Digital Commons Network^™

Dispatchers' Perceptions Of Computer-Aided Dispatch (Cad) In Police Communications Operations: An Exploratory Study, Anthony L. Luckman

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Since the 1970s, law enforcement officials, policy makers and academics have promoted the use of computer-aided dispatch (CAD) as a way of improving both the efficiency and effectiveness of police operations. Past literature on CAD focused on the technology's assumed capabilities for meeting certain goals. However, little if any research has, either objectively or subjectively, tested CAD's ability to meet these goals. This study utilizes subjective data collected from both dispatchers currently using CAD and those who are awaiting its implementation to determine their perceptions of CAD's ability to meet some of these goals. Of primary interest here was CAD' …

Appalachian Regional Healthcare Division Of Home Services: A Case Study, Marcella Ann Howard Brock

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Caudill College of Humanities at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Communications by Marcella Ann Howard Brock on April 22, 1997.

An Organizational Profile: Members' Understanding Of Discrimination, Debra Cay Hornibrook

Dissertations and Theses

Cultural diversity in the United States is an issue of concern and organizations must now learn to function effectively with an increasingly diverse workforce. Since the history of U.S. organizations is a history of institutional discrimination against most ethnic and racial groups of people and the privileging of a dominant group, managing workforce diversity now constitutes one of the most difficult and important issues human resource professionals address. This study is concerned with the issues of workforce diversity, most specifically with how organizational members understand and respond to discrimination, and the utilization of this understanding to discuss implications for diversity …

The Basic Course In Organizational Communication: A National Survey, Donald Treadwell, Ronald L. Applbaum

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article presents a study on the basic organizational communication course in the U.S. Organizational communication is an increasingly popular subject of study on university campuses. The number of departments offering organizational communication coursework is increasing and more students are attracted to this area of study. The course is offered at the upper-division undergraduate level and for just under half the departments has no prerequisites. The most frequently cited course objectives are to provide an overview of theories about organizations and to help students analyze problems in organizations.

A Description Of Merger Applied To The Montana State University Context, Stephen L. Coffman

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article reports on the description of merger applied to the Montana State University context. Eastern was renamed on July 1, 1994, as Montana State University (MSU)-Billings. The Billings Vocational Technical Institution was then merged with MSU-Billings, and renamed the College of Technology. There is considerable debate on campus as to the nature of the merger. There is also potential benefit for students in this merger. MSU-Billings should be better able to attract the best students if enough of these positive outcomes are realized. The final positive outcome of the merger to be presented concerns the public. If history and …

Empowering Communities Of Color Through Computer Technology, Michael Roberts

Trotter Review

As we hurtle towards the 21st century, an increasing number of individuals start to realize that the ability to use computers and information technology resources effectively will determine how well individuals, organizations, and communities function in a rapidly changing technological society. Numerous studies, including one conducted in the Summer 1995 of Boston's Black community by Freedom House and The Trotter Institute, and highlighted in this issue, have documented the need of Americans—students, workers, unemployed, youth, adults and senior citizens, to become knowledgeable and proficient in the use of computers and information technology. There are several questions that do face communities …

Spartan Daily, May 2, 1995, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 104, Issue 60

Spartan Daily, May 1, 1995, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 104, Issue 59

What Tqm Has To Contribute To Change Management, Ladonna Mcmurray Geddes

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

The article discusses the principles of total quality management (TQM) and its application to organizational change management. TQM aims to continuously deliver customer satisfaction and improve products, processes and services. Identifying and developing methods of measuring organizational problems and progress and cultivating teamwork within the organization are also parts of the TQM agenda. TQM focuses on problem solving and emphasizes the role of business intelligence and employee participation in initiating meaningful organizational changes.

