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- Parcells, F. E. (1992).
Station relations and operations. Feedback, 31(3), p. 11 and pp. 26-27.
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- Evaluating
Radio Station Operations and
Staff Relations
By Frank E. Parcells,
Ph. D.
-
- I spent the summer of
1989 working with Mid-Continent radio stations WTSO-AM and WZEE-FM
in Madison, Wisconsin on a National Association of Broadcasters
research grant. Much of my time at the stations was spent conducting
an organizational analysis study focusing on the effectiveness
of station operations and staff relations. This was one important
tool for reviewing stational organizational communication. The
concept behind this investigation was to use staff members to:
a) discover potential or existing problems; b) identify major
achievements; and, c) establish and mesh individual, department,
and station goals.
A Phenomenological Approach
I describe phenomenology as a form of research primarily
involved in qualitative evaluation, and loosely belonging to
a paradigm of naturalistic inquiry with such methods as ethnography,
semiotics, historiography, and phenomenal study (see Guba, 1981).
Patton (1980) defines phenomenology as seeking to understand
human behavior by examining "how the world is experienced
from the actor's own frame of reference" (p. 45). Lanigan
(1979, p. 6) presents phenomenology as an investigative method
concerned with explaining experience or making
-
- Phenomenological investigation
is a descriptive and empirical method of research recognizing
the value of the investigator's reflection (Colaizzi, 1973, pp.
25-26). Reflection is the recollection and recall to consciousness
of an event, while prereflection is awareness of the event at
a level of immediate experience (Parcells, 1983a, pp. 5-6). Patton
(1980, p. 127) notes that it is through reflection that an investigator
may move close to the data as a participant. Implicit in usch
a movement is the notion that the researcher becomes personally
involved in consciousness of the experience. Lanigan (1979, pp.
7-10) outlines the phenomenological process of investigation
as containing three steps: a) description or "bracketing"
the conscious experience; b) reduction to definition or reducing
the essential parts of the description to a definition, "free
imaginative variation;" and, c) interpretation where the
meaning of the definition is specified (see Lanigan, 1982; Parcells,
1986).
-
- The rest of this article
concerns the application of the phenomenological apprach to the
study of oeprations and staff relations at radio stations WTSO-AM
and WZEE-FM during the summer of 1989. Content inforamtion is
used only as an example of the application of the phenomenological
approach.
Study Design and Prodedure
The general manager prepared a memorandum asking all
60 employees to participate in the study and guaranteed complete
confidentiality. This communication was distributed to each employee
by his or her department head along with a five page instrument.
Instructions were simple, "Please respond to each section."
Each staff member could be identified only by the department
to which he or she belonged. Precoded department labels allowed
for this sorting and included the following departments: accounting,
traffic and logs; news and sports; sales; AM air staff; FM air
staff; and engineering. Respondents were asked to return the
completed instruments within two weeks to the station receptionist's
mailbox.
Description: Instrument and Interviews
All staff members participated by completing the four sections
of the instrument. The first section was called individual goals
and requested the listing of the five most important goals to
be achieved during the next year and during the next five years.
Second, a section called department goals sought the five most
important goals the respondent's department should achieve during
the next year, and during the next five years. The third portion
of the instrument called department and station accomplishments,
asked each staff member to identify and describe up to five accomplishments
achieved by the department and the station during the last year.
Finally the last section entitled department and station problems,
asked each staff member to identify and describe up to five problems
which existed or had existed in the department and station during
the last year.
During the two weeks when staff members were responding to the
instrument, I conducted personal interviews with many of the
staff members. My objective was to interview several individuals
from each of the departments identified for the survey.
-
- These interviews were
conducted outside the station, usually over breakfast or lunch.
Content focused on the four major areas of the instrument. These
personal interviews provided the station staff with an opportunity
to add color and flavor to the written material. Most interviewees
spoke freely and frankly about their individual objectives as
well as station/department goals, problems, and accomplishments.
Following the completion of each interview, I spent the next
hour reflecting on the major themes of the discussion.
