37
[1] Comm 364 Section 1 The Rotunda Audit Report Team Kilimanjaro “Striving for the peak of success” Hillary Bourke Sarah Bennett Elena Dixon Samuel Leech
[1]
Comm 364 Section 1
The Rotunda Audit Report
Team Kilimanjaro
“Striving for the peak of success”
Hillary Bourke
Sarah Bennett
Elena Dixon
Samuel Leech
[2]
Table of Contents
Kilimanjaro Mission Statement 3
Introduction 6
Purpose 7
Authorization 7
Scope 7
Research Methods 7
Observations 7
Surveys 7
Interviews 8
Limitations 8
Organizational Strengths 8
Areas of Improvement 12
Ideas for Growth 16
Summary 17
Appendix A
The Rotunda’s Interview Questions 18
Appendix B
The Rotunda’s Survey 20
Works Citied 37
[3]
Mission Statement:
We are a group of unique individuals and dedicated
students motivated to assist our client in fulfilling its
ultimate potential. The organization’s communication will
reach its full potential by receiving open, honest, and
respectful services. We strive to be confidential,
dependable, committed, and sophisticated.
[4]
The Purpose
This report has been created to assist The Rotunda identify their strengths and areas of
improvements. Various members of The Rotunda were observed, interviewed, and
surveyed to find their strengths and areas of improvement. Through these assorted ways
of looking at The Rotunda, Team Kilimanjaro has recommendations that would help The
Rotunda reach their full potential through communication.
Organization Strengths
After looking through all of our observations, interviews, and surveys, Team Kilimanjaro
found many strengths that The Rotunda possesses. These areas of strength include the
editors’ and advisors’ openness to new ideas, and how efficient and informative the
weekly meetings are.
After looking at the observations and interviews many respondents explained how open
top editors and advisors are to new, innovative ideas for the paper. Many people
concentrated on Gabby when they talked about new ideas and who they represent them
to. One respondent explained that she was also very outgoing, always had good ideas,
and never downs any new ideas. When looking at the survey, staff responded that they
trusted their supervisors. This is good, because this means that they trust their advisors
enough to be open with their ideas.
The second strength that stood out during our process is how productive The Rotunda’s
weekly meetings on Thursday nights are. Through observations Team Kilimanjaro
noticed that The Rotunda’s weekly meetings are very efficient because it gives the editors
and the rest of the staff an opportunity to communicate, when they usually aren’t able to
throughout the week. This also is a prime opportunity for the advisors to be able to have
face to face communication with the entire staff if they want to, and vice versa. In
interviews staff said that the information in the meetings are descriptive and informative,
and gives everyone an opportunity to know what is happening. Finally, in surveys,
participants stated that they preferred face-to-face interactions the most; the meetings that
The Rotunda holds on Thursday nights is completely face-to-face, giving the staff the
communication satisfaction they desire.
Organization Areas for Improvement
After looking throughout the observations, interviews, and surveys performed on The
Rotunda has a small number of areas of improvement help make their organization run
more efficiently, and help their communication throughout The Rotunda. The two areas
that could be improved that occurred the most are repercussions for turning in stories late,
and the need for The Rotunda’s office to be more professional of an atmosphere.
The first area of improvement that The Rotunda made clear was the lack of repercussions
if a story was turned in late. When stories are turned in late, which in turn, makes the rest
of the paper urn late? If all stories are turned in on time, then the staff can go home at a
reasonable hour; however, if not, the staff has been known to stay there until 2 am on
Wednesday morning. When observing The Rotunda’s Tuesday nights, which is when the
paper is put together, we noticed a lot of rushing and stress over stories being past due. A
[5]
lot of the staff believes there should be repercussion; however, they don’t know what to
do. Making sure that they have deadlines and meet them, effects their productivity by
providing them with due dates. If they have repercussions, then they will see the effects,
whatever the repercussions would be, of not turning in their stories on time. By having
repercussions, this helps encourage the staff to turn in their work, therefore become more
productive.
Recommendations
Team Kilimanjaro have several recommendations for The Rotunda to help improve their
communication and effectiveness throughout the organization; these recommendations
include having a bulletin board in the office, have a suggestion box in the office, have a
blog and Twitter site for The Rotunda, and finally have a retreat for the entire staff to
attend.
The first and second recommendations go together. The Rotunda should consider making
a bulletin board to hang in their office. This bulletin board would hold weekly
announcements, a copy of any emails that were sent out that week, and finally a list of all
the rules and expectations of office etiquette. This would provide a constant flow of
communication when face to face communication isn’t available. By providing the rules
and regulations of being in the office, this would help people realize that the office is for
being productive and working on the paper, not for socializing. This bulletin would also
have deadlines clearly posted so people couldn’t say they didn’t know when stories were
due. The last piece of this bulletin board would be a suggestion box. This way, the
bulletin board would not only be downward communication, but it would allow upward
communication as well. The lower level staff, meaning the assistant editors and writers,
would be able to provide suggestions and concerns anonymously to the top editors. By
doing this, communication will be more open, and clarified.
