School of Communication

Julie Apker

Associate Professor

321 Sprau Tower
(269) 387-3140

More Information

Education: B.A., Communication, Univ. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. M.A. & Ph.D., Communication Studies, Univ. of Kansas.

Julie Apker, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Communication, joined the faculty at Western Michigan University in 2001, where she teaches and conducts research in organizational and health communication. Previously, she worked as a professor in the Communication Department at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. Dr. Apker received her master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Kansas and she spent several years working in Kansas as a public relations and marketing communications specialist.

Her research focuses on organizational communication issues in healthcare contexts, investigating interactions among healthcare workers and between caregivers and patients. Her areas of specialization include:

development and negotiation of caregiver roles, particularly the communicative behaviors that affect health care quality and patient safety
caregiver-patient interaction patterns and strategies that impact relationship-centered communication and health care outcomes
communicative and organizational stressors that contribute to outcomes such as quality of work life, recruitment, and retention
supportive communication that helps minimize or prevent job-related stressors and enhance team dynamics
professional identity construction and role communication in healthcare team contexts
qualitative research methods

Dr. Apker has published in peer-reviewed, academic journals such as Journal of Applied Communication Research, Health Communication, Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, Qualitative Health Research, Journal of Nursing Administration, Nursing Economic$ and Nursing Outlook. She is the recipient of the 2004 Nursing Economic$/Margaret Sovie Writer’s Award and she serves on the editorial board of Health Communication.

Teaching Philosophy:

As a teacher, I believe that each course I lead is an opportunity to establish a learning community made up of collaborative partnerships with students. I bring knowledge and expertise based on my scholarship and experience whereas students bring their questions, ideas, opinions, and experiences based on their past experiences and coursework.

Research Interests:

My research interests are in the intersection of Organizational Communication and Health Communication. My specific areas of specialization are:

physician communication patterns and strategies that affect patient safety.
development and negotiation of caregiver roles, particularly communicative behaviors that affect bedside care delivery and caregiver identity

communicative and organizational stressors that contribute to outcomes such as quality of work life, job satisfaction, and retention.
supportive communication that helps minimize or prevent job-related stressors and enhances team dynamics.
qualitative research methods (e.g. focus groups, personal interviews, observations).

Courses I teach:

COM 2800: Introduction to Organization Communication

This survey course introduces students to organizational communication theories, concepts, and applications. Key objectives include:

Provide students with an overview of the theories and metaphors that traditionally have guided the study of organizations including classical, human relations, and human resources approaches.
Provide students with an introduction to newer approaches to the study of organizational communication including systems, cultural, and critical approaches.
Provide students with an introduction to important communication concepts and processes including issues such as: Socialization, Leadership, Superior-subordinate relationships, Decision-making, Social support, Diversity.
Provide students with information on potential career paths in the field of organizational communication and advice on “designing” their future coursework to improve competencies needed for selected career paths.

COM 3350: Leadership

This course is a designated writing intensive experience where students learn traditional and contemporary concepts and theories associated with leadership. Key objectives are the following:

To understand the fundamental role of communication and persuasion in leadership
To understand from a communication perspective the traditional concepts and theories associated with the dynamics of leadership as presented in the work of organizational theorists
To assist students in learning what is involved in being an effective leader
To observe and analyze specific leadership situations and the communication behaviors appropriate in those situations
To engage in examination, analysis and critique of the student’s individual leadership behaviors.

COM 4800: Communication Skills in Organizations

This capstone course for the organizational communication major furthers students’ oral and written communication skills in business contexts, with an emphasis on job searching. Key objectives are:

To develop oral and written communication skills useful for a variety of organizational contexts in areas such as persuasive messages, informative messages, positive messages, and negative messages.

To become knowledgeable and comfortable with different forms of written business communication as well as oral business presentations.
To demonstrate research and analysis skills needed for preparing written and oral work regarding organizational problems and solutions.
To be knowledgeable of the job search process, including the creation of cover letters and resumes
To develop an applied project that utilizes the skills learned in the course as well as past organizational communication courses. Further, this capstone project will require you use research skills learned in COM 2010.

