Anecdotes about messages college presidents send to constituencies illustrate that language is powerful in conveying institutional values and expectations. Suggestions for using language more persuasively include (1) using terms that include rather than exclude and being sensitive to groups' preferred terminology; (2) avoiding inaccurate or…

Case Western Reserve University (Ohio) is hoping a high-powered campus information system will help diversify its student body and provide innovative education. A new optical-fiber network will connect computers in dormitory rooms, faculty and staff offices, classrooms, libraries, and laboratories and be linked with local, national, and…

Offers a case study of a merger of two local theaters. Finds that organizational change causes customers to change vendors; the announcement of a merger fuels efforts by competitors to "steal" market share; and organizational change leads to more organizational change. (SR)

Offers a description of a capstone course for undergraduates (majoring in either organizational or interpersonal communication) designed to help students understand and manage the interconnections between their personal and work lives. Discusses course assignments and evaluation as well as student response. (SR)

Analyzes newspaper accounts of the sociopolitical opposition encountered by the head of a state government agency forced to publicly apologize after attempting to control the external communication of an agency staff member with a reputation for organizational dissent. Discusses academic and applied implications of these findings for the emerging…

A corporate leader argues that higher education leaders must be prepared to manage change, and suggests focusing on results, communicating straight and openly, and delegating responsibility. An institutionwide communication program and greater efficiency are key elements in management change. (MSE)

Describes a communication course in organizational models and metaphors. Discusses teaching philosophy and six course units, including an exercise in organizational fieldwork. (SR)

For governing boards and college presidents to function effectively, a statement of mutual expectations is needed. A good statement forms the basis for future evaluations, helps the president know the board's specific expectations for performance, and focuses the board and the president on the same issues. (MSE)

Examines and compares the existing models of public relations education in the United States and Europe. Discusses differences in educational philosophy, skills versus theory training, and implications for professional advancement. Recommends a model based on knowledge rather than skills. (HB)

A small Idaho school district gained public support for a school levy by producing and distributing a videotape of school activities and district needs. The videotape provided a clear, concise presentation of information while avoiding confrontations that often occur with other methods of communication. (Author/SV)

Uses social exchange theory to explore communication in the adjustment process of transferees during the first three months at new locations. Develops descriptions of the process by which transferees learn their roles. Explores the impact of feedback and communication relationships on adjustment and the impact of social support as a buffer against…

Defines and describes cyber-collaboration as the process by which disparate-appearing components wired to the Internet (e.g., libraries, publishers, bookstores) deliberately move beyond their boundaries and merge so that mutually beneficial improvements occur. Discusses technological juxtaposition, creative collaboration, and opportunities for…

Describes briefly the author's research (contributing to scholarship on successful language practices in organizations) examining the conflicts, and specifically the discursive methods of solving these conflicts, faced by individuals within an organization as they negotiate competing demands. Offers a new tool (called Bracketing, Ranking, and…

Contributes to scholarship on technical communication and organizational politics and power. Shows how to analyze a power imbalance and succeed in ethically and diplomatically outflanking a more powerful gatekeeper. Argues that analysis of six power variables can help decide whether to go around a gatekeeper, force a concession, or take a chance.…

Explores the existence of multiple realities and the role they play in the social construction of suspected child abuse. Explores how the aesthetic experience acts to resolve the stress created by living a fractured state between the naturalized inclination and the simulation. Examines two narratives of former teachers relating an encounter with a…