Because the grapevine can precipitate managerial nightmares (employee resentment, distorted messages, instant diffusion of incendiary rumors), managers are well-advised to study this informal communications network and diffuse its organizational impact. This paper discusses the development, accuracy, resilience, and management of the grapevine.…

As part of an ongoing study of The Mediation Project at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst a mediation process was observed and recorded, followed by a group interview including both disputants and mediators. The two disputants had lived together for two years and had made several purchases together. They participated in the mediation…

Because internal communications are essential to school system success, monitoring, controlling, and refining communicative processes have become essential activities for the chief school administrator. (Available from Buckeye Association of School Administrators, 750 Brooksedge Blvd., Westerville, Ohio 43081) (Author/IRT)

Investigates the extent to which the perception of nighttime reality is shared by parents and children, and the affect of intra-family communication about sleep on the sharing of this reality. (ED)

An organizational need hierarchy can be used by consultants as a model for diagnosing organizational problems, after which an intervention plan can be made. The need hierarchy, which approximates Abraham Maslow's individual need hierarchy, is composed of five ascending levels related to organizational needs in the areas of survival of the…

Noting that the introduction of Videotex into the United States might precipitate significant public policy choices, this paper argues for a systematic assessment of the new technology and presents a methodological framework for dealing with its social impact. It then discusses 12 preliminary public policy concerns: (1) economic barriers to entry,…

THIS CONFERENCE SOUGHT TO DETERMINE THE ROLE OF NEW EDUCATIONAL MEDIA IN GUIDANCE. MEDIA AND ITS RELATED METHODOLOGY WERE EXPLORED, AND SPECIFIC MEDIA WERE DEMONSTRATED. THE PARTICIPANTS PROPOSED APPLICATIONS OF NEW MEDIA IN COUNSELING AND COUNSELOR EDUCATION, AND PREPARED GUIDELINES FOR THE UTILIZATION AND PRODUCTION OF FILMS AND FILMSTRIPS IN…

The literature reporting research on message distortion in organizations is reviewed in this paper. Topics covered include: definitions of distortion/fidelity; measures of message display; measures of message interpretation; categories of distortion/fidelity derived from laboratory research; definitions of distortion/fidelity in naturalistic…

Ninety-six subjects were randomly chosen from 386 bank customers who responded to a questionnaire using subjective variables to segment or label respondents. A review of subjective segmentation studies revealed that the studies can be divided into three approaches--benefit segmentation, attitude segmentation, and life style segmentation. Choosing…

THE CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS PUBLICATION EXAMINE HYPOTHESES ABOUT FAMILY LIFE AND SOCIETAL PRESSURES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON THE CHILDREN OF THE RICH AND POOR. PROFESSOR HYLAN LEWIS FOCUSES HIS ATTENTION ON THE INTERRELATION OF ETHNICITY, RACE, AND POVERTY, PARTICULARLY THE RELATED ISSUES OF ONE-PARENT FAMILIES, FAMILY PLANNING, AND THE GUARANTEED…

This document on Canadian communication theory is divided into four major sections. The first section examines the work of Harold Innis as a distinctively Canadian effort to establish a theory of communications that is true to the realities of Canadian existence and yet is applicable to the history of communication in other parts of the world. The…

Two studies sought to investigate two levels (high vs. low) of guilt-shame arousing appeals in the areas of adoption and needy children on expressed guilt, attitudes toward the communicator and communication, information retention, and intended and actual commitment to various behaviors. Subjects were 68 adult men and women drawn from Presbyterian…

Reports on the AMS Conference on Communication Problems in the Mathematical Sciences which was organized by the Society's Committee to Monitor Problems in Communication is presented. The scientific program of the conference included a number of special addresses and five panel discussions. Among the items discussed were (1) the need for founding a…

After a three-year study of scientific and technical communications, the Scientific and Technical Communication (SATCOM) Committee concluded that future communication needs will necessitate strengthening the diverse information network now being employed. The SATCOM Report attempted to do this by indicating areas in which greater effort was…

This sixth annual report describes progress achieved by the Federal Government in improving the communication of scientific and technical information to support and enhance national science and technology. Included in the report are details regarding the scientific and technical activities of individual Federal Agencies, such as the Atomic Energy…