Communication Apprehension in the Workplace: Focusing on Inclusion

Peter Cardon ; Ephraim A. Okoro ; Raigan Priest University of Southern California ; Greg Patton University of Southern California

Abstract

Communication apprehension can lead to professional challenges for individuals, teams, and organizations. This is the first study of communication apprehension that involved a randomized national survey of working adults in the United States and captured broad representation in terms of age, gender, race/ethnicity, managerial status, and other factors. The study showed that communication apprehension is common, including in group discussions, meetings, interpersonal situations, and public speaking. It is significantly more common among early-career professionals, women, introverted professionals, and professionals with anxiety. Interpersonal situations appear to be the situations in which contemporary professionals are most likely to experience high communication apprehension. This study suggests more attention is needed to address communication apprehension in interpersonal and group situations. It also frames communication apprehension as a matter of inclusion and team performance.

Journal
Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
Published
2023-03-01
DOI
10.1177/23294906221129599
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Cited by in this index (5)

  1. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  2. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  3. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  4. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  5. Journal of Business and Technical Communication

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