Uncertainty and Technical Communication Patterns

This paper examines the relationship between research and development peoples' perceptions of uncertainty in their firm's competitive environment and their patterns of technical communication. Measures of both these attributes of six R&D groups, two in each of three industries, are reported and analyzed here. Technical people who saw the world (competitors, suppliers, customers, technology and regulations) outside their firm as more uncertain also were found to seek greater contact with sources of information outside their firms. The gatekeeper phenomenon was found to be more pronounced, but less formal and less well defined in these firms. Gatekeepers in general were found to perceive a higher level of uncertainty than others in all six firms.