Where can I buy a compucellipod? (Wk 4, Blog 4)

(Lecture: Technology and Teams: “Living in a Pervasive Communication Environment”) The lecture draws a comparison between current emerging technologies and those from many generations past: “… the printing press, telegraph, and telephone were all new communication technologies in their time. What's different this time?” It goes on the explain how the printing press paved the way for one person or small group to communicate out to a larger audience (mass communication). The largest difference is that our numerous communication methods- especially those which are WiFi and thus portable, have unleashed endless avenues of two-way and web-like communication. While more convenient, it also means that managers may have increased expectations for being able to get a hold of employees or monitor their progress. Because the tools of the jobs have increased for employees significantly, so can the expectations of employers for what people can do. I would imagine that there are studies out there which examine the increase in communication technology as it relates to real information dissemination and communication. “Information overload” jumps to mind…..

imo u r def rt! (Wk 4 Blog 3)

(Lecture, Technology and Teams: “Virtual or real communication”) Looking at how technology influences our lives is hard to even see, since it has become such an accepted daily occurrence to use cell phones, email, facebook, myspace, ipods, etc. Virtual meetings are becoming more commonplace in business. The lecture asks a great question about these interactions being “real” or not. I would say that they are, but because they lack direct human contact, they are missing out on many types of non-verbal communication. The difference should not be “real vs. virtual” as much as “in person vs. virtual.”

I attended a lecture recently in which the instructor pointed out that most of communication is non-verbal. I am sure that how much is non-verbal is up for debate, but his point was well-taken. How someone says something is almost more important than what he/she says. When IMing, the “how” (tone, gestures, sarcasm, etc) is hard to communicate and can be lost. I would guess that everyone reading this has had the unhappy experience of either being misunderstood or misunderstanding someone else during virtual communications! It is not fun and happens very easily.

Power and Communication Networks (Wk 4 Blog 2)

If information is power and communication is how information is shared, then communication networks are a perfect way to examine power and group dynamics. (Communication networks Ch. 8, p.256-8) The book gives us a great visual for thinking about the different types of communication networks. The circle is like the children’s game of “telephone” where information is passed from one person to another. The all-channel model does not restrict communication to be centralized like the wheel and chain models do.

The book talks about these networks in terms of superior and inferior ways to communicate. I like to think that these different models are appropriate to different types of groups. Any military or para-military group must be centralized in some way in order to maximize efficiency. People operate solely on a “need to know basis”. However, this restricted information flow results in people knowing only what their superiors allow them to, making them completely dependent upon their leaders. On a fundraising committee for a non-profit organization, decentralized communication may result in more active member participation and the overall meeting of goals. The will also diffuse power throughout the group as any member may bring their leads to the table, and get credit for their input.

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

Ch. 7 p. 204 address gender differences at work and the differences in communication styles between many men and women. “Report talk” vs. “rapport talk” is a great illustration of some fundamental differences in the way in which men and women communicate. What really struck me about this section however is the book’s premise that much of these communication styles are learned behaviors – gendered socialization- shaped by society.

There is certainly a lot to be said about the different ways in which men and women tend to communicate. I have worked with women who take on a more aggressive communication style (“report style”) and get unfairly labeled as being a “hard-ass” or other such terms (use your imagination!). Reciprocally, I have also seen men who may take on more “rapport styles” of communication and get labeled a push-over.

While there are undeniable differences between the sexes, what is learned behavior vs. “natural” is still very much up for debate.

Organizational Culture (Wk 3, Lecture, Blog 4)

I like that this lecture continued the book’s discuss of organizations as cultures. (p. 2) I know that many people have been blogging about this topic (as have I), and I think that it is a really important one. As a break from traditional approaches to explaining organizational communication, the culture metaphor allows us to think about organization differently. I like the additional examples of looking at external cultural influences on an organization as well.

In our modern, globalized world (especially here in Silicon Valley), we are increasingly seeing a shift in the work force as it becomes more and more diverse. We are truly reaping the benefits of the world’s educated, hard-working and committed immigrants who have decided to work here. With them, come different cultural norms and practices. I would guess that the way people operate a business in India, Spain, Japan, and the US differ greatly from one another. We stand to benefit from a world-wide (informal) “best-practices” session, in which organizations located in the valley are being exposed to such a wide variety of different cultures and their approaches to work. The hurdle, of course, is that we also run the risk of increased misunderstanding poor communication, and employer/employee abuse.

Pinky and The Brain: Hegemony (Wk 3, Lecture, Blog 3)

"Gee Brain, what do you want to do tonight?"
"The same thing we do every night, Pinky- try to take over the world."

Sometimes, those bent on world domination are easy to spot. But for every one person trying to get the upper hand, there seems to be another person willing to turn over his/her freedom, resources, etc. and participate in his/her own oppression. In the critical theory approach to organization, the example given of how oppressors can partake in their own oppression is fascinating to think about. (p. 4) It is hard to comprehend in this day and age that women could have ever actively campaigned against suffrage, asking that they not be entrusted with the power to vote! This is a great example to illustrate the point, because today that is hard to imagine that particular case even happening. The reality however is that hegemonic power balances in which the oppressed accept the power relationship must be numerous very today. It is interesting to try to think about what we will look back on as a society and be equally as flabbergasted about.

Mc[Expletive] (Wk 3 Blog 2)

I feel like a broken record, but yet again, I have a comparison to something in Public Administration: Ch. 6 p. 185-8 talks about employee “resistance” to organizational control and power. I liked the example of the employee who wear the “Mc[expletive]” shirt underneath his official McDonalds uniform. This illustrates an aspect of the concept behind the book “The Ethics of Dissent: Managing Guerrilla Government” by Rosemary O’Leary. The author talks about the very real situation that many employees are faced with: rebelling against the organization from within- legally, ethically, and (hopefully) in such a way as to not get fired.