Chapter 1 Introduction: Communication Constitutes OrganizationLinda L. Putnam, Anne M. Nicotera, ... more Chapter 1 Introduction: Communication Constitutes OrganizationLinda L. Putnam, Anne M. Nicotera, and Robert D. McPheeChapter 2 The Communicative Constitution of Organizations: A Framework for ExplanationRobert D. McPhee and Pamela ZaugChapter 3 Agents Of Constitution In Communicad: Constitutive Processes of Communication In OrganizationsRobert D. McPhee and Joel IversonChapter 4 Constitutive complexity: Military entrepreneurs and the synthetic character of communication flowsLarry D. Browning, Ronald Walter Greene, S. B. Sitkin, Kathleen M. Sutcliffe, and David ObstfeldChapter 5 Dislocation and Stabilization: How to Scale Up from Interactions to OrganizationFrancois Cooren and Gail T. FairhurstChapter 6 Organizing from the bottom up?: Reflections on the constitution of organization in communicationJames R. TaylorChapter 7 Theory Building: Comparisons of CCO OrientationsLinda L. Putnam and Robert D. McPhee
In this essay, I describe how the concept of agency provides a central explanatory mechanism for ... more In this essay, I describe how the concept of agency provides a central explanatory mechanism for structurational divergence (SD). For many years, in research and applied work in diverse organizational settings, I observed similar patterns of impasse rooted in cyclic conflicts. Intrigued, I set about developing an explanation for organizational phenomena that render people unable to break out of these negative cycles. I turned to the presumption that communication constitutes organization, Weick’s notion of collective sensemaking, and Weber’s iron cage, using structuration theory as a foundation for theory construction. The result was SD theory, which captures and explains negative communication cycles resulting from the intersection of incompatible meaning structures (Nicotera & Clinkscales, 2003, 2010; Nicotera & Mahon, 2013; Nicotera, Mahon, & Zhao, 2010). Structuration is the process by which social structures are produced and reproduced in social practice, structure being both medium and outcome of social interaction (Giddens, 1984). When multiple incompatible structures are in simultaneous operation and equally obligatory, their concurrent structurational processes are divergent. As a phenomenon, SD manifests as recurrent unresolvable conflict—damaging relationships, obstructing goal-attainment, and impeding development at individual and organizational levels. In a recent study, we documented several SD cycles among nurses in a geriatric care unit
This chapter provides an orientation to and definitions of organization and to communication, as ... more This chapter provides an orientation to and definitions of organization and to communication, as well as definitions of organizational communication as a set of phenomena and as a field. It also provides several organizing models to frame the study of organizational communication theory and research. The chapter also provides a history of theorizing about organization, showing how early management theory and social psychological theory come together with other relevant disciplines to crystallize as organizational communication. To provide disciplinary context, this is accompanied by a brief history of Communication as a whole. It will emphasizes that those related fields continue their own separate literatures after the intersection with organizational communication, establishing organizational communication as just one academic discipline in the multidisciplinary field of organizational studies. A set of conceptual models is introduced that provide conceptual continuity throughout ...
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 2017
This article analyzes open-ended survey responses to understand how members of the American Meteo... more This article analyzes open-ended survey responses to understand how members of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) perceive conflict within the AMS over global warming. Of all survey respondents, 53% agreed that there was conflict within the AMS; of these individuals who perceived conflict, 62% saw it as having at least some productive aspects, and 53% saw at least some unproductive aspects. Among members who saw a productive side to the conflict, most agreed as to why it was productive: debate and diverse perspectives enhance science. However, among members who saw an unproductive side, there was considerable disagreement as to why. Members who are convinced of largely human-caused climate change expressed that debate over global warming sends an unclear message to the public. Conversely, members who are unconvinced of human-caused climate change often felt that their peers were closed-minded and suppressing unpopular views. These two groups converged, however, on one point: ...
Contents: Preface. Culture and Organization. Communication and Two Predominantly African-American... more Contents: Preface. Culture and Organization. Communication and Two Predominantly African-American Organizations. African-American Rules and Resources. Interpenetration of Contradicting Structures: The Divergent Organization. The Divergent Organization's Communicative Downward Spiral. Theoretic Applications. Where Do We Go From Here?: Conceptualizing the Convergent Organization. Epilogue: The Lessons Learned.
