8 Organizational Communication You graduated from college four months ago and just landed a mar- keting position at a prestigious company, As you reflect on your job Chapter Outline search and the day-to-day demands of your new career, you realize Defining Organizational it's a completely different world from the one you experienced as an Communication 180 undergraduate, For one thing, getting hired was no easy task. You Types and Movement applied to dozens of job openings. You revised and rewrote your of Organizational Messages 181 resume and cover letter a hundred times as you began to better rec- The Organization as a ognize the expectations of the corporate world. System 187 When you were finally called to interview for your current post- Poutive and Negative Hon, you were excited, but your momentum had been thrown off by Organizational Communication Traits 189 those months of rejection. Still, you researched the company and Organizational Climate and In the interview remembered all the important interactional rules Culture 191 you learned in Communication class-make eye contact, answer and ask questions, engage in good listening, be interpersonally im- mediate. Despite some small nervousness, you got the job. Next stop, human resources. You were briefed on sexual harassment, ethics in the workplace, salary structure, and benefits. In your ongoing efforts to dissect the inner workings of your com- pany and your place in it. you realize the value of having studied or- ganizational communication. You understand that much of your success is contingent on the relational aspects of the job-that is, communicating effectively with your colleagues. Even more concepts from your communication class are now applicable, such as building morale, managing workplace conflict, choosing an appropriate leader- ship style, and assessing group dynamics. While you never could have been fully prepared for what the corporate world had in store, you are certainly better equipped than recent graduates without those skills