Systems analysis has the advantage for the study of communications relations of incorporating both the interactive relations and the broader context in which the relations occur. Applying this approach to the coorientation model led to the development of a set of transformations of the relations between individuals A and B and object X, from which…

Little research attention has been paid to the systematic validation of mathematical indices of social structure. The validation strategies in use remain largely implicit and generally fail to appreciate the multi-dimensionality of structure. The current paper proposes a new method designed to avoid these shortcomings and reports the results of…

Three potentially useful perspectives for the scientific development of human communication theory are the law model, the systems approach, and the rules paradigm. It is the purpose of this paper to indicate the utility of the systems approach. The first section of this paper provides a brief account of the systems view of the world. Outlined in…

This paper reports on initial efforts to develop and test a model which will account for the formation of communication structure in large organizations. Communication structure may be defined as those metric variables obtained from the quantitative analysis of communication network data. Communication networks may be defined as the patterns of…

This report describes a set of procedures for analyzing communication networks in large organizations. The procedures include the identification and evaluation of various kinds of networks, assessment of the organizational hierarchy, appraisal of various departments within the organization, and evaluation of individual communication behavior. The…

The process of explanation as defined by the covering law model of science contains stringent criteria which often cannot be met by communication scientists. An alternative model, less powerful but more obtainable--the system paradigm--should be adopted. Four types of explanation provide a context for a discussion of the system paradigm…

This paper examines the multivariate multiple regression model and explores its applicability to communication research. The first section discusses partitioning of a data matrix, as a heuristic device for distinguishing among alternative regression models. Section two examines various aspects of univariate multiple regression, including the form…

There are three general scientific methods for studying the communication process: mechanistic, organic, and systemic. After reviewing the characteristics and research implications of each method, it can be concluded that the systems paradigm is most appropriate to the logic of communication theory. The systems method is defined as a process of…