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Context.--Clinical laboratory processes that require cooperation among geographically distinct sections often face challenges. We describe these challenges as related to the Gram staining of cerebrospinal fluid, a key test in the management of patients with suspected central nervous system infections, and our attempts to improve quality outcomes. Objective.--To evaluate multiple tools and strategies for their effectiveness in optimizing the turnaround time of tests sharing a specimen or workflow. Design.--Over the course of 5 years, the turnaround time of cerebrospinal fluid Gram stain was studied at one of the largest children's health systems in the United States. Baseline data showed suboptimal compliance to targeted turnaround times. A conventional approach to process standardization and 2 innovative tools that facilitate horizontal integration were applied to the main campus laboratory as follows: a daily operational huddle and a novel electronic communication application that was interfaced with the laboratory information system. Turnaround time and its variation were assessed. Two other hospital laboratories within the health system that did not undergo these quality interventions served as controls. Results.--Standardization of processes reduced the variability of turnaround time but only minimally shortened it. In contrast, an interteam daily huddle that monitored key quality metrics together with the communication application improved turnaround time significantly and sustainably. Conclusions.--Communication strategies involving a physical or virtual gathering of laboratory representatives encourage horizontal communication and improve turnaround times. These tools are generally applicable and could be used to improve other processes in healthcare, especially those where a workflow is shared between 2 geographically distinct areas of a health system. (Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2022;146:379-385; doi: 10.5858/arpa.2020-0729-OA), Sharing specimens or workflows is a common occurrence among different sections of a clinical laboratory. Processes that require cooperation among geographically distinct sections in a clinical laboratory pose challenges, which [...]

Face-to-face communication drastically increases cooperation rates in social dilemmas. We test which factors are the most important drivers of this communication gap. We distinguish three main categories. First, communication may decrease social distance. Second, communication may enable subjects to assess their opponent's cooperativeness ('type detection') and condition their own action on that information. Third, communication allows subjects to make promises, which create commitment for subjects who do not want to break a promise. We find that communication increases cooperation very substantially. In our experiment, we find that commitment value is an important factor, but the largest part of the increase can be attributed to type detection. We do not find evidence that social distance plays a role. History: Accepted by Uri Gneezy, operations management. Funding: Financial support from the Research Priority Area Behavioral Economics [Grant 201212161012] of the University of Amsterdam is gratefully acknowledged. Supplemental Material: Data and the online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2016.2518. Keywords: communication * cooperation * prisoner's dilemma * social distance * type detection * commitment, 1. Introduction Many people highly value face-to-face interactions. A survey among Forbes subscribers showed that the vast majority considers face-to-face meetings to be essential for negotiating contracts, closing deals, and [...]

All the summer institutes given by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) have a common structure--campus teams explore different approaches from innovative institutions, exchange ideas with other teams [...]

At many academic libraries, spiral notebooks and three ring binders have given way to blogs and wikis as a means of facilitating communication at the reference desk. Western Kentucky University [...]

The authors interviewed ten library consortia leaders and studied the communication tools used by a number of consortia. Library consortia employ a broad range of communication tools to share information with their libraries. Different methods are used for different purposes, but a hierarchy of utility emerged from our study. Certain communication vehicles anchored nearly every communication message, some provided secondary support, and others suited highly specialized needs. This paper reviews shared communication methods, highlights communication best practices, and shares unique communication ideas employed by library consortia. Keywords: Consortia; Communication; Communication challenges; Communication best practices, Introduction In an age of expanding communication options, effective communication in library consortia is growing more difficult. In every minute of the day, over 204 million emails are sent, 72 [...]

There is still a lot of mystery about what constitutes school library advocacy and how librarians can embed advocacy in their everyday practice. Often librarians believe that promoting library services [...]

The complexity in value chains that arises from the cooperation of multiple stakeholders is of utmost importance for managers and organizational designers. In this context, theories of organizational design seek to address the practical problem of intentionally changing organizational structures and processes to enhance organizational performance. Successful cooperation largely depends on effective and efficient information flows. This paper reports on a research project using the design science research framework to develop a methodfor the analysis and design of information flows. Linking information flows to the concept of variety, the Viable System Model is applied as a theoretical foundation of the so-called Variety Engineering method. The design of method is reported, the procedure for its application is demonstrated, and it is accounted for how the method was evaluated in a set of field studies. Keywords: Business Engineering, Information Exchange, Information in Organizations, Information Structure, Organizational Communication, Organizational Complexity, Organizational Design, Organizational Effectiveness, Organizational Efficiency, 1. INTRODUCTION Value chains are struggling with increasing complexity of business processes (Schafermeyer, Rosenkranz, & Holten, 2012), as business processes become ever more complex and cut across inter-organizational boundaries and [...]

