The Organizational Communication Climate and Utilization of Lines of Communication Within Purdue University Calumet
type: CreativeWork
description: Problem. The study explored the health of organizational communication at an urban regional commuter campus of a midwestern university through use of Communication Climate, System-Semantic, and Episodic Communication Channels in Organizations (ECCO) methodologies. This combination of methodologies formed an internal audit of communication processes at the University (Spring 1992). The effectiveness of communication within the University after a 20-year period of significant internal change was studied. Method. Climate methodology measured Trust, Participative Decision-Making, Supportiveness, Openness, Listening, and Performance Goals aspects and a Composite Climate through written surveys with Faculty, Clerical and Service staff, and Administrative/Professional groups. System-Semantics methodology utilized (1) phone interviews to identify channels of communication in use and establish predictor valences (Grapevine Profile), and (2) written surveys to measure affective associations (System-Semantics Profile) in regard to selected lines of communication. Student, Faculty, Clerical/Service, Administrative/Professional groups were included. ECCO methodology measured utilization of lines of communication along functional and scalar dimensions. Serial administration of three written surveys among the Administrative/Professional group relative to message receipt, accuracy, source, flow, medium, and locus were conducted. Results. Climate methodology revealed four significant differences among the Faculty and Clerical and Service staff groups (three aspects and the Composite). Supportiveness Climate was negatively evaluated, whereas Concern for High Performance Goals Climate was positively evaluated. System-Semantics methodology revealed 19 primary channels of communication with negative valences. Channels selected for further study had neutral affective associations. One bipolar adjectival pair was found to significantly differ in use between the Student andthe Clerical and…
abstract: Problem. The study explored the health of organizational communication at an urban regional commuter campus of a midwestern university through use of Communication Climate, System-Semantic, and Episodic Communication Channels in Organizations (ECCO) methodologies. This combination of methodologies formed an internal audit of communication processes at the University (Spring 1992). The effectiveness of communication within the University after a 20-year period of significant internal change was studied. Method. Climate methodology measured Trust, Participative Decision-Making, Supportiveness, Openness, Listening, and Performance Goals aspects and a Composite Climate through written surveys with Faculty, Clerical and Service staff, and Administrative/Professional groups. System-Semantics methodology utilized (1) phone interviews to identify channels of communication in use and establish predictor valences (Grapevine Profile), and (2) written surveys to measure affective associations (System-Semantics Profile) in regard to selected lines of communication. Student, Faculty, Clerical/Service, Administrative/Professional groups were included. ECCO methodology measured utilization of lines of communication along functional and scalar dimensions. Serial administration of three written surveys among the Administrative/Professional group relative to message receipt, accuracy, source, flow, medium, and locus were conducted. Results. Climate methodology revealed four significant differences among the Faculty and Clerical and Service staff groups (three aspects and the Composite). Supportiveness Climate was negatively evaluated, whereas Concern for High Performance Goals Climate was positively evaluated. System-Semantics methodology revealed 19 primary channels of communication with negative valences. Channels selected for further study had neutral affective associations. One bipolar adjectival pair was found to significantly differ in use between the Student andthe Clerical and…
author: Hack, Judith Lynn
keywords: Educational Administration and Supervision, Higher Education
date published: 1993-01-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T00:53:52Z
provider: Andrews University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Andrews University