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Dr. Charles White

Courses
COB 300A Integrated Functional Systems - Management
     About COB 300
     Course Site
     COB300.com (developed by COB300 students)

Principles of Management: Organizational Theory and Behavior
Introduction to Human Resource Management
Leadership

Education
Ph.D. - The University of Alabama - Management; Specialization in Organizational Behavior
M.A. - The University of Alabama - Human Resource Management
B.A. - The Baptist College of Florida - Theology; Minor in Psychology 

Professional Certification
Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) - Human Resource Certification Institute

Research and Professional Interests
A wide range of HR research has shown that one of the primary drivers of turnover in organizations is poor relations with managers and that effective relationships between managers and employees positively impact subordinate performance, satisfaction, commitment.  Additionally, intra-organizational relationships serve as the building blocks for the development of social capital, a unique and valuable resource for organizations in the quest for sustainable competitive advantage.  My research has focused on how rapport theory (drawn from sociolinguistics and counseling research) could be very useful for informing and training front-line managers in improving their communications to and relationships with employees.  Rapport management is a tool that can help us understand how leaders effectively or ineffectively maintain relationships through their use of language. 

     My continuing research programs will assess leader characteristics (such as emotional intelligence and political skill) related to the use of rapport management behaviors. The identification of specific leader characteristics related to a leader's rapport management behaviors will provide valuable information for both the selection and development of leaders in organizations. The second program of research related to rapport management will focus on understanding how rapport management behaviors at the individual level can contribute to overall organizational performance through the development of social capital. 

Key Publications
White, C.D., Campbell, K. & Durant, R. (2007). Necessary evils, (in)justice, and rapport management.Journal of Business Communication, 44, 1-26.

Kacmar, K.M., Zivnuska, S., White, C.D. (2007). Control and exchange:  The impact of work environment on the work effort of low relationship quality employees. Leadership Quarterly, 18, 69-84.

Campbell, K.S., White, C.D., & Johnson, D. (2003). Leader-member relations as a function of rapport management. Journal of Business Communication, 40, 170-194.

Professional Experience 
Human Resource Partner (Generalist) - The University of Alabama
Human Resource Specialist/Compensation Analyst - The University of Alabama
Human Resource Specialist - Sears