Communication Practices Research Articles

From “minimalists” to “professional all-rounders”: Typologizing Swiss universities’ communication practices and structures

Abstract In the past two decades, the public communication of universities has become more important and received increased scholarly attention. While many studies have focused on individual university communicators (micro level) or all such practitioners in one country (macro level), our study analyzes organizational differences. It is the first-ever study to typologize universities’ communication practices and structures at the organizational level across an entire country. Based on a survey of communication practitioners in the central communication offices at all universities in Switzerland and using hierarchical cluster analysis, we classify 37 universities into four types of communicating universities: minimalists, well-resourced competitors, specialized strategists, and professional all-rounders. Those types are further characterized on the basis of official statistics. The analysis shows that the four types of universities differ considerably in their communication patterns and organizational characteristics and that the amount of resources available for communication is only loosely coupled with professional and strategic communication practices.

Perspektiven auf widerständisches Argumentieren im ‚Dritten Reich‘

Abstract Resistance in the ‚Third Reich‘ was a mostly solitary and thus lonely struggle not only against the National Socialist regime, but also for being heard by the silent majority society. In addition to the various communicative practices of warning, admonishing, or calls to action, argumentation also played an important role. The task was not only to convince members of the majority society of the righteousness of their resistance goals and perspectives, but also to agree on goals and perspectives within the various resistance groups and in the exchange between these groups. This dual role of argumentation as a practice that is constitutive of both the group as well as the group’s identity makes this communicative practice an important phenomenon in capturing communicative conditions, circumstances, and paradigms of resistance to National Socialism. In this paper, these functional contexts are examined and the way in which arguments were used both to persuade members of the integrated society and to negotiate consensual principles and goals within resistance groups are discussed.

Assessing the digital competence of in-service university educators in China: A systematic literature review

Rapid growth has been witnessed in digital technologies, resulting in significant productive changes in communication and information technology-oriented practices in different fields. Hybrid teaching or blended learning has gained progressively widespread acceptance in the educational process, and concerns about teachers' information and communication technology (ICT) competence or digital competence have become prevalent. This study adopts a systematic review to interpret and analyse the relevant research findings, aiming to systematically investigate the existing models and paradigms of ICT competence or digital capacities and to understand further how these models and paradigms are applied specifically within the context of Chinese universities. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 12 out of 801 candidate studies were accessed from Web of Science, Scopus and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. The findings indicate that the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and the National Educational Technology Guides for Teachers in Higher Education (CETG) are frequently used to evaluate college educators' digital proficiency or ICT capability in China. Educators’ demographic characteristics, self-efficacy, external factors such as institutional policies and the availability of infrastructure and training collectively influence how digital teaching is integrated within Chinese higher education institutions. By conducting a systematic review of research trends and the critical factors affecting the digital competence of faculty in Chinese universities, this study aims to equip policymakers and educators with a deeper understanding of how to prepare for educational shifts in the digital era and thereby ensure the sustainability of professional development.

Spoken and signed languages hand in hand: parallel and directly comparable corpora of French Belgian Sign Language (lsfb) and French

Linguistics as a discipline only began to consider signed languages as legitimate, fully fledged linguistic systems from the 1960s onwards. However, comparative work on signed and spoken languages made so far has struggled to draw on similar methodologies. In this paper, we seek to fill in this gap by presenting a recently built set of multilingual corpora, allowing scholars to conduct comparative studies on French Belgian Sign Language (lsfb), and its ambient spoken language, Belgian French. This paper outlines the theoretical developments which have led to the creation of these corpora, highlighting two breakthroughs in the understanding of human communicative practices (i.e., the emergence of signed language linguistics and the development of comparative semiotics). We show that combining these recent theoretical insights with the new methodological tools holds potential for future research avenues that could broaden and improve our understanding of language use.

Parenteral Beta-Lactam/Beta-Lactamase Inhibitor Ordering in Hospitals That Provide Care for Pediatric Patients.

