Publication Date

5-1992

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Randall Capps, Kay Payne, Larry Winn

Degree Program

Department of Communication

Degree Type

Master of Arts

Abstract

This study consists of two surveys administered sixteen months apart in a large (1000 employee) Fortune 100 organization which was sold to a Japanese company during the period under study and underwent several other chaotic changes. The purpose of the study was to assess the perceived differences brought about by training and participation. Six factors that were assessed for differences were: productivity, communication, employee participation, work teams, management leadership, and mergers/acquisitions.

Results were compared from the two time periods across all six factors. Productivity and communication proved statistically significant at p(.05, while employee participation and work teams prove statistically significant at p<.10. Management leadership showed a slight difference but no statistical significance. Mergers/acquisitions showed no difference or statistical significance.

Pertinent responses from each factor are categorized to identify the important perceptions that contributed to significance. The items categorized specify areas that employees believe most important relative to the factor assessed.

The results of the study support training and participation as a means to improve organizational performance. Although this organization which had previously gone from authoritarian to participative management and moved again, the trends appear to support the value of training and participation. This study exposes some concrete factors that organizations can develop and measure to improve organizational performance.

Disciplines

Business | Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Communication | Human Resources Management | Organizational Communication | Social and Behavioral Sciences

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