The next suggestion is for The Rotunda to have a blog and Twitter site. These would
allow for The Rotunda to keep people on campus more informed with what is going on
campus. This would also allow for more up to date stories to reach campus. Every tweet
could have a hyper-link that could have a short, quick to the point story that explained
what happened; then in the paper, there could be a more in-depth story. This way The
Rotunda keeps their readers up to date as much as possible, and this way, they could also
intrigue readers on what the paper was going to be about this week.
Finally, the last recommendation Team Kilimanjaro advises that The Rotunda have a
once a year retreat, in which the entire staff gets together and has a bonding activity
outside the office. The goal of this activity would be to make the entire staff more united
and so this would hopefully make more people comfortable with each other and in the
end, hopefully make people want to communicate more openly with each other.
[6]
Introduction
[7]
Purpose
Team Kilimanjaro has been investigating and assessing Longwood University’s student
run newspaper, The Rotunda, through a communication audit throughout the fall
semester of 2012. This communication audit and this final report have been produced in
order to evaluate their communication, what practices they’re performing well and which
practices they could improve on.
Authorization
We had authorization that The Rotunda would be participating in a communication on,
produced by Team Kilimanjaro in Fall 2012, on September 18th
, 2012. On September
18th
, Team Kilimanjaro met with Gabrielle Pedro, the Editor-in-Chief, in The Rotunda
office at 3:30 pm. Throughout the semester, Team Kilimanjaro and The Rotunda worked
together and the final report will be presented on Thursday, December 6th
at 1:30 pm.
Scope
The main focus that Team Kilimanjaro concentrated on when auditing The Rotunda was
communication. To further focus in on this, team Kilimanjaro decided to concentrate
communication functions and communication relationships. Team Kilimanjaro decided to
concentrate on these two areas because they seemed most relevant to The Rotunda after
observing them.
Research Methods
While producing The Rotunda’s final audit report, Team Kilimanjaro evaluated our
client through observing, interviewing, and surveying them (in that order). After
authorizing our audit, Team Kilimanjaro started by observing The Rotunda during
the collaboration of the paper, on a Tuesday afternoon. We observed them at two
different points of the afternoon. Lastly, we observed The Rotunda on their Thursday
night meeting at 8 pm. Next we interviewed various members of The Rotunda. The
interviews provided Team Kilimanjaro with more details than we would have been able
to get from simply observing and surveying; it provided us with opinions and experiences
within The Rotunda. Finally, we surveyed the organization, in which all members were
able to participate in.
Observations
The two weeks following the authorization of the audit Team Kilimanjaro started
observing The Rotunda and their daily activities. During the time of observations, three
were executed. Two of the observations happened on a Tuesday afternoon while The
Rotunda was putting together the weekly paper. Finally, the last observation happened
on a Thursday at 8 pm for The Rotunda’s weekly staff meeting. During this meeting, the
editors get together and explain potential stories for the paper; it is the main face-to-face
encounters lower staff members experience from upper level staff members.
Interviews
Detailed interviews were held after observations to gain more details and opinions from
various staff members in The Rotunda. This survey was created by Team Kilimanjaro’s
[8]
Interview Coordinator. During the interviews, two members of Team Kilimanjaro
attended each interview; one member to ask the questions and one member to record
anything the interviewee would say or do while answering the questions.
Surveys
The last step of the evaluation stage of The Rotunda’s communication audit was the
survey portion. The survey was created by Team Kilimanjaro’s Survey Coordinator, and
was distributed through surveymonkey.com. The link of the survey was sent to the editor-
in-chief, and this was forwarded to the staff of The Rotunda. The entire staff received the
same survey, and all together, we had 14 participants. Many of the questions were related
to the organization’s communication functions and relationships.
Limitations
Throughout the entire communication audit, Team Kilimanjaro faced numerous
limitations. The first problem that we faced was getting people to be available to
interview. Because the staff is very busy it was hard to get as many staff members
together to interview as we wanted. Because of this we were only able to interview five
people. Another limitation that we had was controlling whether the staff members took
the survey. The staff of The Rotunda consists of about twenty five people, including all
of the writers, and we only had fourteen respondents. Finally, the length of the survey
itself was very long and Team Kilimanjaro
Organizational Strengths
Communication Relationships- Superior/Subordinate: Most important communication link in
the workplace, the relationship is analyzed through trust, message exchange, and communication
style. (Downs & Adrian, 2004).
This relationship concentrates on upper level management and the people that are staffed
below that. This communication is key to an organization running smoothly. This relationship
uses both upward and downward communication; meaning communication from lower level to
upper level staff to upper level to lower level staff on The Rotunda.
During observations, interviews, and surveys, staff members seemed to have positive and
productive relationships and communication with their supervisor. There were a lot of positive
comments about their openness to new ideas and staffs’ opinions of their supervisors. See Figure
One.
[9]
Figure One- Communication Relationships
When looking at the superior/subordinate relationship within the Rotunda, we found that
they have a successful system of communication happening. According to Fix and Sias’, (2006),
article in the Communication Research Reports “….supervisor’s person-centeredness is
interaction contributes to higher-quality leader-member relationships.” (p. 41). More
specifically, we found through our observations, interviews, and surveys that the editors of The
Rotunda are very open to communicating with the other members or the organization.
[10]
Communication Functions- Integration:
Concentrates on keeping everyone involved and in the loop. By keeping everyone ‘in the
know’, people are more satisfied with their work environment because they are aware of their
surroundings and feel more involved. (Downs & Adrain, 2004).
