Friday, January 7, 2011

Organizational Communication

This year I have undertaken a new endeavor. I am teaching an intersession class, Organizational Communication, at BSU. We meet every day (Monday - Thursday before Christmas, Monday - Friday for two weeks after New Year - 9:30 - 12:15). I only have 8 students - 4 men, 4 women. It is a great opportunity for me to explore and develop new understandings and insights about how communication works within and without organizations.
Of all the theoretical perspectives describing organizational communication, I believe that Systems Theory makes the most sense. Systems considers organizations as organisms interacting with its environment. The basic concepts involve input-throughput-output, boundaries, entropy, feedback, adaptability, goals, homeostasis, equifinality, and equilibrium. Equifinality probably fascinates me the most. It is the concept that there are a number of ways to reach the same goal.

Too often in families, groups, churches, organizations, etc. the members become myopic seeing only one method of accomplishing a particular goal. This precludes the ongoing direction of God and excludes those who have chosen another means of accomplishing the exact same goal.

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