Reports on a study of the cognitive strategies people use in arriving at judgments about environmental problems. (GW)

Previous research is reviewed in which a multi-systems theory of communication behavior has been used to explain communication behavior of individuals and of several organization-related systems and subsystems. Recent research is then summarized which sought to develop conditional probabilities that communication behavior will occur in each of 16…

As counterexamples to J. E. Grunig and J. B. Disbrow's probabilistic theory of communication behavior, which assumes that receivers have almost total control over communication behavior and that the only control possible for communicators is to limit communications to those publics most likely to be communicating with them, this paper cites…

Two studies were conducted to test the situational theory of communication while at the same time using the theory to determine the nature of different environmental publics, the cognitive strategies they use to resolve environmental issues, and their demographic characteristics. One study identified and examined urban environmental publics, while…

Addresses communication between organizations and publics. Proposes an expanded theory of communication behavior that explains when publics will become active and interpenetrate the organization. Uses this theory in a study to identify publics that arise from corporate public affairs issues and suggests how the corporate communication manager…

An experimental seminar in corporate communication at the University of Maryland was designed to (1) develop a set of theoretical concepts useful to the organizational communicator who functions as a mediator between management and labor, (2) utilize a practical methodology for these concepts, and (3) conduct a case study in cooperation with an…

This paper builds a theory of organizational communication which explains communication at several system levels. The theory is built around a decision-situation model of communication theory and incorporates concepts of organization structure and behavior taken from research on complex organizations. The theory is supported with original data…

This monograph first reviews a theory of individual communication behavior and points out the similarities between that theory and the observed activities of public relations practitioners. It then reviews the literature of formal organizations to extend the theory to more complex systems. Next, it operationalizes this expanded theory and reports…

The results of a case study of organizational information seeking conducted by the Seminar in Corporate Communication in the University of Maryland College of Journalism are reported in this paper. The purpose of the seminar is to give students practical experience in public relations research. The case study involved the consumer information…

Communication researchers have studied the role of the change agent -- the professional helper who stimulates change at the individual, group, organizational, or community level. Few recognize, however, that the change agent is a member of a formal organization whose norms and values often diverge from those of the clientele system. This paper…

One of the keys to economic behavior is decision making in production and the market place. Traditionally, economists have assumed decision making to be rational and based upon complete information, but this is not the case in actual situations. Actual problem solving is based upon communication behavior and availability of information. If, as is…

Research on the relationship of communication to national development is at a standstill because theorists have assumed that effective communication will modernize the attitudes of individuals in underdeveloped nations and will eventually result in changing the political, social, and economic structure of their country. Unfortunately, change is…

A study by James E. Grunig and his students at the University of Maryland tested a refined version of Grunig's situational theory of communication behavior (1968) by surveying the attitudes of the public regarding Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). In preparation for the study, 20 years of research conducted by Grunig and his students was…