Communication Apprehension (CA) pertains to levels of fear or anxiety people experience in relation to real or anticipated communication with other people. Decades of research on CA has focused on college students. This research explored levels of oral CA in an organizational environment. The purpose of this research was threefold. First, this study examined the communication apprehension profiles of native-language (English) and second-language (non-English) employees in a midsized South Florida service organization to understand if the levels of communication anxiety differ between the two groups as well as if demographic variables played a part in managing levels of communication anxiety. Second, this study examined the difference of perception credibility in supervisors between same-language and opposite-language employees to examine and analyze the relationship between the two groups and their supervisors in order to identify if communication problems exist that could affect an amicable working relationship or constructive feedback. Third, this study compared organizational personality types of upward mobile and indifferent to levels of communication apprehension in native-language (English) and second-language (non-English) employees in a sample of culturally diverse office personnel in two separate corporate locations in a midsized management organization located in South Florida. The findings were found not to be statistically significant; however, it was learned that CA levels do exist and that anxiety levels vary between respondents. Further investigation into the effects of CA on workplace production remains a challenge. Additional studies using randomly selected populations from similarly diverse organizations more representative of the diversity of the region rather than a convenience sample is recommended.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:nova.edu/oai:nsuworks.nova.edu:hsbe_etd-1090 |
| Date | 14 December 2011 |
| Creators | Perl, Madeleine R. |
| Publisher | NSUWorks |
| Source Sets | Nova Southeastern University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | HCBE Theses and Dissertations |
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