Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Communication Science at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2002. / In this thesis I present my recommendations regarding the role of organisational communication with particular reference to the social and individual construction of meaning in foundation phase learning. This thesis will demonstrate that the fundamental switch from the traditional educator-centred teaching to learner-centred teaching in Out-comes Based Education requires that both educators and learners be in command of a range of communication strategies in order to construct meaning in the real-world social contexts. I also hi-light the importance of verbal as well as nonverbal communication skills in relation to intra-personal, and interpersonal communication. I encapsulate the vision of teachers and learners who are knowledgeable and multi-faceted, sensitive to environmental issues and able to respond to and act upon the many challenges that society presents. With this in mind I examine an array of forms of communication that learners and educators must be in command of to ensure the success of OBE in the classroom situation. I stress the need for knowledge of verbal as well as nonverbal communication skills to give learners the confidence they need in the social environment In surveying organisational communication I also look at the challenges that educators face in the implementation of the new curriculum I will also reveal that OBE requires a cooperative method of teaching, which allows for democracy in the foundation phase classroom. Learners are allowed to contribute freely in group and class discussions about their daily life experiences and to become independent, literate, numerate and multi-skilled individuals of society. I further recommend a model of organisational communication for foundation phase learning taking into account the kind of learner that is envisaged in OBE.

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This thesis attempts to better understand the importance and application of the personal influence model in relationship building between organizations and public decision makers. The personal influence model was added by Sriramesh and Grunig (1992) as a potential fifth model to Grunig and Hunt's (1984) four models of public relations practice (as cited by Grunig in Heath, 2007); however, this essential relationship building approach has not been examined in the public relations literature as it could have been. Scholarly research since the addition of the personal influence model has mostly occurred in Asia and India. Studies on the topic have been published in just a few instances in the United States. Furthermore, the studies have largely focused on internal communication or on exclusively domestic contexts, with no attempts to extend the examination to organizations that necessarily practice relationship building across national boundaries. This study seeks to contribute to the public relations literature based on the personal influence model by examining the practice of this model outside of Asia, in a global, non-profit religious organization that is headquartered in the United States, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (hereafter referred to as LDS Church). For three decades this global organization has implemented and emphasized the building and nourishing of one-on-one relationships with civic leaders and key decision makers across nations. This research will also examine the impact of such practices. The method chosen for this study is a qualitative exploration through personal interviews with ten public affairs practitioners of the organization, from both domestic and international arenas. The practitioners of this entity have accumulated decades of combined experiences in cultivating the personal influence model.

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No description available.

The Interpersonal Communication Inventory, a self-report instrument for assessing social skills, was given to undergraduate college students to determine its reliability. Following this administration, other small groups of undergraduates were asked to complete an attraction scale, the Interpersonal Communication Inventory, an assertiveness scale, and a sociometric questionnaire. Results confirmed the Inventory as a reliable instrument, but a stepwise multiple linear regression did not support the hypothesis that the Inventory was a useful predictor of sociometric choice. In addition, Pearson product moment correlations between the Inventory and an assertiveness scale did not confirm the prediction that the two instruments would measure behaviors from different response classes. Definite conclusions could not be stated due to lack of validity data for the Inventory and possible confounding variables.

The purpose of this study was to attempt to observe and quantify some of the effects of an experiential interpersonal communication training program on the individuals involved. The program studied was Speech 360, a laboratory communication course offered at North Texas State University. The design of the study involved three basic student groups -- a.) the fall 1970 Speech 360 students; b.) the Spring 1971 Speech 360 students; and c.) a control group of students similar to those in the course, but who were not involved in the training program.

