Communication Practices Research Articles

What are we talking about when we are talking about the audience? Exploring the concept of audience in science communication research and education.

The concept of 'audience' is central to research and practice in science communication. When asked by a scientist for help communicating their work, who among us has not responded with the time honoured question 'who is your audience?' Yet what we mean when we talk about audience is not always clear: implied and ambiguous, rather than explicit and precise. This article explores this ambiguity, drawing on a systematic review of 1360 science communication research articles and a survey of 45 science communication educators. We report 10 different conceptualisations, in three groups. Being conceptualisations include 'Demographic', 'Knowledge', 'Values' and 'Embodied'; Doing conceptualisations include 'Interaction' and 'Dynamic'. In Qualifiers, we found 'Diverse', 'Potential', 'Plural' and 'General' conceptualisations. These data allow tracking of how we have conceptualised audience over time, an understanding of the groups systematically under-serviced, and a pathway to a richer discussion of this key concept for our field.

Human agility management in Thai SMEs: A catalyst for enhancing employee value proposition

This study investigates the application of Operational Agility Management in Thai SMEs, examining its impact on Employee Dynamic Capability and the resulting Employee Value Proposition. Using a quantitative approach with a questionnaire survey targeted at Thai SME executives, the research analyzes the relationships between “Value of Work”, “Goal Orientation”, and “Network Communication” as independent variables, “Employee Dynamic Capability” as a mediating variable, and “Employee Value Proposition” as the dependent variable. The findings reveal that Thai Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) struggle particularly with “Network Communication” in enhancing their “Employee Value Proposition”, primarily due to their predominant hierarchical command structure. This challenge highlights the need for Thai SMEs to reassess their organizational structures and communication practices to improve employee dynamic capabilities and overall employee value proposition. The study provides novel insights into the application of Operational Agility Management in Thai SMEs, bridging the gap between high-performance management theories and the practical realities faced by SMEs in unpredictable business environments, thus offering a unique perspective on cultivating employee dynamic capabilities in this setting.

The Role of Workplace Communication on Employees’ Performance in Tanzania: A Case of Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO)

Effective workplace communication is pivotal in enhancing employee performance, particularly in today's global business environment characterized by diversity and remote work dynamics. This study aimed to examine the role of workplace communication on employee performance within Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO), focusing on how communication influences job correctness, decision-making, planning, and overall employee productivity. The study utilized a descriptive research design to collect data. A total of 36 participants were sampled using simple random. Data were gathered through questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS for quantitative data insights. The findings indicate a significant correlation between effective communication and enhanced employee performance. Specifically, open communication with supervisors was strongly linked to increased job correctness and performance (mean = 4.81). Communication was also found to facilitate decision-making and planning (mean = 3.53), and there was a recognized relationship between effective communication and overall employee performance (mean = 3.97). However, the traditional top-down communication approach was noted, with a mean score of 3.65, suggesting areas for improvement in adopting more inclusive communication practices. The study confirms the critical role of effective workplace communication in enhancing employee performance at TANESCO. Open and transparent communication, particularly with supervisors, significantly contributes to job accuracy and employee productivity. The study recommends that TANESCO implements structured programs to foster open dialogue, develops comprehensive communication strategies that balance hierarchical and inclusive approaches, and invests in regular training and assessment of communication practices. Additionally, adopting an 'open door' policy and engaging in active listening are suggested to enhance the communication framework within the organization.

