Chat with AIExam 20: Communicative Constitution of Organizations
Which of the following is NOT one of the four principles of the four flows of communicative constitution of organizations theory?
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What do McPhee and other communicative constitution of organization theorists mean when they argue that "any company is what it is because communication brings the organization into existence"?
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Answered by Examlex AI CopilotMcPhee and other theorists who subscribe to the communicative constitution of organization (CCO) perspective argue that organizations are not merely structures or entities that exist independently of communication. Instead, they propose that communication is the very process through which organizations come into being, are sustained, and evolve over time. This perspective is grounded in the idea that it is through communicative acts that the social reality of an organization is constructed.
When McPhee and others say that "any company is what it is because communication brings the organization into existence," they are emphasizing several key points:
1. **Creation through Communication**: Organizations are created through the ongoing process of communication. This includes the initial conversations that lead to the formation of the organization, the development of its goals and strategies, and the negotiation of roles and responsibilities among its members.
2. **Maintenance and Adaptation**: Communication is not only foundational in the creation of an organization but is also critical for its maintenance and adaptation. Through internal and external communication, organizations coordinate activities, manage relationships, make decisions, and respond to changes in their environment.
3. **Constitutive Processes**: The CCO perspective identifies four flows of communication that are constitutive of organizations: membership negotiation, self-structuring, activity coordination, and institutional positioning. These flows are ongoing processes that continuously shape the organization.
- **Membership Negotiation**: This involves communication that defines who is a part of the organization and what their roles are.
- **Self-Structuring**: This refers to communication that shapes the internal structures and hierarchies of the organization.
- **Activity Coordination**: This encompasses the communication necessary to coordinate the various activities and tasks that need to be accomplished.
- **Institutional Positioning**: This involves communication that defines the organization's relationship to its external environment and stakeholders.
4. **Emergent Properties**: The organization is seen as an emergent property of communication, meaning that it arises from the complex interplay of communicative acts rather than existing as a pre-defined, static structure.
5. **Social Construction**: The CCO perspective is rooted in the broader theory of social constructionism, which posits that our understanding of reality is shaped through our interactions and the meanings we co-create through communication.
In summary, McPhee and other CCO theorists view organizations as dynamic processes that are continuously being constituted and reconstituted through communication. They argue that it is through the ongoing exchange of messages, the negotiation of meanings, and the coordination of actions that the very essence of what an organization is—and what it can become—is realized.
Define, describe, and illustrate the four flows of communicative constitution of organizations theory.
(86) Answered by Examlex AI CopilotThe communicative constitution of organizations (CCO) theory proposes that organizations are not entities with fixed structures, but rather are continuously constituted through communication. This theory identifies four flows of communication that contribute to the ongoing constitution of organizations: membership negotiation, self-structuring, activity coordination, and institutional positioning.
1. Membership negotiation: This flow of communication involves the process of individuals or groups negotiating their membership within the organization. It includes discussions, negotiations, and agreements about who is considered a member, what roles they will play, and what rights and responsibilities they have within the organization. For example, when a new employee joins a company, there are often formal and informal conversations about their role, expectations, and integration into the organizational culture.
2. Self-structuring: This flow of communication refers to the ongoing process of organizing and structuring the activities and relationships within the organization. It involves discussions, decisions, and actions that shape the formal and informal structures, hierarchies, and processes within the organization. For example, when a team restructures its workflow or when a company reorganizes its departments, there are numerous communication processes involved in making and implementing these changes.
3. Activity coordination: This flow of communication involves the coordination of activities and tasks within the organization. It includes the communication and collaboration necessary to ensure that work is carried out effectively and efficiently. This can include formal meetings, informal conversations, and digital communication tools used to coordinate and manage tasks and projects.
4. Institutional positioning: This flow of communication involves the organization's interactions with external institutions, such as government agencies, industry associations, and the media. It includes the communication strategies and actions that shape the organization's public image, reputation, and relationships with external stakeholders. For example, when a company communicates its values and commitments through public relations efforts or when it engages in lobbying activities to influence public policy, it is engaging in institutional positioning.
In summary, the four flows of communicative constitution of organizations theory illustrate how communication processes continuously shape and constitute organizations. By understanding and analyzing these flows, researchers and practitioners can gain insights into how organizations are formed, maintained, and transformed through communication.
According to Robert McPhee's communicative constitution of organization theory, it is everyday conversations that constitute an organization.
(94) McPhee's approach to communicative constitution of organizations is criticized by others who hold similar perspectives, such as James Taylor from the University of Toronto. Rather than subscribing to what he calls McPhee's top-down approach to organizational constitution, Taylor favors alternative perspective. Describe Taylor's approach and then state your own informed opinion about which of the two is most reasonable to you. Support your claim with evidence.
(80) Explain why McPhee thinks that classical management's claim that "organizations are like machines and workers are its cogs" is the wrong metaphor for describing an organization.
(73) Business practices arise from the daily interactions of the organization's members.
(75) Communication between an organization and external entities is known as:
(82) McPhee unashamedly borrows heavily from Pearce & Cronen's Coordinated Management of Meaning (CMM) in order to develop his communicative constitution of organizations theory. Trace the similarities and identify any differences. What other communication theories seem to undergird McPhee's claim that organizations are constituted through communication?
(70) According to James Taylor, conversations organize when members engage in ________, or communication "wherein two or more actors are entwined in relation to an object."
(102) Which of the following is NOT one of the four flows of communicative constitution of organizations theory?
(82) The text's authors write: "McPhee wouldn't want you to think of the flows as something an organization does. Rather, these four flows, functioning together, are what an organization is." Why do you suppose they make the distinction between "doing" and "being"?
(78) Communicative constitution of organization theorists believe organizations are like a river-always changing, always active, and sometimes violent.
(66) Communication that calls an organization into being is referred to as:
(89) Why is institutional positioning necessary for an organization?
(91) A sense of shared understanding that emerges in back-and-forth interaction is known among communicative constitution of organization theorists as:
(70) Conditions under which something can occur are called sufficient conditions.
(79) Using an organization to which you belong as an example, explain the claim that "No organization survives on its own."
(59) According to McPhee, an official organizational chart is the final word on structure within an organization.
(89) Conditions under which something will occur are called ________.
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