Describes two institutional views of the discourse community, the disciplinary and the organizational, and presents the alternative social viewpoint. Examines Stanley Fish's theoretical concept of discourse community and considers the philosophical tradition derived from Richard Rorty. Suggests that these views are useful for the study of…

Examines superiors' causal accounts for refusing a subordinate's request, and their effects on subordinates' reactions that might induce conflict. Shows that explanations of mitigating circumstances alone do not allay negative reactions to a denial, but that adequacy of reasoning and sincerity explain the variance in subordinate reactions. (SR)

Surveys 12 recent textbooks from organizational and business communication perspectives to identify the link between what is taught in organizational communication classes and what is valued and effective in the workplace. (MM)

Maintains that, contrary to popular predictions of their decentralizing impact, digital communications contribute to new and more complex forms of corporate integration on a global scale. Discusses how to deflect the centralizing spatial bias of new communications technology. (SR)

Examines "nukespeak," the use of metaphor, euphemism, technical jargon, and acronyms to portray nuclear concepts in a neutral or positive way. Identifies two nukespeak strategies: domestication and bureaucratization. Uses two cases of nukespeak strategy by Ronald Reagan to illustrate the implications of nukespeak for the audience. (MM)

Investigates the relationship between communicator competence and employee productivity with new technology. Finds that employee communicator competence significantly affects employee performance with new technology; that employees receiving communicator competence training perform at significantly higher levels; and that past productivity also…

Presents a brief theoretical and methodological statement of developmental communication. Reviews developmental work in the general discipline of communication. Reviews several of the major research traditions within instructional communication and proposes how these traditions can be positively influenced by the developmental point of view. (SR)

A discourse comprehension model is developed in which the initial processing is bottom-up. Word meanings are activated, propositions are formed, and inferences and elaborations are produced, regardless of the discourse context. A network of interrelated items is created which can be integrated into a coherent structure. (SLD)

Uses Kenneth Burke's theory of perfection to explore the vocabularies of nuclear weapons in United States public discourse and how "the Bomb" as a God term has gained imbalanced ascendancy in centers of power. (MS)

Contrasts the content of media narratives with the stories presented in actual trials. Describes media narrative as a type of montage, illustrating this with the "Washington Post's" stories about the Jean Harris case. Suggests ways that "narrative about narrative" can present stronger arguments that increase audiences'…

Examines evaluative reactions to transcriptions of naturally occurring male and female speech. Seeks to determine the extent to which these evaluations are accounted for by speech differences between the sexes, by differences in sex-role stereotypes held by respondents, and by speech differences within the sexes. (SR)

Examines gender-related similarities and differences regarding conflict strategies and satisfaction with conflict interaction in a corporate setting. Reports that gender significantly affected the selection of influence strategies: male-male dyads used assertiveness and reason consistently, while female-female dyads shifted from high levels of…

Examines the text, audience readings, and historical placement of an episode of "Cagney & Lacey" concerning abortion. Suggests that the ability of audiences to shape their own readings is seriously constrained by a variety of factors in any given rhetorical situation. (SR)

Investigates subordinates' communication styles and superiors' satisfaction with subordinates from the perspective of the superior. Finds that when superiors were very satisfied with subordinates they perceived them as (1) friendly, relaxed, and attentive communicators; (2) lacking in verbal aggressiveness; and (3) high in argumentativeness. (MS)

Examines mock jurors processing testimony under impression-set and memory-set conditions to determine under which condition they rate a witness to be more deceptive. Finds that under impression-set objectives subjects formed stronger judgments of the witness's deceptiveness, while the pattern was reversed under memory-set conditions. (MS)