We found that The Rotunda’s weekly Thursday night meetings are successful because
they keep everyone involved and informed on what is going on in The Rotunda and what the
staff should expect.
From attending meetings we found that they were very informative because they have all
the editors talk to the staff and answer any questions or concerns writers or assistant editors may
have. They also have an advisor attend to give any help possible. These meetings are very
efficient because they always at the same time in the same place and have the same schedule.
From interviews, staff said that meetings were always filled with useful information for
all members for the staff. This is the time that all levels of staff have an opportunity to get
together and communicate in the same setting. They also stated that most of the communication
within The Rotunda happens at the meetings and collaboration happens.
During the meetings, this is the prime time during the week, for members to receive face-
to-face communication, which according to our interviews and surveys, are the most important
and favorite way of communicating. See figure two.
[11]
Figure Two: Rate of Amount of Information You Receive Now
Upon looking at the various pieces of data we have about the weekly meetings the
Rotunda has on Thursday nights, this is a prime opportunity for communication exchange
between the entire staff. According to Downs and Adrian (2004), integrative communication can,
“build links so that members know what is going on, identify with the organization, articulate its
values, participate willingly in it processes, and feel pride in working there.” (p. 61) By having
their weekly Thursday night meetings and having the entire staff attend, the Rotunda is including
everyone in what is going on in the Rotunda and this helps everyone have a sense of belonging
and meaning in the organization. This also allows the lower level staff the perfect opportunity to
give their opinions and talk to staff because everyone is there.
[12]
Areas of Improvement
Communication Functions-Motivation: Focuses on top management keeping their employees
inspired and stimulate their subordinates by daily conversation, speeches, and positive
evaluations at work. By being more motivated, people are more likely to be productive. An
example of communication used to motivate others could include a poster that has all of the rules
and expectations of the staff.
One problem the Rotunda faces is that stories are being turned past due date, which in
turn, makes the rest of the paper run late. The paper itself is put together on Tuesday night of
every week; every story has a certain time that it is turned in. If all stories are turned in on time,
then the staff can go home at a reasonable hour; however, if not, the staff has been known to stay
there until 2 am on Wednesday morning. Top management believes there should be
repercussions; however, they don’t know what to do.
During interviews, members of The Rotunda stated things such as many stories don’t get
turned in on time, and that expectations aren’t clear.
This graph represents how the productivity has declined for certain members. Because
this productivity has declined repercussions should be implemented to insure all work is
satisfactory and submitted within the approved time line. See Figure Three
[13]
Figure Three: In the last months, what has happened to your productivity?
After looking at the staffs’ opinion of repercussions through observing, interviewing, and
surveying, it is an overall belief that some king of system needs to be put into place to help the
Rotunda work more efficiently. According to Meiners and Vernon (2004), “Clearly, managers
who entertain informal suggestions but then fail to commit to discuss details in more official
settings might only frustrate subordinates and compound their dissatisfaction with their work
roles.” (p. 315). Through this quote it is important to emphasize how crucial it is to explain
deadlines. Inconsistently affects the productivity of the workplace; with this being said,
repercussions are crucial to create.
[14]
Communication Functions- Task/Work Function: This function concentrates on getting work
done. It involves informing, instructing, commanding, problem solving, and goal setting. “Most
of these ways represent some form of downward communication, but many of them will also
require important feedback to be reported upward.” (Downs & Adrian, 2006, p. 60)
While observing in their office on a Tuesday (the day the paper is put together) there was
a lot of socializing, and conversation unrelated to the Rotunda’s work task. This then in turn
distracted other staff members in the office trying to be productive.
During interviews, staff members stated how the office isn’t productive and people get
easily distracted there. A lot of conversations happen.
This graph exemplifies the need for a more efficient work environment. The lack of
information on bulletin boards shows the need for a more professional work environment
through utilizing posted messages and organizational expectations. Bulletin Boards would help
organize announcements in a central place where members will be reminded of important dates
and information. See Figure Four
[15]
Figure Four: Rate the amount of information you receive now
While observing, interviewing, and surveying the staff of the Rotunda one popular
occurrence in responses was that the office wasn’t as productive as it should be. This in turn
makes staff members who are working in the office stray from their task and become less
productive.
[16]
Recommendations for Continued Growth
Bulletin Board:
The Rotunda office have a bulletin board hung somewhere where it is obvious and the
staff can clearly read what is on it
Have weekly emails and announcements attached to the board, so it’s another copy of
what the staff should know.
Create “Office Etiquette” and hang it on the board, so staff knows what acceptable
behavior in the office is and what isn’t. (Make sure to back up this etiquette and ask
members to leave if they ignore rules)
Have each announcement on bright paper so that each will stand out to staff members
Suggestion Box:
Have a box connected to the bulletin board
Make it big and bright to stand out
Have editors at weekly meetings encourage staff members to give their opinions and
suggestions
Have pen and paper available for staff to make suggestions, the easier the better
Twitter Account:
Have Rotunda Twitter account for people to follow
Have a designated staff member who is in charge of tweeting about various things
happening on campus
This keeps campus up to date as much as possible with what is going on campus.
