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Communication Commons™

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2013

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Articles 1861 - 1890 of 1964

Full-Text Articles in Communication

E-Books & The Net Generation, Jamie Beasley Jan 2013

E-Books & The Net Generation, Jamie Beasley

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Electronic books, otherwise known as e-books, are becoming increasingly popular in today’s technologically advanced culture. The publishing industry has evolved to meet consumers’ demands of e-book availability but many scholars, school districts, as well as the federal government, are starting to question the effects of the new mediums, and are trying to determine if e-books should be integrated into school curricula for enhanced learning. Therefore, through a quantitative research design, this study investigated the popularity of e-books as well as the impact that e-books are having on the reading habits of the students of today’s Net Generation – those who …

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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 Jan 2013

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. …

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Immigration Reform Opponents Framing Propaganda As Fact To Influence Public Opinion, Christopher Barr Jan 2013

Immigration Reform Opponents Framing Propaganda As Fact To Influence Public Opinion, Christopher Barr

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Propaganda is the deliberate, systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior to achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist (Jowett & O’Donnell, 2005). This study is to see how propaganda is used by a anti-immigrant special interest organization to frame the debate and assist the televised press to set the agenda on the topic. Specifically, the attention of the study was on the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation. The research explored in this thesis was founded on Shaw’s and McComb’s (1972) agenda-setting theory and Entman’s (1993) process of framing. The study applied …

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Parental Communication And The Impact On Student Performance, Nicholas K. Schreck Jan 2013

Parental Communication And The Impact On Student Performance, Nicholas K. Schreck

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

In the 1980s Epstein (1987) established that the more parents were involved in their child's education, the more likely that student was to succeed academically. Since then, scholars have evaluated how parents can become further involved to improve student scores, but there has been little research as to how the teachers and parents can effectively communicate using computer-mediated communication (CMC). By tying together research on both virtual communities and student achievement through Walther's Social Information Processing Theory, the research aimed to evaluate whether the successes of parental involvement in education could be achieved through the Internet. In this study, a …

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The Art Of Corporate Social Narrative: Promoting Social Change While Building Markets For Products And Services, Lydia Mccormick Mcghee Jan 2013

The Art Of Corporate Social Narrative: Promoting Social Change While Building Markets For Products And Services, Lydia Mccormick Mcghee

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

For over four decades, the outdoor clothing company Patagonia has promoted environmentalist ideologies though essays and photographs published in their print media. This strategy offers an eco-friendly narrative that resonates with many brand consumers, but the art of constructing and publicizing a corporate narrative with social purpose (i.e. corporate social narrative) has yet to be explored. In this thesis, Patagonia’s corporate social narrative is reviewed in light of Fisher’s narrative paradigm theory, the principals of corporate social marketing, social exchange theories, and the idea that visual imagery holds significant power in consumer markets. Major themes in Patagonia’s environmental narrative are …

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The 21st Century Educator: An Exploration Of The Communication Practices Of An 'Architect Of Learning', Darlene Leslie Wilson Jan 2013

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 …

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African-American Communication Within Corporate America: Challenges In Leadership, Jade D. Johnson Jan 2013

African-American Communication Within Corporate America: Challenges In Leadership, Jade D. Johnson

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study focuses on African-American communication and the role that it plays in the gap in African-American leadership within the corporate America environment. The thesis evidences numerous former studies around African-American communication practices and the impacts within the corporate sphere. Furthermore, the literature review includes the philosophical foundations that the larger body is based on. For instance, the thesis is using the egalitarianism philosophy of thought. From this perspective, the recommendations are examined through the lens that “basic institutions of society are charged with the task of advancing the interests of all members of society equally” (Christiano, 2008, p. 12). …

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Technological Change Within Union Environments: An Examination Of Existing Change Management Literature, Union Culture, And Critical Factors For Implementation Success, Bryan Altknecht Jan 2013

Technological Change Within Union Environments: An Examination Of Existing Change Management Literature, Union Culture, And Critical Factors For Implementation Success, Bryan Altknecht

