ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION:
THE PROCESS

by LEA HALL
1st edition, 230 pages, $21.95
ISBN 978-0-89641-218-7 

Designed for the undergraduate Organizational Communication course, this text draws together a wide range of theories about communication under three headings: Structuralism, Social Communication Theory, and Semiotics. Construction of meaning and integration are presented as the dynamic processes that constitute organizations. Face-to-face organizing in the interaction formats of improvisation, planned interaction, and collective decision building is discussed and illustrated with examples from business and not-for-profit organizations. A brief discussion of the nature of perversity in organizations concludes with suggestions for possible change agents.

CONTENTS

Introduction

UNIT ONE: CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATIONS

Chapter 1: HISTORY OF ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY
Traditional Community: The Preclassical Point of View
The Classical School: Designing Efficient Machines
The Human Relations School: Motivating Work Families
The Social Systems School: Coordinating the Human and the Technical
Application: A Food Cooperative Reorganization

Chapter 2: COMMUNICATION AND MEANING
Current Images of Communication
Structuralism: The Reintegration of From and Content
Social Communication Theory
Semiotics: The Making of Meaning
Summary

Chapter 3: COMMUNICATION AND INTEGRATION
Integration through Evolution
Change and Balance
The Necessity of Deviance to Integration
Integrative Patterns
Message Form: Displays and Documents
Coordination Formats
Summary

UNIT TWO: ORGANIZING SOCIAL SYSTEMS

Chapter 4: IMPROVISING INTERACTIONS
Nature of Improvisation
Prerequisites for Improvisation
Improvised Patters: Culture
Improvisation as an Organizing Process
Organizing Functions: Stability and Efficiency
Summary

Chapter 5: PLANNED INTERACTIONS
Nature of Plans
Interactions as Objects of Plans
Accomplishing Planned Relationships
Organizing Functions: Predictability and Purpose
Summary

Chapter 6: COLLECTIVE DECISION BUILDING
Classical Decision Theory
Social Decision Theory
Organizing Functions: Commitment and Change
Summary

UNIT THREE: FORMALIZING SOCIAL SYSTEMS

Chapter 7: DOCUMENTING SOCIAL STRUCTURES
Documentation.
Creating the Formal Structure.
Entering the Formal Structure.
Buying Structure.
Staging Structure.
Documenting the Public Image.
Organizing Functions: Coordination and Control
Summary

Chapter 8: INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION IN FORMAL STRUCTURES
Formal Systems as Meta-messages
Sub-formal Communication
Supervisory Relationships
Co-orientation in Supervisory Relationships
Communication Across Organizational Specialization
Summary

UNIT FOUR: CONCLUSION

Chapter 9: PERVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS AND THE NEED FOR CHANGE
The Nature of the Troubles
Planned Change
What To Do

About the Author

Dr. Lea Hall is Assistant Professor of Speech Communication at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota. She received her Ph.D. from The University of Pennsylvania. Lea is also a freelance communication consultant, writer, and environmental activist