Buffering Against Sources Of Academic Stress: The Influence of Supportive Informational and Emotional Communication on Psychological Well-Being

This study examined college students’ psychological well-being as a function of both sources of academic stress and supportive communication. A total of 129 students completed measures assessing four sources of academic stress (i.e., pressures to perform, perceptions of workload, academic self-perceptions, and time restraints), psychological well-being, and two types of received supportive communication (i.e., informational and emotional). Pressures to perform, perceptions of workload, and time restraints were negatively associated with psychological well-being. In addition, the negative relationship between perceptions of workload and psychological well-being was strengthened when supportive informational communication and supportive emotional communication were individually and jointly low. Finally, the positive relationship between academic self-perceptions and psychological well-being was only significant when supportive informational communication was high.     

Social media use for work during non-work hours and work engagement: Effects of work-family conflict and public service motivation

Social media is widely used for work by civil servants in China at present. In Chinese cultural context, social media use for work during non-work hours (SMUNW) has many different effects on civil servants from those in Western countries. However, we have little understanding about how social media use for work during non-work hours could affect the psychological state of civil servants at work. Drawing upon conservation of resources theory and work-family border theory, this study utilized a moderated mediation model to investigate the relationship between SMUNW and employee work engagement. Based on data collected from 423 Chinese civil servants, the results demonstrated that SMUNW was negatively associated with work engagement. The work-family conflict played a mediating role between SMUNW and work engagement and public service motivation (PSM) moderated the negative effect between work-family conflict and work engagement. More importantly, our findings showed that the indirect relationship between SMUNW and work engagement through work-family conflict was more pronounced for civil servants with higher PSM rather than lower. Finally, theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Communication and role development for zoo volunteers: responding to role-sending,role-making,and role-remaking

High turnover among volunteers means organizations spend significant resources recruiting and retaining them. Research on employees indicates the importance of role development in increasing employee identification and satisfaction while reducing turnover, but limited research has addressed these issues for volunteers. This study explored zoo volunteers’ role development in two phases. In phase one, interviews explored how volunteers learned and understood their roles. Results indicated volunteers learned their roles through communication with supervisors and peers and were generally satisfied with them despite limited opportunity to be innovative. In addition, some volunteers became concerned when their roles were changed with limited input from them. In phase two, questionnaires explored relationships between volunteers’ communication experiences and outcomes. Results indicated volunteers responded negatively to role-remaking, but communication with management, education staff, day captains, and family was associated with positive outcomes. By contrast, communication with peer volunteers had a negative impact on some outcomes.     

Enacted Support and Well-Being: A Test of the Mediating Role of Perceived Control

This study examined the unique effects of three forms of enacted (i.e., received) support (emotional, unpaid assistance, financial) on well-being and tested the potential mediating role of perceived control. The analysis was based on a national sample collected through the second wave of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) survey conducted in 2004–2006. Findings revealed emotional support exhibited a positive effect direction on well-being, while unpaid assistance and financial support both showed negative effect directions. Perceived control was found to fully mediate the relationships between all three forms of enacted support and well-being: Emotional support boosted well-being through higher perceived control, while unpaid assistance and financial support reduced well-being through lower perceived control. Findings provide evidence that effects of social resources on well-being are mediated through psychological resources.     

Organizational assimilation and communication technology use

Studies of organizational members' assimilation information seeking have focused on traditional channels for uncertainty reduction (e.g., face‐to‐face communication and traditional technologies like employee handbooks) and on the experiences of newcomers. This investigation extends organizational assimilation research by examining a variety of socialization experiences (not just those of newcomers) and by considering Advanced Communication and Information Technologies (ACITs) as an additional channel for obtaining assimilation‐related information. Data from 405 employees of four organizations were utilized to explore the relationship between three channels for information seeking (face‐to‐face communication, traditional media, and ACIT) and perceived socialization effectiveness. Predictors of employee selection and use of ACITs also were examined, including perceptions of media richness and social presence, and user responses to their experiences using ACITs for assimilation. Results indicate that face‐to‐face communication is the most important predictor of assimilation effectiveness, followed by ACIT use. Least important are traditional technologies. Media characteristics, as elucidated in two prominent theories of organizational communication technology use, predicted individuals' selection and use of ACITs. Finally, a typology of members' behavioral responses to feedback regarding their ACIT use was derived, which revealed that users respond by continuing current practices, supplementing the channel, discontinuing use, expanding use, learning new uses, or by implementing a variety of these strategies.     