Developing industrial AI capabilities: An organisational learning perspective

Incumbent industrial firms are putting in a lot of effort in developing capabilities for machine learning (ML) systems that help them better predict and perform a variety of industrial and business processes and decisions. Given the data-, process-, and organizational structure-related requirements for effective implementation of such systems, these organizations encounter a major challenge in developing capabilities in this context. However, the existing literature has yet to unravel the organizational processes and practices associated with artificial intelligence (AI) capability development and deployment in industrial incumbent firms. The present study frames AI adoption in established industrial firms as a process of history-embedded, situated organizational learning involving explorative and exploitative learning. Based on a qualitative study of seven firms utilizing ML algorithms in their industrial and business processes, we develop a grounded model that explains AI capability building as both enabled and constrained by perceptual and functional triggers and barriers, leveraged via communicative and structural practices, and resulting in ongoing and interdependent processes of exploration and exploitation. The study contributes to the literature by showing how the convergence of organizational learning and AI technology's unique features promotes a distinct dynamic of AI capability building and deployment.

The Role of Kinesics in the Formation of Idiomatic Expressions in Russian and English

The article explores the influence of kinesic phenomena, such as gestures and body movements, on the development of idiomatic expressions in both languages. It examines how culturally specific gestures and physical actions are verbalized and incorporated into idiomatic phrases, reflecting the unique cultural perceptions and communicative practices of Russian and English speakers. By conducting a comparative linguistic analysis, the study identifies similarities and differences in the way kinesics is integrated into idiomatic expressions, highlighting the role of nonverbal communication in language formation and its impact on the semantic richness of idioms. The findings of this research underscore the importance of understanding the cultural and linguistic contexts in which idiomatic expressions are used, offering insights for translators, linguists, and intercultural communication specialists.

The Influence of Communication Practices on Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools: A Case Study of Matuga Sub- County, Kwale County, Kenya

The Influence of Communication Practices on Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools: A Case Study of Matuga Sub- County, Kwale County, Kenya

Personal Values and Their Impact on the Opinion Leadership of Managers and Employees in Internal Communication

ABSTRACT Opinion leaders play a prominent role in the internal communication network of organizations, although the concept and its drivers have rarely been addressed in internal communication research. Based on a representative online survey of 1,030 managers and employees in German private and public corporations, this paper analyzes the impact of personal values on the opinion leadership of managers and employees. The results show that specific personal values positively predict opinion leadership and particularly harmonizing behavior, with some differences between managers and employees. Theoretical and empirical implications for internal communication research and practice are discussed.

Survival and Distinctiveness: The Impulses Shaping the Communication Practices and Rhetorical Strategies in Hunger Relief Organizations

ABSTRACT Nonprofit organizations exist in a unique tension between survival and distinctiveness. Relying on interviews with staff members at hunger relief nonprofit organizations, we investigate how these nonprofits’ communication and rhetorical practices are being shaped by the tension between survival and distinctiveness, as well as the pressures/impulses of civic action, voluntarism, professionalism, and commercialism. Ultimately, we present a more nuanced understanding of how technical communication happens within nonprofits, specifically within the hunger relief sector, as well as offer takeaways for researchers, instructors, students, and community partners.

The what and how of warning messages: An experimental examination of instructing information and linguistic features use

AbstractWe conducted a between‐subjects experiment (N = 1626) to examine the effects of instructing information, an important theoretical keystone in crisis communication research, in predicting two key outcomes in the literature—protective behavioral intentions and message retransmission intentions. Given the communicative context, high‐impact weather warnings, we additionally considered the moderating role of linguistic features use in predicting these outcomes. Based upon theory and research in this area, we examined the mediating roles of self‐efficacy and perceived instructing information in predicting protective behavioral intentions and message retransmission intentions, respectively. Results mainly support our hypotheses. The instructing information conditions predicted the proposed intervening variable, which in turn predicted both outcomes. Linguistic features use moderated the direct effect of instructing information in predicting protective behavioral intentions, but not message retransmission intentions. The discussion focuses on the implications of these findings for crisis communication theory and practice.

Need for Human Interaction and Acknowledging Communication-An Interview Study With Patients With Aphasia Following Stroke.

