A study reveals that principals' grapevine structure shows both "guild-like" and "clan-like" grouping and reflects the patterns of occupational socialization of school principals and informal boundary spanning processes. (Author/JM)

Boundary-spanning work occurs when persons are members of two or more groups. This article outlines the functions of boundary roles in organizations and discusses deleterious and beneficial consequences of engaging in boundary-spanning activity. (Author)

Reviews the literature in order to discover how organizational communication authors have defined the subject. (FL)

Discusses how to improve the effectiveness of staff meetings. Suggests important considerations: determining whether a meeting is needed, determining its purpose and objectives, developing the agenda, timing, facilitating group discussion, keeping and distributing minutes, and evaluating effectiveness. (CSS)

Management considerations are discussed for the use of computer output microfilm (COM) in offices relying heavily on computer-produced documents. University of Illinois experiences are reviewed with regard to these issues: who uses COM, savings made, what makes COM seem unattractive, easing into a new system, and new technology. (MSE)

Examines factors within newspaper organizations that affect how hard reporters work in covering campaigns: (1) the influence of organizational structure and (2) the journalist's concept of professionalism. (PD)

Discusses media coverage of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant before and during the disaster. Concludes that there was a communication breakdown prior to the accident. Outlines the causes and offers suggestions for avoiding similar breakdowns in the future. (JMF)

Examines the impact of different combinations of verbal, vocal, and facial cues on perceptions of supportiveness and sincerity in communications between superiors and subordinates. Compares this message processing with that in peer relationships. (JMF)

Guidelines are offered to a college or university for conducting a communication audit. These include steps in planning the audit, use of the variety of tools available for administering the audit, the development and feedback to the institution, and development of recommendations to improve institutional communication. (JMF)

Establishing evaluation objectives requires formal, frequent, and extensive interaction among program evaluators and administrators to obtain from administrators the information necessary to make the most effective choices in planning and carrying out evaluations. Three techniques are described that can be used to ensure that this interaction is…

Studies communication techniques of small groups engaged in producing multimedia messages. Indicates that the quality of the product, measured by audience evaluation, is affected by characteristics of the leader's communication, openness of the group's communication system, and member participation in group activities. (JMF)

The functions and purposes of the newly founded National Association of Parish Coordinators are discussed. (RW)

Argues that the influences of gender on intercultural communication are important and too often overlooked. Examines gender roles and business communication in the United States and other countries. Concludes that the influence of gender and perceptions of gender roles in target cultures should be an important part of international business and…

Examines the influence of culture on persuasive managerial communication in the People's Republic of China. Finds that the interrelated cultural values of group-centeredness, hierarchy, and "face concern" were reflected most often, followed by political ideology and changing managerial roles. (SR)

Argues that, just as the challenge in a global economy is to develop new frameworks and then communicate them effectively, the challenge to Masters of Business Administration education is to prepare students for negotiating wholly new communication challenges. States that communication is integral to the process of problem solving in the…