Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oklahoma, 1990. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 81-101).

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

Thesis (M.B.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 1987. / Also available in print.

Thesis (MSD (EAP))--University of Pretoria, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--State University of New York at New Paltz, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 49-53). Online version available via the SUNY New Paltz Sojourner Truth Library : http://hdl.handle.net/1951/42567

M.A. (Corporate Communication) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.Com. (Business Management) / Today's organizations are operating in a continually changing business environment. To be a growing and profitable business, it is important that management have a vision of where and how they want to direct the company to the desired future business outcome. Management must be in touch with both the internal and external factors that may influence the outcome of the changing environment. To be a profitable and growing company, it is important that the internal resources be utilized optimally, of which the human resources are the most valuable resource. Communication is seen as the instrument in the hands of management with which it can achieve these desired results.

M.Ed. (Education Management) / Communication is without doubt the most important aspect of the daily duties of the school principal. There are seldom less than 20 members on the staff of a school, all reporting directly to the principal on numerous aspects. The principal also engages in holistic conversations with his entire staff. It is therefore imperative that the school principal has a sound knowledge of the art of communication. The concepts "communication", "nonverbal communication" and "diadic conversation" have been examined. The communication problem was attributed to the inability of principals to engage effectively in face-to-face conversations as opposed to instructional staff meetings. To be successful, the principal can no longer depend only on his intuition for effective communication, but must possess a practical grasp of the networks of communication which constitute the educational system and develop the ability to handle the interpersonal conversation with ease. To achieve this aim, the characteristic principles of the interpersonal conversation were investigated. The diadic conversation prescribes to all the rules of communication, inclUding nonverbal communication which plays an important role in any type of conversation. The meaning of the diadic conversation was investigated, as well as the factors that influence effective interpersonal conversation. Certain conditions that have a bearing on the diadic conversation were high-lighted. The effectiveness of the interpersonal communication could be hampered by factors haVing a negative effect on the outcome of the conversation. Factors directly related to the personalities of one or both of the conversationists were studied. In this respect, the following factors were determined: peergroup pressure, assumptions, the inclination to evaluate, and the halo effect. To achieve the aims that the principal has set for himself at the beginning of the interpersonal conversation, it is of the utmost importance that the principal should be aware of these factors that may cause a hinderance to the goals which he wishes to achieve. Only by breaking down these barriers, will a situation of trust develop between the teacher and the principal. The successful interpersonal conversation depends on the management acumen of the principal in this respect. To enable the teacher to develop to the maximum of his ability, the principal should provide the necessary guidance and encouragement. The management functions of the school principal are so numerous and entangled that it is impossible to do a meaningful study thereof within the framework of this ~tudy. Management styles were investigated, and the participative style was identified as the most suitable to the education sitaation. A two-pronged aim can be ascribed to the diadic conversation, namely the influence by the school principal and influence of the principal. Not only should the principal possess the necessary management acumen, but his communication acumen in the following aspects are of vital importance: planning, motivating, decision-making, persuasion, the handling of conflict, complaints and grievances and the creation of an effective atmosphere. The following conclusions were drawn from the investigation into the diadic conversation as an educational managerial technique: maximum trust should exist between the principal and teachers the diadic conversation should be directed at a specific aim the principal should possess the necessary knowledge and prowess to conduct the interpersonal conversation xiii - the necessary communication networks should be established the lack of upward communication has a detrimental effect on the effectiveness of interpersonal communication the school principal should be able to handle the factors and conditions pertaining to the diadic conversation with ease the importance of nonverbal communication should not be underestimated - certain factors have a negative effect on the diadic conversation At the conclusion of this study, the following recommendations were made: - opportunities should be created for the diadic conversation to take place the diadic conversation should be seen as a continuous process principals should endeavour to gain the necessary communication knowledge and skills future leaders in Education should make a thorough study of the art of communication - opportunities should be created for voluntary upward communication guidelines are given for future studies in the field of interpersonal communication

This study explort1d the impact of emotional intelligence on supervisor/employee communication. The purpose of th~s study was to investigate 1) how emotional intelligence affects supervisor and employee communication from both supervisors' and . employees' perspectives; 2) how supervisors and employees perceive the effects of emotional intelligence on the active listening of supervisors; and 3) relationships among supervisor/employee communication, emotional intelligence, and active listening. This study is expected to facilitate a better understanding of the relationship between active listening and the emotional intelligence of supervisors. Focus groups were conducted to collect sup~rvisors' and employees' perceptions and thoughts on communication, emotional intelligence, and active listening. This . method was used to identify emotional intelligent competencies related to effective communication between supervisors and employees and active listening. This study also examined how supervisors should demonstrate those .competencies. The data collected generated particular themes and relationships between supervisor/employee communication, emotional intelligence, and active listening and to answer the research questions that were posed for the study. Participants in the study discussed the importance of establishing trust in the relationship, listening to their employees' ideas, and valuing a personal relationship with ,..---------- their employees. When looking at the impact of emotional intelligence on supervisor/employee communication the results from this study showed that supervisors understood that emotions are part of the work environment and listening to employees is critical. Employees in the focus groups believed that supervisors need the ability to deal with emotions in the workplace and understand that sometimes those feelings are generated in an employee's personal life. The key to developing positive supervisory communication is through supervisors role-modeling critical competencies related to emotional intelligence. Establishing trust in the supervisor/employee relationship is directly correlated with effective communication. Active listening is one method supervisors can use to demonstrate and establish trust in the relationship.

Two groups of females participated in a practice interview designed to measure the effectiveness of assertive communication taught during a two week program for Displaced Homemakers. The Experimental Group, selected according to CETA criteria, were interviewed after receiving training. The Control Group were women similar in all relevant respects with the exception of having worked for pay outside the home within the past three years. The structured interview was designed to incorporate the same areas for evaluation as would potential employers in a real selection process. Instructions to provide motivation, or demand characteristics, for both groups were contained in a letter given to all participants. A Posttest Only Control Group research design was utilized. Content of interview was not measured. Rather, the 17 basic questions asked by the researcher were used as the instrument to measure verbal rate of communicating job-relevant and/or transferable volunteer experience. Six (6) tapes were randomly selected and scored for inter-rater reliability. Nonverbal communication behaviors which were rated by both the Interviewer and an Independent Observer were: Eye Contact, Posture and Appearance. Findings indicate that both verbal and nonverbal behavior were significantly (p< .001 and p.< .05) greater for the Experimental Group, i.e., Displaced Homemakers, who received training.