At present, the average employee is being bombarded with an ever-increasing number of messages information on his/her company, its products and services, as well as information on its strategy all flooding in from a myriad of sources, including internal vehicles such as e-mail, the intranet, management memoranda, internal publications, as well as the external media, such as the Internet, the local newspaper, television news and national business and industry magazines. The term “information overload” is usually understood to present a state of affairs where an individual’s efficiency in using information in his/her work is hampered by a surplus amount of relevant and potentially useful information available to him/her. The principal aim of this study, therefore, is to establish the extent and impact of information overload on the knowledge worker in the banking industry, with special reference to the part that e-mail technology plays in the creation of such overload. Broadcasting, the telephone and the Internet have revolutionised the way in which workers communicate around the globe. Electronic-messaging systems such as e-mail have become the medium of choice in many organisations, and hold significant and valuable business data, information and knowledge. These systems have had a profound impact on the way in which personal and business communications are effected in the office. With e-mail having acquired mission-critical status, a number of concomitant circumstances and consequences have arisen that present organisations, such as banks, with a variety of challenges, among which • the impact on employees’ productivity, owing to the time spent on e-mailing activities • employees’ attitudes towards e-mail • compliance with corporate policies, such as those policies governing electronic communication and computer use • surveillance and monitoring of e-mail • the quest for finding formal archiving solutions. / Prof. C.W. Rensleigh

This thesis analyzes the potential strategic capability that can be improved from the deployment of business intelligence (BI) applications. AOK Niedersachsen (AOKN), a German health insurance company in the north of Germany (Lower-Saxony), is used as the case study for primary qualitative research and analysis. For many years, information and data have been considered even “factors of production” for companies; but data and information have become more complex, requiring processing and structural analysis to get the needed transparency in the company. Data from different operational sources must be extracted and structured to provide information for management accounting employees, top management, and end-users throughout an organization. In the healthcare industry, BI systems have played a crucial role for decades. For organizations such as AOKN, the application of BI tools and technologies can create and support sustainable capability. Several research questions are answered in this thesis through structured one-to-one interviews with different AOKN employees, and the resulting analysis of interview data. A qualitative approach to this case study is used, allowing the researcher to get in-depth information about a specific context. When case studies are conducted, the one-to-one interview is considered to be an optimal instrument and a significant source of evidence. BI technologies and tools are classified within an appropriate conceptual framework which integrates the complex BI demands and structures of AOKN, identifying different components as part of the framework - systems infrastructure, data provision, reporting, and information receiver. The framework is further enhanced by four factors of a competitive advantage model drawn from existing literature to develop capabilities. The use and integration of BI technologies and tools in the strategy development process are then analyzed. Different BI tools, that have an important function during the whole strategy process, are recommended for each strategy phase. The final area of research examines the possible addition of new functions and solutions to current BI technologies and tools to enhance the potential of these systems in gaining capabilities. Research findings encompass system access, report characteristics, and BI end users profiles and capabilities. To this end, a structured model gives examples of practical AOKN BI projects that have generated strategic capabilities for the organization. At the end, the conclusion chapter stresses the needs of contribution to knowledge (theory and practice).

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abstract: The members of Generation Z are often referred to as "digital natives," having been born between 1995–2012, into a time of significant technological advancements. Members of Generation Z were between the ages of 7–24 years old in 2019. The world Generation Z knows has been impacted by the current technological environment including the use of personal smartphones and smart devices, the rise in social media use, and the preference of texting and instant messaging over voice/phone communications. The oldest members of Generation Z are just starting to enter the workforce. While there are studies on Generation Z's personal communication preferences and habits, there is very little research how these preferences and habits will impact business communication. This study examines specifically the older members of Generation Z, between ages 18–24 years old, who are currently in the workforce. The study gives insight into how Generation Z's personal communication habits are impacting their expectations of business communication.. The study includes results of a survey of 207 participants and in-depth interviews with six Generation Z members. The survey included both quantitative multiple choice and qualitative open-ended questions on the respondents’ personal and workplace communication habits and expectations. The in-depth interviews expanded on the findings of the survey and added additional context to many of the survey's findings. Through researching the habits and expectations of members of Generation Z who are currently in the workplace, the study uncovered many unexpected attitudes and behaviors among working Generation Z respondents. These insights include: the respondents’ awareness of the negatives of technology usage, differences in personal preferences and professional behaviors, the self-regulation of technology usage, and the concern for boundaries between personal and work life. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Technical Communication 2020

