Communication Commons^™

Democratic Communication: Lessons From The Flint Water Crisis, Mindy Myers

Wayne State University Dissertations

This dissertation develops an approach to institutional critique that re-works Porter, Sullivan, Blythe, Grabill, and Miles’ foundational configuration. This project argues that John Dewey’s concept of democratic communication articulated in his debate with Walter Lippmann provides a useful heuristic for developing democratic communicative practices that allow citizens and experts to communicate with one another about technical issues such as water quality and safety. Through an analysis of Michigan’s emergency manager law, the relationship between citizens and experts that exposed the crisis, and the Flint Water Advisory Task Force’s Final Report, this dissertation establishes that citizens must participate in technical decision-making …

The Process Of Ostracism Message Reception And Meaning Making, Lukas John Pelliccio

Wayne State University Dissertations

Ostracism is defined as the exclusion of an individual or group by an individual or group. Research suggests that being ostracized can create severe negative psychological reactions in targets. However, there is much less research explicitly focused on how ostracism is communicated and the process of meaning making that allows a target to interpret communication as an ostracism message. Through grounded theory and qualitative interviews, this study asked: What is the process of interpersonal ostracism message meaning making, and what are the key elements that influence this process? Analysis revealed a seven-phase process that explains the stages of meaning making …

Raça, Jinshu, Race: Whiteness, Japanese-Ness, And Resistance In Sūkyō Mahikari In The Brazilian Amazon, Moana Luri De Almeida

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presented an analysis of how leaders and adherents of a Japanese religion called Sūkyō Mahikari understand and interpret jinshu (race) and hito(person) in a particular way, and how this ideology is practiced in the city of Belém, in the Brazilian Amazon. The teachings of Sūkyō Mahikari classify humanity into five races (yellow, white, red, blue/green, black/purple) and five religions (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism). In this classification, the original humans - hito, the kingly race ōbito, and the God-given supra-religion sūkyō - deteriorated into ningen (people), the other races, and shūkyō (religions) along an …

Style Speaks: Clothing Judgments, Gender Stereotypes, And Expectancy Violations Of Professional Women, Jamie Lower

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Clothing is a powerful nonverbal communicative tool and form of self-expression that provides others with clues about our personality, mood, education, culture, financial status, and social ranking, amongst numerous other impression cues. Research shows that physical appearance plays a prominent role in the formation of initial judgments and is significant in shaping a person's overall impression on others (Richmond, McCroskey, & Payne, 1991). The present study sought to quantitatively explore the effect that different styles of dress have on initial judgments formed about women in workplace settings. Using expectancy violation theory, the study investigates workplace gender bias and whether or …

Social Media Usage By Municipal Elected Officials For Open Government Community Engagement, Sarah Stoeckel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As public administration has evolved with the technological advances in today's society, it can be challenging to ensure the demands of the public are being met in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, and engagement. Nonetheless, a focus on community remains at the forefront of public administration. When looking at technology and the community, the tool known as social media emerges. Social media has allowed people to interact in new ways and therefore, has allowed the government to interact with citizens in ways they have not been able to in the past. In addition to attempting to modernize public administration, there has …

Information Availability And Congeniality, Selective Exposure, And Reinforcement Effect, Kunto Adi Wibowo

Wayne State University Dissertations

This study examined the effect of information availability on selective exposure and the effect of selective exposure on attitude reinforcement through emotional arousal. Cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias theories were utilized as framework to answer the effect of information availability. For the attitude reinforcement through emotional arousal, cognitive dissonance, selective exposure, and affective intelligent theories were employed. This study employed a novel approach by utilizing different proportions of congenial and uncongenial information as experimental conditions, high congenial, high uncongenial, and control conditions, to test the effects of information availability on selective exposure.

Results demonstrated that information availability affects selective exposure …

Marketing Unhealthy Foods And Beverages: Our Children At Risk, Cheryl Ward, Diane R. Edmondson, Allison Wheeley

Atlantic Marketing Journal

This paper examines the ethical dilemma created because of the largely ineffective self-regulation of the advertising industry as it relates to children and the corresponding drastic increase in childhood obesity. Unhealthy food and beverage companies are intentionally targeting children who have not yet developed the cognitive skills necessary to discern programming content from advertising. Children, who have many years of consumption ahead of them, can be an appealing target market for companies promoting products high in fat and calories. Given that existing self-regulation policies have been largely unsuccessful, four potential solutions are discussed.

