DETAILS OF THIS LEARNING EVENT:

• 3:30-4:45 p.m. (you will be given 75 minutes to complete the exam)
• Bring at least two blue books (better to have extra than not enough space to write)
• Blue or black ink or pencil allowed

TEST FORMAT:

• Test will be a combination of Multiple choice (very few, to be answered on the exam sheet), short answer (answer in blue book), and essay questions (answer in blue book).
• This test DOES NOT test your ability to memorize terms or identify features of theories and models.
• This test DOES test your ability to apply theories and models to situations and compare the strengths and weaknesses of various theoretical approaches, given particular situations.
• You will be given specific cases to analyze and compare.
• You may be asked to use different theories to interpret or analyze a case/situation. You may also be asked to compare and contrast the different analyses.

General Organizational Communication Issues

• How does your definition of communication or organization influence the way you study organizational communication?
• why use metaphors to describe organizational processes or structures?
• How do various organizational theories discussed so far in class define and frame "organization" and "communication?"
• How does the analysis of organizations change depending on whether you conceptualize organization as a noun or verb, structure or process?
• How do you approach and define the concepts of "organization" and "communication" in your own study? Can you give specific examples to support your definitions? How do your definitions influence the way you approach and study the organization? How do your definitions "place" you in the Burrell and Morgan framework?

Burrell and Morgan's breakdown of sociological research

• How do Burrell and Morgan's classifications of research help you understand organizational communication research?
• How would each of the articles discussed in class fit into the Burrell and Morgan model?
• What are the key distinctions between Functionalist and Interpretive approaches?

Classical Management Studies

• Industrial revolution; how did it influence the structure of organizations?
• What social conditions led to scientific forms of organizing?
• How do classical organizational scholars view organizations? Communication?
• Who was Taylor? What were his major principles?
• How did Taylor’s theories match his practices?
• What is Systematic Soldiering? Rate busting?
• What influences do classical theories have on contemporary organizational structures/practices?
• How can we understand a case such as McDonald's in terms of classical management theories?

Human Relations Movement and Human Resource Development

• Why did the Human Relations movement happen?
• What were major findings at Hawthorne? What was the influence of the Hawthorne Studies on Human Relations? Are there any conflicts between the findings and the influence?
• How can the Hawthorne studies help us understand or use ethnography?
• What practices are reminiscent of Human Relations in contemporary organizations?
• What are the main questions asked by researchers of HRD (Human Resource Development)?
• What are the major assumptions of HRD theories (about work, workers, organizational structures)?
• Herzberg's theory, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; how do they differ? What are the strengths/weaknesses of these theories when looking at organizational practices?
• Teams in organizations; why were they instituted? Which of the theories do they reflect most?

Systems Theory

• What are the components and processes of systems?
• How does Systems theory help us understand organizational communication?
• What weaknesses of previous theories are revealed by systems theory?
• What are possible weaknesses of systems theory?

Communication issues in contemporary organizations

• What are the weaknesses in Rothliesberger's understanding of communication?
• If given a case study (such as those that appear throughout Miller's text), could you apply CBBM ch. 9 to help analyze a case?
• Why are communicative practices so vital to ethnographic studies of organizations?

Be able to discern the major differences among the groups of theories we've discussed.

Be able to look at a particular case from several perspectives--as an organizational researcher, what would you see differently, depending on which approach you use? Which approach would you choose, based on your worldview and goals?

Be able to discuss each reading in terms of Burrell and Morgan's framework.

Be prepared to analyze a case by using two different theories and then comparing the differences in your analysis.

Rather than test your ability to memorize specific terms, this exam will require you to USE AND APPLY these perspectives to different situations.