe that there are inherent contradictions between the "surface structure" of power and the "deep structure" of power

false

the modes of production refer to actual work processes

false

Three concepts that characterize systems components include ____________, __________, and ___________.

interdependence, hierarchal ordering, and permeability.

________ of production refers to actual work processes

means

Open systems are characterized by ________, or the ability to sustain themselves and grow

negative entropy

Demetrius is a graduate student in organization communication. after much study, he's concluded that though there is a great deal of conflicting most organizations, the conflict is usually productive and leads to enhanced understanding and better decisions. which frame of reference to organizational study is Demetrius adopting?

pluralist frame of reference

The role of the critical theorist in the emancipation process is similar to the role of a

psychoanalyst

According to Weick, the primary goal of organizations is to:

reduce uncertainty

hegemony

refers to a process in which a dominant group leads another group to accept subordination as the norm ---- ______ control is typically accomplished by shaping ideology in such a way that the controlled group accepts ad actively participates in the control process

identification

refers to the perception of the oneness with or belongingness, where the individual defines him or herself in terms of the collective in which he or she is a member

Weick proposes a ________________ process in which rules and cycles are saved for future organizational use.

retention

ideology

the taken-for-granted assumptions about reality that influence perceptions of situations and events.

if a researcher is interested in learning how power impacts outcomes like job satisfaction and performance, her or she is using a ___________ approach

traditional

According to Clair, frames are often used to reinforce dominant ideology

true

Deal and Kennedy argued that business success could enhanced through the development of a "strong" culture

true

a personnel director asking applicants to submit resumes in a particular format would be an example of an assembly that assists in sense making

true

ability to cope with uncertainty is a source of power in organizations

true

critical approaches to organizational communication have their philosophical roots in the work of Karl Marx

true

equivocality is likely to be highly competitive business environment

true

simple control involves direct and authoritarian exertion of control in the workplace

true

the ultimate goal of the critical model is emancipation

true

symbolical approach

views power as a product of communicative interactions and relationships