Organizational Culture

I have enjoyed reading the perspectives of group communication by authors O’Hair and Wieman. They have put into writing the concepts and methods which I knew existed through my own experiences, but never had a formal definition for. The latest concept was Organizational Culture. This is something that a good majority of us will experience as we enter or have entered the working world. Typically unaware, we enter an internal society that has formed a specific way of operating on a day-to-day basis. Companies will usually train their employees or have them attend an orientation to learn more about the company’s philosophy and mission, but rarely to they teach you about the internal subculture – this is something we all learn on our own.  All previous concepts tie into this culture; personal communication, group communication and effective leadership, but all of these are based on human nature. The most important thing I have learned in working for any organizational is that the first few weeks should be spent just taking in the environment around you. Study the people, listen to conversations and do not form opinions too quickly. These have are survival skills that have made my working experiences more enjoyable.

Content Fallacies - The Slippery Slope of Peer-Pressure and Drugs

Several months ago I was at my brother’s house and overheard a conversation (lecture) he was having with his two teenage girls.  He realized both were approaching impressionable ages and entering an environment (high school) that may pose problems. He decided to give a slippery slope sermon about  peer-pressure and drugs.  He started by telling them that as a father he has concerns about their lives and as a police detective he has concerns about the challenges of high school. High school is a new environment which may lead to the need for being accepted, popular or fitting-in. Peer-pressure might lead to smoking marijuana to fit-in, which may lead to taking other more potent drugs (Extasy), which leads to making poor choices or worse yet, addiction, which ends in having fewer options in life or possibly death.  As a slippery slope argument he addressed key points, in sequence, starting with the influence of peer pressure and ending with the possible consequence of taking drugs. While his premises might be considered strong because; marijuana is considered a “gate-way” drug , subsequent drugs may be more addictive, and that an individual may be less likely to make clear choices under a drug’s influence – his statements were subjective. He based his claims on job exposure, a father’s protective nature and secretly his own teenage experience; but he also knew that that ultimately each girl had the right to “make their own decisions” and that not all choices lead to ruin.

Exercise: Structure of Argument Analysis

#2: I’m on my way to class. (1)  I left 5 minutes late. (2) Traffic is heavy. (3) Therefore, I’ll be late for class. (4) So I might as well stop and get breakfast (5).

Argument? :  Yes

Conclusion:  I’m running late for class, so I’m going to stop and get breakfast.

The choice appears to be a combination of claim 4 and 5. Each claim is weak on its own, but combining them strengthens the statement providing a conclusion to the sequence of events presented.

Additional premises needed:  The premises seem to stand on their own, but if I was to add anything it would  be a connecting statement regarding the length or travel time of the typical commute to school.

Identify any subarguments:  Claims 1, 2, and 3 are independent and support conclusion.  Claims 2 and 3 are strong plausible statements regarding known factors for being late, while 1 implies direction and provides no direct support for tardiness.

Good argument:  All the premises are independent and 2 and 3 are factual. Claim 3 might be considered subjective and require more detail, however it adequately supports reasoning of conclusion.

I think this exercise was extremely helpful in dissecting an argument and identifying the key items for support. I intend to use these steps when working on upcoming projects.

Types of Leadership – Participative Leadership

In reading Chapter 3 Leadership and Decision Making, I found the section on Types of Leadership quite interesting. I don’t recall ever formally learning about the specific types of leadership, but I have worked with many leaders within these various categories. As the authors O’Hair and Weiman state, “each of these styles his its own advantages and disadvantages”, however in my experience, I believe Participative Leadership to be the most effective. This type of leadership invites open participation of ideas and encourages equal collaboration of team efforts. This leader would probably say “let’s work to together to solve this problem” and promote democratic decision making. I have noticed that many more companies seem to be utilizing this type of leadership to strengthen production and build employee satisfaction. The companies seem to recognize that their leaders may have limited knowledge about the day-to-day processes and acknowledge the value of their employees input. This collaboration is mutually beneficial to both and builds a shared respect.

The Tests for Agrument to Be Good

On May 29, 2009, my friends Alex and Reylan were engaged.
On July 10, 2010, Alex and Reylan were married.
Alex and Reylan will celebrate their 1st wedding anniversary on July 10, 2011.

The Tests for an Argument to Be Good
Test 1: The premises are plausible.
The first premise is true because it is based on a historical event and can be verified. It is a statement of fact and is plausible.