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

In today’s business climate, organizational change is a perpetual challenge for those in leadership positions. Despite the substantial academic conversation surrounding successful management of change, one aspect which has received little research is technological change within the context of union populations. This project utilizes multiple theoretical frameworks to present critical components for success including; understanding reluctance toward change, the role of leaders, managing technology change, and specific implementation considerations for union populations. It then synthesizes those components into a formal training course designed to teach organizational leaders the skills necessary to overcome the challenges of implementing technology changes within union …

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The Demand/Withdraw Communication Pattern And The Success Or Failure Of Marriage Where One Partner Is From A Traditionally Non-Confrontational Culture, Marty Ray Rush Jan 2013

The Demand/Withdraw Communication Pattern And The Success Or Failure Of Marriage Where One Partner Is From A Traditionally Non-Confrontational Culture, Marty Ray Rush

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this research is to take foundational theories on demand/withdraw, StellaTing-Toomey’s Face Negotiation Theory, and conflict management, and analyze how these factors impact a relationship when one partner is from a traditionally non-confrontational culture such as Japan, Korea, or the Philippines. Through the use of online surveys and interviews with couples in intercultural relationships, this study seeks to breakdown the successes and failures in exogamous relationships and how the cultural eccentricities can help or hinder marital satisfaction. This research merely scratches the surface of the issue of demand/withdraw, but opens the door to more focused studies dealing with …

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News Media Influence On Perceptions Of Veteran Mental Health, Elizabeth Faye Weber Jan 2013

News Media Influence On Perceptions Of Veteran Mental Health, Elizabeth Faye Weber

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study investigated how news media communications affect public awareness and perceptions of the mental health concerns of post-deployed military of the recent Iraq war. Focus group research included 22 adult participants from the same geographic location with discussions on news media consumption behaviors and their perceptions of the mental health issues of veterans. Results revealed that news media consumption is preferred at a national level versus a local level, and that online news sources are utilized more frequently than television or print news sources. Participants with the least news media exposure admitted to the lowest awareness of veteran mental …

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Does The Use Of Social Media For Screening Affect The Hiring Process From The Perspective Of Applicant And Employer?, Corey Protzman Jan 2013

Does The Use Of Social Media For Screening Affect The Hiring Process From The Perspective Of Applicant And Employer?, Corey Protzman

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Technology has allowed people to exchange information across multiple technological mediums and interact quicker, more easily, and more permanently. The purpose of this thesis was to determine the role social media plays in the hiring and screening process from the perspective of the applicant and employer. The study was rooted in the theories of Actor Networking, Issues Arenas, and Agenda Setting, while relying on concepts like digital divide to expand the breadth of work. An online survey was administered to 25 people who had been an applicant within the last year to gauge their use of social media and awareness …

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Cultural Performance And Organizational Transformation: A Case Study Of The Utah State University Football Program, Marques Chavez Jan 2013

Cultural Performance And Organizational Transformation: A Case Study Of The Utah State University Football Program, Marques Chavez

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Methods of communication are often a significant reason for achieving organizational transformation. The primary aim of this study is to explain a case of organizational transformation by examining the cultural performances of organizational members—particularly the performance of ritual. The Utah State University football program served as the case study while qualitative interviews and narrative research provided the methodology for gathering and analyzing data. Communication expressed in the performance of ritual significantly contributed to fostering an environment of unity and trust within the organization which, in turn, spurred transformation. While rituals were key to fostering this environment, true sincerity from leadership …

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Multitasking And Communication In The Organization, Cayla A. Stephenson Jan 2013

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 …

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Technology Use In A Virtual World To Build Organizational Culture And Identity, Tim Carroll Jan 2013

Technology Use In A Virtual World To Build Organizational Culture And Identity, Tim Carroll

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Organizations are embracing agile work environments for their employees more and more every day. This thesis explores the ability to create and maintain organizational culture in a virtual world through technology use. As more of these organizations move to a virtual workplace it is becoming more imperative to find ways to connect these virtual employees together as peers and to the organization as a whole. This communication audit is formed using the cultural approach to organizational theory, by Geertz and Pacanowsky, and uses surveys as well as interviews to assess how effectively organizational culture is expressed and maintained through the …

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Stories Of Money: Building Social Capital Through Time Banking, Stacey Anne Jacobsohn Jan 2013

