Business and Professional Communication Quarterly Sep 2016

Business Communication Practices From Employers’ Perspectives

Tina A. Coffelt ; Matthew J. Baker ; Robert C. Corey

Abstract

This study investigates the meaning of communication skills from employers’ perspectives. Students enrolled in a business communication course were asked to contact potential employers in their fields of interest, requesting information about important communication skills in those fields. Using content analysis, two coders familiar with business communication analyzed 52 of the resulting open-ended responses. The analysis of 165 skills suggests employers recall oral communication more frequently than written, visual, or electronic communication skills. Of oral communication subskills, interpersonal communication was mentioned more than other workplace communication skills.

Journal
Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
Published
2016-09-01
DOI
10.1177/2329490616644014
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Topics
professional writing

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (9)

  1. Mishra et al. (2025)
    Reimagining Communication Pedagogy for Virtual Workplaces: Work-From-Home Study…
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  2. Marino (2025)
    Building on the Competency Pivot: Helping Students Build Job Portfolios for Emp…
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  3. Dolechek et al. (2023)
    Rebuilding From the Ground Up: Employer and Alumni Perspectives for Course Redesign
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  4. Baker et al. (2023)
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  5. Coffelt et al. (2022)
    Measuring Business and Professional Communication Skills
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  1. Coffelt et al. (2020)
    Exemplary and Unacceptable Workplace Communication Skills
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  2. Hastings et al. (2020)
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  3. Smallwood (2020)
    The Need for Cross-Cultural Communication Instruction in U.S. Business Communic…
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  4. Coffelt et al. (2019)
    Employers’ Perspectives on Workplace Communication Skills: The Meaning of Commu…
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Cites in this index (5)

  1. Jameson (2014)
    Crossing Public-Private and Personal-Professional Boundaries
    Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  2. Reinsch et al. (2014)
    Do Communication Abilities Affect Promotion Decisions? Some Data From the C-Suite
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  3. Brumberger (2007)
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    Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. Reinsch et al. (2006)
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    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  5. Beason (2001)
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