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Communication and Organizational Culture
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Communication and Organizational Culture
A Key to Understanding Work Experiences

Second Edition


November 2010 | 232 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc

A clear and concise introduction to the different approaches to studying organizational culture

Joann Keyton introduces the basic elements—assumptions, values, and artifacts—of organizational culture, draws on communication and management research findings, and integrates practical applications throughout the text. The book helps students to identify and read organizational culture through different lenses, create cultural interpretations, and ultimately make informed work and employment decisions.

Key Features

  • Offers a communication perspective: The focus on communication practices and processes helps students understand how they can influence the organization culture
  • Synthesizes the research: By bringing together research sources from across many disciplines, Keyton provides a unique analysis of the organizational culture literature
  • Provides a multi-perspective view of organizational culture: Perspectives covered include symbolic performance, narrative reproduction, textual reproduction, management, and power and politics
  • Concludes with a practical "Culture Toolkit": The toolkit provides quantitative and qualitative techniques for conducting analyzes of organizational culture
  • NEW! The Second Edition examines how organizational culture is shaped by communication technology and globalization, provides more international examples, and includes a new section on mergers and acquisitions
This is an ideal text for upper-division undergraduates and graduate-level courses in Organizational Communication and related courses in departments of business and management, psychology, communication studies, and sociology.

 
Acknowledgments
 
Section 1. Positioning Organizational Culture
Introduction

 
What Is an Organization?

 
What Is Organizational Communication?

 
What Is Culture?

 
What Is Organizational Culture?

 
Assumptions

 
Integration of Artifacts, Values, and Assumptions

 
Organizational Culture and You

 
Feature: Does Organizational Culture Really Matter?

 
Summary

 
 
Section 2. Unpacking Organizational Culture
Core Characteristics of Organizational Culture

 
Communicating Culture

 
The Structure of Organizational Culture

 
A Divided View of Organizational Culture

 
Cultural Consensus and Division

 
What Organizational Culture Is Not

 
Feature: Organization Culture or Organizational Climate

 
Myths About Organizational Culture

 
Summary

 
 
Section 3. Lenses for Understanding Organizational Culture
The Development of the Organizational Culture Construct

 
The Lens of Symbolic Performance

 
The Lens of Narrative Reproduction

 
The Lens of Textual Reproduction

 
The Lens of Management

 
Feature: The Two Sides of Managerial Views

 
The Lens of Power and Politics

 
The Lens of Technology

 
The Lens of Globalization

 
Summary

 
 
Section 4. Developing, Managing, and Changing Organizational Culture
Culture Formation

 
Cultural Maintenance

 
Cultural Change in Organizations

 
Feature: Two Levels for Addressing Cultural Change

 
Creating a Vision of the Organization and Its Culture

 
Socializing New Employees to the Culture

 
Leadership and Organizational Culture

 
Personal, Professional, and Organizational Ethics

 
Can Organizational Culture Be Managed?

 
Summary

 
 
The Culture Toolkit: Methods for Exploring Organizational Culture
Steps in Conducting a Cultural Analysis

 
Cultural Tools

 
Putting It All Together

 
Summary

 
 
Appendix
 
References
 
Index
 
About the Author

"The book has good group activities and concepts, good overview of communication strategies and principles."

Mary Ellen Muesing
University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Excellent text, encouraged students to think about org com through a cultural lens.

Dr Richard Eric Murphy
Humanities Division, Mckendree University
June 2, 2016

An OUTSTANDING book, but not right for my specific goals for the leadership course.

Dr Jacob Tingle
Sport Management, Trinity University
November 8, 2011

Good introduction text on the subject en great segments on development and exploration of organizational culture.

Mr Martijn Vlug-Mahabali
Department of Communication Science, University of Amsterdam
August 3, 2011

Good introduction to the idea of Org. Culture. Features the importance of communication in organizations!

Dr Scott Robson
Communication Stds Dept, Fort Hays State University
January 19, 2011

Am still thinking about this book--I like everything Joann Keyton writes. I would like to get a copy of the teacher's resource and then I will make my decision. I like that it is compact and comprehensive.

Dr Astrid Sheil
Communications , California State University San Bernardino
November 15, 2010
Key features

Key Features

  • Offers a communication perspective: The focus on communication practices and processes helps students understand how they can influence the organization culture
  • Synthesizes the research: By bringing together research sources from across many disciplines, Keyton provides a unique analysis of the organizational culture literature
  • Provides a multi-perspective view of organizational culture: Perspectives covered include symbolic performance, narrative reproduction, textual reproduction, management, and power and politics, technology, and globalization
  • Concludes with a practical "Culture Toolkit": The toolkit provides quantitative and qualitative techniques for conducting analyzes of organizational culture

New to the Second Edition

  • Provides new and updated examples: These include topical discussions of the impact of communication technology and globalization
  • Includes more international examples: While the focus remains on U.S. organizational culture, the new edition includes research from other countries
  • Adds a new section on mergers and acquisitions: This helps students understand the challenges faced when two organizational cultures attempt to become one