Use Of Communication Strategy Research Articles

Effects of Communication Methods on Communication Patterns and Performance in a Remote Spatial Orientation Task

An experiment was conducted to examine the impact of communication methods (text-only, audio-only, and audio-plus-video) on communication patterns and effectiveness in a 2-person remote spatial orientation task. The task required a pair of participants to figure out the cardinal direction of a target object by communicating spatial information and perspectives. Results showed that overall effectiveness in the audio-only condition was better than the text-only and audio-plus-video conditions, and communication patterns were more predictive of errors than individual differences in spatial abilities. Discourse analysis showed that participants in the audio-plus-video condition performed less mental transformation of spatial information when communicating, which led to more interpretation errors by the listener. Participants in the text-only conditions performed less confirmation and made more errors by misreading their own display. Results suggested that speakers in the audio-plus-video condition minimized effort by communicating spatial information based on their own perspective but speakers in the audio-only and text-only conditions would more likely communicate transformed spatial information. Analysis of gestures in the audio-plus-video condition confirmed that iconic gestures tended to co-occur with spatial transformation. Iconic gesture rates were negatively correlated with transformation errors, indicating that iconic gestures more likely co-occurred with successful communication of spatial transformation. Results show that when visual interactive feedback is available, speakers tend to adopt egocentric spatial perspectives to minimize effort in mental transformation and rely on the feedback to ensure that the hearer correctly interprets the information. When visual interactive feedback is not available, speakers will put more effort in transforming spatial information to help the hearer to understand the information. The current result demonstrated that allowing two persons to see and communicate with each other during a remote spatial reasoning task can lead to more errors because of the use of a suboptimal communication strategy.

Implementation of an organization-wide standardized communication initiative

Background/objectivesLeadership at all levels of a large children's hospital embraced the implementation of a standardized communication process, including techniques of assertion, closed-loop communication, and a situation briefing model organization-wide.Implementation/methodsKey administrative and clinical leaders underwent training in the techniques of the ‘Clarity in Communication’ initiative. The initiative was piloted in targeted areas of the organization over 6 months. The final model for training staff and evaluation of the initiative occurred hospital-wide over an additional 18 months. Evaluation focused on the use of a standardized communication strategy across the organization, including direct observation and survey techniques.ResultsFrom October 2006 to January 2008, more than 6500 interdisciplinary staff received training. Four hundred and fifty-six observations of the standardized communication processes were recorded, with 68% of the observations occurring during patient rounds and handoffs. Sustained improvements in all 16 elements were observed across the organization. Survey responses revealed significant improvements in all domains, with the highest change perceived by staff in the authority gradient (P < 0.002).ConclusionsImplementation of a standardized communication strategy among interdisciplinary staff across an organization was found to be feasible, successful, and sustainable. Future work will focus on the impact of the initiative on patient outcomes.

The effect of explicit teaching of story structure on EFL learners’ use of communication strategy

This study examined the effect of explicit teaching of narrative macrostructures (narrative, descriptive, evaluative) on the use of communication strategies. Results indicated that the explicit instruction of narrative story structure (Labov, 1972; Polanyi, 1979, 1985) had no effect on the use of communication strategy and the type of communication strategy employed by learners. However, it helped learners to develop certain skills to meet the narrative demand of storytelling; specifically, it enriched learners’ stories regarding evaluative structure to make their stories worthy.

The Value of “Authenticity” in “Glocal” Strategic Communication: The New Juan Valdez Campaign

This case study describes the use of a glocal communication strategy to unveil a new Colombian coffee ambassador, Juan Valdez. The strategy is based on nation building and global branding, utilizing the influence of authenticity as a novel communication model. The purpose of the study is to underscore the dual-prong strategic communication campaign used to boost morale among Colombian coffee growers and solidify the coffee culture domestically, while simultaneously revitalizing Colombia's leading national brand externally in the global market. This study uses a case study methodology, including in-depth interview and text analysis. The examination of this unique phenomenon requires a multidisciplinary perspective: brand authenticity, nation building, country of origin effect, and global brand building. Authenticity is at the core, which appears to make the character as well as the glocal strategies effective. This case and its theoretical framework provide evidence of the interdependence of the domestic and global marketspace.

Evaluating the management styles of intergroup conflicts in the ivory towers: a comparative analysis of selected southwestern universities in Nigeria.

This study examined intergroup conflicts in selected universities in Southwestern Nigeria. This was with a view to evaluate management strategies adopted by university administration in resolving intergroup conflicts using ownership of institution as a critical variable in exploring these management styles.The study utilized primary and secondary data. Six universities consisting of two each of federal, state and private were purposively selected for the study, namely: Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Lagos State University, Ojoo, University of Ado-Ekiti,Ekiti, Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo and Covenant University, Ota. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for the analysis of quantitative data, while content analysis technique was used for the qualitative data. Regarding their use of intergroup conflict management style, there was no significant difference across universities in their use of structural strategy (F=0.25, P>0.05). There was however variation among them in their use of communication strategy (F=12.79, P IFE PsychologIA Vol. 15 (2) 2007: pp. 103-123

An empirical study of the relationship between cognitive style and the use of communication strategy

Researchers into the use of communication strategies by second language learners are increasingly interested in relating their taxonomies to psychological processes. This article describes a study which does this by relating different communication strategy preferences to the holistic/analytic cognitive style dimension. Holistic students were found to use more communication strategies that were based on comparison, and analytic students were found to use more strategies that involved focusing on individual features of the target item. The statistical significance of these findings suggests that individual differences in patterns of communication strategy usage can be attributed, at least in part, to cognitive style.

The Use of Communication Strategy by Japanese High School Students and Its Process

The Use of Communication Strategy by Japanese High School Students and Its Process