Studies organizational communication cultures in United States-Thai parent-subsidiary organizations doing business in Thailand and ascertains to what degree employees at the subsidiary locations participated in the creation of their organizational communication cultures. Develops the idea of negotiated cultures to understand the extent to which…

Examines some of the basic tenets that managers and researchers alike hold dear about how people work and communicate about their work. Proposes a new model of how communication brings two types of knowledge into play in organizations and suggests that these insights may open intriguing possibilities both for managing and for organizational…

Discussion of organizational change and performance improvement programs focuses on 10 guidelines for developing successful implementation plans. Highlights include defining a vision and mission; cultural considerations; forming a team; contingency plans; communication; employee education; monitoring mechanisms; and rewarding and recognizing…

Describes how American and Russian students engaged in service learning in their own communities as part of an organizational communication class in which they learned communication principles and applied their skills to assist non-profit organizations. Describes both projects, stumbling blocks, and course outcomes. (SR)

Analyzes mid-life professional women's experiences of growing older at work. Notes that women do not simply reproduce the decline narrative (experiencing and articulating growing older in terms of loss, isolation, and diminished material resources)--they also offer resistant stories. Highlights implications for theory and practice, and suggests…

When a disaster strikes, the affected population relies upon the swift response and aid rendered by relief organizations such as the California-based Direct Relief International. Since 1948, Direct Relief's mission has been to provide essential material resources to locally run health programs in areas affected by natural disasters, wars, and…

This article examines a 2004 crisis event that occurred when the president of a small private Catholic college was accused of sexually molesting boys earlier in his career. It discusses the crisis response of college officials with the institution's various publics, including students, faculty, alumni, and the media. Our purpose is twofold. First,…

The organizational-development approach argues that major educational innovations require changes in the culture of the school or college. This book demonstrates how strategies based on organizational development (OD) can bring about constructive organizational change in work settings. OD is based on the following assumptions: (1) Groups differ…

Researchers who have focused on issues of interpersonal communication in organizations have concluded that it is an essential component of organizational life. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the communicator image of human-resource managers. A survey instrument called the Norton Communicator Style Measure (CSM) was sent to…

This paper describes the conflicting leadership styles of two women administrators of a nonprofit organization, the Miracle Riders Program in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It also offers suggestions for how the executive director and a board member/program manager could work together toward a shared organizational objective. Miracle Riders, sponsored by…

Acknowledging that the fear of public speaking is widespread, this book guides the reader/communicator through 10 steps of writing and presenting a speech. The book is based on the idea that solid preparation and following a few basic rules makes public speaking easier and the finished product more dynamic. The book is divided into the following…

This book offers a set of stories in which corporate executives demonstrate the folly and futility of their own business practices. In the stories, 12 executives are trying to escape from a hell of their own making. The tales provide insights into the management woes with which people at all levels deal on a daily basis. Topics include: the…

This paper argues that while organizational research includes a diverse array of naturalistic approaches, a gap exists in the organizational literature that can only be filled by the ethnography of communication (EC). The paper proposes that, instead of using speech to do qualitative research, speech itself should be studied as the topic of…

Educational administrators cannot avoid interacting daily with diverse groups of people including teachers, students, parents, school boards, and the community around the school. Each of these groups has its own problems, needs, views, expectations, and demands which often conflict with the ideals, demands, and views of others in the educational…

The Organizational Communication Culture (OCC) method, designed by Charles A. Bantz (1993) was utilized as the primary method for analyzing messages coming from the administration of California State University, Northridge, after the earthquake. Bantz feels that communication interactions in an organization bring meanings and expectations to that…