No Place to Play: Current Employee Privacy Rights in Social Networking Sites    

Employers have legitimate business interests in monitoring workplace Internet use: to minimize legal exposure, to increase productivity, and to avoid proprietary information loss. Since employees arguably have no expectation of privacy in their work on employers' computers, there are few grounds for complaint if they are disciplined for straying from corporate policy on such use. In this heavily scrutinized work environment, it is no small wonder that employees crave a place to unwind and play “electronically” after hours. In unprecedented numbers, America's workers are visiting online social networking sites (OSNs) and posting tidbits that might not be considered job-appropriate by their employer. Here, many postulate they do have an expectation of and indeed a right to privacy, especially in arenas used to express personal freedoms and exercise individualism that has no bearing on their workplace.

Genova, Gina L. Business Communication Quarterly (2009). Careers>Workplace>Privacy>Social Networking

Employee Families and Organizations as Mutually Enacted Environments: A Sensemaking Approach to Work—Life Interrelationships    

Work—life research tends to privilege the organization—employee relationship, with the family's role largely relegated to providing emotional and material support to the employee and adapting to organizational requirements. Systems oriented research, however, points toward a larger role for the family, including mediating the employee's relationship with the organization as well as direct organizational interactions. This study uses Weick's model of organizational sensemaking to examine, through the analysis of employee and family interview accounts, how a global high-tech organization and its employees' families enact one another as environments. Three dynamics of mutual enactments— two cooperative and one competitive—were identified, along with implications for work—life integration research and practice, for more traditionally programmatic work—life accommodations, and for families' management of their relationships to employing organizations.

Golden, Annis G. Management Communication Quarterly (2009). Careers>Workplace

Exploring Negative Group Dynamics: Adversarial Network, Personality, and Performance in Project Groups    

Most previous social network studies have focused on the positive aspects of social relationships. In contrast, this research examined how the negative aspects of social networks in work groups can influence individual performance within the group. Accordingly, two studies were conducted to make this assessment. The first study examined the effect of negative relations and frequency of communication on performance among student groups. The second study investigated how the Five Factor Model of personality and position in adversarial networks interacted to influence individuals' performance. Although results of the first study indicated that frequent communication with others could make a person more likeable, consequently helping him or her perform better, the second study showed that those individuals disliked by others were less likely to achieve a good performance rating, despite their conscientiousness, emotional stability, or openness to experiences.

Xia, Ling, Y. Connie Yuan and Geri Gay. Management Communication Quarterly (2009). Articles>Collaboration>Workplace

Creativity in the Workplace

Most people consider writing to be a creative endeavor, and in some situations, it certainly is. But creativity is not just associated with writing, art, and the humanities. Penelope Trunk broadens creativity to include problem solving too.

Johnson, Tom H. I'd Rather Be Writing (2009). Articles>Writing>Advice>Workplace

Effective UX in a Corporate Environment, Part II

In this column, which is the second of two parts, we’ll continue discussing how companies can ensure the effectiveness of User Experience within their organizations and current product development processes.

Six, Janet M. and Chris Anthony. UXmatters (2009). Articles>User Experience>Workplace>Workflow

Effective UX in a Corporate Environment, Part I

To foster discussion about the issues companies face in trying to effectively integrate user experience into their current organizations and processes, we surveyed our panel of Ask UXmatters experts, asking them to give us their thoughts on these important issues.

Six, Janet M. and Chris Anthony. UXmatters (2009). Articles>User Experience>Workplace>Workflow

Technical Communication in R & D Laboratories: The Impact of Project Work Characteristics    

Based on an information processing approach to organizations, this paper argues that product effectiveness is contingent on the match between the project's communication patterns and the nature of its work.

Tushman, Michael L. Academy of Management Journal, The (1978). Articles>TC>Research>Workplace

Organizational Demography: The Differential Effects of Age and Tenure Distributions on Technical Communication    

Although previous researchers have proposed organizational demography as an important determinant of communication, no one has tested this relationship directly.

