Blogging as Organizational Communication, by Emily Bhatti
Context For This Post
Students in an organizational communication class must not only obtain knowledge of the foundations of communication principles but they must also stay up to date with new technology and its impact on the organization. Blogging is a new phenomenon and its widespread use within organizations makes it a perfect application for study in our class. While blogging is a new concept, it is still just another channel of communication that has opened up for organizations to use. Therefore, the concepts in organizational communication that apply to the sending and receiving of messages through any given channel apply to the practices of blogging.
One of the main concepts from Tompkins book was the concept of speaking truth to power. Blogging has opened up an arena where employees can express their thoughts, wishes, and beliefs in a public forum. This ability to gripe about the problems at work allows employees the benefits of speaking truth to power especially in organizations that condone blogging and read their employee’s blogs. Blogging allows for feedback and openness, two traits that are essential to successful communication with any medium. However, with any medium there is a danger that the true purposes of the medium will not be carried out sincerely. The risk of synthetic transparency, or a quality of “fakeness” within a blog, is dangerous and even more a reason why students should study blogging to be aware about what is necessary for it to be practiced properly.
If blogging is practiced properly, many employees will be able to feel empowered by having a voice on their blog. Empowerment, the fostering of self-driven employees, creates an environment where employees are happy and are motivated to work hard for the good of themselves and the organization. Blogging allows employees some power in what they say and do, and can help them feel control over their role within an organization.
There are many pros of blogging but there are also many ways that blogging can be done improperly at the expense of the employees and the company. Since blogging is new to the organization, students need to be aware of how blogging works as they enter the work force in a few years. By learning about blogging from the perspective of organizational communication, it can be assured the knowledge of good communication practices will help to keep blogging a healthy activity.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
“Why would you study blogging in an organizational communication class? What concepts from organizational communication give you any special insight into
blogging?”
Students in an organizational communication class must not only obtain knowledge of the foundations of communication principles but they must also stay up to date with new technology and its impact on the organization. Blogging is a new phenomenon and its widespread use within organizations makes it a perfect application for study in our class. While blogging is a new concept, it is still just another channel of communication that has opened up for organizations to use. Therefore, the concepts in organizational communication that apply to the sending and receiving of messages through any given channel apply to the practices of blogging.
One of the main concepts from Tompkins book was the concept of speaking truth to power. Blogging has opened up an arena where employees can express their thoughts, wishes, and beliefs in a public forum. This ability to gripe about the problems at work allows employees the benefits of speaking truth to power especially in organizations that condone blogging and read their employee’s blogs. Blogging allows for feedback and openness, two traits that are essential to successful communication with any medium. However, with any medium there is a danger that the true purposes of the medium will not be carried out sincerely. The risk of synthetic transparency, or a quality of “fakeness” within a blog, is dangerous and even more a reason why students should study blogging to be aware about what is necessary for it to be practiced properly.
If blogging is practiced properly, many employees will be able to feel empowered by having a voice on their blog. Empowerment, the fostering of self-driven employees, creates an environment where employees are happy and are motivated to work hard for the good of themselves and the organization. Blogging allows employees some power in what they say and do, and can help them feel control over their role within an organization.
There are many pros of blogging but there are also many ways that blogging can be done improperly at the expense of the employees and the company. Since blogging is new to the organization, students need to be aware of how blogging works as they enter the work force in a few years. By learning about blogging from the perspective of organizational communication, it can be assured the knowledge of good communication practices will help to keep blogging a healthy activity.
---
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
posted by Walter Carl at 2:32 PM
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