| People who lead community organizations as volunteers may be successful by engaging in dialogue, building consensus and making decisions in order to accomplish the organization's mission. This communication audit of a 10-month-old, 17-member nonprofit group employed questionnaires, interviews and participant observation to study the idea that information members receive about interpersonal and small group communication during the study would improve the effectiveness of their meetings and decisions. Grounded in social construction and coordinated management of meaning theory (e.g. Berger & Luckmann, 1966; Cronen, Barnett & Harris, 1979; Pacanowsky & Trujillo, 1982; Pearce, 1989; Maside, 1990; Shotter, 1993; Miranda & Saunders, 2003; Holstein & Gubrium, 2008), the study found that the process of the communication audit allowed board members to express their opinions to the researcher in a manner that preserved the good relations between members. Thinking and talking about the board's communication both individually and as a group allowed members to better understand the role dialogue plays in building successful outcomes. The audit resulted in a number of recommendations that, if implemented, may strengthen the organization and its ability to achieve its mission. |