The purpose of this study was to define current practices related to beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor (BL/BLI) dose descriptions in hospitals that provide care for pediatric patients and to identify perceived implications of standardizing BL/BLI dose communication and ordering to a total drug-based strategy. A 27-item electronic survey was distributed via 4 pediatric pharmacy and infectious diseases listservs. Survey questions pertained to hospital demographics, dosing communication practices, BL/BLI ordering and labeling practices, obstacles to safe BL/BLI use, and the effects of potential standardization to a total drug communication strategy. SPSS was used for quantitative analysis and MAXQDA was used for qualitative analysis. A total of 140 unique survey responses were analyzed after exclusion of incomplete responses and reconciliation of multiple responses from the same institution. Overall, 56.2% of institutions order BL/BLIs by BL component for pediatric patients, and 22% of institutions order by BL component for adult patients. Approximately half (51.8%) of respondents felt that standardizing to total drug would have a negative effect at their institution; perception of potential effect varied based on the institution's ordering strategy. Communication and ordering of BL/BLIs is inconsistent across institutions and between pediatric and adult patients. In the short term, the perception is that standardization would compound institutional challenges.

Revolutionizing Therapeutic Communication Practice: From Student-Crafted to AI-Optimized

Revolutionizing Therapeutic Communication Practice: From Student-Crafted to AI-Optimized

Using Structural Equation Modelling to Explore the Relationship Between Patient-Centered Communication, Human Papilloma (HPV)-related Knowledge, and Perceived Effectiveness of the HPV Vaccine.

Patient-centered communication has emerged as a potent strategy for increasing vaccine uptake. Drawing on evidence-based paths established from previous studies, our study examines the relationship between patient-centered communication, HPV knowledge and perceived HPV vaccine effectiveness. We also explored the sociodemographic factors impacting patient-centered communication, HPV knowledge and perceived HPV vaccine effectiveness. We analyzed data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 5, Cycle 1, ran Structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the pathways in our conceptual framework. Our sample comprised 2522 adults aged 18-79 (mean age 47.98 years) who were predominantly Non-Hispanic White (67.65%), female (53.31%), and heterosexual (95.12%). The model fit statistics for the final structural model indicated a good fit [RMSEA= 0.039, CFI=0.99 TLI= 0.99, and SRMR =0.070]. The path linking patient-centered communication to HPV knowledge (β=0.011, p<0.05), and the knowledge-mediated path linking patient-centered communication to HPV vaccine effectiveness (β=0.007, p<0.05) were found to be statistically significant. HPV researchers must delve deeper into patient-centered communication practices to improve vaccine uptake. Tailoring conversations to individual needs and preferences is key to enhancing HPV knowledge, and ultimately improve perceptions of HPV vaccine effectiveness and increase its acceptability.

Effectiveness of Communication Tools in Slovak Enterprises Before and During the Covid-19 Pandemic

AbstractBackground and purposeThe Covid-19 pandemic brought about a shift in the way businesses operate, accelerating the adoption of digital communication tools. The study examines the effectiveness of communication tools in Slovak enterprises, comparing the dynamics before and during the pandemic. The study highlights the need for businesses to address communication-related issues.MethodologyAn electronic questionnaire was used to collect the data. The representative survey sample consisted of 555 respondents. The results of the research were processed using the statistical tools McNemar Test, Pearsons Chi square test and Cramer’s V.ResultsBefore the pandemic, Slovak enterprises relied on traditional means of communication, with face-to-face meetings, phone calls and emails being the primary means of interaction. However, when the pandemic forced people to work from home, dependence on digital communication tools such as video conferencing and collaboration platforms increased significantly.ConclusionThe research findings indicate that during the pandemic, businesses recognized the importance of digital communication tools for sustaining business operations and employee collaboration. In conclusion, the Covid-19 pandemic was a catalyst for the transformation of communication practices in Slovak enterprises. The findings emphasise the continued importance of digital communication tools in the post-pandemic era and the need for businesses to strike a balance between traditional and digital communication methods in order to optimise overall effectiveness.

Identifying Facilitators and Inhibitors of Shared Understanding: An Ethnography of Diagnosis Communication in Acute Medical Settings.

