Contemporary Communication Case Study

Select ONE Case (1-1 - 1-3) from Communicating in Contemporary Organizations, Ch.1, and discuss
the communication problem stated in it, based on the concepts you learned from Module 1 readings
and additional scholarly sources. Your response should be prompted by the questions for case
analysis and include your main thesis, argumentation, and conclusion (2-3 paragraphs). Please
remember to cite and reference your sources in APA 7 format.

Case 1-1

Women in the White House

During Barack Obama’s presidency, women on his staff were frustrated about their lack of influence.
They were often outnumbered by men in meetings. They struggled to contribute to the
conversation. When they did get a chance to speak, their contributions were often ignored, or a man
would repeat the idea and get the credit.

To counteract this behavior and make their voices heard, the women used a strategy called
amplification. “When a woman made a key point, other women would repeat it, giving credit to its
author. This forced the men in the room to recognize the contribution—and denied them the
chance to claim the idea as their own.”

President Obama soon noticed the technique. He began calling on women more, and the number of
women staffers increased as well.

Questions

1. Why might women be reluctant to speak up in meetings?

2. What are the potential consequences of letting one demographic dominate workplace
discussions and decisions?

3. What other strategies can people who have been traditionally underrepresented in
the workplace use to make their voices heard?

Case 1-2

Ethics and Technology

Chris smiled as he received the analysis packet from his supervisor. He had been working from
home for GEH Mortgage Company, analyzing mortgage applications, for the past 3 years. This
particular application involved not just a home mortgage but also an entire farmstead, a home and
business. Whenever he received an assignment, he did not know how to analyze, he would call on
his friend Joel, whom he had known since high school, to help him accomplish such tasks. He
compensated Joel, usually with a case of beer, when they got together on the weekends. Chris knew
he could trust Joel to do a good job on the analysis, because Joel had double majored in finance and
accounting at a regional university. Chris would then tailor the analysis according to the way the firm
expected reports to be submitted. He quickly e-mailed the application packet to Joel.

Chris was perceived as one of the most dependable analysts in the division because of his past
work, much of which had been farmed out to Joel. He had received accolades and raises as a result
and was enjoying his successful career with the firm.

Questions

1. The method used by Chris is obviously successful, and the company is satisfied with
the results. Is it just good business, or is there an ethical dilemma present?

2. Should Chris confess to his supervisor or just continue the successful deception?

3. What are the privacy issues, given that the information used in these analyses is
proprietary and sensitive?

4. Does this activity fit the notion of plagiarism?

5. Do electronic communication and the telecommuting arrangement make Chris’s

actions more likely than if he were in the office?

Case 1-3

Like Grandfather, Like Granddaughter?

Clarence opened a farm supply store in Montana during the early 1940s. His neighbors in the county
were also his customers. Every person who walked into his store felt comfortable. In fact, they would
often sit, sip a cup of coffee, or shell some peanuts, and solve the world’s problems before loading
up their purchases. Clarence prided himself on knowing what his customers needed to be successful
farmers, and he freely gave them advice about which brand of flea dip would work best on their
cattle and which tonic would help a colicky horse. By the time he retired, and his son Seth took over,
the company had expanded to three stores in three towns and had 14 full-time employees.

As a youth, Seth had attended the state college and earned a degree in agricultural business. When
he took over the company in 1975, he eagerly applied what he had learned to the family business.
He was convinced that technology was the key to success, not personal relationships. Over the
years, he struggled to convert all his father’s old, handwritten records to electronic files. Eventually,
he installed a completely computerized information system that tracked inventory, personnel, and
accounts. He sometimes boasted about being an entrepreneur, but Clarence snorted at that term.
“Just do what’s right for your customers, and you’ll be doing what’s right for yourself,” he would
retort. When Seth retired in 2015, his daughter Kathy took over the company, which now had 23
stores with 228 employees in three states and one wholly owned subsidiary of 18 gas stations.
Kathy’s vision involved offering a broader range of products than farm supplies. She wanted to sell
the image of the family farm. Her stores stocked Western clothing; boots, hats, and jewelry; home
furnishings; and even CDs featuring country music.

