COM1513
Assignment 1 Semester 1 2025
Unique #:
Due Date: 2025
Detailed solutions, explanations, workings
and references.
+27 81 278 3372
, INTRODUCTION
Organisational communication is fundamental to effective collaboration, decision-
making, and strategic management in any setting. This assignment delves into
four distinct yet interconnected facets of communication within organisations.
First, it draws on Professor Matthew Koschmann’s video to examine whether
viewing organisations as communication offers a more sophisticated lens for
understanding how individuals collectively construct meaning. Second, it employs
design thinking to propose a memorable brand communication campaign for
Botho-Buntu, a local luxury African-inspired street fashion line. Third, the
discussion explores distinctive attributes of the South African public sector, as
outlined in the module, highlighting how these attributes shape communication
processes. Finally, the assignment applies the critical approach to organisational
communication to unpack how power is exercised and contested within
organisational structures. Collectively, these questions underscore the intricate
relationship between communication theory, practical strategy, and real-world
dynamics in diverse professional and cultural contexts. This introduction sets the
stage for examining these complexities.
QUESTION 1: EMBRACING COMMUNICATION AS THE ESSENCE OF
ORGANIZATIONAL EXISTENCE
Yes, I strongly agree with Prof Koschmann that viewing organizations as
communication offers a more sophisticated approach to organizational
communication. This perspective emphasizes that communication is not merely a
tool employed by organizations, but rather the essence through which
organizations themselves are formed, sustained, and transformed. By focusing on
language, symbols, and ongoing interactions, we uncover how members create
shared meaning, negotiate roles, and develop identities within the organizational
context. For instance, a company’s mission statement, informal norms, and daily
routines emerge through constant dialogue, shaping how people connect and
collaborate.
When organizations are treated as continuous processes of communication,
leaders and employees become co-creators of reality, not passive participants.
Varsity Cube 2024 +27 81 278 3372
Assignment 1 Semester 1 2025
Unique #:
Due Date: 2025
Detailed solutions, explanations, workings
and references.
+27 81 278 3372
, INTRODUCTION
Organisational communication is fundamental to effective collaboration, decision-
making, and strategic management in any setting. This assignment delves into
four distinct yet interconnected facets of communication within organisations.
First, it draws on Professor Matthew Koschmann’s video to examine whether
viewing organisations as communication offers a more sophisticated lens for
understanding how individuals collectively construct meaning. Second, it employs
design thinking to propose a memorable brand communication campaign for
Botho-Buntu, a local luxury African-inspired street fashion line. Third, the
discussion explores distinctive attributes of the South African public sector, as
outlined in the module, highlighting how these attributes shape communication
processes. Finally, the assignment applies the critical approach to organisational
communication to unpack how power is exercised and contested within
organisational structures. Collectively, these questions underscore the intricate
relationship between communication theory, practical strategy, and real-world
dynamics in diverse professional and cultural contexts. This introduction sets the
stage for examining these complexities.
QUESTION 1: EMBRACING COMMUNICATION AS THE ESSENCE OF
ORGANIZATIONAL EXISTENCE
Yes, I strongly agree with Prof Koschmann that viewing organizations as
communication offers a more sophisticated approach to organizational
communication. This perspective emphasizes that communication is not merely a
tool employed by organizations, but rather the essence through which
organizations themselves are formed, sustained, and transformed. By focusing on
language, symbols, and ongoing interactions, we uncover how members create
shared meaning, negotiate roles, and develop identities within the organizational
context. For instance, a company’s mission statement, informal norms, and daily
routines emerge through constant dialogue, shaping how people connect and
collaborate.
When organizations are treated as continuous processes of communication,
leaders and employees become co-creators of reality, not passive participants.
Varsity Cube 2024 +27 81 278 3372
