Pub Date : 2023-01-20DOI: 10.1177/23294906221149408
Craig L. Engstrom, Rose Helens-Hart
An analysis of surveys ( N = 143) and interviews ( n = 34) with human resources and talent development professionals suggest respondents desired corporate trainers who were competent communicators—who could deliver content effectively in an engaging manner. Nonacademic trainers and subject-matter experts (SMEs) were often perceived as less adept at presenting complex material than academics who were considered SMEs in their fields and in the practice of teaching. Based on these findings, we recommend communication academics who desire to train in organizational settings market their expertise in instructional communication to training managers and SMEs seeking professional development.
{"title":"In-Demand Instructional Communication Competencies for Organizational Trainers","authors":"Craig L. Engstrom, Rose Helens-Hart","doi":"10.1177/23294906221149408","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/23294906221149408","url":null,"abstract":"An analysis of surveys ( N = 143) and interviews ( n = 34) with human resources and talent development professionals suggest respondents desired corporate trainers who were competent communicators—who could deliver content effectively in an engaging manner. Nonacademic trainers and subject-matter experts (SMEs) were often perceived as less adept at presenting complex material than academics who were considered SMEs in their fields and in the practice of teaching. Based on these findings, we recommend communication academics who desire to train in organizational settings market their expertise in instructional communication to training managers and SMEs seeking professional development.","PeriodicalId":46217,"journal":{"name":"Business and Professional Communication Quarterly","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43937248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-12DOI: 10.1177/23294906221141061
Elizabeth C. Tomlinson
Instructors face myriad competing demands for topical coverage in their courses, while navigating pressure to teach in varied modalities and meet employers’ expectations for graduates. Starting from a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning framework, this article contributes to the bridging-the-gap literature by addressing local employers’ needs and proposing an entrepreneurship-based approach to business communication curriculum.
{"title":"Feature on Teaching: Bringing an Entrepreneurial Lens to the Business Communication Course","authors":"Elizabeth C. Tomlinson","doi":"10.1177/23294906221141061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/23294906221141061","url":null,"abstract":"Instructors face myriad competing demands for topical coverage in their courses, while navigating pressure to teach in varied modalities and meet employers’ expectations for graduates. Starting from a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning framework, this article contributes to the bridging-the-gap literature by addressing local employers’ needs and proposing an entrepreneurship-based approach to business communication curriculum.","PeriodicalId":46217,"journal":{"name":"Business and Professional Communication Quarterly","volume":"86 1","pages":"350 - 376"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42652070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-12DOI: 10.1177/23294906221143347
Kevin T. Caffrey
As of August 2022, COVID-19 continues to affect our daily lives in physical, psychological, and financial ways. Many vulnerable individuals are struggling to adapt to returning to work and as a result, employee morale is at risk. In times of crises, empathy is needed in the workplace to support one another, but many leaders and employees may not have a firm grasp of the concept. This article seeks to define empathetic communication and explore the need for prioritizing empathy amid the current post-COVID-19 workplace. Through a literature review of empathy, psychological safety in the workplace, and crisis leadership, the author explains how the development of empathetic communication must be intentional to achieve sustainable change and lead to long-term organizational success. Practical recommendations are provided on how organizations should define empathetic communication, provide training for leaders and employees, and incorporate empathetic communication as a standard of responsibility for every employee to be assessed on a regular basis.
{"title":"Speaking to the Head and the Heart: Prioritizing Empathetic Communication in the Post-COVID Workplace","authors":"Kevin T. Caffrey","doi":"10.1177/23294906221143347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/23294906221143347","url":null,"abstract":"As of August 2022, COVID-19 continues to affect our daily lives in physical, psychological, and financial ways. Many vulnerable individuals are struggling to adapt to returning to work and as a result, employee morale is at risk. In times of crises, empathy is needed in the workplace to support one another, but many leaders and employees may not have a firm grasp of the concept. This article seeks to define empathetic communication and explore the need for prioritizing empathy amid the current post-COVID-19 workplace. Through a literature review of empathy, psychological safety in the workplace, and crisis leadership, the author explains how the development of empathetic communication must be intentional to achieve sustainable change and lead to long-term organizational success. Practical recommendations are provided on how organizations should define empathetic communication, provide training for leaders and employees, and incorporate empathetic communication as a standard of responsibility for every employee to be assessed on a regular basis.","PeriodicalId":46217,"journal":{"name":"Business and Professional Communication Quarterly","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49150469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-10DOI: 10.1177/23294906221142541
D. Plung
Job interviews require applicants to demonstrate two things: experience with direct value to the company and a fit with the team and company culture. A technique is detailed demonstrating how to develop this argument based on aligning credentials with corporate interests, developing advocacy-based themes, and synthesizing material into a convenient study guide. Designed for instruction in either the college classroom or corporate training center, the approach provides professional communication students with a unique, practical, and personally meaningful learning exercise assessing rhetorical situations, examining rhetorical constructs, and delivering persuasive arguments.
