Organizational Communication Commons^™

Symptomatic Leadership In Business Instruction: How To Finally Teach Diversity And Inclusion For Lasting Change, Linda L. Ridley

Publications and Research

Are business faculty complicit in mythologizing business concepts by ignoring historical precedence?

The refusal to examine in totality the history of discrimination and racism allows us to perpetuate a mythology of white supremacy that is enhanced through impotent diversity programs repeated throughout corporate America. This paper examines the importance of demythologizing the business curriculum through symptomatic thinking, which allows faculty and students to untangle the quagmire of diversity and inclusion in corporate America. Students are thereby equipped with tools for behavior transformation in the workplace that uses a symptomatic, rather than symbolic approach, to decision making and problem solving.

The Indigenization Of Crisis Response Strategies In The Context Of China, Augustine Pang, Yang Hu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Crisis communication, which has been dominated by a practical perspective, has become a nexus where theory meets application. Despite mounting interest in theoretical studies, crisis communication lacks cultural contextualization. Asian communication researchers have advocated for the need to indigenize communication, drawing relevance to cultural influences. In this study, the authors explored indigenous corporate crisis response strategies in the context of China through nine cases. Three Chinese indigenous strategies were identified through qualitative content analysis of corporate crisis responses. These strategies are “barnacle,” “third-party endorsement,” and “setting up new topics.” The differences with Western frameworks were also discussed.

I Heart Communication In The Library: Exploring Communication Satisfaction, Jennifer A. Keach

Libraries

This poster presents findings about organizational communication within a mid-sized academic library. Discover if demographic differences, the number of connections, attendance at events, or use of technology helped or hindered communication. Learn about ways to do a communication audit at your own library.

“Regarding Lupe”: A One-Act Play Where Two Cultures Collide On The Road To A Latina’S Performance Appraisal, Regina F. Bento, Susan Rawson Zacur

Organization Management Journal

This article presents an original academic play, “Regarding Lupe,” that explores traditional and emerging Latina cultural values and how cross-cultural differences may affect a performance appraisal process. The dramatic structure of the play, inspired by Crandall and Eshleman’s Justification/Suppression Model of Prejudice (JSM), represents a novel and vivid way to engage students in learning why even an acculturated Latina executive may face stereotypes, prejudice, and unintentional discrimination in performance appraisal at work. Here we share the play and offer theoretical and cross-cultural information to facilitate the debriefing. We hope to contribute not only to the teaching and learning of diversity …

The Influence Of Supervisor Undermining On Self-Esteem, Creativity, And Overall Job Performance: A Multiple Mediation Model, Gabi Eissa, Sydney Chinchanachokchai, Rebecca Wyland

Organization Management Journal

Drawing from the supervisor undermining and creativity literature, this study explores the influence of supervisor undermining on employee self-esteem, creative performance, and overall job performance in the workplace. Using data obtained from subordinate–supervisor dyads (N = 123) in various organizations, this study specifically suggests that supervisor undermining adversely impacts employee creativity through the mediation process of employee self-esteem. Additionally, this study finds support for a positive relationship between employee creativity and overall job performance. Ultimately, the current study proposes a multiple mediation model whereby supervisor undermining indirectly influences employee overall job performance through the mediation mechanisms of employee self-esteem and …

Employee Narcissism’S Implications For Performance Management: A Review And Research Directions, Scott David Williams, Jonathan Rountree Williams

Organization Management Journal

The organizational literature reflects a growing interest in the personality trait of grandiose narcissism. Individuals high in grandiose narcissism are more arrogant, self-confident, and greedy, and have lower empathy than the average person. Narcissism injects biases and conflict into the performance management process, which decreases the benefits obtained and increases stress and frustration. We review research on narcissism and the components of performance management systems, and then integrate them to illustrate several important implications for performance management in organizations. Employee narcissism is negatively related to employees’ commitment to development goals that address competence deficits, acceptance of negative feedback, and the …

Implications In Implementing Self-Managed Teams In Organizations, Aayushi Gupta, Alex Tacco Melendez, Janet Rosenthal, Lipishree Vrushabhendra

