ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
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ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION A Critical Approach
Dennis K. Mumby The University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mumby, Dennis K. Organizational communication: a critical approach /Dennis K. Mumby.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4129-6315-2 (pbk.)
1. Communication in organizations. I. Title.
HD30.3.M863 2013 306.44—dc23 2012018541
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
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Brief Contents Preface Acknowledgments
PART I: D EVELOPING A CRITICAL APPROACH TO ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION 1 Introducing Organizational Communication 2 The Critical Approach
PART II: THEORIES OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION AND THE MODERN ORGANIZATION 3 Scientific Management, Bureaucracy, and the Emergence of the Modern
Organization 4 The Human Relations School 5 Organizations as Communication Systems 6 Communication, Culture, and Organizing
PART III: CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION AND THE NEW WORKPLACE 7 Power and Resistance at Work 8 The Postmodern Workplace: Teams, Emotions, and No-Collar Work 9 Communicating Gender at Work 10 Communicating Difference at Work 11 Leadership Communication in the New Workplace 12 Branding and Consumption 13 Organizational Communication, Globalization, and Democracy 14 Communication, Meaningful Work, and Personal Identity
Glossary References Index About the Author
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Detailed Contents Preface Acknowledgments
PART I: DEVELOPING A CRITICAL APPROACH TO ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
1 Introducing Organizational Communication
Organizations as Communicative Structures of Control Defining “Organizational Communication”
Interdependence Differentiation of Tasks and Functions Goal Orientation Control Mechanisms
Direct Control Technological Control
Critical Technologies 1.1: Defining Communication Technology Bureaucratic Control Ideological Control Disciplinary Control
Communication Processes Framing Theories of Organizational Communication
Functionalism: The Discourse of Representation Interpretivism: The Discourse of Understanding
Critical Case Study 1.1: A Conduit Model of Education Critical Theory: The Discourse of Suspicion Postmodernism: The Discourse of Vulnerability Feminism: The Discourse of Empowerment
Conclusion Critical Applications Key Terms
2 The Critical Approach
The Critical Approach: A History Karl Marx
Marx’s Key Issues Critiquing Marx
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The Institute for Social Research (the Frankfurt School) Critical Theory and the Critique of Capitalism Critical Theory and the Critique of Enlightenment Thought
Critical Case Study 2.1: McDonaldizing “Fridays” Critiquing the Frankfurt School
Cultural Studies Understanding Organizational Communication From a Critical Perspective
Organizations Are Socially Constructed Through Communication Processes Critical Technologies 2.1: Mediating Everyday Life
Organizations Are Political Sites of Power and Control Organizations Are Key Sites of Human Identity Formation in Modern Society Organizations Are Important Sites of Collective Decision Making and
Democracy Organizations Are Sites of Ethical Issues and Dilemmas
Conclusion Critical Applications Key Terms
PART II: THEORIES OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION AND THE MODERN ORGANIZATION
3 Scientific Management, Bureaucracy, and the Emergence of the Modern Organization
The Emergence of the Modern Organization Time, Space, and the Mechanization of Travel Time, Space, and the Industrial Worker
Critical Technologies 3.1: Timepieces and Punch Clocks Scientific Management: “Tayloring” the Worker to the Job
Taylor’s Principles: The “One Best Way” The Contributions of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth A Critical Assessment of Scientific Management The Legacy of Scientific Management
Bureaucratic Theory: Max Weber and Organizational Communication Weber’s Types of Authority
Charismatic Authority Traditional Authority Rational–Legal Authority
Weber’s Critique of Bureaucracy and the Process of “Rationalization” The Legacy of Bureaucracy
Critical Case Study 3.1: Rationalizing Emotions
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Conclusion: A Critical Assessment of “Classic” Theories of Organization Critical Applications Key Terms
4 The Human Relations School
Placing the Human Relations Movement in Its Historical and Political Context Elton Mayo and the Hawthorne Studies
The Hawthorne Studies The Illumination Studies (1924–1927) The Relay Assembly Test Room (RATR) Studies (April 1927–February
1933) The Interview Program (September 1928–January 1931) The Bank Wiring Observation Room Study (November 1931–May 1932)
Implications of the Hawthorne Studies Critical Case Study 4.1: Reframing Happiness at Zappos A Critique of the Hawthorne Studies
Reexamining the Empirical Data Critiquing the Ideology of the Hawthorne Researchers
The Wholly Negative Role of Conflict Rational Manager Versus “Sentimental” Worker Gender Bias in the Hawthorne Studies
Summary Mary Parker Follett: Bridging Theory and Practice
