Argues that it was the failure of the decision-making process, rather than the mode of risk assessment, which led to the decision to launch the Space Shuttle Challenger. Identifies the phrasing of the decision question and a shift in the burden of proof as specific problems of the process. (MS)

A study examined the decision making climate of organizations that are using issues management and what type of model of issues management is followed--theorists have been attempting to define issues management since it began appearing 20 year ago. Subjects, 112 males and 30 females who were professionals working in the area of issues management…

Arguing that the issue of organizational decision making and bureaucratic responsibility in the use of technologies with potential for creating social harm should concern everyone, this paper explores the ethical issues raised by organizational decisions concerning the launch of the space shuttle "Challenger." The paper first describes a…

Finds that electronic mail messages with socioemotional content were generally avoided in downward and diagonal communication but were more commonly sent by nonmanagers and younger people, who were less often involved in decision making. Shows that socioemotion use was positively related to perceived quality of work. (SR)

Describes the contingent media relations policy employed by Rockwell International, the prime contractor for the United States space shuttle program, following the January 28, 1986, destruction of the Challenger. Analyzes Rockwell's response through a theoretical model of crisis perception and Rockwell's policy in relation to the mass media. (MS)

Discusses an experiment to find the effects of "powerful" and "powerless" language on small computer-mediated groups. Explains that subjects were asked to communicate via computer in a decision-making context. Describes the three conditions. Finds that language style has significant impact on impression formation in computer…

Reports on an exploratory study that seeks to build theoretical understanding of how public relations practitioner involvement in one type of strategic organizational decision making--strategic issue diagnosis--is related to shared values with top management, diagnosis accuracy, strategy pursued, and the power of the public relations function. (TB)

Examines communication decision-making in organizations by looking at the extent to which public relations executives have control over channel selection for the media mix in an overall public relations program. Shows a variety of structures and procedures for channel selection decisions in United States organizations. (SR)

Explores the difficulties of crisis decision making and reveals how Exxon employed the maladaptive crisis response pattern of hypervigilant decision making during its initial response to the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill. Offers procedural changes which would benefit crisis management personnel facing a similar catastrophe in the future. (SR)

Investigates how parliamentary procedure is practiced in community groups, and how the use of parliamentary procedure facilitates or constrains vigilance and critical thinking. Finds that parliamentary procedures are widely practiced in a limited form. Reports on a case study showing how parliamentary procedure was employed to facilitate…

A study explored the function of issues management in the decisionmaking process of policy makers and strategic planners as it is practiced in contemporary organizations. A sample of 56 professionals participated in a mail survey. Their accounts of how issues management operated in their organizations were evaluated with the use of descriptive…

Recent communication research on argumentativeness has taken the following six directions: (1) investigating factors associated with individuals who differ or vary in the motivational tendency of their argumentativeness; (2) examining the influence of gender on argumentativeness; (3) exploring argumentativeness in marriage; (4) examining the…

A study explored the relationships between public relations practitioners' organizational roles and the type of evaluation methods they used on the job. Based on factor analysis of role data obtained from an earlier study, four organizational roles were defined and ranked: communication manager, media relations specialist, communication liaison,…

Habermas's theory of dialogue was used to evaluate the process of decision making that occurred in a labor-management committee's meeting to discuss flextime. The study attempted to determine why, at that meeting, the committee's consensus process of decision making failed. W.R. Bion's theory of unconscious group motives was also used to…

This paper argues that communication researchers could benefit from incorporating a rules approach as a supplement to more traditional methods of organizational analysis. Two major flaws in the methodology of traditional organizational analysis are noted: failing to account for actor or participant meanings--how the actor interprets relationships,…