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Communication is the lifeblood of any organisation. The need for effective internal communication systems is particularly crucial when organisations, such as schools, are operating in a turbulent environment of rapid and sustained change. Schools must be innovative to be able to respond and adapt to the challenges presented by such changes. It is now increasingly evident that those organisations which promote good internal communication reap positive dividends in meeting these challenges. However, there is a need for hard data on the nature, structure, flow and practice of communication to ensure that the most effective systems are put in place and are working to the optimal level. To achieve this a method of investigation, the communication audit, has been developed which allows for a thorough‐going analysis of internal organisational communication. Explores the principal tools utilised in the implementation of a communication audit, and discusses the benefits which this approach offers to school management teams.

Argues in favour of utilizing qualitative methods to assess the effectiveness of internal communications in the National Health Service (NHS), as a supplement to the more standard quantitative measures normally employed. Presents a case study from an NHS Trust, demonstrating the type of data which is generated. Compares these data to findings derived by quantitative methods. Argues that the qualitative findings both confirm and supplement those derived by quantitative methods, and that both can identify the types of major problems prevalent within the NHS at present. Suggests that the further study of these issues should become an important part of efforts to create national standards for communication effectiveness in the future.

One of the principal organizational developments in the last decade has been the pervasive influence of computer mediated communication (CMC) tools. The purpose of this paper is to closely interrogate the day‐to‐day role of e‐mail in explicating, influencing and shaping social and information interactions within an organization.

A series of in‐depth interviews (n=29) were undertaken to elicit employee opinions on their e‐mail adaptation, experiences and practices.

The paper provides insights into the polymorphic role of e‐mail, particularly the way in which it is adapted by individuals within the organization. Specifically, it shows how this tool interacts within day‐to‐day work activities and tasks.

This paper investigates only one CMC tool, e‐mail, although it is envisaged that this initial work will be used to raise a new understanding of the socially skilled adaptation of other CMC tools by employees as well as leaders.

Previously unreported insights into employee opinion are delineated in order to provide a focus from which organizations can train and develop their employees and leaders to maximise knowledge creation within the organization.

This study assesses CMC from an under‐researched “real‐life” perspective in which everyday interactions are used to understand employee reactions to e‐mail communication and hence foster an atmosphere in which these interactions assist organizational development.

Watson and Gallois have argued that “at the very core of health communication is the interaction between health professionals and their patients”, and thus effective and quality communication between doctor and patient is imperative.

This is the second of a two‐part article reporting the results of a study which investigated communication and relationships in the workplaces of four large organizations in Northern Ireland, two in the public sector and two in the private. A central purpose of the research was to evaluate suitable methods for auditing relationships among staff. Based on a review of the apposite literature on organizational and relational communication, the most promising techniques finally selected were the focus group approach, retrospective interview technique, social network analysis, and critical incident technique. In Part 1 the first two of these techniques were evaluated. Now, in Part 2 social network analysis and critical incident technique are similarly examined, in terms of their potential to generate quality data on the types of association that typify those who share a work environment. In a final conclusion to the two‐part article, recommendations for using qualitative and quantitative methods for auditing internal relationships are also offered.

The aim of this piece of research was to detail the scope and nature of sectarianism as experienced by employees, managers and those with trade union responsibilities, in the Northern Ireland workplace.

Four large organizations, two from the private and two from the public sector, were recruited to take part in this qualitative study. In‐depth interviews were carried out with managers and trade union personnel. Focus groups were run with employees.

Data were submitted to thematic analysis. The major themes to emerge included: the extent of experienced sectarianism, sources of sectarianism, the nature of sectarian harassment, “tolerable” sectarianism, and the management of difference.

Short‐comings of the study include the possibility that social desirability effects could have operated to underplay sectarian attitudes. Again the limitations of a qualitative methodology in providing estimates of the extent of sectarianism in the broader population are acknowledged.

Practical implications of the findings for controlling sectarianism and managing diversity are discussed in terms of organizational formalization, the promotion of a common ingroup workforce identity, and the informal procedures used by employees to manage difference on a day‐to‐day basis.

The study is particularly pertinent, given that there has been little attempt to capture the experiences of sectarianism in workplaces from the perspective of managers, employees and trade union personnel.

Aims to review the literature on evaluation and to examine research, theory and practice in relation to two key questions: What is evaluation and What is its contribution? Evaluation is increasingly a contemporary concern owing to growing demand for verification of programme results and the current political and economic climate. With the growth in evaluation activity in diverse fields, especially within new domains, those involved in health‐care delivery can benefit from an overview of the universal fundamentals of research and theory that translate into improved practice. To evaluate effectively, there is a need for a full understanding of evaluation’s nature, purposes and concepts. Identifies and reviews the key sub‐domains of evaluation, namely: definitions; theoretical underpinning; formulation of goals and objectives; specification of the programme; and cost‐benefit analysis.

This paper discusses the internal communication challenges facing a large manufacturing company in Northern Ireland. Employee surveys revealed unacceptable levels of dissatisfaction with communication, and a poor flow of information on key corporate issues. A communication strategy was developed, in response to these findings. The centrepiece of the strategy was a training programme for managers. This was designed to promote feed‐back‐seeking behaviours. This programme was piloted in one area, with a view to rolling it gradually throughout the rest of the organisation. The programme concerned is discussed in depth, and evidence presented as to its effectiveness. Its wider relevance, for other organisations, is also considered.

Microteaching is a teacher training method based on microclasses (groups of four or five students) and microlessons lasting no more than 5–20 min. Since it was first explored in the late 20th century in experiments at Stanford University, microteaching has evolved at the interdisciplinary level. The purpose of this paper is to examine the networks found via an analytical bibliometric study of the scientific output related with microteaching in teacher training, through a study and examination of the Web of Science database.

This research was conducted with the VOSviewer tool for content analysis through data mining and scientific network structure mapping by means of the normalisation technique. This technique is based on the association strength indicator, which is interpreted as a measurement of the similarity of the units of analysis.

Two hundred and nine articles were thus obtained from the Web of Science database. The networks generated and the connections among the various items, co-authorship and co-citation are presented in the results, which clearly indicates that there are significant authors and institutions in the field of microteaching. The largest cluster is made up of institutions such as Australian Catholic University. The most often-cited document is by Rich and Hannafin. Allen (1968), who defines microteaching as a technique based on microclasses and microlessons, is the author most often cited and has the largest number of connections.

This research’s limitations concern either aspects that lie beyond the study’s possibilities or goals that have proved unattainable. The second perspective, which focuses on skill transfer, contains a lower percentage of documents and therefore has a weaker central documentary structure. Lastly, the authors have also had to bear in mind the fact that the scientific output hinges upon a highly specific realm, the appearance and/or liberalisation of digital technologies and access to those technologies in the late 20th century.

This research shows that microteaching is a promising area of research that opens up vast possibilities in higher education teacher training for application in the realm of technologies. This paper could lead to several lines of future research, such as access to and the universal design of learning from the standpoint of different communication and pedagogical models based on microteaching.