Marketing Leadership In A Knowledge Economy, Myles Bassell, Sonia Lambert

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Often the most valuable assets of a marketing driven firm are intangible assets such as a brand name, intellectual capital, and the expertise and knowledge of employees. The new breed of marketing leaders understand that it is important for employees to collaborate and be engaged and that leaders must be agents of change, creative, ethical, and global thinkers who can create learning organizations. The research reveals that organizations that are going to thrive in the knowledge economy are those that have marketing leaders who can build learning organizations, encourage diversity, and ensure employees are engaged in meaningful work.

Buyer-Seller Communications: Trusted Advisor Constructs And Measurement, Stephen C. Carlson 6425540

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Attainment of the “trusted advisor” role for sales representatives in a complex sales environment is considered the pinnacle of buyer-seller relationships. This study also examines whether pervasive smartphone use particularly among the millennial generation has substantially altered behaviors in the form of communications in the buyer-seller relationship. Does replacement of face-to-face and direct verbal communications by impersonal technology based communications that removes verbal and non-verbal or behavioral forms of communications have an impact on perceptions of communication quality and trust building among the parties. As use of smartphones for text based communications is more prevalent among younger generations, can generational …

A Course Project Designed To Aid Students’ Understanding Of The Structure Of Advertisements: An Application Of The Who Says What To Whom Over What Channel With What Effect Model, Paul J. Costanzo

Atlantic Marketing Journal

The author describes a project using a classic communication and attitude-change model and explains how instructors teaching a course in promotional strategy, advertising, or integrated marketing communications can use it to help students better understand the critical elements of an effective advertisement. The author provides an overview of the research on the classic model and describes how the model is still useful today. One benefit for the instructor who adopts this project in their respective course is that students are required to synthesize knowledge of the model with information provided in the current advertising literature and then use this knowledge …

A Theoretical Framework Of Sports Team’S Well-Being: An Integrative Perspective Of Emotional Intelligence And Equivocality On Trust And Happiness, Drew Sannes, Wooyang Kim

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Abstract – The purpose of this study is to develop and provide an integrative conceptual model of sports teams’ well-being to achieve a win-win situation of happiness for all stakeholders of sports teams, grounded in role theory and commitment-trust theory. We first conceptualized the well-being as an ultimate consequence by exploring sub-dimensions of happiness and provide relevant propositions linking with the respective antecedents. Second, we explored the effect of antecedents of sports team’s well-being in the spectrum of the anchor between positive and negative sides on the resultant outcomes – i.e., trust and happiness. Third, we examined the role of …

The Inherently Flawed Relationship Between Physicians And Pharmaceutical Companies’ Gifts: Tanstaafl*, David P. Paul Iii

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Pharmaceutical companies frequently give practicing physicians and physicians-in-training an assortment of free “gifts,” ranging from pens to stethoscopes to continuing medical education. In an ideal world, these gifts would not compromise, or even seem to compromise, physicians’ decision-making. Unfortunately, as we live in a non-perfect world, this paper examines how physicians have been shown to perceive such gifts, the pharmaceutical companies’ position regarding these gifts, what the theory of gift-giving and gift-receiving tells us about this behavior, and what the future may hold as healthcare becomes more transparent.

Corporate Social Media: A Typology Of Consumers, Beverly Wright, Scott Nadler, Aberdeen L. Borders, Paul H. Schwager, Ashley Sasnett

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Abstract - This consumer segmentation schema is developed using 1) number of businesses followed and 2) companies’ social posts as direct influence toward purchase decisions, as defining behaviors. The use of a theoretical progression prospective, which tracks the development of the customer engagement construct, is central to our development. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods reveals types of consumer groups and their interactions, perceptions, and involvement with Corporate Social Media (CSM). Cluster analysis produces five distinct consumer segments, and a process to help managers more effectively achieve marketing goals. The use of additional consumer metrics are recommended for …

Of Rattle Snakes And Grapes Of Wrath: Rise, Fall And Rise Of Independent Media In Kenya, Peter Kimani

