Interpersonal communication

About: Interpersonal communication is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 26243 publications have been published within this topic receiving 767999 citations.

Gender, Interpersonal Power, and Social Influence

Abstract: This article reviews research on gender differences in power and their effect on social influence. Evidence indicates that men generally possess higher levels of expert and legitimate power than women do and that women possess higher levels of referent power than men do. These differences are reflected, to some extent, in the influence strategies used by men and women and, more clearly, in gender differences in social influence. Women generally have greater difficulty exerting influence than men do, particularly when they use influence that conveys competence and authority. These findings indicate that gender differences in influence are mediated by gender differences in power.

Collaborative Learning Through Computer Conferencing: The Najaden Papers

Abstract: This book analyzes some of the main educational, social, and technological issues in the use of computer-mediated communication and computer networkingfor online collaborative learning, both in distance education and in corporate and organizational environments. Collaborative learning is defined as "individual learning as a result of group interactions and processes". The papers in the book arose from a NATO Advanced Research Workshop held on the sailing ship Najaden. They focus on the use of computer conferencing as a medium which frees participants from the constraints of time and place, and which provides a "collective memory" of all group interactions and exchanges. The book contains contributions from users and implementors of computer conferencing systems in major universities and companies, from researchers and evaluators analyzing the processes and outcomes of online group learning, and from software designers working on new systems for enhancing networked collaboration in groups. Collectively, the contributions mark out the boundaries and directions for the "third generation" of distance education and open learning systems, based on the use of national, international, and global telematic networks for interpersonal communication and group interactions.

Why Leaders Can't Lead.

Abstract: E xecutives must resolve to lead, not merely to manage. There's a major difference. Many organizations are well managed and poorly led because executives address routine problems while ignoring or slighting important matters. They allow themselves to become buried with details that should be delegated to assistants. True leaders are able to draw others to them through focused commitment, make dreams come alive and unite people behind those dreams, communicate through vivid models and examples, and know the extent of their skills and apply them effectively. Successful leaders inspire employees by making them feel significant. Learning and competence are highly valued, and workers feel they're part of a genuine team or family. The most influential leaders motivate their people through joint identification with collective goals rather than through rewards and punishments. If you hope to lead your organization to prominence you must encourage dissent, disagreement, and truth from associates and search for the truth yourself by spending time in the field, analyzing your own operations, and talking with employees and customers. You must also balance your career and personal roles, using ambition, talent, and learning ability to serve rather than enslave you. As constant as change has been in this century, and as vital as it is today, it is still difficult to bring about. People in leadership positions must be agents of adjustment who face things as they are and prepare for things as they will be. If competence and conscience are to be restored to government, business, and society alike, that restoration must start with those who propose to lead our organizations. It must begin with you.

Instructor–Learner Interaction in Online Courses: The relative perceived importance of particular instructor actions on performance and satisfaction

Abstract: This article examines the relative perceived importance of 19 instructor actions in online courses according to both instructors and students. The instructor actions were culled from guidelines in the online learning literature base and then reviewed and rated by 14 experts. Thirty‐two online instructors and 170 students from their classes at a large public university and a private online university were asked to review and rate these guidelines. Findings show that the instructors believe that learner performance is more likely tied to instructor actions that are focused on course content and provide both proactive (models, expectations) and reactive (feedback) information to learners about their ability to demonstrate knowledge of course material, but learner satisfaction is more likely tied to learners’ feeling that their interpersonal communication needs are met. Learners rated items focused on communication needs and being treated as individuals as most important, aligning their stated preferences wit...

Good News! Capitalizing on Positive Events in an Interpersonal Context

Abstract: Good things happen. In fact, positive events occur more often than negative events. In this chapter, we review research showing that people often turn to others to share their good news, a process called capitalization. These studies show that both the act of telling others about good events and the response of the person with whom the event was shared have personal and interpersonal consequences. We outline a theoretical foundation and propose a model of capitalization processes that includes mechanisms linking the act of telling others and their response to personal and interpersonal outcomes. This research has shown that when the close other responds in an active and constructive manner (and not in a passive or destructive manner), both the discloser and the relationship between the discloser and the responder profit. Personal benefits linked to capitalization processes include increased positive emotions, subjective well-being, and self-esteem, and decreased loneliness. Relationship benefits associated with capitalization processes include satisfaction, intimacy, commitment, trust, liking, closeness, and stability. We also review evidence for mechanisms involved in capitalization processes. Throughout this chapter, we discuss capitalization processes in the larger context of how people “cope” during good times and the value of having supportive partners in this process. Although research has consistently emphasized coping with negative events, our work suggests that positive events similarly provide both opportunities and challenges.