Upon collection of all instruments and completion of all interviews,
the description stage of the phenomenological inquiry was finished.
-
- Reduction to Definition
Next, the reduction to definition stage. I reviewed all materials
by category and department. Similar statements were clustered
together based on similar meanings. I sorted and counted each
repetitive statement by category. This was done for both the
interviews and instruments, and both were then combined. The
statements became themes representing each category by department.
The themes were ranked in priority order based on total repetition.
See Table 1 for an example of ranked and clustered themes. Themes
were totaled for each department and for the total stations.
-
- Definition
The themes continued to be clustered together netting a precise
and concise definition of each category. A definition was prepared
for each category by department, and for the overall station
in the categories of accomplishments and problems. The definition
becomes a narrative statement clearly but briefly defining each
category.
-
- Table 1
Priority Order Themes for
Station Problems
|
Rank |
Theme |
Repetition |
|
1 |
Too many
bosses exist; there's a lack of focus. |
16 |
|
2 |
Inadequacy
of building & parking space. |
14 |
|
3 |
Poor telephone
system. |
7 |
|
3 |
Poorly
answered telephone. |
7 |
|
4 |
Inefficient
heating & air conditioning systems. |
5 |
|
4 |
There's
a lack of sense of unity among department heads. |
5 |
|
5 |
WTSO leadership
is too restrictive. |
4 |
|
5 |
There's a comraderie
slippage among workers. |
4 |
-
- Interpretation
-
- The final state of phenomenological
inquiry, or interpretation, actually began witht he interviewing
and the initial review of the completed instruments. However,
this is anecessary and healthy aspect of this form of qualitative
research. It binds the study to the context in which it is conducted;
generalization is not permissible based on the uniqueness of
the situation (Parcells, 1983b, p. 5). It is here that the meaning
is specified as conclusions are drawn and implications cited.
See Table 2 for an example of data interpretation.
-
- Table 2
Interpreting Themes About
Radio Station Problems
|
Priority |
Implications for
Station |
|
1 |
As organizational flow
chart with specific job descriptions for every position must
be prepared and made readily available to all staff members. |
|
2 |
Specific goals and
objectives for each department must be established and openly
shared with all employees. |
|
3 |
The Operations Manager
must play a more active role in programming and personnel decisions
about the stations, and provide more leadership to the various
department heads. |
|
4 |
Department heads must
meet together on a regular basis and candidly discuss station
problems. |
|
5 |
Individual departments
and stations as a whole need to establish a regular schedule
of retreats held at a location away from the disturbance of daily
station operations. |
|
6 |
Individual and staff
development seminars and activities need to be offered by the
station on a regular basis to boost and maintain positive staff
morale. |
|
7 |
Individuals must be better trained
to operate the telephone system; a primary staff member needs
to be designated for scheduling and maintaining a system of telephone
reception |
|
8 |
Heating and air conditioning systems
require attention as does parking
space for staff and guests. |
-
- Implications for
Evaluating
Station Operations and Staff Relations
Researcher as a participant and observer: It is important that the researcher
is close to the station and staff. This means that relationships
must be established and maintained during thre study. The researcher
becomes a part of the station staff observing as a participant
in the day to day operations of the station (see Patton, 1980,
pp. 127-130). This clearly enriches the data produced through
staff interviews due to common bonds and mutual trust between
researcher and staff.
Researcher and study credibility: It is clear that the
themes identified from both the interviews and the instrument
are consistent; thus establishing internal validity (credibility),
reliability (consistency), and neutrality (confirmability) of
the data (Guba & Lincoln, 1981, pp. 104-127). An additional
aspect of data trustworthiness and believability concerns the
researcher's credibility. My own familiarity with the commercial
radio industry, including more than a decade in various broadcast
management capacities and five years experience in the Madison,
Wisconsin marketplace, enhances the credibility of the study.
It is imperative that the researcher be familiar with the industry,
marketplace, and the stations to be studies. Obviously this familiarity
can be achieved in a variety of ways.
