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Journal Article 1: Choosing Media

Ruppel, C. P., Gong, B., & Tworoger, L. C. (2013). Using communication choices as a boundary-management strategy: How choices of communication media affect the work–life balance of teleworkers in a global virtual team. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 27, 436–471.

Abstract: This study examines how members of a global virtual team chose communication media while managing multiple boundaries. The study is unique in that it considers the perspectives of U.S. managers who teleworked from domestic workplaces and virtual team members located in offices in India. It describes the complex dynamics of the decision-making processes that team members used in attempting to allocate their individual resources in order to meet the demands of a high-performance organizational culture. The findings suggest that managers chose media that met task requirements and maintained the boundaries between their work and personal lives rather than media that would provide the most satisfactory experience.

Journal Article 2: Upward Communication and Distortion

Housel, T. J. (1977). The reduction of upward communication distortion. International Journal of Business Communication, 14, 49–65.

Abstract: This study was designed to investigate new ways of reducing upward communication distortion. The independent variables of channel of communication and anonymity were employed to determine their relative effects on satisfaction with upward communication and distortion of upward communication. The results indicated that subjects’ satisfaction with the channel varied as a function of the channel used; satisfaction with upward communication varied as a function of the channel used. Subjects’ perceptions of how openly they communicated varied as a function of the channel used.

Journal Article 3: Visual Aids and Job Performance

Madera, J. M., Dawson, M., Neal, J. A., & Busch, K. (2013). Breaking a communication barrier: The effect of visual aids in food preparation on job attitudes and performance. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 37, 262–280.

Abstract: Given the diverse workforce of the hospitality industry, language difficulties continue to create communication barriers for both employers and immigrant workers. As a result, these barriers have negative effects on job performance and organizational attitudes. In an effort to provide solutions, this article examines the effect of using pictures on job performance, task satisfaction, and job commitment when communication barriers exist in a food industry operation context. The results of this experimental study demonstrated that the performance of workers who used pictures when producing a dish was evaluated higher on dimensions of time, quality, and accuracy than that of workers who did not use pictures. Additionally, the participants who were given pictures reported higher task satisfaction and commitment than those who were only provided an abstract recipe.