Implications of the Concept of Cognitive Maps for Organizational Theory

deepan — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:11:46 +0000

The most important consequence of the introduction of this concept into organizational theory is the change of view concerning communication in organizations. Whereas up to this point it was accepted that organizations exist and develop by communication, it is now to be seen. that organizations exist in communication (Taylor & Lerner, 1996: 260). It is quite acceptable to believe that managers discuss organizational topics and, in these discussions, find the rules and structures of organizations that make sense and utilize them. They interpret and modify those rules and structures, and produce organizational changes of the unplanned type in the continuous process (Staehle, 1994: 849). The new view of organizational communication enhances this position and proceeds towards a concept in which the communication of managers is the organization. In this view communication includes the unsaid, but obvious, which is the most important aspect. Those items and relations which are so obvious that nobody mentions them but everybody is taking them for granted as necessary. Underlying assumptions of own decisions and actions are the core assumptions and values of an organization. These basic values and assumptions have been addressed
as the basis of organizational culture (Schein. 1997: 16). The shared values and views of a group (of managers) need not be expressed explicitly, because they are known, believed and used by everybody.
They are only discussed if and when there are differences about the implications of a value or a rule in a specific situation. The values and norms mostly are numerous and make a complex system. The explanations
of the rules and values caused by such a doubt about implications and consequences of certain rules and values modify and re-interpret the rules and values, sometimes even the basic assumptions. There is
normally no doubt in the validity of the values and rules, but a possible difference about the point, which rule or value is concerned in a certain situation and how conflicting prescriptions of different rules are solved.
In a firm whieh is part of the tourism industry the managers will have an organizational cognitive map of the industry and their field of action, but with the increasing amount of new and partially contradictive information
there will be much discussion about the interpretation of these information and the ways of action.

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Implications of the Concept of Cognitive Maps for Organizational Theory