-
- Reporting and sharing
of results: The
notion of reporting and sharing thre results of the study is
consistent with the promise to maintain confidentiality. But,
it still merits some scrutiny. In the case of my study, a three
pronged process was employed. I was actively involved in the
first two levels of the process, but not the last level.
First, initial meetings were scheduled with the general and operations
managers of the stations. During these meetings the results for
the entire station and each department were presented and summarized,
and plans were made to report and share the results with department
heads and their staff members. The importance of involving all
department heads in the reporting process and allowing them to
share the results with their own staffs was stressed throughout
these talks.
-
- Second, meetings were
scheduled individually with each department head during which
the results for only his or her department were presented. The
station operations manager was included as an integral part of
each of the meetings with the department heads. Positive reinforcement
was always provided, and negative criticism was placed into a
positive regard. Each department head was encouraged to schedule
a series of meetings (often referred to as retreats) with their
department staffs as well as to use the data as a basis for developing
short term and long term goals. Department heads were given ample
opportunity to discuss any aspects of the results during this
meeting.
Finally, in addition to the meetings scheduled by each department
head, a meeting was scheduled by the general and operations managers
with all station employees to report and share the results. Again,
ample opportunity was provided for feedback and discussion. I
was not involved in this meeting in an attempt to force focus
on only the station management and employees.
-
- Practicality of
the Results
An important criterion for phenomenological research is usefulness
or practicality. Patton (1980) believes "there is a pragmatic
bias...I've been concerned with the practical, the concrete,
and the achievable: (pp. 282-283). Parcells (1983b, p. 6) describes
external validity as relevance or usefulness of the results in
the "real" world. My study has obviously useful results
in the analysis of organizational communication via such practices
as: a) agenda setting for department retreats; b) employing staff
members as resources in establishing station and department goals;
c) preparing long and short term station and department priorities
(i. e., equipment purchases, promotions); d) identifying individual
goals allowing for reconciliation of staff member goals with
department and station priorities; e) determining leadership
efficiency and effectiveness of staff-management relations; and,
f) serving as a basis for individual conferences between department
heads and top level management.
Conclusions
The phenomenological approach described in this article is an
ideal tool for consultants or management to explore the organizational
communication of a particular radio station. The results provide
an important decision making tool for dissecting station operations
and staff relations.
-
- References
-
- Colaizzi, P. F. (1973).
Reflections and research in psychology: a phenomenological
study of learning. Dubuque: Kendall-Hunt.
-
- Guba, E. G. (1981).
Criteria for assessing the trustworthiness of naturalistix inquiries.
Educational Communication and Technology Journal, 29, 75-91.
-
- Guba, E. G., & Lincoln,
Y. S. (1981). Effective Evaluation. San Francisco: Josey-Bass.
-
- Lanigan, R. L. (1979).
The Phenomenology of human communication. Philosophy Today,
23, 3-5.
-
- Lanigan, R. L. (1982).
Semiotic Phenomenology: a theory of human communication
praxis. Journal of Applied Communication Reserach,
10, 62-74.
-
- Parcells, F. E. (1983a).
Specifying approaches to naturalistic inquiry: phenomenal
study and phenomenological study. Unpublished Manuscript.
-
- Parcells, F. E. (1983a).
Integrating research paradigms: conducting appropriate and
useful communication inquiry. Unpublished Manuscript.
-
- Parcells, F. E. (1986).
Media consumer education: learning through reflection on the
media experience. Journal of the Illinois Speech and Theatre
Association, 38, 38, 57-65.
-
- Patton, M. Q. (1980).
Qulatative Evaluation Methods. Beverly Hills: Sage.
-
- Frank E. Parcells
(Ph. D.,
Southern Illinois University, 1983) is a Professor in the
Department of Communication and Theatre at Austin Peay State
University where he teaches advertising, broadcast media, corporate
communication, Internet and Web technology, and public relations,
and coordinates the online M. A. program in Corporate Communication.
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