A content analysis of the photographs included in four employee magazines was conducted for the period of 1978 to 1983 to investigate the manner in which the publications used photographs to carry messages about people, their relationship to the organization, and the work environment. The publications selected for analysis were all employee…

Based upon B. M. Montgomery's operationalization of flirting, a study tested flirting behaviors and interpretations of those behaviors in two contexts--social and work. Subjects were 27 students at a medium size southern private university, 43 nonstudent full-time employees from the same geographical area, 22 students in a large midwestern public…

One aspect of organizational work groups has been ignored by both group and organizational communication researchers. The concluding period or termination of an organizational work group is disregarded while research focuses on the assignment, development, and maintenance of groups. In the organizational context, how work groups process the…

This paper presents a summary of Murray Brown's family systems theory as it applies to the workplace, lists some indicators of when a system is working well, and cites some other guidelines for gauging and improving one's own functioning in the work system. Major concepts of Bowen's theory include: (1) the family and the workplace are systems; (2)…

This paper argues that communication researchers could benefit from incorporating a rules approach as a supplement to more traditional methods of organizational analysis. Two major flaws in the methodology of traditional organizational analysis are noted: failing to account for actor or participant meanings--how the actor interprets relationships,…

A study examined the uncertainty levels and types reported by supervisors and employees at three hierarchical levels of an organization: first-line supervisors, full-time employees, and part-time employees. It investigated differences in uncertainty-reduction strategies employed by these three hierarchical groups. The 61 subjects who completed…

As part of a project investigating how communication within hospital systems differs from communication in other types of organizations, the employees of a 40-bed hospital were surveyed for their attitudes on perceived uncertainty, internal patterns of communication in the hospital, and worker satisfaction. Variables that were studied included…

This paper argues that current theories and concepts of organization and organization psychology as represented in journals and books are inadequate in dealing with major contemporary behavioral and societal issues. The topics discussed in this paper include the relevance of organization theory; the fragmentation of organization theory (structure…

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,…

A study illustrated an interpretive approach to investigating personal commitment during radical organizational transition by examining how people talk metaphorically about commitment and identification as a process. A questionnaire was constructed to be used in phone interviews with six employee assistance program (EAP) counselors who contract…

Noting the importance of communication to the socialization process of individuals entering organizations, this paper examines how individuals move through different communication modes and make use of different communication skills as they progress from newcomers to organizational members. To accomplish this, the paper uses aspects of…

Many of the theories about communicating effectively in corporate structures as well as the accompanying pedagogy do not pertain to changes in corporate structure and communication brought about by Total Quality Management (TQM). TQM creates a work environment in which employees need problem-solving skills and interpersonal skills that allow them…

A study was conducted to determine (1) which actions municipal employees consider important to a city's overall public relations effort, (2) the attitudes of city employees toward public service activities, (3) the relationship between attitude and job satisfaction, and (4) ways to improve employee attitudes and, perhaps, public service…

A study examined how organizational members describe their use and perceptions of electronic mail systems. Fifty-five subjects with access to electronic mail systems were interviewed at two organizations. Results indicated that subjects used the electronic mail system in the following ways: 84% for memos, notes, and correspondence; 53% for voice…

Employees who "blow the whistle" on their company because they believe it is engaged in practices that are illegal, immoral, or harmful to the public, often face grave consequences for their actions, including demotion, harassment, forced resignation, or termination. The case of Allan McDonald and Roger Boisjoly, engineers who blew the…