M ANAGING COMMUNICATION OB 330, Spring 2010 University of Massachusetts Amherst

INTRODUCTION Communication can be defined as The exchange of ideas, emotions, messages, stories, and information through different means Intentional, such as a carefully phrased letter; or unintentional, such as the inferences another person makes about one’s body language

COMMUNICATION PERSPECTIVES Organizational behavior Cultural perspective of communication Human relations perspective of communication Power perspective of communication

LEVELS OF COMMUNICATION Dyadic Interpersonal Impersonal Small group Brainstorm Shared meaning Weick Mass communication Icons and the Church

O RGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION Every communication has an informational aspect and a meta-communication aspect. Communication involves multiple meanings, interpretations, distortions and omissions. Organizational reality is constructed through communication and miscommunication.

AUDIENCES Intraorganizational communication targets an audience internal to the organization Interorganizational communication targets audiences across different organizations, and occurs Out of necessity For asymmetry For reciprocity For efficiency For stability For legitimacy

C OMMUNICATION AT WORK Expressive organizations Communicate identity to internal/external audiences and integrate levels of communication, different audiences, and align corporate communication Have a strong corporate identity integrating vision (strategy), culture (employees), and image (brand) Vision/culture gap Image/culture gap Image/vision gap

A FILM ABOUT COMMUNICATION The Conversation (1974)