This paper proposes a theoretical approach to mediated communication in organizations. It is argued that the man/machine interface in mediated human communication is better dealt with when a comprehensive theoretical approach is used than when separate communication devices are tested as they appear in the market, such as video-teleconferencing.…

Field research was conducted to evaluate the workgroup meetings of an organization. The evaluation served to determine whether management's established objectives for the meetings were reached and to develop research strategies useful in examining individual communication activities. Two questionnaires (for supervisory/nonsupervisory personnel)…

Outlines a theoretical framework of ethics, power, and communication in the workplace, which provides a backdrop for viewing ethical decisions. Explains that business managers are often caught in a dilemma between job pressures and personal ethical codes. Proposes communication as a means of fostering more ethical organizational behavior. (SG)

Changes in organizational structures, with less emphasis on bureaucracy, require new approaches to communication. One relatively new form of organization design is the "task force" or "project team" which is assigned to one specific short-term program, after which the team is dissolved and its members reassigned. A study of a project team in a…

Discusses a survey of 505 respondents from business organizations. Reports that self-described good decoders of nonverbal communication consider nonverbal communication more important than do other decoders. Notes that both men and women perceive women as both better decoders and encoders of nonverbal cues. Recommends paying more attention to…

The author believes that effective communication is an essential factor in overcoming differences and creating an environment where people can come together to learn, work, or play. Communication on the surface seems a straightforward endeavour. In practice, it is fraught with a multitude of issues that are dependent on the parties involved, who…

This article provides an overview of communication networks and the role of verbal behavior in behavioral systems analysis. Our discussion highlights styles of leadership in the design and implementation of effective organizational contingencies that affect ways by which coordinated work practices are managed. We draw upon literature pertaining to…

Explains and explores how organizations are using computer-mediated communication (CMC) and its broader category, computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW). Discusses how the introduction of CMC and CSCW applications alters the flow of information exchange within an organization and between organizations and creates different channels of and…

Develops a two-step framework (resistance to privileged discourse followed by harmonic discourse) for understanding multicultural communication in organizations based on the assumption of cultural difference. Suggests four directions for future research to create the data base that would allow development of a model of multicultural communication…

The Communication Role Assessment Measure (CRAM) is an application of role theory to organizational communication. Using a communication-based taxonomy, CRAM was developed to integrate previous research in the field and to assess the following elements: the amount of time spent by members of an organization in selected communication roles; their…

Discusses the goals, course units, instructional strategies, and tools for evaluation that might be used to equip students to understand interactive communication technologies in the workplace. (KEH)

This article provides a discussion of how different dynamics in production processes and communication structures in the organization serve as different environmental contingencies favoring different behavioral patterns and variability of performance in organizations. Finally, an elaboration on a systems perspective on the selection of corporate…

Discusses 12 factors that affect the need for improved communication and the frequent failure to meet that need. (Available from Buckeye Association of School Administrators, 750 Brooksedge Blvd., Westerville, Ohio 43081) (Author)

Human Communication in Organizations (HCO) is an introductory college course at Ithaca College, typically taken in the freshman year, in which students from a wide variety of majors examine the basic concepts, issues, and uses of organizational communication including communication theory, superior-subordinate and peer relationships, leadership,…

Investigating the networks of communication in organizations leads to an understanding of efficient and inefficient information dissemination as practiced in large systems. Most important in organizational communication is the role of the "liaison person"--the coordinator of intercommunication. When functioning efficiently, coordinators maintain…