Date

4-7-2026

Department

School of Communication and the Arts

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Communication (PhD)

Chair

Carol E. Hepburn

Keywords

coordinated management of meaning (CMM), cosmopolitan communication, logical forces, CMM models, interpretive alignment, leadership communication, Class A trucking, highway safety, job satisfaction, management, organizational communication

Disciplines

Communication

Abstract

This study examines how communication between truck drivers and their managers can support meaningful behavioral change by co-constructing shared interpretations, as described by coordinated management of meaning theory. It focuses on how meanings are negotiated in everyday conversations and how specific conversational mechanisms shape drivers' performances. The central claim is that certain conversational mechanisms can reduce uncertainty, ease friction between co-workers, and improve safety and operational efficiency. When supervisors and drivers successfully develop shared meanings, greater clarity, stronger working relationships are more likely. Those outcomes matter in a high stake, complex industry. This research extends scholarship on organizational meaning-making and offers practical recommendations for strengthening conversations. This study expands the theory by identifying communicative coordinating tools, making it possible for future researchers to conduct quantitative research using the coordinated management of meaning theory.

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