The "digital library" (DL) is a communication technology that has the potential to improve communication by removing temporal and geographic barriers and by introducing interactivity. This research focused on the adoption of digital libraries for electronic theses and dissertations (ETD-DL) at universities worldwide. ETD-DLs provide a means for universities to learn about implementing digital libraries in a networked environment.This research used diffusion of innovation theory to explore what has influenced ETD-DL adoption among Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD) member universities. Communication channels were categorized as being either interpersonal or mediated. The perceived importance of these channels was assessed both within and between organizations. Although ETD-DL adoption is an organizational level decision it has implications for both the university and members of the university community. In some cases, these outcomes may be in conflict; for example, what is best for the organization may result in complications for an individual. Therefore the perceived importance of two innovation attributes, relative advantage and compatibility, were examined at both the collective and individual level.This study employed a web-based survey to collect data from the 133 universities in 26 countries that were NDLTD members in December 2002. Respondents were members of the university's "ETD Committee" and represented academic administrators, faculty, librarians, and computer systemsspecialists. Surveys were received from 95 respondents representing 65 universities in 14 countries. Twenty-one of these universities were outside the United States. Universities were from countries with a wide range of economic development.Results provide insights into university attitudes towards a technological innovation for knowledge dissemination. For example, results suggest that interpersonal channels of communication are more important than mediated channels within the organization. Additionally, interpersonal channels are more important for communication within the organization than between organizations. However, mediated channels of communication are more important for those universities that have decided to adopt the ETD-DL but have not yet implemented the union catalog or self-archiving options. There were also significant differences in the importance attributed to these channels by individuals in different jobs. The results also suggest strategies that could encourage development of digital libraries within a social system.

O tema central deste trabalho é a importância da Comunicação e da Tecnologia da Informação como forma de garantir que o fluxo de informações entre empresas da Cadeia de Suprimentos seja adequado e influencie de maneira positiva o Relacionamento entre as empresas e a Performance. O objetivo principal do trabalho é estruturar e testar modelos para investigar as relações existentes entre as seguintes variáveis: Comunicação, Tecnologia da Informação, Relacionamento Comprador-Fornecedor e Performance. A Comunicação e a Tecnologia da Informação foram consideradas antecedentes do Relacionamento e da Performance. A população alvo desta pesquisa compreende todos os fornecedores ativos da Empresa Alfa, uma distribuidora de medicamentos e produtos de higiene e beleza com sede na cidade de São Paulo. Dadas as várias relações causais que se pretende testar, a Modelagem de Equações Estruturais (Structural Equation Modeling - SEM) foi considerada a metodologia mais apropriada para esta pesquisa. Tal abordagem permite testar simultaneamente as várias relações para cada um dos modelos propostos. Após a preparação e validação das escalas, foram testadas as influências das variáveis exógenas no Relacionamento e na Performance, bem como a influência do Relacionamento na Performance. Nos modelos de Comunicação, as variáveis exógenas testadas foram Feedback, Compartilhamento de Informações, Periodicidade da Comunicação Convencional, Periodicidade da Comunicação por fax/carta e Periodicidade da Comunicação por Meio Eletrônico. Nos modelos de Tecnologia da Informação, foram testadas as seguintes variáveis exógenas: EDI, Sistemas de Gestão Transacionais e Sistemas de Gestão Colaborativos. Os indicadores de performance utilizados foram, em sua maioria, os mesmos tanto para a empresa compradora quanto para seus fornecedores (preço, prazo, rapidez na entrega, cumprimento dos prazos de entrega e entrega do pedido completo). O Relacionamento foi representado apenas pelo Comprometimento da Empresa Fornecedora. Apenas as variáveis exógenas EDI e Sistemas de Gestão Transacionais não se mostraram estatisticamente significantes em suas relações com o Relacionamento e com a Performance. Para todas as outras variáveis, observou-se algum tipo de influência no Relacionamento e/ou na Performance. Também foi verificada a influência positiva do Relacionamento na Performance. / The central theme of this work is the importance of Communications and of Information Technology as a way of ensuring that the flow information between companies in the Supply Chain is adequate, positively influencing the companies\' relationships and Performance. This study\'s main objective is to structure and test models to investigate the relations existing among the following variables: Communications, Information Technology, Buyer-Supplier Relationship, and Performance. In this work, Communications and Information Technology are considered antecedents of Relationship and Performance. The target population of this research comprises all the active suppliers of the Alpha Company, a distributor of pharmaceuticals and hygiene and beauty products headquartered in the city of São Paulo. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was considered the most suitable methodology for this research, given the various causal relations to be tested. This approach allows for the simultaneous testing of the various relations for each of the models proposed. After preparation and validation of the scales, the influence of the exogenous variables on Relationship and Performance was tested, as was the influence of Relationship on Performance. In the Communications models, the exogenous variables tested were Feedback, Information Sharing, Periodicity of Conventional Communications, Periodicity of Communications via fax/letter, and Periodicity of Electronic Communications. In the Information Technology models, the following exogenous variables were tested: Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), Transactional Management Systems, and Collaborative Management Systems. The performance indicators utilized were, for the most part, the same for the buyer and its suppliers (price, lead time, fast delivery, on time deliveries, and delivery of complete orders). Relationship was represented solely by the Supplier\'s Commitment. Only the exogenous variables of EDI and Transactional Management Systems proved statistically nonsignificant in their relations with Relationship and Performance. All the other variables showed some kind of influence on Relationship and/or Performance. Relationship was also found to positively influence Performance.

