Week 6: Critical Approaches

Critical theory helps us ask question about how we can change and reform organizational practices to better represent a variety of workers with competing interest. 

Miller (2012) points out the concertive control and feminist theory, which signify the power imbalances relies on the issue of gender setting, and this type of imbalances is believe as a barriers in workplace dominant processes. 

Feminist theory focuses on the marginalization and domination of women in the workplace and the valuing of women's voices in all organization (Shockley-Zalabak, 2009). In organizational communication, it is believe that gender is socially constructed and enacted in organizations with messages, structures and practices becoming the context for gender negotiation. 

In short, critical approach in feminist theory explores the consequences of these socialized differences between men and women. This theory attempts to push our society beyond stereotyping that devalue women, and eliminate the bias ideology of power and gender in organizations.

References:

Miller, K 2012, Organization Communication, 6^th edn, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, Boston.

Shockley-Zalabak, PS 2009, Fundamentals of Organizational Communication, 7th edn, Pearson Education, Boston.