Dajung_woo

Dajung (DJ)
Woo

Assistant Professor of Communication

Faculty

Office:
CI 205
PHONE:
848-932-8807
EMAIL:
dajung.woo@rutgers.edu
OFFICE HOURS:
WEB LINKS:

DaJung (DJ) Woo’s scholarship centers on exploring the intricate communication dynamics within organizational and vocational contexts. Her specific research interests include employee socialization, interprofessional and interorganizational collaboration, and stakeholder engagement—key processes essential for both organizational success and the success of its members. She joined the Rutgers Communication faculty in 2020 after serving as an assistant professor of communication at the University of Tennessee for three years. She is an active member of the International and National Communication Associations (ICA, NCA) and serves as the faculty advisor for Lambda Pi Eta, the official honor society of the NCA.


Education

University of California, Santa Barbara
Ph.D., Communication

Kansas State University
M.A., Communication

Ewha Womans University
B.A., English


Research

Successfully working with people from diverse backgrounds—such as different occupations, organizations, or generations—is crucial for fostering a collaborative and inclusive work culture and innovative problem-solving. Yet, our decision or ability to work across various groups and organizations is neither inevitable nor inherent. Woo’s research examines how communicative behaviors, such as knowledge sharing and identity work, both facilitate and constrain collaborative work processes and outcomes. She also studies the implications of vocational and organizational socialization for individuals’ capacity to navigate the increasingly interconnected work environment and dynamic career landscape. As a field researcher, Woo collects data by directly engaging with organizations and their members (e.g., interviews and observations) to gain a grounded understanding of communication practices. Her recent research focuses on nurse-physician collaboration and role negotiation within a hospital emergency department.


Research Groups


Selected Publications

Woo, D., & Myers, K. K. (2020). Organizational membership negotiation of boundary spanners: Becoming a competent jack of all trades and master of...interactional expertise. Management Communication Quarterly, 34(1), 85-120. doi:10.1177/0893318919887371

Woo, D. (2019). Exit strategies in interorganizational collaboration: Setting the stage for re-entry. Communication Research. Advance online publication. doi:10.1177/0093650219851418

Woo, D. (2019). Reconceptualizing interorganizational collaborations as tensile structures: Implications of conveners’ proactive tension management. Communication Monographs, 86(2), 158-183. doi:10.1080/03637751.2018.1526389

Woo, D., & Leonardi, P. M. (2018). Breaking into collaboration: Communicative strategies for gaining entry when you are not invited. Journal of Communication, 68(6), 1127-1154. doi:10.1093/joc/jqy052

Woo, D., Putnam, L. L. & Riforgiate, S. (2017). Identity work and tensions in organizational internships: A comparative analysis. Western Journal of Communication, 81(5), 560-581. doi:10.1080/10570314.2017.1312510


Awards & Recognitions

2019 Article of the Year Award, Organizational Communication Division, National Communication Association

2019 Most Outstanding Faculty Award, School of Communication Studies, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

2018 Gerald R. Miller Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, National Communication Association

2018 Gerardine DeSanctis Dissertation Award, Organizational Communication and Information Systems Division, Academy of Management

2014 Top Paper Award, Organizational Communication Division, International Communication Association


Research Keywords