Communication Commons^™

How To Be An Effective Lobbyist: A Handbook, Yolette Cabrini Ross

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this research project was to develop a handbook for novice lobbyists that will acquaint them with the art of lobbying as it applies to the state of New Jersey. The handbook examines the professional relationship that exists between legislators and lobbyists. An analysis of the behavior and practices of lobbyists as they interact with legislators was conducted along with the interacting roles the two professions play in the legislative process. A review of several sources of information such as political science literature, political journals, practitioner essays and several newspaper sources were conducted to supplement the research. …

The Effect Of Tempo Variances On Listener's Preference, Stephen D. Boyd

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Humanities at Morehead State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Communications by Stephen D. Boyd on December 3, 1999.

Implementation Of Speech Recognition Software For Text Processing: An Exploratory Analysis, Sean P. Abell

Theses and Dissertations

The rationale behind implementing new information technologies is often to gain productivity improvements associated with the substitution of machinery for labor. However, the literature shows little direct evidence of a positive relationship between information technology investment and subsequent productivity benefits. This thesis reports on the examination into the productivity implications of implementing speech recognition software in a text processing environment. More specifically, research was conducted to compare text processing speeds and error rates using speech recognition software versus the keyboard and mouse. Of interest was the time required to input and proofread text processing tasks as well as the number …

Impact Of Actual Facilitator Alignment, Co-Location, And Video Intervention On The Efficacy Of Distributed Group Support Systems, Brian J. Heberlie, Mary O. Tolbert

Theses and Dissertations

The growth of distributed group support systems (GSS) suggests that organizations will continue to bring dispersed groups of people together to make decisions over computer networks. In many instances those groups are temporarily assembled to address a task and then summarily disbanded never to work together again. In order for users to effectively use the GSS issues of trust and control need to be addressed within the GSS design. Users have perceptions about the fairness of structural and social determinants of the GSS design. These perceptions influence both the decision making process and process outcomes. This article shows the negative …

Why Didn’T You Tell Me?: Toward Building A Model Of Why Information Is Not Shared Well In Organizations, Robert C. Kitchen

Theses and Dissertations

The effective use of information in an organization is vital to its success. One of the biggest investments being made today by companies is in their information infrastructures. However, with all of the resources being dedicated to improving information flows, evidence shows that organizations still do not share information as widely as they could or should be. Many studies have been conducted to learn the reasons why people in organizations do not share information as well as would be good. However, no study was found that reported the relative frequency of reported reasons for not sharing information. This paper gathers …

An Assessment Of Mentoring Functions And Barriers To Mentoring, Kristopher A. Singer

Theses and Dissertations

A study of 91 Coast Guard junior officers and their mentors established the construct validity for mentoring functions and barriers to mentoring. The Air Force relies on supervisors to provide mentoring to their subordinates. The key predictors of whether junior officers report their supervisors as mentors were similarity between mentor and mentee and the quality of the supervisory relationship in terms of LMX and psychosocial and career development mentoring functions. The results demonstrated evidence for a compensatory theory of mentoring. Multiple mentors do not have a synergistic effect on mentoring relationships. The key predictors of reporting an additional mentor (other …

Moderating Effects Of Station Isolation On Antecedents And Consequences Of Fraternization, Tonya M. Luther

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to analyze any differences in reported incidents of fraternization based on relative isolation of location. To fulfill this purpose, a variety of types of fraternization cases were reviewed and analyzed. All data extracted was coded across five factors of fraternization and punishment. Statistical tests determined whether differences in fraternization factors were due to common error or to true differences based on relative isolation of location. Seven different hypotheses relating fraternization and location were tested. Statistical analysis showed that reported fraternization incidents are more likely to be of a sexual nature and involve people of …

Interactivity And The ‘Cyber-Fan’: An Exploration Of Audience Involvement Within The Electronic Fan Culture Of The Internet, Victor Costello

Doctoral Dissertations

This study investigates the relatively new uses of the Internet by television fans for keeping up with their favorite television programs and for interacting with other fans through on-line channels of interpersonal communication. A distinction is made between traditional television fans and a newly emerging segment of the fan population that routinely uses the Internet to supplement the viewing of their favorite television program. The name cyber-fan is used to describe this savvy and innovative member of television fandom.

