SCOM 240- The Communicative Constitution of Organization (CCO)

The Linguistic Turn

-Turn attention to communication as more than exchanging messages. -Communication moves from a variable inside a taken for granted organization to a creative role. -Human beings communicate organizations into existence through talk and texts.

Mcphee and Zaug's 4 Flows of Comm.

1) Membership Negociation- Hiring teachers, student ambassadors. 2) Organizational Self Structuring- Greek life, traditions, guiding principal, divided graduation into years, student/teacher. 3) Activity Coordination- Registration, syllabus. 4) Institutional Positioning- Alumni, compare to other institutions. (external comm). -one message can function in multiple flows. *Taylors critique is of the 4 flows theory, NOT CCO. Taylor- How do individual acts of communication have inherently organizational qualities? 4 Flows Theory- How do the things we call organizations come into existence?

Closure

A sense of shared understanding that emerges in back and forth interactions.

Ontology

Addresses the nature of reality; we talk everything into existence. -communication comes before organizations. -completely necessary.

Intro

CCO is NOT a theory! -It is a body of theories that attempt to understand the constitutive and organizing power of communications. -Could be interpretive OR objective. -Relatively new.

Flows

Circulating fields of messages that constitute organization.

Sensemaking

Communication behavior that reduces ambiguity and equivocality.

Institutional Positioning

Communication between an organization and external enemies.

Activity Coordination

Communication that accomplishes the organizations work towards goals.

Constitution

Communication that calls organizations into being.

Membership Negotiation

Communication that regulates the extent to which a person is an organization member.

Self Structuring

Communication that shapes the relationship among an organizations members.

Co-Orientation

Communication wherein 2 or more people focus on a common subject.

Necessary Conditions

Conditions under which something CAN occur.

Sufficient Conditions

Conditions under which something WILL occur.