Esta investigación tiene como objetivo analizar la comunicación durante la crisis reputacional de Graña y Montero, así como la intervención del directorio en la gestión de la misma. El primer capítulo plantea las preguntas y objetivos inherentes a la investigación, con énfasis en crisis reputacionales por falencias en gobierno corporativo, similares al caso en mención. El segundo capítulo incorpora el marco teórico y analiza conceptos como gobierno corporativo, reputación e imagen corporativa, crisis reputacional y comunicación corporativa. El tercer capítulo busca ubicar al Grupo en el macroentorno del sector construcción, graficando su relevancia en el Perú. El cuarto capítulo aborda la crisis del Grupo y sus características dentro del contexto del caso Lava Jato, cómo se organizó para enfrentar la crisis, y analiza su estrategia de comunicación entre diciembre 2016 y diciembre 2017. El quinto capítulo detalla el marco metodológico aplicado, de tipo cualitativo, con enfoque exploratorio, fenomenológico, descriptivo y relacional. La información pública disponible ha sido complementada con entrevistas en profundidad a directivos y ejecutivos de la empresa, así como a personas que interactuaron con la crisis. El sexto capítulo contiene los resultados del análisis de las entrevistas que responden a: la hipótesis, las preguntas de investigación y los objetivos. En el séptimo capítulo se propone un modelo de gestión de comunicación que podría permitir a los directores monitorear, prever y gestionar los riesgos desde el enfoque transversal y holístico de un dircom. Finalmente, el octavo capítulo contiene conclusiones y recomendaciones como resultado del análisis realizado. / The objective of this research is to analyze Graña y Montero Group’s reputational crisis from the perspective of communication and the intervention of the board in its management. The first chapter raises the research questions and objectives, with an introduction on reputational crises due to corporate governance problems similar to this case. The second chapter incorporates the theoretical framework and analyzes concepts such as corporate governance, reputation and corporate image, reputational crisis and corporate communication as a strategy. The third chapter seeks to locate the Group in the macro environment of the construction sector, charting its relevance in Peru. The fourth chapter addresses the Group's crisis and its characteristics within the Lava Jato context, how it was organized to deal with the crisis, and analyzes its communication strategy between December 2016 and December 2017. The fifth chapter details the applied methodological framework, of a qualitative type, with an exploratory, phenomenological, descriptive and relational approach. The public information available has been complemented by in-depth interviews with board members and company executives, as well as people related to the crisis. The sixth chapter contains the results of the information analysis and the interviews, in order to answer the hypothesis, research questions and objectives. The seventh chapter, proposes a communication management model that allows boards of directors to monitor, foresee and manage risks from the cross-sectional and holistic approach of a dircom. / Trabajo de investigación

Key elements found in areas of organizational commnication which develop into the foundational structure for the comprehensive list of best practices for communication is discerned from the wide array of practices existent in American companies. To remain among the most competitive globally, it is increasingly important to understand how best practices can be utilized to maintain a lead. This can be accomplished by recognizing the importance of American efforts to share knowledge and strategies for competitiveness. The Federal program under the directive of National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) manages a program called the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA). Using the award summary profiles of the 68 MBNQA recipients, the best practices are studied to reveal the tactics and strategies that influence the best American companies to achieve the highest productivity and successful communication models. The practices measured within the profile summaries of winning organizations are comprehensively packaged for senior leader use in strategic planning and vision deployment. Exploring reoccurring communication models found in the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program contributes to the body of knowledge in organizational communication studies; by comprehensively providing the practices used for organizational excellence. The seven principles integral to organizational communication methods employed by top national companies can be categorized by these essential communicative functions: adapting to change, adapting new technology, managing information effectively, mentoring for leadership, organizational culture, performance feedback, and supervisor and employee communication. MBNQA recipient application profiles principle attributes were calculated by degrees of contribution to the successful application to organizational communication models. Success is identified by the award criteria with regard to aspects of business which exemplify quality improvement in their approach to deployment, integration, and learning. These areas are looked at in terms of relevance to key factors in varied levels concerning strengths, opportunities, and results.

