#comm406

[angeladrpalencia]

Blog Post #4

Some of the challenges I faced in creating the podcast episode was finding our focus. There were many topics that we could have covered under branding and identity but we wanted to find the ones that interested us, would create enough content for a podcast, as well as would be engaging to listeners. Another challenge we faced was deciding what research we wanted to include. The chapter in the book as well as articles we used had so much great content that we found it limiting to try to find the best parts because there was so much we wanted to say. We also struggled with deciding if we wanted our script to be general so we could speak off handedly and have a natural conversation or if we wanted more structure and guidance while we spoke. We decided to limit our topics to those that were both overly represented in our research as well as interesting to us, so we focused on the history of branding/gendered branding, twitter journalists identity, and storytelling. We think of all of these three really captured the tone of identity and branding that we wanted to discuss. We also decided to created a more structured script to be able to provide as much detail as possible while recording the actual podcast. Something we’re in the middle of trying to figure out is how to make the podcast conversation sound as natural as possible, because after recording it once, we realized it sounds a little too artificial. Hopefully, after a few recordings, we find our flow. Another issue is making the podcast short enough within the requested time frame, because we find that we have so much to talk about we go over. With editing and practicing, I believe we’ll find the sweet spot in terms of time.

We split the topics we were working on based on what we found most interesting personally. We started with three group members but were reduced to two, so Haley kept history of branding and I kept Twitter journalists while we split storytelling. This way, we both get a chance to have a prominent part in the podcast while still working together. All of our work has been collaborative through hours long meetings where we sat down and brainstormed and completed it on google docs. We found that checking in with each other and holding each other accountable for different parts that needed to be completed by personal deadlines worked really well for us. We are also really flexible with each others schedules and work together on things when we feel really prepared.

I think I would research more into how to sound natural on podcasts or listen to more podcasts to get a better feel for what they’re supposed to sound like. I find myself to be a pretty good public speaker but I kind of struggled with this podcast. I think I would also find cooler statistics on branding and identity to provide in the podcast because that’s the kind of thing I like to hear when I do listen to podcasts. Overall, there isn’t much I would change from the way Haley and created this podcast because we worked really well with each other through researching, creating the script, and recording the podcast. We had genuine interest and enthusiasm for this project that made it enjoyable to complete. I would also like for our time limit for the project to be longer because I think some of us want to be able to talk more.

[angeladrpalencia]

Blog Post #3

An organization that interests me a lot is Starbucks Coffee Company. I am a huge fan of their drinks and foods. What I know about Starbucks is that they were founded in Seattle, Washington, where the first Starbucks location was created. I also know that they have many locations worldwide, that they offer formal education for their baristas, and that they have had a few racial scandals in the past few years. Something that I like about Starbucks is that they’re very open about where they obtain their coffee from and are well linked to younger generations through Spotify and their rewards programs.

Through some research, I found that Starbucks was founded in 1971. There are currently more than 22,000 Starbucks stores. One of the first Starbucks CEO’s was the one to integrate the Italian style of coffeehouses into the place we know today, where people can meet to talk and create a community. Their mission is to “inspire and nurture the human spirit - one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.” Through their website, it seems that they also aim to deliver high quality coffee while considering social, environmental, and cultural sustainability. They also aim to be fair with their employees (whom they call “partners,”) by offering them comprehensive health coverage as well as stock in the company.

Starbucks brands themselves as an accessible yet upscale coffeehouse. They aim to go against the norms and choose to not have a rigid or compartmentalized view of their customers. They want everyone to feel like and be a possible Starbucks customer. The popularity level of the Starbucks name and Siren logo allows the company to raise prices with no issue. Starbucks also has a very standard set up, as even if you go to a location in California versus one in New York, the menu and layout of the store are likely to look very similar. Overall, Starbucks wants their customers to know that the brand is progressive and inclusive with a focus on them. They are really good at employing emotional branding, which is a technique that connects the consumer to the products in an emotionally profound way. By trying to make Starbucks the place to create relationships and memories, it works on that human need for socialization and connection. In some ways, some customers develop a brand relationship, like I have. I love Starbucks and their products, but also the ways they interact with their customers on Twitter and how they react to crisis. I am associated with Starbucks and it has become an inherent part of my personality and rituals; if i’m sad, happy, or tired, there’s a different drink for all those states to help ground me. Starbucks also heavily employs murketing, where it tries to become an integral part of how people express their identities. I can see this in movies, where the stressed out unpaid intern has to pick up four different types of coffee for the office at Starbucks, or the tired college student trying to stay awake to write a paper. No matter who you are, Starbucks is always there to help you be yourself. They rarely even advertise what they sell but more about how it can change how you feel.

