Roy A. Cook

Cellular phone etiquette among college students

There has been tremendous growth in the cellular telephone industry in recent years. This evolving technology has given rise to concerns over the social rules of etiquette governing cellphone usage behaviour. The present study was undertaken to better understand the perceptions of cellphone usage propriety among one of the most important target markets for cellphone products young adults attending college. Data were collected from a total of 383 cellphone consumers residing in geographically diverse regions of the United States. Overall, the results indicated a high degree of agreement among respondents as to appropriate and inappropriate situations for cellphone usage. Respondents considered inappropriate situations for cellphone usage to include during worship/church, during class, in a library and in a movie theatre during a movie. Respondents considered it to be appropriate to use cellphones while on public transportation, in a supermarket, and to use a hands-free set while driving. Specific differences were found as a function of geographic regions, gender and employment status.

General Patterns of Cell Phone Usage Among College Students

Abstract There has been tremendous growth in the cellular telephone industry in recent years. The present study was undertaken in order to better understand the pattern of usage among one of the most important target markets for cell phone products—young adults attending college. Data were collected from a total of 383 cell phone consumers residing in four states in different geographic regions of the United States. Respondents ranged in age from 18-57 with a median age of 23 years. Data analyses revealed several interesting and potentially important patterns of usage. Among these were the findings that the majority of those surveyed indicated that they use their cell phones for the purpose of social stimulation, to remain continually available, for domestic reasons, to leave themselves memos and reminders, for time-keeping, for emergency purposes, and to use the phones phonebook function. It was also found that the cell phone market among the target population is relatively mature in that the vast majority of the sample (90.5%) indicated that they have owned a cell phone for more than one year. The maturity of the market, however, was found to vary as a function of geographic region. This particular finding has implications for regional cell phone marketing strategies. A number of other differences of potential importance for market segmentation and target marketing purposes also emerged and are discussed in detail.

Coming of Age with Self-Managed Teams: Dealing with a Problem Employee

In the wake of documented success stories from organizations using self-managed teams, additional attention should be directed at factors that can enhance as well as diminish their success. The common characteristics of highly desirable team members are described as a setting for understanding performance problems that are created when individuals with co-dependent behaviors are introduced into a team structure. Although it is difficult to pinpoint accurately the number of individuals who are affected by co-dependency, estimates that reach as high as 95 million make discussion and recommendations for dealing with these individuals in a team setting especially useful.

Enhanced classroom teaching through case research and writing.

ABSTRACT The information contained in this article is intended to help foster case writing skills, improve chances of future publication success, and attract more members of the academic community into this meaningful arena of professional development. The purpose of the case method is to bring some reality into the classroom by providing students with real world problems that promote in-depth analysis and discussion. A set of guidelines is provided to serve as a starting point and checklist for case writers as they refine their research for possible publication.

Teaching with Cases

The use of cases as a teaching and learning tool has continued to increase and is now a widely accepted pedagogical tool, as the emphasis in higher education has changed from professor-centered learning to active student involvement and participation in the educational process. The goal is to graduate students who possess superior communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. By using the case method, the instructors role changes from that of a dispenser of knowledge to one of democratic leader of a group of which he or she becomes an integral part, which fosters learning and results in improved teacher evaluations.

Coping with crises - case.

ABSTRACT As the number one tourist attraction in this remote mountain region, the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad had become an economic mainstay. Now, in the midst of a dismal tourism season brought about by a weak national economy and international turmoil, management of this operation faced a crisis. A roaring wildfire was consuming thousands of acres of pristine forests, and tourism activities and expenditures were evaporating as the fire and smoke spread. Chief Executive Officer Allen Harper found himself caught between a rock and a hard place as the fire danger increased. Continuing to run the coal-fired trains in the isolated tinder dry mountains could cause additional fires, and firefighting resources were already stretched. Yet business owners who feared lost revenues if the train were idled urged management to keep the trains running. He knew he had to make a decision and announce it soon.

Using General Semantics Principles To Clarify the Corporate Culture Concept

ion in the Semantic Differential, with only subtle changes of meaning. The semanticist identifies these terms as multiordinal, and corporate culture is acknowledged as one of these multiordinal terms. Haworth and Savage (1989) indicated that communicators’ giving meaning to words at different levels would result in missed communication. Meeting of meaning would not occur, and participants may become dissatisfied with corporate culture relationships. The implication for corporate culture is that semantically trained individuals within an organization would need evidence and referents to support all myths and heroes that are used to communicate culture. In attempts to use corporate culture, a basic scientific rule has been violated because questions which have no answers have been posed. Communication cannot define culture if culture defines communication. Johnson (1946) believed that definitions should be based on low-order abstractions with observable referents. Unless measurableions with observable referents. Unless measurable definitions leading to higher levels of abstraction are available, the definitions are pointless. However, without the ability to abstract, academicians would be hampered in attempts to move ideas from specific acts to generalizations for predictive purposes. Well-founded low-level abstractions coupled with individual ability to be flexible to changing terms, ideas, and concepts lead to useful higher-level abstractions. Both culture and communication are terms that can be considered high-level abstractions with no easily identifiable referents. Lebas and Weigenstein (1986) believed managers of culture wanted to reduce perceptual dif ferences and stated that culture should be in a state oi permanent flux. They identified the tools used to convey culture as vocabulary, myths, building design, power and privilege distribution, rituals, and ceremonies. Corporate culture is communicated with a symbol system that is complicated by confusion inherent in the communication process. Since language, an integral component of the communication process, is an inseparable part of culture, culture cannot be discussed separately from the communication process. While the sender has the power to influence the symbol’s meaning, individuals trained to use and understand semantic tools will recognize that any symbol holds a range of meanings. Uncritical assumptions of mutual understandings become serious obstacles to cooperation and progress in the development and practice of corporate culture. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION The application of General Semantics principles may offer possibilities to expand the usefulness of corporate culture as a tool for academicians and practitioners alike by both clarifying the terms used to develop a corporate culture concept and by addressing the difficulties implicit in the symbol system used to convey the concept. This article looked at similarities and differences of climate and culture, examined definitions of culture, and looked for ways to enhance the usefulness of the corporate culture concept through the application of General Semantics principles and tools. The literature reviewed indicated agreement that the culture concept and communication systems used to convey culture are complex and difficult to manage, especially in the change process. An awareness of semantic difficulties that contribute to complexity can be heightened through greater understanding of the relationships between the communications model and the Semantic Differential. General Semantics training can develop skill in using specific mental tools such as dating, indexing, etc., to allow academicians and practitioners to become more adept at avoiding the communication barriers in relationship to culture research and management. What we have suggested is that learning how to capitalize on our differing perceptions rather than continuing to seek ways to resolve the differences will allow enhancement in the usefulness of the corporate culture concept Taking an alternative approach through General Semantics training and use can give academicians and practitioners another advantage when seeking to capitalize on culture awareness, development and change as a tool to create a competitive edge.