The impact of structural salience within on‐air promotion

To determine what maximizes the effectiveness of on‐air promotions, as measured by ratings/share changes, this study tested a seven‐part model focusing on the structural salience of network prime‐time promos carried within other prime‐time programs. The results of analysis of more than 5,000 promos carried within 656 videotaped prime‐time hours provided consistent support for the salience model. Results showed significant changes in industry promotional practices over time and significant differences by network, genre, and the familiarity of the program to audiences. Although lead‐in ratings remained the dominant force impacting ratings for series programs (but not sporting events, movies, or specials), promotional salience variables contributed significantly to improved ratings, especially for mid‐rated continuing programs.     

The impact of a communication intervention on work‐unit productivity and employee satisfaction

This study investigated the impact of a 10‐week program, designed to communicate job‐specific and general company information, on levels of worker satisfaction and work‐unit productivity. Data were collected from assembly line workers in a large health care industrial plant. Differences between scores on a general satisfaction measure administered before and after the program were observed suggesting that attitudes about the organization did improve after the program. When compared with a control period, work‐unit productivity also improved after the program. Implications of these findings for future organizational communication research were discussed.     

The value of goodness‐of‐fit indices in meta‐analysis: A comment on Hall and Rosenthal

In a useful article regarding testing for moderator variables in meta‐analysis, Hall and Rosenthal (1991) suggest, among other things, that when the sample of studies is large enough, it is acceptable to use ordinary inferential statistics such as the analysis of variance to test for moderator variables. However, because meta‐analytic data points (effect sizes) differ in important ways from those for which ordinary inferential statistics were designed, we recommend that analysts use conventional meta‐analytic statistics, which are at least potentially more informative about the literature in question. Hall and Rosenthal also suggest that tests of effect size variability should play a minimal role in meta‐analytic model tests. We concur that these tests of homogeneity cannot alone test for moderator variables and that at least tests between mean effect sizes should be performed. However, consistent with Hedges and Olkin's (1985) meta‐analytic framework, we show how homogeneity tests provide additional and valuable information regarding how completely a moderator (or set of moderators) explains the variation of effect sizes. Therefore, these goodness‐of‐fit statistics may prove quite valuable, especially in meta‐analyses of highly variable study outcomes. We further recommend that in meta‐analyses for which study outcomes are already consistent, analysts should continue to perform model tests if they have theoretical expectations about moderators. We discuss these and other meta‐analytic model testing concerns.     

The effects of health delivery systems and self‐efficacy on patient compliance and satisfaction

This study analyzed the satisfaction and compliance of 91 in‐clinic patients based on their affiliation with a Health Delivery System and the patient's self‐efficacy. Several significant results emerged from the study. A patient's Health Delivery System and the patient's self‐efficacy interact to predict communication satisfaction. It was also discovered that a patient's Heath Delivery System and the patient's self‐efficacy interact to predict compliance. Implications and limitations of this research are discussed.     

The association of socio‐communicative style and relational type on perceptions of nonverbal immediacy

This study examined how an individual's perceived use of nonverbal immediacy is related to his or her perceived socio‐communicative style, and whether the use of nonverbal immediacy behaviors differs across relational types. Reflecting on a recent interaction, participants (N = 309) completed the Assertiveness‐Responsiveness measure (Richmond & McCroskey, 1990) and a modified version of the Nonverbal Immediacy Behaviors instrument (Richmond, Gorham, & McCroskey, 1987). Results indicate that (a) competent communicators differ from noncompetent, submissive, and aggressive communicators across ten nonverbal immediacy behaviors and (b) the use of nonverbal immediacy behaviors differs across relational types.     

A study of women's compliance‐gaining behaviors in violent and non‐violent relationships

Recent research by communication scholars has investigated the dynamics of abusive spousal relationships (Chandler, 1986; Infante, Chandler, & Rudd, 1989; Infante, Chandler‐Sabourin, Rudd, & Shannon, 1990; Rancer & Niemasz, 1988; Rudd, Burant, & Beatty, 1994; Sabourin, Infante, & Rudd, 1993). Infante and his colleagues have suggested that those involved in violent relationships communicate differently with their partners than those involved in nonviolent relationships. Based on this prior research, it seems important for communication scholars to further investigate the communication behaviors of individuals involved in violent relationships. This current study seeks to advance the family violence research by comparing the types of compliance‐gaining strategies that battered and non‐battered women report using during their disputes.     

