Date of Award

12-1983

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Norman M. Peterson

Second Advisor

Dr. Dale M. Brethower

Third Advisor

Dr. John E. Nangle

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

A newsletter, based on the results of two tailor-made self-report questionnaires, was implemented in a vegetable by-product manufacturing company with 83 employees. Need for improvement was detected in the formal communication of organizational policies, projects, goals and events for downward and upward communication relative to performance feedback, non-monetary performance incentives, and response to job-related and personal requests. The newsletter was aimed at facilitating the supply of verbal incentives, performance feedback, formal and informal organizational information and participation in different areas. Prompting procedures were designed to encourage employees' participation in the newsletter. Newsletter impact was analyzed in terms of pre- and post-measurement of perception of organizational communication factors, and in terms of the quantity and characteristics of the input submitted. For the eight initial newsletter issues, the input decreased. More participation came from clerical and administrative personnel. Downward messages and anoymous input were more frequent. The target topics were, in descending order of frequency: non job-related information, praise of performance, suggestions, comments, complaints and announcements of organizational events. Perception of most of the evaluated organizational communication factors changed significantly but in a negative direction.

Download

Share

COinS