The study was designed within a uses and gratifications framework in an effort to specifically observe the behavior of cyber-fans within …

Mutton In The Melting Pot: Food As Symbols Of Communication Reflecting, Transmitting, And Creating Ethnic Cultural Identity Among Urban Navajos, Kevin Allen Gore

Communication ETDs

The purpose of this study has been to determine how food and food behaviors communicate symbolic meaning that reflects, transmits, and creates ethnic cultural identity among urban Diné. The effect of place is considerable in influencing the choice of foods, and also the enactment of specific food-related behaviors. Food and food behaviors elicit and are indicative of Diné patterns of communication. The findings are derived from participant observation, semi-structured interviews, extensive academic and general literature on food, culture, and communication, and furthermore, illustrated by photographs highlighting Diné food and food behaviors. Research on the sense of smell was included …

The Education Of Persons With Developmental Disabilities In South Africa During Apatheid [!] And The First Post-Apartheid Government : A Policy Study, Kine I. Mitchell

Electronic Dissertations and Theses

The amalgamation of four distinct education systems, their respective financial situations, and the separate law governing them has presented a complex problem to the South African government. The following thesis is a study of the public policy governing the provision of special education within the South African education system. The work also includes the voices of policy makers and the persons who implement that policy, principals and teachers taken in interview form. Analysis of the law and interpretation of information gathered in interviews, has led the author to embrace a conceptual framework based in inclusion theory for the provision of …

Media Opportunities For African-American Women In The Baton Rouge Area Compared To The National Average, Katrina N. Mabry

Electronic Dissertations and Theses

For many years the media has been dominated by whites, showing disregard for the minority population of the United States. The media of the country lacks diversity with race and gender. This study focuses on the newspaper, radio and television media in the local area and compared its employment of African American women to the national averages of employment for the United States. Because the media is Louisiana lacks diversity, the opportunities for employment for African American females are slim. This study focuses on radio, television, and newspaper media and finds which avenue is best for African American women to …

Objectivity And International News : Newsweek And Time News Reports On The 1989 Chinese Student Movement, Jin Yang

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

A central question in mass media research concerns whether the American press observes the journalistic norm of objectivity or not. Some scholars believe that the American press covers international news from the American perspective. They also propose that the American press is dominated by such American ideologies as ethnocentrism, individualism, anticommunism and free market economic principles. But there are other scholars who argue that the American press holds a detached and objective manner toward international affairs. This study attempts to apply W. L. Bennett's theory of political symbolism to approach the issue of objectivity. A content analysis is designed to …

Intranets Vs. Printed Publications As Effective Employee Communication Tools, Paula S. Hoffman

Theses and Dissertations

Intranets, driven by time and cost-efficiencies, recently emerged as a major corporate communication tool. However, do employees want their company news delivered via an Intranet or do they prefer reading traditional printed publications?

This study's purpose is to determine employees' preferences and constraints concerning Intranet internal news delivery and content. These findings will guide communication managers in delivering effective Intranet content, design and programming.

This study surveyed 100 employees in a self-select method from the Philadelphia area who read company news on an Intranet for at least six months. The survey probed attitude and behavior toward reading an Intranet vs. …

E-Mail Privacy In The Workplace: Is It A Public Relations Concern?, Charles H. Harrison

Theses and Dissertations

This study determined that many, perhaps most, public relations executives do not consider real or potential clashes between employers and employees over the use of organization E-mail systems for personal communication to be their concern.

The drafting of organization E-mail policy and its communication to employees seem to be the primary concerns of management information systems (MIS), human resources executives and legal counsel. When such policies result in misunderstanding and discontent among employees, human resources executives are more likely than public relations executives to seek solutions. Both public relations and human resources executives addressed the thesis question through a focus …

Professional Sports Teams And Fan Relations: A Public Relations Case Study Of The 1998-99 Philadelphia Eagles Football Team, Laura Elizabeth Litrenta

Theses and Dissertations

In professional sports, the field of public relations helps organizations foster positive relationships with their fans. But, when teams suffer losing seasons, recording more losses than wins, these relationships become strained.

The purpose of this study was to reveal how losing seasons affect the bond between professional sports teams and their fans. The results encourage sports relations practitioners to recognize fan needs and develop techniques that can help organizations maintain a more positive relationship with their fans during a losing season.

