The Power of No Words: Implications of Stakes on Assessing Students' Oral Skills Apprehension.

Abstract

Business undergraduates’ oral communication apprehension (OCA) levels are compared across general oral communication settings as well those including high stakes reflective of the contemporary workplace. Findings indicate business students’ OCA levels significantly increase as oral settings’ demands (e.g., stakes) increase. Along with an explication of how student’s oral communication experiences and OCA levels impact the learning process, these results have implications for how business educators prepare their students for the specific oral communication demands of the workplace.