Have a short story available within 24 hours with what was tweeted
Expand on the stories that have been tweeted about on the weekly paper
o This intrigues readers to get a paper because they’ll want to know details about
stories
[17]
Summary
Overall, Team Kilimanjaro found that The Rotunda has strengths and opportunities,
along with areas for improvement. Through the survey and various interviews conducted, we
have found that this organization has strengths within its top management and also through the
effectiveness of meetings. The areas of improvement within this organization involve a lack of
repercussions for turning in stories late, and also a shortage of professionalism within the office
space.
Our key findings from the interviews and survey conducted found that the top
management is very open and willing to hear new ideas from other members in the organization.
The upward and downward communication utilized has allowed for this organization to function
more efficiently and effectively, and also in bringing everyone’s ideas into the group. The
openness through efficient communication allows for each member of The Rotunda to feel as if
they are a contributing and active member.
As with any active organization, The Rotunda has areas that it could improve upon. As
noted previously, The Rotunda can further improve in the areas of creating a more professional
work space so that work can be done efficiently and on time. Developing a work atmosphere
that displays the foundations on which the organization is based on, will allow for all members to
get work done in an efficient manner. Also, this organization can make positive changes in
addressing repercussions for stories that are turned in late. The need for having all materials to
put the newspaper together is crucial, so it is important that all work is submitted on its due date.
In order to make sure that this happens, consequences could be set in place. These are both
challenges that The Rotunda can approach to advance their organization in a positive direction.
The Rotunda has proven to be an organization that works as a team and accomplishes
tasks to better Longwood University’s school newspaper. Though they have areas that could use
some improvement, they also have shown areas in which they have flourished as a student-based
organization. Ultimately they have demonstrated
[18]
Appendix A
The Kilimanjaro Team Interview Guide
Introductions
- Explain what a communication audit is
- Assure confidentiality
o No one will ever see notes except for our group members
o We won’t tell anyone in the organization what you said
o Won’t put anything obvious in report to where people could tell who said what
o Nothing will be talked about outside of our interview and group meetings
- Explain how interviewee was selected
- Preview statement
o Main topics
o How long the interview will last
Getting to Know You
1. Identify and name position of the interviewee.
2. What’s your position in the organization? Describe your responsibilities in that position.
3. How long have you been a part of the organization?
4. Have you held any other positions?
5. What helps you become most productive on the job? Please give an example.
6. What’s your biggest distraction when working? Please give an example.
Functions
1. What are major communication strengths of within the organization? Please be specific.
2. What are the major communication weaknesses of the organization? Please be specific.
3. When conflict occurs, how is it resolved? What normally causes conflict here? Please
give examples.
4. How often do you receive information of little value? Example?
a. How often are you overloaded with information?
[19]
b. How often do you feel you get too little information?
5. How does communication here affect your productivity? Is this typical for others?
Relationships
1. Please describe the communication relationship you have with:
a. Your immediate supervisor
b. Top management
c. Coworkers
d. Subordinates, if applicable
2. How would you evaluate your manager in terms of:
a. Openness to new ideas
b. Willingness to share information
c. Ability to clarify expectations
d. Ability to coordinate work in the unit
3. How do most people react to their editors?
4. How would you evaluate the communication from top management?
a. How would you describe the general communication climate here?
5. Describe the chain of command in this organization and how it operates.
Closing
1. Is there anything that I have left out that I should have included?
[20]
Appendix B
Team Kilimanjaro’s Survey
1. Communication Relationships
Little Very Little Some Great Very Great
I trust other
members
working on The
Rotunda
*Communicatio
n Relationships I
trust other
members
working on The
Rotunda Little
I trust other
members
working on The
Rotunda Very
Little
I trust other
members
working on The
Rotunda Some
I trust other
members
working on The
Rotunda Great
I trust other
members
working on The
Rotunda Very
Great
My staff get
along with each
other
My staff get
along with each
other Little
My staff get
along with each
other Very Little
My staff get
along with each
other Some
My staff get
along with each
other Great
My staff get
along with each
other Very Great
My relationship
with my staff is
satisfying
My
relationship with
my staff is
satisfying Little
My
relationship with
my staff is
satisfying Very
Little
My
relationship with
my staff is
satisfying Some
My
relationship with
my staff is
satisfying Great
My
relationship with
my staff is
satisfying Very
Great
I trust "my"
immediate
supervisor(edito
r, advisor)
I trust "my"
immediate
supervisor(edito
r, advisor) Little
I trust "my"
immediate
supervisor(edito
r, advisor) Very
Little
I trust "my"
immediate
supervisor(edito
r, advisor) Some
I trust "my"
immediate
supervisor(edito
r, advisor) Great
I trust "my"
immediate
supervisor(edito
r, advisor) Very
Great
My immediate
supervisor is
honest with me
My
immediate
supervisor is
honest with me
Little
My
immediate
supervisor is
honest with me
Very Little
My
immediate
supervisor is
honest with me
Some
My
immediate
supervisor is
honest with me
Great
My
immediate
supervisor is
honest with me
Very Great
[21]
Little Very Little Some Great Very Great
My immediate
supervisor
listens to me
My
immediate
supervisor
listens to me
Little
My
immediate
supervisor
listens to me
Very Little
My
immediate
supervisor
listens to me
Some
My
immediate
supervisor
listens to me
Great
My
immediate
supervisor
listens to me
Very Great
I am free to
disagree with
my immediate
supervisor
I am free to
disagree with
my immediate
supervisor Little
I am free to
disagree with
my immediate
supervisor Very
Little
I am free to
disagree with
my immediate
supervisor Some
I am free to
disagree with
my immediate
supervisor Great
I am free to
disagree with
my immediate
supervisor Very
Great
I can tell my
immediate
supervisor when
things are going
wrong
I can tell my
immediate
supervisor when
things are going
wrong Little
I can tell my
immediate
supervisor when
things are going
wrong Very
Little
I can tell my
immediate
supervisor when
things are going
wrong Some
I can tell my
immediate
supervisor when
things are going
wrong Great
I can tell my
immediate
supervisor when
things are going
wrong Very
Great
My immediate
supervisor
praises me for a
good job
My
immediate
supervisor
praises me for a
good job Little
My
immediate
supervisor
praises me for a
good job Very
Little
My
immediate
supervisor
praises me for a
good job Some
My
immediate
supervisor
praises me for a
good job Great
My
immediate
supervisor
praises me for a
good job Very
Great
My immediate
supervisor is
friendly with
subordinates
My
immediate
supervisor is
friendly with
subordinates
Little
My
immediate
supervisor is
friendly with
subordinates
Very Little
My
immediate
supervisor is
friendly with
subordinates
Some
My
immediate
supervisor is
friendly with
subordinates
Great
My
immediate
supervisor is
friendly with
subordinates
Very Great
My immediate
supervisor My
immediate
My
immediate
My
immediate
My
immediate
My
immediate
[22]
Little Very Little Some Great Very Great
understands my
job needs
supervisor
understands my
job needs Little
supervisor
understands my
job needs Very
Little
supervisor
understands my
job needs Some
supervisor
understands my
job needs Great
supervisor
understands my
job needs Very
Great
My relationship
with my
immediate
supervisor is
satisfying
My
relationship with
my immediate
supervisor is
satisfying Little
My
relationship with
my immediate
supervisor is
satisfying Very
Little
My
relationship with
my immediate
supervisor is
satisfying Some
My
relationship with
my immediate
supervisor is
satisfying Great
My
relationship with
my immediate
supervisor is
satisfying Very
Great
I trust the editor
and coeditor
I trust the
editor and
coeditor Little
I trust the
editor and
coeditor Very
Little
I trust the
editor and
coeditor Some
I trust the
editor and
coeditor Great
I trust the
editor and
coeditor Very
Great
Editor and
coeditor are
sincere in efforts
to communicate
with employees
Editor and
coeditor are
sincere in efforts
to communicate
with employees
Little
Editor and
coeditor are
sincere in efforts
to communicate
with employees
Very Little
Editor and
coeditor are
sincere in efforts
to communicate
with employees
Some
Editor and
coeditor are
sincere in efforts
to communicate
with employees
Great
Editor and
coeditor are
sincere in efforts
to communicate
with employees
Very Great
My relationship
with top staff is
satisfying
My
relationship with
top staff is
satisfying Little
My
relationship with
top staff is
satisfying Very
Little
My
relationship with
top staff is
satisfying Some
My
relationship with
top staff is
satisfying Great
My
relationship with
top staff is
satisfying Very
Great
The Rotunda
encourages
differences of
opinion
The
Rotunda
encourages
differences of
opinion Little
The
Rotunda
encourages
differences of
opinion Very
The
Rotunda
encourages
