Abstract

A field experimental test of the central assumption of Karl Weick's model of organizing is reported. Weick's model posits a direct relationship between the levels of informational equivocality input into human organizations and the frequency and types of communication behaviors performed by organization members in response to the informational inputs. The field experiment investigated the information processing behaviors of an intact, on-going academic organization, the University of Southern California Faculty Senate, over a period of one academic year. The relationship between the equivocality of Faculty Senate motions and the type and frequency of communication behavior performed by Faculty Senate members was assessed. The results of this field experimental test of Weick's model of organizing lend support to Weick's model. As the level of informational equivocality was manipulated in the field experiment from low equivocality Senate motions to high equivocality Senate motions a marked increase in communication behavior cycles performed by Faculty Senate members was measured, and found to be statistically significant in a one-tailed t test.

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