Testing the Connectivity Paradox: Linking Teleworkers' Communication Media Use to Social Presence,Stress from Interruptions,and Organizational Identification

Scholars emphasize the importance of rich communication media for the development of Teleworkers' organizational identification, but tests of these relationships have produced inconsistent results. The connectivity paradox helps explain these findings. The paradox suggests that Teleworkers' connectivity to others through communication media facilitates remote work by affording greater social presence, while also negating the benefits of telework by enabling stressful interruptions. These outcomes of connectivity may benefit and detract from identification. We propose a model linking the core features of the connectivity paradox to organizational identification. Teleworkers and office workers were surveyed, and a multigroup path analysis was utilized. Results indicate that connectivity increases stress from interruptions and indirectly diminishes Teleworkers' identification.     

Can I Have Your Attention? Implications of the Research on Distractions and Multitasking for Reference Librarians

The media have identified the past decade as “the age of distraction.” People today find it harder to work on long, sustained tasks because distractions are eroding their attention spans, fostering a culture of discontinuity. Fields as diverse as psychology, business, education, human-computer interaction, and communication studies have produced a wealth of studies on interruptions, distractions, and multitasking—research that has important implications for reference librarians. The nature of our jobs invites interruptions by the public, requires familiarity with the latest technology, stimulates curiosity about a broad range of subjects, and demands adeptness at multitasking—all factors that can atomize attention.     

Watching Online Videos at Work: The Role of Positive and Meaningful Affect for Recovery Experiences and Well-Being at the Workplace

This study extends research on the relationship between hedonic and eudaimonic entertainment and its potential for recovery experiences and aspects of well-being (e.g., Rieger, Reinecke, Frischlich, & Bente, 2014). With the broad notion of what hedonic and eudaimonic media can entail, this research focused on unique affective experiences—namely, positive affect—and an expanded concept of meaningful affect (including elevation and gratitude). An online experiment with 148 full-time employees in the United States was conducted to investigate the unique role of positive and meaningful affect eliciting YouTube videos (compared to neutral control video) on recovery experiences and vitality and work satisfaction in the work context. A path model suggests that meaningful videos predicted mastery recovery experiences, whereas positive affect predicted psychological detachment and relaxation experiences. In addition, mastery recovery experiences predicted vitality, whereas relaxation experiences predicted satisfaction with work, indicating a unique potential of the consumption of meaningful and positive affect inducing YouTube videos at work for workplace well-being.     

Testing a communication network model of employee turnover based on centrality

This study tested Feeley and Barnett's (1997) Erosion Model (EM) of employee turnover which predicts that individuals who are more central in their communication network will be more likely to remain at their position (or less likely to turnover). Seventy employees from three different organizations were surveyed about their attitudes toward their jobs and were also asked to indicate (by checklist) which employees they spoke to regularly at work. Turnover data were obtained at 3 and 6 months time after the surveys were completed. Results generally supported the Erosion Model of employee turnover. Those employees with high Degree or number of links in the network were less likely to turnover. Employees who required fewer links to communicate to all others in the network (i.e., Closeness) were also less likely to turnover but this relationship only approached statistical significance (p = .06). Betweenness, defined as the frequency with which a person falls between pairs of other positions in a network, was also significantly related to employee turnover. It was also predicted, based on Feeley and Bamett's EM, that the relationship between network position and turnover would be mediated by an employee's level of commitment to the organization and his or her intentions to leave work. Closeness significantly predicted commitment while Betweenness and Degree were unrelated to commitment levels. Organizational commitment was negatively related to intentions to leave work and, unexpectedly, commitment levels were positively related to employee turnover. The results were discussed and the applications of this research for management practitioners were considered.     

