Organizational Structure, Culture, and Climate

Excellence in Internal Communication Management is a 10-chapter book published by Business Expert Press in 2017 and written by Rita Linjuan Men, Associate Professor of Public Relations at the University of Florida, and Shannon A. Bowen, Professor of Public Relations at the University of Southern California. The authors combine theories, research insights, practices, as well as current issues and cases into a comprehensive guide for internal communication managers and organizational leaders on how to communicate effectively with internal stakeholders, build ethical organizational cultures, and engage employees in a rapidly-changing business environment. In Chapter 6, the authors discuss different organizational structures and the communication styles different structures demand. They outline both vertical centralized organizational structures and horizontal decentralized structures and write that hierarchies and reporting chains in these structures impact the formalization of communication. The authors also highlight two approaches to organizational culture: authoritarian and participative. They outline the Theory X style of management, which relies on authoritarian commands and a reward/punishment incentive structure, and the Theory Y style, which is based on team-building as a way to motivate employees to contribute to the success of the organization. They discuss findings that Theory Y is superior to Theory X and conclude that Theory Y management will drive productive internal relations.

• Communication strategy
• Business ethics
• Stakeholder relations
• Business communication
• Employee engagement
• Organizational behavior
• Internal communication