The delegation of decision-making capacity from one actor to another-known variously as authority or control--is a central phenomenon of organizational sociology. Despite its theoretical and practical significance, however, the dynamics of control within disrupted settings (such as disasters) remain poorly understood. Here, we shed light on this question by a reexamination of historical data on multiorganizational disaster response networks, using recently developed statistical methods for robust inference from error-prone informant reports. Specifically, we test competing hypotheses about the relationship of control during the response process to the structure of interorganizational communication. We find that both the realized and normative response hierarchies are likely shaped by coordination among both nonadjacent alters and along indirect channels. Our results suggested that the communication structure of these networks is consistent with a control at a distance model of command. This article makes a substantial contribution to understanding the role of network structure in the emergence of control between organizations in disrupted settings. Additionally, our innovative approach to network inference will guide researchers in dealing with error-prone data in their own research on policy networks. KEY WORDS: organizations, social control, social networks, disaster response, authority, Introduction A central phenomenon of human organization is the emergence of control relations, that is, relationships in which one actor transfers his or her decision-making capacity to another (Coleman, 1990; [...]

Online communities (OCs) are a virtual organizational form in which knowledge collaboration can occur in unparalleled scale and scope, in ways not heretofore theorized. For example, collaboration can occur among [...]

Organizations and the relationships they create are rife with tensions that pull individual participants and whole organizations in opposing directions. When multiple organizations form relationships with one another these tensions may take on new forms and create new challenges for individual and organizational participants. This study utilized a focus-group methodology to explore how participants in collaborative interorganizational relationships (IORs) experience and cope communicatively with tensions. The data suggest that tensions exist across two areas: relationships and structures. We found that tensions in collaboration are common, acknowledged, and that the tensions manifest and are addressed through communication. Keywords: Dialectical Theory; Collaboration; Nonprofit Organizations; Interorganizational Relationships DOI: 10.1080/03637751.2010.523605

This article explores the uses of coaching and mentoring as they apply to organizational communication professors. The authors contend that these professors already are proficient at coaching and mentoring and the coaching and mentoring processes are routinely undertaken as part of their standard university teaching responsibilities. As coaches, these faculty members assist their students in improving student communication abilities through observation, discussion, and follow-up. As mentors, these faculty members enter into a developmental relationship with students that extend beyond the classroom. A greater knowledge of coaching and mentoring will enhance instructional efforts and benefit students in multiple ways. doi: 10.2190/TW.40.3.g

Employing a community ecology perspective, this study examines how interorganizational (IO) communication and social capital (SC) facilitated organizational recovery after Hurricane Katrina. In-depth interviews with 56 New Orleans organizations enabled longitudinal analysis and a grounded theory model that illustrates how communication differentiated four phases of recovery: personal emergency, professional emergency, transition, rebuilding. Communicative action taking place across phases corresponds with the evolutionary mechanisms. Most organizations did not turn to interorganizational relationships (IORs) until the transitional phase, during which indirect ties were critical and incoming versus outgoing communication was substantively different. Organizations did not consistently use IO SC until the last phase. This study underlines the fact that organizations and their systems are fundamentally human and (re)constructed through communicative action. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2958.2010.01371.x

Studies consistently confirm that there is an extensive need for new theoretical and practical directions for communication in disciplines (CID) programmes. The CID pedagogy calls for more specialized training with more specialized methods in particular professions. This study presents a method developed for practical training studies in pharmacy based on the CID framework. The data (N = 481) were collected from both students and mentors via online surveys using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The results strongly suggest that the teaching method is highly suitable for teaching discipline-specific communication skills in authentic work situations. The study shows that the CID pedagogy has potential in helping mentors improve their communication competence while they are supervising students. Keywords: Communication in Disciplines; Authentic Work Situation; Teaching Method; Pharmacy DOI: 10.1080/03634520903576184

Eleven best practices for organizational crisis communication are presented. Organizations are advised to create a plan for an immediate response in times of crisis. The need to accept uncertainty and develop a crisis communication network is also discussed.

Using a grounded theory approach, this investigation addresses how an interdisciplinary research (IDR) team negotiates meaning and struggles to establish and sustain a sense of collective communication competence (CCC). Certain communication processes were foundational to building CCC, such as spending time together, practicing trust, discussing language differences, and engaging in team tasks. Demonstrating presence, engaging in reflexive and backstage communication, and shared laughter facilitated and often expedited CCC development, whereas sarcastic humor, unproductive debates of expertise, expressions of boredom, and jockeying for power challenged and deteriorated the team's CCC. Keywords: Collective Communication Competence; Interdisciplinary Communication; Interdisciplinary Research Team; Ethnography; Grounded Theory

Components of an open corporate culture include encouraging people to communicate between hierarchies, admitting one's mistakes, diversifying information sources, rewarding contrarians, and telling the truth.