Geraldine E. Hynes

Strategies for Teaching Social and Emotional Intelligence in Business Communication

Incorporating social and emotional skills (EI) training into the business communication curriculum is important for preparing students to function effectively in a global workplace with its complex informal networks, intercultural issues, team emphasis, and participatory leadership. EI skills enhance communication behavior in work groups and improve the quality of student responses to various business scenarios. Scientific research indicates that modeling social and emotional behavior is key to acquiring competency in these skills. This article describes four classroom strategies for developing EI skills in business communication courses.

Improving Employees’ Interpersonal Communication Competencies A Qualitative Study

Companies that recognize the relationship between employee engagement and business success will seek ways to foster and facilitate workers’ emotional well-being. One way to encourage employee engagement is to provide training in interpersonal communication. This research analyzes what one U.S.-based company is doing to achieve that goal. The company and the evolution of its communication training program are described, with a focus on an interpersonal communication component. Methods used for evaluating learning outcomes are outlined, along with some results. Finally, this study proposes several implications of this case study for business communication professionals.

Global Imagery in Online Advertisements

A WELL-DESIGNED ONLINE advertisement is essential for effective communication with potential customers and contributes to successful e-commerce. However, creating online sales messages that appeal to a broad range of cultures can pose unique challenges (Tsotra, Janson, & Cecez-Kecmanovic, 2004). Internet ads must offer both a globally appealing and a culture-specific message that in turn “enables localization of marketing communication” (Luna, Peracchio, & de Juan, 2002, p. 399). These authors also suggest that “cultural congruity” is essential for effective Internet Web sites. Thus, the inclusion of verbal and nonverbal content that is congruent with a range of cultures allows for ad elements that will be successful both locally and globally. In order to examine cultural congruity in various cultures, we conducted consumer interviews of individuals of six nationalities about their reactions to two online Internet advertisements to reveal how the underlying meanings of ad elements vary from culture to culture.

Business Schools' Policies Regarding Publications in Electronic Journals.

Perhaps the most obvious example of innovation in faculty performance is the adoption of new technologies for research. Both administrators and faculty have expressed concern about the role that electronic publications play in their research evaluation processes, particularly in business schools, where scholarly publication is often emphasized over other activities. Yet, there appears to be no empirical evidence for the way that electronic journals are evaluated compared to printed paper versions. Therefore, in this study, the authors sought to determine how business school deans regard the formats in which their faculty is publishing.

GMAT-AWA Score as a Predictor of Success in a Managerial Communication Course

Because communication skills, especially writing, are such an integral part of managerial work, it may be postulated that these skills are associated with managerial success. Yet evidence of writing competency is not universally considered for admission to MBA programs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible correlation between the Analytical Writing Assessment Section (AWA) of the GMAT exam and a “critical thinking” writing assignment that is similar to the AWA. Results indicate that the AWA is significantly correlated with achievement, not only on the writing assignment but also with the final grade in a managerial communication course.

Major Difference: An Examination of Student Writing Performance by Major and its Implications for Business Communication

This study analyzes the writing performance levels of 352 students to determine the extent to which business students are achieving written communication competency and whether differences exist among the business majors. Although most students met or exceeded expectations in format and content on a common writing task, students were weakest in grammar and mechanics, with almost half scoring below expectations across all majors. The findings indicate no statistically significant differences in writing competency among majors. This study also suggests that business communicators can serve as “collegial consultants” in a cross-disciplinary effort to improve student writing.