Zenger, Todd R. and Barbara S. Lawrence. Academy of Management Journal, The (1989). Articles>TC>Workplace>Organizational Communication

Lessons From Ugly Betty: Business Attire as a Conformity Strategy    

In today's marketplace, a premium is placed on corporate image and business attire. The rationale is that appearance reflects on the employer. We tell students that first impressions, made within the first 60 seconds of meeting, are critical to their future success. As professors of management and marketing, we are routinely engaged in preparing students for professional occupations inclusive of an awareness that business attire is often reflective of a willingness to conform to workplace norms. We have known for quite some time that appearance can be indicative of conformity. Countless stories and lawsuits reveal lost career opportunities because employees failed to “look the part.” This reality is exemplified in the sitcom Ugly Betty, which provides weekly challenges encouraging us to consider the value of conformity as reflected by our appearance. Betty is an aspiring editor of a major fashion magazine. Raised in a blue-collar, working-class family, Betty does not conform to contemporary notions of style. Clothes in her world have a practical application that should not overshadow the individual's inner beauty. Betty functions with the utmost integrity in a world of competition and greed as her counterparts claw their way up the corporate ladder. Interestingly, they, unlike Betty, remain under the radar as their fashionable sense of style provides a veneer of honesty, fair play, and an unquestionable willingness to conform to the company dress code.

Burgess-Wilkerson, Barbara and Jane Boyd Thomas. Business Communication Quarterly (2009). Careers>Workplace>Professionalism

Networking: a Key To Career Communication and Management Consulting Success    

Now that job security with one organization is a relic of the past and companies are outsourcing training and other 'nonessential' functions, I suggest in my career communication classes that students develop the same inventive strategies to plan their employ- ment futures that management consultants use to market themselves in the 21st century. The most important of these skills is networking: the use of person-to-person, print, and electronic communication tools to alert potential employers that, as candidates, they are the confident, cooperative, uniquely qualified experts that companies seek.

Clark, Thomas. Business Communication Quarterly (2009). Careers>Workplace>Collaboration

Professional Characteristics Communicated By Formal Versus Casual Workplace Attire    

In this article, we describe ongoing research about the professional characteristics projected by formal versus casual workplace attire. We also describe our research about preferences for company norms and standards regarding typical workplace attire.

Cardon, Peter W. and Ephraim A. Okoro. Business Communication Quarterly (2009). Careers>Workplace>Professionalism

The Most Annoying, Overused Words in the Workplace  

"Leverage," "interface," and "circle back" are among the most annoying and overused terms in work settings today, according to a new survey of executives.

Musbach, Tom. Yahoo (2009). Articles>Language>Workplace>Rhetoric

Don't Stop Learning!

This article examines the need for continuous learning and the challenges that working professionals must overcome to invest in learning. It also explores how experience makes us better learners, and analyzes the relative effectiveness of various learning techniques.

Dhanagopal, Kumar. Indus (2009). Articles>Education>Workplace

Organizational Culture 101: A Practical How-To For Interaction Designers

It’s happened to all of us. We walk into what we think is a Web redesign project, only to find we have unwittingly ignited the fires of WW III in our client’s organization. What begins as a simple design project descends – quickly – into an intra-organizational battle, with the unprepared interaction designer caught in the crossfire. What is it about design projects that seem to attract such power struggles? Contrary to what you might think, being stuck in the middle of an internecine battle is actually an opportunity to effect meaningful change on your client’s organization. But it requires a set of practical tools to negotiate these battles and a more sophisticated language and knowledge to exploit these events to create meaningful change.

Ladner, Sam. Johnny Holland (2009). Articles>Project Management>Interaction Design>Workplace

Technical Communications as a Profit Center

Those within technical communications have long argued that product documentation provides significant value in terms of a customer satisfaction and downstream savings in customer support and service. In the broader, enterprise perspective, however, documentation is generally viewed as simply one of many requirements for product launch. This perspective is often the result of the lack of visibility that is generally available into the business value contributed by product documentation. Aberdeen investigated and isolated the quantifiable business impact of technical communications makes for 165 participating companies. An analysis of this data indicates that when leveraged effectively, technical communications stands to contribute as much as a 42% increase in customer satisfaction and an associated 45% increase in product revenue. This report provides a quantified framework for understanding the potential impact on technical communications makes for business profitability as well as the best practices to adopt to drive greater value from this organization.

