SC 3383: gina noble final exam

key principles to systems theory

(1) Hierarchical ordering: organizations are composed of systems and subsystems ALL SYSTEMS MUST INTERACT WITH ALL SUBSYSTEMS WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENT (2) Permeability: all subsystems within an organization need to have permeable boundaries. Information must penetrate the wall between all subsystems

three factors that determine media richness

(1) does the medium allow for immediate feedback? (2) availability of multiple communication bc stakeholders need both verbal and nonverbal (3) can you use the medium to personalize your message?

critical theory

- Assumes communication can be used as a tool for abuse (employees who are excluded from meetings or who can't contribute become marginalized) - It is the responsibility of individuals to identify abuses and work to eliminate those abuses

principles of classical theory

- Employees tend to work slowly because they are trained by other employees who tell them not to work too hard - All communication travels downward

what is feynman theory and what are the takeaways?

- information at the bottom does not rise to the top - when upward networks are clogged, financial companies can collapse - clogged networks create crisis

myths about crisis communication

- it's a reactive activity - it deals with the media - it's about spin control - it involves communicating only to external audiences - it's a one way activity from sender to receiver then it's done

why do crisis communication plans fail?

- not testing the plan - not anticipating reactions - being involved in a culture that doesn't value transparency - lack of resources - no real plan

key principles of cultural theory

- slogans, rituals - functionalists: culture can be engineered by communication: email, website, ceo speeches - Interprevitists: culture isn't generated by communication but is the residual of all communication - Socialization: encounter socialization occurs in the employees early days at the company when they are exposed to rituals, slogans, and rites.

systems theory

-Organizations are comprised of interdependent units that should work interdependently (think of hospitals) - Applies to the prevention of crisis and ability to communicate during a crisis

cultural theory

Based on the premise that a phenomenon can be labeled as "organizational culture" exists

human resources theory

Believe employees are lazy and under the right conditions they will enjoy work. This theory suggests employees... - Want to participate and can be resources - Want to be respected - Seek responsibility - Want their voices respected

what are the key concepts of communication theory

Communication is receiver centered and nonlinear - communication is a two way system (doesn't just go from point A to point B) - can't take back what u said

what does the human resources theory teach us regarding crisis communication

Employee input can preclude crises and will be helpful during crisis communication efforts

classical theory

Organization should be seen as if it were a machine. Be the most efficient to control operations. Employees are a part of the machine. Rules must be articulated so everyone knows the rules / chain of command / what to do, etc.

STICK

S: skill in crisis communication T: transparency I: inevitability of crises C: culture determines crises outcome K: knowledge of the value of the golden rule principle

what are they key takeaways of the communication theory

The process of communication forms and reforms the organization

legitimacy

a stakeholder's perception of an organization's behavior (if explanation seems legit, it could be okay. if not, it hurts the organization)

five characteristic of efficiently communicated messages

accurate, credible, pertinent, timely, clear

what does the chaos theory teach us regarding crises?

all activity in an organization has the potential to affect all other activity crises / chaos may be necessary in a process leading to organizational renewal

what does the chaos theory argue

appearance of random chaos is illusory, no action is consequential and all actions have some consequences

Jackass Fallacy

assumption that employees are fools who are not willing to do much other than collect their paychecks

stakeholder

audiences who receive messages pertaining to the crisis

what are theories based on

based on experimentation and observation

attribution theory

based on the assumption that when an event occurs, people need to attribute causes and responsibility for the events to other individuals, organizations, or themselves (when something bad happens people look for a cause)

image restoration

communication during and after a crisis can reduce the negative effects that the crisis might have on the organization

what are upward networks

communication is from employees to management rather than the other way around

personal control

could the actor involved in the event have controlled the event?

what is crisis definition what's the key to limiting damages?

definition: a major unpredictable event that has potentially negative results for the organization key: you must communicate with various audiences to limit damages

what is manufactured consent?

employees adopting and maybe enforcing philosophies that could be unhealthy for them

what is important in organizational credibility?

employees need to be recognized, organizations must create upward communication channels & use employees as resources

external vs. internal control

external: is it controlled by the organization or fueled by outside sources?

halo and velcro effect

halo: positive attribution to stick with the company velcro: negative attributions to stick with the company

stability

how often does the organization have crises? - high stability = weak reputation - high stability = high crisis

information management

identifying what needs to be communicated within organizations and how to do it most efficiently and effectively

hypothesis

if the hypothesis is true, that info might help PR practitioners solve a problem

what does the hawthorne effect teach us?

it studied employees and how they react to certain changes - employees are motivated by money and recognition - desire opportunities to voice their opinion to upper management - informal networks may be more credible than formal

emotional stability

low emotional stability might reject

what are clogged networks?

must develop upward horizontal networks, must respect power of informal networks

is the impromptu approach a good idea?

nope

inoculation theory

one can prevent attitude changes by subjecting receivers to a counter attitudinal argument (maintain a positive attitude)

what do crisis communicators do?

prepare for crisis, identify audiences, conceive and construct messages, select the media to relay the information, respond to feedback, evaluate the success

what is special about informal communication networks?

reads between the lines, knows the real truth

organizational crises are often based on what?

respect issues

four R's in communication

responsibility reputation relationship response

organizational communication

study of why and how organizations send and receive information in a complex environment

practical theory

theories can be valuable and help us understand phenomena

stakeholder theory

there are multiple stakeholders and each group needs to receive different messages

media richness

value of a particular medium

nuggets

when communicators use specific information that they want the audience to know

torpedo effect

you can recover and carry out the mission IF the crew has the correct skill (crisis develops on the inside, you must have the right skill set to deal w external and internal crises)