Follett’s Theory of Organization The Strange Case of the Disappearing Theorist
Human Resource Management Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y
Critical Technologies 4.1: “Wilfing” Your Life Away Rensis Likert’s Four Systems Approach Critiquing Human Resource Management
Conclusion Critical Applications Key Terms
5 Organizations as Communication Systems
Situating the Systems Perspective The Principles of the Systems Perspective
Interrelationship and Interdependence of Parts Holism
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Input, Transformation (Throughput), and Output of Energy Negative Entropy Equilibrium, Homeostasis, and Feedback Hierarchy Goal Orientation Equifinality and Multifinality
Organizations as Systems of Communication Critical Technologies 5.1: Organizing Food
Karl Weick and Organizational Sense Making Weick’s Model of Organizing: Enactment, Selection, and Retention A Critical Perspective on Weick
Critical Case Study 5.1: Airlines and Equivocality Niklas Luhmann and the Autopoietic Organization
A Critical Perspective on the Autopoietic Organization Conclusion Critical Applications Key Terms
6 Communication, Culture, and Organizing
The Emergence of the Cultural Approach Two Perspectives on Organizational Culture
The Pragmatist Approach: Organizational Culture as a Variable Critical Technologies 6.1: Communication Technology and Organizational Culture
The Purist Approach: Organizational Culture as a Root Metaphor A Broader Conception of “Organization” The Use of Interpretive, Ethnographic Methods The Study of Organizational Symbols, Talk, and Artifacts
Relevant Constructs Facts Practices Vocabulary Metaphors
Critical Case Study 6.1: Organizational Culture and Metaphors Rites and Rituals
Organizational Stories Summarizing the Two Perspectives
Conclusion Critical Applications Key Terms
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PART III: CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION AND THE NEW WORKPLACE
7 Power and Resistance at Work
Perspectives on Power and Organizations Power as Social Influence The One-Dimensional Model of Power The Two-Dimensional Model of Power The Three-Dimensional Model of Power
Organizational Communication and Ideology Critical Case Study 7.1: Ideology and Storytelling
Ideology Represents Particular Group Interests as Universal Ideology Obscures or Denies Contradictions in Society Ideology Functions to Reify Social Relations
Examining Organizational Communication Through the Lens of Power and Ideology
Organizational Communication and Corporate Colonization Engineering Culture
Resisting Corporate Colonization The Hidden Resistance of Flight Attendants
Critical Technologies 7.1: Social Media as Resistance Conclusion Critical Applications Key Terms
8 The Postmodern Workplace: Teams, Emotions, and No-Collar Work
Disciplinary Power and the Postmodern Organization The Postmodern Organization: From Fordism to Post-Fordism
The Fordist Organization The Post-Fordist Organization
The Post-Fordist Organization: Teams, Emotions, and No-Collar Work Teams at Work
Critiquing Work Teams Critical Technologies 8.1: Virtual Teams
Emotions at Work Critical Case Study 8.1: What Does Drinking Coffee Have to Do With Organizational Communication?
Doing “No-Collar” Work Conclusion
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Critical Application Key Terms
9 Communicating Gender at Work
Feminist Perspectives on Organizational Communication Liberal Feminism: Creating a Level Playing Field Radical Feminism: Constructing Alternative Organizational Forms Critical Feminism: Viewing Organizations as Gendered
Critical Technologies 9.1: Gender, Technology, and Power Masculinity and Organizational Communication Critical Case Study 9.1: Why My Mom Isn’t a Feminist Conclusion Critical Applications Key Terms
10 Communicating Difference at Work
Defining Difference Race and Organizational Communication
Putting Race and Organization in Historical Context Race and the Contemporary Workplace Interrogating Whiteness and Organizational Communication
Critical Case Study 10.1: Interrogating Mumby Family Whiteness The Body, Sexuality, and Organizational Communication
Instrumental Uses of the Body and Sexuality Critical Technologies 10.1: Technologies of the Body Critical Case Study 10.2: Sexing up the Corporate Experience
Sexual Harassment in the Workplace Resistant/Emancipatory Forms of Sexuality
Gay Workers and “Heteronormativity” Conclusion Critical Applications Key Terms
11 Leadership Communication in the New Workplace
Traditional Perspectives on Leadership The Trait Approach The Style Approach The Situational Approach Summary
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New Approaches to Leadership Leadership as Symbolic Action Transformational Leadership Followership
Critical Case Study 11.1: Leadership Lessons From “Dancing Guy” Critical Technologies 11.1: E-Leadership A Critical Communication Perspective on Leadership
Leadership and Disciplinary Power Resistance Leadership Narrative Leadership Gender and Leadership
Conclusion Critical Applications Key Terms
12 Branding and Consumption
Branding Critical Case Study 12.1: Diamonds Are Forever? Branding and Identity Critical Case Study 12.2: When Brands Run Amok Marketing, “Murketing,” and Corporate Colonization Organizations, Branding, and the Entrepreneurial Self Critical Technologies 12.1: Do You Have Klout? The Ethics of Branding Conclusion Critical Applications Key Terms
