Business Communication : Building Critical Skills

Kitty O. Locker was an Associate Professor of English at The Ohio State University, where she taught courses in workplace discourse and research methods. She received her B.A. from DePauw University and her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana. She also wrote Business and Administrative Communication (6th ed., Irwin/McGraw-Hill, 2003), The Irwin Business Communication Handbook: Writing and Speaking in Business Classes (1993), and co-edited Conducting Research in Business Communication (1988). Her consulting clients included URS Greiner, Abbott Laboratories, the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, AT&T, and the American Medical Association. In 1994–95, she served as President of the Association for Business Communication (ABC). From 1997 to 2000, she edited ABC’s Journal of Business Communication. She received ABC’s Outstanding Researcher Award in 1992 and ABC’s Meada Gibbs Outstanding Teacher Award in 1998.

Stephen Kyo Kaczmarek is an Assistant Professor at Columbus State Community College. He teaches business and technical communication, composition, creative writing, journalism, public relations, freshman experience, and courses in film and literature he has designed. Steve received an M.A. in English and B.A.s in journalism and English from Ohio State. His consulting clients have included Nationwide Insurance, The Ohio Historical Society, The Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Museums, The Ohio Museums Association, United Energy Systems, etc. Prior to joining Columbus State, Steve managed staff development and information for the Franklin County, Ohio, Commissioners.

Kathryn Braun is a professional writer, editor, and training facilitator specializing in business communications and interpersonal leadership skills. Kathryn is a member of the International Association of Business Communicators, the Plain Language Association International, and the Halton/Peel Communications Association. Kathryn taught rhetoric and composition at Sheridan Institute of Technology for 31 years. Currently she trains adults in business and technical report writing, proposal writing, web writing, revising and editing techniques, active listening strategies, influencing others, interpersonal skills, negotiating and reducing conflict, communicating nonverbally, power reading strategies, and designing and delivering persuasive presentations. Kathryn also coaches adults in English pronunciation and interpersonal leadership skills. She has a Masters degree in English and is Myers-Briggs certified.