This portfolio aims to explore the topics covered in tutorials and lectures over a semester of Communication and Organizations. In addition, this information will relate to the following broad statement:
Understanding the history of communication, its development and the impact of important events and/or theories is essential in order to understand communication today, and to be prepared for working as a communication professional in the future.
For the purposes of tutorials and this assignment, we were made to develop a reading schedule (to ensure each relevant chapter was read to then be discussed in the tutorial), and to set up Refworks or Endnote (to keep track of our referencing).
Weeks one and two of Communication and Organizations covered an introduction to this course, provided insight into the assignment requirements, and discussed challenges in organizational communication.
Our first tutorial (in week two) consisted of two activities. In the first activity we communicated and learnt a bit about each other while sharing the common objective of finding people with a piece to your puzzle. In the second activity, we were taught (through the demonstration of a “what if” activity) how communicating in a group alters decision-making.
Our second tutorial (in week three) also involved two activities, and looked at examples which demonstrate the importance of communication. One activity was to write down all of the organizations we’ve been involved with to look at the different communication structures, roles and requirements; and to look at how these organizations are connected to other organizations. The other was to combine all of our skills to make a group resume. We were then to complete the Individual Skills Audit. This has been designed specifically so that organizations can select the areas they deem most important for the role of their managers, and to then see how well the selected people fit into these roles and, consequently, what learning and development plan can be used to improve these skills.
In week two’s topic of challenges in organizational communication, it is important to note changes in the world which affect organizational communication. These changes include globalization, terrorism, climate change, and changing demographics (Miller 2009). These changes throughout history have altered how we look at and communicate in organizations today. For example, there are many important events which fit into the above categories which have changed how we communicate in organizations today. Some of these events include the introduction of the World Trade Organization, the September 11 terrorist attacks, and Al Gore’s publicizing of climate change and its possible effects if we do not act soon. An important demographic change will be once the world population reaches seven billion. According to the Bureau of Statistics (2011), the world population is currently at around 6,973,945,561. Each of these events can alter how organizations are run, where organizations are constructed, and the communication between organizations
Even our thinking of communication itself has altered from the past. In 1949, Shannon and Weaver developed a simplistic communication model (pictured below).
At this time the model was developed to assist in the use of telephone cables and radio waves (Chandler 1994). Since this time, our thinking of communication has complicated greatly to include all purposes of communication beyond simply sending a message.
Robert Craig (1999) has since proposed a model which breaks communication into seven components (pictured below), and which fits better into the complex use of communication in organizations today.
Important events and the changes in our world, the way we communicate, and organizations today all have a significant impact on understanding communication today, and preparing for communication in the future.
References
Bureau of Statistics 2011, International Programs, viewed 8 August 2011
Chandler, D 1994, The Transmission Model of Communication, viewed 8 August 2011,
Craig, RT 1999, ‘Communication theory as a field’, Communication Theory, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 119-161.
Miller, K 2009, Organizational communication: approaches and processes, 6th ed, Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, Boston, MA.
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