Communication is important in determining how patients understand the diagnostic process. Empirical studies involving direct observation of communication within diagnostic processes are relatively limited. This ethnographic study aimed to identify communicative practices facilitating or inhibiting shared understanding between patients and doctors in UK acute secondary care settings. Data were collected in acute medical sectors of three English hospitals. Researchers observed doctors as they assessed patients; semistructured interviews were undertaken with doctors and patients directly afterwards. Patients were also interviewed 2-4 weeks later. Case studies of individual encounters (consisting of these interviews and observational notes) were created, and were cross-examined by an interdisciplinary team to identify divergence and convergence between doctors' and patients' narratives. These data were analysed thematically. We conducted 228 h of observation, 24 doctor interviews, 32 patient interviews and 15 patient follow-up interviews. Doctors varied in their communication. Patient diagnostic understanding was sometimes misaligned with that of their doctors; interviews revealed that they often made incorrect assumptions to make sense of the fragmented information received. Thematic analysis identified communicative practices that seemed to facilitate, or inhibit, shared diagnostic understanding between patient and doctor, revealing three themes: (1) communicating what has been understood from the medical record, (2) sharing the thought process and diagnostic reasoning and (3) closing the loop and discharge communication. Shared understanding was best fostered by clear communication about the diagnostic process, what had already been done and what was achievable in acute settings. Written information presents an underutilised tool in such communication. In UK acute secondary settings, the provision of more information about the diagnostic process often fostered shared understanding between doctor and patient, helping to minimise the confusion and dissatisfaction that can result from misaligned expectations or conclusions about the diagnosis, and the uncertainty therein. A patient and public involvement group (of a range of ages and backgrounds) was consulted. They contributed to the design of the protocol, including the timing of interviews, the acceptability of a follow-up telephone interview, the development of the interview guides and the participant information sheets.

Building and Maintaining a Whole Community Initiative: Health Communication in Practice with Be Well Communities™

ABSTRACT The most effective health communication builds from evidence-based best practices and theory. In practice, health campaigns rely on considerations often under-discussed in health communication, such as consistent agency-style client service, image management, and community coalition-building. Health outcome progress often requires change at multiple levels, from individual cognition and behavior to policy creation. These multi-level needs further highlight the importance of effective practical health communication supporting a range of outcomes and building toward replication. This article covers the complexities of building and implementing a theory-informed health communication structure for a multifaceted, place-based cancer prevention initiative. Part of the overall process includes detailing the internal communications of a health communication group, interorganizational communication, engaging community partner support, the message creation process, and longitudinal efforts on program maintenance and assessment. Furthermore, this article seeks to offer an example of the client service role a health communication team can play to combine theory, empirical message development, and community goals in whole community efforts. Ultimately, the goal is to share experiences from seven years of program work to help guide future community-based efforts in other health contexts and foster progress in theoretical and practical understandings of health communication.

Automated Communication’s Impact on Strategic Communication: Implications from a Systematic Review

ABSTRACT The trend of automation, artificial intelligence, and algorithms has taken hold of strategic communication research and practice. While research on specific automated communication phenomena, such as AI influencers and chatbots, is steadily increasing in fields such as marketing and journalism, its implications for strategic communication have not yet been addressed. To offer a comprehensive overview, a systematic review of 76 articles was conducted to study the conceptualisations, methods, and normative reflections of automated communication across different social science disciplines. Findings show that automated communication has been studied in various contexts, though rarely in strategic communication. Clear and consistent terminology is often lacking and various conceptualisations for sub-phenomena, if present at all, are put forward; automated communication as an overall phenomenon has not yet been defined. Moreover, a plethora of theoretical and methodological approaches have been used, pointing to a lack of coherent knowledge. Thus, current research on automated communication is fragmented and misses a unified understanding of the phenomenon. As a remedy, this study (1) provides a typology of automated communication, (2) proposes a definition of the concept, and (3) discusses its implications for strategic communication research and practice including a research agenda.

Positive Communication Practices for Enhancing Collaboration

Collaboration is the process of people working together toward a common goal and occurs in a wide range of contexts. When done well, almost anything is possible. Because of its potential, collaboration is touted as one of the most promising ways to address today’s most difficult and complex problems. However, not all collaborative efforts realize their potential for a variety of reasons, including the relational aspects of collaboration. Central to collaboration and its efficacy, interpersonal relationships can be enhanced through positive communication. This research explores positive and negative communication patterns in collaborative contexts. Thematic analysis is applied to qualitative data collected from 278 participants involved in varied collaborative efforts. Fifteen collaborative communication practices emerge as playing an important role in fostering collaboration. Findings from this research contribute to the growing field of positive communication scholarship by offering positive communication practices that people can employ to strengthen interpersonal relationships in collaborative efforts. Guidance on ways practitioners can apply these findings is provided.

