Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Crisis Communication And Organizational Image: A Study Of The Nasa Challenger And Exxon Valdez, Amy O'Connor

Masters Theses

This study examines the communication activities of two crises: the NASA Challenger and Exxon Valdez and investigates the effect of accommodative and defensive statements attributable to each crisis on organizational image. The survey design queried respondents about organization image with questions about trustworthiness, responsibility and willingness for future involvement with the organization, based on statements provided. Results indicated that when organizations issue accommodative statements during a crisis, participants rated overall organizational image more positively than when defensive statements were given. Research findings are discussed based on the symbolic approach to crisis communication and the investor response theory. The implications for …

The Pack Horse Library Project Of Eastern Kentucky: 1936-1943, Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer

Masters Theses

This study examines the Pack Horse Library Project, partially supported by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), in eastern Kentucky from 1936 to 1943 . The WPA supported the project by providing work relief for local women and a few local men. Communities, individuals, and organizations such as county boards of education, civic clubs, and Kentucky PTAs funded materials, operating expenses, and overhead. For hundreds of isolated mountain communities, schools, and individuals the Pack Horse Library Project provided the first public library service ever experienced.

The Pack Horse Library Project provided library service to an area of Kentucky that was geographically …

Reporting Technology: A Content Analysis Of Newsweek's Cyberscope Column, A. Scott Duncan

Masters Theses

Introduction: The Internet is perhaps the most rapidly developing communications technology in history (Eighmey and McCord 1998). In January 1995, there were 4.8 million people online. By January 1996, the number had almost doubled to 9.5 million (Lottor 1996). Today there are an estimated 110 million people worldwide using the Internet (NUA 1998). Most studies indicate that the primary use by consumers of the Internet is exploration and entertainment (Pitkow and Recker 1994: Eighmey and McCord 1998). However, consumers are not the only people using this new technology. Many businesses are trying to take advantage of this new commercial outlet. …

Importance Of Nonverbal Communication In The Employment Interview, Michelle E. Milano

Masters Theses

The employment interview includes elements that focus on nonverbal communication. Females and males view these nonverbal cues differently. A total of 22 male and 16 female employment interviewers completed quantitative and qualitative surveys concerning nonverbal cues. The data were analyzed using factor analysis, t-tests, and thematic analysis. Five factors, including self-presentation, coverbal cues, appearance, touch, and interviewee sex, emerged from the factor analysis. At 0.05, the t-tests show that females do perceive more nonverbal cues than do males. The qualitative results provide further insight into the quantitative results. These findings show the importance of nonverbal cues during an employment interview.

Intercultural Romantic Couples' Interactive Construction Of Relational Culture, Amie D. Kincaid

Masters Theses

This study explores intercultural romantic couples and their interactive construction of relational culture. Qualitative methods of inquiry appeared most useful for identifying the processes involved in the social construction of intimates' shared reality and, so, both Conversation Analysis and Joint Interviews were utilized. Five romantic couples whose partners were socilaized within different cultural communities participated in the study. Findings of this study suggest that intercultural romantic couples import cultural resources from their individual cultures into their joint relational culture. These cultural resources included foods, traditions, language, and values. Findings of ths study also suggest that two types of communicative episodes, …

Historical Romances: An Analysis Of Co-Constructed Narratives From Engaged Couples, Katie Himes

Masters Theses

By studying the manner in which romantic partners tell accounts of their relationship events, researchers can gain insight into the process of relational development. This study examines how five engaged couples socially construct their own shared reality. Using critical incidents, couples first individually described three critical incidents common to engaged couples, including: their first meeting, worst fight, and decision to become a mutually exclusive couple. Next, couples collaborated to produce a shared narrative of significant events in the relationship. Through content analysis, the use of conflict avoidance is examined as a means of creating the collective reality. This research provides …

The Making Of An Aids Quilt Panel: A Burkean Pentadic Analysis, Stephanie J. Poole

Masters Theses

Chapter I briefly discusses the development the AIDS Quilt, demonstrates the importance of the AIDS Quilt as a form of communication, provides an overview of the major academic works on the AIDS Quilt, and describes the methodology to be employed in this study. Chapter II discusses the history of quilting as a form of social culture and the history of the quilt as a form of activism. This study found that the use of the Burkean Pentad also requires a review of the major kinds of studies that historically and currently define the use of this framework within academic circles. …

Internet Access In East Central Illinois Public K-12 Schools, Gary Thomas Grissom Ii

Masters Theses

Internet access is becoming increasingly important to the public K-12 school system. This descriptive study reports on the current state of Internet access in east central Illinois public K-12 schools. Baseline data for Internet access have been collected that can be used to measure future progress. This study determined that 84.2 percent of public schools in east central Illinois have building level Internet access. Of the schools that reported Internet access, the mean student to computer with Internet access (SIA) ratio was 65.44. The mean student to computer (SCOM) ratio was 8.27. Analysis by type of connection revealed that 20.5 …

Women In Sports Journalism: Do The Barriers Still Exist?, Brandice A. Padgett

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Potential Of Token Tension: An Examination Of The Keynote Addresses Of Barbara Jordan And Susan Molinari, Julie E. Ferris

Masters Theses

Political parties are both an influential and an integral part of American politics. Parties are constantly trying to protect and expand this influence in many different ways; primarily by appearing inclusive of all groups. One strategy in this effort is to employ the use of token individuals who both symbolize the groups that the party wants to feel included and encourage a belief about the overall inclusive character of the political party. Thus, an examination of the creation of these token individuals and their use within the party becomes necessary. To do this, a critique of the rhetoric tokens produce …