Organizational communication

Groups of people work together. They must talk to get things done. This is called organizational communication.

People share news inside a group. They also talk to people outside the group. This helps everyone work toward a goal.

Talking can be formal or informal. Some people use words. Others use body language. Even clothes can send a message.

New tools like social media change how we talk. We can share stories very fast now.

Talking helps groups stay strong and work well together.

Groups of people work together to reach goals. They must share information to make this work. This study is called organizational communication. It looks at how information flows in a group. This includes big companies and non-profit groups.

Communication can be formal or informal. It can use words or body language. People also use signs like clothes to send messages. Sometimes, a message is a feeling or an opinion. These can be hard to understand. One person might see a task as hard. Another person might not feel the same way. This can cause a breakdown in the way people talk.

In the past, experts thought people always made smart choices. Herbert A. Simon said this was not always true. He called this bounded rationality. This means people often lack all the facts. They might pick the first good option they see.

Today, technology changes how groups talk. Many people use social media like Twitter for news. This lets everyone share their own stories. However, it also makes it easier for fake news to spread. New tools make the world of communication very complex.

Organizational communication is a field of study about how information moves. It looks at how people share ideas to help a group work. This study includes many kinds of groups. It covers profitable companies and non-profit groups like NGOs. These groups stay strong through constant talking between their members. They also talk to people outside the group. This flow of information can be formal or informal.

Information flows in many different ways within a group. Some people use a "chain" pattern to pass messages along. Others might use a "wheel" or a "star" pattern. There is also an "all-channel" network where everyone talks to everyone. These patterns can change how fast a group finishes a task. They can even change who becomes the leader in a group. Some patterns might make members feel more satisfied with their jobs.

This field has a long and changing history. In the 1930s, it grew from business and mass communication studies. Early on, only a few professors studied it in speech departments. In 1947, Herbert A. Simon wrote about communication systems. He said that communication is absolutely essential to organizations. Later, W. Charles Redding helped make it its own science. In the 1980s, the focus shifted toward how communication creates the organization itself.

Many important ideas and names have shaped this study. In the 1990s, ideas from Michel Foucault changed how scholars thought. They began to look at how communication can free or oppress people. In the early 2000s, big companies like Arthur Andersen failed due to corruption. This changed how people think about ethics and responsibility. Today, many people use social media like Twitter for news. This is a big change from using old newspapers.

Communication is not just about the words we say. We also use nonverbal ways to send messages. This includes gestures, facial expressions, and body language. Even our clothes can send a symbolic message to others. Sometimes, messages are hard to understand if they are about feelings. An opinion like "this work is too hard" is not a fact. Different people might see the same feeling in different ways. This can cause a breakdown in how we understand each other.

Organizational communication is a specialized field of study within communication studies. It examines all areas of information flow that allow an organization to function. These organizations are not just profitable companies. They also include non-profit organizations and NGOs. An organization is sustained through continuous communication between its members. It also relies on communication with internal and external stakeholders. These stakeholders are groups that possess shared objectives for the organization. This flow of information can be either formal or informal.

Historically, this field evolved from business and mass communication studies. Between the 1930s and 1950s, it was a small niche. Only a few professors in speech departments studied business speaking and writing. In 1947, Nobel laureate Herbert A. Simon wrote about "organization communications systems." He argued that communication is absolutely essential to organizations. W. Charles Redding later played a major role in establishing it as a distinct discipline. By the 1950s, the focus was on improving organizational output. In the 1980s, the field shifted toward the constitutive role of communication. This means studying how communication actually creates and builds the organization.

In the 1990s, the field underwent a significant theoretical shift. Critical theory gained influence during this period. This change was influenced by the French theorist Michel Foucault. Foucault is often called the father of Post-modern thought. Scholars began studying how communication can both oppress and liberate members. The 2000s brought a "discursive turn" to the research. This was partly due to the rise of globalization in the 1980s. This shift changed the relationship between organizations and governments. It also led to a more varied and complex research landscape.

Early researchers held several specific assumptions about how organizations work. They often assumed that humans act rationally. However, Herbert A. Simon introduced the concept of bounded rationality. He noted that people seldom have complete information when making decisions. Because of this, they often pick the first acceptable option. They do not always find the optimal solution. Early theories also viewed communication as a mechanical process. In this view, a sender encodes a message and transmits it through a channel. A receiver then decodes the message. Researchers tried to identify and reduce "distortion" in this process.

Communication also functions through specific patterns called networks. Alex Bavelas showed that these networks influence group dynamics. For example, patterns can affect how quickly a group completes a task. They can also determine who becomes the de facto leader. Different network shapes exist, such as the "chain," "wheel," "star," "circle," and "all-channel" networks. These patterns impact how satisfied members feel in their positions. Furthermore, communication involves many different domains of thought. Robert Craig suggested seven components of communication theory. These include rhetorical, semiotic, phenomenological, cybernetic, sociopsychological, sociocultural, and critical approaches.

Modern organizational communication must also account for complex social interactions. This includes interpersonal communication, which is both verbal and nonverbal. Nonverbal communication includes gestures, facial expressions, and body language. According to Birdwhistell, nonverbal content is complementary to verbal behavior. This means it adds to the message rather than just repeating it. Even clothing and possessions can act as symbolic communication. Problems arise when messages involve opinions or feelings. Unlike objective facts, feelings cannot be verified through trial. This can lead to different perceptions and distorted meanings.

Today, the field faces new challenges from technology and global shifts. In the last five years, public opinion on mass media has changed. Many people now rely on social media like Twitter instead of newspapers. While this allows everyone to share stories, it also increases vulnerability to "fake news." Additionally, the early 2000s saw discoveries of corruption in large organizations. The bankruptcy of firms like Arthur Andersen changed views on ethics. This highlighted the importance of corporate social responsibility. As technology advances, the future of organizational communication remains unpredictable and vast.