2017
UNIT 1: COMMUNICATION IN THE ORGANISATION
What is an organisation
Organisations take on many forms and are determined primarily by their objectives
They vary in their degree of formality
They can also be completely informal and not exist as legal entities
The structure of organisations vary extensively
Organisations are social systems, made up of people who interact in particular ways that are
specified within the organisation
Fields of communication <OBMCPM>
1. Organisational communication
Entails the communication of organisations in a holistic sense – umbrella term for all
communication in the organisation
Origin:
Organisational communication has its roots in speech communication and communication
studies.
It was strongly influenced by psychology and sociology.
It became a distinct academic field after the Second World War.
In the 1960s its primary focus shifted away from the applied aspects of the broader role of
communication in the organisation towards areas such as organisational behaviour and
organisational theory.
The research methodologies used in organisational communication were predominately
positivist and quantitative.
Later on, however, qualitative, interpretive, cultural and critical approaches were favoured.
Although all these different approaches initially seemed to conflict with one another, all
approaches are now widely accepted within the body of organisational communication.
Emphasis:
Organisational communication traditionally involved communication in and between formal,
hierarchical, public and private organisations and their environments.
It deals as much with the instrumental use of communication (functionalist perspectives) as
with the social construction of reality within the organisational milieu (interpretive
perspectives).
There are two main forms of organisational communication, namely academic organisational
communication and professional communication.
Academic organisational communication is the academic study of the spectrum of
communication within the organisation.
It generally focuses more on research and theory than on skills and practice.
While it covers corporate and managerial issues, it also deals with issues that extend beyond
the corporate context, and it may critically confront corporate perspectives.
Academic organisational communication focuses on the theoretical exploration of any topic
that lies at the intersection of the organisation and communication.
Professional organisational communication, on the other hand, focuses very specifically on
professional practice, methods, skills and applications, rather than on theory or research.
1
UNIT 1: COMMUNICATION IN THE ORGANISATION
What is an organisation
Organisations take on many forms and are determined primarily by their objectives
They vary in their degree of formality
They can also be completely informal and not exist as legal entities
The structure of organisations vary extensively
Organisations are social systems, made up of people who interact in particular ways that are
specified within the organisation
Fields of communication <OBMCPM>
1. Organisational communication
Entails the communication of organisations in a holistic sense – umbrella term for all
communication in the organisation
Origin:
Organisational communication has its roots in speech communication and communication
studies.
It was strongly influenced by psychology and sociology.
It became a distinct academic field after the Second World War.
In the 1960s its primary focus shifted away from the applied aspects of the broader role of
communication in the organisation towards areas such as organisational behaviour and
organisational theory.
The research methodologies used in organisational communication were predominately
positivist and quantitative.
Later on, however, qualitative, interpretive, cultural and critical approaches were favoured.
Although all these different approaches initially seemed to conflict with one another, all
approaches are now widely accepted within the body of organisational communication.
Emphasis:
Organisational communication traditionally involved communication in and between formal,
hierarchical, public and private organisations and their environments.
It deals as much with the instrumental use of communication (functionalist perspectives) as
with the social construction of reality within the organisational milieu (interpretive
perspectives).
There are two main forms of organisational communication, namely academic organisational
communication and professional communication.
Academic organisational communication is the academic study of the spectrum of
communication within the organisation.
It generally focuses more on research and theory than on skills and practice.
While it covers corporate and managerial issues, it also deals with issues that extend beyond
the corporate context, and it may critically confront corporate perspectives.
Academic organisational communication focuses on the theoretical exploration of any topic
that lies at the intersection of the organisation and communication.
Professional organisational communication, on the other hand, focuses very specifically on
professional practice, methods, skills and applications, rather than on theory or research.
1