differences of
opinion Some
The
Rotunda
encourages
differences of
opinion Great
The
Rotunda
encourages
differences of
opinion Very
[23]
Little Very Little Some Great Very Great
Little Great
I have a say in
decisions that
affect my
position
I have a say
in decisions that
affect my
position Little
I have a say
in decisions that
affect my
position Very
Little
I have a say
in decisions that
affect my
position Some
I have a say
in decisions that
affect my
position Great
I have a say
in decisions that
affect my
position Very
Great
I influence
operations at
the Rotunda
I influence
operations at
the Rotunda
Little
I influence
operations at
the Rotunda
Very Little
I influence
operations at
the Rotunda
Some
I influence
operations at
the Rotunda
Great
I influence
operations at
the Rotunda
Very Great
I have a part in
accomplishing
the Rotunda's
goals
I have a
part in
accomplishing
the Rotunda's
goals Little
I have a
part in
accomplishing
the Rotunda's
goals Very Little
I have a
part in
accomplishing
the Rotunda's
goals Some
I have a
part in
accomplishing
the Rotunda's
goals Great
I have a
part in
accomplishing
the Rotunda's
goals Very Great
Comments
[24]
2. Rate the amount of information YOU RECEIVE now
None
1 Very Unsatisfied
2 3 4 5 Very
Satisfied
Face to Face
*Rate the amount
of information
YOU RECEIVE now Face to Face None
Face to Face 1 Very Unsatisfied
Face to Face 2
Face to Face 3
Face to Face 4
Face to Face 5 Very
Satisfied
Telephone Telephone None
Telephone 1 Very
Unsatisfied
Telephone 2
Telephone 3
Telephone 4
Telephone 5 Very
Satisfied
Written Memos, Letters, and Notices
Written Memos,
Letters, and Notices None
Written Memos,
Letters, and Notices 1
Very Unsatisfied
Written Memos,
Letters, and Notices 2
Written Memos,
Letters, and Notices 3
Written Memos,
Letters, and Notices 4
Written Memos,
Letters, and Notices 5
Very Satisfied
Bulletin Boards
Bulletin Boards None
Bulletin Boards 1
Very Unsatisfied
Bulletin Boards 2
Bulletin Boards 3
Bulletin Boards 4
Bulletin Boards 5
Very Satisfied
Meeting Minutes
Meeting Minutes
None
Meeting Minutes 1
Very Unsatisfied
Meeting Minutes 2
Meeting Minutes 3
Meeting Minutes 4
Meeting Minutes 5
Very Satisfied
Meetings with Supervisors and Employees
Meetings with
Supervisors and
Employees
Meetings with
Supervisors and
Employees
Meetings with
Supervisors and
Employees
Meetings with
Supervisors and
Employees
Meetings with
Supervisors and
Employees
Meetings with
Supervisors and
Employees
[25]
None
1 Very Unsatisfied
2 3 4 5 Very
Satisfied
None 1 Very Unsatisfied
2 3 4 5 Very Satisfied
Comments
[26]
3. Rate the amount of information NEEDED TO RECEIVE
None
1 Very Unsatisfied
2 3 4 5 Very
Satisfied
Face to Face
*Rate the amount
of information NEEDED
TO RECEIVE Face to
Face None
Face to Face 1 Very Unsatisfied
Face to Face 2
Face to Face 3
Face to Face 4
Face to Face 5 Very
Satisfied
Telephone Telephone None
Telephone 1 Very
Unsatisfied
Telephone 2
Telephone 3
Telephone 4
Telephone 5 Very
Satisfied
Written Memos, Letters, and Notices
Written Memos,
Letters, and Notices None
Written Memos,
Letters, and Notices 1
Very Unsatisfied
Written Memos,
Letters, and Notices 2
Written Memos,
Letters, and Notices 3
Written Memos,
Letters, and Notices 4
Written Memos,
Letters, and Notices 5
Very Satisfied
Bulletin Boards
Bulletin Boards None
Bulletin Boards 1
Very Unsatisfied
Bulletin Boards 2
Bulletin Boards 3
Bulletin Boards 4
Bulletin Boards 5
Very Satisfied
Meeting Minutes
Meeting Minutes
None
Meeting Minutes 1
Very Unsatisfied
Meeting Minutes 2
Meeting Minutes 3
Meeting Minutes 4
Meeting Minutes 5
Very Satisfied
Meetings with Supervisors and Employees
Meetings with
Supervisors and
Employees
Meetings with
Supervisors and
Employees
Meetings with
Supervisors and
Employees
Meetings with
Supervisors and
Employees
Meetings with
Supervisors and
Employees
Meetings with
Supervisors and
Employees
[27]
None
1 Very Unsatisfied
2 3 4 5 Very
Satisfied
None 1 Very Unsatisfied
2 3 4 5 Very Satisfied
Comments
4. How satisfied are you with your position?
Very Dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Somewhat Dissatisfied
Indifferent
Somewhat Satisfied
Satisfied
Very Satisfied
5. In the past months, what has happened to your level of satisfication?
Stayed the Same
Gone Up
Gone Down
6. If the communication associated with your job could be changed in
any way to make you more satisfied, please indicate how.
[28]
7. Listed below are several kinds of information often associated with a person's job. Please indicate
how satisfied you are with the amount and/or quality of each kind of information by answering
appropriatly below.
NA
Very
Dissatisfied Dissatisfied
Somewhat
Dissatisfied Indifferent
Somewhat
Satisfied
Very
Satisfied
Information
about my
progress in
my position
*Listed
below are
several
kinds of
information
often
associated
with a
person's
job. Please
indicate
how
satisfied you
are with the
amount
and/or
quality of
each kind of
information
by
answering
appropriatly
below.
