Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1964 Communication Theory as a Dynamic Frame of Reference for Understanding and Controlling Organization Behavior. Carlton James Whitehead Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Whitehead, Carlton James, "Communication Theory as a Dynamic Frame of Reference for Understanding and Controlling Organization Behavior." (1964). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 963. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/963 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This dissertation has been 64-13,276 microfilmed exactly as received WHITEHEAD, Carlton James, 1934- COMMUNICATION THEORY AS A DYNAMIC FRAME OF REFERENCE FOR UNDERSTANDING AND CONTROLLING ORGANIZATION BEHAVIOR. Louisiana State University, Fh.D., 1964 Economics, commerce-business University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan COMMUNICATION THEORY AS A DYNAMIC FRAME OF REFERENCE FOR UNDERSTANDING AND CONTROLLING ORGANIZATION BEHAVIOR A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Management by Carlton James Whitehead B.S., Southeastern Louisiana College, 1958 M. B .A ., Louisiana State University, 1962 M ay, 1964 AC KNOWLEDGMENT The writer wishes toexpress his sincere appreciation to Dr. Herbert Hicks for the assistance, guidance, and encouragement extended in supervising this dissertation and my graduate program; to Dr. Raymond Lesikar and Dr. Perry Boyer, who, along with Dr. Hicks, have contributed extensively to my academic development and guided my writing; and to Dr. Robert Flammang and Dr. Donald Vaughn for reading the manuscript and serving on the examination committee. My gratitude is also extended to Dr. Bernard Bienvenu for his thoughtful consideration and to Mrs. Doris Bentley for her invaluable aid in preparing the manuscript. Finally, special thanks go to my wife for her active support and continuing encouragement, and to our daughter for foregoing many experiences due to the extensive demand on my time. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGMENT.............................................................. ii ABSTRACT ..............................................................................................................vii. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION................................................................................... 1 Presentation of the study............................................................... 2 Purview of research and selected definitions................... 4 Scope of stu d y ............................................................................. 4 Definition of selected term s ................................... 9 Method of research.................................................................... 16 Plan of presentation....................................................................... 17 II. ANALYSIS OF SELECTED ASPECTS OF COMMUNICATION THEORY ...................................................... 18 Process of communication......................................................... 18 Concept of process........................................ 18 Model of the communication p ro cess............................... 24 Ramifications of the interpersonal communication m o d e l............................................................................................ 32 Interference with the process of interpersonal communication ........................................................ 48 CHAPTER PAGE Communication and behavior........................................ 58 Communication and interpersonal behavior......................... 59 Communication and symbolic interactionist theory of behavior .........................................................................65 S u m m a r y ..................................................................................................... 77 III. UTILIZING A COMMUNICATIVE FRAME OF REFERENCE AS A GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING SELECTED ASPECTS OF ORGANIZATION BEHAVIOR ...................................................... 82 Goal formation and value orientation ......................................... 84 Organization goals............................................................................ 85 S u b g o a ls ................................................................................................ 91 Intervening variables...................................................................... 103 Coordinated behavior...........................................................................112 Framework for coordination...................................................... 113 Import of structured stimulus situation ..............................118 Intervening variables.................................................................... 128 The decision process............................................................................ 147 Communication and the decision process............................. 148 Communication and the decision m a k e............................. r 161 Intervening variables.................................................................... 167 S u m m a r y .................................................................................. 172 CHAPTER PAGE IV. UTILIZING COMMUNICATION IN CONTROLLING ORGANIZATION BEHAVIOR ....................................................... 176 Interrelatedness of communication and control. .. 177 Foundation for control.................................................................... 178 Mechanism of control ...................................................•• . 181 Definition of the situation............................................................. 189 Communication system and control..........................................193 Importance of communication netw orks..............................194 Designing and utilizing networks in the Control P r o c e s s ............................................................................................. 199 Controlled change...............................................................................204 The need .......................................................................................... 205 The approach ..................................................................................206 Attitude change.................................................... 208 S u m m a r y ................................................................................................218 V. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS..................................................... 222 Introduction.......................................................................................... 222 Interpersonal communication process.....................................222 Communication and behavior........................................................ 224 Communication and goal orientation.........................................225 Communication and coordinated behavior.............................228 Communication and the decision p ro c e............................. ss 230 Communication and control of organization behavior . 231 v CHAPTER PAGE Major lim itations................................................................................ 234 VI. SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY . ..................................................... 235 VITA ................................................................................ 251 ABSTRACT Organization is a dynamic phenomenon, and in this dissertation the dynamic frame of reference provided by communication theory is utilized to investigate certain aspects of organization behavior. A model of the interpersonal communication process and selected features of the relationship between communication and behavior are investigated to develop the dynamic framework used to analyze goal orientation, coordinated behavior, the decision process, and control of organization b e h av io r. The present fragmented development of organization theory moti­ vated the use of secondary research and a broad theoretical approach. Communication is intimately related to the behavioral development and socialization of an individual. One learns value systems and accepta­ ble social behavior through communication. The pervasive symbols in the social system and their related values tend to become the dominant ones within the personality system. Individuals are stimulated and stimulate others in desired directions through symbols. Feedback from communicating helps to correct personal knowledge and maintain realv istic views of oneself, other persons, events, and realities in the environment. The communication variable is an important determinant of indi­ vidual and group organization goals. Differentiation of information transmitted to members provides the informational frame of reference v ii which significantly influences subgoals adopted. Anxiety created by perceived dissonance of orientation encourages an entering member to institute concerted communication efforts to discover group