Journal of Business Communication current issue

Managing the Multiple Meanings of Organizational Culture in Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Consulting

Dixon, M. A., Dougherty, D. S. — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:08:23 PST

Kuhn reminds us that although collaborating researchers in different disciplines may observe the same phenomena and use similar terms to describe it, their articulation of their findings can be radically dissimilar. Pointing out that what we see is largely dependent on what we have been trained to see, Kuhn cautions that individuals from two academic disciplines who work together will find themselves "always slightly at cross purposes." Consequently, even though consultants and clients may use the same word, the meaning of the word may be quite different. Such differences often affect the entire consultation process including the client’s expectations, as well as, their willingness to accept the consultant’s recommendations. This article is a case study of the authors’ experiences when they were asked to engage in a cultural assessment of a student affairs department at a large Midwestern University.

Cognitive Organization and Identity Maintenance in Multicultural Teams: A Discourse Analysis of Decision-Making Meetings

Aritz, J., Walker, R. C. — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:08:23 PST

Measuring culture is a central issue in international management research and has been traditionally accomplished using indices of cultural values. Although a number of researchers have attempted to identify measures to account for the core elements of culture, there is no consensus on those measures. This article uses an alternative method—discourse analysis—to observe what actually occurs in terms of communication practices in intercultural decision-making meetings, specifically those involving U.S.-born native English speakers and participants from East Asian countries. Previous discourse studies in this area suggest that differences in communication practices may be attributed to power differentials or language competence. Our findings suggest that the conversation style differences we observed might be attributed to intergroup identity issues instead.

The Effects of Supervisors' Verbal Aggressiveness and Mentoring on Their Subordinates

Madlock, P. E., Kennedy-Lightsey, C. — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:08:23 PST

This study examined the association between supervisors’ mentoring and verbal aggression and their subordinates’ perceived communication satisfaction, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. The findings of the 200 full-time working adults who participated in the study supported prior research indicating positive relationships between mentoring behaviors by supervisors and their subordinates’ communication satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction, and negative relationships between supervisors’ verbal aggression and their subordinates’ communication satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction. Results of a regression analysis indicated that supervisors’ verbal aggression was a greater negative predictor of subordinates’ outcomes than was mentoring a positive predictor, supporting the presence of a negativity bias in the supervisor-subordinate relationship. Additionally, path analysis indicated that communication satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between supervisor mentoring and subordinate organizational commitment, whereas communication satisfaction served as a suppressor between mentoring and subordinate job satisfaction.

Who We Are and What We Do, 2008: A Response

Bradstreet Grinols, A. — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:08:23 PST

Dale Cyphert’s thoughtful commentary "Who We Are and What We Do, 2008," based on a survey of Association for Business Communication (ABC) members, discusses demographic changes, traces the development of the organization through its discussion of such issues as discipline self-examination, and suggests directions for the organization going forward. This response comments on the role of the ABC and suggests that the current economic worldwide upheaval and the resulting changes that may ensue provide a context that must be considered in any strategic planning by the organization and by its members.

Beyond Persuasion: The Rhetoric of Negotiation in Business Communication

King, C. L. — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:08:23 PST

This essay describes and provides a rationale for the Rhetoric of Negotiation as a useful frame for what is typically considered persuasion in business communication. It argues for a broader understanding of the opposition and draws from Eckhouse’s work on business communication as a competitive activity as well as Booth’s concept of Win-Rhetoric versus Listening-Rhetoric. Using illustrations from the author’s previous research, this commentary proposes that the Rhetoric of Negotiation is useful in business communication for both ethical and practical reasons.

Book Review: Discourse, Ideology and Specialized Communication, by Giuliana Garzone and Srikant Sarangi (Eds.). New York: Peter Lang, 2007. 494 pp

Clifton, J. — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:08:23 PST

Submission Guidelines

Walker, R. C., Knight, M. — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:08:23 PST