To explore stroke patients' experiences of the communicative practice during their hospitalisation and describe strategies and supporting communication techniques applied by patients and nursing staff from the patient's perspective. A qualitative descriptive study was undertaken. A qualitative approach was chosen; through a purposeful sample strategy, 13 semi-structed interviews with 12 patients who had aphasia following stroke, and one patient had dysarthria. The interviews were video-recorded and partially transcribed. Data were analysed according to Graneheim and Lundman's content analysis. Interview data were collected in 2022. The analysis generated one overarching theme; Being acknowledged as an equal human being as it appeared to be a pervasive and underlying trait across the four categories; Waking up to a new communicative reality, A task-oriented communicative agenda, Misunderstandings as a communicative dead end and Establishing a communication-friendly environment: peace, patience and supporting techniques, describing the immediate and descriptive level. The patients did not seem to encounter a systematic approach to communication. They perceived the health care staff's communication as primarily task and purpose-oriented, lacking deeper conversations, which seemed to leave several with unmet emotional and psychological needs. Emotional, relational and existential aspects seemed interwoven in communication. These findings contribute by illuminating an important patient perspective and ultimately, raising the point that from the perspective of patients the nursing staff's communication was primarily task and purpose oriented, and they lacked deeper conversations. Hence also raises the point that the use of supportive communication strategies alone will allow nursing staff to meet the existential needs of patients with aphasia. Supported communication needs to address compassionate and acknowledging aspects of communication. No Patient or Public Contribution in this paper.

Empowering Tourism Communication for Sustainable Village Development

The research addresses the critical issue of enhancing tourism communication to foster sustainable village development. The primary objective is to empower local communities by improving their communication strategies, thereby boosting tourism and ensuring sustainable growth. The study employs a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data to comprehensively understand the current communication practices and their impact on tourism. Data were collected through surveys, interviews, and field observations in selected villages known for their tourism potential. The findings reveal significant gaps in the existing communication strategies, highlighting the need for more effective and targeted approaches. The research concludes that by adopting improved communication methods, villages can attract more tourists, enhance their economic stability, and promote sustainable development. The study provides actionable recommendations for local governments and community leaders to implement more effective tourism communication practices, ultimately contributing to the sustainable development of rural areas.

‘There is so much we can learn from the mistakes of Covid-19’: service provider recommendations for more accessible crisis communication in multicultural Australia

ABSTRACT This paper presents the findings of a qualitative, reflexive investigation into the challenges facing Australia’s migrant and refugee communities when engaging with mediated communication during global crisis events. Informed through a Culture-Centred Approach, I present an interpretive thematic analysis of interview and focus group discussion with 16 service providers and community leaders who supported migrant and refugee communities during the Covid-19 pandemic in Melbourne, Australia. Participants discussed significant problems concerning the accessibility of Covid-related communication, noting numerous health equity implications, which many described as heightened for migrant and/or refugee communities with disabilities. These findings lend further credence to calls for more intersectional and participatory research and practice approaches, with participants advocating strategies that centre the embodied expertise of people with direct experience of both racialised exclusion and health inequity. I discuss these recommendations with careful consideration of documented challenges in global efforts to inform crisis communication scholarship, policy, and practice.

Buddhist participatory communication for rural development: a comparative analysis of case studies in Sri Lanka, Lao PDR, Thailand and lessons learned for Vietnam

ABSTRACT Religion, the foundation of all cultures, can serve as a potential substitute for participatory communication and rural community development. This paper attempts to (1) analyse how the Buddhist approach is integrated into development communication initiatives in three countries, namely Sri Lanka, Lao PDR and Thailand, (2) identify the key principles and values of Buddhist philosophy that inform development communication practices in these countries, (3) examine similarities and differences in the Buddhist-based development initiatives and projects conducted in the three countries and (4) provide insights and recommendations for Vietnam through analysing how Buddhist-inspired approaches to development communication have been conceptualised and implemented in these Asian nations by making use of comparative case studies research method. The study reveals that while these initiatives share a philosophical basis centred on Buddhism and local culture integration where Buddhist monks/nuns play important roles, they vary notably in the methods applied due to differences in cultural context. This comparative analysis aims to inform future endeavours in Vietnam and beyond, advocating for culturally sensitive and spiritually grounded approaches to rural development.

