Exploring the Anticipatory Socialization Stage of Division I Student-Athletes: The Content, Characteristics, and Functions of Memorable Messages

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the socialization of Division I studentathletes prior to their arrival on campus via the framework of organizational socialization and assimilation stage models, and by specifically examining the content, characteristics, and functions of the memorable messages they receive during their anticipatory stage of socialization. Using first cycle, initial coding and second cycle, pattern coding, results indicated that the content of student-athletes' memorable messages include 10 topics that can be categorized as either addressing the characteristics or experiences of collegiate student-athletes. The results of frequency counts regarding the characteristics of memorable messages indicate that student-athletes mostly received messages in private, informal, and face-to-face conversations with their coaches and fathers that occurred during their high school. Using same coding procedures that were employed to examine memorable message content, the intentions behind memorable messages and the functions these messages serve during the anticipatory socialization stage and the assimilation stage were examine. Results indicated that sources communicated memorable messages with 13 intentions, which were categorized into five categories: to develop desired characteristics of collegiate student-athletes, to respond to studentathletes' circumstance, to share knowledge or feelings with student-athletes, to prepare student-athletes for their tasks and roles, and to influence student-athletes' participation in sport. During participants' anticipatory socialization stage, memorable messages served nine functions which were collapsed into three categories: guided student-athletes' decisions to participation in collegiate athletics, shaped student-athlete's expectations for future organizational experiences, and influence student-athletes' attitudes towards their team, sport, and self. During participants' assimilation stage, memorable messages served 11 functions which were grouped into three categories: forms student-athletes' relationships with collegiate coaches and teammates, shapes student-athletes' competence and productivity as team members, and influences student-athletes' attitudes towards their team, sport, and self. Collectively, the results of this dissertation demonstrate that memorable messages are important within student-athletes' organizational assimilation process, as these messages set their attitudes and expectations for their future organizational experiences with their teams and assist in the formation relationships, performance of tasks and roles, and development of attitudes after they join those teams.     proud of everything you have accomplished this year, and know you will continue to do amazing things as you enter the Ph.D. program. To my advisor, Dr. Scott Myers, thank you for all you have done for me. It was you who pushed me to follow my passion for sport communication before it was trendy or had an interest group. I have grown so much as a scholar, writ...

Memorable Messages of Social Support That Former High School Athletes Received From Their Head Coaches

“…To date, only a few studies have focused on the memorable messages that athletes receive from coaches, which is problematic, given coaches are the most common sources of athletes’ memorable messages (Cranmer, 2015). The current study recognizes the discursive nature of the athlete–coach relationship by focusing on specific messages that athletes receive from head coaches and also demonstrates that specific topics of interest can be isolated within these messages.…”

“…Overall, the categories identified within this study are consistent with themes of other athlete–coach studies (e.g., importance of success, instruction, relationships). Most notably, the importance of effort within sport has been found within numerous studies that have examined the memorable messages received by youth (Starcher, 2015), high school (Kassing & Pappas, 2007), and collegiate athletes (Cranmer, 2015). Within this study, the importance of effort is illustrated across all three types of supportive messages.…”

Young Adult Daughters and their Parents: Communication about WorkCareer and Family

“…Personal-relational identity gap is experienced when there is a discrepancy between daughters' view of themselves and how they are viewed by In addition to adding to CTI literature and its application, this dissertation expands research on the use of memorable messages in the field of organizational communication and family communication in two ways. First, results of this dissertation prove useful in a comparative sense, in evaluating whether memorable messages on work/family tend to be associated with circumstances (e.g., in the home or in public places) and sources (e.g., mothers or fathers) different from those reported in studies of other communication context (e.g., Cranmer, 2015;Holladay, 200).…”

“…Memorable messages have been used as a unit of communication analysis in a plethora of contexts. Examples are gender socialization of new university faculty (e.g., Dallimore, 2003), organizational newcomer socialization (e.g., Barge & Sclueter, 2004;Stohl, 1986), volunteerism with nonprofit organization (e.g., Steimel, 2013), perceptions about aging (e.g., Fung & Carstensen, 2003;Holladay, 2002), constructions of the sense of who one is as an individual (Heisler & Ellis, 2008); college life (e.g., Dunleavy & Yang, 2015;Kranstuber, Carr, & Hosek, 2012;Wang, 2012), nurses' support messages (Ford & Ellis, 1998), illness and healthcare (e.g., Cooke-Jackson, Orbe, Johnson, & Kauffman, 2014;Lauckner et al, 2012;Smith et al, 2010), sports socialization (e.g., Colon, 2011;Cranmer, 2015;Kassing & Pappas, 2007;Starcher, 2015;), end-of-life conversations about religious faith (e.g., Keeley, 2004), and-particularly useful and similar to this study-family and work (Medved, Brogan, McClanahan, Morris, & Shepherd, 2006). found that men and women received similar messages about the role that family should play in their lives; however, women were more frequently encouraged toward selecting work that would allow them to prioritize family needs, and were also advised to exit the workforce after the birth of a child.…”