Business Communication Students Research Articles

“Possibly Include Maybe a Fact. . .Perhaps”: Language in Business Communication Students’ Peer Feedback

What characterizes the language choices of untrained student peer reviewers? Undergraduate students ( N = 83) were randomly assigned to provide peer feedback on persuasive presentation manuscripts to three peers from their same and/or different course section. A total of 233 peer reviews were analyzed in terms of politeness, quality, and valence. Content and statistical analyses revealed similar politeness levels and quality regardless of the assessors’ identified gender or section of the assessee. However, students produced significantly more positively valenced reviews for same-section classmates, suggesting that students soften feedback through warmer language for peers with whom they have frequent interaction.

Translating the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Principles into Specific Practices to Help Business Communication Students Innovate

Business communication students should be taught how to innovate because the ability to do so is an important skill for business success. Despite knowing that business communication students need to learn how to innovate, instructors are not always equipped with the proper tools to teach students how to innovate based on sound principles. This article provides one such tool by translating the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) principles into specific practices designed to help students innovate. By understanding these practices, instructors will be well-equipped to foster student innovation in their own classrooms based on SoTL principles.

A Study on Role of Communication Skills among Management Graduates of Bhopal Region

Any business professional must be able to communicate effectively. Effective communication skills help to build positive relationships among employees in addition to facilitating the sharing of ideas with others. Nonverbal and verbal communication are equally important. As a result, the current study was conducted with the goal of emphasizing the topic's importance to students. The study's goal was to find out how management students perceived the importance of the business communication course. This data was gathered from 100 management students in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, who attended both public and private schools. The non-probability convenience sampling method was used to select the sample. The study's research instrument was a five-point Likert scale-based questionnaire. The SPSS version was used to analyze the data. 25. The study's findings suggested that, despite students' awareness of the course's importance, they were not taking full advantage of it. They lacked communication skills, particularly during group activities such as role-playing and group discussions. This is due, in part, to the fact that most business communication students do not speak English as their first language. This demonstrates that students need to focus more on these areas in order to improve their communication skills. This will enable them to stand out during job interviews, business meetings, and public speaking. During business communication classes, students should be encouraged to participate actively in all activities.

Raising business communication students’ awareness of nonverbal features of interaction

Analysis of conversations between international university students in the Corpus of English as a Lingua Franca Interaction (CELFI, McDonough & Trofimovich, 2019) has demonstrated that holds, which are temporary cessations of dynamic movement, are a robust visual cue of nonunderstanding that can be reliably interpreted by external observers as signals of listener comprehension difficulties (e.g. McDonough et al., 2019, 2022, 2023). Using CELFI materials, this study used an experimental design to explore whether business communication students (N = 64) benefit from instructional activities designed to raise their awareness of holds as a signal of nonunderstanding. The students carried out perception tests in Week 1 and Week 5 that presented video excerpts from CELFI showing the depicted listeners’ hold onsets and releases, and the students rated those listeners’ comprehension. In the interim, 31 students completed weekly awareness-raising activities via Moodle (2 hours per week) for four weeks. A mixed ANOVA showed that students who participated in the awareness-raising activities showed significant improvement in their ability to discriminate between hold onsets and releases. Implications for the use of awareness-raising activities to promote recognition of nonverbal behavior are discussed.

Morning Star BrandCom: combating Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy

Learning outcomes This case is intended to help students of business communication and public relations to trace the effects of communication by public figures and understand essential elements of designing effective communication. After working through the case and assignment questions, the students will be able to:understand the drivers of vaccine hesitancy;analyze the effects of mass communication on public sentiment, in a fast-changing public health situation; anddesign interventions to influence public awareness and action, using a simple model (5W) for mass communication. Case overview/synopsis As the vaccines first arrived after the devastating first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Indians hesitated to take the shot. Vaccine hesitancy, a worldwide phenomenon, hampered the uptake of the first Covid vaccines despite the dark clouds of the lethal disease. The case looks at the massive problem of vaccine hesitancy and how an integrated communication strategy could overcome and mitigate the challenge. The case protagonist, the leader of a communications agency, looks at the messaging, medium and platforms needed for strategic communication pitch to combat this vaccine hesitancy. Complexity academic level The case was designed for use in a graduate-level course in business communication. This case may be positioned toward the middle or end of the course to illustrate mass communication strategy for pressing and sensitive challenges. The case may also be used in a course on public relations, both at graduate and undergraduate levels. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing.

