Organizational Communication Commons^™

President Barack Obama's Commencement Addresses: Revising The Functions Of Ceremonial Rhetoric, Milene Ortega Ribeiro

Graduate Research Symposium (GCUA)

Commencement speakers are typically expected to praise students for their achievements and motivate them for the path that is to come. When the commencement speaker is a President, however, the expectation is different. In times of rhetorical presidency, no presidential address is apolitical, and this project investigated the functions of ceremonial rhetoric in light of the rhetorical presidency doctrine. Close textual analysis of the three most controversial commencement speeches delivered by President Obama, revealed that the challenge of fulfilling the expectations of a commencement address, while also responding to rhetorical problems, required the President to adopt complex rhetorical strategies. The ...

The D.B. Weldon Library's Instruction Portfolio: A Grassroots, Team-Based Approach, Kim Mcphee, Melanie Mills, Marg Sloan

Western Libraries Staff Presentations

In an effort to address ever-shifting staffing levels and evolving service demands, staff in the Research & Instructional Services department of The D.B. Weldon Library at Western University developed and implemented a new and strategic approach to structuring their work. The ‘Portfolio Model’ provides a framework for organizing the primary functions of the department - collections, instruction and reference - while at the same time preserving liaison at its core. Through a close examination of this grassroots effort and in particular, the achievements realized and challenges faced by the team of librarians and library assistants who together comprise the ‘Instruction Portfolio’, this ...

Cedars, April 2013, Cedarville University

Cedars

No abstract provided.

Meet Them Where They Gather: An Analysis Of Nasa’S Communications Approach For The 21st Century, Amanda D. Stein

Theses and Professional Projects from the College of Journalism and Mass Communications

Since the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been tasked with not only governing the United States’ space activities, but also sharing those efforts and subsequent findings with the American public. When President Barack Obama issued the Open Government Directive in 2009, NASA was well positioned to meet the objectives. Today, the administration has built one of the most successful web-based information-sharing presences by government agency, largely by tailoring communications efforts to reach the public on popular social media platforms. This paper will explore how NASA has utilized two-way symmetrical communications ...

Wright State University Libraries Access Newsletter Winter 2013, Wright State University Libraries

Access Newsletter

A four page newsletter created by Wright State University Libraries that addresses the current affairs of the Libraries.

Wright State University Libraries Access Newsletter Summer 2012, Wright State University Libraries

Access Newsletter

A four page newsletter created by Wright State University Libraries that addresses the current affairs of the Libraries.

Harnessing Charisma For Leadership Training, Meagan Roper

Masters Theses

Effective leadership develops followers toward objectives that focus a group's energy to engage in its task and accomplish its goals. The following study sought to understand charismatic leadership and its role in creating transformational change. Through a mixed methods case study using surveys and interviews, this researcher sought to explain the essence of charismatic leadership. Within the organization this study investigated, this meant first establishing organizational vision for a family atmosphere and guiding members on the path to achieving that vision, generating motivation and dedication to the task goals. The researcher discovered practical communicative strategies for incorporating charismatic leadership ...

Seattle's Seafaring Siren: A Cultural Approach To The Branding Of Starbucks, Briana Kauffman

Masters Theses

Many corporate brands tend to be built on a strong foundation of culture, but very minimal research seems to indicate a thorough analysis of the role of an organizational's culture in its entirety pertaining to large corporations. This study analyzed various facets of Starbucks Coffee Company through use of the cultural approach to organizations theory in order to determine if the founding principles of Starbucks are evident in their organizational culture. Howard Schultz' book "Onward" was analyzed and documented as the key textual artifact in which these principles originated. Along with these principles, Starbucks' Website, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube ...

Refresh. Create. Inspire. The Mission, Vision And Values Behind The Coca-Cola Company And The Digital Marketing Strategies Of The "Open Happiness" Campaign, Sara Svendsen

Masters Theses

Due to the influence of Coca-Cola on advertising, digital marketing, and marketing strategies, the present rhetorical analysis seeks to show the many aspects of digital media in the Company's present "Open Happiness" campaign. The study of the campaign seeks to show that the Company mission statement, Company values and the vision of The Coca-Cola Company are implemented into all of the different facets of the Open Happiness campaign, and in the context of Mood Management Theory, exude the overall theme of the campaign, happiness. The parts of the campaign that were analyzed were focused on the YouTube channels of ...

The Role Of Social Media For Knowledge Sharing And Collaboration In Distributed Teams, Nicole Ellison, Matthew Weber

Collaborative Organizations & Social Media Conference

Abstract

Jpc Editorial Advisory Board 2012

Journal of Professional Communication

Listing of members of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Professional Communication.

