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"Organizing Relationships makes a contribution to the discipline in its treatment of this area from multiple perspectives, in its deliberate engagement/suggestions of future research directions, and its functional purpose of bringing together extant research on this important topic in a coherent and organized way. It adds cumulatively to our knowledge of organizational communication and relationships, it fits within the horizon of the established parameters of our field while opening new areas for engagement, and, moreover, it is a very interesting read. It will, no doubt, become a touchstone for the field of organizational communication."                                 
—Janie Hardin Fritz, Duquesne University

"This book represents an important step to a relational approach to organizational behavior (communication) by pulling together many different areas/types of relationships. It will be a 'must' book to anyone who teaches relationships in organization or broadly relational/applied organizational communication." —Jaesub Lee, University of Houston

The first book in the field to provide a comprehensive, interdisciplinary treatment of workplace relationships, Organizing Relationships: Traditional and Emerging Perspectives on Workplace Relationships explores both negative and positive workplace relationships, including supervisor–subordinate relationships, peer relationships, workplace friendships, romantic workplace relationships, and customer–client relationships. Author Patricia M. Silas, a recognized scholar in the field, examines workplace relationships from multiple theoretical perspectives, including postpositivism, social construction theory, critical theory, and structuration theory. She helps readers understand the unique influences of the workplace on relationship processes and dynamics.

Key Features

  • Examines the role of workplace relationships as information-sharing, resource-distributing, decision-making, and support systems and highlights their importance to both organizational and individual well-being
  • Includes cases in each chapter that demonstrate the usefulness of approaching real-world workplace problems and issues from multiple perspectives
  • Helps readers broaden and enrich the ways they think about workplace relationships and their roles in organizational processes
  • Provides an innovative agenda for future research


Organizing Relationships is appropriate for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in Workplace Relationships, Relational Communication, Applied Interpersonal Communication, Organizational Communication, Communication Management, Operations/Human Resource Management, Organizational Psychology, and Organizational Sociology.


 
1. Organizing Relationships
Post-positive Approaches to Workplace Relationships

 
Social Construction Approaches to Workplace Relationships

 
Critical Approaches to Workplace Relationships

 
Structuration Theory and Workplace Relationships

 
 
2. Supervisor - Subordinate Relationships
Overview

 
Functions of Supervisor-Subordinate Relationships

 
Supervisor-Subordinate Relationship Development

 
Outcomes and Consequences of Supervisor-Subordinate Relationships

 
Theoretical Perspectives on Supervisor-Subordinate Relationships

 
Practicing Theory: Equal but Not Equitable

 
 
3. Peer Coworker Relationships
Overview

 
Functions of Peer Relationships

 
Peer Relationship Development

 
Outcomes and Consequences of Peer Relationships

 
Theoretical Perspectives on Peer Relationships

 
Practicing theory: Strata Tech

 
 
4. Workplace Friendship
Overview

 
Functions of Workplace Friendship

 
Workplace Friendship Development

 
Outcomes and Consequences of Workplace Friendship

 
Theoretical Perspectives on Workplace Friendship

 
Practicing Theory: Too Much of a Good Thing?

 
 
5. Romantic Workplace Relationships
Overview

 
The “Gray Area” Between Romance and Sexual Harassment

 
Workplace Romantic Relationship Development

 
Outcomes and Consequences of Workplace Romantic Relationships

 
Workplace Romance Policy

 
Theoretical Perspectives on Workplace Romantic Relationships

 
Practicing Theory: Regretting Romance

 
 
6. Customer and Client Relationships
Overview

 
Relationship Marketing

 
Customer Relationship Development

 
Outcomes and Consequences of Customer Relationships

 
Theoretical Perspectives on Customer and Client Relationships

 
Practicing theory: Losing Trust in the National Trust Bank

 
 
7. Workplace Relationships and Society
Overview

 
Technology, Globalization and Workplace Relationships

 
Workplace Relationships and the Life-World

 
Theoretical Perspectives on Workplace Relationships and Society

 
Practicing Theory: Spirited Away

 

"Organizing Relationships makes a contribution to the discipline in its treatment of this area from multiple perspectives, in its deliberate engagement/suggestions of future research directions, and its functional purpose of bringing together extant research on this important topic in a coherent and organized way. It adds cumulatively to our knowledge of organizational communication and relationships, it fits within the horizon of the established parameters of our field while opening new areas for engagement, and, moreover, it is a very interesting read. It will, no doubt, become a touchstone for the field of organizational communication."

Janie Hardin Fritz
Duquesne University

"This book represents an important step to a relational approach to organizational behavior (communication) by pulling together many different areas/types of relationships. It will be a ‘must’ book to anyone who teaches relationships in organization or broadly relational/applied organizational communication."

Jaesub Lee
University of Houston

Not the kind of textbook I was looking for

Dr Joseph Vella
Communications , University of Malta
October 20, 2016

I considered the theoretical level of this book too high for a non-university course. However, the book has very interesting points of view, which is most inspiring for the lecturer. I highly recommend for reading.

Miss Maria El Said
Adult education, South Savo Vocational College
July 12, 2010

A very easy to read and practical text which will be ideal for our undergraduate and postgraduate students

Guy Brown
Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University
May 5, 2010