{"title":"Job Interview Preparation: A Practical Exercise in the Rhetoric of Oral Argument","authors":"D. Plung","doi":"10.1177/23294906221142541","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/23294906221142541","url":null,"abstract":"Job interviews require applicants to demonstrate two things: experience with direct value to the company and a fit with the team and company culture. A technique is detailed demonstrating how to develop this argument based on aligning credentials with corporate interests, developing advocacy-based themes, and synthesizing material into a convenient study guide. Designed for instruction in either the college classroom or corporate training center, the approach provides professional communication students with a unique, practical, and personally meaningful learning exercise assessing rhetorical situations, examining rhetorical constructs, and delivering persuasive arguments.","PeriodicalId":46217,"journal":{"name":"Business and Professional Communication Quarterly","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45508219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-07DOI: 10.1177/23294906221132840
R. Mathis, P. Aust
Workplace learning initiatives are influenced by perceptions, and negative perceptions hinder organizational innovation and productivity. This exploratory study presents an argument that messages shared among trainees regarding their training experiences shape such perceptions. The application of Symbolic Convergence Theory reveals two discursive narratives explaining trainees’ perceptions that are foundational for a desired rhetorical vision of training efforts. The findings reveal practical implications for teaching applied communication and instruction in the workplace training classroom. Further, exploring “backstage” workplace communication such as gossip, opinions, and perceptions sheds light on the intersection of communication, human resource development, and vision construction.
{"title":"Perpetuating Perceptions: Understanding the “Chaining” of a Common Training Narrative Beyond the Classroom","authors":"R. Mathis, P. Aust","doi":"10.1177/23294906221132840","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/23294906221132840","url":null,"abstract":"Workplace learning initiatives are influenced by perceptions, and negative perceptions hinder organizational innovation and productivity. This exploratory study presents an argument that messages shared among trainees regarding their training experiences shape such perceptions. The application of Symbolic Convergence Theory reveals two discursive narratives explaining trainees’ perceptions that are foundational for a desired rhetorical vision of training efforts. The findings reveal practical implications for teaching applied communication and instruction in the workplace training classroom. Further, exploring “backstage” workplace communication such as gossip, opinions, and perceptions sheds light on the intersection of communication, human resource development, and vision construction.","PeriodicalId":46217,"journal":{"name":"Business and Professional Communication Quarterly","volume":"86 1","pages":"125 - 145"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43209147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-03DOI: 10.1177/23294906221137569
Melissa Fuller, M. D. de Jong, Elanor Kamans, Marca Wolfensberger, M. van Vuuren
Empathy is an important competence for communication professionals. This article investigates two aspects of empathy in an educational setting: the validity of self versus other assessments and the manifestation of empathy in communicative behaviors. Communication students were given a mediating role in discussions with two clients and their empathy was measured using self-ratings and client assessments. Videos of highest- and lowest-rated students were analyzed to identify empathy-related behaviors. No correlation was found between self-rated empathy and clients’ assessments. Several verbal and nonverbal behaviors corresponded to empathy: body language, an other-orientation in asking questions, paraphrasing, and a solution orientation.
