Business and Professional Communication Quarterly

9 articles
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December 2025

  1. Book Review: Text at Scale: Corpus Analysis in Technical Communication CarradiniS.SwartsJ. (2024). Text at Scale: Corpus Analysis in Technical Communication. Denver, CO: The WAC Clearinghouse, University Press of Colorado. 152 pp.
    doi:10.1177/23294906251345592

September 2025

  1. The Necessity for Advancing Supportive Professional Communication in the Workplace
    Abstract

    Managers who are seen as approachable by their employees are the key drivers of building an excellent organizational workplace where supportive communication is available for the employees, especially during difficult situations. Regrettably, not all managers are approachable and communicate supportively. In such situations, the result can be a dysfunctional work environment that demoralizes employees’ attitudes, causing organizational work productivity to deteriorate. Our study explores the factors related to unapproachable organizational managers who do not use supportive communication. We employed a qualitative statistical approach to interview 155 professional employees from various industries representing different countries

    doi:10.1177/23294906231206097

August 2025

  1. Corporate Social Responsibility Communication on X: The Spanish Energy Sector
    Abstract

    This article examines whether energy companies use corporate social responsibility communication on X to manage their reputation. A total of 1,161,538 messages directed at the six Spanish energy companies listed in MERCO and 568,677 messages issued by them were analyzed using natural language processing, network theory, and statistical analysis. A predominantly informative, unidirectional, and defensive communication style was observed. However, positive emotions, joy and surprise, are positively associated with reputation, whereas negative emotions, fear and sadness, are negatively correlated. Social media, as a reflection of society, enables companies to establish communication strategies aligned with stakeholder demands and to ensure their effectiveness.

    doi:10.1177/23294906251352777

May 2025

  1. A Descriptive Study on Indonesian-to-English Translations by University Students
    Abstract

    This study examines translation accuracy, challenges, and improvement strategies in Indonesian-to-English translations by university students, specifically analyzing Goenawan Muhammad’s essay “Nama.” A descriptive mixed-methods design was employed, combining qualitative thematic analysis with quantitative statistical methods. The study involved a sample of 406 students, with translations evaluated based on accuracy, readability, and cultural competence. Statistical analyses, including correlation and logistic regression, revealed significant positive relationships between cultural references, cultural competence, and translation accuracy. Key findings show that cultural competence training improves translation accuracy (coefficient of 0.75), acceptability (average rating of 4.0), and readability (average rating of 4.1). The analysis also found that students with higher cultural competence demonstrated better handling of cultural references in the text, resulting in more accurate and contextually appropriate translations. The novelty of this study lies in its emphasis on the interplay between cultural references and competence in translation accuracy, filling a gap in existing research. The findings contribute to the development of translation training programs by highlighting the critical role of cultural awareness in enhancing translation quality. This study provides practical recommendations for improving translator training through focused cultural competence development, ensuring more accurate and readable translations in both academic and professional contexts.

    doi:10.1177/23294906251333137

March 2025

  1. Beyond Pressure: Interpersonal Apprehension’s Impact on Behavior and Performance in High-Stakes Scenarios
    Abstract

    Delineating a nuanced distinction between high-pressure and high-stakes scenarios, this study introduces the Measure of Interpersonal Apprehensions in High-Stakes Situations (MIPHSS), a sophisticated assessment instrument designed to comprehensively evaluate the direct, and mediating, effects of interpersonal apprehension (IpA) on the behavior (BA) and performance apprehension (PA) of professionals operating in high-stakes contexts. Additionally, the study explores the moderating effects of gender and behavioral and communication training (B&CT ) on these relationships. The hypotheses were empirically tested using SmartPLS-3, employing a sample of 210 professionals operating within high-stakes environments. The findings show a direct positive impact of interpersonal apprehension on both behavioral and performance apprehension, with behavioral apprehension identified as a mediating factor in the relationship between interpersonal and performance apprehension. Notably, the moderating effect of gender was statistically insignificant. Conversely, B&CT exhibited a moderately significant impact on mitigating performance apprehension in professions characterized by heightened stakes.

    doi:10.1177/23294906251322889

October 2024

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

    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.

    doi:10.1177/23294906241278917

March 2024

  1. <i>Topoi</i>of Nonprofit Proposal Writing
    Abstract

    Studies of the grant proposal tend to conflate academic research grant proposals with other kinds of nonprofit grant proposal genres, even though research and nonprofit grant proposals have different audiences and goals. To address this gap, this study draws on the Aristotelian concept of topoi (or typical arguments) and uses corpus analysis, interview, and coding methods to answer the question, what topoi distinguish the academic research and nonprofit grant proposal genres? Findings suggest key differences in the topoi that research and nonprofit proposals use to advocate for problems and outcomes, set goals, and establish credibility.

    doi:10.1177/23294906231182616

March 2020

  1. Low-Resource Digital Video: A Pedagogical Necessity for Modern Business Communication
    Abstract

    Despite its ubiquity across business contexts, video creation is a rarity in business communication curricula. This article is intended to offer the field of business communication education both a rationale and mechanism by which to better align with modern business communication practice. Part 1 provides a comprehensive demonstration of the pervasive uses of video in business, including statistical evidence, genre examples, and analysis of the medium’s communicative value. Part 2 (and subsequent appendices) then empowers the business communication educator to implement the change suggested in Part 1 by way of a turnkey assignment easily adaptable across business courses.

    doi:10.1177/2329490619869208

March 2015

  1. Testing the Recognition and Perception of Errors in Context
    Abstract

    This study tests the recognition of errors in context and whether the presence of errors affects the reader’s perception of the writer’s ethos. In an experimental, posttest only design, participants were randomly assigned a memo to read in an online survey: one version with errors and one version without. Of the six intentional errors in version one, on average, readers only noticed two errors, which suggests that readers notice some but not all errors. The ethos ranking for the writer was also statistically significant between the two versions, suggesting that the presence of errors can affect the writer’s ethos.

    doi:10.1177/2329490614563570