The Culture of Motown Productions
Motown Productions (MP) in 1986 experienced a period of significant growth that leveraged it to achieve on its major projects. It had increased its revenue from a paltry $12 million to a staggering $60 million. One personality accredited for the increased efficiency in operations was Suzanne de Passe. When de Passe assumed office as the president of MP in 1980, Motown’s movie business was at its lowest point. Over a period of 5 years, de Passe put established a culture that would see the company resurrect to become a leader in the movie industry. One of the strategies was to recruit several executives who worked together in a family-like fashion to complete projects in the entertainment markets. Most importantly, she leveraged on projects that would diversify the company from a solely focusing on black entertainment or music. In 1986, de Passe drove the company to a multi-production company that would focus on a wide array of products simultaneously. As a result of the executives working for MP would effectively scatter across different areas of productions in a variety of locations. She also maintained a firm balance between quality and the camaraderie between her staff members (Suzanne de Passe at Motown Productions).
The culture brought about by de Passe can be viewed through the lenses of the organizational communication theory. Some of the themes that come with this theory include the fact that the development of any organization hinges on the strategic development of choices. The choices thereby create situations which the employees will eventually encounter. The employees will then have to make strategic decisions to handle the situations as they occur. In essence, the theory asserts that the organizations have an essential role in not only controlling but also coordinating the activities of its members. However, there is a group of researchers who have intimated that this could be counterproductive to the employees because it denies them an opportunity to exercise their autonomy, sociability, and creativity. Part of the culture that de Passe employed depended mainly on her style of management. In getting the best out of the employees as explained in the organizational communication theory, de Passe described her style as "participatory, friendly, and inspirational."
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Management Style
As earlier mentioned, the management style of de Passe was described as participatory, friendly, and inspirational. According to the human relations theories of organizational communication, the human resource department has several essential roles with regards to the employees. A HR leader must focus on the individual needs of the employees while also emphasizing on personal relationships. They must remain open, supportive, and cognizant of the employee relationships (Eisenberg, Goodall, & Trethewey, 2014). Other characteristics that leaders in human resource management could show include flexibility in communication and the creation of extensive networks. The managerial style employed by de Passe was in line with the provisions of the organizational communication theory on human resources (Suzanne de Passe at Motown Productions). First, de Passe was mandated with overseeing the professional development of the organization. She maintained close contact with the employees, helping them out, and also critiquing their performances. She was also aware of the importance of recruiting the best talent for the development of the organization. For instance, a group label known as Commodores saw their lead singer, Lionel Richy, developing into one of the world’s best songwriters and performance in the early 1980s. Through her actions, she fulfilled a provision of the organizational communication theory which asserts that “conscious choices are made from many organization strategies when they are designed.”
The Importance of Communication
Organizational communication can simply be defined as the type of communication that happens within an organization. It is a process whereby people make meanings via the use of verbal and nonverbal signs and symbols (Eisenberg, Goodall, & Trethewey, 2014). Situations within organizations demand that employees know when to communicate or act. Companies contain a plethora of rules and regulations that not only guide but also constrain employees from taking actions. In her successful stint at the company, de Passe ensured that she built on her communication as a way of finding the best out of the subjects. First, de Passe enjoyed a strong relationship with Gordy, the owner of the company. They would communicate on a regular basis and remain keen to update one another on the latest developments. Also, she ensured that all the recruits and the employee taskforce remained aware of the values of the company through written communication. It is in this regard that it remains vital to appreciate the importance of the communication process between the sender and the receiver. Communication competence will only happen when there are various tenets such as sensitivity, knowledge, skills, and a level of value between the sender and the receiver (Eisenberg, Goodall, & Trethewey, 2014). Specific intentions must also remain apparent including openness and the desire for clarity. Most fundamentally, de Passe proved that her communication between her superiors and juniors depicted these important elements.
Communication and Creativity
It is also increasingly important to note that the organization communication seen in MP was vitally important in leveraging creativity. Communication is essentially the transfer of a message from one party to the other. A message, on the other hand, involves the attempt to transfer meaning from one entity to the other. As a result, this also enables one to share the creativity in the betterment of the organization's position. Under the leadership of de Passe, the company recruited a creative team that assisted it in the management of the company's affairs. Also, de Passe aimed at recruiting the best talents who would eventually solve the creative needs of the organization. In her role as the executive producer of the company, she revolutionized the operations of the company to focus on improving the creative impetus of human resources. The workers in the company were also accorded a sense of autonomy where de Passe and the top echelon of MP appreciated their input.
In conclusion, it is important to appreciate that de Passe was an embodiment of change in Motown production. She removed the company from a path of oblivion and restored it to that of success by applying various aspects of the organizational communication theory. According to this theory, communication plays a significant role in the development of choice and the overall strategic operations within the company. As a result, de Passe went on to be an award-winning producer due to her creativity and ability to recruit the best talent in the organization (Suzanne de Passe at Motown Productions). It also enabled her to form how own business as she had already acquired the much-needed experience from MP. It is therefore of the essence to note that applying organizational communication theory in any company encourages a type of synergy between the managers and employees that improves the position of the company.
References
Eisenberg, E. M., Goodall, H. L., & Trethewey, A. (2014). Organizational communication: Balancing creativity and constraint. New York: St. Martin's Press.
Suzanne de Passe at Motown Productions. Retrieved from: https://hbr.org/product/suzanne-de-passe-at-motown-productions-a1/497015-PDF-ENG
