Organizational Communication Commons^™

A Convergence-Building Model Of Superfund Site Communication: Building On Lessons From The Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Anna G. Hoover, Lindell Ormsbee

Anna G. Hoover

Best practices approaches have guided governmental risk communication efforts at Superfund and other chronic risk sites for more than two decades, playing an important role in the ways in which those most affected by contamination make sense of risk. Such approaches can affect the information environment in two separate but related ways: 1) directly, through the explicit sharing of information, and 2) indirectly, through ongoing stakeholder interpretations of the processes by which that information is shared. To date, the indirect, process-related effects have not been addressed in assessments of communicative efficacy at Superfund sites. Thus, it increasingly is necessary to …

Organizational Response To Perceptual Risk: Managing Substantial Response To Unsubstantiated Events, Elizabeth L. Petrun

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Analysis and perceived severity of risk influences organizational decisions to anticipated threats. As economic development and technology improve our standards of living, they also create new challenges to conceptualizing concrete and abstract threats. Organizations that face new threats, along with agencies that oversee these organizations, produce tightly coupled systems that increase risks for direct, indirect, and future stakeholders (Perrow, 1999). Natural disasters, political misbehavior, organizational corruption, financial collapse, food and water contaminations, chemical or nuclear accidents, international tension, to name a few, all present risks and challenges. Unfortunately, many of these situations endanger the lives and well-being of persons. The …

Sensemaking In The Shadow Of A Superfund Site: Defining Atsdr Roles And Goals In An Agency-Saturated Community, Anna G. Hoover, Lindell Ormsbee, Stephanie W. Jenkins, Ashley M. Bush

Anna G. Hoover

By working directly in Superfund communities, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry is embedded within a complex tapestry of federal and state agencies, local government entities, and other organizations that community stakeholders encounter regularly. The diversity of statutory obligations and expertise among these organizations, particularly as they relate to stakeholders’ health concerns, presents challenges for creating shared understanding between agencies and the communities they serve. Thus, addressing key elements of individual sensemaking during engagement activities is essential for those who work in communities.

Because sensemaking helps individuals determine the seriousness of a situation, decide how to react to …