COM 6820: Organizational Communication

This seminar course addresses the major theories, assumptions, and relevant topics associated with the study of organizational communication. Course content will provide students with an overview of foundational issues considered relevant to current and future study of organizational communication processes and paradigms.

Students will examine and critique fundamental theories and contemporary research in the field of organizational communication. They will apply traditional theories and recent research findings to organizational life experiences and case studies. Students will also learn to both utilize and generate knowledge pertaining to the study of organizational communication. A critical and ongoing aspect of this course is to apply theoretical concepts to the experiences of organizations of which we are a part (e.g., employing institutions, volunteer organizations, professional affiliations, universities/colleges).

Com 6800: Seminar in Organizational Communication: Micro-Level Organizational Communication Dynamics

This course addresses the major theories, assumptions, and relevant topics associated with the study of micro-level organizational communication, that is, those micropractices that affect individuals in their organizational experiences (paid work, volunteering, etc). The course specifically focuses on how communication at the interpersonal level is influential in organizational member relationships.

Areas to be addressed may include: Communicative perceptions and judgments of others, Impression management – presentation of self in everyday life, Emotional processes in the workplace - emotional labor, communicative stressors and supportive communication, Identification – with organizations and other targets (e.g., groups, professions), Upward Communication – influencing the boss, upward distortion, organizational dissent, Horizontal communication – organizational friendships, coworker communication, Dysfunctional communication – sexual harassment, workplace bullying, Mindful/mindless communication, Entering and becoming accepted in organizations – psychological contracts, role development/negotiation, Role development and negotiation.

Publications:

Apker, J., Propp, K. M., & Ford, W. S. Z. (2006). Collaboration, credibility, compassion, and coordination: Professional nurse communication skill sets in healthcare team interactions. Journal of Professional Nursing, 22, 180-189.

Apker, J., Propp, K. M., & Ford, W.S.Z. (2005). Negotiating status and identity tensions in healthcare team Interactions: An exploration of nurse role dialectics. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 33.

Apker, J. (2004). Sensemaking of change in the managed care era: A case of hospital-based nurses. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 17, 211-227.

Apker, J. & Eggly, S. (2004). Communicating professional identity in medical socialization: Considering the ideological discourse of morning report. Qualitative >Health Research, 14,

Apker, J., Ford, W. S. Z., & Fox. D. (2003) (Winner of 2004 Nursing Economic$/Margaret Sovie Writer’s Award). Predicting nurses’ organizational and professional identification: The effect of nursing roles, professional autonomy, and supportive communication. Nursing Economic$, 21, 226-232.

Apker, J. (2002). Front-line nurse manager roles, job stressors, and coping strategies in a managed care hospital. Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, 3, 75-81.

Miller, K.I. & Apker, J. (2002). On the front lines of managed care: Professional changes and communicative dilemmas of hospital-based nurses. Nursing Outlook, 50,154-158.

Apker, J. & Ray, E.B. (2003, invited). Stress and social support in health care organizations. In T. Thompson, A. Dorsey, K. Miller & R.A. Parrott (Eds.), Handbook of health communication, (347-368). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Medved, C. E. & Apker, J. (2003, competitive). Managing multiple roles. In J. Keyton & P. Shockley-Zalabak (Eds.), Case studies for organizational
communication: Understanding communication processes, (pp. 317-331). Los
Angeles: Roxbury Publishing.

Apker, J. & Fox, D.H. (2002). Communication: Improving RNs' organizational and professional identification in managed care hospitals. Journal of Nursing Administration.

Apker, J. (2001). Role development in the managed care era: A case of hospital-based nursing. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 29, 117-136.

Miller, K.I., Joseph, L. & Apker, J. (2000). Strategic ambiguity in the role development process," Journal of Applied Communication Research, 28, 193-214.

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