An Inquiry Based Learning Experience Using K-W-L in Business Communication Presentations

Technological advancement, particularly in terms of scientific knowledge within the various fields of subject, is an important feature of the twenty-first century. In line with such technological advancement, teaching learning strategies and methods used for teaching students are not discounted (Alsalhi, 2020). The creativity of educators is even more pronounced during the pandemic (Barber, 2020) where all educators have to resort to online teaching. In such online platforms, student engagement poses a challenge for educators to gain student attention and engagement. Educators need to resort various approaches to gain student engagement. The inquiry-based-learning approach using the “K-W-L” strategy or “Know-What-Learnt” chart organizer encourages all students to take ownership and experience learning beyond the classroom context. The Business Communication students used the “K-W-L” as part of the inquiry-based learning experience to question, research, analyze, sort, and present their answers according to what they know, learn and learnt about a topic. Findings suggest student’s receptivity to the using the organizer as a learning tool. Learning occurs both outside and within the classroom whether online or offline. Learning becomes student-centered, discussing discoveries and experiences, and reflecting on new-found knowledge. Learning is not mere regurgitation of contents but is actively acquired through independent questioning.

Challenges of Moksh Organization: an epitome of humanity

Theoretical basis This case uses concepts from Korten’s strategies of development-oriented four generations of non-government organizations (NGOs) and social psychology such as stereotypes, prejudices and actions to explain the social phenomenon. In furtherance, the case presents Aristotle’s approach to creating a message for masses that include use of ethos, pathos and logos. Stood’s (2017) narrative, engagement and technology (NET) model of social leadership was used to analyse the characteristics of social leaders. Research methodology Prima facie the case was developed from primary sources i.e. interviewing with Ashish Thakur. Literature from secondary sources was obtained to make teaching notes. List of references is presented towards the end that depicts the use of textbooks, research papers, websites and blogs. This case was tested in the classroom with MBA students learning business communication. Case overview/synopsis The case dealt with the challenges of an NGO that included conducting respectful last rites of unclaimed dead bodies. As the NGO grew, Ashish Thakur, the initiator of Moksh started facing resource management challenges, namely, volunteer induction, fundraising and managing non-human resources. These issues are deeply embedded in several social stereotypes about dead bodies. Learning covers strategies of four generations of NGO development, a NET model of social leadership, breaking social stereotypes related to dead bodies and last rites (necrophobia), designing social communication and opportunity to assess faulty rationalizations and do critical thinking around the socio-religious practices. Complexity academic level This case is intended to be used for the students of the social leadership or social entrepreneurship, social psychology, business communication or communication skills, organizational behaviour, advertising and social media.

The Prominent Barriers to Speaking in English: A Study Conducted Among Youngsters

This discourse analyses the prominent barriers to speaking in English while conducting online English Language classes during the pandemic, COVID-19. The study is conducted among business communication students in university colleges in India and takes five paradigms into consideration. They are: the motivational factor, the personality of the learner, attitude of the learner, the pedagogical management of English classes in online mode and the level of exposure to the English language. Data were collected by analyzing the survey questionnaire distributed among 150 business communication students. Data were analyzed with the help of SPSS in a descriptive mode. The result of the analysis shows that while dealing with online classes, teachers face several difficulties to manage the language subjects, especially the pedagogical management of the English subject. Another significant factor is the level of exposure to the English language. In this online system, ordinary students do not have an opportunity to communicate and practice English. They show some kind of hesitation to use English during the entire class time and give less attention to the words of the teacher. Most of them are distracted due to several factors. It contributes moderately to the predicaments of the learners. This study also helps to understand the crucial factors that act as language barriers in cross cultural business communication as the application level of language is more or less same all over the world.

Journaling to Develop a Study Abroad Course for Business Majors

Objective - This research explored the cultural and educational insights in Thailand to develop a study abroad course for Business Communication students including a pre-departure segment followed by a trip to Thailand. The context was a small mid-western teaching university in the United States of America. Methodology/Technique – The primary researcher collected textual data by means of keeping a daily journal in Thailand including visits and stays in both urban and rural areas for over a period of two months. The journaling included reflections on the primary researcher’s observations and comments about learning sites, opportunities and cultural activities. The data collection also included videotaped interviews, photos of sites, local people, and cultural artifacts to be utilized in the course. Finding & Novelty - Content analysis of the journal yielded three sets of themes which resulted in the development of the course: a) Identification of opportunities to develop and practice intercultural sensitivity, intercultural development, and intercultural competencies; b) recognition of cultural artifacts to bring awareness to the culture of the country visited; and c) identification of a set of practical issues related to international travel. Type of Paper: Empirical. Keywords: Curation, experiential learning, journaling, study abroad, social enterprise, reflection. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Ward; J.G; Ward Y.D; Jones; S. 2020. Journaling to Develop a Study Abroad Course for Business Majors, Global J. Bus. Soc. Sci. Review, 8(1): 30 – 40. https://doi.org/10.35609/gjbssr.2020.8.1(4) JEL Classification: A30, A39.