Neural Network Algorithms in Current Processes of Transformation of Traditional Worldview and Ideological Systems.

This study is devoted to identifying potential risks, challenges, and threats of intensive development and active implementation of artificial intelligence technologies and in particular self-learning neural network algorithms in the current practice of socio-political communications associated with active information impact on mass consciousness. This study proves that contemporary digital technological transformations and the active spread of digital technologies most directly influence the transformation of traditional worldview systems and ideologies. Based on the results of the study, it is concluded that with the help of digital tools, there is a significant information and communication impact on mass consciousness in terms of influencing traditional worldview and ideological systems. In this regard, the author puts forward the thesis about the need to form and maintain the digital sovereignty of contemporary states as a key conclusion. It is viewed as a critical condition for preserving and protecting national worldview and ideological spaces in the conditions of current global technological transformations

Discursive Practices during an Electoral Cycle: Public Opinion and Political Disillusionment on Twitter

Electoral cycles are highly charged, politically intense moments that influence public discourse. Political elites, citizens, and the traditional news media seek to generate opinions and interactions on social networks. This research is motivated by the following questions: What are the communicative and deliberative practices used in these spaces? Is it possible to identify the characteristics that –through deliberative conversations– potentially foster or undermine democratic debate, particularly when using populist and polarizing discourse? Using a mixed methods approach, we apply a social network analysis tool to track conversations and identify the volume of political discourse (N=346,000). Using selective and staged filtering, we identified posts from nine Peruvian Twitter accounts during the September 2022 electoral campaign in Lima: three candidates, three media outlets, and three accounts with high levels of engagement. Our data comprised the comments from these nine accounts and was extracted using an Application Programming Interface (API). Subsequently, we carried out ethnographic content analysis on publications with more than 30 comments. In this phase, we analyzed Twitter comments using a codebook to identify deliberative practices and user responses. Our findings underscore the significant role of principal media outlets in shaping political conversation on Twitter. We also discovered that attempts to interact and deliberate were often overshadowed by heated comments attempting to impose opinions on others. Most importantly, our research reveals a widespread disillusionment with politics, political institutions, and even the political preferences of fellow citizens in Peru, highlighting a key challenge for democratic discourse on social media.

Vision Communication and Firm Quality Performance: The Mediating Role of Employee Involvement and the Moderating Effect of Leader Support.

Vision communication (VC) is an important way for leaders to express their ideas about a blueprint of the future to convince employees that their work is valuable and meaningful in total quality management. This research studies the influence of vision communication (VC) on quality performance (QP) through the mediation of total employee involvement (EI) and the moderation of leader support (LS). With the use of Smartpls 3.0, the collected data based on 2996 samples in Shanghai were used to analyze the various constructs. The results show that both VC and EI affect QP and should be influenced by LS. EI was found to partially mediate the relationship between VC and QP. The results also demonstrate that EI can positively affect improvement in QP via stronger LS and that high-level employee involvement is positively associated with quality performance when leader support is high (vs. low). This research can be inferred as one of the very limited empirical analyses that explored the mediating impact of EI on VC and QP. In the quality management (QM) field, the exploration of the moderating effect of LS on the mediation of the EI between VC and QP can be viewed to be a significant theoretical finding. The findings will be instrumental in assisting managers and administrators in understanding the significance of vision communication and leader support in quality management practice.

