ABSTRACT
Even though uncertainty reduction theory (URT) originated in interpersonal communication (Berger & Calabrese, 1975), the topic of uncertainty in organizational contexts has been and continues to be a common research area. Some of the research (e.g., organizational leaders' perceptions of environmental uncertainty; Beam, 1996) is beyond the scope of this volume because it does not focus on uncertainty in interactions. However, a significant amount of organizational research has examined uncertainty in interpersonal interactions within organizational contexts. The purpose of this chapter is to review some of that research, especially as it relates to assimilation or socialization processes, and then build upon Kramer's (2004) theory of managing uncertainty (TMU) to develop specific hypotheses and research questions to guide future research on managing uncertainty in workplace interactions.