Using group work to harness students’ multilinguistic competencies for a better understanding of assignment questions

In South Africa, it is readily acknowledged that there is an absence of pedagogy to inform multi-language usage for students for whom English is not a first language. Equally noteworthy, is that while group work has been used extensively as an active learning methodology, which has not been explored to the same extent is the manifestation of translanguaging when working in groups. This study explored how best to harness students’ multilingual competencies for a better understanding of assignment questions. The population comprised of first year Business Communication students at a university of technology. A mixed method research design revealed that when multilingual students engaged in group work, there was a tendency of gravitation towards translanguaging which resulted in students having a better understanding of assignment questions. It was concluded that group work can serve as an enabler for translanguaging, harnessing students’ multilingual competencies for a better understanding of their work.

What resources do students need in a competency‐based online business communication program? A Westminster College case study

AbstractThe authors argue in this paper that self‐directed learning is a primary competency for hybrid and online business communication students in competency‐based programs. The results of a small case study of students in two professional, project‐based and competency‐based online graduate programs reveal an incongruent profile: While students tended toward high enthusiasm and aptitude for self‐directed learning, they chose learning resources that did not promote high levels of self‐direction. Student resistance to self‐direction suggests faculty in competency‐based programs must re‐think pedagogical approaches as well as the kinds of resources business and professional communication faculty provide for students and encourage them to use.

Testing ERE Cycle in Teaching Business Communication Courses: Experiential Learning Strategies

Effective communication skills demonstrate the capacity and efficacy of any business graduate; however, the business industries have continuously raised their concerns on the lack of effective business communication (BC) skills, to serve the requirements of rapidly growing communication within and outside the organizations. Among many factors, teaching methods at higher education have been identified as a major factor that does not allow working skills to be developed. Scholars and researchers have tried to explore and test Experiential Learning (EL) techniques in teaching different courses of business administration programs. EL theory presents a playfield where learners can learn the best by doing (Kolb, 1984). Although business education around the world has already inculcated EL strategies into its system, in Pakistan EL theory is at its initial stage. In this regard, the researcher developed an ERE cycle which was based on Kolb’s (1984) EL theory and tested its impact on the grades of the students of oral and written communication skills. The study was conducted using one sample t-test in the paradigm of quantitative research. Three classes of BBA and MBA from oral and written communication courses were selected for this study. This research compared mean scores of these classes with the population mean over the last three years. The results showed a significant positive difference between the sample mean scores and population mean. The study proved that EL based ERE cycle could prove very effective in the enhancement of the skills of business communication students that were reflected in their performance in exams. The study aimed to provide communication faculty, trainers and institutes the opportunity to explore and utilize the effectiveness of the ERE cycle and perform further researches to extend the utilities of EL based teaching methods.

Pain or Gain? How Business Communication Students Perceive the Outlining Process

This study investigates how students perceive the outlining process. Students in two business communication sections completed a survey regarding outlining perceptions and reasons for outlining or not. Using qualitative content analysis and qualitative coding, the researcher and an independent coder analyzed 34 students’ responses regarding outlining process, use, and reasons for outlining or not. Results indicate that students perceive outlining as more useful if their outlining process includes both organization and content exploration and less useful if it excludes organization or content exploration. Notable reasons for not outlining include concern for outlining time and difficulty generating content for the outline.

Reimagining Work: Normative Commonplaces and Their Effects on Accessibility in Workplaces

This article investigates how normative attitudes about work construct barriers to workers who are blind and visually impaired. The researcher collected narratives about rhetorical experiences from blind and visually impaired participants in the United States and analyzed accounts of these workplace interactions to identify rhetorical commonplaces that drive arguments about work. These commonplaces reveal the ableist assumptions that construct access barriers and constrain rhetorical possibilities for disabled workers’ self-advocacy. The author proposes that business and professional communication students and practitioners should engage in collaborative approaches to flexible thinking and leadership necessary for reimagining work in ways that promote accessibility.