To examine the relationship between a professional sports team and its fans, this researcher traced the performance of the …

A Student's Guide To The History Of Public Relations And An Inquiry Into The Use Of Public Relations History In The Classroom, Christine Dunnington

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compile a PR student-friendly history of public relations, as well as learn how several university PR programs include public relations history in their curriculum. Literary research and interviews provided the information required for this study. Most universities teach public relations history within an introductory course, providing a historical background for the methods used by practitioners today. Discussions with professors found that most would like to have the resources to go into greater detail about the roots of this relatively young profession.

Producing Award-Winning Publications, Jacob Christian Farbman

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis provides research findings on what design elements public relations professionals use to produce award-winning publications. Professionals in the workforce who use desktop publishing software to produce publications can use these findings as a reference guide. A survey was conducted of 15 public relations professionals who have won national awards for either their newsletters or brochures. These professionals belonged to one of the following public relations associations: the International Association of Business Communicators, the National School Public Relations Association or the Public Relations Society of America. Respondents were found to use serif typefaces for body copy, sans serif typefaces …

Communicating Through Photographs: A Guide For Public Relations Professionals, Carol Ann Desimine

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of preparing this guide was to create a resource for public relations professionals to refer to when faced with the task of placing photographs in publications. The assumption is that most public relations professionals are not trained to think visually, partly because their education is focused on writing and virtually ignores aesthetics. Since readership surveys find that people prefer photographs over the written word, and that pictures capture attention quicker than headlines, it is essential that public relations people know how to use visuals to enhance a message. The primary research methods of this study were examination of …

A Comparative Study Of Recruitment And Enrollment Practices In Colleges And Universities Using Integrated Marketing Communications, Alisa L. Hogan

Theses and Dissertations

A study was conducted to determine if using an integrated marketing communications (IMC) approach to college and university recruitment and enrollment helps institutions better achieve their enrollment goals.

This study involved a review of related research, in-depth interviews with education-specific marketing consulting firms, and admissions and marketing professionals at various institutions of higher learning. Primary research involved a 14-item self-administered questionnaire mailed to selected four-year colleges and universities across the country. The questionnaire asked institution executives familiarity and general institutional marketing questions, marketing activity questions, use of IMC, opinion inquiries and demographics.

Mean scores through coded responses, frequencies and percentages …

The Effective Use Of Billboards As A Communications Tool, Donna M. Lithgow

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify guidelines for communicators to use as a reference when designing an outdoor campaign.

Secondary research provided information on properly designing and using billboards as a communications tool. This information included studies on billboards, research on color and design, and statistics relating to the outdoor industry.

The author compiled a list of agencies who won OBIE awards between 1994 and 1998. These awards are given to agencies annually by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America to recognize outstanding billboard campaigns. These agencies are among the best in outdoor communication throughout the United States …

The Importance Of Morale In The Workplace, Allison Rohner

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis studies the impact of morale on productivity and the bottom line. Research shows companies with high morale generate higher profits, greater productivity and happier employees.

Thousands of organizations and companies have problems with morale, but few have found ways to solve them. This thesis identifies conditions that lead to higher morale. The thesis examines morale programs at top companies and looks at a variety of different studies.

The research indicates that employees need to feel their efforts create positive social changes. Companies can contribute to charities or they can create programs to show the company's impact on the …

The Efficacy Of Community Policing: A Community Relations Case Study Of Gloucester County, New Jersey Patrol Officers And Residents, Ian J. Finnimore

Theses and Dissertations

Community Policing has become a driving management strategy in many police departments throughout the United States. Police officers are being asked to form long-lasting relationships with community members so both publics can more easily work together to solve community and crime issues This study's purpose was to determine the efficacy of community policing as it relates to both patrol officers and residents to determine what public relations skills may assist future community policing initiatives. A patrol officer survey was designed and distributed to 24 municipal police departments. 394 surveys were delivered with 199 usable respondents. Officers were asked to give …

Public Relations Practitioners Versus The Media: The Analysis Of Standards, Stephen A. Kandik