Another interesting aspect about Starbucks is how they brand their partners. They would be considered sovereign workers, who are responsible for making themselves better people as a way to work better. This can be seen in the ways that employees are required to dress, which is in normal clothing but that fits a certain aesthetic, like button ups and flannels. This allows for individuality but also gives Starbucks an upscale hipster vibe. Partners are also encouraged to attend formal schooling and trainings to become higher level baristas. Starbucks wants their employees to appear competent and professional, like a barista at a signature cafe, despite the mass size of the company and amount of stores.

Starbucks’ style of leadership was mostly defined by former CEO Howard Schultz, who focused on transformational leadership. Going back on sovereign workers, this type promotes the betterment of self and of the brand, which we can see mainly in Starbucks’ effort to be an ethical company. Schultz focused on motivation and inspiration to be the fuel for creating a great company with great employees. With the many opportunities for self-improvement that Starbucks offers, as well as the ways that the company focuses on helping socialist issues, it’s easy to see how transformational leadership has aided the company into becoming the progressive and cool brand it is today. I can see it even from friends I know that work at Starbucks that working there can feel purposeful because of the ways they are encouraged to empower themselves.

Overall, Starbucks has done a great job at branding themselves. Despite the occasional racial scandal, which merits its own conversation on how Starbucks deals with those, they have managed to maintain a high quality of service and delivery that many companies fail at. It is interesting to note how the style of leadership promoted in the company directly affects their brand as well, because due to the transformational aspect, the brand is always pushing itself to become better and be seen as better in the public's eyes. Peoples opinions will always change but the amazing ability for Starbucks to be able to sell overpriced coffee never will.

[angeladrpalencia]

Blog #2

An example from pop culture that demonstrates elements of organizational culture is the way that the characters in the show Gossip Girl distinguish themselves from everyone who is not an “Upper Eastsider.” The high class culture of a select group in Gossip Girl uses rites and rituals, relevant constructs, and vocabulary to demonstrate how to fit in with other Manhattanites. Additionally, Upper Eastsiders show a really good example of having a pragmatist approach to culture that is being infringed by a purist approach.

First, the rites and rituals in Gossip Girl are very distinct and traditional. Rites and rituals are events that occur “...partly from a need for organization members to experience order and predictability in their lives” (Mumby, 2013). For example, in different seasons, you see repeat events occuring because of their importance, like the annual debutante ball, New York Fashion Week, summer break, and Thanksgiving. The narrator is the main one leading the show, introducing what will happen in that episode and how important it is to the characters. However, something always goes wrong, which deeply unsettled those who are most compatible with the status quo, like the character Blair Waldorf, a snobby, overachieving socialite who is the daughter of a famous fashion designer. The debutante ball, for example, is a rite of integration into the upper crust of society, which features lavish ballgowns and the daughters and sons of “New York’s best.” New York Fashion Week is a rite of enhancement, as only the most famous and esteemed are invited to sit front row at a designer’s fashion show or attend the after parties. Summer break and Thanksgiving serve as additional rites of enhancement because only the richest high schoolers can go to Monaco for the summer or celebrate Thanksgiving in Paris.