This study examines the effects of SEC office change on regulatory oversight and firms' reporting quality. Firms are assigned to the SEC's filing review offices. However, the SEC regularly change office assignment for firms in some industries. I find that SEC oversight on newly assigned firms will be more intense. Firms are more likely to receive comment letters and there are more accountants on the filing review team. Then I provide evidence that firms improve their reporting quality after office change. Firms' financial reports are less likely to be restated and more readable. The effects start in the first year of office change and are stronger for firms with long office tenure. The SEC is more likely to be involved in newly assigned firms' restatements and asks fewer questions about severe issues in the comment letter. Overall, the results suggest that office change brings a "fresh look" benefit and leads to an increase in the intensity of SEC oversight. Firms improve their reporting quality by anticipating the increase.

Different national cultures use communication in different ways. When international businesses use resources in different countries, the communication needs to work for mutual understanding to occur. This essay focuses on the interactions between Sweden and Ukraine, and Sweden and India. As the business-oriented interactions play out, a negotiated culture is formed between the co-workers. Traditional cultural research makes comparisons between nations to predict outcomes, ignoring the importance of the interactions. This leaves no room for understanding the new culture that emerges in the meeting. The research conducted in this thesis is to be understood within the context of this negotiated culture; this space of interactions where the business communication takes place. Pioneers in our field we mapped the interactions observed in three virtual teams, called clusters, within the company. To understand the creation of mutual understanding several aspects were taken into consideration: the context of the company and the negotiated culture, the understanding of what another person means with their words – their frame of reference – and the view on and use of communication.  The research found a low awareness of the negotiated culture that co-workers communicate within. As the host country Swedish egalitarian and flat structure heavily biased the negotiated culture; yet with a focus on the relationship that came to permeate all findings. A friendly relationship and trust within the cluster helped with the communication, collaboration and understanding of each other. Initial physical meetings were found important for understanding another’s frame of reference, while the continuous meetings proved relationship building. The process of mutual understanding works very well within the clusters of the company. Others could use the findings of this report as guidelines in reaching mutual understanding.

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In this era of globalisation and the consequent increase in social, economic and physical mobility, small businesses are transforming into sites of increasing language contact (Harris and Bargiela-Chiappini 2003). This study explores situated language practices within two small multilingual businesses. The first is a bicycle rental and repair shop located in Amsterdam (the Netherlands), which is a city with a dynamic multilingual society. The second is a tyre fitment centre in Grahamstown (South Africa), which is a city characterised by a stable triglossia of English, Xhosa and Afrikaans. Using Linguistic Ethnography (Rampton 2007) as my data collection method, I spent a total of eight weeks in these businesses. For the analysis I draw on Spencer-Oatey’s (2000b; 2011) Rapport Management Framework and sociolinguistics of globalisation (Blommaert 2010). This combination allowed me to explore situated language practices in relation to a contemporary context of increased globalisation. The analysis is structured using Spencer-Oatey’s (2000b) concept of rapport orientations. The orientations are presented as one of the key factors that influence the choice for a certain strategy. The orientations thus seemed a constructive way of showing how the observed strategies were employed by the participants of this study and what function they fulfilled in a certain context. However, difficulties emerged during the analysis with applying this concept to some of the more elaborate and complex data. As a result my argument developed into two different strands. The first demonstrates how individuals turn to their multilingual repertoires to negotiate agency and power relationships in small business discourse. The analysis reveals that people at times deliberately promote and maintains discordant relations, which can be understood as a rational response to the individual’s social and economic context. The second discusses the problems that emerged during my analysis with applying rapport management orientations to my data. I propose theoretical developments, warranted by my data, to create an Enhanced Rapport Management Framework suitable for the analysis of complex small business discourse.