Organizations, Communication, and Health

Organizations, Communication, and Health focuses on theories and constructs of organizational communication and their relationship to health. The goal of the volume is to offer a current picture of organizational and organizing processes and practices related to health.

Research in the area of health communication has expanded in recent years, and this research has advanced understandings of campaigns, patient/provider interactions, and social support. However, a gap in the area of health, organizations, and organizing processes emerged, a niche this volume fills. It does so by having chapters identify an organizational theory or organizing process and how aspects of that theory relate to health. Chapters discuss how to marry theory to practice and the other factors (e.g., organizational structure, role, occupation, industry, or environment) that need to be considered in the process of utilizing the theory in organizations.

This volume, aimed at advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying health communication, as well as health professionals, provides useful theory and practice related the organizations and health, and issues a call for further theorizing on the practice of health communication in organizations.

Tyler R. Harrison (PhD, University of Arizona) is a professor of Communication Studies and a member of the Center for Communication, Culture, and Change at the University of Miami. His research focuses on the design, implementation, and evaluation of communication systems for organizational, health, and conflict processes.

Elizabeth A. Williams (PhD, Purdue University) is an assistant professor of Communication Studies at Colorado State University and an affiliate faculty member in the Colorado School of Public Health. Her current work examines the intersections among identification, leadership, training initiatives, and policy implementation in a variety of organizational contexts.