Critical Theory of Communication in Organizations
Information or Communication: A Difference That Makes A Difference.
Approaches to Organizational Practice
- Deetz challenges the information model, which is the view that communication is merely the transmission of information about the real world, a view that perpetuates corporate dominance.
- Deetz communication model emphasizes that language is the principle medium through which social reality is created and sustained.
- Managerial control is a corporate decision processes that systematically exclude the voices of people who are directly affected by the decisions.
- Co-determination represents decision processes that invite open dialogue among all stakeholders; epitomizes decision-making; participatory democracy in the workplace.
Introduction
- Stanley Deetz' critical communication theory seeks to balance corporate and human interests.
- Communication theory can be used to diagnose distorted corporate decision making.
- Workplaces can be made more productive and democratic through communication reforms.
- The encroachment of modern corporations into every aspect of life outside the workplace is called corporate colonization.
- Deetz views multinational corporations as the dominant force in society in their ability to influence the lives of individuals.
- Deetz scrutinizes the structure of the corporate world because he says that corporations "control and colonize" modern life.
- His theory of communication is “critical” because he questions the primacy of corporate prosperity.
Strategy
Participation
- A systematic logic, set of routine practices, and ideology; a discourse that values control above all else is called managerialism.
- Strategy refers to overt managerial moves to extent control.
- Meaningful democratic participation creates better citizens and social choices while providing economic benefits.
- Deetz advocates open negotiations of power.
- There are six classes of stakeholders, each with unique needs: Investors; Workers; Consumers; Suppliers; Host communities; and Greater society and the world community. Deetz believes these stakeholders should have a say in corporate decisions.
- Managers should mediate, rather than persuade, coordinating the conflicting interests of all parties.
Consent
Involvement
- Consent describes a variety of situations and processes in which someone actively, though unknowingly, accomplishes the interests of others in the faulty attempt to fulfill his or her own interests.
- Consent is developed through managerial control of elements of corporate culture: workplace language, information, forms, symbols, rituals, and stories.
- Systematically distorted communication operates without employees’ overt awareness.
- Discursive closure suppresses potential conflict.
- Involvement refers to an organizational stakeholders’ free expression of ideas that may or may not affect managerial decisions.
- Truth emerges from the free-flow of information in an open marketplace of ideas, and an information transfer model of communication works well when people share values.