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

Over the past few decades, organizations have developed workplace teams that are multi-faceted, diverse and classified or divided by objective. These teams are essentially turning out to be instrumental in innovation and change in organizations. One such work team that has evoked interest in the recent past is the self-managed team. The design, structure and performance of self-managed teams varies from the other teams significantly. Nevertheless, these teams like the other workplace teams share common benefits such as increased knowledge and skills, synergy and commitment. The main difference lies in the way these teams work. The objective of this research …

Virtual Teams : Boon Or Bane?, Krishna Priya Muraleedharan, Satvik Vishnubhatta, Smitha Mandhani, Unmesh Deodhar

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

A virtual team is a group of people who work together across time, space and organizational boundaries.Virtual teams came into existence as the work expertise is distributed globally and it provides more flexibility to the employees. The members of a virtual team have varied skills and they work towards achieving a common goal.

To explain the challenges faced by virtual teams we have studied research papers and case study for whom the only economically and practically means of communication was asynchronous and synchronous computer-mediated communication. This research paper highlights the challenges of making and keeping trust in a virtual team …

Domestic Violence And The National Football League, Kelsey Rentner

Master of Arts in Media and Communication Plan II Graduate Projects

In 2014, the National Football League (NFL) faced extreme criticism for the way it handled the three domestic violence cases that emerged into the spotlight. The Ray Rice video that showed him punching his at-the-time fiancé, as well as the several other domestic violence cases among NFL players that quickly followed, shed a light on what seemed to be a well-hidden problem within the league. Since being in the public eye, the league has not been effective with its communication efforts to prevent the issue of domestic violence and rebuild its reputation among stakeholders. This project uses evidence-based literature to …

“I Need That Week Off!”: An Experiential Exercise On Conflict And Negotiation, Melanie A. Robinson

Organization Management Journal

This article presents an experiential exercise designed to provide students with an opportunity to develop their knowledge of ways in which conflict may be managed (using the framework proposed by Thomas, 1976) and types of negotiation. Students form pairs and are presented with a scenario in which they have both requested the same week of vacation to attend events. Unfortunately, they are informed that they are unable to take the time off simultaneously. Participants are asked to discuss among themselves, using assigned modes of managing conflict, to determine how the time will be allocated. The target audience is composed of …

Managing Careers For Ambidexterity And Organizational Alignment: Why It Matters Today To Hr Practice, Nicole C. Jackson, Isabelle Lescent-Giles, Linda M. Dunn-Jensen

Organization Management Journal

Today’s competitive environment increasingly calls for organizations and their employees to align competencies and individual capabilities for ambidexterity. Ambidexterity is defined as the need to exploit competencies while allowing for innovative potential. The role of human capital development, and specifically understanding how existing human resources (HR) practices may limit ambidexterity, is central to career management. While career management spans both individual and organizational interests, we approach this issue from the question of how firms can manage careers to build organizational ambidexterity. We also explore what HR professionals can do to address this issue. As part of our approach, we focus …

Leveraging Positive Psychological Capital (Psycap) In Crisis: A Multiphase Framework, Ivana Milosevic, A. Erin Bass, Djordje Milosevic

Organization Management Journal

Despite recent advancements in understanding of leadership in context, there is surprisingly little insight into leadership in crisis. To provide insight into how leaders navigate crisis, we utilize historical sources of Sir Winston Churchill’s leadership during World War II to analyze which resources are used by leaders during a crisis and how they leverage these resources to lead through and out of the crisis. We discover that psychological capital (PsyCap) is a core individual resource that leaders leverage in crisis. Our findings suggest that leaders leverage PsyCap in varying ways based on the phase of the crisis. That is, different …

The Mountain Musical Theatre Company: Governance Failures, Vince Bruni-Bossio, Brooke Klassen, Brian Lane

Organization Management Journal

No abstract provided.

Ua35/1 Faculty Handbook, 23rd Edition, Wku Provost

WKU Administration Documents

WKU faculty handbook designed to provide members of the faculty with general information about WKU, its history, philosophy, organization, policies and procedures, faculty responsibilities and benefits, and various services and facilities.

