This article examines open systems thinking as a new lens for the field's researchers to use when exploring written business communication. The transfer or conduit model that the field has traditionally used to describe how communication occurs has, of course, determined what the field knows. An open systems model provides a new way of looking at the field, a lens that integrates concepts Ron DulekThe University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa k host of organizational researchers contend that business is in the x\ midst of a revolution equal in importance to the industrial revolution (Drucker, 1988(Drucker, ,1993Handy, 1996;Wheatley, 1992). Forces causing the revolution include massive changes in technology, a global marketplace, and constant, intense internal and external competition that has taken the notion of operating efficiency to a new level of meaning. In response to these changes, managerial roles have changed dramatically, organizational structures have become more flexible, and workers'job tasks have, of necessity, become more fluid. In short, many managers, particularly senior-level leaders, find themselves in a unique business context that Vaill (1989) describes as a "permanent white-water environment" (p. 2). Change and turbulence are the norm.Management theory has quickly responded to these radical changes in the business environment. Many of the mechanistic dictums that guided management theory in a relatively stable manufacturing environment are no longer viewed as applicable to service Eind technology-based enterprises. Thus, Chandler's (1962) strategy-structure thesis (strategy changes precede and lead to changes in structure), French and Raven's model of power (1959), and Herzberg's (1968) theory of motivation have been modified by theories such as boundary spanning (Boyett, 1995), business eco-systems (Moore, 1996), empowerment and intrinsic task motivation (Thomas & Velthouse, 1990), and learning organizations (Senge, 1990). Unfortunateiy, the same degree of responsiveness to changes in the business environment has not characterized business communication theory, particuiariy research in written business communication. As Cross, David, Graham, and Thraiis (1996) point out, "much research in business communication has been conducted according to an objectivist, or empiricist, narrative" (p. 106). The epistemological assumption behind this view is that the externai worid is stabie, objective, and abie to be divided into smaii, quantifiabie units for study. As a resuit, research designs faii to account for the compiex organizationai contexts managers operate in and thus faii to provide knowiedge usefui for researchers or business peopie.This articie expiores a deeper, richer, more compiex theoreticai framework than that usualiy empioyed within business communication research. Tiiis framework, iabeied open systems thinking, can provide a new iens for the fieid's researchers to use when examining how communities of workers perform their communication tasks, particularly written communication, within vari...
Despite the political and economic importance of Arabic-speaking countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa, limited published research exists about how Arabic culture and language shape regional communication practices, particularly persuasion. This research describes key characteristics of Arabic persuasion by reviewing the extant research and analyzing the persuasion dynamics between a U.S. organization and a Jordanian organization attempting to form a service partnership. Both the literature and results from the case study indicate that Arabic persuasion strategies differ in fundamental ways from U.S. and Western strategies. Various forms of repetition, highly metaphoric language, and strong emotion characterize Arabic persuasion norms when using Arabic and English. These norms are created by the linguistic characteristics of Classical Arabic, the close connection between the Arabic language and Islam, and the social and political hierarchies that shape Arabic interaction.
Efficient written communications have become increasingly important to public and private sector managers faced with reading an ever-increasing number of documents. This study asseses the communication efficiency associated with two writing styles: a high-impact style and the traditional bureaucratic style still favored by many managers. A total of 262 naval officers stationed at the Pentagon and abroad ships in the San Diego area participated in this study. The results show that the high-impact style takes 17%-23% less time to read than the bureaucratic style, produces better message comprehension, and is less likely to need rereading.
While the physical paths that goods traverse are being simplified, the capture, storage, processing and dissemination of information associated with logistics has become considerably more complex. Logistics researchers need to better understand the behavioral and managerial issues created by information technology implementation. The paper suggests that structuration theory, a research approach derived from sociology that has become well established in the study of information systems, can contribute to that understanding. This paper introduces logistics researchers to structuration theory as a useful theoretical framework that can help understand the relationship between technologies, the people who interpret them, and the patterns of use that stem from that interpretation. IntroductionThe evolution of advanced information technologies (AITs) is having a fundamental impact on the physical and information flows that characterize logistics activities. Although the physical paths goods traverse are being simplified due, in part, to outsourcing (Sarkar et al., 1998;Lewis and Talalayevsky, 2000), the ability of AITs to capture, process, store, and disseminate large amounts of supply chain information has significantly increased the complexity of organizational members' and suppliers' tasks, and made more dynamic the systems within which they work.Following DeSanctis and Poole (1994), we define AITs as the tools, techniques, and knowledge (e.g. collaborative customer management and supply chain management (SCM) systems, groupware such as e-mail and intranets, and decision support systems) that promote participation in organizational and inter-organizational activities by a wide range of organizational members and stakeholders. These AITs can make real-time information available to members at all levels in the organization, to suppliers, and to customers. If this information and knowledge is used wisely, organizations can build customized relationships with their suppliers and customers, leading to a significant strategic advantage over competitors.Effectively adopting and implementing AITs to strategically manage supply chain information, communication, and relationships is not only a
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