Perceptional aspects for professional preparation of collegiate business communication teachers

Purpose The purpose of the study was to propose a curriculum for preparing business communication teachers. Research subjects were surveyed to determine (1) their educational background, (2) their concept of an ideal business communication program, and (3) their perceptions of business communication's role in the collegiate curriculum. Procedures The 130 research subjects were selected from 65 institutions accredited by the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business and represented in the American Business Communication Association. Research subjects represented two major groups: business communication teachers and business administration teachers from the functional areas (accounting, finance, management, and marketing). A review of professional literature from 1951-1972 served as the basis for developing perception statements, course offerings. and linguistic mechanics used in the two questionnaires. The questionnaires consisted of three subparts: (1 ) perceptions of the present and ideal status of business communication; (2) a proposed business communication curriculum including course offerings, topics, and linguistic mechanics; and (3) general information on the undergraduate and graduate educational background of the research subjects, their academic areas of specialization and teaching experience. The questionnaires for the business communication teachers had three additional questions pertaining to their preparation for teaching business communication courses. The data were subjected to principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation to orthogonal simple structure (1) to determine whether the isolated perception factors were related to academic areas of specialization, (2) to determine whether proposed business communication course offerings were related to perception factors and to academic areas of specialization, (3) to determine whether a relationship existed among the suggested topic patterns, perception factors, and academic areas of specialization, and (4) to determine whether a relationship existed between respondents' educational background and the proposed business communication course and topic patterns. Findings and Conclusions Fifteen composite perception factors were isolated and interpreted as representing the polarized dimensions along which business communication may be described. The perception factors were not related to academic areas. Perception differences within the groups were as great as differences among the research groups. The study resulted in five proposed business communication curricula. Respondents' philosophies on two questions appeared to be the primary basis for differences in proposed business communication course offerings, topics, and linguistic mechanics. One was the question of emphasis regarding the study of human behavior, linguistic mechanics, and composition; the second was whether business communication is or should be considered an appropriate substitute for required English courses. Only the business communication and finance teachers' curricula recommended topics to be included in business communication courses. Two vectors pertained to linguistic mechanics. Recommendations 1. Further research should be done to determine the basis for the differences in perceptions. 2. The 15 perception factors derived in this study should be used by collegiate business administration faculties as a basis for determining a philosophy for individual institutions so that a program can be developed to meet the individual institution's objectives. 3. Faculties from the business communication area and the functional areas should be involved in developing a business communication curriculum so that some agreement can be reached regarding the philosophies of business communication's role. 4. A study should be made to determine differences in philosophies and objectives among business communication teachers. Professional organizations, such as ABCA, may need to assume the leadership role in determining appropriate objectives for a business communication curriculum. 5. A study should be made to determine differences in marketing teachers' philosophies regarding business communication and their opinions on what business communication should be. A business communication curriculum could not be proposed for the marketing subgroup except in what it should not contain. 6. Appropriate matters and doctoral programs should be developed for preparing business communication teachers.