The influence of mode,sub‐mode,and speaker predilection on style

With four basic assumptions about the nature of style as orientation, this study focuses on six subjects across two general modes and six sub‐modes of discourse. After discussing “style markers” such as sentence length, word length, TTR, cloze scores, ratios related to extent of qualification, AVQ, PTQ, and psychogrammatical features across modes and sub‐modes, the study sketches a “stylistic profile” of the subjects including not only these style markers but editing behaviors as well. Although subjects appear to have been influenced by modal and sub‐modal dimensions of style, individual predilections appear also to have been heavily influenced by factors relating to “epistemic stance.”     

The effects of nonverbal reinforcement and interviewee‐interviewer relationship on interviewee's verbal response

Utilizing survey data from 99 nursing home residents in nursing home facilities serving Medicaid patients, this study investigated the relationship of interpersonal network involvement to perceived life satisfaction and perceived need accommodations. Each subject completed three survey instruments developed to measure (a) resident's perceived quality care, (b) residents’ satisfaction with personal need accommodation and (c) interpersonal network satisfaction. Residents’ perceptions of quality care (i.e., attitude of staff, food, and self‐selected social activities) and satisfaction with roommates are significant predictors of perceived needs being met. Further, residents are more satisfied with self‐selected relationships than with institutionally‐selected roommates.     

Culture and information manipulation theory: The effects of self‐construal and locus of benefit on information manipulation

This paper offers a preliminary exploration into how culture and cultural orientation influence the perception of deceptive messages. Information manipulation theory (IMF) posits that covert violations of Grice's four conversational maxims give rise to messages that are functionally deceptive. This study (N = 323) attempted to replicate previous IMT results regarding the perceptions of information manipulation in an academic situation, and with a culturally diverse sample. Locus of benefit (self and other) was manipulated, and the respondents’ self‐construal was assessed. Previous IMT findings were replicated, and the effects for self‐construal on honesty ratings varied considerably by manipulation type. Explanations for these findings are provided, as are suggestions for future research.     

The effects of low‐credible sources on message acceptance

This paper argues that traditional experimental methodology contributes to violating “representative validity,” defined herein as the degree to which “actual” generalizable behavior is produced in an experimental context. The importance of representative validity is discussed, and the use of the general linear model is advocated as a means of maximizing representativeness in experimental design. Six issues are discussed in connection with representative design, and the general linear model is presented as a solution to various problems which adversely affect representative validity. These issues are statistical power analysis, the use of continuous variables, unbalanced designs, non‐linearity, interactions, and random and mixed‐effects models. It is suggested that the common use of linear model techniques provides the potential for increased flexibility and encourages creative design of experimental research.     

The effect of interactivity on initial interactions: the influence of information valence and modality and information richness on computer‐mediated interaction

Research investigating relationship development through computer‐mediated channels has failed to acknowledge the importance of initial interactions. Increasingly, multimodal forms of communication, such as audio‐ and videoconferencing, in addition to text‐only formats have emerged on socially oriented websites designed for relationship initiation. Utilizing the principle of interactivity as a conceptual framework, the present study investigates whether increased structural interactivity provided by the additional aural and visual modalities influences initial interaction processes and outcomes online. The results indicate that increased availability of nonverbal modalities, combined with the valence of the information acquired, significantly affected interaction involvement and mutuality, which are markers of processual interactivity, as well as the interaction outcomes of uncertainty, predicted outcome value, and information seeking. Additional analysis revealed that mutuality mediated the effect of richness on postinteraction uncertainty level and the evaluations of future relationship potential.     

Changes in confidence during a period of speech training: Transfer of training and comparison of improved and non‐improved groups on the bell adjustment inventory

The Examiner papers, the Conduct of the Allies, the History of the Four Last Years of the Queen, and the other productions which Jonathan Swift composed during his years as chief publicist for the Tory administration of Harley and St. John (1710–1714) are among the most effective examples of persuasive discourse in the history of British political pamphleteering. Much of this effectiveness is attributable to the skill with which Swift‐steadily aware of the prejudices and demands of his predominantly rural and conservative audience—manipulated such specific rhetorical devices as imagery, anecdote, analogy, historical example, allegory, insinuation, and other such items from the vast catalogue available to the polemicist.     