New Curricular Categories For The Future: University Of North Dakota School Of Communication, Lana Rakow

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

This article provides information on new curricular categories of the University of North Dakota School of Communication, as of September 1995. The school historically has had a highly visible leadership role in the state of North Dakota, particularly with newspapers and broadcast stations in the state. Rather than limiting the possibility for change, however, its visibility joined other factors in making conditions for change favorable. The new curriculum streamlines the five into one, communication. This new curriculum is both mission driven and assessment driven. The new mission statement and goals for student learning set out the intellectual integration of communication …

The Basic Course In Organizational Communication: A National Survey, Donald Treadwell, Ronald L. Applbaum

Basic Communication Course Annual

This article presents a study describing the current status and characteristics of the basic organizational communication course reported by 285 college or university departments offering this course in North America. This survey is compared with surveys conducted in 1979 and 1988. The results indicate that the course is most typically taught by one faculty member in lecture/discussion format and emphasizes organizational and communication theory over skills. Students are most typically upper-level undergraduates. The course appears to be facing increasing demand. Changes are occurring in the content and structure of the course with the topics of gender differences, organizational culture, communication …

Basic Communication Course Annual Vol. 7

Basic Communication Course Annual

Full Issue (168 pages, 2.147 MB)

An Analysis Of The Extent To Which Humor Is Accepted And Employed In The Workplace For The Enhancement Of Productivity And Creativity, Jonathan R. Specht, Paul D. Tobin

Theses and Dissertations

Today's business literature is filled with discussions of the many benefits humor can bring to the work environment. Two of these purported benefits, namely, the enhancement of workplace productivity and the enhancement of workplace creativity, have attracted the attention of modern managers challenged with keeping their organizations competitive despite dwindling financial and human resources. Unfortunately, little research has been done to date which actually demonstrates a link between the existence of workplace humor and improved levels of productivity and creativity. Without this demonstration of causality, most managers are reluctant to invest corporate resources in pursuit of workplace humor despite its …

Perceived Communication During Organizational Change, Paula Blunck

Dissertations and Theses

Organizational change often involves the creation of work teams. This research examines how the creation of self-managed work teams within a particular organization affects perceived communication. Previous research suggests that self-managed teams would socially construct a different view of the organization especially as it relates to power than would those in traditional organizational departments. Attitudes about communication and power within the organization are analyzed in nine self-managed teams and five traditional departments. This analysis is conducted through both qualitative and quantitative means. Group comments and discussions are used in a qualitative analysis. Multidimensional scaling is used to reveal underlying attitudinal …

Alumnews, Spring 1994, Alumni Association, Wright State University

AlumNews

Twenty-eight page issue of the AlumNews newsletter. This newsletter focuses on news about programs, events, and activities for alumni from Wright State University.

Orlando Magic, Richard C. Crepeau

On Sport and Society

With the NFL having concluded its annual business in Hawaii, the pitchers and catchers about to report to spring training, and the Winter Olympics ready to open in Lillihammer, I want to pause this week and take a look at the Orlando Magic.

Ua11/1 On Campus, Vol. 3, No. 1, Wku University Relations

WKU Administration Documents

On Campus newsletter featuring articles about faculty, staff and events at Western Kentucky University. Regular features are:

• College News
• Sponsored Programs
• Hot off the Press
• Personnel File
• Coming Up - Calendar of Events

This issue includes articles:

• Eison, Sheila & Bob Skipper. Regents Consider Ways to Beat Budget Woes
• WKU Gets $1 Million Gift in Software
• National Sheriffs Give WKU's Kentucky Academy $10,000 in Equipment
• Journalism
• Hearst Foundation Honors WKU's Journalism Department & Students
• Appreciating Faculty & Staff & Having Fun!
• California Students Adopt WKU - Edenvale School
• Project Focuses on Teams
• Jeffrey, Jonathan. Brinton B. Davis & WKU

Adopting A Transformational Approach To Basic Course Leadership, Dawn R. Weber, Nancy L. Buerkel-Rothfuss, Pamela L. Gray

Basic Communication Course Annual

Transformational leadership focuses on communication aspects of leadership and vision, two concepts fundamental to the study of leadership in organizations. Basic courses function as subsystems within institutional organizations, making them appropriate contexts for application of organizational leadership theory. This paper presents strategies for using organizational theory to improve basic course leadership.

