This thesis was designed to determine Fortune 500 communicators' opinions about objectives for employee communications. The study compared communicators' opinions about stated objectives for employee communications objectives to their opinion about how their corporations implement the same stated objectives.An opinion questionnaire was mailed to directors of employee communication or equivalent titles at all Fortune 500 companies. Of the 500 instruments mailed, 129 or 25.8 percent were returned and used for data.Participants' responses were analyzed by mean scores, t-tests, confidence interval ratings and rank-order correlation tests. Demographic data was collected concerning budget sizes, staffdemographic data was cross tabulated with 40 statements of objectives the existence of written objectives, and types of activities used. The for employee communications activities to further describe Fortune 500 communicators.The study found a significant difference between the communicators' opinions toward employee communications objectives and the employee communications activities implemented within their corporations. The study also found companies with and without objectives for employee communications both implement similar employee activities. / Department of Journalism

This research utilized Q Method to learn whether attitudes regarding integrated marketing communication (IMC) among both educators and practitioners are consistent with placing IMC in an inductive or pre-theory stage of development within the theory building-research cycle. The analysis indicates an acceptance of IMC as a valid method of communication management among study participants. However the data is consistent with a negative, or at best ambiguous, conclusion when it comes to placing attitudes regarding IMC in an inductive or pre-theory stage of development within the theory building-research cycle. This then permits the conclusion that IMC at present is a communications management approach, not a nascent communication theory. / Department of Journalism

This study explored the possible connection between organizational culture and worldview and the narratives professional associations use to sell these perspectives to external audiences. Burke's pentad and ratio analysis were utilized to identify the dominant terms in nineteen narratives featured in a promotional booklet published by the National Business Incubation Association. In eleven of the stories, the "agent" elements were most prevalent in these stories, signaling an idealistic worldview. The remaining eight narratives were agency-dominant and provided an underlying pragmatism to the highly idealistic outlook of the agent-focused stories. In addition to providing a philosophical label for the narrative messages, analyzing the pentad elements gave clues as to this association's value system toward incubation clients and the business incubation industry in general. The implications of this professional association's influence on an emerging industry were also discussed. / Department of Communication Studies

Study project (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Frankfurt (Main), 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 285-320).

Thesis (M.A.)--George Mason University, 2008. / Vita: p. 83. Thesis director: Douglas Eyman. Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed July 8, 2008). Includes bibliographical references (p. 80-82). Also issued in print.

Thesis (M.B.A.)----University of North Carolina Wilmington, 2008. / Title from PDF title page (viewed May 27, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 44-46)

The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on March 24, 2010). Thesis advisor: Dr. Margaret Duffy. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1996. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [263]-270).