The general purpose of this study was to ascertain how older adults want their physicians to communicate with them and behave toward them. The first objective was to develop an instrument to measure attitudes toward communication in the doctor-patient relationship, the Physician-Patient Communication Inventory (PPCI). The second objective was to investigate age differences among older adults in specific aspects of the doctor-patient relationship. Six forms were administered to 54 women and 6 men aged 60-91: Consent form, Subject Data Form, Known Doctor Behavior List (PPCI, Part I), Ideal Doctor Behavior List (PPCI, Part II), Rokeach Dogmatism Scale (short form), and an open-ended request for additional comments. Statistical analyses included varimax-rotated factor analyses, split-half reliabilities, divergent validity, frequency tabulations, Pearson product-moment correlations, and multiple analyses of variance. Results indicated that the PPCI is a reliable instrument containing nine factors which relate to the content and style of physician communication with patients. The particular importance for physicians to have medical knowledge and to be able to communicate is clear from both parts of the PPCI. Low correlations with the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale showed that the PPCI does not measure general authoritarianism and intolerance. Comparisons between subjects aged 60-74 and subjects 75-91 did not yield significant differences at the .05 level, although the results on the Known Doctor Behavior List Factor 3, Dissatisfaction with Doctors, indicated a slight preference in adults aged 60-74 for taking the active role of the consumer, rather than accepting an authoritarian physician (P < .09). Results reported on individual PPCI items indicated that the older adults did not want family involvement in diagnosis and treatment of their health problems. Responses to terminal illness issues were mixed, as were responses to physician responsibility in non-medical problems. Recommendations included (1) repeating this study using a larger sample size, extreme groups, groups varying on demographic variables, and groups of illness-alike subjects; (2) exploring reasons that lead to patient termination of the doctor-patient relationship; and (3) investigating preferences of older adults in family involvement, communication about terminal illness, and physician responsibility in non-medical problems.

The study was designed to determine interobserver agreement in analyzing behavioral conflict interactions of young children. Selected portions of recorded interactions were subjected to four observers. An observational instrument containing 26 well defined observational categories was used by observers to analyze interactions. Prior to the use of this observational instrument, it was pilot tested and necessary improvements were instituted. Observers were provided systematic training for a total period of 14 hours. At the termination of the training period each observer viewed the selected videotape episodes with the help of a prepared word-by-word transcript. Observers were to mark the occurrence of behavioral interactions on a specifically devised record form. Recorded interactions from each observer were analyzed by use of Cohen's Kappa for determination of interobserver agreement. The findings indicated that obtained K's ranged from a low of .60 to a high of .69 suggesting a moderate reliability of observational instrument. A related finding suggested that observers perception of difficulty involved in using the behavioral categories was directly related to interobserver agreement for categories with certain levels of difficulty. Implications of these findings for replication were discussed.

The present study sets out to investigate some of the factors which are related to the form of self-presentation an individual puts forward at one particular time and in one particular situation. In particular, we shall be concentrating on social interaction situations where one actor is motivated to ingratiate himself with the other. Further, we shall primarily be interested in changes in the degree of favourability of the subject's self-presentation. A subsidiary aim of the research is to examine the way the individual copes with evidence of his own self-presentational variability. In chapter I we examine a number of different approaches to the variability of self-presentation. We discuss the adequacy of these approaches and suggest how future study in the social psychology of this area should proceed. Also, we select one area of behaviour, ingratiation-motivated behaviour, upon which to concentrate. This area has already received a degree of research attention. This is reviewed and assessed as regards its need for systematisation, replication, expansion and improved methodology. In particular we elucidate a number of factors which when present in an ingratiation-motivated interaction facilitate a self-enhancing presentation. It is also argued that a full understanding of this area must involve the study of person as well as situational variables. Two possible variables, the sex and esteem level of the subject, are suggested for preliminary study. Finally, we introduce the subsidiary aim of the research to examine the problem created for the individual by a manipulated self-presentation which deviates from his core concept of self. Specifically we address ourselves to two questions. What creates such conflict states? How are they coped with? On the basis of previous research and drawing upon dissonance theory a number of hypotheses are advanced. Our person variables are again included at this stage. In chapter II we describe an experiment which seeks to examine some of these problems. By means of a complex interaction situation involving a number of different self-presentations, information is gathered on the basic principle governing self-enhancement in ingratiation-motivated situations and on the moderating effects of our personal variables, if any. The experiment also sets out to test our hypotheses concerning the reduction of conflict after a manipulated self-presentation. Chapter III contains a complete analysis of the results of this, our first experiment. The principal statistical technique employed is analysis of variance. In Chapter IV we set out to examine those factors which made for a self-derogating presentation in an ingratiation-motivated interaction. We review the previous research in this area and drawing it together with some of the findings from experiment 1 derive a number of tentative hypotheses concerning more complex patterns of self-presentation. Chapter V describes an experiment designed to test these hypotheses. The basic experimental situation involves a realistic job selection interview within which a number of situational factors are manipulated in order to ascertain their effect on the candidate's self-presentation. The sex variable was retained in this second experiment. The statistical analysis of the results of experiment 2 are contained in Chapter VI. Again, analysis of variance is the main technique employed. Finally in Chapter VII we review the findings of our experimental work. We draw attention to some unanswered questions in this area and suggest how future research may go about answering them. In particular we discuss the implications of this area of research for the future study of ingratiation-motivated behaviour per se, and further its possible contribution to other related aspects of social psychology.