Leila Bighash

Leila Bighash is an Assistant Professor of Communication. Her research program focuses on organizational processes in networks where information asymmetries are salient, often in online environments. In particular, she is interested in knowledge-sharing, expertise, visibility, and signaling. She examines a variety of contexts, including traditional organizations and social media / online communities.

Her scholarly work can be found in journals including Communication Theory, the International Journal of Communication, Corporate Communications, and the Journal of Information Technology & Politics. Please see her Google Scholar page for updated information on publications. Leila received her Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Southern California.

Dr. Bighash will not be accepting graduate students for Fall 2025.

Selected Publications

Gillig, T., Bighash, L., & Shaikh, S. (2024). Effects of all-gender workplace facilities signage on adults’ attitudes toward transgender and nonbinary people and policies. Communication Studies, 75(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/10510974.2023.2249192

Sidnam-Mauch, E. & Bighash, L. (2021). How controversy leads to commitment: Predecisional distortion in reactions to premarket products through online review systems. Computers in Human Behavior, 124, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106902

Bighash, L., Alexander, K., Hagen, C., & Hollingshead, A. (2020). A model for social eavesdropping in communication networks. International Journal of Communication, 14, 3704–3726. https://www.ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/13787

Hagen, C., Bighash, L., Hollingshead, A., Shaikh, S., Alexander, K. (2018). Why are you watching? Video surveillance in organizations. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 23(2), 274–291. https://doi.org/10.1108/CCIJ-04-2017-0043

Bighash, L., Oh, P., Fulk, J., & Monge, P. (2018). The value of questions in organizing: Reconceptualizing contributions to online public information goods. Communication Theory, 28(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/comt.12123