Graduate School of Media and Communications

The Kenyan case highlights government’s recourse to sophisticated, “silent” but effective process of emasculating the media in spite of the robustness of the constitutional, legal and institutional frames for media behaviour. The author, Peter Kimani, notes further, however, that investments in the technology sector have led to an empowered citizenry and helped to reorganize the way news is sourced and disseminated, particularly through mobile telephony. According to him, “this, it is safe to predict, is the next news frontier, and start-ups and other fringe news portals are likely to problematize power relations between media barons and the state, and provoke …

0842: Dr. And Mrs. Daniel Sharkey Greeting Card Collection, 1930-1990, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

The collection consists of over 2,000 pieces of original artwork used by greeting card and calendar companies, and spans the approximate years 1930-1990. Many of the pieces within the collection are labeled with a Norcross stamp or specifications sticker. The Norcross Greeting Card Company was founded in 1914 by Arthur Norcross and his sister, Jane, in New York City. They published greeting cards, and also sold wrapping papers and parchments. After Arthur Norcross' death in 1969, the business floundered and was sold for the first time in 1974. Subsequent sales saw Norcross combined with Rust Craft Company, but this venture …

A Threat To Identity: An Examination Of The Multiple Narratives Surrounding The Nathan Bedford Forrest Statue In Memphis, Meagan Bojarski

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Predictors Of Problematic Social Media Use: Personality And Life Position Indicators, Britney Sykes

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Sentiment In Situ: Measuring Automated Sentiment Analysis In The Native Language, Zoe Torres

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Smart-Teleprompter: An Online Teleprompter With Text Editing, Mikyla Wilfred

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Mikyla Wilfred

Major: Computer Science

Project Sponsor: Dr. Collard

Number of Project Credits: 3

Smart-Teleprompter

The smart-teleprompter is a website that allows a logged in user to edit text files as well as teleprompt them straight to the screen. A teleprompter is used by newscasters and other media professionals to read scripts while still looking at or near the camera. My project uses this concept creating a page that defaults to white font on a black background that can scroll through the script. The website allows the logged in user to save defaults of font color, background color, font style …

Communication Apprehension, Self-Efficacy, And Their Effects On The Utilization Of On-Campus Services, Ashley Mikolay

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

College is a vital time in a person's life and the quality of their experiences usually go beyond just the academic and for this reason it is important that we study these experiences too.

This study looked to gain knowledge about why some students choose to be involved on campus and utilize services provided by their universities and others do not. To do this we gathered data from students about their perceived self-efficacy and communication apprehension in addition to their level of involvement while in college in the hopes to either find support, or rule these traits out as factors …

My.Eskwela: Designing An Enterprise Learning Management System To Increase Social Network And Reduce Cognitive Load, Ma. Regina Justina E. Estuar, Orven E. Llantos

Department of Information Systems & Computer Science Faculty Publications

A typical learning management system (LMS) provides a tool for teachers to upload and create links to resources, create online assessments and provide immediate evaluation to students. As much as it tries to be student centered, most LMS remains a tool for instruction rather than learning. In a learning generation that is bound by very high online social capital, connectedness to the family weakens. my.Eskwela (My School) redefines LMS to include a parent component to address the need for inclusive participation of parents in the teaching-learning process. Basis for re-design came from the low user acceptance of teachers in using …

Administering Community-Engaged Pedagogies: Toward An Anticipatory Approach To Problems, Todd Kelshaw

College of Communication and Media Scholarship and Creative Works

The article focuses on the anticipatory approach to problems which may arise during community engaged work, and how the communication administrators can manage them. Topics discussed include inevitability of various problems such as logistics, scheduling, and financial and material resources, adopting the approach of reactivity to proactivity and responsiveness, and effectiveness of communication-disciplinary knowledge, observational skills, and reflectiveness to stakeholders' interaction as an responsive tactic.

