Communication and Theatre 310 Organizational Communication Organizations as Cultures

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Communication and Theatre 310 Organizational
Communication Organizations as Cultures
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• Burke people are
• Symbol using/abusing
• Inventors of the negative
• Separated from natural conditions by language
• Moved by a sense of order
• Rotten with perfection

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• Types of culture
• Strong
• Weak
• Healthy
• Unhealthy
• Co-culture
• Subculture

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• Deal and Kennedy elements of culture
• environment or context
• values
• heroes
• rituals and ceremonies
• cultural network

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• Advantages of a strong culture
• everyone understands rules for working together
• people feel better about what they do, and work
  harder.

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Clearly Deal and Kennedy want us to believe that
strong cultures are superior to weak cultures.
Can you think of any times when weaker, less
cohesive cultures might outperform strong
cultures? Bring your ideas to chat.
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When we grow up in a culture, we consent to it .
. .
Within a heterogeneous society we negotiate
reality.
The costs of control now outweigh the costs of
negotiation
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Strong cultures fail because they have to invest
too heavily in control
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The loss of the simple unified self creates
control problems in relationship.
Little pieces here and there, Pieces of me
everywhere. If you would know me This I
ask Accept each part -- It's no big task!!
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The Organization gains flexibility with a radical
mixing of identities.
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Nordstroms Rule 1 Use your good judgment in
all circumstances Rule 2 There are no other rules
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Identity work may be the most important product
of most companies
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Most of the corporations valuable resources go
down the elevator at night . . .
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Faith in authority has failed. We have to
continually re-negotiate our status in a
skeptical environment
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Objectivity has been oversold for the prestige of
the owners of knowledge.
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Organizational culture combats ontological
insecurity.
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Shopping can be your drug of choice. S. Ripley
28 shopping days til Christmas - Time 1946
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Seven Deadly Social (cultural) Sins

• politics without principle
• wealth without work
• commerce without morality
• pleasure without conscience
• education without character
• science without humanity
• worship without sacrifice

-Gandhi
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Charts are images of political positions. Who is
privileged, marginalized, silenced?
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The production of crises insecurity is an
effective way to keep democracy from happening.
I came, I saw, I conquered.
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Organizational communicators need to be
thoughtful, careful (full of care) and of good
humor.
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Concern with how we prefer to live together
should precede concern with identity and truth
Why?
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• Possibilities for corporate opposition
• exit
• loyalty
• voice

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Communication is the way temporary structures and
orders are produced and potentially overcome in
interaction
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Communication is about transformation, not
information
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End of Culture Session