- Search Menu
![](http://academicwritinghelp.pw/777/templates/cheerup1/res/banner1.gif)
Sign in through your institution
- Advance Articles
- Author Guidelines
- Submission Site
- Open Access
- Why Submit?
- About Journal of Communication
- About International Communication Association
- Editorial Board
- Advertising and Corporate Services
- Journals Career Network
- Self-Archiving Policy
- Journals on Oxford Academic
- Books on Oxford Academic
- < Previous
Problem Solving and Communicative Action: A Situational Theory of Problem Solving
- Article contents
- Figures & tables
- Supplementary Data
Jeong-Nam Kim, James E. Grunig, Problem Solving and Communicative Action: A Situational Theory of Problem Solving, Journal of Communication , Volume 61, Issue 1, February 2011, Pages 120–149, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.2010.01529.x
- Permissions Icon Permissions
This article introduces the situational theory of problem solving ( theory of problem solving ) as an extended and generalized version of the situational theory of publics ( theory of publics ). The theory of problem solving introduces a new concept, communicative action in problem solving, as its dependent variable. To explain communicative action, the theory of problem solving refines the independent variables of the theory of publics: problem recognition, constraint recognition, involvement recognition, and referent criterion. Finally, it introduces a new variable: situational motivation in problem solving. The new motivational variable mediates the effects of antecedent perceptual variables on communicative behavior. We report the supporting evidence for theoretical propositions of the new theory based on structural equation modeling (SEM) testing using survey data.
![situational theory of problem solving International Communication Association](https://oup.silverchair-cdn.com/data/SiteBuilderAssetsOriginals/Live/Images/joc/joc_soc_auth1.png)
International Communication Association members
Personal account.
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Institutional access
Sign in with a library card.
- Sign in with username/password
- Recommend to your librarian
- Institutional account management
- Get help with access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
- Click Sign in through your institution.
- Select your institution from the list provided, which will take you to your institution's website to sign in.
- When on the institution site, please use the credentials provided by your institution. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
- Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
- Click Sign in through society site.
- When on the society site, please use the credentials provided by that society. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
- View your signed in personal account and access account management features.
- View the institutional accounts that are providing access.
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.
Short-term Access
To purchase short-term access, please sign in to your personal account above.
Don't already have a personal account? Register
Month: | Total Views: |
---|---|
February 2018 | 12 |
March 2018 | 53 |
April 2018 | 44 |
May 2018 | 56 |
June 2018 | 18 |
July 2018 | 8 |
August 2018 | 37 |
September 2018 | 51 |
October 2018 | 68 |
November 2018 | 18 |
December 2018 | 36 |
January 2019 | 35 |
February 2019 | 30 |
March 2019 | 66 |
April 2019 | 82 |
May 2019 | 57 |
June 2019 | 32 |
July 2019 | 38 |
August 2019 | 66 |
September 2019 | 91 |
October 2019 | 84 |
November 2019 | 71 |
December 2019 | 53 |
January 2020 | 72 |
February 2020 | 88 |
March 2020 | 87 |
April 2020 | 133 |
May 2020 | 69 |
June 2020 | 48 |
July 2020 | 58 |
August 2020 | 88 |
September 2020 | 161 |
October 2020 | 145 |
November 2020 | 108 |
December 2020 | 84 |
January 2021 | 94 |
February 2021 | 110 |
March 2021 | 110 |
April 2021 | 94 |
May 2021 | 90 |
June 2021 | 78 |
July 2021 | 50 |
August 2021 | 77 |
September 2021 | 100 |
October 2021 | 149 |
November 2021 | 110 |
December 2021 | 108 |
January 2022 | 59 |
February 2022 | 60 |
March 2022 | 106 |
April 2022 | 139 |
May 2022 | 93 |
June 2022 | 64 |
July 2022 | 34 |
August 2022 | 46 |
September 2022 | 82 |
October 2022 | 112 |
November 2022 | 114 |
December 2022 | 74 |
January 2023 | 49 |
February 2023 | 46 |
March 2023 | 104 |
April 2023 | 121 |
May 2023 | 92 |
June 2023 | 55 |
July 2023 | 34 |
August 2023 | 42 |
September 2023 | 116 |
October 2023 | 127 |
November 2023 | 119 |
December 2023 | 79 |
January 2024 | 75 |
February 2024 | 69 |
March 2024 | 119 |
April 2024 | 126 |
May 2024 | 97 |
June 2024 | 32 |
Email alerts
Citing articles via.
