International organizing and organizational communication

Despite empirical and anecdotal evidence of the growing problem of alcohol use and abuse on college campuses, there is a high level of uncertainty regarding factors contributing to this particularly risky behavior. Past research has argued persuasively for the role individuals’ level of self‐efficacy and perceptions of threat or susceptibility play in decisions to engage (or not engage) in a variety of behaviors (Witte, 1992). However, factors contributing to the development of these perceptions of self‐efficacy and threat have yet to be completely understood. The present investigation argues that it is through our interactions with others, as well as our personal experiences with risky behaviors, that we develop perceptions of threat and efficacy. Recognizing, however, the complex and reciprocal nature of the attitude‐behavior relationship, this paper explores the intricacies of the relationships among communication, threat, efficacy, and behavior. 239 undergraduates at a medium‐sized northeastern university completed two surveys assessing perceptions of risk, self‐efficacy, social interaction patterns with friends, and behavior. The data suggest that both interaction with friends and perceptions of self‐efficacy significantly contribute to students engaging in excessive drinking. In addition, communication among friends and drinking itself contribute to evolving perceptions of threat and self‐efficacy. Theoretical and practical implications, as well as directions for future research, are discussed at the conclusion of the paper.     

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.     

Social media use in local government: Linkage of technology,task, and organizational context

Social media technologies have begun to enter the governmental workplace as tools to accomplish improved public service and engagement. Widespread recognition of the potential of social media technology for achieving public outcomes does not match our understanding about how and why specific tools are being used for specific purposes. This paper makes use of newly collected national survey data from local government managers in five different agencies to address the questions: which social media tools are being used, for which tasks or purposes; and what organizational characteristics influence the coupling of task and technology. Findings reveal patterns of social media tool application for particular purposes, although organizations do not all use social media tools in the same way. Moreover, regression analysis shows that different organizational factors – work characteristics, innovativeness, technology and management capacity and stakeholder influence – predict each of the four technology–task couplings — social media for dissemination, social media for feedback on service quality, social media for participation, and social media for internal work collaboration. This study demonstrates that social media tools are not a monolithic group and calls for greater research attention to the complex interactions among social media technology, task and organizational context.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

试论人际关系与人际传播

本文论述了人际关系对人际传播内容和方向的决定性影响、由于这种关系而带来的人际传播中“装相”与“本相”的冲突。作者认为:人总是生活在具体的文化氛围中的,因而人际传播中会有一种无形的“文化契约”,决定着人际关系,并影响传播的内容、情感的表露,尽管传播双方或多方并没有实际签订什么契约,规则却是潜在的。     

新技术环境中的传播陷阱分析

本文探讨了新媒介技术可能造就的一些传播陷阱.这些传播陷阱有些会影响人对自我的认识,有些会影响人与人的交往相处,也有些会影响人对社会整体的理解与把握.文章具体讨论了人--信息瓦动之间的思维与认知陷阱、人--人互动之间的沟通与关系陷阱、人--机互动之间的控制与使用陷阱,并粗略地提出了一些对抗传播陷阱的建议和对策.     

The relationships among manager communication openness,nonverbal immediacy,and subordinate motivation

The relationship between managers' communication behaviors (openness and nonverbal immediacy) and subordinates' motivation were examined. Wharton MBA candidates were videotaped participating in an organizational simulation to resolve interpersonal conflict. Subordinates completed self‐report measures regarding openness and motivation; independent coders rated managers' nonverbal immediacy behaviors. Analysis indicated that communication openness was positively and significantly related to motivation, while nonverbal immediacy and motivation was slightly related although not significantly. The positive, yet tentative relationship between openness and immediacy, indicated that these variables occur together. Results of the multiple regression reveals that openness was more predictive of motivation, while immediacy had a more indirect impact.     

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.     

Unpacking organizational awareness: scale development and empirical examinations in the context of distributed knowledge sharing

Organizational awareness has been viewed as a critical factor in facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing, particularly among dispersed workers. Drawing on the findings of three studies, we disentangle the complex nature of organizational awareness, with a focus on its role in distributed knowledge sharing. First, we developed and validated an organizational awareness scale to investigate organizational awareness as a multidimensional construct that consists of availability awareness, task awareness, and social awareness. Second, employing the scale, we examined the relationships among organizational awareness, the use of enterprise social media (ESM), and knowledge acquisition in a global organization. The results of structural equation modeling demonstrated that ESM use was positively linked to distributed workers’ task awareness, which subsequently enhanced knowledge acquisition. Lastly, interview findings revealed how task awareness was cultivated by ESM use. Synthesizing the findings, we offer detailed accounts of organizational awareness and its relationships with dispersed workers’ knowledge sharing practice.     

Nonverbal immediacy communication behaviors and liking in marital relationships

This study examined the relationship between nonverbal immediacy behaviors and liking in marriages. Findings revealed that a spouse's perception of their partner's use of nonverbal immediacy behaviors strongly correlated with how much they liked their partner (r = .67), and was reciprocal within marital dyads. Individuals married one year or less and those married more than 24 years scored highest in perceived spouse nonverbal immediacy and liking for their partners. The relationship between nonverbal immediacy and liking was consistent regardless of marriage duration. Findings support and expand on previous research in relational maintenance, nonverbal immediacy, and affinity seeking communication behaviors.     

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.     

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.     

The role of relational interdependence,relationship thinking,and relational communication in three stages of romantic relationships

Relational interdependence, relationship thinking, and relational communication are theorized to distinguish among the stages of dating relationships. This study analyzes their comparative ability to distinguish dating relationship stages and suggests some of their related‐ness. Results indicate that relational interdependence (indexed in the perception of relationship alternatives, satisfaction, investment, and commitment) distinguishes among each stage of the dating relationships. Relationship thinking (measured in positive affect thinking and partner thinking) and relational communication (measured in trust and composure) also distinguish among relational stages, but differences in relational interdependence appear to predate and predicate the positive development of relationship thinking and relational communication.     

刍议媒体融合视域下学术期刊的出版传播——共享·多元·开放·互动·交融

在分析我国现有学术期刊的媒体融合形态特征基础上,探讨当下期刊媒体融合的发展瓶颈,以“共享、多元、开放、互动、交融”的融媒体理念重构了期刊的平台、内容、媒体形式、评议体系、功能和编辑角色等,以充分提升学术期刊在媒体融合环境中的传播力和影响力.     

Towards an integrated model of strategic environmental communication: advancing theories of reactance and planned behavior in a water conservation context

This study demonstrates how communication research can be strategically applied to address environmental problems in modern societies. To accomplish this goal, this research advances an integrated communication model based on psychological reactance theory and the theory of planned behavior to explain negative attitude change that can occur when people are exposed to water conservation campaigns [Liang, Y. J., Henderson, L.K., & Kee, K. F. (2017). Running out of water! Developing a message typology and evaluating message effects on attitude toward water conservation. Environmental Communication. doi:10.1080/17524032.2017.1288648]. The data fit the hypothesized model, synthesizing message-, social-, and individual-based processes to predict their effects on behavioral intention towards water conservation. Interestingly, data show that (1) combinations of message strategies affect reactance differently, and (2) subjective norm and perceived behavioral control negatively correlated with threat to freedom. These results point to the practical implication that environmental communication to promote voluntary water conservation are effective when campaign messages are designed to reduce threat to freedom, induce social norms, and increase self-efficacy. We call the documented research process strategic environmental communication, which focuses on the joint application of evidence and theory towards addressing environmentally motivated problems.