The primary intent of this paper is to provide an ideological critique of one instance of "union talk," which the paper takes to be representative of organized labor discourse at large. To reach this goal, the question of the need for and value of unions is specifically addressed in the paper, and a review of the studies existing within…

A case study examined the processes by which girls and boys in their first month of primary school assume particular, highly gendered subjectivities within the school setting. Subjects, 28 children of diverse multicultural origins entering a suburban primary school in a large regional center in southern Victoria, Australia, were observed in the…

This paper suggests that language training should be founded on an initial student familiarization with the dimensions of intercultural communication. Using as exemplars problems encountered by Japanese familiar with English but unfamiliar with communication theory, the paper argues that while limited linguistic competency may make it difficult…

A study asked students from four professional colleges at a medium-sized midwestern college whether they had observed 14 of the "chilling practices" (practices which chill women, i.e. sexist practices) described by R. M. Hall and B. R. Sandler ("The Classroom Climate. A Chilly One for Women?") whether the instructor engaging in…

A study attempted to develop an organizational communication competence scale that focuses on both communication skills as well as appropriate role behavior within an organizational communication context. A 30-item scale, later reduced to 12 items, was administered to 245 undergraduate students enrolled in a basic speech course. Responses were…

Media sociology in the early 1980s was "rediscovered" by sociologists and political scientists. It was a discipline whose time had arrived. In much of the work in the field at this time the level of analysis dealt with individuals working within organizations. Since that time, media sociology has gone through paradigm debates, expanded…

A study examined the uncertainty levels and types reported by supervisors and employees at three hierarchical levels of an organization: first-line supervisors, full-time employees, and part-time employees. It investigated differences in uncertainty-reduction strategies employed by these three hierarchical groups. The 61 subjects who completed…

Defining "participation" as subordinate involvement with decision making in the work process, a study examined how a group of subordinates interpreted or made sense of participation, and the role the leader played in the sense-making process. Interviews and observation techniques were used to capture the sense-making of individuals in…

A meta-analysis examined sex-related differences in conflict styles to resolve some of the competing claims about the existence, antecedents, and nature of these differences. To explore the effect of biological sex on the selection of conflict management strategies (CMS), existing studies relevant to sex differences in the selection of CMS were…

A content analysis examined the narratives of 3,868 patients at 6 health care institutions, who described critical incidents during hospitalization and ambulatory health care. Results indicated that from the patient perspective, assessments of quality have less to do with clinical and administrative quality, than with providers' communication…

A content analysis examined health risk communication statements in national and local press coverage in 1988 of a controversy over proposed legislation to regulate the use of video display terminals (VDTs) in the workplace in Suffolk County, New York. The health risk communication statements from a total of 55 randomly selected articles were…

Investigations were made of the development of (1) children's abilities to produce and interpret requests with nuances, and (2) the ability to identify requests as being "bossy" or "nice." In the first study, the development of children's ability to produce bossy and nice requests and the linguistic means by which they do so…

To examine the congruency between voters' personal agendas and the perceived agendas of candidates, 160 college students interviewed repeatedly during the 1980 presidential campaign were asked to rate both the importance they assigned and the importance they felt each candidate assigned to eight major campaign issues. The influence of the election…

One approach to field theory in argumentation begins with a description of argumentation and, by identifying similarities or regularities in discursive practice, attempts to induce the nature and characteristics of a field. The controversy surrounding the use of Laetrile, a proposed cancer treatment, provides an example of this approach. Assuming…

The exit interview, while widely practiced, has been largely ignored as an instrument for organizational change. A review of the literature reveals that eight out of ten firms in the United States use exit interviews to control attrition and identify areas where changes need to be instituted. Persuading an employee to tell the truth about why he…