Dialogue as empathic conversation

Organizationalcommunication: balancing creativity and constraint / Eric M. Eisenberg, H. L. Goodall, Jr. , Angela Trethewey. Boston : Bedford/St. Martin’s, c2010. ISBN: 9780312574864 ; Pages: 26-52 M IMIII; WJI D efining Organizational Communication As stated in the last chapter, as long as t here have been humans, there has been organizing, and with organizing comes a concern about how to do better, whether the task is hunting, coaching a sports team, o r r unning a multinational corporation . Unfortunately, those with practical interest in improving organizational communication have n ot always adopted the same definitions and assumptions.

F or example, when engineers speak o f t he importance o f communication, they often (but not always) refer t o its role in promoting clarity and consensus. I n contrast, a group o f clergy ca lling for improved communication would likely focus o n the evocative and emotional power o f discourse. I n this chapter, we describe some common approaches t o organizational communication, including models o f commtmication as information transfer, transactional process, strategic control, and a balance o f creativity and constraint. W e conclude with a model o f communication as mindful dialogue as well as a discussion o f integrity and ethics. §J APPROAC HE S T O O RGANIZATIONAL C OMMUNICATION O f the various conceptions o f organizational communication, four have attracted the greatest number o f adherents: ( l) communication as information transfer, (2) communication as transactional process, (3) communication as strategic control, and (4) communication as a balance o f creativity and constraint. 26 Chapter 2: Defining Org: mizarion in many people’s u nderstanding o f o rganizational c ommunicar: ion. F or example, the general m anager o f a large aerospace company hired several pilots ro fly over his manufacturing p lant and d rop h undreds o f Hyers with the message: ” S