Information
about my
progress in
my position
NA
Information
about my
progress in
my position
Very
Dissatisfied
Information
about my
progress in
my position
Dissatisfied
Information
about my
progress in
my position
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Information
about my
progress in
my position
Indifferent
Information
about my
progress in
my position
Somewhat
Satisfied
Information
about my
progress in
my position
Very
Satisfied
Members
sharing
personal
information
Members
sharing
personal
information
Members
sharing
personal
information
Members
sharing
personal
information
Members
sharing
personal
information
Members
sharing
personal
information
Members
sharing
personal
information
Members
sharing
personal
information
[29]
NA
Very
Dissatisfied Dissatisfied
Somewhat
Dissatisfied Indifferent
Somewhat
Satisfied
Very
Satisfied
NA Very
Dissatisfied
Dissatisfied Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Indifferent Somewhat
Satisfied
Very
Satisfied
Information
about
company
policies and
goals
Information
about
company
policies and
goals NA
Information
about
company
policies and
goals Very
Dissatisfied
Information
about
company
policies and
goals
Dissatisfied
Information
about
company
policies and
goals
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Information
about
company
policies and
goals
Indifferent
Information
about
company
policies and
goals
Somewhat
Satisfied
Information
about
company
policies and
goals Very
Satisfied
Information
about how
my position
compares
with others
Information
about how
my position
compares
with others
NA
Information
about how
my position
compares
with others
Very
Dissatisfied
Information
about how
my position
compares
with others
Dissatisfied
Information
about how
my position
compares
with others
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Information
about how
my position
compares
with others
Indifferent
Information
about how
my position
compares
with others
Somewhat
Satisfied
Information
about how
my position
compares
with others
Very
Satisfied
Information
about how I
am being
judged
Information
about how I
am being
judged NA
Information
about how I
am being
judged Very
Dissatisfied
Information
about how I
am being
judged
Dissatisfied
Information
about how I
am being
judged
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Information
about how I
am being
judged
Indifferent
Information
about how I
am being
judged
Somewhat
Satisfied
Information
about how I
am being
judged Very
Satisfied
Recognition
of my
efforts
Recognition
of my
efforts NA
Recognition
of my
efforts Very
Dissatisfied
Recognition
of my
efforts
Dissatisfied
Recognition
of my
efforts
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Recognition
of my
efforts
Indifferent
Recognition
of my
efforts
Somewhat
Satisfied
Recognition
of my
efforts Very
Satisfied
[30]
NA
Very
Dissatisfied Dissatisfied
Somewhat
Dissatisfied Indifferent
Somewhat
Satisfied
Very
Satisfied
Information
about
department
al policies
and goals
Information
about
department
al policies
and goals
NA
Information
about
department
al policies
and goals
Very
Dissatisfied
Information
about
department
al policies
and goals
Dissatisfied
Information
about
department
al policies
and goals
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Information
about
department
al policies
and goals
Indifferent
Information
about
department
al policies
and goals
Somewhat
Satisfied
Information
about
department
al policies
and goals
Very
Satisfied
Information
about the
requirement
s of my
position
Information
about the
requirement
s of my
position NA
Information
about the
requirement
s of my
position
Very
Dissatisfied
Information
about the
requirement
s of my
position
Dissatisfied
Information
about the
requirement
s of my
position
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Information
about the
requirement
s of my
position
Indifferent
Information
about the
requirement
s of my
position
Somewhat
Satisfied
Information
about the
requirement
s of my
position
Very
Satisfied
Information
about
achievemen
ts and/or
failures of
the Rotunda
Information
about
achievemen
ts and/or
failures of
the Rotunda
NA
Information
about
achievemen
ts and/or
failures of
the Rotunda
Very
Dissatisfied
Information
about
achievemen
ts and/or
failures of
the Rotunda
Dissatisfied
Information
about
achievemen
ts and/or
failures of
the Rotunda
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Information
about
achievemen
ts and/or
failures of
the Rotunda
Indifferent
Information
about
achievemen
ts and/or
failures of
the Rotunda
Somewhat
Satisfied
Information
about
achievemen
ts and/or
failures of
the Rotunda
Very
Satisfied
Extent to
which my
managers/s
upervisors
understand
the
problems
faced by
Extent
to which my
managers/s
upervisors
understand
the
problems
faced by
Extent
to which my
managers/s
upervisors
understand
the
problems
faced by
Extent
to which my
managers/s
upervisors
understand
the
problems
faced by
Extent
to which my
managers/s
upervisors
understand
the
problems
faced by
Extent
to which my
managers/s
upervisors
understand
the
problems
faced by
Extent
to which my
managers/s
upervisors
understand
the
problems
faced by
Extent
to which my
managers/s
upervisors
understand
the
problems
faced by
[31]
NA
Very
Dissatisfied Dissatisfied
Somewhat
Dissatisfied Indifferent
Somewhat
Satisfied
Very
Satisfied
staff staff NA staff Very
Dissatisfied
staff
Dissatisfied
staff
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
staff
Indifferent
staff
Somewhat
Satisfied
staff Very
Satisfied
Extent to
which my
supervisor
listens and
pays
attention to
me
Extent
to which my
supervisor
listens and
pays
attention to
me NA
Extent
to which my
supervisor
listens and
pays
attention to
me Very
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which my
supervisor
listens and
pays
attention to
me
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which my
supervisor
listens and
pays
attention to
me
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which my
supervisor
listens and
pays
attention to
me
Indifferent
Extent
to which my
supervisor
listens and
pays
attention to
me
Somewhat
Satisfied
Extent
to which my
supervisor
listens and
pays
attention to
me Very
Satisfied
Extent to
which my
supervisors
offers
guidance for
solving
position-
related
problems
Extent
to which my
supervisors
offers
guidance for
solving
position-
related
problems
NA
Extent
to which my
supervisors
offers
guidance for
solving
position-
related
problems
Very
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which my
supervisors
offers
guidance for
solving
position-
related
problems
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which my
supervisors
offers
guidance for
solving
position-