David Houlihan. Aberdeen Group (2009). Articles>Documentation>Workplace>Technical Writing

Designing Collaborative Learning Spaces: Where Material Culture Meets Mobile Writing Processes  

In May 2007, the Department of English at Utah State University (USU) redesigned its computer lab to increase mobility and collaboration during writing projects. Our study shows that despite the Professional and Technical Communication (PTC) field's efforts to promote writing as a socially active, collaborative practice, many students view computer labs as spaces for conducting isolated, single-authored work. In this article, we discuss how a combination of movable furniture and mobile technology, including wireless access and laptops, can enhance student collaboration in group-based writing assignments. The lab included both desktop and laptop seating areas, so the authors created a modified worksite analysis designed to evaluate team collaboration in this new layout. These material changes in the lab allow students to configure the space according to their needs, offering them some measure of control over three crucial elements of successful collaboration: formality, presence, and confidentiality.

Bemer, Amanda Metz, Ryan M. Moeller and Cheryl E. Ball. Programmatic Perspectives (2009). Articles>Education>Collaboration>Workplace

Social Media Policies: An Introduction

Despite what some people say, rules still apply when it comes to social media. Policies provide structure—for you and for your colleagues/employees.

Fleet, Dave. SlideShare (2009). Presentations>Workplace>Policies and Procedures>Social Networking

Drawing the Line Between Analyzing and Performing Organizational Practices

How prepared are you, as a policies and procedures (P&P) professional, to draw the line if you are asked to change hats from your analyst role to the role of performing the tasks of the organizational practices you are documenting?

Urgo, Raymond E. Policies and Procedures Authority, The (2009). Articles>Workplace>Policies and Procedures>Professionalism

Understanding the Organizational Context to Develop Valuable Policies & Procedures

As a policies and procedures (P&P) practitioner, do you delve into P&P content development projects without a clear understanding of the organizational context? Astute P&P practitioners add more than documentation skills to assignments--they apply an understanding of the organizational context from three perspectives.

Urgo, Raymond E. Policies and Procedures Authority, The (2009). Articles>Workplace>Organizational Communication>Policies and Procedures

When Statecraft Fails: Tips on Surviving the Great Game    

Following up on his article in the September/October issue, Hart explores how to avoid “rats” in office politics and offers advice on combating coworkers who might not have your best interests in mind.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. Intercom (2009). Careers>Collaboration>Workplace

Cultural Blindness

It struck me while reading this that cultural blind spots are not limited to people who speak a different language, come from a different country, or have a different religious background—we have huge cultural blind spots between the various job functions in a single company!

Sprezzatura Systems (2007). Articles>Management>Workplace

Managing Culture Change Within the Context of Mergers and Acquisitions

The generic term “mergers & acquisitions (M&A)” appeared for the first time at the end of the 19th century in the United States. In times of increased global competition, M&A activities have reached all regions of the world and are not solely concerning large enterprises. However, with many M&A projects never reaching the synergy effects that were expected of them, the successful integration of one company into another remains a challenge.

Bialek, Chantal. TC World (2008). Articles>Business Communication>Workplace>Policies and Procedures

Interview with Robert Gibson: "Communicate Consistent Messages"

Being active in 190 countries around the world, mergers and acquistions are part of the business routine for the engineering conglemerate Siemens AG. A smooth integration process is vital for business success. Supporting this integration process is one of the tasks of Robert Gibson, senior consultant for training and projects at the Siemens headquarters in Munich, Germany. tcworld spoke to him about the challenge of integrating new corporate and national cultures.

Melville, Corinna. TC World (2008). Articles>Interviews>Business Communication>Workplace

Wikis in the Workplace: a Practical Introduction

The wiki crops up in many companies' internal discussions about process improvements and efficient collaboration, but it is often shot down because so few people have exposure to good models of what a really successful business wiki can do. Ars is here to help with a practical introduction based on real-world examples.

Porter, Alan J. Ars Technica (2009). Articles>Content Management>Workplace>Wikis

How to Talk About What You Most Dread 

We often avoid conversations that make us feel vulnerable. Things that touch us deeply, our fears, our self-image, our future. But here's the thing: not talking about them is what actually makes us vulnerable. Once we confront the underlying issues — say them out loud, ask about them, explore them — we feel, and become, much stronger, much less vulnerable. And then we can take powerful action.

Bregman, Peter. Harvard Business Review (2009). Articles>Business Communication>Workplace