Trends in Business Communication Research, Teaching, and Academic Societies in Korean Higher Education

정연권 한국경영커뮤니케이션학회 2018 Business Communication Research and Practice Vol.1 No.1

Objectives: This paper investigates the contemporary academic trend in business communication in Korea. It tries to address the question of whether Korean business communicators are teaching business communication, and if they are, which kinds of business communication they teach, which traditions they follow, and how the teaching trend is projected to research trends in business communication in Korea. Methods: This study first examines web content on business communication curricula and then conducts a content analysis of the websites of Korean communication associations as well as related qualitative interviews with professors whose academic interest is related to business communication in order to address some particular research questions. Results: This study shows that business communication education in Korean universities (in communications departments) has a lack of variety (i.e., a predominance of organizational communication and media studies) and that actual business communication education (with an emphasis on language use in business contexts) is not done in courses titled Business Communication. Conclusions: Nevertheless, interviewees expect a bright future for Korean business communication in both teaching and research (i.e., increasing the number of business communication courses to conduct a government-funded research project; establishing academic associations focusing on business and professional communication).

Employees’ Perceived Risk of Discussing COVID-19 Concerns in the Workplace: The Impact of Perceived Organizational Support and Policy Communication on Voicing Health Concerns in Times of Crisis

Andrea L. Meluch 한국경영커뮤니케이션학회 2022 Business Communication Research and Practice Vol.5 No.2

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic transformed the nature of work across the globe and forced organizations to grapple with the challenge of protecting their workers, while maintaining operations. Part of the challenges associated with the pandemic included instituting new COVID-19 workplace policies (e.g., social distancing, masking) designed to protect employees from spread of the virus. The present study is designed to understand employee perceptions of the risks of discussing their COVID-19 concerns in the workplace and how this is related to perceived organizational support and COVID-19 policy communication. Methods: Two-hundred and fifty-two individuals working during the COVID-19 pandemic completed an online survey administered via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Participants’ COVID-19 policy communication within their organization, their perceptions of organizational support, and their perceived risk associated with discussing COVID-19 concerns in the workplace were analyzed with Pearson correlations and hierarchical regression models using SPSS 27. Results: COVID-19 policy communication was negatively correlated to employees’ levels of perceived organizational support (r = –.148, p = .018). The regression models indicated that COVID-19 policy communication and perceived organizational support explain a significant amount of employees’ perceived risks of discussing COVID-19 concerns in the workplace. Conclusions: Organizations need to be aware of whether employees feel supported by organizational policies and whether they can reveal their concerns about health-related issues and/or organizational crises in their workplace. The implications of the study findings are discussed in terms of the risks of discussing health concerns in the workplace and the nature of work in times of crisis.

Reassessing Clarification Request Strategies within English-Speaking Japanese Business Discourse: Clarification of Message Delivery and Pragmatic Ambiguity

Yoichi Sato 한국경영커뮤니케이션학회 2022 Business Communication Research and Practice Vol.5 No.2

Objectives: English communication skills are becoming more important in the business context of Japan. To realize smooth communication, the use of clarification requests is considered facilitative. Many companies in Japan have introduced corporate in-house English training as a part of their English-speaking Human Resources development, and many focus on training in the use of clarification requests. However, not much has been understood about how the pragmatics are employed within the English-speaking discourse community by Japanese businesspeople. This study looks at how clarification requests are used by Japanese businesspeople and addresses how they can contribute to realizing effective communication in English-speaking business discourse in Japan. Methods: The researcher analyses data retrieved from stimulated role-play. The participants are requested to engage in collective decision-making in their corporate in-house English training. There were 24 participants involved in this study, and they were placed into four teams for cross-sectional comparison. The interaction of the participants was video recorded and later transcribed to allow for text-based discourse analysis. Results: Our data show that the use of clarification request strategies was observed in all teams. Participants used clarification requests for various kinds of discourse pragmatic functions. Conclusions: It was concluded that teaching clarification request strategies is beneficial for many Japanese businesspeople who wish to develop their English communication competence. However, the potential face-threatening aspect of the use of clarification requests by Japanese speakers of English has been overlooked. This aspect should be taken into consideration when designing/implementing corporate in-house English training in Japanese companies in the future.