The relevant constructs that are present in the show Gossip Girl include the presence of a “Gossip Girl blast,” being the “it-girl” or “queen bee,” and even brunch. Relevant constructs are “....”(Mumby, 2013). A “Gossip Girl blast” is when the anonymous blogger who goes by Gossip Girl publishes a juicy story about one of the Manhattanites and sends it to literally every student. To be published under her website isn’t exactly an honor, but is a common thing for the main characters of the show because of the drama that surrounds their lives and the audience that yearns to hear everything. Another relevant construct is the idea of being the “it-girl” or “queen bee,” which shifts between the two female leads Blair Waldorf and Serena Van Der Woodsen. Essentially, the girl with this title holds the most respect and authority over the other, less popular socialites. In fact, the queen bee in high school even controlled where everyone sat, what was popular to wear, and what was trendy to eat. In an early episode, the narrator describes brunch as an experience that “comes with champagne, a dress code, and a hundred of our closest friends. And enemies.” These type of experiences controls everyone whos everyone’s behavior and social status. Most know that brunch means a spread of at least a four course meal as well as copious amount of mimosas, because the children of the wealthy are never carded.

The vocabulary and metaphors that the socialites of Gossip Girl use is very exclusive and unique to their culture. Vocabulary, in terms of organizational culture, are words that become “... [a] ‘badge’ signifying membership of the culture, and anyone who doesn’t know the jargon can be immediately identified as an outsider” (Mumby, 2013). We see this primarily in situations where characters of the show are speaking about high fashion designers, restaurants, artists, or even use foreign words to exemplify their high class culture. I, myself, had to Google words several times when characters referred to something so obscure to me that is largely familiar to them. Vocabulary can be used to look down on members of outside groups as well, which we see whenever Blair Waldorf looks down from her nose when she says someone is from Brooklyn or when she speaks about those who go to New York University. The main characters of Gossip Girl also use quite dramatic language in their everyday lives to emphasize the grandiose nature of living as a rich person in New York. For example, the character Blair will often cry about how a certain day is “the worst day of her life” or how Serena, her best friend, is a complete “train wreck” when she kisses someone and is caught on camera. Interestingly enough, a study on Korean viewers of Gossip Girl found that they were using the show to both learn English and create an online community. Through this community, those who were better at understanding the vocabulary and metaphors of the characters, despite the language barrier, were found to have “gained increased recognition and admiration” because information about the series “[served] as a form of… capital among fans” (Lee, 2016; Baym, 2000). Therefore, even the fans were serving into the organizational culture of superiority of Gossip Girl just through the access to the vocabulary that they were using.

A defining feature of Upper Eastsider culture is the resistance to change from those that are outside of the main group. Blair, Serena, and all the other characters with families who make billions are typically against lower class people coming in and changing the rules that have existed among them for what seems to them like forever. It appears that they have a pragmatist approach to their culture because they like to control how people think and behave depending on their moods. There is supposed to be one single culture to attune yourself to or you’re out. Even things that would not make sense to normal people, like bullying the girl you call your best friend because she left to boarding school for a summer and didn’t tell you, makes sense to those in the circle that see it as a fair punishment for not abiding by the rules. When characters like Daniel and Jenny Humphrey attempt to come in and change the status quo with a more purist approach, they are faced with shock, dismay, and immediate disposition. In fact, Jenny was severely demoted after gaining queen bee status and trying to “change things up” to the point where she had to move away. Her brother, on the other hand, adapted to the culture despite his claim in the earlier seasons that he “didn’t get it.”

Overall, Gossip Girl is a great example for creating examples of organizational culture with concepts like rites and rituals, relevant constructs, vocabulary and metaphors, and even showing the struggle of pragmatist versus purist culture. Despite the fanfare and dramatics of many of the show’s characters, it’s easy to see how in any case there can be organizations that will never lose control over how things are done and where things are done, and this is especially true on the Upper East Side.

Sources

Baym, N. K. (2000). Tune in, log on: soaps, fandom, and online community. London, UK: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Lee, H. (2016). Developing identities: Gossip Girl, fan activities, and online fan community in Korea. Participations - Journal of Audience and Reception Studies, 13(2), 109-133.

Mumby, D. K. (2013). Organizational communication: a critical approach. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc.

