Digital Commons Network^™

The Influence Of Communication Strategies On Charitable Races, Vicky Jean Daniels

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Charitable races are happening all over the United States. These races are a competitive way for charities to receive funds to help support their causes. However, not all charity athletic events and races are promoted equally. This success or lack thereof is in part due to how the events’ messages are communicated and perceived by potential attendees. This study interviewed experts in the field of marketing charitable events, and surveyed participants of charitable events to see what communication strategies most influenced their decisions to attend. The study highlighted the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series, which has been very successful for …

Intergenerational Farm Family Communication And Succession Planning, Cayla M. Waters

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis studies intergenerational communication in farm families during the succession planning process. The research focuses on intergenerational relationships between fathers and sons. Due to the lack of research on intergenerational communication in farm families, this thesis examines the role communication plays in this relationship, and how communication affects the succession planning process of passing down the family farm. Communication accommodation theory is used to understand the communication processes taking place within the father-son relationship. The research methods used to gather information for this study are focus groups. The focus groups are made up of 3 father/son pairs who are …

The Effects Of Sibling Relationships On The Social Development Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Barbara J. Higgins

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Relationships among siblings are the longest lasting and most consistent in the life of an individual. Relationships among siblings are no different when one of the siblings has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Among the various obstacles children with ASD encounter, social developmental delays are the most prominent and treatment plans are often established for the social education of children with ASD. This study reviews the impact of the incorporation of typically developing children into the treatment plans of their siblings with ASD. The literature reviews relationship status between siblings when one child has ASD and how the presence of ASD …

Empathy During Times Of Crisis And Corporate Reputation, Ann T. Gallagher

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

How an organization responds to victims is central to crisis communication management and protecting organizational reputation. While there is significant literature about best practices for crisis response, one area which has not been explored is the relationship of empathic communication and corporate reputation during times of conflict. This study examined this relationship through a study of the British Petroleum Gulf Oil crisis of 2010. The qualitative study used focus groups with working professionals and personal interviews with communication experts. The research is grounded in Coombs’ (1998) Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), and Benoit’s (1977) image restoration theory, which is used …

The Impact Of Texting On Our Society: A Look Into The Utlization Of This Communication Conduit And The Possible Positive Or Negative Impact It Has On Drivers, Michelle Crowther

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Communication is an essential part of our everyday lives, without it we would have no way to form a community or societal structure that would allow us to effectively work and live amongst one another. Advances in technology, such as texting, have created a virtual forum for people to communicate within. Due to this change, other consequences, such as vehicle injuries and fatalities have become a recurring problem. To attempt to find potential positive or negative impacts that texting has on individuals while driving, 10 face-to-face interviews were conducted and 100 surveys were sent to a random sample of participants. …

The 21st Century Educator: An Exploration Of The Communication Practices Of An 'Architect Of Learning', Darlene Leslie Wilson

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The 21st century has driven many changes in the classroom and to the teacher of yesterday. Existing teacher identities are in limbo as educational systems morph from dominant beliefs and ideologies to meet the new demands of a knowledge economy. The purpose of this study was to investigate teachers’ perceptions of their communication practices as 21st century educators. In particular, research focuses on teachers’ views of the province of Alberta’s vision of “teacher” as an architect of learning, and is explored via semi-structured personal interviews and classroom observations. Although there is ample research on teacher identity and issues related to …

Multitasking And Communication In The Organization, Cayla A. Stephenson

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Because communication is an intricate part of how an organization works, and because organizations and employees alike are stressing the importance of multitasking on the job, studying the interaction of communication and multitasking is increasingly important. Studies relating to multitasking have revealed primarily negative impacts: doubling task completion time, overstimulating our brains to the point of dysfunction, generally diminishing our productivity, and extinguishing our stimuli filters and damaging our memories. Other studies show that we can use multitasking in a positive way by utilizing task trainings and practicing focused task completion. The study here completed two focus groups with 12 …

Communication In Crisis, Blair Veloz

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Many people today continually search for their identity in the world. In order for someone to effectively communicate, they must understand how they would communicate when they least want to, such as in a crisis situation. A crisis or multiple crises can affect how people see the world, themselves and ultimately how they will communicate in a time of trouble. With the use of Martin Buber and his view on I-Thou, this thesis assists in understanding the encounter with God and that He is what helps makes us complete. Helping others to reach this goal of communicating well, this thesis …

