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COMMUNICATION
RALPH P. HUMMEL
Editor
INTRODUCTION
"[We need] a recognitionof the two-waynature of the
political-career
managementdialogue."
-Froma proposedpublicservice
modelofmanagement*
Currentcalls fordialoguein publicadministration
reflectthe
in
that
we
need
new
communication
that
insight
something
overcomesthe traditionalflowof one-waycommandsfromthe
top down.It is, however,by no means clearwhetherthose who
issue the call understandwhattheyare callingfor.If theyuse
the traditionalscientificmodel of communications-as the
exchange of already formedbits of knowledgeconceived as
"hard data"- thentheyguaranteethat no true dialogue will
come intouse.
If,on the otherhand,theyare aware ofwhatphenomenology
reveals about dialogue- that true dialogue is the two-way
ofmeaning- thenadvocatesofdialogue mustalso
construction
accept the consequence that dialogue is political.Those who
definemeaningare engaged in the fundamentalpoliticalact
thatdefinesreality.In the followingarticle,Sandra Fish helps
us questionthe receivedknowledgeof traditionalcommunicationsmodels.
PatriciaW. Ingrahamand CarolynR. Ban (1986). "Models of Public Management:
Review
Are TheyUsefulto Federal Managers in the 1980s?" Public Administration
46 (March/April):159.
INTRODUCTION
In thefieldoforganizational
therehas been
communication
debateforovera decaderegarding
researchmethods
increasing
construction.
andtheory
between
Focusingon thedistinctions
and relativemeritsofthetraditional
or
"objective" positivist
approachand the alleged "subjective"approachesvariously
describedas naturalistic,
and
qualitative,
phenomenological,
mostrecently
The purposeofthisarticleis to (1)
interpretive.
describethe interpretive
fromthe
approachas distinguished
traditionalsocial scientificapproachto researchand (2)
researchin organizational
current
illustrate
interpretive
briefly
communication.
THE UNEXPLAINED
UNDERSTANDING
The traditional
scientific
as:
approachcan be characterized
1) reductionists,in reducing phenomenato operational
inthatall phenomena
arebelieved
definitions;
2) deterministic,
to havecauseswhichcan be duplicated;
in that
3) predictive,
thegoalistopredict
in that
behavior;
4) observer
independent,
theresearcher
triesnotto influence
thedata; 5) empirical,
in
thatonlyobservable
dataaretobe examined;6) repeatable,
so
thattheresearchcan be replicated
7)
by otherinvestigators;
in
that
the
should
be
in
described
quantitative,
phenomena
terms(Giorgi,1971:7).Thus,traditional
measurable
research
[68)
(69)
(70)
(71)
knowledge.
comprehensive
HEARINGTHE UNHEARD-OF
a more explanatory
accountof
In additionto offering
methods
alsoallowexamination
of
communication,
interpretive
Four
inaccessible
to
instances
positivist
scrutiny.
phenomena
ofinterpretive
research
theuniquecontributions
willillustrate
oforganizational
communication.
totheunderstanding
HarrisandCronen(1979)
Usingan interactionist
perspective,
cultureofa socialsciencedepartanalyzedtheorganizational
institution
mentof an educational
its "master
by identifying
contract"whichis organizedintotwo levels: organizational
and rules which"integratespecific
imageor self-definition
withtheorganizational
beliefsandbehaviors
image"(Ibid,15).
serve
as constitutive
and regulative,
Theserules,categorized
ofperceptions
of
thepurposesofcoorientation
("confirmation
andcoordination
thecollective
mastercontract")
("movements
which affirmor renegotiatethat
withinthe organization
individualscan be
contract")(Ibid., 19). Furthermore,
withwhichthey
evaluatedbasedon thedegreeofcompetence
and coordinate
theiractivities
withinthe
coorient
themselves
ofsome
ofthecollectively
defined
framework
rules,an approach
fororganizational
consultants.
significance
Kreps (1983;247) used an extensivestudyof the organizaandculture
tobuild
ofRCAVideodisk
tionalfolklore
Operations
to
tool"
assimilate
communication
an "employee-orientation
intotheorganizational
culture.
newemployees
Usinginterviews
the researchersattempted
to discoverthe
and observation,
logics and legends" of RCA folkloreand to
"underlying
intheform
thatfolklore
recreate
ofa videotapeorientation
tool
to increasethe chances for new membersto "behave in
withcultural
accordance
norms"(Ibid.),
Gilchrest
andBrowning
(1981)offera modelfordeveloping
communication
based on observation
and interviews.
training
tailored
Usinga grounded-theory
approach,theseresearchers
the trainingin bargainingand negotiationskills to the
ofthetrainees(statetaxenforcement
and
officers)
experiences
a
model:
observe
communication
1)
behavior;
proposed six-step
(72)
(73)
REFERENCES
Albrecht,T.L. and V.A. Ropp (1982). "The Study of Network Structuringin
Organizationsthroughthe Use of Method Triangulation." WesternJournalof
Speech Communication46 (Spring):162-178.
Bowers, J.W., J.A. Gilchrest, and L.D. Browning (1980). "A Communication
Course forHigh-PoweredBargainers: Development and Effects." CommunicationEducation 29 (January):10-20.
Bruyn,S.T. (1966). The Human Perspective in Sociology: The Methodology of
ParticipantObservation.Englewood Cliffs,N.J.: Prentice-Hall.
uriticai-uuituraiitesearcn: JNewensiDinues ana uia
ueetz, o.a. uyj.
Realities." Journalof Management 11(2):121-136.
(1982). CriticalInterpretiveResearch in OrganizationalCommunication.
WesternJournalof Speech Communication46 (Spring):131-149.
Faules, D. (1982). "The Use of Multi-Methodsin the Organizational Setting."
WesternJournalof Speech Communication46 (Spring):150-161.
Fish, S.L. and J.M. Dorris(1975). "Phenomenologyand CommunicationResearch."
Journalof Applied CommunicationResearch 3 (April):9-26.
Gilchrest,J.A. and L.D. Browning(1981). "A GroundedTheoryModel forDeveloping CommunicationInstruction."CommunicationEducation 30 (July):273-276.
Giorgi,A. (1971). "Phenomenologyand ExperimentalPsychology," in A. Giorgi,
W.F. Fischer, and R. Von Echartsberg(eds.). Duquesne Studies in Phenomenological Psychology,Vol. I, Part I. Pittsburgh:Duquesne UniversityPress.
(1971). "Phenomenology and Experimental Psychology," in A. Giorgi,
W.F. Fischer, and S. Von Echartsberg(eds.). Duquesne Studies in Phenomenological Psychology, Vol. I, Part II: Pittsburgh:Duquesne UniversityPress.
Goldhaber, G.M. et. al. (1978). "Organization Communication,1978." Human
CommunicationResearch 5 (Fall):76-96.
Harris, L, and V.E. Cronen (1979). "A Rules-Based Model for the Analysis and
Evaluation of Organizational Communication." CommunicationQuarterly 27
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