Walter G. Kirkpatrick
Associate Professor

Degrees Held

B.A. 1967 University of Montana
M.A. 1969 University Iowa
Ph.D. 1974 University of Iowa

Academic Summary

My academic focus is primarily on organizational communication.  In particular, I am most interested in supervisor/employee interactions, the use of dialogue in organizations, organizational commitment, and elements of organizational culture.

As a consultant, I have worked with a number of organizations including Federal Express, Holiday Corporation, Harrah’s and International Paper to improve their supervisory communication management competencies and employee commitment

Courses Taught

Theories of Persuasion
Small Group Communication
Communication in Organization
Seminar: Organizational Communication

Major Publications/Presentations

Kirkpatrick, W. G. (2001, September). Mary Parker Follett's Thoughts on Authority and Management: Creating Manager-Employee Dialogue in the Work Group. Joint Tennessee and Kentucky Communication Convention.

Kirkpatrick, W. G. (1999, October). Organizational Learning and Developing Competencies of Organizational Communication Personnel. Tennessee Speech Communication Association.

Kirkpatrick, W. G. (1999, April). Assessing University Communication Issues at the Division Level. Southern Speech Communication Association.

Kirkpatrick, W. G., & P. Jeffery. (1988, April). The Impact of Communication Between Managers and Employees: A Discriminant Analysis of Employee Reliance on the Manager as a Primary Source of Information. Southeast Association of Business Communicators.

Robertson, E., & Kirkpatrick, W. G., (1997, October/November). Roger D’Aprix’s Supervisory Communication Model in Action. Strategic Communication Management.

Kirkpatrick, W. G. (1988, April).Toward the Development of a Supervisory Communication Index: The Impact of D'Aprix's Model of Supervisory Communication on Employee Information Levels, Communication Climate, and Satisfaction. Southeast Association of Business Communicators.

Kirkpatrick, W. G. (1988, March). Measuring Supervisors' Communication Effectiveness. Midwest District of the Public Relations Society of America Conference on Employee Relations.

Awards and Honors

Tennessee Communication Association Teacher of the Year 1985
College of Communication and Fines Arts Advisor of the Year 1987
University College Advisor of the Year 1992
Mortarboard Professor of the Year 1998
Distinguished Teaching Award 2001