Online Parasites: Concept, Characteristics, and Implications for Business Communication

복소양,고준 한국경영커뮤니케이션학회 2023 Business Communication Research and Practice Vol.6 No.1

Objectives: This research, using the interview methods, attempts to identify a new type of network users which is called as “online parasites.” Since online parasites have a higher level of information retention and activity than ordinary passive users, companies that operate online communities should consider the needs and meaning of “online parasites” when activating inactive users. Methods: This study conducted preliminary interviews with seven participants to observe how they use the internet, why they join the online community, and how they obtain information from the online community, regardless of whether they have the experience in posting messages in the online community. Results: This study explores the relationship between the active user, inactive user, lurker, and online parasite according to users’ interaction behaviors and the perceived contributions to the community. In addition, online parasites are defined as users who access and use the online community and produce interactive behaviors (such as likes and favorites) with the content but have no substantial content creation and contribution. Conclusions: Compared to Lurker or passive receivers who read newspapers many years ago, most internet users now have a certain degree of enthusiasm like online parasites. Therefore, conceptualizing online parasites and studying their motivations and behaviors will greatly impact the sustainable development of the internet and virtual community.

Some Reflections on Teaching Online

박필립 한국경영커뮤니케이션학회 2022 Business Communication Research and Practice Vol.5 No.2

This experience and similar ones over the course of my online teaching thus have revealed the important potential of work that examines factors of motivation in a classroom setting. If the purpose of research is to improve our practices, some qualitative work that examines the factors of educational motivation may be in order. Conducting research on motivation can have rich practical implications in classroom settings, in spite of our return to offline classes. Of course, my highlighting the need for qualitative work that presents novel approaches to an understanding of a complex problem is in no way intended to disregard the importance of quantitative work. Quantitative work serves the important purpose of verifying that our intuitions are correct or incorrect. However, with the submissions of quantitative work noticeably outweighing those of qualitative and with this quantitative work only venturing to corroborate widely held assumptions, the declining utility and thus relevance of academic research seems to push research into an online void, unvisited by the people who would benefit from it the most.

Adapting Western-Based Management and Business Communication Courses to Global Environments: Expatriate Professor Perspectives

Bertha Du-Babcock,Li-Ying Wu 한국경영커뮤니케이션학회 2023 Business Communication Research and Practice Vol.6 No.1

Objectives: The present study examines an under-researched issue – the transferability and adaptations of Western-based (mainly US) business and management communication courses to the global environments. This paper investigates whether and how the Western expatriate professors adapted their US-delivered modes to accommodate the global communication environments regarding language, culture, and contexts. Methods: The present study is exploratory research using qualitative methodology. Ten expert Western professors who taught in Hong Kong, Japan, Mainland China, India, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Singapore were invited to participate in the research. The data were gathered through a triangulation method, including objectifying interviewing and the written responses to open-ended questions. Results: The findings demonstrate that the instructional material and teaching style used in the US or UK could serve as the framework for Asian and Middle Eastern teaching but that adaptations need to be made for language, culture, and context differences in and among Asian and Middle Eastern countries. Notably, the English competency of the students determines the quantity of teaching material that could be presented. Conclusions: Findings suggest that multifaceted adaptations, including language, culture, and context factors, are critical to the success of transforming US-based business and management courses to the global business communication environment. The paper concludes by identifying five emerging themes in an expanding business communication theory and an internationalized business communication classroom genre. Implications and suggestions for future research are also provided.

The Effects of Corporate Philanthropy Communication Perception Variables on Brand Equity and Consumer Loyalty

한세현 한국경영커뮤니케이션학회 2023 Business Communication Research and Practice Vol.6 No.1

Objectives: This study aims to verify how the factors contributing to consumers’ perceptions of corporate philanthropy affect brand equity and consumer loyalty mediated by consumer-company identification and trust. This study set the direction for strategies of philanthropic activities among South Korean companies based on a survey of their CSR and philanthropic activities. It validated hypothetical model among factors contributing to consumers’ perceptions of corporate philanthropy, corporate motivational factors, and performance factors such as brand equity and consumer loyalty. Methods: Data were collected through an online survey. A total 390 questionnaire responses were used in the analysis, along with the demographic characteristics of the respondents. This study used the bootstrap method to analyze the direct and indirect effects and the total effects size of the correction model. Results: The results showed that the effects of factors contributing to consumers’ perceptions of corporate philanthropy on consumer loyalty through consumer-company identification, consumer trust and brand equity were statistically significant. Consumer perception of transparency had a significant indirect effect on consumer trust mediated by consumer-company identification. Conclusions: The factors contributing to consumers’ perceptions regarding corporate philanthropy such as consumer perception of transparency, authenticity and value congruence of corporate philanthropy had a statistically positive effects on consumer-company identification.

