Inquiry in educational administration draws on philosophy and science, since it addresses both moral and empirical issues. Educational administration is a highly complex field concerned with what educational organizations and settings should be, how they work, and what improvements are necessary. This paper reviews pitfalls awaiting discussions of…

Content analysis of 461 phone calls between complaining consumers and customer service representatives showed that both groups performed distinct communication roles; communication evolves from discussion of performance to attribution to equity issues; and communication is not standardized across service representatives. Implications for training…

Although administrators may view grapevines as threats to established leadership, informal communication is necessary to keep an organization functioning smoothly. No one can completely control the grapevine or its accuracy, but astute administrators can learn to cultivate and use informal communication systems wisely. (MLH)

Sketches and drawings are a means of communicating ideas in the design process. Students need help in overcoming the conditioned response of producing finished, polished work and in learning efficient and effective ways of communicating ideas through images. (SK)

Emotional responses affect interpretation of messages heard and raise barriers to effective listening. Teaching students to listen objectively and recognize emotional triggers will help them develop clearer understanding and result in better learning. (SK)

Extends prior research on communication barriers to the tax practitioner-IRS agent relationship. Provides survey responses from 98 tax practitioners pinpointing serious behavioral and personality barriers, inflexible thinking, technical competence, and close-minded attitudes of IRS agents. Suggests that the Internal Revenue Service might use…

Focuses on pronouns of address, especially the second person singular, in which many European languages make distinctions according to the degree of familiarity between the speaker and the person addressed. Discusses the problems these distinctions present (especially in literary works) to translators who work in languages where such nuances are…

Argues that nonliterary texts are often so muddled and inaccurate in their formulation that they call for exegesis and in-depth rewriting. Concludes that nonfiction translators become creative in their own right but in a different sense than the one usually connected with these terms in the context of literary translation. (NKA)

Investigates causes of ambiguities in the discourse resulting in the decision to launch the space shuttle "Challenger." Maintains that the source of that ambiguity was: (1) a social context with great pressure to launch; and (2) inappropriate conversational politeness strategies used to cope with that pressure. Discusses the lessons of…

Zenker offers 10 tips for keeping TV-era audiences interested in presentations. Chapman gives advice for trainers on coaching outside speakers for effective training presentations. (SK)

Argues that in literary translation, like the case of the two African novels in translation under examination, cross-cultural communication and miscommunication problems may occur. (14 references) (Author/VWL)

Arguments against a standardized language for nursing interventions are inflexibility, concern for clinical usefulness, and diminished professional judgment. Proponents argue that it will help develop nursing information systems, communicate the nature of nursing, and expand nursing knowledge. (SK)

Offers a personal narrative on how the author's own poetry helped her cope with the crisis of infertility, serving as a tool for self-discovery and healing. Suggests that specific advantages of poetry writing within the context of psychotherapy include problem solving; expression of feelings; insight; couple communication; and individual and…

Appreciation of the effect of reduced access to meaningful sounds due to hearing loss can help gerontologists understand clients' response behaviors that seem off target or out of place. Gerontologists should have the ability to assess the need for changes in communication patterns in order to assist older adults with quality of life issues. (SK)

The Chesapeake (Virginia) Public Schools' Laboratory School for the Academically Gifted provides gifted fifth- and sixth-graders with a one-day-a-week program of enhanced instruction. The school district's evaluation found high satisfaction with the program among students, parents, teachers, and administrators, but better communication between the…