An Erosion Model of Employee Turnover Based on Network Centrality

An Erosion Model (EM) of employee turnover is introduced to explain the previously observed negative relationship between network centrality and employee turnover. The EM hypothesizes that social support moderates the centrality–turnover relation as those more active in the organization's social network experience less job strain due to esteem provided by work peers. Three EM hypotheses were supported using meta-analytic procedures with significant relations identified between centrality and turnover (k=5, r=.29), social support and centrality (k=7, r=.23), and social support and turnover intentions (k=17, r=.35). Future research for EM expansion and practical applications are proposed.     

Parents' Communication Skills and Adolescents' Salivary α-Amylase and Cortisol Response Patterns

The primary goal of this study was to examine patterns or groupings of adolescents’ hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) (measured through cortisol) and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) (measured through salivary alpha amylase or sAA) responses as a function of their parents’ communication skills. A related goal was to decipher whether adolescents who demonstrate different patterns of physiological reactivity vary in their personal and relational health. The sample consisted of 118 parent–adolescent dyads who were asked to talk about something stressful related to the parents’ relationship. The results revealed that adolescents’ perceptions of their parent's communication skills predicted the likelihood that the adolescents would overreact, show no reaction, or down regulate in response to such a discussion, but only for sAA. All of the communication skills in question—social support, communication competence, feeling caught between the parents’ conflict, and inappropriate disclosures—supported the hypothesis that adolescents with parents who they think are more communicatively skilled are better able to recover from a stressful interaction than adolescents whose parents are less skilled. Adolescents who were considered “overreactors” in sAA also had more negative health indices, somewhat lower psychological well-being, and poorer quality relationships with their parents.     

Communication Scholars' Communication and Relationship with their IRBs

Using grounded theory, 57 narratives of communication scholars detailing their experiences and relationships with institutional review boards (IRBs) were examined. From this analysis, 24 concepts emerged constituting five larger categories characterizing the communication relationship between communication scholars and IRBs: antagonistic actions of IRBs, negative perceptions of IRBs, actions of researchers, positive perceptions of IRBs, and protagonistic actions of IRBs. Results indicate that the main difference between positive and negative experiences with IRBs was associated with the nature of the relationship between scholars and IRBs. Scholars who saw their IRBs as adversarial bureaucracies had the most negative experiences, whereas scholars who saw their IRBs as partners in the research process had the most positive experiences. Recommendations for how both IRBs and researchers can improve their relationships conclude this essay.     

网络信息资源质量配置效率与DES模型研究

提高网络信息资源质量配置效率的前提条件有:优化信息环境,促使经济福利最大化;了解并满足用户需求;提供高质量信息供给量;需求、供给与环境的统一。DES模型是通过需求、环境供给之间的互动关系来描述特定资源配置状况的,D、E、S三域相交部分包含了现实资源配置类型,DES面积越大,资源配置效率越高。通过加强对DES模型中环境、需求、供给因素的分析研究,可提高信息生产传播的质量配置效率。图8。参考文献14。     

Examining variation among compulsive communicators in classroom settings

The present study investigates variance among compulsive communicators on the traits of communication apprehension, verbal aggressiveness and argumentativeness and the relationship between these three communication traits and self‐perceived competence. Results confirmed a positive relationship between self‐perceived communication competence (SPCC) and argumentativeness and a negative relationship between SPCC and communication apprehension. The hypothesized relationship between SPCC and verbal aggressiveness was not confirmed within the sample studied. These results suggest that compulsive communicators are not a monolithic group but possess a range of competence.     

The Electronic Resources Group: using the cross-functional team approach to the challenge of acquiring electronic resources

The acquisition of electronic resources presented many new issues for staff at the Texas Tech University Library. Traditional communication pathways between acquisitions and other departments were inadequate to address the increasingly complex questions that were raised in the process of acquiring the electronic resources that were increasingly in demand by the university community. While it was possible to handle decision making for electronic resources through the library’s departmental structure, the process was hampered by a lack of speed and focus. To resolve this problem, six library staff members were brought together to form an electronic resources group (ERG). This cross-functional team is composed of library staff from four different departments, each of whom had experience with different aspects of acquiring electronic resources. Members continue to work within their departments and report to their functional managers, but they also report to the ERG project manager and are expected to contribute substantially to the accomplishment of group goals. This paper describes how Texas Tech has successfully used the cross-functional team approach for managing the acquisition of materials in electronic formats.     

