An Analysis of Business Communication Courses in Business Schools and Suggestions for Curriculum Development

Abstract

Objectives: The concept of communication is inherently broad, so the content of a course usually depends on the instructor, leading to a variety of syllabuses with a shared name. The present research was conducted to understand the current state of business communication courses in Korea and provide a fundamental basis for curriculum development. Methods: The top 30 universities in the 2017 Business School Assessment by the Korea Economic Daily were accessed through websites. Department curriculum and course syllabuses were collected and analyzed and compared with those of 2011 and 2014 and with those from the top 30 American universities. Results: Three types of business communication courses were identified, and the distribution of courses showed relatively balanced weights of the three types (46%, 24%, and 30%), which did not significantly change between 2011 and 2017. However, a gradual growth of business major proportions was noticed from 2011 (77%) to 2014 (92%). There were also significant differences between Korea and the U.S.: There was a higher proportion of elective courses (84%) in Korea, whereas most of the courses were business in practice-oriented type (70%) and required courses (63%) in the U.S. Conclusions: More emphasis on business communication in business schools is needed with lower technical skills and higher required courses in Korea. A suggested framework of the House of Quality model will be useful for curriculum development considering multifaceted stakeholder needs in a rather scientific way to improve the education, research, and practice of business communication.

Instructional Innovations with Business Communication in Classrooms: Practice-Based Presentation Topics and Online Communication Tools

“…Therefore, business school educators should also be clear that development of communication skills is as important as technical competence for students who want to find and keep jobs (Evenson, 1999;Robles, 2012). Moreover, educators should realize the need for a curriculum that meets both students' and industry's demands (Chang et al, 2018).…”

“…Many researchers have addressed possible reasons for why business students lack communication skills. Although many business schools admit the importance of communication skills, they still require traditional business courses (such as finance, marketing, or accountancy) mandatory and designate communication courses as electives (Chang, Park, & Cho, 2018). Also, the concept of communication in the business world is broad and complex with different levels, such as individual, group, and organizational communication (Lunenburg & Ornstein, 2008).…”

“…Also, the concept of communication in the business world is broad and complex with different levels, such as individual, group, and organizational communication (Lunenburg & Ornstein, 2008). Since communication can be general that can draw from many disciplines, business communication can be interpreted as including business writing, business English, marketing communication, intercultural communication, and negotiation (Chang et al, 2018).…”

Locations, Programs, and Content of Graduate Education in Business Communication

“…Because we know little about where business communication graduate education is conducted, we also know little about the current content of that graduate education. This lack stands in stark contrast with knowledge of undergraduate education, which is a common topic in business communication research (Chang, Park, & Cho, 2018;Laster & Russ, 2010;Russ, 2009). Only one proposal for doctoral education in business communication exists (Wunsch, 1978).…”

Identifying a Key Opportunity to Grow the Field in Business Communication

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The articles published by Chang, Park, and Cho (2018) and Jung (2018) in the inaugural issue of Business Communication Research and Practice (BCRP) perform an incredibly valuable service to all those who are currently or will in the future be interested in understanding the state of business communication teaching and research in Korea. Both articles provide well-researched, comprehensive, and -perhaps most importantlyuseful information that will enable the next generation of leaders in the field to expand and enhance the impact of Korean business communication from a position of strength and optimism.In this brief Communication, which I hope will extend the conversation, I identify the most significant shared conclusion of these two articles.

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