Equivocality in the university research office: Examining the organizing processes of the research administrator in interpreting and acting on equivocality in informational inputs
Abstract
This study examines how research administrators in academic institutions process equivocal information. The findings suggest that communication is central to interpreting and resolving highly equivocal information in academic organizations. As a test of Karl Weick's (1969) model of organizing, the researcher measured the use of communicative acts and assembly rules by a sample of research administrators in response to perceived high and low equivocality in informational inputs. Results demonstrate that as equivocality increased, the use of communicative acts increased, and as equivocality decreased, the use of communicative acts decreased. While the results did not support the premise that when equivocality increased the use of assembly rules decreased, research administrators did select more assembly rules when equivocality decreased. This study emphasizes the importance of communication in the collective process organizational members' use to process equivocal information.
Subject Area
Communication|Higher education
Recommended Citation
Riccillo, Claudine Marie, "Equivocality in the university research office: Examining the organizing processes of the research administrator in interpreting and acting on equivocality in informational inputs" (2008). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI1453816.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI1453816