Kathy found herself traveling extensively from the corporate office to the various stores. Finding
time to manage everything was a problem, but she had a staff of 12 professionals in the corporate
office to assist her. E-mail, laptops, and smartphones helped tremendously.

Questions

1. How did communication practices and expectations differ for Clarence, Seth, and
Kathy?

2. How do you think the management behaviors differed for the three owners?

3. What contingency factors might each owner have faced while they managed the
company?

Choose two of your colleagues’ posts and peer review them, commenting on their content, depth of
analysis, organization etc. Your Peer Reviews should include your main claim(s), argumentation and
conclusion (2-3 paragraphs). Please remember to cite and reference your supporting sources in APA
7 format.

Communication practices

Communication styles are important because they impact how well we can communicate with
others and how they view us. Communication styles describe how we communicate our ideas,
emotions, and opinions through language, tone of voice, body language, and other nonverbal cues
(Lafko, 2022).

Clarence communicated in a personal manner. He interacted with and knew each of his clients by
name. He listened to their worries and freely offered counsel. He cultivated a friendly, inviting
atmosphere that enticed his clients to linger and converse. Clarence prioritized developing
relationships with his clients in his personalized communication approach.
Seth communicated more professionally with a strong emphasis on technology. He thought
efficiency and using the most recent technology were the keys to success. For instance, he installed
a computerized information system to monitor inventory, employees, and accounts and wanted to
convert all handwritten records to electronic files. On the other hand, Seth emphasized using digital
management tools like laptops and email because he thought technology was the secret to success.
He was more concerned with productivity than with interpersonal ties.

Kathy communicated more deliberately and emphasized the mission of the business. She intended
to sell the idea of the family farm while expanding the company's product line. She traveled
extensively to oversee the various stores and used technology to interact with her staff. She used
email, laptops, and smartphones to remain in touch with her team of professionals in the corporate
office. Between these two strategies, Kathy tried to find a balance.

Management behaviors

The management style can greatly impact the effectiveness of an organization, employee
productivity and engagement, and the general organizational culture. Several various management
styles can be effective depending on the circumstance. A manager's management style is the
method of leading and directing their team(Blogger, 2020).

According to the case, Clarence had a more relational and personal management style. He firmly
believed in getting to know his clients and giving them the suggestions and tools they needed to run
profitable farms. He valued developing close relationships with his clients and appeared to put their
satisfaction ahead of his financial success.

Clarence's management style focused on building relationships with customers.

Seth's management style placed a greater emphasis on productivity and technology. He supported
using electronic systems for the organization's inventory, personnel, and financial management. He
might have been more concerned with revenue and expansion than his father, and he appeared to
think that technology held the key to success.

Seth's management style was more focused on efficiency and profitability

Kathy seems to have a management philosophy that emphasizes growth and diversification. She
wanted to add Western clothing, home décor, and music to the company's product line in addition
to farm supplies. She spent much time on the road managing the various stores, and a group of
experts in the corporate office supported her. She also appeared to value technology because she
used smartphones, laptops, and email to run the business.

Kathy's management style reflected a combination of her father's and grandfather's approaches.

Contingency factors

Clarence required more resources and local suppliers that would compete with them. His success
depended on his capacity to give his clients excellent service and cultivate enduring relationships
with them.

Seth had to transform the company from a traditional, family-owned operation to a cutting-edge,
tech-focused business. He had to strike a balance between the demands of the company and his
outlook on its future.

The challenge of leading a sizable, geographically dispersed company fell to Kathy. With the personal
touch that her grandfather had stressed, she had to use technology to coordinate operations across
various locations as her father did.

