<p>Electronic mail has become the medium of choice in most organizations because of some of its special features. E-mail, like all computer-mediated communication, changes the way we interact and has therefore an impact on working conditions, sometimes in a negative direction. Research findings so far show divergent opinions about how e-mail has influenced work. </p><p>The main purpose of this thesis is to understand and explain if and why there are possible negative outcomes of e-mail usage in organizations, and to use the findings to develop a guiding model for organizational e-mail use. In order to meet the goals set, earlier research in the area Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) that focus on the effects on the social system was used. This research is mainly based on theories of media choice and communication theories, which offer a valuable contribution for understanding why e-mail might be used in improper ways in organizations. Empirical data was collected in several steps using different techniques. The target group was managers in different kinds of organizations, but also administrative staff and teachers. The result shows that there are several reasons why e-mail usage might be a problem in organizations like expectations of fast feedback and being constantly updated, post absence backlog, too much information in e-mail, too many incoming e-mails, irrelevant information, decreased personal contact, a more sedentary work environment and e-mail splitting the respondents' time.</p><p>The contribution of this thesis is that possible negative aspects of e-mail use in organizations are due to a combination of factors. To overcome any organizational disadvantages of e-mail it is vital to consider the e-mail users' behaviors, feelings and attitudes in a specific organizational context in combination with e-mail's special features. A number of guidelines are presented to help organizations and individuals make e-mail use more efficient and satisfying.</p>

Electronic mail has become the medium of choice in most organizations because of some of its special features. E-mail, like all computer-mediated communication, changes the way we interact and has therefore an impact on working conditions, sometimes in a negative direction. Research findings so far show divergent opinions about how e-mail has influenced work. The main purpose of this thesis is to understand and explain if and why there are possible negative outcomes of e-mail usage in organizations, and to use the findings to develop a guiding model for organizational e-mail use. In order to meet the goals set, earlier research in the area Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) that focus on the effects on the social system was used. This research is mainly based on theories of media choice and communication theories, which offer a valuable contribution for understanding why e-mail might be used in improper ways in organizations. Empirical data was collected in several steps using different techniques. The target group was managers in different kinds of organizations, but also administrative staff and teachers. The result shows that there are several reasons why e-mail usage might be a problem in organizations like expectations of fast feedback and being constantly updated, post absence backlog, too much information in e-mail, too many incoming e-mails, irrelevant information, decreased personal contact, a more sedentary work environment and e-mail splitting the respondents' time. The contribution of this thesis is that possible negative aspects of e-mail use in organizations are due to a combination of factors. To overcome any organizational disadvantages of e-mail it is vital to consider the e-mail users' behaviors, feelings and attitudes in a specific organizational context in combination with e-mail's special features. A number of guidelines are presented to help organizations and individuals make e-mail use more efficient and satisfying.

Managing a romantic partner’s substance misuse can be challenging, especially in cases where attempts to show support end up worsening the negative behavior. Understanding what may predict one’s actions towards a partner who smokes or drinks can help to alleviate some of the difficulty associated with these interactions. Therefore, this study was designed to examine how issues of undesirable substance use are managed within college students’ romantic relationships. More specifically, the study applied Inconsistent Nurturing as Control Theory (Le Poire, 1995) to assess the extent to which communication competence, relational uncertainty, perceived network helpfulness, and perceived network hindrance predict the reinforcement and/or punishment of a partner’s smoking or drinking. Results from cross-sectional survey data (N = 270) revealed that a significant, negative relationship existed between perceived network helpfulness and punishment and that there were significant, positive relationships between: perceived network hindrance and punishment, relational uncertainty and reinforcement, and relational uncertainty and punishment. However, there was no evidence indicating that communication competence was correlated with either reinforcement or punishment. Additional findings revealed that individuals reporting on their partners’ drinking, as opposed to their partners’ smoking, were more likely to reinforce the behavior. Men reported on using more reinforcement behaviors than women did and individuals who were in on-again/off-again relationships reported using more punishment than did those in relationships that have not renewed. In addition to examining the communicative behaviors used to address substance misuse, the current study also furthered the development of a scale created for the purposes of quantitatively measuring the constructs of reinforcement and punishment. Implications for studying predictors of reinforcement and punishment strategies are discussed, as is the importance of targeting young adult substance use. / text

College students are increasingly engaged in watching online videos and using social media. Therefore, researchers should attempt to better understand how these variables as well as other social and cognitive variables, affect the communication competence of students. The researcher administered a questionnaire to 392 college students from a private medium-sized West Coast university using various modified scales examining student-to-student confirmation, social support through social media, online video viewing, self-esteem, personal reports of public speaking anxiety, and communication competence. Student-to-student confirmation and online video viewing were measured using new sets of scales developed by the researcher. The data from the surveys was analyzed to determine which independent variables have the greatest influence on communication competence. Student-to-student confirmation, social support through social media, online video viewing, and self-esteem all have a significant positive relationship with communication competence. The correlation analysis also found a significant negative correlation between personal reports of public speaking anxiety and communication competence. A regression analysis showed that the combination of social support through social media, online video viewing, self-esteem, and personal reports of public speaking anxiety demonstrated predictive power regarding communication competence. These results suggest that there are important relationships between both social and cognitive variables and communication competence.