Test 2: The premises are more plausible than the conclusion.
The second premise is also based on a statement of fact. This statement can be validated with documentation to support credibility. There would be little reason to doubt plausibility, but researching any historical event can confirm credibility.

Test 3: The argument is valid or strong.
The argument may be considered valid, based on the calculated date and the likelihood of the couple celebrating their anniversary within the next year. An argument is considered valid if there is no possible way for its premises to be true and its conclusion false, at the same time (Epstein 39). In this case however, it is more likely to assume that the conclusion is false, therefore making the argument strong. The reason being, that there may be unforeseen circumstances which may prevent the couple from celebrating their anniversary. Strong arguments follow the criteria that the premises need to be true, but the conclusion can be false. A good argument should convince us to accept the conclusion without reservation. Evaluating the premises for credibility and studying the argument with a critical eye are essential.

Valid vs Strong Arguments

Years ago I met some friends that moved from Colorado to California. As young children they believed that they were moving to a city by the ocean, because most TV shows at the time had depicted California cities near the beach. They were sad to learn that San Jose was not located directly on the beach.

Here is a strong argument they might have heard to convince them:
California is a state bordered by an ocean. San Jose is a city in California. San Jose is a city located near the ocean.

While the above argument can be considered strong, because both premises are true, the conclusion can be considered somewhat false (especially to my friends who were looking forward to walking to the beach and not driving 1 hour). It this case the argument intended audience (my friends) would have been open to open to the possibility that San Jose was closer to the ocean, while most Californians would suspect otherwise.

A stronger argument would be:
California is one of 5 U.S. States that is bordered by the Pacific Ocean. Santa Cruz is a coastal city in California. Santa Cruz is bordered by the Pacific Ocean.

This argument is valid because it contains both true premises and a true conclusion that follows the premises. The information is both true and valid, because it follows a specific line of reasoning and fact. (Oh, by the way, my friends now live in Santa Cruz).

Discussion Question #1: Subjective and Objective Claims

1). Use an example from outside of the classroom. Discuss Subjective and Objective Claims. Give an example of a Subjective Claim you have heard or used recently AND give an example of an Objective Claim you have heard or used recently. Describe the situation. Describe the claims IN DETAIL

About a month ago I was in a beauty salon getting my hair cut. As usual there were several conversations between the hairdressers and their clients within earshot. One client was being counseled by her hairdresser regarding ‘hair maintenance’. The hairdresser indicated, that in her opinion, “people should wash their hair every other day”. I could see from the look on her client’s face that she did not share the same view and I had to second the client’s opinion.

This hairdresser’s claim was subjective. The hairdresser did not appear to be persuading the client of her personal view, but merely voicing her opinion. Her statement could neither be proven wrong or right, because it was based on her personal preference, experience, and expression of beliefs.

Another statement I heard in the same salon, but on a previous visit was that, “after receiving a perm, you should not shampoo your hair for at least 24 hours to maximize the strength and duration of the curl”. This objective statement was not based on personal view, but on the standards set by the industry. The statement provides specific data to increase a successful result and the results of the statement can also be measured to substantiate the claim.

Both subjective and objective claims are used to convey the position of speaker; however the objective claim can be supported by widely recognized criteria, concrete methods, or viable evidence. An subjective claim on the other hand, is a statement made based on the feelings of the speaker and cannot be established as true or false.

Discussion Question #3 - Clarify Issues

3). Pick one concept from the reading (either Epstein or the Small Group Comm book) and discuss it in detail

Upon reading the 2nd Chapter of The Essential Guide to Group Communication a few key points stood out. I was amazed at how many of these concepts I unconsciously applied to previous group projects, however there were many others I feel could have made the group communication run more smoothly.

I have enjoyed reading all of your blog posts to-date, but find myself missing some of the interaction that might help explain some of the newer communication concepts. I admit that I have struggled with some of the questions and find myself over-thinking the parameters of the assignments and, to a point, my responses.

I have had to develop a new way of organizing my thoughts and seeking information to ’clarify issues’. It is important to get a clear understanding of any assignment or project, to ask questions as additional issues arise, and to define your role as participant. The textbooks do a very good job of explaining the concepts in a simplified format, but beyond these resources I have utilized the web to search for related definitions of the concepts and also contacted the instructor, via email, as a source for clarification. For me, clarifying issues has eliminated the stress of an assignment and ensured a more enjoyable class experience.