This book examines the major business communication theories, delving into their relationships and practical applications. Many business communication studies lack a strong theoretical grounding—a deficit that creates difficulties for researching business communication phenomena and building upon previous studies. The book addresses this issue by cataloging and briefly describing the major business communication theories, as well as giving a typology of these theories to better integrate them. This book provides value to business communication researchers (who can use it to build upon and develop their work), experts in practice (who can apply it to improve business communications), and academics (who can use it to enhance their instructional designs). It also offers insights into new developments on the business communication theory horizon.
- Introduction
- How We Selected the Theories
- A Typology of Business Communication Theories
- Theory Classifications
- Channels and Barriers
- Cultural Characteristics and Influences
- Flows and Patterns
- Meaning-Making and Discovery
- Motivation and Persuasion
- Organizational Structures
- Reasons and Representations
- Emerging and Noteworthy Theories
- Theory Traditions and Influences
- Why We Need Business Communication Theories
- Conclusion and Future Development
- Recommended Readings
Milton Mayfield is Professor of Management in the A. R. Sanchez Jr. School of Business at Texas A&M International University, USA. He is a co-editor of the International Journal of Business Communication and co-author of the book Motivating Language Theory: Effective Leader Talk in the Workplace.
Jacqueline Mayfield is Professor of Management and Radcliffe Killam Distinguished Professor in the A. R. Sanchez Jr. School of Business at Texas A&M International University, USA. She is a co-Editor of the International Journal of Business Communication and co-author of the book Motivating Language Theory: Effective Leader Talk in the Workplace.
Robyn Walker is Associate Professor of Clinical Management Communication in the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, USA. She does research in the areas of communication and team decision making. She currently serves as Associate Editor for the International Journal of Business Communication.
