Characterizing organizational spirituality: An organizational communication culture approach

This study focuses and extends the academic literature on spirituality in organizations. Although spirituality has gained attention in organizational scholarship during the past decade, there has been little systematic development. Current literature on spirituality in organizations is characterized by divergent approaches to spirituality and a number of organizational foci. The present study, based on qualitative field research in a nursing home, advances understanding of spirituality in organizations by identifying three central characteristics of organizational spirituality: value alignment, personal spirituality, and relationship‐based organizing. These central characteristics, supported by the field research and current literature on spirituality in organizations, lead to issues for further research. The study concludes with an invitation for dialogue on the emergent topic of organizational spirituality.     

International communication

COOL WORDS, COLD WAR: A NEW LOOK AT USIA'S PREMISES FOR PROPAGANDA by Leo Bogart, abridged by Agnes Bogart (Washington, DC: American University Press, 1995: distribution by University Publishing Associates, 4720 Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706—prices not given, ISBN 1–879383–34–9 hard, 0–879383–41–1 paper, 250 pp.)

RADIO HOLE‐IN‐THE‐HEAD: RADIO LIBERTY—AN INSIDER'S STORY OF COLD WAR BROADCASTING by James Critchlow (Washington: American University Press with distribution as with title above, 1995—$21.95, paper ISBN 1–879383–48–9, 192 pp.)

MARSHALING TECHNOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT: PROCEEDINGS OF A SYMPOSIUM by the World Bank and National Research Council (Washington: National Academy Press, 1995—price not given, paper, ISBN 0–309–05349–8, 250 pp.)     

基于组织学习的图书馆组织结构创新

传统图书馆组织结构存在层次过多、条块分割、系统阻塞等弊端,不利于组织学习,必须进行组织结构创新.文章提出基于组织学习的图书馆组织结构创新的原则和方法.     

Distortion of subordinate to superior communication in organizational settings

In a field setting it was found that messages concerning unfavorable situations were more distorted than messages concerning favorable situations, but mostly when the stimulus situation was task related. For non‐task related stimulus situations messages concerning unfavorable situations were distorted less than were messages concerning favorable situations. This latter finding was attributed to a “real‐life” pratfall effect.     

The relevance of modern organization theory to organizational communication

The developing field of organization theory is examined from the perspective of speech‐communication scholarship and the extent to which certain implications of overlooked theories in organizational communication have impact for our discipline.     

Evaluation of organizational communication competency: The development of the communication training impact questionnaire

As organizations devote more time and financial support to the development of training programs, the field of organizational communication needs to meet the demand for applications of organizational theory to the work world. This research reports the development of an evaluation instrument designed to go beyond participants' reactions to the training program, and assess the application of a specific skill to work tasks. The degree to which the participants perceive they have mastered the skill also is assessed. Data were collected on 267 participants in various communication training programs. Strong internal reliability, validity tests and factor analysis indicate that the Communication Training Impact Questionnaire can be used to assess two of Kirkpatrick's levels of training impact. Suggestions for using the instrument are discussed and implications for the field of organizational communication are presented.     

Using the outdoor scavenger hunt to teach theories of organizational communication

Courses: Communication Theory, Organizational Communication, Strategic Communication.

Objectives: Students will identify and categorize organizational discourses on their campuses; students will become aware of the ethical considerations of communication; students will recognize the different perceptions of organizational culture on campus.     

Technology in government: How organizational culture mediates information and communication technology outcomes

The adoption of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in public organizations promises to better connect managers with citizens, increase public participation in government decision making, improve the efficiency of service delivery, decrease uncertainty, and improve information dissemination. While each of these outcomes is important for both public managers and citizens, we know little about how organizational culture mediates the effectiveness of ICTs on producing these outcomes. This research, using data from two points in time, investigates the relationships between ICTs and managerial outcomes (e.g. improved decision making and public participation) and how they are mediated by organizational culture such as centralization and routineness. Technology variables include technology use and capacity. Models will control for other organizational and technological factors such as size, structure, task and department to investigate the mediating effects of organizational culture on ICT outcomes for local governments. The data come from two national surveys of 2500 local government managers in the United States in 2010 and 2012. The results are important for understanding how organizational mechanisms, in particular organization culture, mobilize ICTs in ways that affect managerial outcomes.     

Socialization,resocialization, and communication relationships in the context of an organizational change

This investigation explores the influence of perceptions of socialization tactics' use and communication relationships on employees at the initiation of and 4 months into an organizational restructuring. Results of this longitudinal investigation reveal that employees (N = 72) report considerable changes in perceptions of organizational socialization/resocialization efforts. Results also indicate that both perceptions of socialization tactics' use and communication relationships contribute to decreased role ambiguity and role conflict and increased commitment at the initiation of the restructuring and four months later. However, the influence of these factors on the dependent variables changes over time. These findings are discussed in relation to recent research on organizational entry and change, and suggestions are made for future research.     

