This paper explores and attempts to answer some of the fundamental questions and challenges brought against organizational communication scholars who follow the critical tradition. Specifically addressed in the paper are the following issues: (1) the vocabulary of critical theory; (2) assumptions and goals of critical theory; (3) critical theory…

Although a large body of research exists regarding the construct of "socialization," scholars have no universally accepted definition of this construct. Additionally, scholars have used the term to describe several different components of both structural and communication dynamics without agreeing upon a metaphor or general acceptance of…

Realizing that communications theory and research have little to do with organizational life, a communications scholar decided to become an organizational participant while still analyzing events and episodes in a scholarly way. In the spring of 1986, he joined the board of directors of Interface Precision Benchworks (IPB), a not-for-profit…

Public relations (PR) research on the teaching of critical thinking shows that PR practitioners must possess the communications skills and social sensitivity necessary to help organizations adapt to their environments. PR students must learn to think critically and to take an active role in learning. Practice in questioning educators' and…

This paper describes a student internship program available to students majoring in public relations, radio-television, or organizational communication at Purdue University Calumet in Hammond, Indiana, through which an average of 10 students per semester (since 1986) have interned at a variety of broadcast and business institutions. The paper…

A study was conducted to examine the relationship between three employee variables--perceived job satisfaction, ambiguity tolerance, and locus of control--and an employee's propensity to participate actively in the organization's communication network (network propensity). Relevant data were gathered from 108 members of an engineering firm who…

A study examined the relationship between organizational communication systems and organizational culture and between culture and two human relations-based outcomes--satisfaction and commitment. Subjects were 26 college students who were assigned positions in one of two simulated, bureaucratic organizations that functioned for four class periods.…

Concerned with imprecision in researchers' use of the word, "interpretive," this report draws from the work of Max Weber to describe the characteristics of an interpretive science of organizational communication and then briefly lists some advantages of following the interpretive approach. First examining the role of subjective meaning…

Triangulation, the combination of methodologies in the study of the same phenomenon, can be used to address a number of concerns arising in organizational communication research. This approach was used in a study of organizational culture by employing qualitative interview research to help interpret or place in context the results of statistical…

Communication technology (CT), which involves the use of computers in private and group communication, has had a major impact on theory and research in organizational communication over the past 30 years. From the 1950s to the early 1970s, mainframe computers were seen as managerial tools in creating more centralized organizational structures.…

In order to determine whether organizational communication (OC) had matured as an academic field, a study examined the course structure, course content, and teaching practices of a variety of OC courses. A 19-item questionnaire was sent to 762 OC professionals, 73 of whom indicated that they actually taught OC courses. Results showed that the…

A study investigated evangelist Billy Graham's numerical success in using "the invitation" and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's (BGEA) follow-up plan to preserve the beneficial effects of Christian commitment and to minimize commitment attrition. Statistics on audience response gathered throughout Graham's ministry attest to…

This study examined the potential applicability of educational technologies to the Minnesota Extension Service (MES), which delivers non-credit, educational programming to Minnesota citizens through 91 county extension offices in the state's 87 counties. A total of 62 MES field staff members participated in information-gathering meetings where…

Teaching organizational video is best accomplished by integrating organizational communication theory, rhetorical theory, and video production planning in one course. Focus on the individual project is the most beneficial as a stand-alone segment and as a highlight of the planning process that may be part of a corporate communication employee's…

A study developed and tested a communication and physical environment scale (CAPES) that consisted of items formulated from previous theoretical and empirical research. Subjects, 52 workers in a warehouse and its offices, completed questionnaires about information dissemination in their organization, the quality of organizational relationships,…