Department Chairs' Perceptions of the Importance of Business Communication Skills

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to determine business department chairs' ratings of topics typically covered in the business communication course. A sample of 280 chairs provided administrative information about the business communication courses at their institutions, rated the importance of 34 topics typically covered in the course, and assessed the need for the course in their programs. Results indicate that department chairs perceive writing skills to be more important to business communication courses than other communication skills, such as speaking, technology-mediated communication, interpersonal communication, team/group communication, listening, and cultural literacy skills. Implications for business communication curriculum and research are offered.

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