[angeladrpalencia]

Blog #1

The only communication class I have taken here at San Diego State is COMM 103, which is the intro to communication class that every freshman is required to take. Due to my extensive AP English background, I wasn’t required to go further than that. I feel like I’ve built my writing and communication skills pretty well on my own without having taken any classes, but i’ve always been interested in coming back to a writing or communication class because I enjoy the subject.

I am pretty oddly placed into my class because I’m the only non-communication major there. I am a third year Hospitality and Tourism Management student studying Meetings and Events Management with a minor in Entrepreneurship. I’m taking this class as an elective to fulfill the minor, but with enthusiasm because I can’t wait to see what I learn! My dream is to own my own event planning company, and with that comes running an organization and I want to make sure that I am knowledgeable on the different ways that an organization can communicate and how to improve interpersonal communication as well. I am also heavily involved in several organizations on campus so I find it important for me to understand how we shape those organizations to be beneficial for the individual and not just the collective. I feel as if I have a unique perspective on leadership and organization so I am interested in seeing how I do in this course and what new things I will learn about

What interests me about organizational communication is how thoroughly the subject goes and how not many people stop and think about why we communicate the ways we do. I feel that if more people were aware about this subject, the way we run society or organizations would be a lot better and more considerate of personal issues. Additionally, I enjoy how the history of organizational communication stems back to a history of studying the structures in our society because I already have a vested interest in some of these theories from personal research. I feel like organizational communication also bleeds into so many subjects and theories that it could be applied to virtually anything. I’m interested in seeing what different kinds of organizational communication exist and how they can be applied to my life in general. I think it is important to be aware of not only what you’re saying but how you’re saying it and what impact that can have. Having this over awareness is useful when there are hierarchies involved and something could be misconstrued because of where you are placed. I feel like organizational communication is not only looking at how you communicate but also why that type of communication exists and how that organization was formed in the first place to encourage or discourage certain kinds of communication.

The metatheoretical perspective that I prefer the most is feminism. As a self-proclaimed feminist since I was 12, I’ve had several years to look critically into the ways that we have built our society and relationships around the lack of input from women. More often than not, a lot of the reasons of why some things are the way they are can root back to misogynistic ideals. Feminist theory comes to me more easily than the others do and it makes more sense to me too. I approach many ideas and viewpoints with a feminist eye because I enjoy finding the foundations of societal structures. Feminist theory is relatively new and because management has only looked at organizational life as one gendered, there are many layers of complexity that are lost that could be useful in understanding an organization’s formation or movements. That is not to say that feminism is one overarching idea; there are liberal feminists, radical feminists, and critical feminists, all who have different ideas of what approaching an organization is like. I like feminist theory because it is important to consider gender, power, and organization when you create practices for a diverse group of people. I also like that feminism attempts to dismantle systems of oppression and create new ones that can uplift everyone, not just women. The concept of empowerment is unique to the feminist approach which is another reason why I prefer it. I feel like it gives a perspective as well as a future approach of how to handle these systems. I agree that society has centered itself very strongly around the “binary” of gender that not only women suffer under that idea. Men are keen to believe that feminism wants to get rid of men because of the approach of a radical feminist, but they aren’t seeing the other kinds of feminism that want to bring together men and women and have them fight against cultural and societal ideals that oppress us equally. The power of gender is stronger than we think, especially when it comes to how they create organizations. Some physical organizations and roles are even created solely based on the concept of gender to either empower or oppress. As a woman, I’ve always been hypercritical of the way I’m treated or the situations that I am put into. I also make sure that I am not propagating anti-feminist ideas because it can be easy to do so when I’ve been programmed to believe certain things about what my role as a woman isn’t and is supposed to be like. I feel like it would also be interesting to look into how the concept of feminism was formed and how it can be looked at using a different metatheory.

Overall, I look forward to taking a communication class that is going to help my future as a leader, because I want to be observant of how organizational culture is created and aware of the culture that I cultivate that is going to best help others thrive and grow. I feel as having myself grown through oppressive systems, it is my duty to create an organization that has a purpose to uplift everyone and bring awareness to issues that aren’t considered that often.