Ambiguity In The Workplace

For much of the film, Peter and his fellow employees stick to their workplace rituals, “forms of communication that occur regularly and that members of an organization perceive as familiar and routine parts of organizational life” (Wood, 2015, p.244). Comparatively, the second research study relating to workplace communication by Larry Erbert, analyzes workplace rituals, as well as; unexpected deviations from the normal behavior that occurs in work environments. This study’s interpretation of organizational rituals can be summarized as, “making sense of organizational reality is often retrospective, socially derived, ongoing (where members interpret and reinterpret meaningful events over time)” (Erbert, 2014, p.287). As a result of these rituals,

Peter begins to show up to work late (if he shows up at all), dress unprofessionally, and communicate with his peers and his superiors in an inappropriate manner. Peter’s new attitude and actions are unexpected, even shocking to others within the organization. According to the research conducted by Erbert, behavior such as Peters would be deemed as strange; “strange or unusual experience demarcates a disjunction in the patterns and routines of the workplace and may reflect uncertainty and ambiguity in organizing” (2014, p.288). By breaking Initech’s rituals, Peter creates an environment in which other employees feel insecure and unclear about their own stance in the company. It becomes apparent, through the chaos that is created by Peter’s conduct, that straying from any long-standing ritual will alter the overall cohesiveness of an organization. When people are dependent on certain habits, any disturbance to those habits can become detrimental and can prevent an organization from functioning properly. In the case of Initech, some employees (Peter’s friends) are even driven to quit their jobs to sabotage the