Organizational Communication

While traditional in its coverage of the major research traditions that have developed over the past 100 years, Organizational Communication is the first textbook in the field that is written from a critical perspective while providing a comprehensive survey of theory and research in organizational communication. Extensively updated and incorporating relevant current events, the Second Edition familiarizes students with the field of organizational communication—historically, conceptually, and practically—and challenges them to critically reflect on their common sense understandings of work and organizations, preparing them for participation in 21st-century organizational settings. Linking theory with practice, Dennis K. Mumby and new co-author Timothy R. Kuhn skillfully explore the significant role played by organizations and corporations in constructing our identities.

This volume presents organizational communication from both a communication and managerial perspective. The text's writing style and use of examples and case studies should prove accessible to undergraduates.

It is often said that the practice of management is in crisis, and that managers are now finding it harder than ever to develop strategies which withstand the shocks of the marketplace. This illuminating book cuts through these conflicting issues to show how organizational communication plays a vital role in confronting uncertainty. Arguing that many managers fail to adequately consider the communication consequences of the decision making process and its impact on organizational effectiveness, Hargie and Tourish present here numerous organizational communication insights, and show how they reveal a way through these dilemmas. Based on cutting-edge research findings and case studies, this book features contributions from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, bringing multiple perspectives to this topical subject. The result is a comprehensive guide to organizational communication useful for managers, academics and students.

Organizational Communication: A Critical Perspective introduces students to the field of organizational communication--historically, conceptually, and pragmatically--from a perspective grounded in critical theory and research. Author Dennis K. Mumby explores how the history of organizational communication theory and research is one that embodies and attempts to resolve the fundamental tensions and contradictions between the individual and the organization. By taking a critical perspective to the history, theories, and research of organizational communication, this text seeks to address the following: how do we provide ourselves with the analytic and practical tools that will enable us to be more informed and critical consumers of, and participants in, organizational processes? Put more broadly, how do we learn to be better informed citizens who can participate effectively in, and be advocates of, organizational democracy? This textbook squarely addresses this problem. In keeping with this theme, this text goes at great pains to explore the link between theory and practice. Mumby shows how management theory and research is of vital importance to our understanding of daily struggles for control over work and organizing processes. The critical perspective throughout helps students understand how, over the course of the last 100 years, corporations have sought more and more sophisticated methods of constructing our identities in ways that are commensurate with organizational world-views and goals. Features unique to this text include the combination of the following issues: · A thematic critical perspective on organizational communication, with analysis of traditional and contemporary approaches to organizational communication. · Integrated discussion of ethics and technology. · A full chapter on gender and organizational communication. · A full chapter devoted to issues of organizational democracy.

Organizational Communication: Foundations, Challenges, and Misunderstandings examines how communication is central to organizational life and the complexities and complications that arise as people attempt to coordinate their organizational activities. The text underscores the importance of the relationships we establish with the people with whom we work and how a better understanding of organizational communication theory and application can help us anticipate and manage misunderstandings in the workplace. In Part One, students learn about classical and modern management theories, systems theory, and frameworks for understanding organizational communication, including organizational culture and critical theory. In Part Two, the text covers topics traditionally covered in organizational communication textbooks through the lens of misunderstandings. Stories from organizational members highlight challenges and opportunities related to communicating in the organization. Realistic recruitment, socialization, the relationship between supervisors and subordinates, peer and team relationships, and leadership communication are addressed. The fifth edition features new interview data; broader coverage of diversity; expanded discussions of emotions at work; and examinations of workplace bullying, blended relationships, and technology as it relates to gender and age. Offering students a balanced mix of theoretical and practical information, Organizational Communication is an exemplary textbook for introductory organizational communication courses.

Communication in organizations has changed drastically since the release of the first edition of this bestselling textbook. This fully revised and updated edition delves into state-of-the-art studies, providing fresh insights into the challenges that organizations face today. Yet this foundational resource remains a cornerstone in the examination of classic research and theory in organization communication.

Recipient of the 1995 Best Book Award from the Organizational Communication division of the Speech Communication Association "I have just finished reading Organizational Communication. This is a magnificent piece of work bringing together current and past scholarship to form a persuasive argument for awareness. I will bring this work to the attention of a graduate class I'm teaching on organizational change and team building. . . . Above all, I recommend it to instructors of organizational communication." --William Gorden, Kent State University The lines between our personal and professional lives are blurred--naturally, one affects the other. Organizational Communication is the first book on the subject to take into account the personal context we bring into an organization. In addition to the connections between home life, social life, and professional activities, author Cynthia Stohl asserts that we must pay close attention to the linkages that individuals develop and maintain within their organizational contexts. Each chapter illustrates the ways in which today's changing social patterns, the increasing diversity of the workforce, the introduction of new communication technologies, and the challenges of global integration and competition create organizational and interpersonal networks that are intricately interwoven and complex. By reframing the network metaphor, the author challenges us to examine the ways in which organizational communication is always embedded in, and influenced by, overlapping systems of relationships. Organizational Communication is the ideal text for courses in organizational communication that focus on the organization as an integrated aspect of our lives, our culture, and our global society.

Movements in Organizational Communication Research is an essential resource for anyone wishing to become familiar with the current state of organizational communication research and key trends in the field. Seasoned organizational communication scholars will find that the book provides unique insights by way of the intergenerational dialogue that is found in the book, as well as the contributors’ stories about their scholarly trajectories. Those who are new to the field will find that the book enables them to familiarize themselves with the field and become a part of the organizational communication scholarly community in an inviting and accessible way. Key features of the book include: A review of current issues and future directions in 13 topical areas of organizational communication research. Intergenerational dialogue and collaboration between both established and emerging scholars in their specialty areas. Reflections by the authors on their scholarly trajectories and how they became a part of the field. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter that prompt reflections and debate. The book also features online resources for instructors: Sample course syllabus Suggested case studies from the book Cases in Organization and Managerial Communication to align with this book’s chapters The book is recommended as the anchor text for introductory graduate-level courses and upper-level undergraduate courses in organizational communication. It is also an excellent supplementary text for advanced doctoral-level courses in organizational communication, and courses in related fields such as organization studies, organizational behavior, and management. Chapters 3 and 8 of this book are freely available as downloadable Open Access PDFs at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.