Purpose This paper clarifies how unplanned conversations are operationalized and examines their interrelationships and spatiotemporal patterning at work. It asks (1) how the frequency, length, and perceived value of unplanned conversations relate to one another and (2) how the type and perceived value of unplanned conversations vary by location and day of the week. Design/methodology/approach A multi-method design was used across two organizational sites. Proximity data derived from a custom mobile application were used as proxies for the frequency and length of unplanned conversations; structured observations near workstations supplemented these data, and Qualtrics spot-sampling surveys captured conversation type, location, and perceived value. Analyses were conducted using dyad-level bivariate correlations and conversation-level χ2 tests and two-way ANOVAs. Findings Frequency was negatively associated with mean conversation length, but not with work-related or non-work-related perceived value. Conversation type varied by location, but not by day of the week. Perceived work-related value varied by location, whereas non-work-related value did not vary by location, day of the week, or their interaction. Originality/value The paper demonstrates the centrality of unplanned conversations to organizing processes and explains why methodological choices about operationalization and spatiotemporal data collection matter for theorizing and interpreting them.
Purpose This paper examines how organizations can manage the tension between visibility and vulnerability in digital environments by introducing progressive disclosure, a strategic corporate communication approach that sequences and times information release to balance transparency, credibility, and reputation. Design/methodology/approach The study develops a conceptual framework grounded in corporate communication scholarship, integrating signaling theory, impression management, strategic silence, and digital transparency research. Drawing on illustrative corporate cases, it synthesizes how disclosure timing, message selectivity, and relational reciprocity shape stakeholder interpretation and communication outcomes. Findings The analysis shows that unmanaged or impulsive disclosure in digital channels can amplify reputational risk and stakeholder distrust. The proposed progressive disclosure framework identifies seven strategic communication practices, anchored in credibility management, temporal control, and reciprocal stakeholder engagement. Practical implications The framework provides actionable guidance for designing disclosure strategies, social media policies, and reputational resilience practices in highly transparent digital environments. Social implications More intentional disclosure practices may contribute to healthier digital communication ecosystems by reducing misinformation, mitigating reputational volatility, and supporting ethical standards of corporate transparency. Originality/value This paper advances corporate communication theory by conceptualizing progressive disclosure as a disciplined, strategic communication capability. It moves beyond static or normative notions of transparency and offers a dynamic model explaining how organizations can manage the risks and opportunities of digital visibility.
Purpose Although social robots are increasingly being used in higher education‚ the relational antecedents of students’ acceptance of these robots remain unexplored. This study re-conceptualises the technology acceptance model (TAM) for social robots by shifting the theoretical focus from utilitarian beliefs toward the relational quality of the human–robot interaction (HRI), positioning trust‚ satisfaction and rapport as main relational antecedents of students’ attitudes and behavioural intentions toward social robots. The study also examines the moderating effects of user motivation‚ empathy‚ risk aversion and technology readiness on the attitude–behavioural intention relationship. Design/methodology/approach Cluster sampling was used to define the sample‚ which comprised 900 university students from six public universities in Greece. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was conducted with AMOS 29 to test the proposed model. Findings Trust‚ satisfaction and rapport are strong positive predictors of student attitude toward social robots‚ which in turn positively influences students’ behavioural intention to use social robots. User motivation‚ empathy and technology readiness motivators (optimism and innovativeness) strengthen the relationship between attitude and behavioural intention towards social robots‚ while risk aversion and technology readiness inhibitors (discomfort and insecurity) attenuate this relationship. Research limitations/implications Despite the contributions achieved here‚ there are some limitations that deserve to be mentioned and suggest promising paths for future research. Because this research used a cross-sectional design‚ it does not allow for causality and the possibility to observe how attitudes and intentions towards social robots develop over time. Future studies with longitudinal designs are needed to test whether the identified antecedents for establishing a relationship with social robots (i.e. trust‚ satisfaction‚ rapport) can increase or decrease with repeated social robot interactions (Donnermann et al.‚ 2022). Practical implications Given the tight connection of trust‚ satisfaction and rapport with students’ perceptions‚ it is important that institutions also consider the quality of the HRI when deciding whether or not to use social robots as teaching assistants. This includes the robots’ ability to build trust through reliable behaviour‚ provide satisfaction through responsive interaction and achieve rapport through attentive‚ empathic and positive communication (Buhmann et al., 2026; Lemon and Dhanesh, 2026). Originality/value This study adds to the literature by being one of the first to conceptualise social robot acceptance as a relational phenomenon‚ positioning trust‚ satisfaction and rapport as core antecedents of attitude and behavioural intention‚ a theoretical move entirely absent from existing social robot acceptance and educational HRI research. Beyond the direct effects‚ this study introduces two theoretically grounded categories of individual-level moderators: psychological-relational moderators (motivation‚ empathy and risk aversion) and technology-related moderators (technology readiness)‚ which collectively provide a coherent and empirically novel account of the boundary conditions governing social robot acceptance among university students.
Purpose This scoping review examines how organizational communication and professional communicators are conceptualized within DEI-related scholarship and identifies recurring patterns in how communication sustains, obscures, constrains, resists, or transforms organizational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) commitments. Design/methodology/approach Using Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS) as an interpretive lens, the review synthesizes a heterogeneous corpus of empirical, conceptual, theoretical, and review scholarship across communication, management, and DEI research. An iterative, theory-informed analysis identifies recurring patterns in the relationship between organizational communication, institutional conditions, and DEI-related practice. Findings The findings identify four recurring patterns of DEI communication alignment: performative alignment, strategic silence and organizational retreat, exclusionary alignment, and transformative alignment. Rather than cataloging DEI practices, this framework explains how organizational communication may sustain, obscure, resist, or transform inequity within contemporary institutional contexts. Practical implications The paper’s findings suggest that communicators advance DEI more effectively when they adopt dialogic and reflexive practices, integrate diverse voices into strategic messaging, and advocate for transparency over performance. Originality/value This review extends DEI communication literature by applying CWS to synthesize existing scholarship and offering an actionable framework for practitioners to critically examine and transform communication practices within organizations.
