SYSTEMS AND

CULTURAL
APPROACHES
Chapter 4
 The systems Metaphor
and systems concepts
Systems metaphor
Organizations as complex organism
that must interact with their
environment to survive.

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3
Systems approaches to
organizational
communication
 Communication network
(Monge and Eisenberg, 1987)

Positional tradition Relational tradition

Formal organizational Actual relationships

chart that defines the that emerge through the
prescribed flow of activity of the
communication within organizational systems.
an organization.

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 Properties of Network
Network density Network mode Network content

A highly dense The Stuff that flowing

network is one in communication through the
which there are medium through linkages in the
many which network network.
interconnections linkages are
among network maintained.
members, whereas
a less dense
network is more
loosely
interconnected
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 Properties of Network Links

⬗ Strength
⬗ Symmetry
⬗ Multiplexity

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 Network Roles

Isolate Group Bridge Liaison

doesn’t talk to anyone within group, serves as talks to people who
in the network
members a bridge to individuals have radically different
talks to a number of outside the group connections within the
highly interconnected network.
individuals

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9
 THE
CULTURAL
METAPHOR

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 “
Each organization has its
own way of doing what it
does and its own way of
talking about what it is doing
(Pacanowksky & O’Donnell-
Trujillo, 1983)

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 “

Credit: Instagram @teknologi_id

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 Prescriptive
approaches to
culture
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 Deal and Kennedy’s “Strong Cultures”

Values are the beliefs Heroes are the

and visions that individuals who come
members hold for an to exemplify an
organization. organization’s values.
The cultural network is
the communication
Rites and rituals are the system through which
ceremonies through cultural values are
which an organization instituted and
celebrate its value. reinforced.
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 Peters and Waterman’s “Excellent Cultures”

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 Descriptive and Explanatory Approaches to
Culture
⬗ Organizational cultures are complicated.

⬗ Organizational cultures are emergent.

⬗ Organizational cultures are not unitary.

⬗ Organizational cultures are often ambiguous.