“满意镜像”理论与高校图书馆服务质量测度和优化

[目的/意义] 拟通过理论分析和实证研究的方法,探析图书馆服务质量"满意镜像"的形成机理、路径和影响要素。[方法/过程] 依据"满意镜像"理论构建图书馆服务质量的"满意镜像"模型,基于理论文献分析模型的测量要素,通过问卷调查法获取有效数据,结合统计分析和路径分析法进行模型验证与参数估计。[结果/结论] 图书馆外部服务质量的5个服务维度(环境设施、资源获取、馆藏资源、服务魅力、服务保障)对读者满意度产生正向显著影响,图书馆内部服务质量的5种组织氛围(组织管理氛围、人际关系氛围、学习创新氛围、工作服务氛围、激励成长氛围)对馆员满意度产生正向显著影响,馆员满意度对读者满意度产生正向显著影响(间接效果和直接效果)。 认为图书馆服务质量的优化控制需要有效地把握馆员满意度和读者满意度的镜像关系,从营造健康的组织氛围(公平管理、馆员激励、学习交流、赋权一线)和优化读者服务质量(资源适用、拓宽沟通、服务增值、信息教育)的整合视角提出相应对策。     

Exploring the Relationship Between Computer-Mediated Communication,Sexual Identity Commitment,and Well-Being Among Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Adolescents

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adolescents are avid users of computer-mediated communication (CMC), but few empirical studies have investigated the function of CMC in the lives of LGB youth. Grounded in the media practice model, the present study explored the relationships among CMC, sexual identity commitment, and well-being by surveying LGB adolescents (N = 570). Results indicated that a positive relationship existed between time spent on social network sites and well-being that was mediated by sexual identity commitment. Time spent instant messaging, sending/receiving e-mail, or in chat rooms was not related to sexual identity commitment or well-being. Social network sites may aid LGB youth in understanding their sexual identities in ways that other CMC modalities cannot.     

There is Something I Need to Tell You: Balancing Appropriateness and Efficiency in Modality Choice for Interpersonal Disclosures

An array of communication technology, such as text messaging, social networking sites, and mobile apps, have become the platforms through which many self-disclosures take place. This brings forth questions about which factors determine media selection for self-disclosure, such as media appropriateness and efficiency. Survey participants (N = 598) indicated modality preferences for disclosing hypothetical negative, positive, private, and public scenarios to a friend. For positive or public disclosures, modalities considered most convenient were more likely to be chosen; for negative or private disclosures, participants were more likely to select modalities that were considered most appropriate. Results also show a discrepancy between perceptions of appropriateness and motivations for media selection. These findings present implications for the balance between media appropriateness and efficiency in self-disclosure strategies.     

国内高校图书馆馆员主观幸福感的调查与分析

用"图书馆员工作和生活状况调查问卷"对国内251名高校图书馆员进行调查,了解馆员主观幸福感现状并探讨馆员工作倦怠和主观幸福感的关系,发现高校馆员主观幸福感水平偏低,主观幸福感在高层次的尊重需求和自我实现的需求上的满意感不足,工作倦怠体现在成就感低落上,其工作倦怠通过三个典型变量可以解释主观幸福感总变异量的14.44%,最后提出了3条提高高校馆员主观幸福感的措施。     

Library Employee Views of Disability and Accessibility

Abstract

This study sought to explore library employee attitudes toward people with disabilities and accessibility. It also aimed to determine the training needs of current library employees. A survey with both quantitative and qualitative questions was developed and snowball sampling was used. Analysis of both types of data indicates that librarians across library types generally feel unprepared to work with patrons with disabilities. Based on the results, there are several recommendations for improvement within the profession, including creating a more robust training program focused on accessibility and disability, examining policies from local through national levels, and improving recruitment and retention of people with disabilities into the profession.