chapter 4: the systems perspective on organization and communication

i was intrigued by the general concept of Karl Weick's sense-making model. this concept, according to Eisenberg, has greatly influenced the fields of organizational behavior and communication. he connects his sense-making model to the systems theory of organization, which essentially compares the organization to a living organism. Weick's most interesting theory, was that a person's perception is highly selective in that it's dependent on their interests, motives, background, and behavior. this is somewhat amusing to me, that we, as humans, need someone to propose a theory that we make decisions based on our own motives. are we that naive, that we don't realize why we make the decisions we do? whatever the case, ultimately, being mindful and aware of this concept will at least make you a better communicator. it teaches you to value not only your own motives, but deciding what the motives are of the person on the other side of a conversation.