Quality communication is essential for building strong nursing teams. Structurational divergence ... more Quality communication is essential for building strong nursing teams. Structurational divergence (SD) theory explains how institutional factors can result in poor communication and conflict cycles; the theory has been developed in nursing context, although it is applicable to all organizational settings. We describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of an intervention to reduce SD and improve nurses' work life and team-member relationships. An intensive 9-hour course provided training in conflict/SD analysis and dialogic conflict/SD management to 36 working nurses from a variety of settings. Quantitative pre-and posttests were administered, with a comparison sample. The course reduced measures of negative conflict attitudes and behaviors: direct personalization, persecution feelings, negative relational effects, ambiguity intolerance, and triangulation (gossiping and complaining to uninvolved third parties). The course also increased important attitudes necessary for productive dialogue and conflict management: perceptions of positive relational effects, conflict liking, and positive beliefs about arguing. As compared with nonparticipants, participant posttests showed lower conflict persecution; higher recognition of positive relational effects; lower perceptions of negative relational effects; higher conflict liking; lower ambiguity intolerance; and lower tendency to triangulate. Qualitatively, participants perceived better understanding of, and felt more empowered to manage, workplace conflicts and to sustain healthier workplace relationships. This intervention can help nurses develop tools to improve system-level function and build productive team relationships.
Structurational divergence (SD) theory captures negative communication cycles resulting from inte... more Structurational divergence (SD) theory captures negative communication cycles resulting from interpenetration of incompatible meaning structures. It is estimated that 12-15% of practicing nurses suffer from a problematic level of SD. With a sample of 713 nurses (57 departments) in a large hospital, this study tests a model positing SD as a root explanation of nursing job satisfaction and turnover. A number of variables long presumed to be explanations for job satisfaction and turnover were hypothesized as mediators between SD and those outcomes. Path analysis showed support for burnout, role conflict, bullying, and organizational identification as useful mediators, explaining 68% of the variance in job satisfaction, and 45% in intentions to leave. The study also explores relationships between SD and hospital quality indicators. SD is a concern because it powerfully explains a number of poor outcomes and provides an underlying explanation for a number of factors that predict job satisfaction and turnover.
Chapter 1 Introduction: Communication Constitutes OrganizationLinda L. Putnam, Anne M. Nicotera, ... more Chapter 1 Introduction: Communication Constitutes OrganizationLinda L. Putnam, Anne M. Nicotera, and Robert D. McPheeChapter 2 The Communicative Constitution of Organizations: A Framework for ExplanationRobert D. McPhee and Pamela ZaugChapter 3 Agents Of Constitution In Communicad: Constitutive Processes of Communication In OrganizationsRobert D. McPhee and Joel IversonChapter 4 Constitutive complexity: Military entrepreneurs and the synthetic character of communication flowsLarry D. Browning, Ronald Walter Greene, S. B. Sitkin, Kathleen M. Sutcliffe, and David ObstfeldChapter 5 Dislocation and Stabilization: How to Scale Up from Interactions to OrganizationFrancois Cooren and Gail T. FairhurstChapter 6 Organizing from the bottom up?: Reflections on the constitution of organization in communicationJames R. TaylorChapter 7 Theory Building: Comparisons of CCO OrientationsLinda L. Putnam and Robert D. McPhee
In this essay, I describe how the concept of agency provides a central explanatory mechanism for ... more In this essay, I describe how the concept of agency provides a central explanatory mechanism for structurational divergence (SD). For many years, in research and applied work in diverse organizational settings, I observed similar patterns of impasse rooted in cyclic conflicts. Intrigued, I set about developing an explanation for organizational phenomena that render people unable to break out of these negative cycles. I turned to the presumption that communication constitutes organization, Weick’s notion of collective sensemaking, and Weber’s iron cage, using structuration theory as a foundation for theory construction. The result was SD theory, which captures and explains negative communication cycles resulting from the intersection of incompatible meaning structures (Nicotera & Clinkscales, 2003, 2010; Nicotera & Mahon, 2013; Nicotera, Mahon, & Zhao, 2010). Structuration is the process by which social structures are produced and reproduced in social practice, structure being both medium and outcome of social interaction (Giddens, 1984). When multiple incompatible structures are in simultaneous operation and equally obligatory, their concurrent structurational processes are divergent. As a phenomenon, SD manifests as recurrent unresolvable conflict—damaging relationships, obstructing goal-attainment, and impeding development at individual and organizational levels. In a recent study, we documented several SD cycles among nurses in a geriatric care unit
This chapter provides an orientation to and definitions of organization and to communication, as ... more This chapter provides an orientation to and definitions of organization and to communication, as well as definitions of organizational communication as a set of phenomena and as a field. It also provides several organizing models to frame the study of organizational communication theory and research. The chapter also provides a history of theorizing about organization, showing how early management theory and social psychological theory come together with other relevant disciplines to crystallize as organizational communication. To provide disciplinary context, this is accompanied by a brief history of Communication as a whole. It will emphasizes that those related fields continue their own separate literatures after the intersection with organizational communication, establishing organizational communication as just one academic discipline in the multidisciplinary field of organizational studies. A set of conceptual models is introduced that provide conceptual continuity throughout ...
