The International Communication Association Survey Prepared and presented by Martyna Padewska

International Communication Association (ICA) An academic association for scholars interested in the study, teaching and application of all aspects of human and mediated communication. It began more than 60 years ago as a small organization of U.S. researchers and now is truly international with more than 4500 members in over 85 countries, approximately two-thirds of whom are academic scholars, professors, and graduate students. Other members are in government, the media, communication technology, business law, medicine and other professions. Website: https://www.icahdq.org/

Survey - definition According to Cambridge English Dictionary: an examination of opinions, behaviour, etc., made by asking people questions.

The total assessment package Created under the leadership of Dr. Gerald M. Goldhaber as a method of diagnosing communication in organizations. Includes: A) standardized survey questionnaires, B) interviews, C) observations, D) network analyses, E) critical incidents, F) communication diary.

An overview of the survey Comprehensive. 122 questions. 8 major sections. Some sections divided into subsections. Covers the most important aspects of organizational communication.

Sections and subsections Amount of information actively received about topics. Amount of information desired about these topics. Amount of information actually sent about topics. Amount of information desired to be sent about these topics. Amount of follow-up of people now. Amount of follow-up needed. Amount of information received from sources. Amount of information desired from these sources. Timeliness of information received from key sources. Organizational communication relationships. Satisfaction with organizational outcomes. Amount of information received from channels now. Amount of information desired from channels now.

Quick overview Questions under various sections are grouped together therefore it is possible to use some sections while not using others to get a quick overview of what is covered in each section.

The scale For each of the items two scales are used. They exist horizontally side by side. It allows to subtract the ‘receive now’ score from the ‘need’ score in order to come up with the difference that may describe the gaps.

The interpretation of gathered data Questions involve only general reactions to the sources, they do not tell the auditor specifically what information is needed but is not being passed on. A relationship with top management is what everybody has in common. Nevertheless employees are not responding to the same coworkers, meetings or immediate supervisors. Due to differences mentioned above, the responses must be compared by units or by departments to make this information meaningful. “Less is better” – employees rather get information through formal channels rather than informal.

Timeliness of information Timing is a crucial area to investigate in an audit. Information gotten too early may cause an overload. Information gotten before a useful context is provided may cause wrong interpretation. Information gotten too late may cause an underload. Survey does not specify what kind of information is not being delivered on time.

Organizational Communication Relationships One of the most important areas to be examined during any communication audit. The questions are oriented toward relationships with coworkers, the immediate supervisors and top management. They also consider employee’s general relationship to the organization. There are more questions about employee’s relationship with his or her immediate supervisor because of it’s extreme importance in communication process.

Channels of communication Need to be evaluated periodically. Each of organization’s channels must be listed. There is no standard list as the channels differ between organizations and new technologies develop.

Analysis and interpretation 1. Frequency counts and means – frequency count allows to determine the degree of agreement in the organization about strengths and weaknesses and means allow comparisons among the items. 2. Difference scores: Satisfaction = Amount needed/wanted – amount currently received Therefore wider the gap between amount of information needed and received the more problem exists. 3. Demographic comparisons – the results allow identifying where groups are significantly different from one another, calling attention to group differences can help explain what happens in the organization.

Advantages of the ICA survey Comprehensiveness Inspected by academics High success rate Adaptable to different types of organizations Tested many times and perfected over the years

Vulnerabilities of the ICA survey Long and complex Some people do not finish it May cause ‘downtime’ at work Unclear to some what the questions are about Uneasy interpretation of results

Conclusion The emphasis on the ICA survey diminishes due to administrative and legal considerations. The ICA officers decided they cannot be liable for its use. There has been no effort to coordinate all the results from audits using it. Nevertheless it continues to be a viable tool for individual auditors and as such it merits attention.

Thank you for your attention. The end Thank you for your attention.