Craig R. Scott

Anonymity and Self-Disclosure on Weblogs

Bloggers are typically cautious about engaging in self-disclosure because of concerns that what they post may have negative consequences. This article examines the relationship between anonymity (both visual and discursive) and self-disclosure on weblogs through an online survey. The results suggest that increased visual anonymity is not associated with greater self-disclosure, and the findings about the role of discursive anonymity are mixed. Bloggers whose target audience does not include people they know offline report a higher degree of anonymity than those whose audience does. Future studies need to explore the reasons why bloggers visually and discursively identify themselves in particular ways.

Identification with Multiple Targets in a Geographically Dispersed Organization.

Organizations today are characterized by changing structures and shifting employee loyalty, both of which make research on identification especially timely. Based on social identity theory, this study of a geographically dispersed organization builds on past identification research by examining 4 viable targets of identification simultaneously, the compatibility and competition between those targets, and the influence of several types of tenure. A series of hypotheses and research questions addressing these concerns are analyzed on the basis of 153 surveys from county, area, and state personnel in Colorados Cooperative Extension Service. Five general conclusions are drawn regarding the relevance of multiple identification targets for the most dispersed geographic levels, the importance of occupational identification across organizational levels, the compatibility between all identification targets, differences between short-and long-term employees, and the importance of occupational tenure in predicting identification.

The effect of communication, writing, and technology apprehension on likelihood to use new communication technologies

This study explores the role of computer anxiety, communication apprehension, and writing apprehension in predicting future use of new communication technologies. Past research has rarely examined these constructs as predictors of future use and has not considered the impact of writing and communication apprehension on text‐based and phone‐based technologies, which are used primarily for interaction. Survey results from 178 undergraduate students tend to support hypotheses about the relevance of computer anxiety and communication apprehension in predicting future technology use, but not those with regard to writing apprehension. Furthermore, past experience appears to be a strong predictor of future use; however, gender differences are rare. The implications of these findings for educational contexts are discussed.

The Impacts of Communication and Multiple Identifications on Intent to Leave: A Multimethodological Exploration.

In the currently strong U.S. economy, voluntary turnover continues to affect organizations and individuals in important ways. This study examines two sets of contributors to turnover intent that have not received much attention in the organizational communication literature: various indicators of communication and multiple targets of identification. A modified version of the International Communication Association Communication Audit survey and interviews were used to collect data at a state government agency. Results indicate that among the communication variables, supervisor and coworker relationships have the strongest association with intent to leave. The findings also reveal a rather complex relationship between three different types of identification (with division, agency, and state government) and intent to leave.

Empathy and Burnout in Human Service Work An Extension of a Communication Model

Burnout is an often-cited danger of human service work, and emotional communication is one of the most important causes of burnout in such jobs. In this paper, we review theoretical work on emotional communication and burnout, concentrating on the Empathic Communication Model of Burnout (Miller, Stiff, & Ellis, 1988). We then argue that a consideration of job involvement, organizational role, and attitude regarding service recipients could enhance the extent to which this model constitutes a complete understanding of the burnout process. We pose several research questions and one hypothesis regarding the role of these variables in affecting the fit of the Empathic Communication Model and test them with a sample of workers who provide services to the homeless. The results of our research provide support for a modified version of the Empathic Communication Model and suggest that the moderating variables of job involvement, organizational role, and attitude about service recipients influence the impact of various portions of the model in explaining burnout.

The Impact of Physical and Discursive Anonymity on Group Members' Multiple Identifications during Computer-Supported Decision Making

Drawing on the social identity and deindividuation (SIDE) model, and adding insights from research on multiple targets of identification and physical/discursive anonymity, this research examined the relationship between identity and anonymity in the use of computer‐based group decision support systems (GDSSs). Results suggested that identification with all targets was lower in GDSS meetings than it was in general. Additionally, discursively anonymous participants had less identification with their group (especially when also hidden), contributed more total comments, used more expressions with no identifications or disidentifications, and used fewer expressions of multiple identifications than did discursively identified participants. Visually hidden participants also expressed fewer comments indicating identification with their group. Overall, this research extends SIDE (as it relates to anonymity, group communication technologies, and identification with multiple targets) and offers several practical imp...

Relating Computer, Communication, and Computer-Mediated Communication Apprehensions to New Communication Technology Use in the Workplace

This study explores three issues regarding the use of multiple workplace communication technologies: the relationships between distinct forms of apprehension (computer, communication, and writing) and use, the relative contribution of computer-mediated communication (CMC) apprehension for predicting use, and changes in these relationships over time. A trend study, which consisted of the collection of data from two samples (N= 205) separated by a 5-year interval, suggests full or partial support for the hypotheses involving computer and communication apprehension. Although apprehension levels remain stable, usage frequency changed for several of the technologies examined—resulting in stronger relationships between apprehensions and those technologies for which use has changed the most in the past 5 years. Most notably, a new measure of CMC apprehension generally predicts communication technology use—especially text-based and conferencing tools—more strongly than do more traditional apprehension types.

It Depends on Who You're Talking To…: Predictors and Outcomes of Situated Measures of Organizational Identification

Scholars have researched organizational identification extensively in recent years. Only occasionally, however, has this research examined multiple targets simultaneously and almost never has it examined variations that occur as individuals interact with others during different activities. The research reported here draws on Scott, Corman, and Cheneys (1998) communicative model of situated identification to investigate identification with various organizational targets across three communication-based situations. Situated scores based on communication partner and identification target were related to several predictor and outcome variables.

Ironic uses of group communication technology: Evidence from meeting transcripts and interviews with group decision support system users

This research examined unexpected uses of group decision support systems (GDSSs) related to three key communication characteristics of that technology: anonymity, equality of participation, and equality of influence. Using Adaptive Structuration Theory (AST) as a heuristic framework for exploring ironic appropriations of technology, this study included both interview data from users and transcripts from actual group meetings. The results suggest several ironic uses related to anonymous communication (including overt efforts to determine anothers identity both during and after meetings, signing of comments, sensory evidence used to determine a comments’ source, and actual attributions of a comments source—as well as extreme efforts to preserve anonymity that also go against the overall spirit of the technology). Several ironic uses relevant to influence equality were also noted; however, the data revealed very little evidence of ironic use related to participation equality (only social loafing was detect...

Communication and Coordination in an Interorganizational System Service Provision for the Urban Homeless

Homelessness in todays urban centers poses a problem of huge proportions. Increasingly, the homeless and the urban dilemma are intertwined. Cause and effect are blurred as the needs of the homeless confront and affront while shaping urban policy. Because of the diverse nature and needs of the American homeless population, individual organizations are not able to provide the range of services necessary for survival on the street and long-term recovery off the street. The authors present a grounded theory study of coordination and communication in the provision of service to the urban homeless. They begin by reviewing theoretical perspectives on communication and coordination in interorganizational relationships. They then consider this literature in light of the urban homelessness context.