Structured Hypermedia Application Development Model (Shadm): A Structured Model For Technical Documentation Application Design, Peter W. Cassell

Theses and Dissertations

This research was conducted to determine how a Royal Australian Air Force technical maintenance publication could be transformed into a task oriented hypermedia application and to develop a model that could be used for future similar transformations. The model was developed following in-depth analysis of the existing USAF F-15E maintenance publication set and validation was conducted using a prototype developed in HyperWriter, a commercial hypermedia product. The prototype model was based around the performance of three maintenance tasks on an aircraft sub-subsystem and incorporated online user access to the necessary support data for task completion. Publication managers, producers, and users …

Collegiality Or, Talking With Women, Joanna Rotté

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article examines collegiality within academic governance, framing women administrators as agents of organizational change amid prevailing male dominated power structures. Drawing on feminist theory, theatre studies, and personal narrative, it analyzes how corporate managerial models permeate higher education culture, marginalizing female leadership and constraining collaborative practice. An anecdotal case drawn from a university theatre production illustrates the tensions that emerge when conventional authority expectations confront egalitarian ideals, revealing persistent gendered communication, objectification, and professional isolation. Through critical reflection, the discussion elucidates the influence of language, affect, and institutional memory in maintaining patriarchal norms, yet highlights the potential for transformative …

Outcomes Assessment: Creating Principles, Policies And Faculty Involvement, Michael E. Knight, Donald Lumsden

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article chronicles Kean College's institution wide outcomes assessment initiative, outlining the strategic planning context, governance processes, and faculty centered structures that sustain evaluation of student learning and institutional effectiveness. It details a collaboratively drafted Statement of Principles that safeguards confidentiality, discourages punitive comparisons, and positions assessment evidence for formative program evaluation. The narrative traces organizational change, emphasizing faculty liaisons, self managing teams, and flexible consultant supported protocols including portfolios, senior seminars, and criterion referenced measures. Findings illustrate how constructive use of assessment results catalyzed curriculum revision, enhanced advisement, and fostered a culture of shared governance. By documenting policy design, …

Blessed Be The Ties That Bind: A Critical Analysis Of The Changing Language In The Organizational Mission Statement As A Form Of Downward Communication, Jacqueline A. De Haan

Masters Theses

In this study, the differences in language between an historical and new organizational mission statement were examined. The critical interpretive perspective was utilized; grounded theory was the method used to analyze changes in values and organizational identity.

The findings from this study indicated that the changed mission statement was different from the historical mission statement in three ways: in values and identity, in structure, and in use of voice. The findings were discussed and implications for organizational members considered.

The Reality Of Recruiting Minority And Women Faculty In Speech Communication: Some Considerations, Deborah Borisoff

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article examines structural and cultural obstacles that speech communication departments face when recruiting, hiring, and retaining minority and women faculty within U S higher education. Drawing on case based observations from multiple institutions, this article traces how pipeline shortages, geographic isolation, competitive salary markets, and implicit evaluative bias intersect with affirmative action mandates to shape faculty diversity outcomes. Discussion highlights the tension between legal compliance and attitudinal change, explores how tenure criteria emphasizing quantity over quality of research can disadvantage underrepresented scholars, and outlines strategies such as early mentoring, targeted doctoral recruitment, inclusive search processes, community integration support, and …