Using an adaptation of O’Connor and Shumate’s (2018) theoretical propositions, this research examines interorganizational communication through the lens of multidimensional networks. Twitter data was crawled from a selection of emergency management organization accounts to measure affinity, representational, flow, and semantic networks. These data included the organizations’ followed accounts, retweets, replies, and mentions. A thematic analysis of the organizations’ mission statements was also conducted in order to inform the examination of the semantic networks. The results show a significant relationship between the number of accounts an organization follows and the likelihood of having its message shared. This research provides a further theoretical application of a network analysis method of studying interorganizational communication as well as a practical application for organizations seeking to increase their engagement on Twitter.

O tema central deste trabalho é a importância da Comunicação e da Tecnologia da Informação como forma de garantir que o fluxo de informações entre empresas da Cadeia de Suprimentos seja adequado e influencie de maneira positiva o Relacionamento entre as empresas e a Performance. O objetivo principal do trabalho é estruturar e testar modelos para investigar as relações existentes entre as seguintes variáveis: Comunicação, Tecnologia da Informação, Relacionamento Comprador-Fornecedor e Performance. A Comunicação e a Tecnologia da Informação foram consideradas antecedentes do Relacionamento e da Performance. A população alvo desta pesquisa compreende todos os fornecedores ativos da Empresa Alfa, uma distribuidora de medicamentos e produtos de higiene e beleza com sede na cidade de São Paulo. Dadas as várias relações causais que se pretende testar, a Modelagem de Equações Estruturais (Structural Equation Modeling - SEM) foi considerada a metodologia mais apropriada para esta pesquisa. Tal abordagem permite testar simultaneamente as várias relações para cada um dos modelos propostos. Após a preparação e validação das escalas, foram testadas as influências das variáveis exógenas no Relacionamento e na Performance, bem como a influência do Relacionamento na Performance. Nos modelos de Comunicação, as variáveis exógenas testadas foram Feedback, Compartilhamento de Informações, Periodicidade da Comunicação Convencional, Periodicidade da Comunicação por fax/carta e Periodicidade da Comunicação por Meio Eletrônico. Nos modelos de Tecnologia da Informação, foram testadas as seguintes variáveis exógenas: EDI, Sistemas de Gestão Transacionais e Sistemas de Gestão Colaborativos. Os indicadores de performance utilizados foram, em sua maioria, os mesmos tanto para a empresa compradora quanto para seus fornecedores (preço, prazo, rapidez na entrega, cumprimento dos prazos de entrega e entrega do pedido completo). O Relacionamento foi representado apenas pelo Comprometimento da Empresa Fornecedora. Apenas as variáveis exógenas EDI e Sistemas de Gestão Transacionais não se mostraram estatisticamente significantes em suas relações com o Relacionamento e com a Performance. Para todas as outras variáveis, observou-se algum tipo de influência no Relacionamento e/ou na Performance. Também foi verificada a influência positiva do Relacionamento na Performance. / The central theme of this work is the importance of Communications and of Information Technology as a way of ensuring that the flow information between companies in the Supply Chain is adequate, positively influencing the companies\' relationships and Performance. This study\'s main objective is to structure and test models to investigate the relations existing among the following variables: Communications, Information Technology, Buyer-Supplier Relationship, and Performance. In this work, Communications and Information Technology are considered antecedents of Relationship and Performance. The target population of this research comprises all the active suppliers of the Alpha Company, a distributor of pharmaceuticals and hygiene and beauty products headquartered in the city of São Paulo. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was considered the most suitable methodology for this research, given the various causal relations to be tested. This approach allows for the simultaneous testing of the various relations for each of the models proposed. After preparation and validation of the scales, the influence of the exogenous variables on Relationship and Performance was tested, as was the influence of Relationship on Performance. In the Communications models, the exogenous variables tested were Feedback, Information Sharing, Periodicity of Conventional Communications, Periodicity of Communications via fax/letter, and Periodicity of Electronic Communications. In the Information Technology models, the following exogenous variables were tested: Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), Transactional Management Systems, and Collaborative Management Systems. The performance indicators utilized were, for the most part, the same for the buyer and its suppliers (price, lead time, fast delivery, on time deliveries, and delivery of complete orders). Relationship was represented solely by the Supplier\'s Commitment. Only the exogenous variables of EDI and Transactional Management Systems proved statistically nonsignificant in their relations with Relationship and Performance. All the other variables showed some kind of influence on Relationship and/or Performance. Relationship was also found to positively influence Performance.