Statement of Goals & Research Interest - Powered by Discuz!NT Archiver

wxfily0607 - 2008-4-8 11:28:00

Along my pursuit of an academic life, I excelled in my studies, graduating Cum Laude and Distinction, and winning a number of other awards, including a Presidential Scholarship, University Fellowship, Teaching Assistantship, and the chances to present eight papers at various conferences such as twice at the National Communication Association (NCA), one of which has been awarded Student Section Competitive Paper, International Academy of Business Disciplines (IABD) in 2004, 2004 U.S. Foreign Policy Colloquium at Georgetown University, and Harvard Asian Business Conference in Shanghai in 2004. Additionally, three of my papers have been republished in Business Research Yearbook and Reality Communication Journal. For one thing, all these have proved to me that continuing my study of Communications at Syracuse University was a wise move. For another thing, the awards themselves mean very little – they serve merely to remind me of my persistence and dedication to communications studies. Naturally, I am determined to continue on to Ph.D.-level work in this field.

Having immersed myself in communication studies for the last six years, I have developed a good sense of the boundaries of the field. The nature and dynamic of human interaction in organizations continues to fascinate me, as do related concepts such as leadership, motivation, identity, and organizational management. The intellectual dialogue between these areas of my discipline has broadened my perspective and clarified the nature of my interest in the subject. My coursework in Psychology, Anthropology, Counseling, and Sociology at Syracuse encouraged me to look at my field from an interdisciplinary perspective, but also allowed me to focus on the very aspects of communication. Having explored the width and breadth of the field, I am now certain that communication study in the area of organization is my passion – an excellent fit with my interests, talents, and temperament.

However, given my long-term goal of becoming a scholar, my current academic training is insufficient. In my field, there is a great disparity between the current state of theory and research, and the reality of organizations. From my own experiences, I have observed the need to close this gap. Working at Syracuse’s Model Neighborhood Facility, China Central Television, i-to-i International Volunteer Organization, and China Agricultural University gave me a first-hand look at the pitfalls of improper management, at the same time, realized the importance of good organizational philosophies. Time and again, I witnessed the loss of creative ideas due to excessively rigid hierarchies, redundant documentation, and a lack of intra-organizational communication. Ironically, the intention to simplify often backfires, making that which was supposed to be simple more complex. Similarly, stricter rules to control behaviors tend to be least effective. Yet these phenomena are not so well documented.

During the course of these work experiences and my own research, a number of lingering questions have continued to motivate me. Can we most effectively control human behavior by assigning roles and imposing regulations in hierarchical organizations? Should individuals or organizations take precedence when trying to determine the optimal structure of a particular institution?
What’s the dynamic between organizations and human resources? As these questions lurk in the back of my mind, they exert a subtle influence on my studies. Last spring, after taking Professor Amardo Rodriguez’s course “Emerging Organizational Models,” I was finally able to answer some of these questions. Reading Johan Kao’s Jamming, Jean-Maire Dru’s Beyond Disruption, Margaret Wheatley’s Leadership and the New Science,and Myron Kellner-Rogers’ A Simpler Way, fundamentally altered my thinking.

The course helped me realize that organizations are effectively organic simply because they are composed of human beings. Accordingly, managing organizations in a rigid, mechanistic fashion drains them of their vitality. An organic system is one that evolves in relation to nature. Utterly captivated by this premise, I began to think, “If the natural organism is evolved in a way that allows for systematic self-renewal, why can’t organizations function the same way?” I also questioned whether “healthy” management principles might be able to lengthen the lifespan of an organization.

Gratefully, with the help of my advisor Professor Rodriguez, I was able to initiate a project adopting an organic model. I proposed that organizations are inherently organic and they live like organisms. Particularly, a season model is suggested. Four propositions (unpredictability, continuity/transition, diversity, and expressions) that are sacred to seasons are recommended for organizations whose inherent conditions are conducive to this model. Applying these propositions automatically brings back humanity that allows an organization to realize, by itself, all organisms’ soulful nature and innate ability to adapt. A successful adaptation is hopefully to improve an organization’s overall quality. While this is a fascinating project, it leaves me with more inquires. Satisfactory answers will only come from further empirical research.

Someday, I hope to be the innovator who discovers how to enable organizations to grow organically and flourish while simultaneously preserving the functional constraints that are necessary for interfacing with other organizations. I fully realize the enormity of the opportunities I have already been granted, and I can only hope that I can continue to savor them at Maryland’s Communication Department. The ability to tailor a course of study to my specific interests while offering great flexibilities, the rich opportunities to engage with people from diverse academic backgrounds, the plethora of superior facilities, and the chance to conduct original and empirical research make Maryland the ideal place to pursue my Ph.D. in Communication Studies. I cannot wait to begin.

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