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Hunt STUDY GUIDE – EXAM #2

Describe what kind of organization/department might best fit each of the five management styles illustrated in Blake & Mouton’s Managerial Grid. In other words, what kind of institution and/or functional area would be suited to each of these approaches to "managing?" Be sure to explain why you say this.

Explain and illustrate the following statement: "Communication both creates and is shaped by the organizational culture."

Your author suggests that "a set of values and fundamental beliefs about the nature and purpose of life…underlies the concept of culture." Using some organization of which you have been a member, explain and illustrate how values and beliefs are carried out and demonstrated in the systems, structures, and everyday communication behaviors of organizational members.

Theorists do not agree on the nature of organizational culture. Functionalists see culture as an independent variable that can be manipulated to influence some dependent variable such as productivity or quality. Interpretivists, on the other hand, believe that organizational culture is shaped and developed by the continuous interactions at all levels of the organization, and therefore is indistinguishable from the organization as a whole. In short, functionalists see organizational culture as something an organization has; interpretivists see organizational culture as something an organization is. First, explain and illustrate how you would study organizational culture following the assumptions of each paradigm. Then, take a stand and argue for one or the other perspective.

Apply Deal and Kennedy’s elemental model of organizational culture to some organization of which you are/have been a member. Describe at least its values, hero(s), and rites/rituals.

We have learned that modern organizations are cross-national, global and increasingly diverse. Given the changing face of organizations, respond to the following questions:

a. As more organizations become non-national, what kinds of organizational culture will develop?

b. What will be the effects of an increasingly diverse workforce upon organizational cultures?

Your author says "recurring patterns of interaction provide organization members with predictability and stability. These patterns emerge from and are maintained by ongoing communication. In their communication activities, members affirm or deny or modify the links that form the organizational structure." Explain and illustrate using some real or hypothetical organization of your choice by describing some of the recurring patterns of interaction.

Many of us have felt overloaded by too many messages or too much communication and have seen the lower level of achievement and motivation that can result. Keeping in mind that our perception of overload depends more on the requirements for processing inputs than on the actual number of inputs, describe your "overload situation" in terms of the five potential factors discussed in your text. How could you deal with this overload situation?

Organizational structure may be described in terms of an informal network and a formal network. First, explain and illustrate each; then, explain and illustrate the relationship between these two communication networks.

Identify each of the network roles discussed in your text. Illustrate with an example of a "real" organizational position that would fit each role (e.g., vice president of sales cultivates social network of influential community members—boundary spanner).

In class, we discussed Fred Jablin’s model of organizational socialization. Using each stage of Jablin’s model, describe in detail your own experience with organizational socialization in some organization. Be sure to talk about how you discovered the rules for functioning within this organization. You may use MWSC, a student organization, church, or some other setting; you do not have to describe a paid-work situation.

Explain the concept of Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX) discussed in class and in your text. How does it contrast with the traditional average leadership style (ALS) view of the subordinate-supervisor relationship? What are the implications for relationship maintenance behavior on the part of the subordinate?

Explain how attribution theory helps us think about and understand the subordinate-supervisor relationship. Be sure to discuss internal and external locus of control. Give examples to illustrate your explanations.

Your text spends considerable time talking about the role of communication in relationship development. In particular, two approaches (social penetration theory and uncertainty reduction theory) are highlighted. Select one of these approaches and discuss its relevance to workplace relationships.

Leaders draw upon different sources of power in order to manage their responsibilities. Using French and Raven’s five bases of power, explain and give one example of the ways in which each source might operate in some organization context.

Be able to explain/illustrate the major leadership theories: trait, style (democratic, laissez-faire, authoritarian; Blake and Mouton Grid—resources, relationships, results, reflection), contingency (Fiedler, Hersey & Blanchard, Path-Goal); transformational.