Stories Of Money: Building Social Capital Through Time Banking, Stacey Anne Jacobsohn

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study explored communication and ethical investment in social capital to improve quality of life through the lens of time banking, a model of alternative currency. Previous studies of time banking noted a distinct set of characteristics of time banks that contrast with capitalist-based systems while using similar language; these were compared to research of social capital and social networks. Seven participants were interviewed at-length as representatives of the time bank movement. Stories of money framed theoretical constructs in practice on a daily basis and future visioning of the movement. Further analysis using the dialogic ethic of Martin Buber and …

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Sororities, Interpersonal Relationships, And A Dialogical Perspective, Jessica Lynn Fresques Jan 2013

Sororities, Interpersonal Relationships, And A Dialogical Perspective, Jessica Lynn Fresques

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study focuses on interpersonal relationships and skills gained through sorority membership. The purpose of this research sought to develop the understanding of potential developmental outcomes, in which a sorority can provide to its members. Research methods used: online surveys and follow-up interviews. The dialogical perspective by Martin Buber helped develop an understanding of the I-thou relationship, whereas, each person within conversation is fully valued for what they have to say. In general, sororities are known as social organizations and the use of dialogue is important when communing or working with others. Alumnae who participated provided enough feedback to determine …

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The Power Of Shame: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Social And Cultural Expectations Communicated In Media, Sarah Tovah Matz Jan 2013

The Power Of Shame: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Social And Cultural Expectations Communicated In Media, Sarah Tovah Matz

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Shame is an inescapable human feeling, and its impacts on human interaction are well documented. This thesis focuses on the power of symbolic shame in media and presents a critical discourse analysis (Machin & Mayr, 2012) of three recent public service announcements. As a theoretical basis, the study examines shame from point of view of ritual communication, framing theory, and the symbolic communication of stigma. Although shame is often regarded as an effective means to communicate social and cultural expectations and a tool for balancing behavior in society, shame may also be used to create structures of power and agendas …

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Story, Ritual, And Religion In Changing Social Climates, Denise Young Jackson Jan 2013

Story, Ritual, And Religion In Changing Social Climates, Denise Young Jackson

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study was created to investigate how ministers of the Montana/Northern-Wyoming Partnership express the story and ritual of religion in changing social climates. It was designed to answer three questions. RQ1) How are mission activities interpreted, defined, and given form through the storytelling by the ministers within the Church? RQ2) How do ministers integrate the mission statement and the mission activities into their Bible based storytelling? RQ3) How and for what purpose do ministers incorporate or connect issues and ideas from the secular sphere into religious-based storytelling? Since the dramatic social and economic changes in Montana as a result of …

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You Really Like Me: Dialogic Social Media Use In Organizational Communication, Heidi Lee Keller Jan 2013

You Really Like Me: Dialogic Social Media Use In Organizational Communication, Heidi Lee Keller

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Social media is an interactive communication tool with the potential to strengthen organization-member relationships and contribute toward the achievement of organizational goals. Yet many nonprofit organizations use social media for one-way information delivery and do not take advantage of its dialogic potential. This study aims to contribute to the business case for investing in dialogic social media. Three nonprofit organizations that use social media dialogically were studied to identify the factors that set them apart from others. Walther’s social information processing theory (1993) and Buber’s philosophy of dialogue as a relational form of communication (Arnett, Grayson, & McDowell, 2008) were …

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Communication In Crisis, Blair Veloz Jan 2013

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 …

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Servant-Leadership And Re-Establishment Of Organization Culture After Crisis, Reese Dayle Cooper Jan 2013

Servant-Leadership And Re-Establishment Of Organization Culture After Crisis, Reese Dayle Cooper

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Organizations create a base for culture through the language in mission, vision, and value statements (Deetz, 1995). Organization culture is then shaped and molded by organization members (Deetz, 1995). As a result, members form organization identities (Mead, 1934). Identities are fluid and constantly being negotiated (Stewart, Zediker, & Witteborn, 2009, p. 82). At any moment, organizations can face crisis. During the crisis, identities are threatened and organization culture becomes unstable (Beer & Steif, 1997; Sen, 2006). Stabilizing organization culture is important to the long-term success of an organization and to the long-term success of individuals. This study uses a case …