- Recommend to your Library
Affiliations
- Online ISSN 1460-2466
- Print ISSN 0021-9916
- Copyright © 2024 International Communication Association
- About Oxford Academic
- Publish journals with us
- University press partners
- What we publish
- New features
- Open access
- Rights and permissions
- Accessibility
- Advertising
- Media enquiries
- Oxford University Press
- Oxford Languages
- University of Oxford
Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide
- Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
- Cookie settings
- Cookie policy
- Privacy policy
- Legal notice
![](http://academicwritinghelp.pw/777/templates/cheerup1/res/banner1.gif)
This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only
Sign In or Create an Account
This PDF is available to Subscribers Only
For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.
Breadcrumbs Section. Click here to navigate to respective pages.
![The situational theory of problem solving (STOPS) The situational theory of problem solving (STOPS)](https://images.tandf.co.uk/common/jackets/crclarge/978036767/9780367675387.jpg)
The situational theory of problem solving (STOPS)
DOI link for The situational theory of problem solving (STOPS)
Click here to navigate to parent product.
This chapter reviews the theoretical origins of the situational theory of problem solving (STOPS) by discussing how it evolved from the central concept of publics in public relations and its predecessor, the situational theory of publics (STP). Both theories were proposed to guide public relations practice in identifying and segmenting publics by explaining the situational factors which motivate individuals to act for or against organizations. The chapter provides a summary of how STOPS has been applied to different disciplines including health communication, employee communication, government communication, public affairs, crisis communication, tourism, and disaster communication. It also offers insights into how STOPS can be applied in future research, especially in today’s post-truth society characterized by the rise of misinformation and the erosion of trust.
- Privacy Policy
- Terms & Conditions
- Cookie Policy
- Taylor & Francis Online
- Taylor & Francis Group
- Students/Researchers
- Librarians/Institutions
Connect with us
Registered in England & Wales No. 3099067 5 Howick Place | London | SW1P 1WG © 2024 Informa UK Limited
![situational theory of problem solving Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane Australia](https://eprints.qut.edu.au/templates/qut/images/logo.png)
The situational theory of problem solving (STOPS): Past, present, and future
Tam, Lisa , Kim, Jeong-Nam , & Lee, Hyelim (2023) The situational theory of problem solving (STOPS): Past, present, and future. In Pompper, Donnalyn , Place, Katie , & Weaver, C. Kay (Eds.) The Routledge Companion to Public Relations. Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon, pp. 115-124.
View at publisher
Description
Since the Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS) was first developed, the theory has been applied to examine publics’ behaviors in different contexts. The theory describes the nature of publics as problem solver. It helps understand when and how publics behave as communicative actors and why their ideas, interests and expectations should be considered in problem-solving process. It further helps understand why publics as problem solver demand inclusive organizational behavior such as two-way communication and communal relationship. This chapter reviews the theoretical origins of STOPS by discussing how it evolved from the central concept of publics in public relations and its predecessor, the Situational Theory of Publics (STP). It discusses some of the earliest conceptual and empirical research which stems from STOPS (“the past”). It provides a summary of how the theory has been applied to different disciplines including health communication, employee communication, government communication, public affairs, crisis communication, tourism, and disaster communication (“the present”). Lastly, it offers insights into how STOPS can be applied and advanced in future research, especially in today’s post-truth society characterized by the rise of misinformation and the erosion of trust (“the future”).
Impact and interest:
Citation counts are sourced monthly from Scopus and Web of Science® citation databases.
These databases contain citations from different subsets of available publications and different time periods and thus the citation count from each is usually different. Some works are not in either database and no count is displayed. Scopus includes citations from articles published in 1996 onwards, and Web of Science® generally from 1980 onwards.
Citations counts from the Google Scholar™ indexing service can be viewed at the linked Google Scholar™ search.
- Notify us of incorrect data
- How to use citation counts
- More information
Full-text downloads:
Full-text downloads displays the total number of times this work’s files (e.g., a PDF ) have been downloaded from QUT ePrints as well as the number of downloads in the previous 365 days. The count includes downloads for all files if a work has more than one.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
The situational theory of problem solving (STOPS) was proposed by Jeong-Nam Kim and James E. Grunig in 2011 though their article "problem solving and communicative action: A situational theory of problem solving.". The theory was developed from the situational theory of publics (STP) and claimed it is "an extended and generalized version ...
The Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS) is a theory of communication developed to explain . people's motivated communicative actions when they encounter problematic life situations ...
