Chapter 16

Teaming Up For Change

Maryanne Wanca-Thibault and Adelina Gomez

 Case Overview

 Lieutenant Jack Whitson, a member of the Castle Springs Police Department, had envisioned an unprecedented and innovative approach to combat the spiraling increase of domestic violence cases the department was facing. Janet Garcia, Deputy District Attorney, and Janet MacKenzie, domestic violence victim’s advocate, teamed up with Whitson to develop a collaborative approach to deal with the domestic violence problem. With the program now in its fifth year, Whitson’s concern with the effectiveness of the new program has led him to contract with two consultants who agreed to conduct a communication audit. The lieutenant’s main concern was the level of satisfaction with the program of both the external and internal partners who comprised the collaborative teams. Following a presentation by the consultants of the results of the audit, Whitson and the partners were about to reconvene to discuss what they had just learned.

 Learning Objective

 This case illustrates some of the communication issues that new organizational forms face when implementing change, and the role that concepts like culture, climate, leadership, and communication networks play in decisions involving change.

 Key Words and Definitions

 Stakeholders—individuals and groups who have an interest in the organization and are influential in helping the organization to meet its goals. Cheney and Christensen (2001) speak to the importance of viewing strategic organizational communication from the outside-in as a means to understand changing environmental conditions. Taking this perspective challenges the notion that there are fixed organizational boundaries and promotes the importance of considering both the internal and external conditions that potentially affect the organization and its strategic communication goals.

 Networks—formal and informal communication patterns that link together organizational members. Network communication shapes and changes the organization. Any type of decision-making groups might be considered formal networks. In this case study the partnering agencies provide an example of formal networks at DVERT. Informal networks emerge as individuals in the organization form interpersonal relationships and report information in ways other than through formal channels. Both types of networks exist side by side in the organization and individuals generally belong to both.

 Culture—“. . .The unique sense of place that organizations generate through ways of doing and ways of communicating about the organization; reflects the shared realities and shared practices in the organization and how they create and shape organizational events” (Shockley-Zalabak, 2001, p.63).

Climate—“… The reaction to the organization’s culture; consists of collective beliefs, expectations, and values regarding communication that are generated as organizational members continually evaluate their interactions with others” (Shockley-Zalabak, 2001, p.66).

 Key Case Concepts

 Strategic organizational communication—the ability to look at a situation and deliberately determine and implement the appropriate communication strategies to address the issues (Conrad, 1994). It includes weighing the costs/benefits of a number of choices based on data, analysis, experience, and organizational objectives.

 Change management—the way in which change will be managed in the organization; a proactive approach that helps organizations identify needed change and develop strategies for implementation of productive change before a crisis arises. Regardless of the specific practices used in the process, Shockley-Zalabak (2001) suggests that managed change is part of an ongoing, cyclical process. Moreover, there are four basic activities for planning change: data collection; data evaluation; planning and implementing solutions, and evaluating the results of the change.

 Systems theory—a concept that views organizations as a series of related units and processes that work in unison to create and shape organizational events. Their primary function is to process information (Shockley-Zalabak, 2001). The functional approach to the study of communication in organizations suggests that we can understand the organization by looking at how messages are processed; determining how the messages are sent, describing what the messages do, and looking at who receives the messages.

 Transformational leadership—a form of leadership where leaders motivate followers through example, appealing to higher level needs, and ultimately empowering followers to engage in the leadership process. Hackman and Johnson (1991) conclude that transformational leaders are creative, interactive, visionary, empowering, and passionate.

 Multidisciplinary teams—a group of organizational members consisting of individuals from highly diverse backgrounds. Team members generally have complementary skills and come together for a common purpose. Membership in a multidisciplinary team suggests that members come to the group with different realities and cultural perspectives that will have to be integrated into the new setting. Studies show that members of multidisciplinary teams may tend, over time, to identify more strongly with their team than the parent organization (Barker & Tompkins, 1993). Team-based organizations generally have a flatter structure (fewer managers) and greater emphasis on team decision-making and accountability. These groups are considered primary work groups, although as with DVERT, members may rotate in and out of the group.

Obstacles/Challenges

1,  Jack must try to make certain that each agency maintains it commitment to DVERT's organizational
     mission and values.

2. Attempting to get multidisciplinary teams who often perceive "they speak a different language", who
    must invest energy and effort learning about each other's organization, to collaborate more effectively.

3. Lack of continuity.  No line authority making collaborative decision-making more challenging.

4. Stakeholders have different perspective on the goals and mission of DVERT. (quality vs. quantity, to
     manage more cases in order to increase public and political visibility in order to attract more funding.

5. To maintain and increase funding.

6. Consultants Report
        Members desire more input from staff in decision-making
        Members believe that constructive feedback from management is lacking
        Existing communication channels does not guarantee that all members receive information
        More timely information needs
        Some members feel overworked
        Lack resources to insure effective communication networking
      

 Discussion Questions

 1.    Based on the information you have about this case, how would you recommend Lieutenant Whitson handle the afternoon meeting with the partners? Be specific with each of the three issues presented by the partners.

 2.    In analyzing the DVERT organization, what predictions would you make regarding the effectiveness of the organization’s activities if changes are made in the current structure and practices?

 3.    Identify other communication theoretical perspectives that might affect the outcomes in this case study. Explain your choices.

 4.    Using systems theory as a guide, map out DVERT as an open system. Show the relationship between DVERT, the various partnering agencies, and other possible systems/subsystems that affect the structure. Using the graphic you developed, discuss the various formal and informal communication networks in DVERT.

 5.    Effective leaders are considered to possess certain characteristics, among which are communication competencies or skills. Discuss communication competencies you believe good leaders must demonstrate. Do you believe Lieutenant Whitson possesses any of those you identified? Why or why not?

 6.    What compliance-gaining strategies do you believe both good and bad leaders use? Explain the effectiveness of each. Discuss those strategies you believe Lieutenant Whitson uses.

Resources and References

 Barker, J., and Tompkins, P. (1993). Organizations, teams, control, and identification. Paper presented at the Speech Communication Association Convention,     November, Miami, FL.

Cheney, G., and Christensen, L. (2001). Organizational identity: Linkages between internal and external communication. In F. Jablin and L. Putnam (Eds.), The New Handbook of Organizational Communication: Advances in Theory, Research, and Methods, (pp.231–269). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Conrad, C. (1994). Strategic organizational communication: Towards the 21st century. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace.

Hackman, M., and Johnson, C. (1991). Leadership: A communication perspective. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland.

Morgan, G. (1997). Images of organization. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Shockley-Zalabak, P. (2001). Fundamentals of organizational communication: knowledge, sensitivity, skills, values (5th Ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Wheatley, M. (1992). Leadership and the new science. San Francsico: Berrett-Koehler.

Borman, Ernest G. (1980). Communication theory. New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston Publishing Company

Fisher, B. Aubrey (1978). Perspectives on human communication. New York: McMillan Publishing Company

Fisher, B. & Ellis D. (1990). Small group decision-making: Communication and the group process. New York: McGraw Hill.

Hackman, M. & Johnson, C. (1996). Leadership: A communication perspective. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press.

Keyton, Joann (2002). Communicating in groups: Building relationships for effective decision making, (2nd ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill.

Rothwell, J. Dan (1998). In mixed company: small group communication, (3rd ed.). Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace Publishing Company.

Shockley-Zalabak, P. (2001). Fundamentals of organizational communication: knowledge, sensitivity, skills, values (5 ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.