Question 1

With which communication tradition is OIT most closely associated?

Accepted Answer

A)  cybernetic 
B)  semiotic 
C)  phenomenological 
D)  rhetorical 
A)  cybernetic 
B)  semiotic 
C)  phenomenological 
D)  rhetorical A

Question 2

Using the standard criteria for theory evaluation, critique Organizational Information Theory.

Accepted Answer

Organizational Information Theory (OIT) is a theoretical framework that seeks to explain how organizations process information and make decisions. It was developed by Karl Weick and his colleagues in the 1970s and has been influential in the fields of organizational behavior and communication.

In evaluating OIT using standard criteria for theory evaluation, several strengths and weaknesses can be identified.

One strength of OIT is its emphasis on the importance of sensemaking and sensegiving in organizations. The theory highlights the role of interpretation and meaning-making in organizational processes, which can provide valuable insights into how organizations function.

Another strength of OIT is its focus on the dynamic and complex nature of organizations. The theory recognizes that organizations are constantly evolving and adapting to their environments, and it provides a framework for understanding how information flows and decision-making processes change over time.

However, OIT also has some limitations. One criticism is that the theory can be overly abstract and difficult to apply in practical settings. Some scholars have argued that OIT lacks clear operational definitions and measurement tools, which can make it challenging to test empirically.

Additionally, OIT has been accused of neglecting the role of power and politics in organizations. Critics argue that the theory's emphasis on sensemaking and sensegiving may overlook the ways in which power dynamics and conflicts shape information processes within organizations.

In conclusion, while Organizational Information Theory offers valuable insights into how organizations process information and make decisions, it also has some limitations that should be considered. Future research should focus on addressing these limitations and further developing the practical applications of the theory.

Question 3

Organizing is viewed as a structural process in Organizational Information Theory.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 4

When deciding between sending an e-mail or a physical memo to the members of the Sales Team announcing upcoming procedural changes, Tom chose e-mail because of the efficiency and timeliness with which it could be composed and distributed. Which of Weick's rules for processing equivocality is being applied?

Accepted Answer

A)  duration 
B)  personnel 
C)  success 
D)  effort 
A)  duration 
B)  personnel 
C)  success 
D)  effort

Question 5

Look at how uncertainty is viewed in Organizational Information Theory and how it is viewed in Uncertainty Reduction Theory (Berger and Calabrese). Point to any differences and/or similarities in viewpoints.

Accepted Answer

Organizational Information Theory (OIT)

Question 6

Which approach to knowing characterizes the research undertaken using OIT?

Accepted Answer

A)  socio-cultural 
B)  positivistic/empirical 
C)  critical 
D)  interpretive 
A)  socio-cultural 
B)  positivistic/empirical 
C)  critical 
D)  interpretive

Question 7

Recall a time when you received ambiguous, equivocal, or contradictory information on which you had to make a decision or act. What concepts from Organizational Information Theory could be applied to describe what you did (or what you might have done if you'd been aware of the theory)?

Accepted Answer

I remember a time when I was working on

Question 8

Explain the three stages in the cycle of communication behaviors to reduce equivocality of information. Provide an example of each.

Accepted Answer

The three stages in the cycle of communi

Question 9

All of the following are assumptions of Organizational Information Theory EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  Equivocality of information is useful for assisting an organization in achieving its goals. 
B)  The information an organization receives differs in terms of its equivocality. 
C)  Human organizations exist in an information environment. 
D)  Human organizations engage in information processing to reduce the equivocality of information. 
A)  Equivocality of information is useful for assisting an organization in achieving its goals. 
B)  The information an organization receives differs in terms of its equivocality. 
C)  Human organizations exist in an information environment. 
D)  Human organizations engage in information processing to reduce the equivocality of information.

Question 10

Effort is a rule that is applied when organizations choose to employ a plan of communication that in the past has helped to reduce the equivocality of information.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

The meetings your boss organizes each week in order to help the employees in your department experience less ambiguity about upcoming projects is an example of a

Accepted Answer

A)  response adjustment 
B)  act enactment 
C)  double interact loop 
D)  retention enactment 
A)  response adjustment 
B)  act enactment 
C)  double interact loop 
D)  retention enactment

Question 12

The ________ environment includes the many channels that are used by an organization to send and receive a vast amount of messages.

Accepted Answer

A)  technological 
B)  physical 
C)  information 
D)  message 
A)  technological 
B)  physical 
C)  information 
D)  message

Question 13

Which of the three stages in the process of reducing equivocality requires an organization to make a decision about the rules and cycles that will be used for obtaining or understanding information?

Accepted Answer

A)  selection 
B)  enactment 
C)  retention 
D)  identification 
A)  selection 
B)  enactment 
C)  retention 
D)  identification

Question 14

As noted in your text, Organizational Information Theory has been invoked in research on all of the following topics EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  organization humor 
B)  corporate profitability 
C)  nomadic work 
D)  sense making 
A)  organization humor 
B)  corporate profitability 
C)  nomadic work 
D)  sense making

Question 15

Rather than emphasizing the structure of organizations, Karl Weick highlights the _________ of organizing.

