Division Three Summary - Group and Public Communication
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1. The document discusses three sub-divisions of Griffin's Division Three: group decision making, organizational communication, and public rhetoric. 2. It provides details on Bales' Interaction Process Model of group decision making, including the concepts of task-oriented and socially-emotional roles in maintaining a healthy balance of positive and negative interactions. 3. Adaptive Structuration Theory and various organizational theories are discussed, rejecting a single linear model of group effectiveness and emphasizing the interplay between rules, resources, and communication within organizations.
Division Three Summary - Group and Public Communication
- 1. GROUP AND ORGANIZATION COMMUNICATION GRIFFIN : DIVISION THREE
- 2. THREE SUB-DIVISIONS OF GRIFFIN DIVISION THREE GROUP DECISION MAKING ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION PUBLIC RHETORIC (not included in this summary) is connected to (1) interpersonal persuasion (2) mass media
- 4. BALES’ INTERACTION PROCESS How do groups work effectively? Each group member enhances or detracts from group synergy through: (1) comments that reflect group task (TASK-ORIENTED ; PISTON) gives: (1) suggestion, (2) opinion, (3) information asks for: (1) suggestion, (2) opinion, (3) information (2) comments that reflect relationships (+/-) ( SOCIAL- EMOTIONAL; LUBRICANT ) is: (4) friendly, (5) reduces tension, (6) agrees is: (4) unfriendly, (5) creates tension, (6) disagrees Good groups maintain balance between the six pairs. 2:1 ratio of positive to negative is optimal: i.e. an element of conflict is healthy, even necessary
- 5. Phase Models These attempt to identify universal patterns of communication for group decision-making e.g. Orientation : addresses need for info, focus Conflict : disagreements about right approach Coalescence : negotiation and saving face Development : concentration, focus Integration : tension-free solidarity, cohesion
- 6. Effective Decision Making Involves: (Hirokawa and Gouran) 1. 1 : Analysis of the problem - realistic analysis of current situation, including assessment of current threats and of the nature, extent and probable cause of problems 2 : Goal setting - the group needs: clarity as to purpose criteria for judging proposed solutions
- 7. Hirokawa and Gouran (ctd) 3 : Identification of alternatives - as many as possible, to increase chance identifying acceptable solutions 4 : Evaluation of positive and negative features of each alternative Some group tasks have a positive bias – positive attributes emphasized; others have a negative bias Communication can be promotive, disruptive or counteractive
- 8. ADAPTIVE STRUCTURATION THEORY (Poole) Rejects a single sequence of group effectiveness in decision-making. Identifies 5 principles or components at work: Structuration : people enter into situations not of their own making, yet can transform it Rules : ideas people have about how something should be done Resources : materials, possessions, attributes (incl. expertise, relationships) people bring; in short-supply, unequally distributed Production : people ADAPT rules and resources in interaction Reproduction : action reinforces existing system.
- 9. ADAPTIVE STRUCTURATION (2) People consciously adapt rules and resources to accomplish goals THROUGH COMMUNICATION Interaction raises concerns of morality, communication and power Rules and resources restrain/empower Appropriation: rules/resources borrowed from parent culture (e.g. one person, one vote; balloting; anonymous idea generation)
- 11. MECHANISTIC WAY OF THINKING ABOUT ORGANIZATIONS Scalar chain Division of work Authority and responsibility Discipline Subordination of individual interest to general interest
- 12. Mechanistic Approach (2) Emphasizes productivity, precision, and efficiency Workers as cogs Tasks are repetitive Parts are interchangeable
- 13. Living Systems Approaches Emphasize: Innovation Adaptation Free-flowing communication Information
- 14. INFORMATION SYSTEMS APPROACH (Weick) Requisite variety : the degree of complexity and diversity within the organization needs to match the level of ambiguity of the data it processes Interconnectedness, as measured by “ double interact ” loops. Double interact is basic unit of inter-connectedness, a communication cycle of act-response-adjustment “ Loose coupling ” of interacts within an organization enhances flexibility, adaptability Organizations open to environment adapt more effectively: they continually “re-chart the organizational chart” in response to external developments.
- 15. CULTURAL APPROACH Emphasizes: Shared meanings Interpretations of reality Culture as system of shared meaning Reject notions of high culture and low culture Cultures have subcultures and counter-cultures Culture made manifest through performance – the actions which constitute and reveal people’s culture ( symbolic expression) Culture includes task and non task-related performance Performances seen as texts, available to be read Reading performances requires seeing an organization
- 16. CRITICAL APPROACH Begins with a critique of corporate colonization of social and personal space: Intrusive presence of big corporations Concentration of power in few corporate hands Media preoccupation with corporate health as against other indices of social health Decrease in quality of life
- 17. CRITICAL APPROACH (2) Explores ways to ensure financial health of institutions while also increasing the representation of diverse human interests Regards institutions as political as well as financial institutions Shows how communication practices often distort decision-making within institutions