ADAPTING LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR SMES IN THE ERA OF REMOTE WORK FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF GENERATION Z: MODERN APPROACHES AND CHALLENGES

This study investigates the impact of remote work on leadership development within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly examining how the expectations and skills of Generation Z play a role. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of remote work, underscoring the urgent need to address the unique challenges faced by SMEs through targeted leadership training programs. Effectively addressing these challenges requires a nuanced understanding of Generation Z's perspective, which is essential for devising strategies that align with the dynamics of remote work. The widespread use of digital tools has revolutionized communication and management practices, presenting both opportunities and challenges for leaders, especially when catering to the preferences of Generation Z. Online training emerges as a cornerstone for nurturing effective leadership in virtual environments, offering flexibility and accessibility that resonate with the digital-native Generation Z. Generation Z's values, including efficiency, supportive leadership, and worklife balance, significantly shape their expectations of leadership roles within SMEs. Through a comprehensive analysis of empirical data and practical insights, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of how leadership development initiatives can evolve in response to changing work paradigms. A case study illustrating an SME's successful adaptation of leadership development to remote work offers valuable lessons and actionable insights for similar organizations. Recommendations underscore the importance of innovative, inclusive, and flexible program designs tailored specifically to the needs and demographics of SMEs. In conclusion, this study offers valuable insights into the evolving landscape of online leadership development programs, with the overarching goal of empowering SMEs to thrive in tomorrow's workplace.

Pragmatic Instructions in Oral Communication in Context

There is a need to revisit and recalibrate pragmatic instructions of English teachers in the Philippines to adequately communicate the competencies required of students. Consequently, the primary purpose of this research was to look into the pragmatic instructions utilized by senior high school English teachers and whether there was a difference in the use of their pragmatic instructions when grouped according to years of service and educational attainment in one leading private senior high school in Baguio City, Philippines. By employing a survey questionnaire and a series of classroom observations of all senior high school English teachers, the researcher found that they sometimes integrated at least one from instructional pragmatic approaches and at least one from interlanguage pragmatic awareness-raising techniques, interlanguage pragmatic communicative practice techniques, interlanguage pragmatic corrective feedback techniques, and culture teaching techniques in every lesson in their Oral Communication in Context classes. Meanwhile, there was a discrepancy between the perceptions of English teachers as expressed in the questionnaire and their performance in the classroom. Although there were generally no significant differences in the application of pragmatic instructions by English teachers when grouped according to years of service and educational attainment, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that they incorporate more approaches and more techniques as they amass more years in the English teaching profession as well as when they obtain more advanced degrees in the graduate school. Besides adding to the body of literature regarding pragmatic instructions, this research endeavor also puts forward recommendations for future study.

Tracking the Development of COVID-19-related PsyArXiv Preprints

Given the need for a rapid and critical response from behavioural sciences during times of crisis, this study investigated the trajectory of all preprints posted to the repository PsyArXiv up to 19 May 2020 that were related to COVID-19 (n = 211). Specifically, we examined the trajectory, transparency, and diversity of these preprints as compared to PsyArXiv preprints unrelated to COVID-19 (n = 167) and articles published in psychology journal articles (n = 75) within the same time frame. Preprints related to COVID-19 had similar traction to published journal articles on COVID-19, but compared to preprints unrelated to COVID-19, the COVID-19 preprints were more likely to be subsequently published during a follow-up period (until 2 March 2021), were published more quickly, and received more citations. Preprints related to COVID-19 reported fewer open science practices than preprints unrelated to COVID-19, but more than COVID-19 journal articles. Primary affiliations for all preprints and journal articles predominantly originated from Western countries, but this was comparatively more for preprints (both related to and not related to COVID-19), even though preprints had more international authorship teams than journal articles. In conclusion, this study sheds light on preprint dissemination within the field of psychology amid the COVID-19 crisis, emphasising the swift spread, heightened probability of subsequent publication, and diverse adherence to open science practices among COVID-19-related preprints. These results underline the continual need for rigorous evaluation and advancement of scholarly communication practices, especially during periods of global urgency, to uphold transparency, diversity, and rigour in disseminating vital research findings.

