Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Study Of The Viability Of African American Adoption Recruitment Videotapes As A Promotional Tool For The One Church, One Child Of Pennsylvania, Incorporated Recruitment Campaign, Renee B. Gettys

Theses and Dissertations

Recognizing the enormous number of African American children in foster care in Pennsylvania, members of the Pennsylvania African American clergy, led by Reverend William B. Moore and the Honorable John F. White, Jr., Secretary of Public Welfare met with Governor Robert Casey in 1987.

This successful meeting resulted in the development of the One Church, One Child of Pennsylvania, Incorporated in 1987. The program is a branch of the national One Church, One Child organization, founded by Father George Clements in Chicago, 1970.

One Church, One Child of PA, Inc. is a non profit corporation in partnership with the Department …

A Study Of Empowered Employees At Two Sears, Roebuck And Company Department Stores, Wellington Watts

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed and compared the results of two surveys. The first survey of 40 empowered employees was conducted at the Sears department store in Deptford, New Jersey. The second survey of 40 empowered employees was conducted at the Sears department store in Alexandria, Virginia.

Both surveys tried to determine if being empowered helped employees feel valued by the company. The surveys also tried to determine if being empowered helped employees improve customer service and if managers upheld their obligations to let employees solve customer problems.

The survey results showed that empowered employees at both stores felt they were better …

Guide To Web Site Promotion: How Companies Can Draw More Qualified Traffic To Their World Wide Web Sites, Donald L. Dunnington

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compile techniques available to public relations practitioners to promote World Wide Web sites to a targeted business-to-business audience, Without an active promotion program, using a variety of online and offline media, companies are unlikely to draw sufficient qualified traffic to their web sites to justify the cost of a site. Web technology is changing so fast, and content and usage are growing so quickly, that the only way to keep up is through use of online resources. Finding the resources specifically focused on web site promotion can be daunting, however, without guidance as …

Telecommuting (And Its Effect On Productivity And Morale), Shown M. Swangin-Horton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the type of effect telecommuting would have on employee morale and productivity. The sample population consisted of one hundred companies and corporations from seven eastern states.

The study indicates that telecommuting had a positive effect on respondents, as their morale and productivity increased. However, some expressed concern about resentment from on site employees and resistance from management regarding the program.

The researcher concluded that with economic, social and environmental concerns, telecommuting can be considered a feasible work solution.

A Study Of Political Campaign Communication Tactics, Janine M. Aruanno

Theses and Dissertations

This study identified issues and campaign elements important to registered voters in Atlantic County during the 1995 general election. In addition, it measured the importance of issues versus party affiliation and character.

The researcher surveyed 197 registered voters in New Jersey's second legislative district. The survey queried voters about their campaign and candidate preferences in the race for the New Jersey State Assembly.

The study determined the importance of several campaign elements: channels, messages, party affiliation and voting records, Additionally, the research showed which issues sparked interest in voters.

Finally, the research determined that party affiliation and effective campaigning are …

The Impact Of Intranets On College And University Public Relations Professionals, Daniel Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to determine the impact of intranets with regard to the future job responsibilities and functions of public relations professionals in the field of higher education.

The hypothesis of this paper was that as more and more colleges and universities begin embracing intranets as a communication tool, the issue of information management will arise. The question of who or what department will be responsible for the information that is placed on an educational institution's intranet will be consistent and problematic.

College and university public relations professionals need to be aware of the problems, opportunities, changes …

Interdisciplinary Public Relations: A Curriculum For Undergraduate Study At Oakwood College, Patrice Thomas Conwell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to create a public relations curriculum for undergraduate study to prepare students as effective practitioners and communicators in the 21st century.

Public relations education has changed over the years to meet the needs and trends of the industry, and today is no exception. The continued rise of Integrated Marketing Communications, and the desire to strengthen the counseling and management functions of public relations make it necessary to evaluate undergraduate curricula to ensure students are being properly prepared to enter the workforce.

The undergraduate curricula of 11 schools were analyzed and compared for subject matter …

Seashore Tourism Brochures And Advertising: Characteristics Of Effectiveness, Andrew Cripps

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the visual design elements that contribute to the effectiveness of seashore tourism brochures and print advertising.

For the first part of the study, the researcher interviewed seven tourism communications professionals for resorts from Cape Cod, Mass., to Virginia Beach, Va. The researcher asked them to indicate the most effective elements in the following categories: brochure format, color tones, overall tone, use of text, style of text, use of photos and the elements within those photographs.

