SAGE Journal Articles

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Journal Article 1: King, C. L. (2009). Beyond persuasion: The rhetoric of negotiation in business communication. International Journal of Business Communication, 47, 69-78.

Abstract: This essay describes and provides a rationale for the Rhetoric of Negotiation as a useful frame for what is typically considered persuasion in business communication. It argues for a broader understanding of the opposition and draws from Eckhouse’s work on business communication as a competitive activity as well as Booth’s concept of Win-Rhetoric versus Listening-Rhetoric. Using illustrations from the author’s previous research, this commentary proposes that the Rhetoric of Negotiation is useful in business communication for both ethical and practical reasons.

Journal Article 2: Kline, S. L. (1991). Construct differentiation and person-centered regulative messages. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 10, 1-27.

Abstract: This research examined the effect of interpersonal construct differentiation and legitimate authority on several facets of regulative message design: the number of message strategies persuaders use, the way in which persuaders conceive the persuadee's behaviour problem, and the way persuaders defend their proposals to their persuadees. In Study 1 undergraduates responded to two situations requiring them to regulate the behaviour of a subordinate. In Study 2 undergraduates responded to one of three regulative situations that cast them into the role of peer or supervisor. In both studies highly differentiated persuaders conceived the problem and defended their proposal in more symbolically coordinated ways than less differentiated persuaders. Study 2 found that the correlational relationships did not differ as a function of the legitimate authority existing between the persuader and persuadee. Study 3 found that the correlational relationships could be substantially accounted for by the number of target relevant goals and the message-focused conception of persuasion the persuader possessed.

Journal Article 3: Kenton, S. B. (1989). Speaker credibility in persuasive business communication: A model which explains gender differences 1. International Journal of Business Communication, 26, 143-157.

Abstract: Hovland’s Yale Communication Model defines source credibility as trustworthiness and expertise. However, even when men and women are objectively equal on these dimensions, receivers perceive men as being more persuasive as speakers than women. In addition, these two dimensions do not account for other measures of credibility which affect persuasive business communication. This paper expands the model to include dimensions which explain gender differences in speaker credibility in persuasive business communication with support from the gender literature. Research propositions are suggested, and implications of this research are discussed.