2026 Undergraduate Research Showcase

Communication Practices and Challenges in a Small, Public-Sector Workplace

Document Type

Student Presentation

Presentation Date

4-24-2026

Faculty Sponsor

Dr. Jennifer Mallette

Abstract

When miscommunication arises in a government workplace, the repercussions not only reach all staff members internally, but they also extend outward, creating various levels of harm for the citizens. In the government sector, the stakes are extremely high, and miscommunication must be addressed to avoid being repeated. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify communication problems in a small government workplace context and explore what interventions might help address these problems.

Based on interviews, writing think-aloud protocols, and sample texts, we found that when the participant lacked formal writing training, their confidence and comfortability with writing was ranked as fairly confident or adequate. Brainstorming and drafting were two stages that study participants felt most insecure about when writing. Additionally, most of the employees’ formal writing knowledge came from on-the-job training and experience in the workplace. The study also revealed that many forms of miscommunication in the government workplace occur when there are inadequacies in accountability and thoroughness amongst city departments, professionalism in written communication, and policy. Finally, employees expressed interest in learning new technologies and tools to help with the writing process, such as AI models and additional, government-specific writing training.

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