theory and organizational communication

You've probably heard someone say, "Oh, that's just a theory," as if theories aren't all that important or useful. Yet theories are essential for functioning in every day life as they help you explain why things are the way they are and why people behave as they do.

Eisenberg et al. argue that all theories are metaphorical and historical. That is, a theory of organizational communication provides a metaphor of organization, explaining what is not known in terms of what is known. (I discuss the nature of metaphor in greater detail in the Metaphors and Culture web lecture.) Theories are also historical because they're grounded in the time they were developed and the theories that came before them. For example, human relations arose out of dissatisfaction with classical theories of organization and human resources provided a further extension of human relations.

Theories also provide narratives of organization in that they present goal-oriented stories. Theories frame how you think about organizations. No matter how perfect a theory may seem, it will always be partial (doesn't provide a full account of organizational communication), partisan (organizational events may be assigned multiple possible meanings), and problematic (inviting dialogue and questions about organizational communication).

So Chapters 3 and 4 introduce you to early theories of organization that provide important foundations for later thinking about organizational communication. As you read about these theories, consider the historical context in which they arose. Also reflect on the ways they still influence organizing today.

~ Professor Cyborg