13 Organizational Communication, Globalization, and Democracy
Defining Globalization Spheres of Globalization
Globalization and Economics Globalization and Politics
Globalization and Resistance Globalization and Culture
Critical Case Study 13.1: Culture Jamming Nike The Globalization of Nothing
Gender, Work, and Globalization Critical Technologies 13.1: Work, Technology, and Globalization in the Call
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Center Communication and Organizational Democracy
Mason’s Theory of Workplace Participatory Democracy Stohl and Cheney’s Paradoxes of Participation
Paradoxes of Structure Paradoxes of Agency Paradoxes of Identity Paradoxes of Power
Deetz’s Stakeholder Model of Organizational Democracy Conclusion Critical Applications Key Terms
14 Communication, Meaningful Work, and Personal Identity
Meaningful Work A Sense of Agency Enhances Belonging or Relationships Creates Opportunities for Influence
Critical Technologies 14.1: How Does Communication Technology Affect Our Experience of Work?
Permits Use and Development of Talents Offers a Sense of Contribution to a Greater Good Provides Income Adequate for a Decent Living
Managing Work Identity: Some Historical Context Creating and Managing Work Identities
Identity, Identification, and Disidentification Conformist Selves Dramaturgical Selves Resistant Selves
No Collar, No Life Critical Case Study 14.1: A Tale of Two Countries Conclusion Critical Applications Key Terms
Glossary References Index About the Author
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Preface
I have a confession to make (well, two actually). I have never been a huge fan of textbooks. So, you may legitimately ask, what on earth am I doing authoring one? Good question. The simple answer (only partially true) might be that I finally caved to student-consumer pressure to provide something that makes a bit more sense than all those interminable academic articles I assign to students. If I am to be “coerced” into adopting a textbook, I thought, at least I can write one that I actually like!
Okay, so that was just a minor consideration. There are actually several good organizational communication textbooks available, though none of them really fits the way I like to teach this class. In fact, one of my major problems with the typical textbook is that it’s written as if from nowhere. It’s hard to tell from reading the book if the author even has a particular perspective or set of assumptions that he or she brings to the study of organizational communication. Every textbook reads as though it’s an objective, authoritative account of a particular body of knowledge; the author’s voice almost never appears. But the truth is that every theory and every program of research you’ve ever read about in your college career operates according to a set of principles—a perspective, if you like—that shapes the very nature of the knowledge claims made by that research.
Now, this does not mean that all research is biased in the sense of simply being the expression of a researcher’s opinions and prejudices; all good research is rigorous and systematic in its exploration of the world around us. Rather, I’m saying that all researchers are trained according to the principles and assumptions of a particular academic community (of which there are many), and academic communities differ in their beliefs about what makes good research. That’s why there are debates in all fields of research. Sometimes those debates are over facts (this or that is or isn’t true), but more often those debates are really about what assumptions and theoretical perspectives provide the most useful and insightful way to study a particular phenomenon.
Certainly, the field of organizational communication is no different. In the 1980s our field went through “paradigm debates” in which a lot of time was spent arguing over the “best” perspective from which to study organizations—a debate in which I participated (Corman & Poole, 2000; Mumby, 1993, 2000). Fortunately, the result of these debates was a richer and more interesting field of study; some disciplines are not so lucky and end up divided into oppositional camps, sometimes for many decades.
Overview of the Book
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But what does this have to do with writing a textbook? It’s my belief that not only should a textbook adequately reflect the breadth of different perspectives in a field, but it should also adopt its own perspective from which a field is studied. It makes no sense that an author should have to check his or her theoretical perspective at the door when he or she becomes a textbook author—the pretense of neutrality and objectivity is, for me, a nonstarter. In fact, I would argue that, from a student perspective, reading a textbook that’s explicit about its theoretical orientation makes for a much richer educational experience. It’s hard to engage in an argument with someone when that person refuses to state his or her position; when you know where someone is coming from you are better able to engage with his or her reasoning, as well as articulate your own perspective. Dialogue is possible!