College student-athletes are having an increasingly amount of mental health concerns recently at an alarming rate. Therefore, researchers should attempt to better understand how student-athletes can cope with their mental health problems to improve their mental and physical well-being. The researcher administered a questionnaire to 300 college students, 150 student-athletes and 150 non-athletes from the University of the Pacific using various modified scales examining emotional intelligence, depression, anxiety, coping strategies, intentions to seek help, self-stigma, public stigma, social network stigma, alcohol consumption, sleep deprivation, and communication competence. The data were analyzed to determine the severity of student-athletes’ mental health and the effect emotional intelligence, perceived stigmas, intention to seek help, and communication competence has on their depression and anxiety compared to their non-athlete counterparts. Emotional intelligence has a significant positive relationship with depression, anxiety, and intention to seek help. Therapy has a significant positive relationship in reducing anxiety and depression symptoms as well. Communication competence also has a significant positive relationship with intention to seek help. In addition, the correlation analysis found a significant positive relationship between low emotional intelligence and negative coping strategies such as substance abuse, self-blame, and denial. These results suggests that a student-athlete’s ability to engage in high levels of communication competence and openly share concerns about their depression and anxiety can contribute to important relationships between emotional intelligence, therapy, and intentions to seek help to reduce these mental health problems. This study also determines that open communication about depression and anxiety can decrease engaging in negative coping strategies and the perceived stigmas that surrounds mental health.

After Lithuania had gained its independence, there arose the necessity for non-native speakers living in Lithuania to learn the state language. More and more other nationality families become interested in their children learning the state language. In connection with this, in the pre-school institutions as well as schools, the number of schoolchildren grows. Naturally, their education becomes problematic. Aim of the research: to reveal the difficulties bilingual children meet while learning the state language in the pre-school groups and try to forecast learning problems they may encounter in the first class. Moreover, to analyze their prognostic validity and to evidence the possible help. In the research took part 80 children who have bilingual or multilingual problems in the pre-school group and after three months in the first class. There were presented the analyses of the pre-school and the first class teachers. The tasks of the research: • to realize the abilities of bilingual, multilingual children in the state language; • to understand how has changed communication abilities of the same researched children in the primary school in comparison with the pre-school group; • to state the most often learning problems that bilingual and multilingual first class pupils face while learning the state language; • to understand the kind of methodological-practical help that is needed by the learners facing the difficulties... [to full text]

The scientific problem of the dissertation: what attitudes on characteristics of linguistic communication competence dominate among physical education teachers considering their attitudes both on linguistic communication competence, and on communication in social situations? The research object – attitudes on linguistic communication competence and communication in social situations. The scientific solution of the research object that corresponds the research subject is oriented to the detection of verbal communication competence in native (Lithuanian) speech of physical education teachers as well as to the evaluation of their attitude on communication in social situations. The aim of the research was to disclose physical education teachers‘ attitudes on pedagogical communication as the determinants of pupils‘ approach to physical self-education. The following statements substantiate scientific novelty of the research: in theoretical aspect the competences of a physical education teacher in revealing the role of linguistic communication competence in native (Lithuanian) speech were analysed, the peculiarities of the attitude of physical education teachers on communication competence were revealed, the features of the attitude of physical education teachers on communication in social situations were evaluated, the links of the attitude of the components of physical education teachers on linguistic communication competence in native (Lithuanian) speech and the attitude on... [to full text]

D.Ed. / This research is particularly concerned with the lack of communication skills, such as reading, writing, conversing, listening, and the implementation of the language medium in an effective manner, displayed by the prospective management assistant. The management assistant is a frontline staff member, and as such should be fully competent in the aforementioned regard. Cognizance is taken of the controversy around outcomes-based education, as well as of the radical and sometimes unrealistic criticisms against this approach. For the purpose of this research and with regard to the education and training of the prospective management assistant a moderate and sober approach to curriculum renewal is advocated. The research questions hereunder formulate the problem with which the relevant study is confronted and address the issue of greater relevance regarding the education and training of the prospective management assistant. The issue of greater and more diverse skills in communication, including critically important attitudes and values not only for this particular learner, but for all people, is stressed: Which communication skills and knowledge, as well as underlying attitudes and values are demonstrated in the execution of the management assistant's task? In which way can a curriculum framework be designed to accommodate the aforesaid skills, knowledge, attitudes and values? The acquisition of skills in communication (including reading, writing, conversing and language skills) for all persons has already been addressed. The importance of communication skills for the prospective management assistant is the focus of this study.