The researcher also conducted a survey of a non-random sample of 31 potential seashore resort visitors. The …

An Assessment Of The Sister Cities International Program As An International Public Relations Entity, Laura A. Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

Going global is the business perspective for the 21st century. Unfortunately, global perspective from American business and organization is limited. With the world shrinking at an astonishing pace, organizations need to find their communication channels to their international publics.

The purpose of this study was to learn if the techniques used in the Sister Cities International Program are effective for international public relations. The findings of this study would prove helpful to international public relations professionals in planning their own programs based on the effectiveness of the Sister Cities Program.

Five cities were evaluated based on their activities, public relations …

A Study Of Selected Hebrew High Schools In Cherry Hill, New Jersey To Determine How They Confront The Problem Of Assimilation In The American Jewish Community, Linda Friedman

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the goals and curricula of two supplementary Hebrew high schools and questions whether they changed their focus after the release of the 1990 Council of Jewish Federations' National Jewish Population Survey, which cited a 52% rate of intermarriage since 1985. The study investigates the synagogues' response to the reported 52% rate of intermarriage, as well as the response of the south Jersey Jewish community as a whole. It probes successful strategies for synagogues and their staff to increase the retention rate of their post bar/bat mitzvah students, through their confirmation.

By means of interviews with rabbis, principals, …

A Survey Of The 1997 Whitesbog Preservation Trust Membership To Determine Motivational Factors That Successfully Encouraged Members To Join Or Renew Membership In Whitesbog Preservation Trust, Patricia L. Frasier

Theses and Dissertations

A survey was conducted to determine what factors successfully motivated members to join or renew membership in the Whitesbog Preservation Trust (a.k.a. the Trust). The survey was sent to 127 members who responded to the 1997 annual membership letter sent in December 1996. Of the 127 members who received the survey, 70 responded.

The survey asked respondents to identify the Seasonal Series event or other factor(s) that motivated them to become or renew membership in the Trust. The survey also included a section on demographics for the purpose of analyzing the data. The statistical analysis of the survey was done …

A Case Study To Evaluate The Strategies And Techniques Used By The Cooper Foundation And Radio Station Wxtu, 92.5 Fm, To Coordinate And Conduct The First Annual Wxtu Cooper Kids Radiothon Broadcast, January 24 And 25, 1997, Randi Woerner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the strategies and techniques used by The Cooper Foundation and radio station WXTU, 92.5 FM, to coordinate and conduct the first annual WXTU Cooper Kids Radiothon broadcast, January 24 and 25, 1997.

To start the evaluation process, a telephone survey was carried out by the author. To produce a +/- 8% margin of error, at the 95% confidence level, the author conducted 150 telephone surveys of donors who called-in pledges during the 1997 Radiothon. The systematic random sample method was used to draw names from the master list of 1100 Radiothon donors. …

Creating Effective Employee Newsletters, Linda M. Blair

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose was to produce a source of information and procedures for readers to create and maintain a high quality employee newsletter. Today it is difficult for companies, both small and large, to maintain good communication between management and employees. Lack of and poor communication are major problems in the workplace. It is necessary for companies to create and maintain a timely and well written newsletter to inform, communicate, recognize and motivate employees. The primary research performed for this study included a completed questionnaire from twenty professionals who had won an award in their professional society and five other noted …

A Case Study Of The Restoration Of College Athletic Programs And Academic Image, Edward P. Callinan

Theses and Dissertations

The study was designed to show that public relations is an integral part of a college's athletic program.

The researcher conducted questionnaires and solicited interviews of 15 individuals from three different institutions The three chosen schools were Fordham University, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Those interviewed from each school included the coach of the selected team, the public relations director, an athlete of the selected team, student government president, and professor.

This study proved that public relations is necessary to restore a college athletic team's image. It also found that division affiliation, the language the …

The Relationship Among Sports Reporters, Coaches And Sports Information Directors Regarding Student-Athlete Interviews, Scott Ronaghan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis sought to determine if sports information directors were preparing their student athletes for media interviews. The author surveyed SIDs and student athletes from 30 different ECAC institutions sponsoring men's basketball. Also surveyed were newspaper reporters who cover the respective schools. A major portion of the survey involved the amount of media training SIDs conduct for their student-athletes.

Two-thirds of the 18 SIDs said they trained their student athletes for interviews. The most common technique SIDs used was one-on-one meetings with the student athletes. Representing the team in a positive light was the most Common subject stressed to the …

A Study Of The Presence Of Bias In Reporting On The Socially Sensitive Issue Of Abortion, Benjamin E. Martin

Theses and Dissertations

In a content analysis of news articles and a survey of newspaper editors, this study determined if bias in print media can be detected through the content of news writing.