Accepted Answer

A)  location 
B)  dynamics 
C)  process 
D)  duration 
A)  location 
B)  dynamics 
C)  process 
D)  duration

Question 16

The guidelines that an organization has established for analyzing equivocality of a message, as well as for guiding responses to information are called

Accepted Answer

A)  rules 
B)  enactments 
C)  reactions 
D)  responses 
A)  rules 
B)  enactments 
C)  reactions 
D)  responses

Question 17

Organizational Information Theory has been criticized because of its

Accepted Answer

A)  inclusion of influential theories such as General Systems Theory 
B)  emphasis on communication 
C)  emphasis on rules as influencing behaviors 
D)  view of organizing as an interactive process, not a structural one 
A)  inclusion of influential theories such as General Systems Theory 
B)  emphasis on communication 
C)  emphasis on rules as influencing behaviors 
D)  view of organizing as an interactive process, not a structural one

Question 18

The two primary tasks that an organization must perform in order to manage multiple sources of information are

Accepted Answer

A)  interpreting external information and eliminating confusing information 
B)  identifying potential sources of information and soliciting information from those sources 
C)  identifying potential sources of information and coordinating information to make it meaningful 
D)  interpreting external information and coordinating information to make it meaningful 
A)  interpreting external information and eliminating confusing information 
B)  identifying potential sources of information and soliciting information from those sources 
C)  identifying potential sources of information and coordinating information to make it meaningful 
D)  interpreting external information and coordinating information to make it meaningful

Question 19

The stage of reducing equivocality at which the organization makes a note of what worked or did not so that it can make a good decision in the future is

Accepted Answer

A)  conclusion 
B)  ambivalence 
C)  retention 
D)  selection 
A)  conclusion 
B)  ambivalence 
C)  retention 
D)  selection

Question 20

Suppose you had to compare the approaches of Weick and Shannon and Weaver when looking at the downsizing of a company. What sorts of discussions would ensue as a result of their interpretation(s) of organizations?

Accepted Answer

Weick and Shannon and Weaver have differ

Exam 17: Organizational Information Theory

With which communication tradition is OIT most closely associated?

Using the standard criteria for theory evaluation, critique Organizational Information Theory.

Organizing is viewed as a structural process in Organizational Information Theory.

Look at how uncertainty is viewed in Organizational Information Theory and how it is viewed in Uncertainty Reduction Theory (Berger and Calabrese). Point to any differences and/or similarities in viewpoints.

Which approach to knowing characterizes the research undertaken using OIT?

Recall a time when you received ambiguous, equivocal, or contradictory information on which you had to make a decision or act. What concepts from Organizational Information Theory could be applied to describe what you did (or what you might have done if you'd been aware of the theory)?

Explain the three stages in the cycle of communication behaviors to reduce equivocality of information. Provide an example of each.

All of the following are assumptions of Organizational Information Theory EXCEPT

Effort is a rule that is applied when organizations choose to employ a plan of communication that in the past has helped to reduce the equivocality of information.

The meetings your boss organizes each week in order to help the employees in your department experience less ambiguity about upcoming projects is an example of a

The ________ environment includes the many channels that are used by an organization to send and receive a vast amount of messages.

Which of the three stages in the process of reducing equivocality requires an organization to make a decision about the rules and cycles that will be used for obtaining or understanding information?

As noted in your text, Organizational Information Theory has been invoked in research on all of the following topics EXCEPT

Rather than emphasizing the structure of organizations, Karl Weick highlights the _________ of organizing.

The guidelines that an organization has established for analyzing equivocality of a message, as well as for guiding responses to information are called

Organizational Information Theory has been criticized because of its

The two primary tasks that an organization must perform in order to manage multiple sources of information are

The stage of reducing equivocality at which the organization makes a note of what worked or did not so that it can make a good decision in the future is

Suppose you had to compare the approaches of Weick and Shannon and Weaver when looking at the downsizing of a company. What sorts of discussions would ensue as a result of their interpretation(s) of organizations?

Thinking About Communication: Definitions, Models, and Ethics

Thinking About the Field: Traditions and Contexts

Thinking About Theory and Research

Symbolic Interaction Theory

Coordinated Management of Meaning

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Expectancy Violations Theory

Uncertainty Reduction Theory

Social Exchange Theory

Social Penetration Theory

Relational Dialectics Theory

Communication Privacy Management Theory

Social Information Processing

Groupthink

Structuration Theory

Organizational Culture Theory

The Rhetoric

Dramatism

The Narrative Paradigm

Agenda Setting Theory

Spiral of Silence Theory

Uses and Gratifications Theory

Cultivation Theory

Cultural Studies

Media Ecology Theory

Face-Negotiation Theory

Communication Accommodation Theory

Muted Group Theory

Feminist Standpoint Theory

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