Cognitive Disssonance Theory

The cognitive dissonance theory was developed by Leon Festinger. In this theory one should think of cognition as a 'piece of knowledge'. Cognitive dissonance is an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding conflicting perception simultaneously. Cognitive dissonance proposes that people are motivated to reduce dissonance. They do this by changing their attitudes, beliefs, and actions or in short changing the way they act. Dissonance is also reduced by justifying, blaming, and denying or being in denial. It is the most popular theory in social psychology. Cognitive dissonance can also be referred to as a feeling of uncomfortable anxiety which comes from having two contradictory perspectives of the same thing at once. One can decrease this anxiety though, by changing their behavior towards something, justify their actions toward the cognition that they do not favour, and/or add a new idea to the cognition to make it seem better.
One's dissonance increases with the importance of the subject or something to them, how strongly the dissonant thoughts clash with one another and lastly one's inability to rationalise and clarify away the conflict of ideas.

Examples
Someone may take home office supplies they know it's wrong and can get in trouble if caught, but they ease their feelings of doing anything wrong by justifying that they don't get paid enough, or that there are so many surplus supplies lying around wasting.
Someone you dislike greatly does something very generous towards you...it makes you feel awkward and weird because you dislike that person, maybe you write it off as them doing it on purpose to make you feel bad for hating them!
Someone knows that it is very risky to over speed and might cause an accident or even be fined, but he might over speed just because he's late. People often take risks to fulfill their wants.

Definition of the term "theory"

The term theory is used with surprising frequency in everyday language. It is often used in everyday language to mean a guess, hunch, supposition or speculation.

A theory is referred to as a set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena. Theories are used for answering certain questions in our lives.

A theory is built upon one or more hypotheses, and backed up by evidence. A theory presents a concept or idea that is testable and has passed more than one test. In science, a theory is a fact based framework for describing phenomena. In psychology, theories are used to provide a model for understanding of human thoughts, emotions and behaviors.

In theory there is no difference between theory and practice; in practice there is. In theory the difference between practice and theory is due to practical considerations that theorists find it impractical to fit into their theories.

In practice, theory uses the practice of theorizing about practical matters, while not noticing that the theoretical method practically distorts the theory beyond application to practice.

Levels of Generality

Grand theories are universal or widely accepted. They integrate all communication knowledge into one framework. E.g. The theorem of Pythagoras.

Middle range theory was developed by Robert K. Merton, is an approach to sociological theorizing aimed at integrating theory and empirical research. It is currently the de-facto dominant approach to sociological theory construction, especially in the United States

Narrow theory explains very little and limited aspect of phenomena. E.g. An intrapersonal theory about life.

Source: www.answers.com/topic/theory &
www.psychology.about.com/index/f/theory.html

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Organistional Culture Theory

Organisational culture theory is about the communication behaviours of organisational members. The theory was introduced by Pacanowsky and Nick O'Donnell-Trujillo. The theory looks at the organisation with a culture that it creates through communication, thus, creating its own identity. A clear example can be about the supermarket employees, they normally have a certain uniform that identify them from customers. So, the customers can easily identify workers if they need any assistance.

Organisational culture refers to the way of living in an organisation. This culture includes the emotional and psychological climate within the organisation. There is one culture within the organisation that all organisational members are introduced to, and made aware of. 

Belasen (2008) primary looks at the employee’s morals, attitudes and level of productivity. The employee’s morals and attitudes have an impact on the organisation's level of productivity. If members are not motivated, they tend to have a negative attitude towards customers and in that manner, they are chasing away customers and this results into low productivity from the organisation. For example if you go to border offices, the workers there are very stingy and you might have a tough time getting your passport stamped.

The organisational culture also comprise of the actions made by the employees, their daily routines, the conversations they conversate and the meanings employees attach to the symbols and how they interpret the non verbal cues within their organisation.

As any other communication theory, there are also assumptions made about this theory. The first assumption according to O'Donnell-Trujillo is that organisational members create and maintain a shared sense of organisational reality, meaning that employees shape the organisation's culture through sharing and discovering the organisation's values. The second assumptions looks at the ability of employees and how they use and interpret symbols, and what meanings they attach to them. And the third assumption focuses on the organisation's culture across other organisations, and their similarities. Organisational culture differs from one organisation to the other. Like hotel waiters and waitress wear official clothes to show the quality and elegance of their hotel, while mine workers wear protective clothes to show that they work under harsh conditions and there is need for them to be protected always.

Organisational culture has an influence on the organisation's performance. The founders of this theory believe that organisational members act out certain communication performances and this result in a unique organisational culture. Performance is more about the symbolic understanding and human behaviour in the organisation. There are five cultural performances, which are; ritual (personal, task), passion (organisation's stories), social (politeness and courtnessy), political (exercise of power or control) and enculturation (acquire knowledge and skills).

There are underlying assumptions that remain unexplained about the organisational culture. This can include office behaviour and task orientated behaviour. Information is gathered through observing the behaviours of senior workers, these underlying assumptions are more likely to be taken for granted and are not clearly recognised. According to Schein, they are part and parcel of the organisation.

Reference:       Notes from class

                        www.uky.edu/~drlane/orgcomm/325ch05.ppt

                        www.thetimes100.co.uk/theory/theory--corporate-organisational-culture--322.php