Daniel S. Cochran

Effects of Differences in Superior and Subordinate Perceptions of Superiors' Communication Practices

Superior-subordinate communication is very important to the organizati n’s overall communication effectiveness. Research has shown that between 50 and 90 percent of a manager’s time may be spent communicating (Kelly, 1964; Horne & Lupton, 1965; Mintzberg, 1973). Much of this time is spent in face-to-face communication with subordinates (Penfield, 1974; Porter & Roberts, 1976). Jablin (1979) offers the following definition of superior-subordinate communication:

Communication effectiveness of organizational mission statements

An empirical investigation of mission statement communication effectiveness (readability and tone) was conducted using content analysis. All Fortune 500 companies and American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in the United States were contacted by letter asking for a copy of their mission statement. Responses were received from 218 companies and 107 universities. Of these, 135 usable mission statements were evaluated. The results indicate that mission statement developers in both corporate as well as university settings need to improve their readability and the tone of their written statements in order to maximize their organizational image.

Quality Management Practices in China

Recently, increasing numbers of Western business practitioners and academics have shown interest in China, along with the awareness of the important role China has played in the global economy. Little research, however, has been done to explain what is ..

Effect of Two Goal-Setting Dimensions on Perceived Intraorganizational Conflict

In an attempt to assess the effects of goal-setting upon intra organizational conflict, nonsupervisory employees of a large utility were administered a questionnaire containing measures of task- goal attributes, perceptions of inter- and intradepartmental conflict, internal work motivation, and intrinsic job satisfaction. Results suggest that task goal attributes do influence perceptions of intraor ganizational conflict. Higher levels of goal difficulty and goal clarity were found to be associated with lower levels of both inter- and intradepartmental conflict. A significant interaction effect for goal difficulty and clarity on interdepartmental conflict suggests that individuals who have challenging goals experience lower interdepartmental conflict when goals are clear and specific than when goals are ambiguous. Individuals who have goals that are not challenging experience higher interdepartmental conflict when goals are ambiguous than when goals are clear and specific. Further, the results indicated that increasing levels of both types of conflict reduced both internal work motivation and intrinsic job satisfaction.

Intraorganizational Conflict in the Hospital Purchasing Decision Making Process

Empirical data collected from administrators and purchasing managers in 56 general short term hospital facilities together with in-depth interviews conducted in 9 hospitals provided insights as to ...

Characteristics of Boundary Spanning Communicators

This article presents the results and implications of an empirical study designed to explore the descriptive characteristics of boundary spanning individuals. Boundary spanners are individuals in an organization who facilitate and filter the flow of information internally and externally. Demographic profiles of boundary spanners (stars, isolates, and liaisons) are developed. Conclusions of this study provide information that could enable organizations to more effectively manage the boundary spanning process.

PC's in the BC Classroom: Present and Future Perceptions.

a reality, it is important that business communication teachers increase their knowledge of computers as well. The more knowledge we have about the impact of computers, the greater our understanding of the implications for business communication usage. Indeed this is our challenge. Review of current business communication literature recognizes the impact of computer technology and its applications in teaching and research. As a result, new approaches are beginning to be explored and new ideas implemented in computer usage in the field of business