So, it’s important to me that you know up front who you’re dealing with here. For the past 25 years I’ve been writing about organizations from what can broadly be described as a critical perspective. This means that I am interested in organizations as sites of power and control that shape societal meanings and human identities in significant ways. Thus, I am less interested in things like how “efficient” organizations are (a perspective that some researchers would take) and more interested in how they function as communication phenomena that have a profound—sometimes good, sometimes bad—impact on who we are as people. We spend almost all our time in organizations of one kind or another, and certainly our entire work lives are spent as members of organizations, so it’s extremely important to understand the implications of our “organizational society” of various kinds for who we are as people.
Furthermore, the way I have structured this textbook does not mean that it is only about the critical perspective. In some ways it is a “traditional” textbook in its coverage of the major research traditions that have developed in the field over the past 100 years. The difference from other textbooks lies in my use of the critical perspective as the lens through which I examine these traditions. Thus, the critical perspective gives us a particular—and, I would argue, powerful—way of understanding both organizational life and the theories and research programs that have been developed to understand it. So as you are reading this book, keep reminding yourself, “Dennis is a critical theorist—how does this shape the way he thinks about organizations and lead him to certain conclusions about the theory and practice of organizational life rather than others?” Also ask yourself, “When do I agree with Dennis, and when do I disagree with him? Why do I agree/disagree, and what does that tell me about my own view of the world?”
In addition to the critical perspective I adopt in this book, I’m also bringing a particular communication approach. Rather than thinking of this book as exploring theories of organizational communication, you can think of it as developing a communication mode of explanation that enables us to understand organizations as communicative phenomena. Organizations can (and have) been studied from
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psychological, sociological, and business perspectives (among others), but to study them from a communication perspective means something distinctive and, I think, unique. From this perspective, communication is not just something that happens “in” organizations; rather, it is the very lifeblood of organizations. It is what makes organizations meaningful places that connect people together to engage collectively in meaningful activity. The implications of this communication perspective will become clearer as we move through the chapters of the book.
Pedagogical Aids
I’ve also included some elements that will assist you in getting to grips with the various and sometimes complex issues that we’ll be addressing. First, each chapter contains at least one Critical Case Study that enables you to apply the issues discussed in that chapter to a real-world situation. Think of these case studies as an effort to demonstrate the fact that “there’s nothing as practical as a good theory.” Second, each chapter contains a Critical Technologies box that provides some insight into the increasing and now-ubiquitous role of communication technology in everyday organizational life. Because any chapter on technology is quickly outdated these days, the box format seemed the most useful way to go. Third, the book is unique in its inclusion of full chapters on (1) postmodernism and the post-Fordist organization, (2) gender and organizations, (3) difference and organizations, (4) branding and consumption, and (5) the meaning of work. All these chapters in various ways address the changing nature of work and organizations. Finally, each chapter highlights key terms in bold throughout the text and lists the key terms at the end of each chapter, along with definitions in the glossary at the end of the book.
Ancillaries
In addition to the text, a full array of ancillary website materials for instructors and students is available at www.sagepub.com/mumbyoc.
The password-protected Instructor Teaching Site at www.sagepub.com/mumbyoc contains a test bank, PowerPoint presentations, chapter summaries, and web resources for use in the classroom.
The open-access Student Study Site at www.sagepub.com/mumbyoc contains web resources, quizzes, and interactive flashcards for key terms to enhance student learning.
The Critical Perspective of the Book
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http://www.sagepub.com/mumbyoc
http://www.sagepub.com/mumbyoc
http://www.sagepub.com/mumbyoc
Let me say one last thing about the perspective I adopt in this book. I view this textbook (and, indeed, any textbook) as political in the sense suggested by organizational communication scholars Karen Ashcraft and Brenda Allen (2003):
As they orient students to the field and its defining areas of theory and research, textbooks perform a political function. That is, they advance narratives of collective identity, which invite students to internalize a particular map of central and marginal issues, of legitimate and dubious projects. (p. 28)
As I suggested above, knowledge is far from neutral, shaping our understanding of it in particular ways. The “map” I want to lay out for you will, I hope, enable you to negotiate organizational life as more engaged and thoughtful “organizational citizens.” As such, I hope you will be better equipped to recognize the subtle and not-so-subtle ways organizations shape human identities—both collective and individual.
REFERENCES
Ashcraft, K. L., & Allen, B. J. (2003). The racial foundation of organizational communication. Communication Theory, 13, 5–38.
Corman, S. R., & Poole, M. S. (Eds.). (2000). Perspectives on organizational communication: Finding common ground. New York: Guilford.
Mumby, D. K. (1993). Critical organizational communication studies: The next ten years. Communication Monographs, 60, 18–25.
