I just finished sitting in for Caryn and taught a class on the classical theorists. As the overall metaphor for Taylor, Weber and Fayol and their efficiency theories, is a machine, I decided to do an exorcise using metaphors to conceptualize various companies and work related systems. I have been very into Gareth Morgan’s book, Images of an Organization, which looks at the use of metaphor as a conceptual tool to understand and study organizations. It is really interesting.

So after having discussed the classical theory approach with the students and asked them to examine why the machine was the metaphor used to describe these theories. I then asked them to come up with a metaphor for Baruch College. The first metaphor was a beehive where the students felt that there was a Queen Bee, though nobody really knew who that was. The students and the faculty were all of the busy worker bees that came and went, offering their work up to the hive at all times. The whole class, myself included, thought this  metaphor really worked well. I then asked the students what did this beehive produce, what was Baruch’s main production? With not much enthusiasm, one student answered ” well..um… I guess it’s knowledge or something like that” I couldn’t stop from laughing out loud.

Hey everyone:

Had a random idea the other day. Is there some way in 3068 that we can get students to ‘experience’ being a manager? Some way to design some ongoing project where students work in groups and rotate being ‘formally’ charged with leading the group? Then, we can use the course content to help them reflect on their own behavior? I have students work in paper/presentation groups now, but there isn’t some type of self-reflection in the process. I was thinking though of some other type of experience where peer feedback sessions integrating course readings might be brought in. The reflection can be about an individuals managerial communication behaviors but also the organizing process and communication more broadly.

As you can tell, i don’t have any specifics, but it came to me while i was reading ‘The Last Lectures’ – a book by a computer science prof about his teaching/life experiences. Might be something to play with Suzanne this fall?

ok, more later . . . c

So I have played around with the the blog format and appearance. I thought I would get a vote from everyone on the blog.

Do you like this background and layout?

If you have any interesting images for the upper banner please send them or post them here and I can put them into the banner image.

I am also collecting websites or blogs that deal with organizational communication, which I will add to our blog and allow us to search other courses or blogs in the field of organizational communication. So post them here as well.

I have put up a VOTE HERE photo, that I took on the day of the US presidential election, in symbolic support of Iranians protesting their right to have their vote count.

Suzanne

Hi Everyone:

Thought I’d toss out an idea as we continue our ongoing discussions and developments with 3068 . . .

One issue we continually bring up is the relationship between 3068 and, in particular, 3102 (as well as management electives/pre-reqs).

Perhaps for fall, we could develop a list of questions about the connections between these two courses. Pose the questions to those who teach 3102 (Rebecca, Bob, Denise P. – who am i missing?) and then meet to talk about these issues. We can also share with them our syllabi to show them how we’re continuing to develop the course. We can add them to this blog as well in the fall we if they want to somehow use this space to share ideas as well.

If we’re amenable to this idea, let’s ask Rebecca to take the lead in working with the 3102 people. I’ve already mentioned to her that meeting this fall would be fun and useful. She’s up for it. At some point, doing the same with Corp Com is probably a good idea too but one at a time;)

I will put copies of recent 3102 syllabi from Cherelle in boxes sometime in the next few weeks. Then, send out a note at the end of July. That will give us time to look at and compare syllabi and generate questions. We can do that here on the blog. So, Jana:) get back on the blog per favore:)

ahhh, i think that’s it:)

So, we’re going to start talking about . . .

I don’t know if everyone read the Sunday New York Times’ “Corner Office” interview? Well, Richard Anderson the CEO of Delta Airlines talks about, among other things, the interview process and what he deems important  when he is looking to fill an executive position.

It is right up the “Communication Walkway” (my title), as he talks about communication as a number one element needed in today’s work world. He also talks about people’s personal lives as a key factor to integrating them into the organizational culture. Sound Familiar..?

Here is an extract and the link:

‘He wants subjects, verbs and objects”

“You spend more of your waking time with your colleagues at the office than you do with your family and when you bring someone into that family — we have 50 senior leaders at our company and 70,000 employees — you need to make sure that they’re a fit to the culture. And that they’re going to be part of that group of people in a healthy functioning way.”

There are a lot more juicy statements about the spoken and written word as fundamental in today’s professional world.

So Linda has sent in an article on Twitter, State of the Art, already putting us into the heart of the trend in media discussions- is Twitter really important? Is it the next “thing”? Or is it just another talk about me, me, and me?

The question then becomes is this a part of Organizational Communication, will companies and or institutions begin to use twitter to produce better work habits, better communication or just more employees having personal time at the work place?

I can certainly say that at The Schwartz Institute two of my colleagues are on twitter all day long and use it as a networking tool and a get the information first tool. The networking side is great, we have already found out other similar centers and staff and other universities doing similar work as our selves. Just being able to get their feedback and their resources has been helpful as well as giving the Institute new recognition in our field.

I however feel the get the news before everyone else part of the twitter tool is a sort of adolescent stress; did you know, so and so told me, noooo really?!

Any thoughts?

Btw, i was at a teaching seminar that i’m attending monthly for the next year at Columbia so a warning you both get to hear me think about all of the issues in relation to 3068:).

But, one thing from the first session. we were talking about ‘liberal education’ and the tensions between asking the ‘big questions’ per se vs. the specifics of particular theories, concepts etc. and it made me think about this the purpose of this ‘rhetoric of work’ idea we’re playing around with and the autobiography assignment. in short, i’m trying to get students to make sense out of communication in organizations in a more personal way – trying to ask the question, ‘what is the meaning of work?’ across the ages and today as well as ‘what is the meaning of work to you?’ that in some ways is a ‘big question’ that we’re trying to then connect and/or simply ‘use’ as an entre into a conversation about specific managerial and organizational communication ideas and questions – so, no conclusion there on this issue for me, but it gave me encouragement to keep thinking this way.

We were also talking about what are the ‘big ideas’ you want students to take away from a class — so, it made me think about our list of topics visa vie, a list of what issues do you want them to ‘wrestle with’ or reflect upon in relation to the course material? and, that learning goals may also include issues to reflect upon in their own lives and jobs . . .

so, what are the ‘big’ issue for 3068? i leave that for further discussion with wine and/or coffee . . .

Suzanne or Jana —

Do either of you have any readings you like about new technologies in the workplace. The Miller book has a good chapter on media use, but not much on new technologies. I have one that talks about the use of the internet for expressing dissent – i have them read part of it. Its got a great title too: Radioshacksucks.com. i’ll upload that later today, but something on blogs, etc. . .

Just curious – any advice?