Improving Business Students Oral Communication Skills

Abstract

This study empirically examines a model for improving the oral communication skills of business students. First, the researchers worked to identify the elements of effective oral communication in a business setting, and to enumerate the related oral communication skills that potential employers hope to find in new employees. Next we endeavored to gauge the degree to which an intensive program of instruction in oral communication within an existing business course can improve these skills and abilities among college seniors. The study utilized a pre/post test quasi-experimental design and provides evidence that by redesigning one of the senior level business courses to include an intense oral communications element it is possible to improve a student's oral communication skills.