Sadie Lopez of Florida International University explores the representation of society in everyday life through different media channels such as books, movies, music, television, radio, and news. The study of pop culture offers insight into organizational communication in the workplace and organizing processes. Specifically, this paper will discuss how the organizational Contingency Theory and Symbolic Convergence Theory tie into the hit TV show, The Office.

The Contingency Theory, developed by Fred Fiedler, highlights that there is no single best style of leadership, but the most effective one aligns with the situation at hand. Leadership styles are formed through one’s own life experiences, making them impossible to change. Therefore, leaders should be chosen specifically for their job to match their skill set and guarantee that their leadership style is appropriate for common situations. Fiedler’s contingency model also emphasizes factors that can help determine leadership style based on reactions to situations.

The main character of The Office, Michael Scott, is seen to be extremely disorganized, time-wasting, and unproductive, yet outperforms all the other branches. This proves Fiedler’s Contingency Theory with the idea that there is no “right” way to organize or manage a company.

The Symbolic Convergence Theory, developed by Ernest Bormann, focuses on the socio-emotional and relational aspects of group interaction through communication such as stories and jokes, creating a feeling of group identity. This theory associates itself with concepts such as collective consciousness, symbolic cues, fantasy types, and sagas.

In The Office, the team discovered a group identity within themselves due to their jokes and pranks, treating each other more like family than co-workers. This type of office environment creates a shared bond of emotions, motives, and meanings, allowing them to work better together.

In conclusion, analysis of popular culture can provide insight into the organizational communication and organizing processes within the workplace. The television series, The Office, portrays examples of the Contingency Theory and Symbolic Convergence Theory through Michael Scott’s leadership style and the group identity formed within the office.

Popular culture has revolutionized the way we understand organizational communication. By utilizing media channels that draw from pop culture, we can compare established theories to enhance comprehension of their functionality. The present discourse examines how two well-known organizational communication theories - Contingency Theory and Symbolic Convergence Theory - are demonstrated in the hit TV show, The Office. The show portrays a lively and humorous office environment that is a common reality in present-day society, depending on the management. However, as Contingency Theory postulates, there is no one-size-fits-all leadership style, and each company or branch has a distinct approach to management. Nevertheless, incorporating Symbolic Convergence Theory is essential to establish a more homely feel in the work environment. This inspires employees to feel motivated and involved in their roles while enjoying their work.

References:

Mitra, Rahul, and Jeremy Fyke. "Popular Culture and Organizations." The International Encyclopedia of Organizational Communication, 1–12, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118955567.wbieoc164.

Team Asana. "Fiedler's Contingency Theory: Why Leadership Isn't Uniform." Asana, Asana, 19 Nov. 2021, https://asana.com/resources/fiedlers-contingency-theory.

Miller, Katherine. Organizational Communication: Approaches and Processes. (Chapter 8).

Kobiruzzaman, M. M. "Symbolic Convergence Theory Definition, Example, and Strengths & Weaknesses." Newsmoor, 2019, https://newsmoor.com/symbolic-convergence-theory-history-description-structure-example/.