An interesting case in the diffusion of information was the work of the sociologist Dodd, who had leaflets randomly introduced into isolated communiti

from what is actually going on. Though most directors like to think of a pyramid of communication centres beneath them, labyrinth of commun~cation barriers might be a more apt description.
Speed
An interesting case in the diffusion of information was the work of the sociologist Dodd, who had leaflets randomly introduced into isolated communities by air-drops. In a series of studies the researcher 'planted' information of various kinds and then traced the speed and range of transmission with a corps of on-the-spot int.erviewers.
His studies considered the effects of the size of the. community; the potency of messages; the time factor; the space factor and the stimulation factor. This last factor is of considerable relev~nce to politicians and managers alike. In Britain, for example, samples of the population taken over a 2-year period showed little increased understanding of the term 'productivity agreements' despite its frequent occurr~nce on the news media as one of the keys to Britain's economic recovery.
Other studies have shown the effects on industrial relations when communication is delayed. In one factory it was found that management-union agreements were taking an average of 2.8 days to reach the shop floor via union channels but 12.7 days via formal management lines. Many
of the first-line supervisors resented this type of information coming to them from their workers rather than their superiors. Typically, workers complained about delays in adjusting pay and working conditions following national agreements. The unions quickly let them know, but the foremen had to wait for their managerial channels to advise them before authorizing increased rates,