ABSTRACT

Effective internal risk and crisis communication can improve organizational functioning, which ultimately can improve community resilience to crises. However, little is known about communicative behaviors associated with effective internal risk and crisis communication. Microboundary spanning theory provides a fruitful framework for examining organizations’ internal risk and crisis communication. While most microboundary spanning work examines corporate communicative behaviors, our study extends this perspective by applying it to a non-corporate context. Specifically, this study explores U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) forecasters’ communicative behaviors through 32 in-depth face-to-face interviews. Findings reveal that NWS forecasters engage in megaphoning and scouting with organizational partners and community members. These communicative behaviors are strategic and spontaneous to mitigate the impact of threats on communities. Negative megaphoning seems to contribute to organizational partners’ trust in the NWS, and trust appears to be an integral factor in the success of positive megaphoning. Findings also uncover the need for additional cross-office information seeking. Ultimately, both megaphoning and scouting enhance the NWS’s capacity to save lives during severe weather.

摘要

有效的内部风险和危机沟通可以改善组织运作，最终可以提高社区应对危机的能力。然而，对于与有效的内部风险和危机沟通相关的沟通行为知之甚少。微边界跨越理论为检验组织的内部风险和危机沟通提供了一个富有成效的框架。虽然大多数跨越微观边界的工作都检查了企业的交流行为，但我们的研究通过将其应用于非企业环境来扩展这一视角。具体而言，本研究通过 32 次深入的面对面访谈，探讨了美国国家气象局 (NWS) 预报员的交流行为。调查结果表明，NWS 预报员与组织合作伙伴和社区成员进行扩音器和侦察。这些交流行为具有战略性和自发性，可以减轻威胁对社区的影响。负面扩音器似乎有助于组织合作伙伴对 NWS 的信任，而信任似乎是正面扩音器成功的一个不可或缺的因素。调查结果还揭示了需要额外的跨办公室信息搜索。最终，扩音器和侦察都增强了 NWS 在恶劣天气下拯救生命的能力。