Rock The Runway Event Proposal, Jamie R. Foxen, Hayley Silva

Communication Studies

EVENT OVERVIEW

We will host a fundraiser to raise money for the non-profit Do It for the Love, by putting on a concert and fashion show. The concert and fashion show not only represent our passions, but will be an effective way to raise as much money as possible while making it an enjoyable experience for our guests. We will have 15-20 silent auction items for guests to bid on. Additionally, we hope to generate funds from the sale of Sextant wine by the glass at the event. This event will be a perfect and unique way to bring together …

What Happens At Camp Does Not Stay At Camp: A Rhetorical Analysis On The American Camp Association's 'Mission And Vision' Page, Abigail W. Fiege

SCOM Undergraduate Research Conference

Research on mission statements as a genre of rhetoric and evaluation of the American Camp Association's mission and vision webpage based on found criteria.

Rope Or Elephant’S Tail: Different Frames Of Culture, Vicki Fairbanks Taylor, Nathan Goates

Organization Management Journal

Using data from participants at a single organization, we employed a three-perspective metatheory to move toward a more comprehensive description of organizational culture and examined how differing theoretical perspectives yield convergent, complementary, or contrary findings. Survey data (n = 124) combined with the results from 19 structured interviews indicated that employees shared consensus around some cultural values, but also suggested the existence of subcultures and general ambiguity around other cultural elements. That is, from an integrative perspective, there was clarity surrounding one set of values; from a differentiation perspective, subcultures existed; and from a fragmentation perspective, there was evidence of …

Student Engagement: An Empirical Analysis Of The Effects Of Implementing Mandatory Web-Based Learning Systems, Gerald F. Burch, Jana J. Burch, John Womble

Organization Management Journal

Student engagement has, and will continue to be, a key desire for educators. However, some policies that are aimed at increasing engagement may actually have the opposite effect. This study of 98 students investigates one mandatory policy to use a web-based learning system and presents the level of student engagement compared to other classes where the learning system was not used. Results show that students that were required to use the web-based material had lower engagement, thus providing evidence that participation is not synonymous with engagement. Implications for practice and research are proposed.

Learning How To Influence Others: A Training Module And Experiential Exercise, Lindsey A. Gibson, Carolyn I. Chavez

Organization Management Journal

Effective leaders in the 21st century must be able to elicit desired changes through one-on-one dialogues, in small groups, and through speeches as well as other communication channels directed at broader audiences. Unfortunately, knowledge about influence tactics does not necessarily translate into effective usage. Therefore, we developed a training module and experiential exercise that provide participants, as influence agents, practice using 11 proactive influence tactics. The module also provides participants, as targets, practice in identifying uses of the tactics in various real-life situations. The authors developed training materials and instructions to help participants gain a deeper understanding of the influence …

Identity Discovery And Verification In Artist-Entrepreneurs: An Active Learning Exercise, A. Erin Bass

Organization Management Journal

Entrepreneurship curricula are becoming increasingly more interdisciplinary, with higher education institutions offering a variety of “entrepreneurship and” courses that cross the boundaries into other fields. Despite this, many entrepreneurship curricula are centered on business theory, which is not suitable for nonbusiness students. For example, business students are trained to define success by financial statements and organizational viability, whereas artists enjoy success by achieving creative satisfaction. This article explores the importance of identity to the entrepreneurial process, highlighting the similarities and differences between the artist and entrepreneur identities. Pedagogical in approach, the article demonstrates the utility of an active learning exercise …

A Desire For The Dark Side: An Examination Of Individual Personality Characteristics And Their Desire For Adverse Characteristics In Leaders, Victoria Mckee, Ethan P. Waples, K. J. Tullis

Organization Management Journal

Powerful and charismatic leaders are often highly desired by organizations and the followers that work within them. However, leaders who are highly skilled at developing relationships and accomplishing what they need to are often those individuals who rate very high on personality traits or characteristics that are considered “dark.” Although much attention has been paid to leaders and dark characteristics, we know much less regarding the dark side of leadership and followers’ susceptibility to these leaders. This article investigates the extent to which follower traits (i.e., the dark triad and the Big Five) predict a follower’s propensity to accept leader …

Beyond Greening: The Challenges To Adopting Sustainability In Higher Education., Catherine Hooey, Alicia Mason, James Triplett

Faculty Submissions

It is common for colleges and universities to include sustainability in their mission statements and strategic plans. On many campuses, however, sustainability is associated with green practices only, rather than the comprehensive integration of social equity, economic, and environmental principles on which the concept was founded. Here, Hooey et al examine the obstacles to the comprehensive adoption of sustainability in institutions of higher education, in general, and to suggest a conceptual framework of a sustainability culture as one most appropriate for the more effective incorporation of comprehensive practices.