related
problems
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which my
supervisors
offers
guidance for
solving
position-
related
problems
Indifferent
Extent
to which my
supervisors
offers
guidance for
solving
position-
related
problems
Somewhat
Satisfied
Extent
to which my
supervisors
offers
guidance for
solving
position-
related
problems
Very
Satisfied
Extent to
which I
receive in
time the
information
needed to
do my job
Extent
to which I
receive in
time the
information
needed to
do my job
NA
Extent
to which I
receive in
time the
information
needed to
do my job
Very
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which I
receive in
time the
information
needed to
do my job
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which I
receive in
time the
information
needed to
do my job
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which I
receive in
time the
information
needed to
do my job
Indifferent
Extent
to which I
receive in
time the
information
needed to
do my job
Somewhat
Satisfied
Extent
to which I
receive in
time the
information
needed to
do my job
Very
Satisfied
[32]
NA
Very
Dissatisfied Dissatisfied
Somewhat
Dissatisfied Indifferent
Somewhat
Satisfied
Very
Satisfied
Extent to
which
conflicts are
handled
appropriatel
y through
proper
communicat
ion channels
Extent
to which
conflicts are
handled
appropriatel
y through
proper
communicat
ion channels
NA
Extent
to which
conflicts are
handled
appropriatel
y through
proper
communicat
ion channels
Very
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which
conflicts are
handled
appropriatel
y through
proper
communicat
ion channels
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which
conflicts are
handled
appropriatel
y through
proper
communicat
ion channels
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which
conflicts are
handled
appropriatel
y through
proper
communicat
ion channels
Indifferent
Extent
to which
conflicts are
handled
appropriatel
y through
proper
communicat
ion channels
Somewhat
Satisfied
Extent
to which
conflicts are
handled
appropriatel
y through
proper
communicat
ion channels
Very
Satisfied
Extent to
which
communicat
ion with
other
employees
at my level
is accurate
and free-
flowing
Extent
to which
communicat
ion with
other
employees
at my level
is accurate
and free-
flowing NA
Extent
to which
communicat
ion with
other
employees
at my level
is accurate
and free-
flowing Very
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which
communicat
ion with
other
employees
at my level
is accurate
and free-
flowing
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which
communicat
ion with
other
employees
at my level
is accurate
and free-
flowing
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which
communicat
ion with
other
employees
at my level
is accurate
and free-
flowing
Indifferent
Extent
to which
communicat
ion with
other
employees
at my level
is accurate
and free-
flowing
Somewhat
Satisfied
Extent
to which
communicat
ion with
other
employees
at my level
is accurate
and free-
flowing Very
Satisfied
Extent to
which our
meetings
are well
organized
Extent
to which our
meetings
are well
organized
NA
Extent
to which our
meetings
are well
organized
Very
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which our
meetings
are well
organized
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which our
meetings
are well
organized
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which our
meetings
are well
organized
Indifferent
Extent
to which our
meetings
are well
organized
Somewhat
Satisfied
Extent
to which our
meetings
are well
organized
Very
Satisfied
Extent to
which
written
Extent
to which
Extent
to which
Extent
to which
Extent
to which
Extent
to which
Extent
to which
Extent
to which
[33]
NA
Very
Dissatisfied Dissatisfied
Somewhat
Dissatisfied Indifferent
Somewhat
Satisfied
Very
Satisfied
directives
and reports
are clear
and concise
written
directives
and reports
are clear
and concise
NA
written
directives
and reports
are clear
and concise
Very
Dissatisfied
written
directives
and reports
are clear
and concise
Dissatisfied
written
directives
and reports
are clear
and concise
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
written
directives
and reports
are clear
and concise
Indifferent
written
directives
and reports
are clear
and concise
Somewhat
Satisfied
written
directives
and reports
are clear
and concise
Very
Satisfied
Extent to
which
informal
communicat
ion is active
and
accurate
Extent
to which
informal
communicat
ion is active
and
accurate NA
Extent
to which
informal
communicat
ion is active
and
accurate
Very
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which
informal
communicat
ion is active
and
accurate
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which
informal
communicat
ion is active
and
accurate
Somewhat
Dissatisfied
Extent
to which
informal
communicat
ion is active
and
accurate
Indifferent
Extent
to which
informal
communicat
ion is active
and
accurate
Somewhat
Satisfied
8. How would you rate your productivity in your position?
Very Low
Low
Slightly Lower than Most
Average
Slightly Higher than Most
High
Very High
9. In the last months, what has happened to your productivity?
Stayed the Same
Improved
[34]
Declined
10. How many semesters have you been involved with the organization?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7-10
11. What year are you at Longwood?
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
Senior/Super Senior
12. How many different positions have you held with this organization?
1
2
3
4
4+
13. What is your sex?
Male
Female
[35]
14. What is your major?
Communication Studies
English
Business
Liberal Studies
Education
History
Biology/Chemistry
Art
Other
15. Are you involved in any other organizations?
Yes
No
16. Please check any other types of organizations and jobs you are involved with on campus.
Social Greek
Athletic Teams
Clubs
On Campus Job
Off Campus Job
None
[36]
17. How much time on average do you spend per week on other organizations?
Less than 30 Minutes
1 Hour
2 Hour
3-4 Hours
5-6 Hours
6-10 Hours
10+ Hours
[37]
Works Cited
Downs, C. W., & Adrian, A. D. (2004). Assessing organizational communication, strategic
communication audits. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Fix, B., & Sias, P. M. (2006). Person-centered communication, leader-member exchange, and
employee job satisfaction. Communication Research Reports, 23(1), 35-44.
doi:10.1080/17464090500535855
Meiners, E. B., & Miller, V. D. (2004). The effect of formality and relational tone on
supervisor/subordinate negotiation episodes. Western Journal Of Communication, 68,
302-321. Retrieved from http://www.westcomm.org/publications/westernjournal.asp
