Preface  

Chapter One

Organizational Communication: A Competency-Based Approach  

The Changing Nature of Organizations and Work  

Challenges for Individuals and Organizations

The Communications Era  

Communication: The Key to Organizational Excellence  

Excellence in Communication: Communication Competency  

Organizational Communication: A Competency-Based Approach  

The “What Business Is This of Ours?” Case  

Basics of Human Communication  

Defining Communication  

The Human Communication Process  

Source/Receiver  

Encoding/Decoding  

Message  

Channel  

Noise  

Competence  

Field of Experience  

Communication Context  

Effect  

The Construction of Shared Realities  

Concepts of Organizations  

Definitions of Organizational Communication  

Organizational Communication as Process  

Organizational Communication as People  

Organizational Communication as Messages  

Organizational Communication as Meaning  

Organizational Communication as Purpose  

Self-Assessment of Personal Development Needs  

Chapter Highlights  

Workshop  

The Case against Hiring Karen Groves  

The “What Do You Mean I’m Not Getting a Raise?” Case  

Tips for Effective Communication  

References and Suggested Readings  

Chapter Two

Perspectives for Organizational Communication  

The Coronado Company’s Quality Defects Case  

Introduction  

The Functional Tradition  

Organizational Communication Systems: Component Parts  

Communication Inputs  

Communication Throughput  

Communication Output  

Open versus Closed Systems  

Message Functions  

Organizing Functions  

Relationship Functions  

Change Functions  

Message Structure  

Communication Networks  

Communication Channels  

Message Direction  

Communication Load  

Message Distortion  

The Functional Tradition: Summary of Essential Characteristics  

The Meaning-Centered Approach  

Communication as Organizing and Decision Making  

Communication as Influence  

Identification  

Socialization  

Communication Rules  

Power  

Communication as Culture  

Communication Climate  

The Meaning-Centered Approach: Summary of Essential Characteristics  

Emerging Perspectives  

Communication as Constitutive Process  

Communication Constitutes Organization

Postmodernism and Organizational Communication  

Critical Theory and Organizational Communication  

Feminist and Race Perspectives and Organizational Communication  

Institutions and Organizational Communication  

Global Cultures and Organizational Communication  

Technology and Organizational Communication  

Emerging Perspectives: Summary of Essential Issues  

Chapter Highlights  

Workshop  

The United Concepts Advertising Agency Dilemma Case  

The “Newcomers Aren’t Welcome Here” Case  

Tips for Effective Communication  

References and Suggested Readings  

C

• The competency-based approach integrates theory with opportunities for critical thinking and skill development.
• Comprehensive coverage of major issues—including organizational conflict, globalization, leadership, values, change, diversity, strategic communication, technology, and ethical behavior—offers students a thorough introduction to the current field of organizational communication.
• A global focus throughout the text assists students in preparing for the changing nature of the workplace.
• Career information offers students insight into planning for potential employment opportunities.
• Original case studies in each chapter and in the “Putting It All Together” sections give students the opportunity to apply theory and concepts to real situations.
• Workshops” at the end of each chapter provide diverse, interactive learning opportunities both in class and for out-of-class assignments.
• Expansive references at the end of each chapter work in detail with key concepts and give students the most extensive bibliography in an introductory organizational communication text.

• Expanded discussions of globalization and communication technologies including social media to help students communicate effectively in virtual environments. In addition, new discussions of the rapid-response nature of strategic communication in a connected world have been added to the text.
• A new section about emotion in organizations along with discussions of framing and sense-making .
• An updated and comprehensive study of stakeholder theory that exposes students to the dynamic changes constantly occurring as these stakeholders and organizations continue to diversify.
• New coverage of discursive leadership and the importance of discourse is introduced in this edition to help students develop competencies for understanding leadership processes through communication.
• New discussions of practical theory and communication constitutes organizations (CCO) theory, gives students the opportunity to apply organizational communication theory to everyday case studies.
• A greater emphasis is placed on diversity with added sections on race theory to better prepare students for a world that both values and marginalizes difference.
• Expanded discussions of ethical issues, organizational effectiveness, and organizational decline have been added and now prepare students for responding to increasingly complex work dilemmas.