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A contemporary view of group communication must consider hidden groups, which are those collectives that intentionally conceal key aspects of their identity at various levels (e.g., group, member, organization) from relevant audiences. This chapter reviews several general research areas and findings related to hidden groups and then briefly examines some of the theories and methodological issues relevant to hidden groups. Building on that, a multilevel framework that also considers members and broader organizational structures is offered to help distinguish various types of hidden groups.

The emerging area of message classification is one of growing relevance to a wide range of organizational communicators as a variety of non-state organizations and their members increasingly use and misuse various terms to restrict their communication. This includes formal classifications for data security, financial/knowledge management, human resources, and other functions as well as those used informally by organizational members. Especially in a data-rich environment where our word-processing programs, e-mail tools, and other technologies afford us opportunities to engage in classification, a wide range of people at all organizational levels may serve as custodians of their own data and thus have the ability (as well as perhaps the need) to classify messages in various ways. The purpose of this paper is to describe key classification terms ranging from those found in government (e.g. top secret, confidential) to those in the private sector (e.g. business use only, trademarked) to an even wider set of terms used informally by organizational members (e.g. personal, preliminary). The growing use of message classifications will likely create various challenges and opportunities for organizations, their members, and the broader public/society. A set of future research questions is offered for corporate communication researchers and practitioners, who are well positioned to examine this emerging phenomenon.

This paper draws on existing literature related to the growing use of message classifications to offer a list of classification terms and an agenda for future research.

This work describes key classification terms ranging from those found in government (e.g. top secret, confidential) to those in the private sector (e.g. business use only, trademarked) to an even wider set of terms used informally by organizational members (e.g. personal, preliminary). This expanded notion of classification will likely create various challenges and opportunities for organizations, their members, and the broader public/society.

The emerging area of message classification is one of growing relevance to a wide range of organizational communicators as a variety of non-state organizations and their members increasingly use and misuse various terms to restrict their communication. A set of future research questions is offered for corporate communication researchers and practitioners, who are well positioned to examine this emerging phenomenon.

In 2015, Idris Elba declared ‘I’m probably the most famous Bond actor in the world … and I’ve not even played the role’. Speculation about Elba taking on the role of the world’s most famous spy has circulated for over a decade, fuelled by current Bond Daniel Craig’s assertion that the role has ruined his life. This chapter will examine the role of fans in driving hype about the future of Bond, focusing on the case study of alt-right outrage at the potential casting of Elba. The anti-Elba camp have framed their outrage as informed by authorial intent, and the desire to maintain canon, with claims that Ian Fleming’s Bond was, and should always be white and Scottish. Bond’s expansive narrative universe has remained constant since its inception, enabling fans of the series to form an emotional connection and sense of ownership over the text as a cohesive brand, a form of ‘affective economics’ (Hills, 2015; Jenkins, 2006a). By situating the debate over Elba’s suitability within the timeline of the Bond franchise, the author will posit that the rigid casting and structure of the film series to date enables feelings of fan ownership to flourish. Whilst the influence of vocal fan groups has altered the future direction of numerous popular texts, this chapter will suggest that the sameness of Bond-as-brand provides the justification for fan backlash towards potential change. In sum, this chapter will highlight the Elba-as-Bond rumours as a reflection of the contemporary political moment which seeks to flatten out difference under the auspice of protecting the canon and tradition of ‘brand Bond’.

The chapter defines practice approaches and considers the several ways the concept of practice has functioned in the academic and practitioner literatures. As “practice” has been a minor term in prior group studies, the next section argues that foregrounding practice in future group research is a promising direction. Not only does a practice approach privilege interactional messages, which are at the heart of communication, but foregrounding practices can help actual groups function better. A practice approach to group research can accomplish three things: (1) offer guidance about how to design and implement sensitive activities; (2) identify contextual aspects of dispersed practices such as giving information; and (3) make visible how key group norms are interactionally accomplished in nonstraightforward ways. Examples of each of these activities are illustrated.

The purpose of this paper is to review and compare information obtained for four female serial murder perpetrators, exploring possible personality features that make the female serial killer unique. As this is the first project to explore the personalities of female serial murderers through data collected from the offenders themselves, it is primarily an exploratory study.

The data presented were collected as part of a larger project, which solicited participation from incarcerated, suspected serial murderers. Upon agreeing to participate, each potential participant's background was searched to ensure they met the definition of a serial murderer. The participants were sent a survey packet containing measures related to demographics, psychopathology, psychopathy, and personality features. These packets were sent to participants at their respective prisons, with a return envelope provided. Upon return, surveys were scored and analyzed to create a comprehensive profile of each offender.

The subjects of this study each presented a unique personality profile as measured by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 and Millon Clinical Multiaxial Invetory-III. Three of the four participants did not appear to by psychopathic, which is not surprising given the low incidence of psychopathy in women.

This study, while limited by the small sample size, provides the first data set of valid psychological measures collected through first-hand accounts with female serial murderers. Although the data presented did not display a single comprehensive profile indicative of a female serial murderer, it does provide a foundation for further research.