Theses and Dissertations

This study determined how both the media and public relations practitioners perceived professional standards in the public relations field and how these perceptions could be changed. This study required the use of abstracting systems, the Internet, databases, journals and periodicals, in-depth interviews and e-mail surveys. Five in-depth interviews with journalists along with five in-depth interviews with public relations practitioners provided the information needed to create the survey instrument. Both journalists and public relations practitioners provided 99 responses to the survey. Data analysis included t-tests and a factor analysis. The study proved that the media view the professional standards within the …

Reviving The Image: Communicating The Benefits Of Labor Unions, Kathleen Mulholland

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to show that unions need to communicate the purpose they serve in society to revive their tarnished image. The results show through quantitative and qualitative analysis that although some studies show the public approval rating of unions has increased, a negative image still exists.

To determine the type of message the mass media is sending to the public about unions, a content analysis was performed on articles written by the Washington Post about four national strikes. Twelve individual in-depth interviews were conducted using six union and six nonunion participants to gather detailed information concerning …

Review Of Current Newsletter Literature With Today's Novice Publisher In Mind, Tobias Bruhn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to develop a comprehensive overview of current newsletter literature with the needs of novice publishers in mind. Just like any large organization or publishing house, first-time publishers use newsletters to communicate with their employees, club or church members, or customers.

However, in this booming industry, first-time publishers not only compete against each other, but also professional publishers with far greater resources and capabilities. No wonder that publishers go in and out of business on a daily basis. Therefore, this thesis limited the information to selected components of the newsletter production process appropriate for novice …

Legal Perspectives Of The Student Media, Kristi D. Husher

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Communication Stereotypes Of Caucasian College Students, Danna Voorhes Swartz

Student Work

This thesis examined what communication stereotypes are held by Caucasian college students. The literature review focused on defining stereotypes, the function and roles of stereotypes, how stereotypes serve as communication barriers, and findings of previous studies of stereotypes. The research question asked what are the communication stereotypes of African-Americans, Japanese-Americans and Mexican-Americans as maintained by Caucasian undergraduate college students? Participants in the study were 200 Caucasian, undergraduate students who were asked to complete a survey regarding typical communication characteristics of each group in question. The results indicated uniformity in response to Japanese- and African- Americans with less agreement on characteristics …

Humorous Communication In Casual Work Relationships: Self-Perceptions Concerning Humor Orientation, Loneliness, And Verbal Aggressiveness, Maurizio Gagliolo

Student Work

In order to understand humor orientation, loneliness, and verbal aggressiveness better, 14 faculty members and 25 graduate students from the University of Nebraska at Omaha completed measures of humor orientation (HO), loneliness, and verbal aggressiveness (VA). These individuals were asked to have an acquaintance (as opposed to a close friend or relative) complete an adapted version o f the HO scale (HOA). Results indicated that faculty members and graduate students did not significantly differ in HO, loneliness, or HO A, however graduate students were more verbally aggressive than faculty members in 10 different questions concerning VA. No correlation was found …

The Physician/Patient Interaction: Patient Satisfaction, Communication Apprehension, And Health Locus Of Control, Darian Allicia Galyon

Student Work

The purpose of this investigation was to discover the nature of the relationships between a patient’s communication apprehension with physicians and health locus of control and his/her satisfaction with the physician/patient interaction. No significant relationship was found between communication apprehension and a patient’s health locus of control. However, a positive correlation was found between communication apprehension and overall patient satisfaction and patient satisfaction with information. Possible explanations exist for this unexpected result within the uncertainty literature, and by considering that individuals with high communication apprehension may still communicate well despite their anxiety. Statistical analysis also showed that communication apprehension predicts …

Diffusion Of Innovations Theory Applied: The Adoption Of Digital On-Demand Technology By Book Publishers And Printers, Jill Cohen Walker

Masters Theses

Desktop publishing rose in popularity during the late 1980s, allowing whole documents—books, journals, reports, etc.—to be created on computers. The printing industry had to develop compatible technology to accommodate the changes in document creation. In response to desktop publishing, digital printing appeared in 1990 with the invention of computer-to-plate technology. In its earliest days, it was limited to specific commercial applications such as check and business-form printing.

An amalgam of several technologies, digital printing has evolved and on-demand printing has matured into a book-printing technology that starts with the creation of a document and ends with the shipping of the …