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Voter Suppression: The Rhetoric Of New Voting Laws And The Republican Agenda, Michael C. Mcgee Jan 2013

Voter Suppression: The Rhetoric Of New Voting Laws And The Republican Agenda, Michael C. Mcgee

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study examines the rhetoric used by Republican politicians regarding voter ID laws. Using Kenneth Burke’s theory of cluster analysis, key words and clustering terms are analyzed to identify the speaker’s worldview. The main sections include: philosophical assumptions about political rhetoric, the theoretical basis derived from Burke’s identification and victimage theories, a review of literature on the history of voting in the United States, results and discussion from the analysis of selected rhetoric from Republican politicians, and areas of further study. Statements from Republican politicians in Iowa, Texas, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania were selected for the analysis. The results of …

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Performing Communication Without Words: A Dramaturgical Exploration Of Communication Between Caregivers And Children Who Are Nonverbal, Sara Mcgerald Jan 2013

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 …

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The Intrapersonal Phenomenon: The Interactional Effects Of Intrapersonal Adjustments In The Organizational Change Of A Small Business, Jennifer Wilkes Jan 2013

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 …

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How Skype And Face Time Have Changed The Way People Communicate Emotionally, Penelope Casarico Jan 2013

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 …

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Effects Of Social Media On Individual Voting, Noel Albert Bermudez Jan 2013

Effects Of Social Media On Individual Voting, Noel Albert Bermudez

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

In the 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama established social media as an essential part of the campaign toolbox. Twitter, a widely-used social media site, provides a means of creating virtual communities that can instantly send messages and move "followers" to action. This thesis seeks to ascertain if Twitter messages - sent to known supporters by a presidential campaign asking a person to vote - can positively affect that person's likelihood to cast a ballot and, if so, would that vote be for the candidate whose campaign tweeted the message. Media ecology, as proposed by Marshall McLuhan and developed by Neil …

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The Role Of Race In Marketing Communications, Brandice Patrice Saunders Jan 2013

The Role Of Race In Marketing Communications, Brandice Patrice Saunders

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Americans are living in an age ofadvertising and successfuJly marketing to the right groups at the right time can enhance a brands marketing edge. However, in order to consider marketing successful, the marketing communication's message needs to be created appropriately. Guided by Social Cognitive Theory and Stuart Hall's Encoding/Decoding theory, this thesis examined how marketing communications have been displayed to Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics via television commercials. Also examined were how marketing communications via television commercials were perceived by each ethnic group and whether that group identified with the communication or had a cultural affinity towards the message. Results of …

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Generational Differences Within A Corporate Workplace, Marie Jakubek Jan 2013

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 …

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Muted Women In American Political Discourse: Quieting The Loud Silence, Constance Michelle Skingel Jan 2013

Muted Women In American Political Discourse: Quieting The Loud Silence, Constance Michelle Skingel

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study examines the way women are denied an equal voice in American politics through disparities in our language structure and overt sexism. This thesis begins with a review of the literature which discusses the need for an equitable and just society and how the underlying structure of our language system is flawed in such a way that it subjugates women and inhibits the development of such a society. This is followed by a brief summary of why it is necessary for us to examine this societal disparity from the perspective of women themselves. This thesis uses a pentadic analysis …

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Getting Thrown Under The Bus: The Impact Of Destructive Narcissistic Management On Group Sensemaking, Russell Allen Royston Jan 2013

Getting Thrown Under The Bus: The Impact Of Destructive Narcissistic Management On Group Sensemaking, Russell Allen Royston

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Despite the vast research and scholarship on leaders with narcissistic traits and tendencies, little research has focused on the impact these leaders have on group communication. This thesis uses an ethnographic research methodology to explore a group under destructive narcissistic management. Karl Weick’s (1995) theory of organizational sensemaking is used to examine the affected group’s communication. The study was conducted from a phenomenological perspective of the group’s lived experience. Kierkegaard’s theory of communication is also applied to learn how the group made sense of was happening to them during a period of substantial change (Anderson, 1963). The results show that …

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