Communication in Organizations By: Elizabeth B. Oliveira

What is Organizational Communications? Katherine Miller defines it as: “The Study of Organizational Communications involves understanding how the context of the organization influences communication process and how the symbolic nature of communication differentiates it from other forms of organizational behavior” (1).

Henry Fayol’s Theory of Classical Management Fayol’s Theory Is concerned with the Managerial function of Organizing It is based on two concepts Elements of Management Concerned with with Managers should do Principal’s of Management Concerned with how Managers should enact the Elements of Management

5 Elements of Management Planning Looking into Future to attain organizational goal Organization Arrangement of Employees and the evaluation of these employees Command Giving employees task in order to meet the organizational goal Coordination Working together to accomplish a goal. Control Ensuring the organization is functioning as planned

Principals of Management Scholar Chain Management should be in hierarchy Unity of Command Employee should receive orders from only one person Unity of Direction Proposes activities that have similar goals Division of Labor Work is it’s best when employees are assigned to a limited number of specialized tasks Order Appoint places for each employee Span of Control Managers are more effective if they have control of a limited number of employees

Weber’s Theory of Bureaucracy Clearly defined Hierarchy Division of Labor Centralization of Decision Making Closed Systems Importance of Rules Functioning Authority Traditional (Listen to people above you) Charismatic

Taylor’s Theory of Scientific Management One best way to do the job Proper selection of workers Appropriate & Proper training of workers Strict Division of Labor Difference between Management & Workers

Principals of Organizational Power Centralization Organization most effective when central management has control over decision making & employee activities Authority & Responsibility Managers should hold authority & responsibility must accompany authority Discipline Organizational Members should be obedient to the rules of the Organization

Principals of Organizational Reward Remuneration of Personnel Employees should be rewarded for their work with appropriate salary & benefits Equity Employees should be treated equally Tenure Stability Job should guarantee sufficient time on the job for employees to achieve maximum performance

Principals of Organizational Attitude Subordination of Individual Interest to general Interest Interests of the whole take precedence over interests of the individuals Initiative Employees must work in the best interest of the organization Esprit de Corps No dissension in the organizational ranks

Summary Classical Organizational Theories all use a machine metaphor that conceptualize the organization as highly standardized, specialized, and predictable (Miller, 22). Structure & job design in today’s organizations often reflect the ideas expounded many years ago by classical theorists (Miller, 22).

References Miller, K. (2006). Organizational Communication. Belmont: Holly J Allen