Defense Date

3-14-2025

Graduation Date

Spring 5-9-2025

Availability

Immediate Access

Submission Type

dissertation

Degree Name

PhD

Department

Communication and Rhetorical Studies

School

McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Committee Chair

Eric Garrett

Committee Member

Janie Harden Fritz

Committee Member

Özüm Üçok-Sayrak

Keywords

Communicative Harmonics, Resonant Leadership, Musicality, Musical Pentad, Interpersonal Vibration, Sound-beings

Abstract

At the heart of human relationality and resonant leadership is an interpersonal vibration that creates group coherence. The fusion of minds, manners, and emotions is a synchronization of individual vibrations and frequencies that unite the human spirit. Communicative harmonics presupposes the necessity for dialogue as the interconnection of contrasting perspectives. The auditory framework of speaking and listening parallels that of leading and following and is used to explore dialogic leadership as a major element in leadership communication. This dissertation is modeled after the work of Kenneth Burke’s dramatistic pentad and incorporates a musical pentad of tone, rest, frequency, rhythm, and harmony, which is crafted to be a metaphorical description of resonant leadership. Within this musical pentad, the term “communicative harmonics” is coined and introduced. A phenomenological approach to resonant leadership is used and follows the phenomenological dictum “to the thing itself.” When leadership is stripped of its personalities, behaviors, powers, character traits, styles, and categories, what is left at its essence is a communicative harmonic that creates group and organizational coherence. The theoretical grounding of this project is ascribed to musicality as the major metaphor of resonant leadership. The project argues that persons are “sound-beings” and resonate, as Eicher-Catt suggests, on per-sónal (through sound) and “interper-sónal” (between sounds) levels. The “interper-sónal” connections are the sounds of humanity that, when placed in harmony, create organizational and group coherence.

Language

English

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