Lisa T. Fall

The significance of crisis communication in the aftermath of 9/11: a national investigation of how tourism managers have re-tooled their promotional campaigns.

SUMMARY After September 11, 2001 (9/11), the United States immediately embarked upon a new way of life, or, as the media describes it, a “new normalcy” (Chura, 2002; Stark, 2002). Throughout Corporate America, managers had to instantaneously re-group, re-strategize, and re-tool their internal and external communication plans. The terrorist attacks on the United States created a crisis in the tourism industry, and have proved challenging even to experienced managers of corporate communication. This investigation examines the post-crisis communication efforts among convention and visitors bureaus (CVB) managers responsible for promoting travel to their destinations. Two theoretical underpinnings serve as the framework for the study: crisis communication theory and strategic communication management. The study examined the tools tourism managers use to promote travel to their destination, how they have redesigned their promotional messages, and how they have redirected their target market focus in the wake of 9/11. Further, this research investigates how the tools used (advertising, tourism marketing, public relations, new media) serve as predictors for redesigning promotional messages and redirecting target markets.

Intercultural Communication Apprehension and Emotional Intelligence in Higher Education: Preparing Business Students for Career Success.

Given the expanding globalized workforce, business educators continue to seek new ways to prepare students for intercultural encounters. Although immersion in other cultures is the optimal strategy, this method is not always feasible. As such, educators seek other mechanisms to simulate intercultural experiences. This study examines emotional intelligence as a predictor of intercultural communication apprehension among university students (N = 425). Results indicate that three of the emotional intelligence subscales predict intercultural communication apprehension: emotionality, sociability, and self-control. These results support the premise that emotional intelligence manages and/or reduces intercultural communication apprehension and therefore should be integrated in business curriculum.

Personal Values and Media Usefulness of Mature Travelers

Abstract This study expands our understanding of the mature market by investigating the importance of nine personal values and the usefulness of 19 media sources in a travel context. Findings from a survey of 235 travelers are reported. Results suggest that the three dominant values are Self-Respect, Warm Relations with Others, and Security. The most useful media sources include recommendations from family/friends, feature stories in mass media, and quasi-governmental outlets. Implications for marketing professionals and future research are offered.

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!: an examination of membership communication programs among our nation's zoos.

ABSTRACT Membership departments at zoological parks and aquariums are constantly working to retain existing members. Communication tactics must be evaluated to determine public relations success and financial accountability within organizational systems. Further, member relations departments must employ two-way communications to survive within organizational systems. This study is conducted within the theoretical framework of systems theory as it relates to public relations communication and evaluation methods. Results from 73 zoos (46% response rate) reveal that the most dominant communication tactics these managers employ to retain members include members-only newsletters, magazines and special events, and renewal mailings. The most dominant evaluation methods zoo managers employ to determine the success of communication strategies include calculating the number of people who participate in events/activities, who call membership hotlines, who act in a desired fashion, and who renew their memberships. Findings from an exploratory factor analysis also reveal three underlying dimensional communication constructs: membership-specific, paid advertisements, and public relations/media relations. Implications for communication managers are discussed and suggestions for future research are recommended.

Developing Innovative Public Relations Strategies: Using Grunig's Nested Segmentation Model and Yankelovich's Generational Influences Model to Distinguish Pleasure Traveler Publics

ABSTRACT This study investigates an innovation public relations strategy that distinguishes vacation traveler publics based on two characteristics: usefulness of communication tactics and the generational cohorts they represent. More specifically, this study examines how travelers within various generational cohorts evaluate the usefulness of media and other information sources (communication tactics) for pre-travel pleasure planning. Grunigs (1992, 1989) nested segmentation model (1989, 1992) and the generational influences model (Smith & Clurman, 1997), in tandem with media uses and gratification theory, serves as the theoretical framework. Results demonstrate that word-of-mouth serves as a useful tactic among Boomers, Generation Xers, and Matures. New media tactics and travel-specific organizations serving as vehicles for disseminating public relations tactics are useful also among Matures and Boomers. In short, travelers report that “public relations-oriented” information is most useful; “mass-oriented” tactics are not as useful to travelers planning for such an enduring experience as a vacation. Recommendations for public relations and other communication managers are included and suggestions for future studies are discussed.

An Investigation of Computer-Mediated Instructional Immediacy in Online Education: A Comparison of Graduate and Undergraduate Students’ Motivation to Learn

For more than 30 years, instructors have relied on instructional immediacy to inspire motivation for learning in students. However, the introduction of online classes has eliminated the utility of many of the previously used cues of instructional immediacy. Previous studies in instructional immediacy displayed through computer-mediated communication (CMC) have made the assumption that verbal displays of instructional immediacy are still perceived as immediate when displayed through CMC. This study first explores the role of instructional communication in the online classroom by validating findings of previous research that instructional immediacy is positively related to student learning by measuring instructional immediacy though indicators that are unique to CMC. Second, this study compares the effectiveness of computer-mediated instructional immediacy and motivation between graduate and undergraduate students. Finally, the predictive power of student motivation and instructional communication are examined in relation to learning loss in the online classroom. The findings of this study imply that, although computer-mediated instructional immediacy has a more substantively significant effect on undergraduate students than graduate students, instructional communication plays a strong role in learning outcomes in the online environment.

The U.S. Welcome Mat: A Case Study of Post-9/11 Tourism Promotional Efforts

“On that horrific day of Sept. 11, we watched our industry come to its knees in one hour,” said Roger Dow, CEO of America’s Travel Industry A ssociation (TIA) located in Washington, DC.1 In fact, the travel industry was the first industry to feel the immediate impact of “the day that changed everything.” Moreover, this industry is now one of the last to continue feeling the residual effects—almost a full decade later. America’s travel industry, represented by TIA, was compelled to respond to 9/11 in several substantive ways. Certainly, there was an internal overhaul on every level across the industry. But also to the forefront came the sudden urgency to create a unified national industry voice to recognize the necessity for a sustained public affairs advocacy effort to encourage government officials to embrace travel as part of the solution to the public diplomacy problem for America.