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 2017
This article analyzes open-ended survey responses to understand how members of the American Meteo... more This article analyzes open-ended survey responses to understand how members of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) perceive conflict within the AMS over global warming. Of all survey respondents, 53% agreed that there was conflict within the AMS; of these individuals who perceived conflict, 62% saw it as having at least some productive aspects, and 53% saw at least some unproductive aspects. Among members who saw a productive side to the conflict, most agreed as to why it was productive: debate and diverse perspectives enhance science. However, among members who saw an unproductive side, there was considerable disagreement as to why. Members who are convinced of largely human-caused climate change expressed that debate over global warming sends an unclear message to the public. Conversely, members who are unconvinced of human-caused climate change often felt that their peers were closed-minded and suppressing unpopular views. These two groups converged, however, on one point: ...
Contents: Preface. Culture and Organization. Communication and Two Predominantly African-American... more Contents: Preface. Culture and Organization. Communication and Two Predominantly African-American Organizations. African-American Rules and Resources. Interpenetration of Contradicting Structures: The Divergent Organization. The Divergent Organization's Communicative Downward Spiral. Theoretic Applications. Where Do We Go From Here?: Conceptualizing the Convergent Organization. Epilogue: The Lessons Learned.
Quality communication is essential for building strong nursing teams. Structurational divergence ... more Quality communication is essential for building strong nursing teams. Structurational divergence (SD) theory explains how institutional factors can result in poor communication and conflict cycles; the theory has been developed in nursing context, although it is applicable to all organizational settings. We describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of an intervention to reduce SD and improve nurses' work life and team-member relationships. An intensive 9-hour course provided training in conflict/SD analysis and dialogic conflict/SD management to 36 working nurses from a variety of settings. Quantitative pre-and posttests were administered, with a comparison sample. The course reduced measures of negative conflict attitudes and behaviors: direct personalization, persecution feelings, negative relational effects, ambiguity intolerance, and triangulation (gossiping and complaining to uninvolved third parties). The course also increased important attitudes necessary for productive dialogue and conflict management: perceptions of positive relational effects, conflict liking, and positive beliefs about arguing. As compared with nonparticipants, participant posttests showed lower conflict persecution; higher recognition of positive relational effects; lower perceptions of negative relational effects; higher conflict liking; lower ambiguity intolerance; and lower tendency to triangulate. Qualitatively, participants perceived better understanding of, and felt more empowered to manage, workplace conflicts and to sustain healthier workplace relationships. This intervention can help nurses develop tools to improve system-level function and build productive team relationships.
Structurational divergence (SD) theory captures negative communication cycles resulting from inte... more Structurational divergence (SD) theory captures negative communication cycles resulting from interpenetration of incompatible meaning structures. It is estimated that 12-15% of practicing nurses suffer from a problematic level of SD. With a sample of 713 nurses (57 departments) in a large hospital, this study tests a model positing SD as a root explanation of nursing job satisfaction and turnover. A number of variables long presumed to be explanations for job satisfaction and turnover were hypothesized as mediators between SD and those outcomes. Path analysis showed support for burnout, role conflict, bullying, and organizational identification as useful mediators, explaining 68% of the variance in job satisfaction, and 45% in intentions to leave. The study also explores relationships between SD and hospital quality indicators. SD is a concern because it powerfully explains a number of poor outcomes and provides an underlying explanation for a number of factors that predict job satisfaction and turnover.
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