Constructing Specialized Knowledge Through Activity Coordination During Organizational Change

Prior research has established that sharing knowledge across interrelated organizational systems is challenging and complex.  This is especially the case when organizational change initiatives require changes in how those systems relate to each other.  This project was an investigation of knowledge processes between interrelated activity systems in a large facilities management organization as a change initiative was implemented.  Interviews with 27 employees representing nine organizational activity systems were the primary source of data, with field notes used to enrich interpretations in this qualitative study.  Results were interpreted using constructs from structurating activity theory.  Participants communicatively constructed cultures of exclusivity in their activity systems, creating boundaries that made knowledge sharing and activity coordination difficult.  The change initiative was aimed at creating a culture of inclusivity, which was undermined by perceptions that the management activity system engaged in more exclusivity-creating practices than other activity systems.  Several contradictions were explicated pertaining to inclusivity and exclusivity.  Tensions persist in how systems coordinate around and with conflicting objectives and activities.  Conclusions offer theoretical contributions of the analysis and suggestions for using results to improve organizational practices

The Policy Communication Index: a theoretically-based measure of organizational policy communication practices

Despite recent scholarly contributions regarding policy communication, much remains to be known about policy communication processes. This article reports two studies that resulted in a survey instrument that measures policy communication in organizations. Study One included 197 full-time employees across occupations and industries. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in five factors of the Policy Communication Index: Meeting Discussions, Human Resources Communication, Coworker Interactions, Supervisor/Coworker Written Instructions, and Personal Expressions. Study Two included 245 full-time employees across job functions and industries. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a five-factor Policy Communication Index. Results are interpreted with structurating activity theory and implications are posed for future organizational communication research and practice

Constructing Specialized Knowledge Through Activity Coordination During Organizational Change

Prior research has established that sharing knowledge across interrelated organizational systems is challenging and complex.  This is especially the case when organizational change initiatives require changes in how those systems relate to each other.  This project was an investigation of knowledge processes between interrelated activity systems in a large facilities management organization as a change initiative was implemented.  Interviews with 27 employees representing nine organizational activity systems were the primary source of data, with field notes used to enrich interpretations in this qualitative study.  Results were interpreted using constructs from structurating activity theory.  Participants communicatively constructed cultures of exclusivity in their activity systems, creating boundaries that made knowledge sharing and activity coordination difficult.  The change initiative was aimed at creating a culture of inclusivity, which was undermined by perceptions that the management activity system engaged in more exclusivity-creating practices than other activity systems.  Several contradictions were explicated pertaining to inclusivity and exclusivity.  Tensions persist in how systems coordinate around and with conflicting objectives and activities.  Conclusions offer theoretical contributions of the analysis and suggestions for using results to improve organizational practices

Cultivating social justice and anti-racism across the curriculum: A school of communication case study

The curriculum review and transformation project reported in this paper represents an intentional and collaborative effort of faculty and administrators in one academic department to implement meaningful changes in undergraduate curricula. Supported by two internal grants from the university, this three-year project included all faculty and administrators of the department. A systematic comparison was conducted between course syllabi content before and after the curriculum content intervention. Results identify changes in syllabi, course learning objectives, units/topics covered, and readings/course materials. Discussion provides implications for curriculum revision and suggestions for best practices to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion across curricula.</p

Family Sense-Making After a Down Syndrome Diagnosis

The script of parenting shifts when parents learn of their child's Down syndrome diagnosis. To build a theory of the diagnostic experience and early family sense-making process, we interviewed 33 parents and nine grandparents living in the United States who learned prenatally or neonatally of their child's diagnosis. The core category of rescuing hope for the future encompassed the social process of sense-making over time as parents managed their sorrow, shock, and grief and amassed meaningful messages that anchored them as they looked toward the future. Application of the theory to practice underscores the import of early professional support offered to parents at key points in the sense-making process: Early as they disclose the news of the diagnosis to family and friends, and later close friends and kin assimilate meaningful messages about what the diagnosis means as they recalibrate expectations for a hopeful future