Coming Up Short: No Quick Fixes, Elmer E. Baker Jr

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article critiques the belief that minority faculty underrepresentation can be remedied through quick fixes, showing instead that entrenched structural and cultural forces require sustained, systemic responses. Drawing on national doctorate statistics, affirmative action surveys, and illustrative programs at Duke, Bucknell, and Stanford, this article traces how shrinking doctoral pipelines, lucrative private sector opportunities, rising tuition, and inadequate precollege preparation erode the supply of prospective scholars of color. It further reveals that once hired, minority professors encounter disproportionate advising loads, heavy committee service, isolation, and tenure expectations emphasizing quantitative publication metrics. Employing perspectives from higher education administration, diversity research, organizational …

Strategies For Recruiting Women And Minority Faculty In Communication, John J. Makav

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article critiques passive affirmative action rhetoric and outlines a systematic recruitment program for diversifying communication faculties. Drawing on narrative evidence from multiple universities, it identifies structural barriers including limited doctoral pipelines, evaluative bias, and salary disparities that constrain minority and women hiring. The discussion advances eight recruitment strategies: forming cross level search teams, adopting flexible credential criteria, cultivating doctoral networks, advertising in targeted outlets, broadening evaluation beyond publications, promoting cultural inclusivity, budgeting competitive packages, and clarifying attainable tenure pathways. Emphasis is placed on institutional commitment, proactive attitude, and sustained innovation as levers for equity, organizational resilience, and academic excellence. …

Application Of The Florida State University Salary Model To Speech Communication And Theatre Department, Eastern Kentucky University, Dan Robinette

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article recounts the implementation of the Florida State University salary model within a speech communication and theatre department at a regional public university, using narrative inquiry to reveal faculty evaluation dynamics. Through reflective analysis the text documents data entry procedures, merit unit calculations, and salary projections generated by menu driven software, then interrogates theoretical concerns about weighting rank, experience, career productivity, and teaching quality. Pragmatic issues including category customization, qualitative student evaluations, and equity across graduate and undergraduate workloads are examined, illustrating tension between motivational incentives and budget constraints. The discussion highlights how transparent metrics, audit trails, and flexible …

Marketing The Communication Training Course On And Off Campus, Dan B. Curtis, Sam E. Cox

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article outlines a comprehensive strategy for marketing a communication training course within and beyond the university setting, grounded in the growing demand for applied communication skills across business, industry, and government sectors. The course emphasizes the development of training competencies, including needs assessment, program design, and evaluation, preparing students for roles in human resource development and organizational change. On campus, the marketing approach combines classroom outreach, advisor engagement, and targeted promotional materials. Off campus, the article explores emerging opportunities in continuing education, corporate partnerships, and lifelong learning, arguing that communication educators must proactively position their offerings to meet evolving …

Linden World, March 24, 1989, Lindenwood College

Linden World (1985-1997)

Student Newspaper of Lindenwood College

The President Reports, Robert M. Smith

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This report highlights major initiatives and organizational changes for the Association for Communication Administration during 1987–88. Key achievements include gaining a seat on the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, participating in the first joint meeting with related associations, and expanding theatre membership and resources. The Executive Committee proposed a constitutional change to rename the organization the International Association for Communication Administrators, reflecting global communication trends. Additional developments included new directories, software resources, and handbooks for chairs, along with continued regional programming and career publications. The report emphasizes the importance of international engagement, financial sustainability, and member …

Re-Inventing The Corporation And Rediscovering The University, Robert O. Blanchard

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article critiques the trend of universities adopting businesslike practices while corporations increasingly model themselves after universities. Drawing on themes from Re-Inventing the Corporation, it argues that higher education has been dismantling traditions of creativity, autonomy, and broad inquiry in favor of hierarchical management and narrow specialization. By contrast, innovative corporations such as Apple, IBM, and W.L. Gore emphasized vision, co-ownership, self-management, and creativity, cultivating environments that empower employees. The discussion contrasts corporate strategies for the Information Age—flexibility, decentralized communication, encouragement of innovation—with universities’ reliance on conformity, rigid structures, and centralized control. Insights from organizational studies suggest that universities have …