Social Media And Crisis: The Challenge Of Currency (Review Of The Four Stages Of Highly Effective Crisis Management: How To Manage The Media In The Digital Age By Jane Jordan-Meier), Heather Pullen

Journal of Professional Communication

This book review of The Four Stages of Highly Effective Crisis Management: How to Manage the Media in the Digital Age (CRC Press, 2011, 283 pages) discusses the inherent challenges of providing media relations advice in an era when social media is forcing communicators to re-invent their approach to crisis communications. The author points out that the rapid, ongoing evolution of social media itself makes the prediction of trends and development of crisis communication strategies very difficult. She acknowledges, however, that Jordan-Meier has effectively applied a media management methodology that should remain relevant and useful in the face of change ...

Looking For The Silver Lining (Review Of “Effective Crisis Communications: Moving From Crisis To Opportunity (2nd Ed.)” By Robert Ulmer, Timothy Sellnow And Matthew Seeger), Susan Emigh

Journal of Professional Communication

This is a review of the second edition of the book Effective crisis communications: Moving from crisis to opportunity (2^nd ed.) (Sage, 2011, 228 pages) by three university professors who have several books about crisis communications under their belt. The reviewer follows their examination of how to manage uncertainty and communicate and lead effectively during the heavy weather of crises, followed by a look at specific storms big and small, and wraps up by examining their theory of "discourse of renewal”, the potential for clear skies beyond for renewal and growth.

©Journal of Professional Communication, all rights reserved.

Pr Lessons From The Ocean Ranger Tragedy, Sean Kelly

Journal of Professional Communication

This commentary discusses the Ocean Ranger accident that happened on Valentine’s Day in 1982, which created a crisis of significant proportions for the Ocean Drilling Exploration Company (ODECO) which designed and owned the ship and Mobil Oil of Canada which leased the Ocean Ranger to drill for oil in the harsh offshor environment of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Despite being referred to by many as the “Ocean Danger,” the oil rig was described as unsinkable - a name that nature would prove to be a reckless test of fate. Using personal narrative as the basis for describing the impact ...

Trade Unions Should R.A.C.E. To Survive In The Current Communications Climate, Donald Courchesne

Journal of Professional Communication

This commentary examines the impact of social media campaigning on crisis communications in the labour movement. Labour crises usually take the form of strikes. This commentary examines upon two cases: (i) McMaster University vs. Service Employees International Union; and (ii) Brazilian Vale vs. United Steel Workers of America Local 6500. Being unable to effectively communicate with various publics represents a large problem for union survival. This commentary proposes that executing effective strategic communications will enable trade unions to better create a dialogue between the leadership and all stakeholders while creating and maintaining relationships with members, the media, and communities.

©Journal ...

Preface To The Special Jpc Issue On Crisis Communications, Alex Sévigny

Journal of Professional Communication

This preface presents the special issue (vol 2, issue 1) on crisis communications of the Journal of Professional Communication, including an editorial, several research articles and book reviews from scholars and practitioners from Canada and the United States. The issue includes one preface, three commentaries, four book reviews and three research articles. The articles touch on crises from the health, oil, labour and other sectors. Included is a review of a work of fiction concerning the adventures of a public relations practitioner who specializes in crisis communications.

©Journal of Professional Communication, all rights reserved.

Microblogging Practices Of Virtual Organizations: Commonalities And Contrasts, Jing Wang

Collaborative Organizations & Social Media Conference

Microblogging is becoming increasingly pervasive in computer-supported collaboration, attracting various types of users. Organizations, as one type, are willing to leverage this social media service for their operation, but lack guidance of how to effectively manage their organizational microblogs. However, research on microblogging practices at organizational level, especially in virtual organizations, is very limited. To enhance the understanding of how virtual organizations use microblogs in similar and different ways, we investigate microblogging practices of two virtual organizations by examining the content characteristics of their Twitter posts. We identify eleven categories of microblog themes of three dimensions, consisting of both common ...

Framing Ict Usage In The Real Estate Industry, Steven Jones

Collaborative Organizations & Social Media Conference

The real estate industry, like many, is one based on a competitive consumer culture in which professionals vie for the business and, ultimately, the loyalty of customers. In this case, those customers are purchasing what, for most, is a significant investment, requiring them to navigate various legal and regulatory processes that might be impossible without the assistance of a knowledgeable, seasoned agent. It is the presence of agency that renders real estate unique from retail and other industries where goods and services trade hands. Furthermore, the rise of various information and communication technologies (ICT) over the course of the past ...

Social Media As Technologies Of Accountability: Explaining Resistance To Implementation Within Organizations, Jeffrey Treem

Collaborative Organizations & Social Media Conference

No abstract provided.

The Organization (Re)Invented By Its Blogs, Alex Primo

Collaborative Organizations & Social Media Conference

This article discusses how interactions in organizational blogs participate in the

emergence of the organization itself. Based on the principles of The Montreal School of organizational communication, the paper reflects on how the recursive relationship between texts and conversations in blogs, according to their affordances, mobilizes the organization and contributes to its continuing creation. In order to conduct this argument, the concept of social media, uses of organizational blogs and the main contributions of The Montreal School are analyzed. Finally, this article demonstrates how blogs contribute to the definition of the organization. Beyond their promotional potential, the blog’ role as ...