Performing Communication Without Words: A Dramaturgical Exploration Of Communication Between Caregivers And Children Who Are Nonverbal, Sara Mcgerald

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Recognizing that human communication is highly expressive and it does not cease to exist if an individual is not able to produce spoken language, this thesis is an exploratory ethnographic study which seeks to utilize a dramaturgical perspective in identifying the function and structure of communication between children who are nonverbal (with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy) and their caregivers (Brissett & Edgley, 2009). The main informants for this study were two sets of parents with children diagnosed with cerebral palsy, who agreed to participate in twenty hours of engagement, which included direct interviews, observation, and personal interaction. The study …

The Intrapersonal Phenomenon: The Interactional Effects Of Intrapersonal Adjustments In The Organizational Change Of A Small Business, Jennifer Wilkes

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

It is inevitable that change involves varying levels of communication. A relationship may consist of an individual's communication with one's self or with one or more persons. The functionality of a relationship depends on the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the communication of those individuals involved. When change is necessary in any form of organization, the level of communication for each member plays a vital role, especially in a small company. Based on literature and theory, intrapersonal development and influence relies on the structure of one's cultural language. Language structure shapes one's inner speech and self-talk through processes of internalization. The …

How Skype And Face Time Have Changed The Way People Communicate Emotionally, Penelope Casarico

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores the relationship between technology and emotional communication, and focuses on how technology influences our personal thoughts, feelings, and emotions. By examining the philosophical assumption of Martin Buber that through our dialogue, there is mutual respect and appreciation for the other person involved because we hold that person in high regard and see that person in the image of God, this study seeks to answer the question, How have Skype and Face Time technology changed the way people communicate emotionally? The theoretical basis of this study focuses on Coordinated Management of Meaning, a theory that states that persons …

Generational Differences Within A Corporate Workplace, Marie Jakubek

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The purpose ofthis study is to examine generational diversity issues within the corporate workplace in order to develop strategies that can be employed to increase intergenerational understanding, morale and, improve productivity. The theory used to frame this study is the Communication Accommodation Theory. This theory allowed for a better understanding of specific challenges and opportunities that can occur when working in a multigenerational workforce. It is important for corporations to effectively address these differences in generations and take advantage of the values and expectations of each generation to keep a happy and healthy workplace. Data for this study was collected …

Stories Of Journalistic Careers: From Serial Killers To The Changing Nature Of Journalism, Linda Hughes-Kirchubel

Open Access Theses

A career narrative is a story that helps a person define who she is, and how she should act, within the context of career (Meijers & Lengelle, 2012). This thesis is an analysis of three distinct, yet related, career narratives: a metanarrative, a mesonarrative, and a micronarrative. I examine the field of journalism through metanarratives that reflect the sea-change brought about by the advent of the Internet and the production of on-demand news (see 111th Congress, 2009; Rainey & Wellman, 2012; Weldon, 2008). Using the story of two serial killers, I show how the industry has begun to think differently …

Popular Discontent, Revolution, And Democratization In Egypt In A Globalizing World, Abdel-Fattah Mady

Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies

This paper examines how informal, discontent actors in Egypt have evolved in a globalizing world and their role in the January 25th revolution. It focuses on the effects of the deteriorating economic and social conditions in Egypt related to the former regime's policy and the role of mass media, information, and communication technologies in facilitating mobilization, recruitment, and eventually the popular uprising. This paper also discusses the issue of how informal discontent protesters and groups formulate their goals and organize themselves to exert pressure on formal institutions of the state. The main conclusion is that informal actors have not yet …

The Nature And Perceived Influence Of Lifestyle Discussions With Older Adults In Primary Care, Shoshana H. Bardach

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

The Nature and Perceived Influence of Lifestyle Discussions with Older Adults in Primary Care Rationale: A healthy diet and physical activity help with disease prevention and disease management and can promote quality of life regardless of the age at which an individual begins engaging in these behaviors. Despite the value of these health behaviors, many older adults do not follow lifestyle recommendations. Given that older adults frequently interact with the healthcare system, primary care providers are well situated to counsel older adults to improve their health behaviors. Unfortunately, we do not know how to most effectively engage in this counseling. …

The Actor Within: An Exploration Of Present Moment Awareness In Business Presentations, Billie Shepard

Master's Theses

This thesis explores incorporating the use of acting skills in business presentations using present moment awareness techniques. Present moment awareness is defined in this study as the use of improvisation, intention, voice, and body/sensory awareness and is drawn primarily from the theoretical work of Patsy Rodenburg.

