Amber S. Messersmith

A Meta-Analytical Review of Family Communication Patterns and their Associations with Information Processing, Behavioral, and Psychosocial Outcomes

This meta-analysis reviews the findings of 56 studies (n=19,745) examining the associations among family communication patterns (i.e., conversation and conformity orientations) and information-processing, behavioral, and psychosocial outcomes. When both conversation and conformity orientations are considered collectively, the cumulative evidence indicates a small, but meaningful relationship between family communication patterns and overall outcomes (r=.285). Similar overall effect sizes were observed for conversation (r=.262) and conformity orientations (r=.253), though the average effect size for conversation orientation and psychosocial outcomes (r=.460) was greater in magnitude than those obtained for information processing (r=.238) or behavioral outcomes (r=.276). Slightly larger effect sizes were observed when researchers used the Revised Family Communication Patterns scale (r=.332) as compared with the Family Communication Patterns scale (r=.261), though this difference in magnitude was statistically non-significant. Collectively, the results suggest that family communication patterns have a meaningful association with a variety of cognitive activities and relational behaviors, as well as individual well-being.

Supervisor-Subordinate Communication Hierarchical Mum Effect Meets Organizational Learning

The authors provide nine propositions regarding the function and effects of supervisor-subordinate communication to encourage business communication researchers to go beyond a unidimensional view of this workplace relationship. Taken together, these propositions represent an argument that connects and clarifies the associations between micro-level supervisor-subordinate communication behaviors and macro-level organizational learning. We explain how command structures produce relational contexts that create consequences for communication behaviors between subordinates and their supervisors. Specifically, we explain how subordinates’ reluctance to disagree with supervisors results in silence or equivocation—what the authors label the hierarchical mum effect. In turn, we describe how this organizational suppression of dissent produces a barrier to organizational learning and adaptation.

Organizational and Supervisory Apology Effectiveness: Apology Giving in Work Settings

We synthesize the interdisciplinary literature into a heuristic for crafting effective organizational and supervisory apologies (the OOPS four-component apology). In the first experiment, we demonstrate how an offense committed by an organization is perceived to be more egregious than an offense committed by a friend or supervisor. Furthermore, results did not support that OOPS apologies are unequally effective if issued by a friend, supervisor, or organization. In the second experiment, we test OOPS apology-training effectiveness. Results indicated that trained participants crafted more effective apologies. Our apology heuristic is an innovation for training business communicators how to apologize effectively.

Understanding Organizational Culture and Communication through a Gyroscope Metaphor

To fill a critical void in organizational culture pedagogy, the authors present an instructional system that employs the metaphor of a gyroscope to help students understand implicit assumptions in culture research. Working from Martin’s nexus approach to organizational culture and Fairhurst and Putnam’s tripartite theory of organizational discourse, the system in this study illustrates three interpretations of the relationships between culture and communication implicit in the literature. Each relationship is defined, exemplified with culture research, and critiqued. Pedagogical applications of the gyroscope metaphor are also outlined.

Ensuring Communication Research Makes a Difference

Rephrasing the forum question to “How can we ensure communication research has a positive effect on communication practice?” focuses on the present, points to a specific purpose for communication research, emphasizes the scope and type of difference to be made, and places accountability and responsibility on researchers. In general, the public has not found the expertise of communication scholars. The essay addresses ways to overcome this research to practice dilemma: establishing a common framework, complementing the top-down research approach with a practice-driven, bottom-up approach, and adjusting research and practice assumptions.

The Influence of Family Communication Patterns on Religious Orientation Among College Students

A web survey of 215 participants was conducted to determine if the Revised Family Communication Patterns (RFCP) scale predicted a variety of dependent variables related to religiosity, including extrinsic and intrinsic orientations toward religion, along with strength of religious faith. Both dimensions of the RFCP significantly predicted strength of religious faith, intrinsic orientation and extrinsic orientation beyond the amount of variance predicted by demographic variables and church attendance in the family of origin. Implications for family communication patterns for the socialization of religious values are considered.

Newlywed Reports of Social Support During Engagement: What Worked and What Failed

This study investigated newlywed reports of social support during the engagement period via qualitative, in-depth interviews with 36 recently married heterosexual couples (N = 72 total interviews). Specifically, the study examined what worked and what failed in the social support process for engaged couples. Overall, results revealed that helpful support is generally more plentiful during the engagement period than unhelpful support, and emotional support is the most prevalent of the various types of social support. The most common providers of social support to engaged individuals were family members and friends. Finally, the study revealed that most people felt a sense of perceived support in their social networks if they were in need of it at any point during their engagements.

Preparing Students for 21st Century Teamwork: Effective Collaboration in the Online Group Communication Course

Course: Online Group Communication Objective: To provide online students the semester-long opportunity to experience the challenges of working with geographically dispersed group members, as well as the viability of accomplishing tasks using technology.

Teaching Organizational Culture

Objective: To identify and differentiate among three communication perspectives in organizational culture research Courses: Organizational Communication, Communication in the Workplace, Organizational Culture and Change