Year : 2018, Volume : 9, Issue : 2
First page : ( 135) Last page : ( 143)
Print ISSN : 2231-0681. Online ISSN : 2231-069X. Published online : 2018  1.
Article DOI : 10.5958/2231-069X.2018.00017.3

Significance of Studying Engineering Culture of Indian Engineering Students through Communication Performance Perspective

Prusty Chitrita^1,*

¹Research Scholar, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Institute of Technical Education and Research Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

*Email id: chitritaprusty@gmail.com

Received:  25  July,  2018; Accepted:  8  November,  2018.

Abstract

Human nature is the operating system which determines one's physical and psychological functioning. Human feelings come under this mental programming, and reactions to these feelings are influenced by culture. Researchers consistently identify similar values and practices that characterise a particular culture formed around occupational level in its members. For these occupations the notion of occupational community is most relevant as they transmit a shared culture from generation to generation. Engineering culture is an occupational culture as it has some unique aspects based on the technical and rational thinking backgrounds. Vital issues like careers, conflict, loyalty and innovation within the domains of organisational studies can be well studied and advanced conceptually by studying the impact occupational communities play within organisations. A good understanding of the engineering culture of students will help provide them with right direction and an attitude to face the challenges required to meet the standards of the diversity of the nature of engineering works. The present paper highlights the significance of studying engineering culture of Indian engineering students from a communication perspective. Such studies have been carried out in western contexts but are rare in Asian or Indian context. The communication performance perspective by Pacanowsky and O'Donnell-Trujillo (1983) remains as one of the best ways to study culture. Through this approach, one gains insight into culture by studying the communication. This facilitates in the understanding of the actual practices that constitute culture. Primarily (Bantz, 1993) organisational communication culture method is used to analyse messages of Indian engineering students.

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Keywords

Communication performance perspective, Culture, Engineering culture, Occupational culture, Organisational communication culture (OCC) method, Organizational culture.

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