Understanding Classical Approaches to Organizational Communication
Organizational Communication looks at the ways in which communication works within organizations or groups of people. Without proper communication, organizations would cease to work, making this topic one that is vital in understanding. There are many different areas to explore when learning about this topic, but I wanted to focus in on a couple of the basics. I’m hoping that this can help get interest in this are brewing as we dive into learning more about classical approaches in org com.
One of the classical approaches that can be used with organizational communication is the machine metaphor. The machine metaphor is when organizations are composed of specialized parts that enable it to function properly. This means that workers are looked at as parts within the organizational machine. Each employee is just another part that is necessary for the overall function of the machine itself. A good way of trying to visualize this would be to think about a bike. If someone was to remove one of the gears on a bicycle the rest of the bike would no longer be able to work properly. Even just one tiny piece from the bike is vital in the overall success of whether it can work properly. The employees within an organization are the different pieces of a bike that all must be working properly in able to keep the rest of the organization moving.
Within the machine metaphor there are different components of a machine. The first component is predictability which is confidence in the expected functioning. The second component is standardization which is when an organization can easily find replacements for their workers. The third and final component is specialization which is when each worker plays a precise role for the rest of the machine. By looking at these three main components of the machine metaphor it is easy to see both pros and cons to the structure of it all. A few of the pros could be that the organization will stay efficient, the machine stays predictable and that the stability of the machine will then lead to positive organizational outcomes. While all three of those pros seem impressive it does come at a cost. With the way that the machine metaphor works it treats its employees like easily replaceable machine parts rather than individual humans. This can drive the employees to get upset over the negative treatment that they receive and without the employees working hard, the organization itself will cease to do well overall.
When looking at other classical approaches to organizational communication we can observe Taylor’s Theory of Scientific Management. This theory focuses on maximizing profits, worker effort and performance. Within Taylor’s theory there are four main elements. The first element is the scientific design of every aspect of every task. This meant that every little thing that is done, is completed with a specific purpose in mind. Every little thing has a purpose which keeps from unnecessary elements taking over. The next element is the careful selection and training of the best employees. Each employee that is chosen is selected for a specific reason rather than just hiring any person off the street. Each person hired has a specific skill set that is required for their specific job. This will bring about better quality of work when the people doing their jobs are selected more specifically for the role. The third element is the proper remuneration for fast and high quality work. This is done to make sure that employees are getting paid their fair share without overpaying them as well. The fourth and final element is the equal division of work and responsibility between worker and management. Making sure that everyone has an assigned role is a good way to insure that the load is not all placed on a few people. This keeps things balanced and organized.
The machine metaphor and Taylor’s theory are just a couple of the many different types of classical theories in organizational communication. I hope that this can be used as a starting point to dive further into this field of study. There is so much to learn about these classical theories and why they can be beneficial or destructive.