The research project followed nine adult student-participants through a five-week course of study in business presentation methods, which incorporated the present moment awareness acting techniques. Data were collected throughout the five weeks and included a pre and post survey, participant journaling prompts, a researcher journal, peer reviews, and participant interviews. The study concluded that …

Technology Use In The National Basketball Association: How Technology And Communication Has Changed, Katie Hottinger

Senior Seminars

No abstract provided.

Awareness And Usage Of Collaboration And Communication Technologies In Student Teamwork, Manouchehr Tabatabaei, Marco Lam

Information Systems & Analytics: Faculty Publications

In this study, we investigate students’ awareness and usage of collaboration and communication technologies (CCTs). Coordination and communication are two of the key processes for effective teamwork that have been identified in the literature. We find significant differences in awareness of CCTs between various student groups. However, when controlling for awareness, we find no difference in usage. While the proportion of students that are aware of various CCTs is high, the reported usage of CCTs is low. Because of the increased emphasis on teamwork, students need to be taught the technologies they need to use for collaboration and communication in …

Theorizing The Effects Of Color, Environmental Space, Culture And Gender On Communication, David A. Brucker

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Extant literature indicates it is our physical, psychological interactions, and perceptions with certain colors and space and our culture and gender influence the way we verbally and nonverbally communicate. I discuss how the meanings of different colors have been depicted throughout history. Summarize my research on the physiological and psychological effects on individuals and show how certain colors are used. Describe environmental space in terms of natural, acute, chronic space and the psychological effects of different spaces. Describe how the perception and use of space affects how we feel. Explore how culture strongly influences the "windows" of the world we …

Cheap, Easy, Or Connected: The Conditions For Creating Group Coordination, Mathew D. Mccubbins, Daniel Rodriguez, Nicholas Weller

Faculty Scholarship

In both legal and political settings there has been a push toward adopting institutions that encourage consensus. The key feature of these institutions is that they bring interested parties together to communicate with each other. Existing research about the success or failure of particular institutions is ambiguous. Therefore, we turn our attention to understanding the general conditions when consensus is achievable, and we test experimentally three crucial factors that affect a group's ability to achieve consensus: (1) the difficulty of the problem, (2) the costs of communication, and (3) the structure of communication. Using multiple experimental approaches, we find that …

Acute Lung Injury And Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Requiring Tracheal Intubation And Mechanical Ventilation In The Intensive Care Unit: Impact On Managing Uncertainty For Patient-Centered Communication, Robert F. Johnson Jr., Jillian Gustin

Peer Reviewed Articles

A 56 year-old male presented with symptoms of pneumonia and findings consistent with acute lung injury (ALI). Deterioration of respiratory function occurred over the first 24 hours of hospitalization leading to placement in an intensive care unit (ICU) followed by tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation (ETMV). At that time criteria defining acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) were present. The palliative medicine service was asked to address concerns expressed by the patient’s spouse reflecting uncertainty regarding outcome expectations.

When interacting with families of incapacitated critically ill patients, clinicians are advised to employ a patient-centered communication process to alleviate family distress and …

Chairs Mentoring Faculty Colleagues, Jeff Kerssen-Griep

Journal of the Association for Communication Administration

Many academics struggle to manage the changes that come with suddenly being responsible for chairing a group of peers. As in skilled classroom instruction, leading an academic unit invokes specific structural, strategic, tactical, and interpersonal abilities. New chairs often quickly have to add ways of thinking and acting that are beyond the precise expertise that got them to that point in the first place. With our focus on understanding process, communication scholars may be better equipped than some others to understand this role shift’s dynamics, but often we struggle as mightily as our chemist or engineering or nursing peers to …

