SAGE Journal Articles

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Journal Article 1: Heimstra, K. (1999). Shake my hand: Making the right first impression in business with nonverbal communications. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, 62, 71-74.

Abstract: This is a brief description of an in-class exercise centered on the nonverbal power of a handshake. The activity involves having students shake hands with one another and with the professor and leads to a discussion of how important it is to be mindful of nonverbal communication.

Journal Article 2: Jabbs, L. B. (2005). Communicative rules and organizational decision making. International Journal of Business Communication, 42, 265-288.

Abstract: This article suggests that managerial awareness of ordinarily unconscious communicative rules (and how these rules potentially influence decision-making processes) might help managers to be more intentional about their communicative choices and may therefore lead to better decisions. The article explores the impact of communicative rules on decision-making processes using the retrospective discourse surrounding the decision to launch the space shuttle Challenger as an example case. Communicative rules may have played a part in the course of the eve of the launch debate over whether to launch the Challenger. Four potential communicative rules are identified using quotations from the presidential hearing transcripts. Being aware of communicative rules may be especially important in decision-making situations because it can enable one to make conscious choices concerning communicative behavior instead of unconsciously following intuitive social norms--norms that might have undesirable along with unintended results.

Journal Article 3: Peterson, R. T. (2005). An examination of the relative effectiveness of training in nonverbal communication: Personal selling implications. Journal of Marketing Education, 27, 143-150.

Abstract: This article examines the potential effectiveness of training in nonverbal communication for sales representatives. The literature on this subject was reviewed, and a study using students as sales representatives was conducted to evaluate the potential of training in body language. The research results provide support for the proposition that such training can be of value in academic and practical applications.