Negative relational events and event responses across relationship‐type: Examining and comparing the impact of conflict strategy‐use on intimacy in same‐sex friendships,opposite‐sex friendships and romantic relationships

This study examined negative events and conflict response in individuals’ “closest”; relationships. Sillars’ (1980a,b) typology of conflict responses (avoidance, distributive, integrative) with roommates was applied to individuals ‘ closest relationships. Individuals reported romantic partners, same‐ or opposite‐sex friends as their “closest”; relationship. Results indicated that negative events varied by relationship‐type and that individuals in romantic relationships felt closer to their partner than those in same‐ or opposite‐sex friendships. Participants in this study reported using integrative strategies most across relationship‐type in response to conflict. Individuals using integrative strategies reported significantly higher current relational intimacy than those who used avoidance or distributive strategies. Discussion and implications follow.     

The experience and expression of romantic jealousy in same‐sex and opposite‐sex romantic relationships

This study examines and compares how males and females in same‐sex and opposite‐sex romantic relationships experience and express romantic jealousy. Undergraduates at a large, southern university and visitors at a metropolitan Pride Celebration (N = 149) completed measures assessing cognitive and emotional jealousy experience, jealousy expression, and demographic information. The reported usage of two of Guerrero, Andersen, Jorgensen, Spitzberg, and Eloy's (1995) communicative responses to jealousy typology significantly varied by sexual orientation and sex. Specifically, gay males were significantly more likely to use violent communication/ threats than were heterosexual males. Further, lesbians reported using manipulation attempts to a significantly lesser degree than did heterosexual participants and gay males. In contrast, levels of cognitive and emotional jealousy experience did not significantly differ by sexual orientation or sex. Implications for these findings are presented in light of the broader study of close opposite‐sex and same‐sex romantic relationships.     

The effects of humor on perceptions of compliance‐gaining in the college classroom

The purpose of this study is to explore humor as a factor in students’ perceptions of college teacher compliance‐gaining in the classroom. Four hundred twenty‐eight college students reported the frequency of their college teachers’ uses of compliance‐gaining tactics, the frequency of humor uses with compliance‐gaining tactics, and the effectiveness of humor used with compliance‐gaining tactics. Results revealed positive and significant relationships between humor uses and uses of particular compliance‐gaining strategies. Findings suggest that students perceive teachers to use humor more frequently with certain compliance‐gaining tactics. Moreover, students reported that certain compliance‐gaining tactics are perceived as more effective than others.     

The persuasive effects of delaying identification of high‐and low‐credibility communicators: A meta‐analytic review

A review of extant research evidence indicates that when source identification is delayed until after the message has been presented, the differential effectiveness of high‐ and low‐credibility communicators is reduced. In particular, those combinations of credibility level and advocated position that are ordinarily (i.e., with pre‐message identification) relatively advantageous (a low‐credibility source with a proattitudinal position, or a high‐credibility source with a non‐proattitudinal position) have persuasive effectiveness reduced by delayed identification, whereas those combinations that are ordinarily relatively disadvantageous (a high‐credibility source with a proattitudinal position, or a low‐credibility source with a non‐proattitudinal position) enjoy enhanced effectiveness with delayed identification. The magnitude of the effects associated with identification‐timing variations is quite large (mean absolute value of d = .753), at least by comparison to other factors for which quantitative estimates of persuasive effect are available. The observed effects place constraints on explanations of credibility's effects; in particular, credibility's effects cannot be explained through the mere association of a given communicator with a particular position.     

Broadcast profitability: A comparison of profits from broadcast and non‐broadcast segments of public corporations

To understand the broadcast segments of multi‐industry companies, it is important to consider the revenue demands of their parent companies. This article develops a methodology for analyzing the profitability of broadcast and non‐broadcast segments and applies that methodology in an examination of publicly held corporations.     

The bases of successful market entry: The liability of size and of newness in E‐commerce

Abstract

Even though e‐commerce almost disappeared from public discussion, it still assumes a vital role in the strategic management of most enterprises. New entry in e‐commerce, whether as a new business segment of an established company or as a new enterprise, is likely to deal with the liabilities of size and newness. The aim of this paper it to discuss if those factors have an impact on the implementation and success of B2C e‐commerce. We chose the online book market as our reference market and drew a random sample of retailers and publishers with an online shop. The quality of the web presence, indirect success (number of links to a particular site) and direct success (turnover of the web shop) were compared in subsamples constructed by the use of median splits according to age and size. Younger companies and larger companies were found to have a web presence of higher quality and were more successful than older or smaller companies. We conclude that the liabilities of newness do not seem to have an adverse performance impact in e‐commerce. However, when a market entry is considered, new players must ensure that they can commit enough resources to build a high quality web presence.