Finally, it introduces a new variable: situational motivation in problem solving. The new motivational variable mediates the effects of antecedent perceptual variables on communicative behavior. We report the supporting evidence for theoretical propositions of the new theory based on structural equation modeling (SEM) testing using survey data.
The situational theory of problem solving (STOPS) was first published as a generalized problem-solving theory. It inherited and re-explicated key elements of the situational theory of publics (STP), which conceptualized how and why people do and do not communicate. Both theories were founded on the same assumption: Instead of focusing on how ...
Abstract. This article introduces the situational theory of problem solving (theory of problem solving) as an extended and generalized version of the situational theory of publics (theory of publics).The theory of problem solving introduces a new concept, communicative action in problem solving, as its dependent variable.
The situational theory of problem solving (STOPS) was first published in 2011 as a generalized extension of the situational theory of publics (STP) (J.-N. Kim & Grunig, 2011).
The situational theory of problem solving (STOPS), an extension of the STP, is a more general theory of communication that looks at antecedents of individuals' communication and information ...
ABSTRACT. This chapter reviews the theoretical origins of the situational theory of problem solving (STOPS) by discussing how it evolved from the central concept of publics in public relations and its predecessor, the situational theory of publics (STP). Both theories were proposed to guide public relations practice in identifying and ...
The situational theory of problem solving (STOPS), an extension of the STP, is a more general theory of communication that looks at antecedents of individuals' communication and information behaviors in the process of problem solving. This chapter reviews and explicates the differences and similarities between the two theories, their ...
The problem solving is a personal and aimed process. That means that the activities done by an individual during the problem solving process are led to his/her personal aim (Mayer and Wittrock, 2006). An individual has to identify the problem first and then seek for possible solutions (Mayer and Wittrock, 2006).
A chapter from a book on public relations theory that introduces and synthesizes STOPS, a theory of how and why people act for or against organizations. STOPS is based on the situational theory of publics (STP) and has been applied in public relations research and practice.
This article introduces the situational theory of problem solving (theory of problem solving) as an extended and generalized version of the situational theory of publics (theory of publics). The theory of problem solving introduces a new concept, communicative action in problem solving, as its dependent variable. To explain communicative action, the theory of problem solving refines the ...
Since the Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS) was first developed, the theory has been applied to examine publics' behaviors in different contexts. The theory describes the nature of publics as problem solver. It helps understand when and how publics behave as communicative actors and why their ideas, interests and expectations ...
The situational theory of problem solving (STOPS) was first published in 2011 as a generalized extension of the situational theory of publics (STP) (J.-N. Kim & Grunig, 2011). STP, which was first ...
Abstract. Informed by the Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS), this study used data from the Health Information National Trends Survey, a large and representative national sample, to examine predictors of information seeking and information accessing of health information, including cancer-related information.
This study used the situational theory of problem solving (STOPS) to investigate communication behaviors of publics formed around an intensively publicized policy issue. Results of surveying 748 participants online support the utility of STOPS to segment the hot-issue public with active communication from the general population in a Chinese ...
The situational theory of problem solving (STOPS) is an extended and generalized version of the situational Theory of publics (STP), which was introduced by J. E. Grunig in 1966 as a theory of information seeking in economic decision making and has been used extensively in public relations research and practice since then. The situational theory of problem solving (STOPS) is an extended and ...
The situational theory of problem solving is introduced as an extended and generalized version of the situational theoryof publics (theory of publics), which introduces a new concept, communicative action in problem solving, as its dependent variable. This article introduces the situational theory of problem solving (theory of problem solving ...
Abstract. Using a controversial issue that has drawn massive media coverage in South Korea, the government decision to resume imports of US beef, this study tested the applicability of the Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS) to the rise of a hot-issue public. A survey of 300 respondents explored the perceptual, cognitive, and motivational antecedents of active information behaviors.
Systems Theory. Ethical Segmentation of Publics and Relationship Building in the Global Context. Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS) Conclusion. Case Study 1: Reckitt Benckiser's Chronic Crisis in South Korea. Case Study 2: Foxconn's employee suicide crisis in 2010. Lesson 2 Assessment. The Page Center is strengthening the role of ...
The situational theory of problem solving (STOPS) is an extended and generalized version of the situational theory of publics [27]. STOPS, proposed by Kim and Grunig [27], is a communication ...
This dissertation presents a situational theory of problem solving that highlights distinctive communicative and cognitive features in human problem solving. Its purpose is to provide a simple and useful, but not atheoretical, account of communication behavior and the cognitive approaches that we adopt during problematic situations. In the conceptualization, I introduce a new concept ...