, COM4807 ASSIGNMENT 2
DUE DATE: 17 JULY 2026
Question 1(a)
Distinguish between the positivist, interpretivist and critical perspectives to
organisational communication. Your discussion should show their impact on and how
they shape and influence communication, their views on reality, and other relevant
communication aspects within organisations.
Organisational communication is concerned with the ways in which communication enables
organisations to function, achieve their objectives, build relationships and adapt to
changing environments. Communication is not merely the exchange of information but is
also the process through which organisational members create meaning, coordinate
activities, exercise power and establish organisational culture. Over time, scholars have
developed different theoretical perspectives to explain how communication operates within
organisations. The three dominant perspectives are the positivist, interpretivist and critical
perspectives. Although they all seek to explain organisational communication, they differ
significantly in their assumptions about reality, the purpose of communication,
organisational power, leadership, research methods and the role of employees (Miller, 2020;
Mumby, 2019).
The positivist perspective, sometimes referred to as the modernist or functionalist
approach, views organisations as objective entities that exist independently of the people
who work within them. Positivists believe that reality is objective, stable and measurable
through scientific observation (Keyton, 2017). Consequently, communication is viewed
primarily as the transmission of information between organisational members to improve
efficiency, coordination and organisational performance. Within this perspective,
communication follows formal channels such as policies, reports, meetings, emails and
official instructions. Managers are responsible for ensuring that messages are
DUE DATE: 17 JULY 2026
Question 1(a)
Distinguish between the positivist, interpretivist and critical perspectives to
organisational communication. Your discussion should show their impact on and how
they shape and influence communication, their views on reality, and other relevant
communication aspects within organisations.
Organisational communication is concerned with the ways in which communication enables
organisations to function, achieve their objectives, build relationships and adapt to
changing environments. Communication is not merely the exchange of information but is
also the process through which organisational members create meaning, coordinate
activities, exercise power and establish organisational culture. Over time, scholars have
developed different theoretical perspectives to explain how communication operates within
organisations. The three dominant perspectives are the positivist, interpretivist and critical
perspectives. Although they all seek to explain organisational communication, they differ
significantly in their assumptions about reality, the purpose of communication,
organisational power, leadership, research methods and the role of employees (Miller, 2020;
Mumby, 2019).
The positivist perspective, sometimes referred to as the modernist or functionalist
approach, views organisations as objective entities that exist independently of the people
who work within them. Positivists believe that reality is objective, stable and measurable
through scientific observation (Keyton, 2017). Consequently, communication is viewed
primarily as the transmission of information between organisational members to improve
efficiency, coordination and organisational performance. Within this perspective,
communication follows formal channels such as policies, reports, meetings, emails and
official instructions. Managers are responsible for ensuring that messages are
