Dr. Jody Jahn's research is focused on ways that members of high hazard teams act and communicate with one another. Her most recent research examines how wildland firefighting workgroups interpret standardized safety rules and develop techniques for navigating hazards. Other research interests include organizational sensemaking and environmental conflict.
keywords
high reliability organizing, organizational socialization, workgroups and teams, vocational/career socialization, sensemaking, environmental conflict
Teaching
courses taught
COMM 1210 - Perspectives on Human Communication
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Fall 2022 / Spring 2023 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024
Surveys communication in a variety of contexts and applications. Topics include basic concepts and general models of communication, ethics, language and nonverbal communication, personal relationships, group decision making, organizational communication, and impact of technological developments on communication. Required for COMN majors and minors.
COMM 1600 - Group Interaction
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Spring 2018 / Fall 2018 / Spring 2019 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2020 / Fall 2020
Learn communication skills to be a better group member and enhance group effectiveness in a variety of professional and civic contexts. Practice group communication skills through an innovative group project and online simulation. Focuses on topics such as group development & socialization, decision making, conflict management, technology & virtual group work, difference & diversity, planning & coordination, leadership & management, and ethics. Required for COMM and COMN majors.
COMM 3620 - Advanced Teamwork and Collaboration
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Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022 / Fall 2022
Explores communication and collaboration in complex situations (e.g., extreme environments e.g., space travel; cross-sector collaborations). Reviews and applies key processes of team/group communication and collaboration to the context of extreme teams to identify communication issues and interventions relevant in complex organizing or dangerous situations.
COMM 3740 - Qualitative Research Methods
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Fall 2021
Learn to collect and analyze qualitative data (interviews, observations, focus groups) in order to answer research questions about communication and society. Focuses on research that investigates meaning, understanding, process, and interpretation in order to enhance our knowledge of human interaction. Recommended prerequisites: COMM 1210 and COMM 1600.
COMM 3750 - Quantitative Research Methods
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Fall 2018 / Spring 2019
Introduces empirical communication research. Students develop skills in collecting data and analyzing statistical research. Students conduct an original research project applying numerical analysis to communication behavior. Recommended prerequisites: COMM 1210 and COMM 1600.
COMM 4950 - Senior Thesis: Honors
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Spring 2018
For exceptional communication majors who wish to graduate with department honors and receive credit for writing an honors thesis. For students accepted into COMN Honors program and currently completing COMN Honors Thesis project.
COMM 5210 - Readings in Communication Theory
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Spring 2022 / Spring 2024
Provides a critical overview of influential theoretical traditions in communication studies. Emphasizes the discipline�s social scientific and humanistic heritage, while also considering emerging trends. Introduces standards for evaluating and critiquing communication theories.
COMM 5620 - Readings in Organizational Communication
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Spring 2018
Survey of historical and contemporary readings in organizational communication. Treats theory, research, and application from a variety of perspectives.
COMM 5930 - Graduate Internship
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Spring 2018
Offers opportunities for graduate-level communication related work projects. Limited to 3 hours in spring and fall semesters, 6 hours in summer. The 6-hour limit at MA level and 9-hour limit at PhD level applies to any combination of independent study and internship credit.
ORGL 5420 - Knowledge Management
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Fall 2021 / Summer 2022 / Spring 2023 / Fall 2023 / Summer 2024
Knowledge Management (KM) initiatives typically define knowledge as a commodity that is easily stored and transferred; explores how technological advancements and claims to knowledge ownership constitute management in KM. The course then presents alternative models of knowledge and management in which knowledge is understood as a component of communicative action, and management is portrayed as the construction of communities of practice that share responsibility for innovation.
