Hovland's Yale Communication Model defines source credibility as trustworthiness
and expertise. However, even when men and women are objectively equal on these
dimensions, receivers perceive men as being more persuasive as speakers than women.
In addition, these two dimensions do not account for other measures of credibility
which affect persuasive business communication. This paper expands the model to in
clude dimensions which explain gender differences in speaker credibility in persuasive
business communication with support from the gender literature. Research proposi
tions are suggested, and implications of this research are discussed.
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