Mumby, D. K. (2000). Common ground from the critical perspective: Overcoming binary oppositions. In S. R. Corman & M. S. Poole (Eds.), Perspectives on organizational communication: Finding common ground (pp. 68–88). New York: Guilford.
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Acknowledgments
Oh, yes—the second confession. I started writing this book years ago. In fact, I’ve completed three other book projects since I started this one. There’s no single explanation for why it took so long—certainly, changing jobs and becoming a department chair (always a productivity killer) had an impact. To make matters worse, my original publisher was bought out by a much larger company, and my new editor didn’t seem invested in the project—a hard lesson in the politics of the corporate world. Bringing ideas to fruition is just as much about the relationships you have with the people around you as it is about your own ability and discipline. And in that regard I finally got lucky—Todd Armstrong at SAGE knew I was working on a textbook and kept pestering me to sign up with him. I’d worked with Todd on several other projects and knew what a smart, energetic, and all-around great person he was. It’s due in good measure to Todd that this book has finally seen the light of day. Todd left SAGE before the project was finished, but his successor, Matt Byrnie, and Associate Editor Nathan Davidson kept the project moving along with well-timed feedback and plenty of encouragement. Other SAGE staff, including editorial assistant Stephanie Palermini, Assistant Editor Terri Accomazzo, marketing manager Liz Thornton, and Production Editor Eric Garner proved to be an excellent support team. Last, but not least, Meg Granger was a phenomenal copy editor with a great eye for detail; whatever she gets paid, it’s not enough.
Speaking of feedback, this might well be the most reviewed textbook in the history of publishing. Sometimes reviewer feedback can drive you nuts because it’s inconsistent and at times even contradictory. But I was lucky enough to get a wealth of constructive and encouraging comments from organizational communication scholars across the field. In alphabetical order, they are, Patrice M. Buzzanell, Theresa Castor, Jennifer R. Considine, Nancy J. Curtin, Maria A. Dixon, Jennie Donohue, Francine Edwards, Kristine Fitch, Marie Garland, Bethany Crandell Goodier, Liane M. Gray-Starner, Di Grimes, Terry L. Hapney Jr., Jessica Katz Jameson, Jeannette Kindred, Erika Kirby, Tim Kuhn, Dan Lair, Kurt Lindemann, Gina Marcello, Caryn Medved, Rebecca Meisenbach, George W. Musambira, Karen K. Myers, Majia Holmer Nadesan, Todd Norton, Andrea M. Pampaloni, Robyn V. Remke, Maria E. Rodriguez, Jennifer Mize Smith, Patty Sotirin, Rob Whitbred, Lynda R. Willer, Mary E. Wilson, Jason S. Wrench, and Heather Zoller, plus a couple of folks who wished to remain anonymous. Reviewing takes a lot of time and energy, and I appreciate everyone’s willingness to give detailed comments that, I’m sure, took up time they didn’t have.
Thanks also to my excellent colleagues in the Department of Communication
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Studies at UNC–Chapel Hill—it would be hard to imagine a more stimulating and supportive environment in which to be a scholar and teacher.
The completion of this book was aided greatly by a one-semester Research and Study Assignment from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during fall semester 2011. In addition, the Danish Otto Mønsteds Foundation provided a generous research grant that underwrote a 4-month appointment at Copenhagen Business School (CBS) during spring and summer 2011. My colleagues in the Department of Intercultural Communication and Management at CBS—especially Robyn Remke, Mikkel Flyverbom, Christina Frydensbjerg, Dan Kärreman, Esben Karmark, Eric Guthey, Hans Hansen, Linda Harrison, and Dorte Salskov-Iversen— provided a wonderfully supportive, collegial, and stimulating research environment in which to work. Tak for alt! Thanks especially to Mikkel for the loan of the bike! Majbritt Vendelbo was especially helpful with the logistics of moving to and living in a new country.
It will become clear as you read this book that I don’t spend a whole lot of time writing while shut up in an office somewhere. I prefer to be out in the world and engaged with people. Most of this book was written “in public,” as it were. The bucolic pleasures of Caffé Driade in Chapel Hill provided an ideal writing environment away from the hustle and bustle of campus, in addition to the best espresso drinks anywhere. Thanks to all its baristas and patrons for tolerating my hogging the corner table. In Copenhagen, The Living Room, Log Lady, and Paludan Books were similarly welcoming and accommodating.
Thanks also to Al, Bazza, and Pete (founding members of the Department of Philosophy and Popular Culture at Stoke Rochford University) for organizing annual summer symposia, and for reminding me that it’s alright to be out standing in the field, as long as you do some good mantlin’ around, god aye.