Examines the relationships among listening, communication-related abilities, employee level, and upward mobility in an insurance company. Finds that while, overall, nonsupervisors tended to possess better listening abilities than supervisors, some evidence suggests that better listeners were in higher levels of the organization and were more…

Surveys the entire Chinese journalist population of Hong Kong to determine how news organizations in the highly politicized environment of Hong Kong exercise institutional control on recruitment and newswork. Finds that press ideology is a major determinant of its organizational control. (MS)

Offers an overview of couples' complaint behavior by describing complaint types, response types, complaint-response sequencing, and the environment in which such complaining occurs. Examines differences in reported complaint behavior between males and females and between satisfied and dissatisfied couples. (RAE)

Asserts that African American slaves used their spirituals to provide themselves with a rhetorical self-definition that served to refute limiting definitions pressed on them by whites. Suggests that, as a form of slave resistance to psychological oppression, spirituals were used to limit the slaves' value to owners while enabling the slaves to…

Presents a model of communication for users, designers, and developers of information systems. Suggests strategies to help design participants interact more effectively to improve the quality of design processes and outcomes. Examples of event sequences, excerpts from tables, and a memo used to research design phases and participants are appended.…

Investigates the impact of newspaper and news magazine coverage of AIDS from 1987-91 on public beliefs concerning the likelihood of HIV transmission via toilets, sneezing, and insects. Finds that press coverage influences public beliefs about HIV transmission routes, and indicates that in the case of both sneezing and toilets, press coverage…

Discusses communication and social construction, AIDS and San Francisco, San Francisco's gay community, and the social construction of AIDS in San Francisco. Describes three eras of HIV-AIDS prevention in San Francisco, a particular HIV prevention program, and the impact of the epidemic in San Francisco. (SR)

Analyzes the public rhetoric of the influential "Law and Economics" movement. Explores the affinity between rhetoric and judicial argument in the work of Judge Richard A. Posner. Shows how Posner's antirhetorical posture is itself a rhetoric inviting audiences to adopt particular views of society and law. (HB)

Investigates whether National Debate Tournament debaters are evaluated differently because of gender. Shows that male speakers received more points than females; the effect was more pronounced in the negative when female judges heard female/female teams; and male judges gave higher points to same-sex teams. Encourages all participants to be…

Presents findings of a longitudinal study comparing the communication experiences of newcomers and geographic transferees facing new positions of employment within one organization. Shows how new employees increase requests for information from peers and supervisors. Advocates increased organizational assistance for newcomers. (HB)

Suggests that investing more presales dollars in timely, accurate, and complete documentation may significantly reduce the total cost of customer support. Shows how judiciously increasing investment costs significantly reduced the avoidable costs of supporting customers of a computer software documentation product, and reduced the total costs to a…

Examined the use of bimodal communication (BC), sign language with spoken English, by hearing college students in five scenarios and during informal discussions between scenarios. The results indicated that varying signing ability affected signers' BC rate and that skilled signers adapted the amount of BC they used to the social situation. (three…

Analyzes how a new computer technology, Group Decision Support System (GDSS), affected how group decisions developed over time. Contrasts decision paths in groups using the GDSS with groups using GDSS procedural structures manually and with groups using no procedural structures. Finds that decision paths varied and were related to consensus…

Describes Confucianism, identifying it as a major cultural factor explaining the economic success of Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. Explores the impact of Confucianism on the organizational communication in these nations, based on four key principles of Confucian teachings: the hierarchial relationship, the family system,…

Examines 39 speeches from the Democratic and Republican national conventions (1972-1992) for discussion of women's issues, women's roles, and men's roles. Concludes that when politicians spoke of women's concerns, they largely ignored actual issues, and instead focused their attention on women's roles in society. (SR)