Date of Award

2023

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Communication Studies

Department

Communication Studies

First Advisor

Renee Hobbs

Abstract

Professionals working in corporate communications within the defense industry have cited a need to send the same message multiple times in many different ways to maximize the effectiveness of the correspondence. At the present time, communication specialists rely on guesswork to ensure that the workforce has the relevant knowledge needed to be effective at work. It would be far more effective if these specialists had greater knowledge of the most accurate way to reach each sector of their workforce, particularly in light of the Covid-19 pandemic that caused an unprecedented increase in telework. By understanding the medium preference, generational cohort, military status, age, and telework frequency in relation to message comprehension and liking, this study aims to create new knowledge of how best to communicate with a diverse and specialized workforce with unique information needs. The study ultimately yielded largely inconclusive results because of sampling size, but further explorations is warranted. The study found evidence that receiving a video treatment results in less message comprehension compared to text or image. There also was evidence of a strong relationship between age, military status and working in the defense industry with liking. These findings will need to be substantiated by further research with a larger sample.

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