Perceived organizational effectiveness,job satisfaction,culture, and communication: Challenging the traditional view

This study challenges the traditional view that organizational culture, relationships, and communication activities precede or produce the outcomes of job satisfaction and perceived organizational effectiveness. Specifically, the study (a) empirically examines job satisfaction and perceived effectiveness for their potential as important explanatory processes for the outcomes of organizational culture, relationships, and information receiving and sending, and (b) empirically compares the traditional model with the competing conceptualization. Results of a canonical correlation analysis utilizing 2245 individuals in 21 organizations in various parts of the world indicate that 54.8% of the variance in perceptions of culture, relationships, information receiving, and information sending can be explained by job satisfaction and perceived organizational effectiveness. Results of a nested model comparison of the two models using latent variable path analysis demonstrated that the competing conceptualization is a significantly better fit to the data than the traditional view.     

Building and organizing internet collections

This paper discusses the evolution of Internet information servers in libraries, from their typical origin as maverick systems department experiments, to the current state where libraries must address the need to incorporate network-based information into the traditional work of collection management, acquisitions, and cataloging. Does the traditional model of information acquisition and organization apply to network-based information? where nearly anyone can be both a provider and a consumer of information from the comfort of their personal computer, what role do libraries have? How should the library profession respond to the proliferation of gopher and world wide web servers?     

办好档案展览的对策

重大历史事件、历史人物的纪念日及各种重要节日，蕴藏着宝贵、丰富的社会教育资源。近几年，我国各级国家档案馆围绕新中国成立五十周年、香港回归、澳门回归等重大活动和各时期社会宣传教育主题，举办(或与有关部门合办或参与)了形式多样……     

对三线表编排规范的解读

分析科技期刊中常用三线表的构成,提出规范化表格的一般阅读通式;运用"信息状态"和"信息距离"的观点解释并说明信息距离最短是表格编排规范化的本质;从逻辑基本规律同一律的要求出发,说明执行表格编排规范的必要性.     

对三线表编排规范的解读

分析科技期刊中常用三线表的构成,提出规范化表格的一般阅读通式;运用"信息状态"和"信息距离"的观点解释并说明信息距离最短是表格编排规范化的本质;从逻辑基本规律同一律的要求出发,说明执行表格编排规范的必要性。     

Technology and organizational change in libraries

Many influences on the organizational structure of libraries can be discerned, of which technology perhaps is the most pervasive. This paper discusses some of the ways technology is influencing organizational change in libraries and what can be done to direct these changes positively in a manner that will benefit libraries.     

On the various and changing meanings of organizational membership: A field study of organizational identification

The primary aim of this study was to analyze and interpret some aspects of the process of organizational identification in a corporate field setting. Specifically, the study focused on how an individual's identification (or identifying) with an employing organization influences on‐the‐job decision making. Past research efforts have been limited by their treatment of organizational identification as a product or state, rather than as a process. The wider perspective on identification is well represented by Herbert A. Simon and Kenneth Burke, whose writings were integrated to provide a theoretical framework for this study. While this study neither examined the phenomenon of identification over time nor placed it in a clearly‐defined causal chain, it explicitly recognized identification as a continuing development involving many changes. The study employed two methodologies for the examination of identification in a corporate field setting: moderately‐scheduled interviews that produced largely qualitative data and a questionnaire instrument that yielded quantitative data. The methods were “triangulated” so as to provide a more detailed “snapshot” of the identification process than either would offer alone; moreover, the “accounts” elicited in employee interviews yielded retrospectives on individual‐organization relationships. The results suggest the soundness of the theoretical framework advanced at the outset. Most employees who were interviewed saw organizational interests as directly relevant to work‐related decisions. Their comments as well as their questionnaire responses indicated that they also identified with the organization, thus offering support for the link between organizational identification and decision making.     

Communication,leadership, and organizational commitment

This research coded 40 leaders’ communication and used 172 subordinates’ questionnaires to analyze the relationship of leader communication behavior to commitment. A hierarchical multiple regression was performed for two types of organizations. At hospitals, leaders’ consideration style and reinforcement related positively to subordinate commitment, while interruption and humor related negatively. At a city government, initiating structure style and professionalism related positively to commitment; reinforcement and interruption related negatively.     

Information seeking among organizational members

Investigation of information seeking has focused on initial organizational entry hut there is evidence information seeking strategies continue to develop throughout organizational careers. This study begins an investigation of information seeking as a day‐to‐day component of organizational life. Individual characteristics of organizational members and situational variables were investigated to determine their relationship with information seeking behavior. Respondent age was found to influence selection of information seeking strategy. The situational variables of employment classification and length of employment also significantly influenced information seeking strategy. Taken together the differences suggest that information seeking strategies change in predictable ways throughout organizational careers.