{"title":"Empathy Competencies and Behaviors in Professional Communication Interactions: Self Versus Client Assessments","authors":"Melissa Fuller, M. D. de Jong, Elanor Kamans, Marca Wolfensberger, M. van Vuuren","doi":"10.1177/23294906221137569","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/23294906221137569","url":null,"abstract":"Empathy is an important competence for communication professionals. This article investigates two aspects of empathy in an educational setting: the validity of self versus other assessments and the manifestation of empathy in communicative behaviors. Communication students were given a mediating role in discussions with two clients and their empathy was measured using self-ratings and client assessments. Videos of highest- and lowest-rated students were analyzed to identify empathy-related behaviors. No correlation was found between self-rated empathy and clients’ assessments. Several verbal and nonverbal behaviors corresponded to empathy: body language, an other-orientation in asking questions, paraphrasing, and a solution orientation.","PeriodicalId":46217,"journal":{"name":"Business and Professional Communication Quarterly","volume":"86 1","pages":"167 - 186"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2023-01-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45626638","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-12-10DOI: 10.1177/23294906221137860
Katarzyna Molek-Kozakowska, D. Molek-Winiarska
This study draws from personality psychology and linguistics of written communication to explore the characteristics of self-selected well-written email communications (N=273) solicited from Polish managers who organized and supervised the (remote) work of their units during the COVID-19 period. The focus is on the writing of managers with above-average levels of conscientiousness and agreeableness, as these personality factors are predictors of efficacy in the completion of two work-related goals, Achievement and Communion, according to the Theory of Purposeful Work Behavior. The linguistic patterns responsible for effective email communication are identified through both automated and qualitative textual analyses of the email sample. The study has implications for management training via the assumption that linguistic patterns that a reflexive manager uses in writing are subjected to monitoring and can be modeled and adapted to. Specific recommendations for managerial writing styles concern informational, instructional, explanatory, feedback, and query messages.
本研究借鉴了人格心理学和书面沟通语言学,探讨了在COVID-19期间组织和监督其单位(远程)工作的波兰管理人员自选的精心编写的电子邮件通信(N=273)的特征。根据目的性工作行为理论(Theory of Purposeful Work Behavior),研究的重点是那些责任心和亲和力高于平均水平的管理者的写作,因为这些人格因素是完成两个与工作相关的目标——成就和交流——的有效性的预测因素。通过对电子邮件样本的自动和定性文本分析,确定了负责有效电子邮件通信的语言模式。该研究通过假设反思性管理者在写作中使用的语言模式受到监控,并且可以建模和适应,从而对管理培训产生影响。对管理写作风格的具体建议涉及信息、指导、解释、反馈和查询信息。
{"title":"Managing in Writing: Recommendations from Textual Patterns in Managers’ Email Communication","authors":"Katarzyna Molek-Kozakowska, D. Molek-Winiarska","doi":"10.1177/23294906221137860","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/23294906221137860","url":null,"abstract":"This study draws from personality psychology and linguistics of written communication to explore the characteristics of self-selected well-written email communications (N=273) solicited from Polish managers who organized and supervised the (remote) work of their units during the COVID-19 period. The focus is on the writing of managers with above-average levels of conscientiousness and agreeableness, as these personality factors are predictors of efficacy in the completion of two work-related goals, Achievement and Communion, according to the Theory of Purposeful Work Behavior. The linguistic patterns responsible for effective email communication are identified through both automated and qualitative textual analyses of the email sample. The study has implications for management training via the assumption that linguistic patterns that a reflexive manager uses in writing are subjected to monitoring and can be modeled and adapted to. Specific recommendations for managerial writing styles concern informational, instructional, explanatory, feedback, and query messages.","PeriodicalId":46217,"journal":{"name":"Business and Professional Communication Quarterly","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42336906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-11-24DOI: 10.1177/23294906221133068
Sherrie L. Drye, Stephanie Kelly, Thelma Woodard
The purpose of this study was to gauge the understanding of accessibility related to business communication material among individuals working in corporate America. Participants were asked to define accessibility, then given a definition of accessibility, and then asked to identify how to make a report and a visual accessible. A substantial number of participants were not able to define accessibility, nor identify how to make accessible changes to a report or visual. Those who could define accessibility considered accessibility goals in terms of general access to resources, usability, audience analysis, or disability-related accessibility. Business majors were less likely than other majors to be able to identify disability-related methods of making a report or visual accessible. Implications for business communication education are discussed.
