Dr. Amber N. W. Raile
Assistant Professor
Email Dr. Raile
Office: Minard 321
Phone: (701) 231-9769
Growing up, my family moved frequently. When I was in sixth
grade, we settled into Fargo. I lived in the F-M area longer
than I've lived anywhere else. Upon graduation from Fargo
South High School, I attended Concordia College and graduated
with a strong need for a change in scenery! I moved to
Washington, DC and spent three years enjoying the city and my
work as a corporate trainer and human resources manager.
Through my work, I discovered a love of teaching and an
intense interest in trying to better understand the problems
experienced by the employees with whom I interacted every
day, and I decided to pursue a doctorate. I attended Michigan
State University, where I earned my M.A. (2005) and my Ph.D.
(2008). My husband and I were so excited that we were
fortunate enough to return to Fargo and have the chance to
raise our son in this wonderful community.
I study organizational communication and social influence in three main lines of research. The first focuses on interpersonal influence processes within the organization. I am currently collecting data on the effects of different influence tactics on employee motivation. My second area looks at the role that communication plays in creating a positive workplace environment for employees. Because so much of our lives are spent in organizations of one form or another, I am passionate about positive organizational scholarship. Right now, I am largely focused on theorizing and connecting multiple areas of research relevant to this idea. I am very excited about the future of this research area. My third area of research looks at multi-level social change and issues related to defining, measuring, and securing political will and public will across contexts. I collaborate with a team of researchers with diverse academic specializations to explore how change can occur in countries without relying on military force.
I love teaching and learn so much from my interactions with students. I am always happy to meet with students interested in communication and management/organizational communication in particular. If you're interested, I'm teaching the following classes this year:
Fall 2009
COMM 383: Organizational Communication I
COMM 784: Advanced Organizational Communication II
Spring 2010
I will be on maternity leave in the spring semester.