Communication Skills for Business Professionals

Celeste Lawson is President and Chair of Central Queensland University's Academic Board. She is also the Head of Central Queensland University's Professional Communication degree. She has extensive practical experience in journalism and policing. She researches and publishes in social media, communication and public relations, with a focus on pedagogy, adult learning and online education. Dr Lawson teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students in public relations, journalism and communication units, and supervises Masters and Ph.D. students. She was awarded a National Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning through the Australian Government Department of Education and Training in 2017 and she received best paper at the 2018 International Conference on Education, Teaching and e-learning in Tokyo, Japan. Robert Gill is the Course Director for the Communication programs at Swinburne University of Technology, Victoria. Gill became an academic in 2007, having spent ten years in the communication industry working as a public relations manager for corporate finance, communication manager for the government, and management, marketing and communication in the tourism industry. Prior to this, Gill was a teacher, working in Australia, the UK and Hong Kong for fifteen years. His research interests focus on branding, reputation and employee engagement. Angela Feekery coordinates a large first-year strategic workplace communication course in the School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing at Massey University, Manawatu. Feekery has taught academic writing and science and business communication. Her research focuses on information and digital literacies in academic and professional contexts. She is passionate about supporting students to become capable communicators and discerning, ethical users of information. She recognises the importance of teaching students how to use a range of information and communication technologies to find, evaluate and use relevant information ethically to extend understanding and create new knowledge in a range of contexts. Engagement with these competencies are the foundation for learning how to learn, developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills, engaging in informed decision-making and ethical research practices, and communicating ideas effectively. Mieke Witsel is the Director of Teaching and Learning at the School of Business and Tourism at Southern Cross University, Australia. Witsel has taught and lectured in interpersonal and intercultural business communication in Australia and Europe for more than thirty years, at various levels of education, ranging from undergraduate to postgraduate and corporate levels. Witsel has also worked as a communications consultant for large multinational organisations, including Comprimo North Sea Engineering, and British Telecom. As leader of a large first year business communication unit, Witsel's teaching philosophy involves transformative, experiential learning to improve student communication competency, empowering success, and positively influencing self-identity as future business professionals. Witsel and her teaching team have won numerous awards for excellence in teaching, community engagement and meeting student needs.