MODERN COMMUNICATIVE PRACTICES IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: THE CIVILIZATION DIMENSION

The article examines the effectiveness of communication practices in modern international relations against the background of civilizational features of the interacting parties. The authors found out the actual state and nature of communications at the international level between the East and the West, they discovered the causes of conflict, and formed a conclusion on this basis. The researchers answered the question - how to reach a new level of effectiveness of communication practices in international relations and how to achieve congruent communications in the intra-societal system? The purpose of the article is to clarify modern effective communication practices taking into account the inter-civilization factor in international relations. The relevance of the article lies in the need to search for new approaches in international communications based on the synergy of communications to solve global problems of our time, create safe living conditions for the world community. As a result of the study, the authors revealed the ineffectiveness of modern communication practices. This statement is true for both international communications and communications in the internal environment of political, intra-societal systems. The subjects of international relations often simply do not take into account the civilizational differences of their partners, therefore they cannot come to an agreement with them on important issues of life, first of all. Among these differences, we should highlight: cultural, ethnic and religious characteristics of communicants - representatives of the East and the West. Modern international conflicts arising on the basis of civilizational and cultural confrontations between the East and the West push us to develop a new paradigm of communication practices. These practices should be based on congruent interaction of communicants, on the elimination of their civilizational and cultural differences as the cause of unsuccessful communications. Politicians are now forced to take into account not only the political, economic and power resources of the interacting parties, but also cultural, religious and ethnic characteristics. The focus of researchers should be on issues that include not only minimizing disagreements and balancing interests between states, but also searching for the broadest possible agenda and identifying common interests at the global and regional levels.

Standing Up to the Maskless: Antecedents of Norm Enforcement Behavior and Meta-Norm Misperception During COVID-19 at a College Campus

Extending theorization on bystander intervention, this study examined antecedents of upstanding, a communication practice in which bystanders communicate disapproval to norm violators, using the context of mask wearing during COVID-19. Survey findings from undergraduate students revealed that perceived legitimacy of intervention played a key role in decisions to stand up to mask norm violators. In addition, anticipation of hostile responses from the confronted party and bystander indifference discouraged upstanding behavior or intentions. Participants also expected to receive less support from bystanders in a hypothetical episode as an upstander than what they intended to offer an upstander as a bystander.

Connecting audiences with climate change: Towards humanised and action-focused data interactions

This paper investigates the relationship between design research and humancomputer interaction (HCI) in the context of climate change communication and engagement. We discuss current practices in climate change communication and the decrease in concern and engagement caused by “crisis fatigue”. Through Research through Design (RtD), we set out to investigate data humanism and how users react to climate change data, testing approaches to improve engagement. With this purpose, we designed and evaluated Finding Arcadia, an interactive data story that uses data humanism to shift the dialogue from crisis-focused to action-focused. One study with the original IMF visualisations (N = 17) and two studies in public spaces (N = 12 and N = 64) point to the contextualization of the data and presenting actionable solutions helping in engaging users with climate change issues; help in creating solution-focused narratives and interpreting and relating with climate data. From these results, we derive insights for designing empowering interactive data visualizations for resilient climate change engagement.

Constructing inclusion and exclusion in and through leaders’ communication discourses and practices

This study explores the discourses and communication practices of five leaders working in elderly care units in a mid-size city in Sweden and the construct of inclusion and exclusion by examining their daily communicative leadership practices with their work groups, consisting of Swedish-born and foreigner-born migrants. The results were drawn from an analysis of interviews with five leaders and the observation of eight meetings led by three of them. The findings indicate that leaders’ different strategies of inclusion are related to the engagement and participation of workers in discussions and decision-making. Some salient practices and discourses are pertinent to leaders’ cultural biases that can lead to ethnocentrism and essentialism, which might have a negative impact on inclusion. Leaders who practice inclusiveness through connecting, relating, and giving space for engagement and participation might better contribute to workplaces. The aspects and strategies of inclusion and exclusion are embedded in leaders’ practices and discourses and present them as bridge builders, empathetic and supportive, and culture enhancers. This study presents leaders' communication styles to include and exclude migrant workers and their strategies for engagement and participation in workplace issues. The leaders' communication styles emerged from the data and were defined as bridge builders, empathetic and supportive, and culture enhancers.

Коммуникативная импозитивность: систематический обзор

The purpose of the study is to review Russian and English-language publications that directly or indirectly address communicative imposition. The scientific novelty of the research consists in the fact that for the first time information on communicative imposition is summarized in the work, the concept of communicative imposition is clarified, and the main motives for using impositive statements and related relevant phenomena are revealed. The article describes the etymology of the lexeme " imposition ", as well as its introduction into scientific use. Using the elements of the method of systematic review of the litera-ture, the main provisions of the works of domestic and foreign researchers are presented. The intercultural aspect of the phenomenon is noted, the consideration of which can greatly affect the environmental friendliness of communication. As a result, it was determined that imposition correlates with linguistic (persistence) and socially regulated (power distance) phenomena. Aggravation of imposition often occurs as a result of leaving the "communicative corridor" of communication participants. imposition is a communicative effect associated with a threat to the speaker's face, which is culturally specific. The results of the study can be used to improve the theory of politeness and the practice of intercultural communication