Kathleen Propp
Kathleen Propp
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Kathleen Propp Professor 313 Sprau Tower (269) 387-3138 |
Education: Ph.D., University of Iowa
Areas of Expertise: Small group decision making, organizational communication, and conflict management
My research:
My primary area of research is the study of decision making in team settings, and my goal is to uncover communicative factors that have an impact on the quality of decisions. More specifically, I have examined how groups process information and how gender and status differences bias this process. I have also studied what specific forms of communication enhance the quality of decisions in organizational teams. Other research interests of mine include organizational socialization and understanding perceptions of conflict revealed by metaphor use.
Courses I teach:
COM 2010 Communication Inquiry
This course is designed to develop the knowledge and skills
necessary to read, understand, and perform basic communication
research. The course provides information on quantitative
as well as qualitative research methods, with a focus on how
these methods may be used to examine organizational and interpersonal
communication phenomena. Topics are developed not only for
those who want to perform original research, but also for
those seeking to develop skills in reading and understanding
the results of others' research. Primary topics include: the
interplay of communication theory and research methods, strategies
for locating secondary research, reading and comprehending
scholarly articles that report research results, formulating
research questions and hypotheses about communication, measurement
of variables and design of communication research, survey,
experimental, textual, and naturalistic research methodologies,
analysis and interpretation of research including basic statistical
and interpretive procedures, ethical and political considerations
when performing communication research.
Recent publications:
Propp, K. M. (2001, November). Why do groups rely on men’s information: The role of external status cues. Paper presented at the meeting of the National Communication Association, Atlanta, GA.
Propp, K. M. (2000, November). Is it who we are or the company we keep? The impact of sex of subject and group composition on information-evaluative behaviors in small groups. Paper presented at the meeting of the National Communication Association, Seattle, WA.
Propp, K. M. (1999). Custody assignment decision-making task (ONLINE). (CD-ROM). Abstracts from: Ovid Technologies, HaPI Item 50503.
Propp, K. M. (1999). Collective information processing in groups. In L. Frey, D. S. Gouran, & M. S. Poole (Eds.), Handbook of group communication theory and research (pp. 225-250). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Propp, K. M. (1999). Custody assignment decision-making task (ONLINE). (CD-ROM). Abstracts from: Ovid Technologies, HaPI Item 50503.
Propp, K. M. (1999, November). Translating barriers into opportunities during the millennium: Helping group communication scholars rise above theoretical obstacles. Paper to be presented at the meeting of the National Communication Association, Chicago, IL.
Professional experience:
Associate Professor, Northern Illinois University (August 1997-1999)
Assistant Professor, Northern Illinois University (August 1991-1997)
Trainer, Office of International Training and Consultation (1993-1999)
Trainer, HIV/AIDS Prevention Education Training for Teachers (1992-1993)
Graduate Instructor, University of Iowa (1987-1991)
Instructor, University of Dubuque (Summer 1990)
Awards received:
University-wide winner of the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award of Northern Illinois University (1999)
Schoolal winner of the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award of Northern Illinois University (1995, 1997, 1998, 1999)
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences finalist for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award of Northern Illinois University (1995, 1998, 1999)
Research Grant, School of Communication, NIU (1992, 1995, 1999)
Top Panel, Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Interest Group, CSCA (1996)
Top Paper, Communication Theory Interest Group, CSCA (1994)
My life outside the university:
My hobbies include collecting antique dolls and pottery, reading, interior decorating, and gardening. I also enjoy swimming, step aerobics, and playing fetch with Tiberius, my Himalayan cat who thinks he's a dog and eats with his hands!