Examines key words in 100 abstracts of articles published between 1988 and 1994 in this journal to uncover major concepts of the study of business communication. Suggests a central clustering of research in the field around the frequently used concepts of personnel, employees, written skills, sales, and listening, as well as other more diverse…

Investigates circumstances under which communication variables contribute significantly to the constitution of group decisions. Postulates two variables, homogeneity of task-relevant information possessed by group members and task demonstrability, to moderate the impact of communication and group member ability on quality of group outcomes.…

Focuses on understanding mental models people develop for judging veracity. Hypothesizes that individual differences in models predict participants' attributions and confidence in making attributions. Indicates that participants' mental models for detecting deception are detailed, changing, and idiosyncratic, varying in structure and degree of…

Contends personal narratives present self to others, crossing racial, ethnic, and cultural boundaries. Examines how self- perception is communicated to familiar others, "questioning targets," and receivers. Finds self-concept is presented through personal narrative; self-presentations function as impression management; view of other is…

Explores effects of differential quality of leader-member exchange on cooperative communication among work group members. Suggests that the nature of an individual's exchange with his/her leader and his/her leader's upward leader-member exchange significantly impact perceived use of coworker cooperative communication. Provides evidence of linkage…

States that current guidance for organizational spokespersons lacks a clear theoretical and empirical foundation. Describes a study designed to rank preferences for five previously identified rhetorical strategies for responding to hostile questions in environmental meetings based on speech act theory. Finds responses based on the timing strategy…

Articulates a theoretical framework for understanding the fundamental functions of political advertising (acclaiming, attacking, defending) which occur on the twin grounds of policy considerations and character. Applies this theory of political discourse to presidential general election television spots from 1980-1996, finding that Democrats and…

Investigates how attributions of blame and control influenced evaluations by undergraduate students of comforting messages varying in level of person-centeredness. Finds messages low in person-centeredness were more appropriate with high-blame targets, whereas messages high in person-centeredness were more appropriate with low-blame targets;…

Finds that in low suspicion conditions, there was more truth bias when detectors (undergraduate students) had reduced cognitive capacity; but when detectors were in the high suspicion conditions, there was no significant difference between high and low capacity conditions. Suggests suspicion motivates people who have sufficient cognitive capacity…

Surveys 100 younger adults' satisfying/dissatisfying experiences with elders, comparing them with peers. Finds positivity of experiences and contact increased from nonfamily to family elders and to peers. (PA)

Reports on three studies which investigated whether patterns identified in the general communication apprehension (CA) literature would emerge with regard to employment interviews. Finds that high CAs avoid thinking about interviews, avoid preparing for them, and use a pattern of communicative minimization (few gestures, few words, etc.) in…

Investigates national media attention to Democratic and Republican women congressional candidates in 1990 and 1992. Finds media attention related to whether the candidates are running for the Senate or House, incumbency, and state population. Shows that party is a statistically significant factor associated with media attention, and that ethnic…

Tests empirically a model of the relationships between social accounts, appraisal of actions (perceptions of fairness and attributions of responsibility) and two reactions to untoward actions (anger and approval). Suggests that the influence of social accounts on employees' anger and disapproval is mediated by perceived fairness and…

Reveals the adversarial nature of joint participation in courtroom cross-examinations through analyzing methods for presenting and preserving alternative versions of past events. Examines three methods employed by witnesses and lawyers: "I don't know" and "I don't remember"; prior testimony to induce a witness to change an…

Uses a hypothetical example of an institutional review board's concerns about a speech communication faculty member's research project to illustrate current issues that speech communication administrators, departmental faculty, and graduate students need to consider as their human-subjects based research becomes increasingly overseen by external…