Brain Drain In Mississippi: Why Some Of The State's Best And Brightest Are Leaving, Savannah G. Smith

Honors Theses

This thesis is a collection of stories in which I explore some of the underlying reasons that the state of Mississippi is experiencing a large outmigration of educated, millennial citizens, known as Brain Drain. This project is not an academic paper nor is it an attempt to fix the problem of young Mississippians leaving the state but rather an examination of the situation written in journalistic fashion. It attempts to shine a light on an issue that has plagued the state for years and deserves attention. It includes stories about the social climate, economic opportunities, the state legislature, and profiles …

Interoperability Performance Among Campus Law Enforcement Agencies, Tammie Ann Massirer

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks exposed considerable breakdowns in communications interoperability and information sharing among first responders. Multijurisdictional responses to the active-shooter incidents at the University of Texas in 2010; Sandy Hook Elementary of Newtown, Connecticut in 2012, and the Reynolds High School shooting of Multnomah County, Oregon in 2014 were replete with interoperability failures as well. Recent multijurisdictional response events continue to illuminate difficulties with first-responder interoperability and minimal research exists to promote understanding of the interoperability challenges of university police departments. The purpose of this study was to explore the barriers that impede communications of campus based …

Comedian Hosts And The Demotic Turn, Kathleen Collins

Publications and Research

Podcasting is a showcase for what cultural studies scholar Graeme Turner coined “the demotic turn” or the increasing visibility of the "ordinary person" in the today’s media landscape. Collins argues that the emergence of a particular breed of podcasts – comedian-hosted interviews with celebrities – function in an “off-label” manner as a form of self-help or vicarious therapy. The emergence and rapid growth of this genre can attributed to three main factors: a confessional culture, the triumph of experience over expertise, and the democratization allowed by the form’s technology. She explores the link between emotional intimacy and comedy, and analyzes …

The Evolution Of Communication Pedagogy, Jerry D. Feezel

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

This article is an overview of the major developments in the field of communication in education. From the history of the national association over 100 plus years, specific attention is paid to changes leading to the advent of this publication. Changes in nomenclature, conferences, publications, research, and educational trends are discussed. The essay is intended to provide a view of history as setting for inauguration of the Journal of Communication Pedagogy. It also is intended to invite and stimulate other scholars’ reflections on the nature and evolution of the field.

Instructional Communication Scholarship: Complementing Communication Pedagogy, Alan K. Goodboy

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Instructional communication and communication pedagogy are complementary areas of inquiry; that is, communication instructors will not be effective educators without strategically considering--for each course taught in a given semester--both pedagogical techniques (e.g., writing accurate course objectives; choosing or creating activities that align with the objectives; teaching communication skills using proven pedagogical strategies) and instructional communication practices (e.g., communicating with students clearly; confirming students; integrating appropriate humor). These disciplines offer micro (i.e., communication pedagogy) and macro (i.e., instructional communication) perspectives on teaching that both deserve close attention as instructors strive to be the best educators (and communicators) in the communication courses …

Who Is Caring For The Caregiver? The Role Of Cybercoping For Dementia Caregivers, Jae-Seon Jeong, Young Kim, Myoung-Gi Chon

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between dementia caregivers’ communication behaviors (information seeking and forwarding) and their outcomes (coping outcomes: e.g., dealing better with negative feelings or improved medical outcomes). A survey data set of dementia patients’ caregivers substantiates the effects of communication behaviors about dementia illness on coping outcomes, as well as the mediating role of emotion-focused and problem-focused coping processes. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), this study found positive effects of communication behaviors on outcomes through coping processes. Further, the results indicate that communication behaviors in cyberspace are crucial for caregivers to cope with …

Service-Learning As An Effective Pedagogical Approach For Communication Educators, Sara Chudnovsky Weintraub

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

Service-learning combines the learning goals of a course with service to the community. Through service-learning, students engage in action and reflect on their experiences in order to connect what they see and do in the community with what they are learning in their courses. Whether service-learning projects account for part of a course or an entire course is centered on service-learning, service-learning works because it connects theory with practice. Service-learning is an important pedagogy because it offers students a chance to do meaningful work that helps their community and teaches them the importance of civic engagement.

Assessing Students’ Writing And Public Speaking Self-Efficacy In A Composition And Communication Course, Terrell K. Frey, Jessalyn I. Vallade

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

One avenue for assessing learning involves evaluating self-efficacy, as this psychological beliefis a strong predictor of academic achievement. As such, the purpose of this study was to evaluate writing self-efficacy and public speaking self-efficacy in a composition and communication course. This course is structured to develop both writing and public speaking competencies; the research sought to determine whether students believed they were leaving the course feeling more confident in their capabilities within each respective academic domain. Results (N= 380) from pre- and post-test data suggest that students’ reported writing and public speaking self-efficacy significantly increased over the semester. Additionally, students’ …