Student Perceptions About Business Communication in Their Careers

Abstract

There is little question among educators and business executives that excellent communication skills are requisites for today's jobs. Yet most business teachers realize the difficulty of getting students to take business communication courses seriously. Succcessful teachers know that students learn best when they value what they are learning as relevant. Teachers can often create learning environments that stimulate students' enthusiasm for learning if they can relate topics taught in school to career or life goals of students. This study was conducted to assist students in becoming more aware of business communica tion tasks they will be expected to complete when they enter the business world. The goal is to provide information to help create a learning environ ment where the significance of communication is recognized and appreciated. The study sought to answer this question: What are students' perceptions con cerning their future business communication tasks?

Keywords

Career roles on-the-job student survey

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Adler, R.B. , & Elmhorst, J.M. (1996). Communicating at work: Principles and practices for business and the professions. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Allen, E. (1990). Excellence in public relations and communication management. ABC/Dayton Awards Banquet, Dayton, OH.

Arnold, V.D. (1992). The communication competencies listed in job descriptions . The Bulletin of the Association for Business Communication , 55(2), 15-17.

Barnes, C.A. (1990). Model memos. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Bell, A.H. (1994). Business communication: Toward 2000. Cincinnati: South-Western.

Boone, L.E. , & Kurtz, D.L. (1994). Contemporary business communication. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Borg, W.R. , & Gall, M.D. (1989). Educational research (5th ed.). New York: Longman.

Bovee, C.L. , & Thill, J.V. (1995). Business communication today (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Chandler, F.G. (1995). Fundamentals of business communication. Chicago: Irwin.

10.

Cole, D. (1989, January 23). Meetings that make sense. Psychology Today, 14-15.

11.

DiGaetani, J. (1982). Interviews with Allstate. The ABCA Bulletin, 45(2), 41.

12.

Dillman, D.A. (1978). Mail and telephone surveys: The total design method . New York: John Wiley and Sons .

13.

Galle, W.P. , Jr., Nelson, B.H. , Luse, D.W. , & Villere, M.F. (1996). Business communication: A technology-based approach . Chicago: Irwin.

14.

Guffey, M.E. (1997). Business communication: Process and product. Cincinnati: South-Western.

15.

Harcourt, J. , Krizan, A.C. , & Merrier, P. (1995). Business communication (3rd ed.). Cincinnati: South-Western .

16.

Hynes, G.E. , & Bhatia, V. (1996). Graduate business students' preferences for the managerial communication course curriculum. Business Communication Quarterly, 59(2), 45-55.

17.

Johnston, W.B. , & Parker, A.E. (1987). Workforce 2000. Indianapolis : Hudson Institute.

18.

Kerlinger, F.N. (1986). Foundations of behavioral research (3rd ed.). New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.

19.

Kornbluh, M. (1983). The electronic office: How it will change the way we work. Career Tomorrow: The outlook for work in a changing world. Bethesda, MD: World Future Society.

20.

Kupfer, A. (1992, December 14). Prime time for videoconferencing . Fortune, 16, 90-95.

21.

Lesikar, R.V. , Pettit, J.D. , & Flatley, M.E. (1993). Basic business communication (6th ed.). Burr Ridge, IL: Irwin.

22.

Locker, K.O. (1995). Business and administrative communication (3rd ed.). Chicago: Irwin.

23.

Mandel, B.J. , & Yellen, J. (1989). Mastering the memo. Working woman , 134.

24.

May, G.S. (1987, March 23). No accounting for poor writers. The Wall Street Journal, p. 17.

25.

Ober, S. (1996). Contemporary business communication. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.

26.

Onley, R.J. , & Bednar, A.S. (1987). Communication needs of recent graduates. Bulletin of the Association for Business Communication, 24 (1),129-137.

27.

Policy Statements: Policies Commission on Business and Economic Education: 1959-1996 (1997). Cincinnati: South-Western

28.

Sandwich, P. (1992). Better meetings for better communications. Training & development, 8, 29-30.

29.

Stewart, T.A. (1994, August 21). Managing in a wired company. Fortune, 44. Sullivan, C.B. (1995). Preferences for electronic mail in organizational tasks. Journal of Business Communication, 32, 49-65.

30.

University of New Orleans. (1993). Maximizing multi-media. New Orleans: University of New Orleans Metropolitan College.

31.

Wiggs-Henson, L. (1990). A survey to anolyze students' future business communication tasks. Cape Girardeau, MO: Southeast Missouri State University.

32.

Zimmer, K. , Camp, S.C. , & Francis-Dombeck, M.M. (1995). Communicating in the workplace. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited.