Publication Date

1985

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Walker, Albert, 1920-

Degree Name

M.A. (Master of Arts)

Legacy Department

Department of Journalism

LCSH

House organs--Missouri--Saint Louis Region; Employee attitude surveys--Missouri--Saint Louis Region

Abstract

The problem of communicating within a large geographically and demographically diverse corporation via the company publication presents a number of possible options. Among the options is publication localization. This study's purpose is to find out whether including localized news in an employee publication has any effects on employee attitudes. Chapter 1 discusses the problem and scope of the study while Chapter 2 includes details on the population and method of the study. In this study, Sears, Roebuck and Co. employees in the St. Louis geographic/administrative area were surveyed in August 1983 prior to the introduction of a St. Louis regional edition of the Midwest-area publication. The survey asked for basic demographic data and measured employee readership and attitudes toward the publication. In January 1984, five months after the introduction of the St. Louis regional edition, the survey was repeated to determine any change in attitude attributable to the existence of the regional publication. Twenty percent of employees in each facility received surveys. Response to the August survey was 52 percent. Response to the January survey was 42 percent. Demographic results closely paralleled those found in Sears 1981 National Communication Audit. The "average" employee is female, high school educated, over 40 years old, has more than 15 years of service and is hourly paid. Findings, conclusions, interpretation and recommendations are found in chapters 3, 4 and 5. Comparing results of the second survey with those of the first, the results were: — More employees viewed the publication as a good source of local information. — More employees reported receiving the publication more consistently. — More employees said the publication's information is important. — More employees said the publication's information is interesting. — More employees reported reading about people and units in the St. Louis area. Combining these results with the previously held beliefs that the publication is a good source of company information, contains information that is new to them and is usually open and straightforward, the study shows that localization leads to improved employee attitudes toward the company publication.

Comments

Bibliography: pages 91-95.

Extent

x, 123 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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