Faculty culture and communication networks are pivotal components of technology transfer on university campuses. Universities are focused upon diffusing technology to external clients and upon building structure and support systems to enhance technology transfer. However, engaging faculty members in technology transfer requires an internal…

This article explores the uses of coaching and mentoring as they apply to organizational communication professors. The authors contend that these professors already are proficient at coaching and mentoring and the coaching and mentoring processes are routinely undertaken as part of their standard university teaching responsibilities. As coaches,…

This study examines the content of press releases from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Science and Technology Centers (STCs) to determine how public information officers (PIOs) presented the outcomes of centers to journalists and the public. A total of 68 press releases were analyzed for type of news covered, visibility of centers and their…

The purpose of this article is to evaluate value-add methods and activities applied to organizational communication college-level course work. Graduate organizational communication faculty are aware that their classes serve as direct preparation for students entering business and professional careers. The knowledge learned and the skills acquired…

This study examines the skills that recent technical communication graduates and managers believe technical communication students need before entering business and industry as new technical communicators. Through questionnaires and interviews with recent graduates and managers of technical communication departments as well as an analysis of the…

Examines the changing role of the technical communication professional in the rapidly evolving environment of organizational life. Presents five principles that serve as an initial step in laying a foundation for the preparation of technical communicators for the challenges and opportunities awaiting in contemporary organizations and the…

Presents a historical study of early mainframe computing that demonstrates ways in which computer documentation genres grew out of other document types. Suggests early forms of documentation were borrowed from existing genres, and that official and unofficial documentation existed concurrently, despite efforts to consolidate these divergent texts,…

Examines three sought-after Instructional Technology Outcomes (increased productivity, managed change, and enhanced human abilities) concluding that much of IT falls short through impoverished implementation planning and blind faith in technology to solve problems. Discusses four areas of opportunity. Argues that these factors may culminate in…

Offers a case study examining what happened when a production worker tried to improve manufacturing documentation, and how her success depended upon both her craft knowledge and the rhetorical skills she attributes to a Writing Across the Curriculum program she experienced in college. (SR)

Notes that corporate documents of a women's clothing company changed in one season from relatively outdated designs to more updated, professional layouts but the content changed very little. Contends that the document redesign indicates a move to a more feminist outlook for the company. Describes how the document design represents a slow change…

Presents a longitudinal study to identify trends in entry-level technology, interpersonal, and basic communication competencies and skills using entry-level classified newspaper advertisements from 10 standard United States metropolitan statistical areas. Finds that the overall trend for technology remains strong. (SC)

Suggests that investigating the play of texts in the organizations where professionals do their work should further knowledge about professional communication. Examines the development of communicative practices at a national production company that relied on texts to mediate its organizational activities across geographically dispersed locations…

Examines some examples of discourse practices among managers and employees in the customer service department of a large manufacturing firm. Shows how knowledge of the ways that language can both include and exclude people from cultural groups in the worksite can help professional communicators facilitate more effective and responsible…

Discusses gender-difference and gender-sameness theory in workplace communication. Presents an integrated paradigm of gender as only one of many contextually-based factors that characterize an organization's patterns. Critiques the gender-difference and gender-integrated paradigms with five criteria for theory effectiveness and provides an example…

States that group class exercises have the potential to provide important lessons for business education students. Describes organizational communication and marketing classes that applied team formation and team-building exercises to enrich the team experience and differentiate it from typical group work. (PA)