Organizational Communication: A Lifespan Approach [Paperback]

Organizational Communication: A Lifespan Approachis a student-focused introduction to the field. Featuring real-world stories, helpful and unique illustrations, and practical applications of theory, this text engages students and shows them how to apply concepts, theories, and perspectives in every chapter.Organizational Communicationhelps students understand their communication as participants in organizations throughout their lifetimes. It begins with how pre-career experiences influence our expectations for organizational experiences and ends with organizational exits, including retirement. This approach provides a seamless integration of theory and application while helping students at any stage of life reflect on past experiences, prepare for new endeavors and roles, and understand vital organizational theories and perspectives in new and concrete ways.PrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbout the Authors1. IntroductionDefining CommunicationInformation TransferShared MeaningTransactional Meaning CreationApplying the Three Definitions of CommunicationWorking DefinitionDefining OrganizationsA Legal Definition of OrganizationsA Social Definition of OrganizationsA Communicative Definition of OrganizationsThe Complexity of Defining Communication in OrganizationsStrategic AmbiguityEthical Issue: Strategic AmbiguityNonverbal CommunicationApplying the Three Nonverbal CriteriaCommunication Challenge: Office DesignPerspectives on Organizational CommunicationA Post-Positivist PerspectiveAn Interpretive PerspectiveA Critical PerspectiveOther PerspectivesApplication to Different Types of OrganizationsSummaryGlossary2. Communication and Anticipatory SocializationAnticipatory Role SocializationFamilyEducationCommunication Challenge: Realistic ExpectationsPeersPrevious ExperienceCommunication Challenge: Comparing WorkplacesMediaApplicationThe Real Job ColloquialismEthical Issue: Deconstructing Our