Abstract In knowledge-based economy an increasing amount of work is conducted in projects in dispersed virtual organisational settings. Information is the raw material of virtual knowledge-based project work and therefore an understanding of information processing in virtual NPD (New Product Development) projects is essential. Information processing is particularly crucial for virtual NPD projects, which are typically implemented in demanding, turbulent and complex institutional settings, where they are subject to various challenges caused by cultural, organisational and human factors and where large amounts of information is processed. This multi-disciplinary study combines theories of information processing and trust and knowledge-based view of organisations. Particularly impersonal and interpersonal trust and barriers to information processing are investigated to study organisational capabilities and virtual communication competencies, which can enable information processing in virtual NPD projects. The case organisation was selected for the study because it has a lengthy history of multinational and multisite virtual way of work. Survey questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were employed to gather research data. Focus group interviews and document review were conducted to evaluate the results. Altogether, 11 leaders and 12 expert teams were interviewed at sites in the USA, Finland, China and Poland as well as 7 members from the operative management in USA and Finland. The results of this study enhance the understanding of organisational virtual capabilities and personal virtual communication competencies in virtual NPD project context. The findings indicate that trust is significant and it is clear that both impersonal and interpersonal trust in supporting information processing in projects, are needed. This study also confirms that each phase in virtual project lifecycle has different needs for information processing. Through recognizing virtual communication capabilities in company level and competencies at the personal level, it would be easier to manage information processing in virtual NPD projects. At the personal level, virtual communication competencies are seen to consist of cultural knowledge and sensitivity, company language skills, listening skills, accountability and credibility, mastery in using ICT and e-mail etiquette. The significance of virtual communication capabilities and competencies as part of knowledge management strategies will grow in the future. This dissertation addresses this challenge by providing new practical and theoretical perspectives to enable planning, measuring, training and rewarding from virtual communication competences, and them to be tested in similar constructions in ICT industry or in other organizations to enhance information processing in virtual projects. / Tiivistelmä Erityisesti yhteiskuntamme tietointensiivisillä aloilla tuotekehitys tapahtuu yhä useammin globaaleissa projekteissa, joissa työskennellään organisatorisesti ja maantieteellisesti hajautuneesti, jolloin suuri osa viestinnästä on virtuaalista. Viestintäprosessissa liikkuu informaatiota, joka on tiedon ja osaamisen raaka-ainetta. Jotta tietoa ja osaamista olisi mahdollista hyödyntää, on tärkeää ymmärtää virtuaalisten tuotekehitysprojektien viestintäprosesseja. Onnistunut viestintä on usein vaikeaa, koska projektit toimivat vaativissa, alati muuttuvissa ja monimutkaisissa ympäristöissä. Tyypillisesti projektin aikana pitää pystyä viestimään suuri määrä tietoa ja välittämään osaamista eri toimijoiden välillä. Tämä monitieteinen tutkimus yhdistelee informaation prosessoinnin teoriaa, tietojohtamista ja luottamustutkimusta globaalien tuotekehitysprojektien viestinnän tarkastelussa. Erityisesti keskitytään luottamuksen eri lajien vaikutukseen ja viestinnän esteiden esille tuomiseen, jotta onnistuneen viestinnän kannalta tärkeimmät organisatoriset ja yksilölliset kyvykkyydet voitaisiin tuoda esiin. Tutkittavalla organisaatiolla on pitkä historia kansainvälisillä markkinoilla virtuaalisena organisaationa toimimisesta. Tutkimus toteutettiin yhdistellen kyselytutkimusta ja laadullisia puolistrukturoituja haastatteluja. Kaikkiaan 11 virtuaalitiimin esimiestä ja 12 asiantuntijatiimiä osallistui haastatteluihin USA:ssa, Suomessa, Kiinassa ja Puolassa sekä operatiivisesta johdosta seitsemän henkilöä Suomesta ja USA:sta. Lopuksi tulokset arvioitiin dokumenttikatselmoinneissa sekä fokusryhmähaastatteluissa tutkittavassa organisaatiossa. Tulokset osoittavat, että organisaatio- ja yksilötason luottamusta tarvitaan ja luottamuksen eri lajeilla on erilainen vaikutus viestintään. Tutkimus nostaa myös esille projektin eri vaiheiden erilaiset viestintätarpeet, jotka huomioimalla voidaan kasvattaa virtuaalisten projektien kyvykkyyttä. Yksilötasolla tarvittavat virtuaaliset viestintätaidot ovat ammatillinen ja riittävä projektissa käytettävä kielitaito, kulttuurien tuntemus ja herkkyys, kuuntelemisen taito, vastuullisuus, vahvat ICT:n käyttö- ja mediataidot sekä e-mail etiketti. Tutkimus on merkittävä, koska virtuaalinen projektiperustainen globaali työ tulee lisääntymään ja lisäksi etätyön tarve tulee kasvamaan. Näin ollen virtuaalisten viestintätaitojen merkitys osana tietojohtamisen strategiaa tulee kasvamaan tulevaisuudessa.

M.Ed. (Education Linguistics) / This study is an investigation of the applicability of the communicative approach to the teaching of African languages. The point of departure for this study is that the communicative approach can be implemented in order to improve students' communicative competence. Communicative competence entails grammatical, discourse, sociolinguistic, illocutionary and strategic competence. In order to determine the communicative competence, and the needs of students their essays and letters have been analysed. The study found that students' communicative competence is not so good especially in the area of discourse competence. This problem can be solved by implementing the process approach. The process approach is the most recent communicative approach which is used for teaching writing. This study shows different activities which can be practiced in order to improve communicative competence during the writing process.