This document provides an overview of critical theory and its application to organizational communication. It discusses the following key points: 1. The roots of critical theory in Frankfurt School philosophy and Marxism, and the view that knowledge and power structures in organizations serve to oppress workers. 2. Critical theorists see organizations as sites of domination by powerful groups over subordinate groups. Power dynamics and whose interests are served are important concerns. 3. Additional concepts discussed include ideology, hegemony, concertive control, and using critical theory to create more ethical and equitable workplaces. 4. Feminist organizational theory, organizational spirituality, and codes of ethics are explored as ways critical theory has been applied within organizations.

1. CRITICAL
THEORY
(CHAPTER 6)
Dr. Lora Helvie-Mason, COMS
404
- Mentally revisit the
classical, humanist,
systems, and cultural
concepts
- Examine and reflect
upon your
understanding of
POWER in
organizations and in
our society

2. ROOTS OF CRITICAL THEORY
Frankfurt School philosophy
Karl Marx
Knowledge in society is NOT objective
Organizational communication scholars
operating from a critical theory attempt to
reveal how social and technological structures
within organizations serve to oppress workers

3. DOMINATION
 Critical theorists view an organization as a site of domination
where the interests of the dominant group (typically owners and
managers—people with power) are elevated above the interests
of subordinate groups (typically the workers—people with less
power).
 It is all about POWER…who has it, who doesn‘t, what they do
with/without it
 Mumby (2000) notes two levels of concern
with power in critical theory
 Individual/group social relations
 Interests and values upon which knowledge
claims are made

4. DIMENSIONAL VIEWS
Power: One Dimensional View
Power: Two Dimensional View
 ―A has power over B to the
extent that A can get B to do
something B would not
otherwise do.‖ (Dahl, 1957)
 Focuses on decision-making
behavior and conflict
 Power MUST consider both
decision making and non-
decision making (Bachrach &
Baratz, 1970)
 Focuses on the fact that power
is present in both covert and
overt communication
Power: Three Dimensional View
 Power may be present in situations where there is no
conflict on the surface and at times OTHER than
when a decision is being made (Lukes, 1974)
 Focuses on political agenda, issues and potential issues, and
observable (overt or covert) and latent conflict

5. IDEOLOGY AND HEGEMONY
 Ideology is the value and beliefs held by the dominant group.
 Ideology represents values, ideals, and understandings about a part of social
reality.
 Ideology can function in the following ways: to represent sectional interests as
universal, to deny or transmute contradictions, to naturalize the present
through reification, to use ideology as a means of control.
 Hegemony is the enactment of these values and beliefs by the
subordinate group
 The key to the concept of hegemony is the idea that the subordinated
group actively supports the interests of the dominant group, often
unknowingly, a situation resulting in oppressive circumstances.
 The subordinated group is actively participating in the maintenance of
the dominant group‘s ideology; hence, its means of control.
Think
about it!
How is
this
critical
view
actually
‗critical‘–
consider
the term.

6. CONCERTIVE CONTROL
 Technically, this is the idea of adhering to socially constructed
norms and values that are developed by the organizational
members themselves as they strive to construct their environment
 What does that REALLY mean?

7. COMMUNICATION IN CRITICAL THEORY
 Jurgen Habermas
 Ideal Speech Situation – participant and interaction are balanced.
 Validity claims
 Utterances are truthful
 Legitimate relationship has been established between the participants
 The utterances are sincere
 The utterances are comprehensible
Think about it!
When, if ever, did you feel these validity claims
were in place in an organization you were in?

8. COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
Read pages 119-120 of your text. What do you think about the
monitoring of technology use described? Have you experienced
anything similar?

9. USING CRITICAL THEORY
 Create a more ―human(e)‖ workplace
 Feminist organizational communication theorizing
 Organizational spirituality
 Organizational codes of ethics

10. HUMAN(E) WORKPLACE
 Critical organizational theorists are dedicated to uncovering
oppressive structural, technological, and communicative practices
in organizations that most people accept as a natural part of work
life.
 The reality is that the oppression and oppressive circumstances
exist often as a by-product of the manner in which organizations
have classically been run.
 Cheney‘s ―democracy‖ in the workplace
Think about it:
Workers tend to think that oppression is just
a part of working – it just is a part of how
work functions.
Have you ever felt this way?

11. FEMINIST ORGANIZATIONAL
THEORY
 Feminist organizational theory is a form of critical theory that is
dedicated to examining the oppressive circumstances
experienced by women in the workplace.
 Liberal feminists – people are differentiated on basis of sex and exist in a
male-dominated structure where women are oppressed
 Overcome by working with existing structure to gain equal opportunity for women
 Materialist feminists – advance the idea that gender differences are socially
constructed
 Overcome by uprooting existing male-dominated power structure and equally
distribute resources
 Radical feminists – men and women should be separated as a way to resolve
the imbalance between the sexes
 Women hold superior biological and cultural qualities – they should separate
themselves because they can operate at a higher level without male counterparts in
the system
These are COMPLEX ideas that are rather
simplified here – explore more examples
and details in your text

12. EQUITABLE POWER SHARING
 Mattson and Buzzanell (1999) posit that feminist ethical approaches differ
from others by focusing on "equitable power sharing and decision making"
and insisting that "doing ethics" involves being an active participant in the
struggle to maintain an ethical community (p. 62).
1. This perspective seeks to define the situation through examination of
organizational members language choices, behaviors, and various aspects
of the context to determine the (un)ethical nature of the situation.
2. Second, values and ideals serve to identify communicative action that
violates the values of voice, community, and fairness.
3. Third, the value of fairness implies the equitable balance of power and
resources.
4. Fourth, the ethical principle recognizes the importance of emotion in
communicative behavior.
5. The final phase, development of a solution points to the need to constantly
reevaluate options and solutions until an acceptable one is reached.

13. ORGANIZATIONAL SPIRITUALITY
 In an effort to more fully embrace or endure their organizational
lives, many members have begun to approach their work with a
sense of spirituality.
 Milliman et al. (2003) suggest three dimensions that make up
organizational spirituality.
1. ―meaningful work‖ (individual level)
2. Interconnection, community (group level)
3. The organization's mission, values, and goals. (organizational level)

14. ORGANIZATIONAL ETHICS
 Encourage members to have a voice in the development of a
code of ethics
 Usually a response to unethical behavior
 May be coercive
 Tries to standardize behavior
Think about it:
Please consider your MAJOR. Does your major area have a
code of ethics? What do you know about it? Why does/doesn‘t
your area have a code of ethics? Where do you find a code of
ethics?

15. CRITICAL THEORY
Apply these concepts to the organization you are studying
this semester.
How do you feel about critical theory?
What are some limitations of the critical perspective?