Playing to Collaborate: Using Cooperative Board Games to Experience and Reflect on Collaboration in Upper Secondary Education

There is a growing interest among researchers in using board games for supporting learning in school contexts. Co-op board games is a relatively new and promising type of games, which seems well-suited for improving students’ collaboration skills. In this paper, we explore how two groups of Danish high school students interact when playing two different co-op games, The Mind and Forbidden Island, and how they reflect upon their shared game experiences. The data collection is based on video observations of group interaction and student interviews, which use stimulated video recall. In this way, we are able not only to describe the students’ perceived outcomes of the gaming activities, but also their in-game practices. Our data analysis is informed by microsociological perspectives (Goffman and Collins), which are used to map the group interaction rituals and social norms of the students’ gaming encounters. Based on the data analysis, we identify two analytical themes, which concern the students’ use of verbal and non-verbal communication practices as well as their socialisation processes. The findings suggest that co-op games may be used as a valuable educational tool for qualifying high school students’ collaboration skills as well as strengthening their group relations. The students especially valued playing The Mind, which they tried playing for multiple game rounds. Based on these findings, we discuss recommendations for the further use and study of co-op board games in educational settings.

Factors Influencing Employee Job Commitment in the Public Sector: A Case Study of Temeke Municipal Council, Tanzania

The study aims to assess the factors influencing employee Job commitment Case study Temeke Municipal Council, Tanzania. The main objective was to examine factors which influence employees Job commitment at work place in public sector Temeke Municipal. The specific objectives were to examine the relationship between communication practices within public sector, to examine various leadership styles within public sector organizations, to analyse the association between job satisfaction levels among public sector employees, to investigate the role of employee engagement initiatives in influencing job commitment within public sector organization. This research was guided by Social Exchange Theory and Agency Theory. The study adopted a descriptive research design and a quantitative approach. Data was collected structured questionnaires from a purposive sample of 50 and descriptively analyzed. The study found that both intrinsic and extrinsic factors significantly influence employee job commitment at Temeke Council. Key findings revealed that effective communication practices, transformational leadership styles, high job satisfaction, and robust employee engagement initiatives are positively correlated with increased job commitment. Employees who experienced clear and frequent communication, recognized and supportive leadership and opportunities for professional growth reported higher levels of engagement and loyalty to the organization. The study concludes that retaining and enhancing employee’s commitment relies on deliberate efforts of the management to improve job satisfaction, quality selection of leadership styles, communication practices as well as employee’s engagement. The study recommends the management of Temeke Municipal Council to invest in leadership development programs to enhance managers' skills in communication, conflict resolution, and team building. Effective leadership is crucial for fostering a supportive and motivating work environment.

Standardization of Detailed Format of Safety Data Sheet (SDS) of Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of the United Nations (UN)

This work was on the systematic standardization of SDS in the context of UN GHS. This research revolved around the problem of inconsistency in SDS formats and terminologies used worldwide, which may pose even bigger risks in terms of occupational health, environmental safety, industrial hygiene, regulatory compliance etc. Using the mixed-method, this paper assessed the current SDS practices, examined stakeholder perceptions, and proposed an all-inclusive parameter format that could be adapted to fit within established regulatory frameworks. Findings from the study indicated that a standardized SDS could improve clarity and usability, thus enabling better communication and safety practices across various industries.

Strengthening Business Collaborations in the Sidoarjo District MSME Community

Background: Effective communication is vital for group dynamics within communities, particularly in business networks. Specific Background: This study focuses on the communication practices of the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) community. Knowledge Gap: While prior research exists, the dynamics of information sharing in such informal settings have not been thoroughly examined. Aims: The research aimed to analyze communication dynamics within an MSME community and identify factors affecting interaction. Results: Findings indicate that informal interactions strengthen relationships and enhance partnership potential, yet information sharing remains limited, with only a few members actively disseminating business-related news. Novelty: This study emphasizes the significance of informal communication in building relationships while highlighting the need for improved information dissemination. Implications: Recommendations include fostering a more flexible communication environment to enhance collaboration and information exchange within MSME communities. Highlights : Informal Interactions: Foster strong relationships among community members. Limited Information Sharing: Only a few members actively disseminate relevant business news. Need for Flexibility: A more inclusive communication environment is essential for collaboration. Keywords: communication, MSMEs, information sharing, community dynamics, partnerships