{"title":"Professionals’ Understanding of Accessibility Regarding Business Communication Materials","authors":"Sherrie L. Drye, Stephanie Kelly, Thelma Woodard","doi":"10.1177/23294906221133068","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/23294906221133068","url":null,"abstract":"The purpose of this study was to gauge the understanding of accessibility related to business communication material among individuals working in corporate America. Participants were asked to define accessibility, then given a definition of accessibility, and then asked to identify how to make a report and a visual accessible. A substantial number of participants were not able to define accessibility, nor identify how to make accessible changes to a report or visual. Those who could define accessibility considered accessibility goals in terms of general access to resources, usability, audience analysis, or disability-related accessibility. Business majors were less likely than other majors to be able to identify disability-related methods of making a report or visual accessible. Implications for business communication education are discussed.","PeriodicalId":46217,"journal":{"name":"Business and Professional Communication Quarterly","volume":"86 1","pages":"235 - 256"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48780733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-11-24DOI: 10.1177/23294906221129599
P. Cardon, Ephraim A. Okoro, Raigan Priest, G. Patton
Communication apprehension can lead to professional challenges for individuals, teams, and organizations. This is the first study of communication apprehension that involved a randomized national survey of working adults in the United States and captured broad representation in terms of age, gender, race/ethnicity, managerial status, and other factors. The study showed that communication apprehension is common, including in group discussions, meetings, interpersonal situations, and public speaking. It is significantly more common among early-career professionals, women, introverted professionals, and professionals with anxiety. Interpersonal situations appear to be the situations in which contemporary professionals are most likely to experience high communication apprehension. This study suggests more attention is needed to address communication apprehension in interpersonal and group situations. It also frames communication apprehension as a matter of inclusion and team performance.
{"title":"Communication Apprehension in the Workplace: Focusing on Inclusion","authors":"P. Cardon, Ephraim A. Okoro, Raigan Priest, G. Patton","doi":"10.1177/23294906221129599","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/23294906221129599","url":null,"abstract":"Communication apprehension can lead to professional challenges for individuals, teams, and organizations. This is the first study of communication apprehension that involved a randomized national survey of working adults in the United States and captured broad representation in terms of age, gender, race/ethnicity, managerial status, and other factors. The study showed that communication apprehension is common, including in group discussions, meetings, interpersonal situations, and public speaking. It is significantly more common among early-career professionals, women, introverted professionals, and professionals with anxiety. Interpersonal situations appear to be the situations in which contemporary professionals are most likely to experience high communication apprehension. This study suggests more attention is needed to address communication apprehension in interpersonal and group situations. It also frames communication apprehension as a matter of inclusion and team performance.","PeriodicalId":46217,"journal":{"name":"Business and Professional Communication Quarterly","volume":"86 1","pages":"52 - 75"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44356224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-11-14DOI: 10.1177/23294906221131988
Thomas M. Cavanagh
Slide decks are a ubiquitous form of communication in both academia and business, and business communication instructors must be able to model and teach multimedia design principles. The literature regarding multimedia design has traditionally fallen into two camps: the cognitive school, focused on designing multimedia messages that accommodate human cognitive architecture, and the graphic design school, focused on using visual appeal as a tool for conceptual organization. I synthesize representative models from each school to provide theoretically derived and empirically supported principles for designing slide decks that are both well-organized and visually appealing.
{"title":"Cognitive and Graphic Design Principles for Creating Well-Organized, Visually Appealing Slide Decks","authors":"Thomas M. Cavanagh","doi":"10.1177/23294906221131988","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/23294906221131988","url":null,"abstract":"Slide decks are a ubiquitous form of communication in both academia and business, and business communication instructors must be able to model and teach multimedia design principles. The literature regarding multimedia design has traditionally fallen into two camps: the cognitive school, focused on designing multimedia messages that accommodate human cognitive architecture, and the graphic design school, focused on using visual appeal as a tool for conceptual organization. I synthesize representative models from each school to provide theoretically derived and empirically supported principles for designing slide decks that are both well-organized and visually appealing.","PeriodicalId":46217,"journal":{"name":"Business and Professional Communication Quarterly","volume":"86 1","pages":"33 - 51"},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2022-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45699438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}