Another example of the dual-capacity model used in the real world has to do with a company’s internal communications. Employees choose communication channels depending on not only the richness of media, but also the organizational culture. If we take meeting time reminders as an example, some companies would send out group emails to remind colleagues; some would conduct oral communications to remind colleagues; and some would not only send out email reminders, but also mention that during conversations. The choice of communication channels represents the closeness of employees and formalization of interactions. Even though the message can be delivered by any of the three ways, using different types of communication channels still makes a difference. Therefore, companies choose the channel of communication based on both the functions of media and the symbolic meaning representing the organizational culture.
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The following video provides some real-world examples to explain how organizational culture affects communications.