For the content analysis, news articles dealing with abortion were taken from the New York Times and the Washington Post. The articles, which appeared between Oct. 5 and Nov. 5, 1996, are straight news stories and do not include editorial or opinion articles. Coders were given a series of ten questions to answer for each article. For the survey, editors in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania were surveyed …

The Effects Of Print Advertising Campaigns On Consumers' Attitudes Towards Physician Primary Care Practices Affiliated With Jefferson Health System, Maryann Lobianco

Theses and Dissertations

Due to managed care, the recent, rapid changes in healthcare forced hospitals to form health systems by joining with other hospitals and individual physician practices. As these health systems form, the competition for patients increases as does the need to keep consumers abreast of the changes within the forming health systems.

As a result, both health systems and physician practices launched advertising campaigns to reach these consumers. These campaigns must be tested for their effectiveness.

Two major healthcare competitors, Jefferson Health System and Main Line Health System, recently affiliated and formed Great Valley Health, which is a physician primary care …

A Historical Study Of Payola: Advertising And Public Relations Or Bribery, Christina Guadagno

Theses and Dissertations

Payola helps get songs played on radio stations. Decades ago, it involved record company promoters giving cash, marijuana and other inducements to disc jockeys so they would add a new song to their playlist. The courts always found the disc jockey at fault.

Then in 1973, the courts began to go after the record companies. This caused the record companies to seek a middleman – independent promoters. Independent promoters helped record companies get songs added to the playlist so record companies did not have to deal with radio stations directly.

Some independent promoters gave large amounts of cash, harder drugs …

The Effect Of Radio Distance Education On Rowan University's Image, Gregory C. Potter Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This study determined the effects a distance education course on Rowan University's campus radio station has on the image of the institution. The study also examined how a distance education program could enable Rowan to reach the goals of its strategic plan.

Four focus groups of Rowan University students revealed their attitudes about the university's image, distance education, radio as a medium for distance education and what effects distance education has on collegiate image. The focus groups included traditional and non-traditional students, students enrolled in the radio distance education course at Rowan University and students not enrolled in the course. …

Company Logos' Contribution To Corporate Image, Jeanette L. Iversen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the use of company logos in corporate identity systems and their contribution to corporate image. Logos – or trademarks – identify and differentiate companies and their products, services or ideas. While logos tell about a company's personality, they cannot work in a vacuum – logos communicate along with other components of a corporate identity system.

The researcher conducted a survey study to measure consumers' attitudes toward company logos and the image contribution of the logo. This study was based on the LogoValue Surveys, conduced between 1991 and 1994 by Interbrand Schechter, a …

An Annotated Bibliography For The Jewish Holocaust Curriculum For Aura School, Elk Township, N.J., Eileen May Goodman

Theses and Dissertations

With the adoption of the New Jersey State Mandate for teaching Jewish Holocaust Education and other genocides, a curriculum was written for Aura School. To complete the project and make the literature easily accessible, an annotated bibliography of books related to Holocaust studies was constructed for the school to assist the student as well as the teaching staff.

After reviewing the curriculum from the State of New Jersey as well as the one written for Aura School, a compiling of recommended books from the school library was formulated. Subjects other than the Holocaust were referenced, such as: World War II, …

Promoting Student Interest In The Whole Language Reading Program For Grades 4-6 In Somers Point, Nj, Including An Annotated Bibliography, Diane M. Drayer

Theses and Dissertations

A reading interest survey was conducted in an attempt to evaluate the whole language reading program in the intermediate grades 4-6. The survey was distributed to seventeen 4-6 grade classes, and students were asked to record their favorite books of the past year. Novels that are a part of our whole language reading program overwhelmingly ranked as student favorites. The survey resulted in the conclusion that literature in our reading program interested students the most.

Based on this information, an annotated bibliography was created for each novel read as part of our whole language program in Somers Point, Thematically-related complementary …

Information Technology Inservice Workshops For The Teachers Of The Cooper B. Hatch Middle School, Camden, New Jersey, Frank J. Indriso

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project is to provide information technology inservice workshops for the teachers of the Cooper B. Hatch Middle School in Camden, New Jersey.