Reference

Lafko, A. (2022). The Importance of Understanding Communication

Styles. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-understanding-communication-styles-amy-
lafko-/?trk=public_profile_article_view

Personal Relationships to Technological Innovation: A Family Business Success Story

The case is about the growth and evolution of a family-owned farm supply store, from its humble
beginnings in Montana in the early 1940s to its expansion into a multi-state business with 23 stores
and over 200 employees. The story is told through the experiences of three generations of the
family, starting with Clarence, who opened the first store and built strong relationships with his
customers through his personal touch and advice. The second generation, represented by
Clarence's son Seth, took over the business and modernized it by introducing computerized systems
to track inventory, personnel, and accounts. Seth believed that technology was the key to success,
and he focused on using it to manage the business rather than building personal relationships with
customers. The third generation, represented by Kathy, Seth's daughter, took over the business and
expanded it by diversifying the product line to include Western clothing, home furnishings, and
music CDs. She continued to use technology, but she also traveled extensively to manage the
business and maintain relationships with customers. The case highlights the tension between the
use of technology to manage business operations efficiently and the importance of building
personal relationships with customers to ensure long-term success. It also emphasizes the
importance of adapting to changing market trends and customer needs to remain competitive.
Despite the changes over the generations, the family's commitment to providing quality products
and excellent customer service remained a core value throughout the business's growth.

The communication practices and expectations differed among Clarence, Seth, and Kathy. Clarence
had a personal and friendly approach to his customers, offering them a comfortable space to chat
and exchange ideas. He was more focused on building strong relationships with his customers
rather than using technology to improve the business. Seth, on the other hand, believed that
technology was the key to success, and he used it to modernize the business. He invested in a
computerized information system and focused on electronic records to keep track of inventory,
personnel, and accounts. Finally, Kathy wanted to expand the business by offering a broader range
of products and selling the image of the family farm. She found herself traveling extensively and
relied heavily on email, laptops, and smartphones to communicate with her staff. The management
behaviors of the three owners also differed. Clarence was focused on the well-being of his
customers and offered them personalized attention. He was not interested in being labeled as an
entrepreneur and believed in doing what was right for the customers. Seth was more focused on
modernizing the business and using technology to increase efficiency. He wanted to be known as an
entrepreneur and took pride in his use of technology. Finally, Kathy was focused on expanding the
business and selling the image of the family farm. She relied on her staff and technology to manage
the company effectively and to ensure that the business was running smoothly. Each owner faced
different contingency factors during their time managing the company. Clarence faced the challenge
of building a business in a rural area with limited resources, where personal relationships were
critical to success. Seth faced the challenge of adapting the business to modern times and
implementing new technologies to improve efficiency. Finally, Kathy faced the challenge of
expanding the business across multiple locations while maintaining a strong brand image and
ensuring that the company's values were upheld. She also faced the challenge of managing a
diverse range of products and services while ensuring that the business remained profitable.

In conclusion, the case of Clarence, Seth, and Kathy highlights how management practices and
expectations can change across generations of family business owners. Clarence valued personal
relationships and customer service, which led to a loyal customer base and business growth. Seth,
on the other hand, saw technology as the key to success and focused on computerizing the
company's information system. Kathy's vision involved expanding the company's product range to
sell the image of the family farm. These differences in management behaviors were influenced by
factors such as the owners' education, experiences, and values. Additionally, each owner faced
unique contingency factors, such as changes in technology, market trends, and business growth,
which impacted their decision-making. Despite these differences, all three owners were able to
successfully manage and grow the business over time. The case underscores the importance of
adapting to changing circumstances while maintaining core values and customer focus in family-
owned businesses.

References

James, B. (2013). Effects of Information and Communication Technology on Secretaries’ Performance

in Contemporary Organisations in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Information and Knowledge Management,
3(5), 87–93. http://pakacademicsearch.com/pdf-files/eng/510/87-93%20Vol%203,%20No
%205%20(2013).pdf

Smeltzer, L. R., Glab, J., & Golen, S. (1983). Managerial Communication: The Merging of Business
Communication, Organizational Communication, and Management. Journal of Business
Communication. https://doi.org/10.1177/002194368302000410

Veltsos, J. R., & Hynes, G. E. (2021). Managerial Communication: Strategies and Applications. SAGE
Publications.