Talking The Talk: The Effect Of Vocalics In An Interview, Marilena Phillips

Honors Projects in Communication

Our voices carry more than just content. People continuously make assumptions of one’s intelligence, credibility, personality, and other characteristics merely based on the way we talk. As the diversity of individuals in the workplace increases, so too do the differences in how those individuals talk. It is important that we understand how these different ways of speaking are being perceived in the workplace. More specifically, how are individuals being perceived prior to being hired via the interview process? This Honors Capstone project aims to understand the impact that vocal characteristics in an individual have on the interviewer’s perception of the …

Analysis Of How Companies Should Prepare To Recruit And Manage Generation Z, Corey Pires

Honors Projects in Management

No abstract provided.

How To Conduct A Mini-Ethnographic Case Study: A Guide For Novice Researchers, Patricia I. Fusch Ph.D., Gene E. Fusch, Lawrence R. Ness

The Qualitative Report

The authors present how to construct a mini-ethnographic case study design with the benefit of an ethnographic approach bounded within a case study protocol that is more feasible for a student researcher with limited time and finances. The novice researcher should choose a design that enables one to best answer the research question. Secondly, one should choose the design that assists the researcher in reaching data saturation. Finally, the novice researcher must choose the design in which one can complete the study within a reasonable time frame with minimal cost. This is particularly important for student researchers. One can blend …

Transitioning College Media From Print Focused Business Models To Digitally Focused Business Models, Celina Oseguera

Journalism

The noticeable downturn in print advertising indicates a need for change in the news industry business model. College media is not immune to this decline and need for change. A change in business model calls for transitioning to an alternative system that does not primarily rely on print products and advertising — a digitally focused business model. Many college media organizations around the United States have started to pursue this type of model, changing the way they produce and present news in the process. Taking into account the state of print focused business models in the general and collegiate news …

Positive Impacts Of Social Media At Work: Job Satisfaction, Job Calling, And Facebook Use Among Co-Workers, Brittany Hanna, Kerk Kee, Brett W. Robertson

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

The number of Facebook users grew rapidly since its conception. Within today’s workplace, employees are increasingly connecting with each other on Facebook for interpersonal reasons. Due to sensational reports by media outlets of inappropriate social media use, many organizations are taking extreme measures about how their employees who utilize Facebook to connect with colleagues. Contrary to the negative assumptions, McAfee [1] states that social media within the workplace can promote positive dynamics. The present study uses McAfee’s argument to examine if a positive connection exists between colleagues who use Facebook to connect with each other. An online survey with questions …

Determinants Of Employee Turnover Intention: Understanding The Roles Of Organizational Justice, Supervisory Justice, Authoritarian Organizational Culture And Organization-Employee Relationship Quality, Soojin Kim, Lisa Tam, Jeong-Nam Kim, Yunna Rhee

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify associations amongst organizational justice, supervisory justice, authoritarian culture, organization-employeerelationship quality and employee turnover intention. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey (n=300) was conducted in South Korea. Findings: Organizational justice and supervisory justice are positively associated with organization-employee relationship quality, while authoritarian organizational culture is negatively associated with it. In addition, there is a positive association between authoritarian organizational culture and turnover intention. Organizational justice and organization-employee relationship quality are negatively associated with turnover intention. Originality/value: This study contributes to the lack of research on organization-employee relationship quality as a predictor of employee turnover …

A Special Issue On Aacsb International Accreditation Issues And A Change In Editorial Leadership, Priscilla M. Elsass

Organization Management Journal

No abstract provided.

A Focus On Engagement: Defining, Measuring, And Nurturing A Key Pillar Of Aacsb Standards, Isabelle Dostaler, Melanie A. Robinson, Thomas J. Tomberlin

Organization Management Journal

The 2013 Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Standards emphasize three “pillars” upon which schools accredited by the association must regularly demonstrate quality improvement, namely, impact, innovation, and engagement. Focusing on the last of these, our article examines the concept of engagement through both a content analysis of the 2013 AACSB Standards and an empirical study exploring different types of course-level engagement within an undergraduate business course (measured using the Student Course Engagement Questionnaire; Handelsman, Briggs, Sullivan, & Towler, 2005). The results of our content analysis of the 2013 AACSB Standards underscore the focus placed on engagement within …