These workshops were developed in response to an ever present need to educate the teaching staff of the Cooper B. Hatch Middle School, regarding the use of the information technology found in the library. The lack of information technology skills was observed by the media specialist through working in the library with the teaching staff and their students over the course of the last school year. The media specialist will work with the teaching …

Law Libraries And The Layperson: A Bibliography Of Self-Help Books, Kristen M. Mckeaney

Theses and Dissertations

Although the goal of a comprehensive legal library is to be a resource to professionals and the general public, the issue of providing legal assistance to laypersons via the library is a complex one. Compiling the legal resources to benefit the lay public is challenging. This paper attempts to systematically identify and suggest resources following pre-set criteria of affordability, content usefulness, timeliness and reasonableness of management.

The primary form of this paper is a bibliography following a subject specific format. The bibliography is further defined into sections of legal reference books, internet sites, legal directories, general references and agencies. The …

Analyst Communication For Natural Gas Utilities, Randolph P. Ryerson

Theses and Dissertations

This study's purpose was to investigate whether investor relations professionals from natural gas local distribution companies effectively communicate with their industry's analysts.

Two surveys were designed to compare and contrast the opinions of analysts and LDC IR pros. Surveys were mailed to 15 leading gas industry analysts and 10 LDC IR pros. Ten analysts and 10 LDC IR pros responded. The major findings include:

Sixty percent of the analysts felt communications with IR pros were only somewhat successful while 70 percent of the LDC IR pros ranked the communication as highly successful.

Fifty percent of the analysts ranked one-on-one meetings …

The Changing Role Of The Physician As A Consequence Of The "Gag Clause" In Managed Health Care Contracts, Emily Riley

Theses and Dissertations

In November 1995, at a meeting of the Managed Health Care Congress, Harvard Medical School professor and physician Dr. David Himmelstein, delivered a presentation that included a slide of what he called the "gag clause" in his U.S. Healthcare contract. Dr. Himmelstein explained that he was being restricted in what he could say to his patients - three days later, U.S. Healthcare terminated his contract.

This event, coupled with Dr. Himmelstein's appearance two weeks later on the Donahue Show, sparked a flood of media attention and, in turn, a public outcry. Managed health care, designed to regulate and curtail growing …

An Analysis Of The Design, Implementation And Measurement Of A 401k Employee Communication Campaign For Checkpoint Systems, Inc. Headquarters Employees To Evaluate Their Understanding Of The Plan, Gina Marie Redrow

Theses and Dissertations

This project evaluates the effectiveness of a 401(k) communications campaign for employees at Checkpoint Systems, Inc. headquarters located in Thorofare, New Jersey.

Information searches for relevant literature were conducted through several databases cataloging books, periodicals, journals and articles. The findings of this literature search identified elements of effective 401(k) communication campaigns. These elements were used as a guide to measure the design of Checkpoint's plan.

Focus groups were conducted with managers and employees to determine their understanding of the plan and obtain feedback to be used as evaluation. The compiled data was analyzed to determine the overall effectiveness of the …

A Measure Of The Effectiveness Of A Service Improvement Video Used In The Fiscal Year 1997 Communications Plan For The Allegheny Area Of The Usps, Raymond V. Daiutolo

Theses and Dissertations

This project measured the effectiveness of a service improvement video prepared by the U S Postal Service's Allegheny Area Corporate Relations department. The video was directed at the letter carrier craft and disseminated to the ten postal districts comprising the Allegheny Area in October 1996.

Information searches for relevant literature were conducted through several databases cataloging books, periodicals, journals and articles with the use of video communication as part of an employee awareness and training strategy.

This thesis activity reported on the effectiveness of the inaugural video using information collected from interviews with South Jersey letter carriers; a survey of …

Annotated Bibliography Of Asian Literature, Lisa Brownback

Theses and Dissertations

Many changes have happened in the world. One change is the growing curiosity of other cultures. One way to learn about other cultures is through literature. The purpose of this thesis is to present an annotated bibliography of Asian literature for the public library. Since Asia covers a large area, this thesis will only view literature from India, China, and Japan.

Two public libraries, two college libraries, and reference books were examined to get an impression of books that should be in a public library. To be able to pick constantly the best books, a library needs a selection policy. …

Integrating Multicultural Literature Into The Curriculum At Pyne Poynt Family School, Camden, New Jersey, Corlette D. Mays

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis documents the importance of multicultural literature in educational environments and provides strategies for implementing the literature into the curriculum. Without the knowledge and the background of what's available in this particular genre and how it can used effectively, integration of materials into the curriculum cannot occur.

The African American and Hispanic American bibliographies were developed from the materials in the Pyne Poynt Family School Library to be used as teaching tools for the staff when developing resource based units of instruction and assignments. With this awareness, usage of the multicultural materials in the collection should increase over a …