Theory of Mary Munter's Corporate Communication Framework..

Hello,

Today I have come up with this update which reads the communication theory put forth regarding corporate communications frameworks by Mary Munter, a professor of Management Communication at Dartmouth University, this theory has been accepted by many business and academic communities. It is worth giving a second look as it appears to get to the heart of the matter regarding the failure of corporate communication.

What does the theory has to say..

One-way Communication

Many people think of communication as a one-way flow of information from one person to another. The communication may be received and flow back from the recipient to the original sender in the form of a response, but the communication is still just one direction, either forward or backwards. Some corporations adopt this model of communication where the information often flows from the top of the organization to those at the bottom. Many times, the information does not flow back the other direction.

Mary Munter

Munter has noted that a more cyclical view of communication strategy can be more effective in increasing communication within the organization as a whole. This cyclical framework, as noted by Joel Kurtzman, Glenn Rifkin and Victoria Griffith, very much resembles the Aristotelian notion of rhetorical communication. In their analysis, Munter's corporate communication framework begins with the organization as a whole, rather than with a specific speaker. From there, the organization uses messages to communicate to its constituencies who then respond to the organization's messages. It is a cyclical pattern of communication that requires the organization to again respond to the responses by its constituents.

Limits

The strength of the Munter's organizational framework is that it provides a model for communication. However, it is limited in the fact that it stops there. It cannot provide an organization with all of the knowledge it needs to carry out this communication strategy. 

Putting It Together

The essence of Munter's framework for corporate communication is the recognition that communication is a dialogue, rather than strictly a flow of information. This dialogue has to be ongoing and cannot simply be one that results from the typical message-response form of communication. Julie Lang, president of Kaikias Consulting, notes that this type of communication often involves activities such as teaching, learning and doing, rather than just talking or teaching for the sake of conveying information. The message has to be structured in such a way that it benefits the audience and vice versa.