The Role of POSCO’s Communication Division: Serving as an Authentic Messenger to Promote Business Activities and Consistent Messaging

곽정식,장혜정 한국경영커뮤니케이션학회 2023 Business Communication Research and Practice Vol.6 No.1

Objectives: The importance of communication in promoting a company’s management philosophy and business outcomes to both internal and external stakeholders is growing. The purpose of this case report is to introduce how a company managed to shed its 50-year-old organizational culture by embracing a new management philosophy that helped to enable the transition. Methods: This paper introduces global Korean steelmaker POSCO’s new management philosophy, “Corporate Citizenship,” which applies a systematic and strategic approach to communication, defined at both cultural and organizational levels, in media channel operations and content creation. Results: POSCO’s efforts demonstrated a successful communication alignment of management philosophy with organizational structure and departmental functions. Their corporate public relations organization comprises three departments: Public Relations (PR) Planning, PR, and Communication Content. In particular, integrated marketing communication efforts were adopted by rolling out a strategic portfolio of new media channels. As a result of POSCO’s multi-modal communication efforts, performance statistics such as page views, subscribers, and interactions increased significantly. Conclusions: Academic literature suggests that once an organizational culture has been established, it cannot be easily changed. However, by generating consensus and building understanding from a broad base of stakeholders, combined with strategic communication programs that contain authentic messaging, a significant impact can be created both inside and outside an organization.

Business Communication Post Corona: Strategies for the Hybrid Workplace

장혜정 한국경영커뮤니케이션학회 2023 Business Communication Research and Practice Vol.6 No.1

A paradigm shift is thus needed in the way we communicate in organizations if digital work taking place across various forms of communication is to be successful. Communication problems can become more complex when telecommuting is performed sporadically and offline and online work environments coexist. Companies should thus resolve expected problems early on through proper coordination and intervention and strive to clarify their policies on online-offline work and communication. The pandemic has disrupted traditional forms of intra-communication and has forced organizations to find new ways to support effective communication and collaboration among employees. A natural consequence of this transition is that offline communication has become less frequent, creating new challenges but also new opportunities for businesses. The future direction of business communication after the pandemic will be shaped by the continued adoption of digital technologies, with a focus on improving efficiency, accessibility, and collaboration.

Communication with the Elderly Customers in the Digital Era: A Case of Video-Chat Service of a Korean Insurance Company

Euiseon Jeong 한국경영커뮤니케이션학회 2023 Business Communication Research and Practice Vol.6 No.1

Objectives: BigTech companies have expanded into the financial sector and offer various services such as payments, lending, insurance, wealth management, and other financial products. However, elderly individuals may struggle to adapt to new technologies and digital financial services due to a lack of familiarity and experience with digital devices and online platforms. The purpose of this study was to examine the case of a Korean life insurance company that introduced video chat services to address the digital inclusion of elderly customers, the proportion of whom is increasing due to population aging in the wave of pandemic-accelerated digitalization. Methods: In this case study, we investigated the M Life insurance company’s successful introduction of video chat-based customer service to replace existing customer walk-in centers. Two series of customer satisfaction survey results are presented. In addition, based on the senior technology acceptance model (STAM) theory, we investigated the factors contributing to the success of video chat customer service and suggested directions of development. Results: In accordance with the STAM, personal characteristics such as self-efficacy, anxiety, and health deficiencies, as well as environmental supports including assistance and guidance, were key factors contributing to the successful adoption of and intention to use the video chat service among senior customers. Conclusions: Through video chat-based customer service, customers can enjoy the benefits of non-face-to-face, time-agnostic, and location-agnostic interaction. Additionally, the company benefits from improved human resource efficiency and employee satisfaction.