“My Understanding … Has Literally Changed”: Addressing the Military-Civilian Gap with an Academic-Community Engagement Project

The Military-Civilian Gap, a label for the lack of civilian understanding about the military, is one of many concerns for those invested in supporting the military and the nation. While the factors contributing to the Military-Civilian Gap are many and are nuanced, academic-community engagement course projects provide one strategy for improving understanding between civilians and military-affiliated individuals and thus bridging the gap. This article analyzes final reflections of forty-four upper-level business communication students who completed an academic-community engagement project for which they developed a proposal for a recreational retreat for local military personnel and veterans. Analysis of the reflections shows that such service-learning projects increase civilian students' knowledge of the military and its members as well as civilian students' commitment to future engagement with military-affiliated individuals. In addition, student-veterans' reflections reveal that working with civilian students on projects that serve military-affiliated individuals improves the student-veterans' understanding of the military-civilian gap and potentially how to address it.

The Influence of Business Students’ Listening Styles on Their Compassion and Self-Compassion

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the four listening styles of business communication students on their demonstration of compassion for others and themselves. A sample of 387 business students completed a questionnaire that inquired about their perceptions of their preferred listening style, their compassion for others, and their self-compassion for those in a given organization. This study found that people listening positively affected both compassion and self-compassion. Another finding was that action listening negatively affected both compassion and self-compassion. Other findings are also discussed along with future directions.

Cosmopolitan sensitivities, vulnerability, and Global Englishes

This paper is the outcome of an afterthought that assembles connections between three elements: the ambitions of cultivating cosmopolitan sensitivities that circulate vibrantly in connection with the internationalization of higher education, a course on Global Englishes at a Danish university and the sensation of vulnerability. It discusses the challenges of sensitizing students of business communication to the real or imagined connectivities that bind individuals and societies together, and the ethical responsibilities and dilemmas that follow. It shows how language courses that focus on culture and the ownership of English provide fertile grounds on which to rearrange students’ prior knowledge and perceptions of distant people in distant places in new formations. The result of the afterthought is twofold. First, it claims that the sensation of vulnerability that surface in learning contexts, with its paradoxical potential to harm on the one hand and to be productive and generative on the other, can be a key experiential element in provoking movements in perspectives. Second, by privileging the notion of ‘rooted’ cosmopolitanism, it claims that the tasks and responsibilities related to the cultivation of cosmopolitan sensitivities are ethical issues shared by student and teacher.

The Role of Engagement in Teaching Business Communication

As a journal devoted to teaching communication in the workplace, Business Communication Quarterly (BCQ) publishes research that advances knowledge about business communication, including best practices. But implementing best practices will not be enough if our students and employees are not motivated to improve. Engagement is a critically important component in the teaching and learning process. In the United States, the National Survey of Student Engagement was launched more than a decade ago as a means of gathering information about collegiate quality. The survey is designed to report empirical data on desirable behaviors by students and institutions of higher education. Student engagement is twofold—the effort students put into their own education and all the ways in which colleges and universities deploy resources and organize their curricula to encourage active participation. The assumption, then, is that the more engaged students are, the more likely they are to learn what we believe we are teaching them. In this issue of BCQ, we begin with an article that shows how eBooks can increase student engagement and learning. The pilot project described here had other benefits as well, not the least of which was cost, the portability, and the contribution to sustainable resources. Our second article analyzes mandates for plain language in reporting information to the public. Although the author does not focus here on student engagement, one could well argue that writers and readers would be more engaged if they did not have to wade through gobbledygook. Our third feature article approaches the complicated question of instructor credibility and the impact on student engagement and learning; business communication students expect their teachers to demonstrate competence, character, and caring. A highly creative teaching exercise is the focus of our fourth feature article in this issue; the author describes a means of engaging students in practicing and honing skills in information literacy, including what to do when mistakes are made. We do not specifically address employee engagement in these articles, but I would like to call your attention to an Association for Business Communication panel on this subject scheduled for the Corporate Communication International Conference in New York in June.

Introducing Plain Language Principles to Business Communication Students

In response to current federal mandates requiring selected businesses and government agencies to use plain language (PL) when reporting information to the public, this article advocates the introduction of PL principles into current business communication curricula. Despite recent PL mandates and advances, many current business textbooks and curricula omit PL principles. Students must become familiar with PL principles in their business communication courses in order to apply PL effectively in the workplace. To accomplish this goal, the author focuses on defining PL, outlining the history and recent developments of PL, and listing the resources and exercises instructors can use to incorporate PL principles into business communication courses.

Dead or Alive

Information literacy is an essential skill for business communication students. Traditionally taught by librarians, there is a pressing need for all business instructors to incorporate informational literacy training into their courses. Moreover, students need to hone their research skills, moving beyond a dependence on Google and Wikipedia. This article describes an assignment that pushes students to be creative and dogged in their research, to think critically about the information they find, and to provide solutions and tools for fellow students for improving their research and critical thinking skills.