Introducing Communication Theory Analysis and Application by Richard West

Author:Richard West
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

wes85077_ch17.qxd 1/20/09 12:20 PM Page 306

An additional criticism underscoring the problems of logical consistency is that Organizational Information Theory views organizations as static units in society (Taylor & Van Every, 2000). These researchers challenge Weick’s view by noting that “at no point are inherent contradictions in organizational struc- ture and process even remotely evoked” (p. 275) in his research. Organizations have ongoing tensions, and these need to be identified and examined in light of Weick’s claims. Furthermore, given the dynamic changes in organizations due to corporate mergers, downsizing, offshore outsourcing of employee work, and the evolution of technology, static or frozen assessments of organizations are shortsighted.

With his model of organizational organizing, Karl Weick has provided communication scholars an understanding of how decisions are made and the key processes pertaining to those decisions. As individuals encounter an orga- nization, they need to understand the communication processes taking place. As OIT continues to be refined, centralizing communication will be instru- mental. As Eric Eisenberg (2007) states, “Weick’s most valuable contributions have been his insistence on the centrality of language and communication in the construction of organizational reality, and his sustained focus on commu- nication as a site for improving our understanding of cognition, culture, and social interaction (p. 284).

Utility

The theory’s utility is underscored by its focus on the communication process. Organizational Information Theory focuses on the process of com- munication rather than on the role of communicators themselves. This is of great benefit in understanding how members of an organization engage in collaborative efforts with both internal and external environments to under- stand the information they receive. Rather than attempt to understand the people in an organization—and their unpredictability—Weick decides to unravel the complexities of information processing, which makes this a rather useful theoretical undertaking.

Heurism

Organizational Information Theory is heuristic and has prompted consider- able scholarly discussion. The theory has inspired thinking in research on a variety of topics, including environmental flooding (Ulmer, Sellnow, & Seeger, 2007), nomadic work (Bean & Eisenberg, 2006), online financial communities (Herrmann, 2007), and cohesion in the U.S. Army (Van Epps, 2008). Charles Bantz (1989) observes that in terms of Weick’s influence on research overall, “it is not surprising that a variety of scholars picked up the organizing concept directly from Weick or integrated it into their on-going research” (p. 233). Weick clearly was influential in the work of organizational communication scholars.

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Chapter 17 • Organizational Information Theory

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