Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

This thesis aims to advance knowledge about internal communication and organisational engagement. It incorporates the application of a new research instrument, the Internal Communication and Organisational Engagement Questionnaire (ICOEQ) developed by Welch (2011a). The ICOEQ investigates employee interest in different topics, helpfulness of communication methods used, ratings for senior manager and line manager communication, satisfaction with employee voice and the associations with organisational engagement. Despite the importance of internal communication, existing research methods are limited as they do not adequately distinguish between different dimensions of internal communication as established by Welch and Jackson (2007, p.184) and they fail to make an association with organisational engagement. The ICOEQ therefore provides a new research perspective for academic researchers and communication managers. The conceptual analysis builds on Welch and Jackson’s (2007, p.185) internal communication matrix. It synthesises corporate communication and employee voice into a new concept, informed employee voice, to reflect the importance of keeping employees informed and giving them a voice that is treated seriously. The empirical work adopts a critical realism approach. A cross-sectional research design was used. The ICOEQ was administered at five organisations followed by interviews and focus groups. Quantitative data analysis suggests that internal communication is more strongly correlated with emotional organisational engagement than with cognitive or behavioural organisational engagement. Ratings of senior manager communication and line manager communication and satisfaction with employee voice are positively associated with organisational engagement. Standard multiple regression analysis indicates that informed employee voice is a significant predictor of organisational engagement. Template analysis of qualitative data indicates that many senior managers are not visible or approachable and they do not listen to what employees have to say. New themes that emerge include more informal and small group communication with senior managers, a greater focus on the local context of internal corporate communication from line managers and more emphasis on listening and responding to employee voice. Possible explanations for the findings include a focus on shareholder value and the consequential neglect of employee value and the marginalisation of internal communication in academia and practice. Theoretical implications include the adoption of employee voice more fully into internal corporate communication theory, the addition of familiarity as an attribute of internal communication media and the identification of three explanatory factors for the exercise of internal ‘power over – dominance’. Above all, the thesis establishes informed employee voice as an antecedent to organisational engagement. The implications for practice include the establishment of the ICOEQ as a useful measurement tool and the requirement for communicative leadership that includes giving employees a voice that is treated seriously.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / The purpose of this study was to examine one manifestation of an individual's group selection process--the relationship between what a group says about itself in its printed materials and what its members say about it--in order to develop a useful screening and evaluation tool. Six Boston area social agencies participated, each providing the names of 50 volunteers to whom questionnaires could be mailed and appropriate printed materials which could be analyzed. The research was based on previously developed, extensively tested categories which were then subdivided into Instrumentally- and Informally-oriented factors. Each subject was asked to indicate the importance of each factor on a graphic rating scale. These scores were ranked and a computer analysis was undertaken to compare volunteer profiles with organizational profiles developed from an evaluation of printed materials. Although the relationships used to develop the questionnaire were not supported statistically, the data do suggest that the form has the ability to isolate individuals with extremely positive or negative attitudes toward their agencies. The possibilities and potential of refined testing procedures and standardized profiles are discussed. / 2031-01-01

This thesis adds conceptual and practical value to the field of public affairs (PA). It connects scholarship from the fields of competencies, careers and knowledge, with the theory and practice of PA. The review of literature clearly demonstrated that a gap existed. This then provided a basis for a mixed methods study that enabled the creation of a model of contemporary UK PA practice; a PA knowledge architecture that supports practice; a conceptual PA competency typology on which a competency framework can be built; and an illustrative PA competency framework that reflects a twenty-first century profession. The study was guided by a critical realist worldview that suggests reality is complex and to understand any phenomena a broad a set of research instruments is necessary. The study, therefore, integrated qualitative and quantitative techniques. The qualitative study consisted of 31 interviews with PA practitioners and those involved in policy making that allowed the gathering of rich data mirroring the complexity of work and policy construction. A survey of 50 practitioners also informed the study by helping to illuminate relationships and added greater depth. The research also integrated content analysis by reflecting on four competency frameworks against best practice scholarship to provide practical insights. Findings suggest an evolving field that combines both cohesion and diversity that can be integrated into an embryonic professional identity that reflects a broad set of agreed competencies and knowledge. This is shaped by postmodernist trends in identity and knowledge construction rather than that which mirrors the traditional concept of what defines a profession. Limitations relate to its scope: a UK focus. Further studies in different cultural and political settings need to be encouraged and perhaps longitudinal studies developed to look at the longer-term impact of whether a competency approach can lead to improved performance.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / Public relations probably can do more to gain public tolerance of a phenomenon such as the sonic boom than any other procedure or proqram that might be undertaken by a service or commercial organization. This study attempts to show how the United States Air Force has applied an intense program of public relations toward that goal. T11e Air Force campaign of briefings, publicity, and handling of citizens' complaints was -investigated through inspection of Air Force official records and joint Air Force-commercial campaign materials. The methods currently used were found to be generally effective, with some parts more effective than others. The findings of this study may be of interest to commercial airlo.nes for assistance in planning their own approach to the problem when supersonic airliners are put into general use.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2031-01-01