Is There Any Effect Of Demographic Features On Development Of Hyperemesis Gravidarum In The Turkish Population?, Zeynep Kamalak, Nermi̇n Köşüş, Aydin Köşüş, Deni̇z Hizli, Ayli̇n Ayrim, Gonca Kurt

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

To assess the effect of maternal demographic variables on development of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) in pregnant Turkish women. Materials and methods: Two hundred consecutive women with HG were defined as the study group, and 200 consecutive pregnant women without any signs or symptoms of HG matched for age, parity, and gestational age were defined as the control group. Personal information, including lifestyle, educational level, occupation, and economic status were obtained via questionnaire. Results: The number of abortions was higher but parity was lower in the HG group. The time interval between 2 pregnancies was significantly shorter in the HG group …

Enacting Privacy Rules And Protecting Disclosure Recipients: Parents’ Communication With Children Following The Death Of A Family Member, Paige W. Toller, M. Chad Mcbride

Communication Faculty Publications

Given the probability that the death of a family member will occur before a child has reached adulthood, the purpose of this project was to understand what motivates parents to either talk or not talk about a loved one's death with their children. Using Communication Privacy Management to inductively analyze interviews, we found parents were motivated to talk to their children about death because they wanted their children to be informed. This is reflected in the first primary theme, Recalibrating Family of Origin Privacy Orientation Rules: Motivations for Revealing. Two secondary themes further explained parents' motivations to reveal: death as …

How Emoticons Affect Leader-Member Exchange, Jennifer Loglia

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Emoticons have been shown to be the nonverbal cues of computer-mediated communication and could therefore be a rich source of information, but they are not used in the workplace because they are considered unprofessional. This study aimed to look at the effects of emoticons on relationships, specifically between a leader and member. Participants were asked to read a fake email from a fake boss and answer several questions in regard to leader-member exchange, affective presence, perceived message positivity, perceived masculinity/femininity of the fake boss, and perceived professionalism. This study found that the use of a positive emoticon in an email …

Cultural Differences And Switching Of In-Group Sharing Behavior Between An American (Facebook) And A Chinese (Renren) Social Networking Site, Lin Qiu, Han Lin, Angela K. Y. Leung

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Prior research has documented cultural dimensions that broadly characterize between-culture variations in Western and East Asian societies and that bicultural individuals can flexibly change their behaviors in response to different cultural contexts. In this article, we studied cultural differences and behavioral switching in the context of the fast emerging, naturally occurring online social networking, using both self-report measures and content analyses of online activities on two highly popular platforms, Facebook and Renren (the “Facebook of China”). Results showed that while Renren and Facebook are two technically similar platforms, the Renren culture is perceived as more collectivistic than the Facebook culture. …

Experience As An Experiment, James Walker

Theses and Dissertations

My work is an exploration of new media that demonstrates the influence a community has on visual communication. The community reveals content as objects go unnoticed after they become a permanent part of the landscape and assumptions are made from cultural archetypes. Through exploration, immersion, and reflection, I am able to recognize the invisible and expected, establish a familiarity with a community, and design responses that communicate directly to it.

Clarity And Chaos: Is There A Preferred Citation Style In Business Academic Literature?, Leticia Camacho

Faculty Publications

While there is no official style for business writing, the most common citation style in business research has not been determined previously. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the top scholarly business journals to determine the most commonly used citation style in business academic research. The author used the list of 452 top business journals included in the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) Journal Citation Report. The results show that 69% of business journals use a publisher-dictated style, whereas of the “traditional” citation styles, 11% use the American Psychological Association style, 10% use Harvard style, 8% use Chicago …

Adult Silbing Communication: Attachment Style And Strategy, Erin Melissa Stack Bruflodt

Communication

In an effort to further understand communication within sibling relationships, this study examined adult sibling relationships and the connection between attachment styles and the strategies or relational maintenance behaviors used to maintain such relationships. The study will employ the theoretical framework of attachment theory originally presented by Bowlby (1973). Scholars agree that the basic principle of attachment theory is that attachment relationships continue to be an important factor throughout the life span. Current research has used this theory to link attachment style with the use of relational maintenance behaviors in voluntary relationships. Having developed this framework, the next logical application …

The Personal, Political, And The Virtual? Redefining Female Success And Empowerment In A Post-Feminist Landscape, Linda Elizabeth Chardon

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.