Distortion

Abstract

Distortion – the interference with or alteration of a message – is a way of describing undesirable disruptions to a message as it moves from organizational member to organizational member. Contemporary organizational communication research investigates how ordinary features of everyday talk, like equivocation, can result in intentional and unintentional muting of important topics like private ethical concerns. Distortion in upward, lateral, and downward organizational communication is described. Remedies for suppressing the negative organizational outcomes of distortions are also discussed.