You are here

Business and Professional Communication
Share
Share

Business and Professional Communication
Principles and Skills for Leadership

Fourth Edition
Available with:


February 2026 | 632 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
Now published by Sage

Business and Professional Communication: Principles and Skills for Leadership focuses on the essential concepts and skills of business and professional communication, emphasizing leadership in today’s global workplace. Authors Steven A. Beebe, Timothy P. Mottet, and new co-author Seth S. Frei structure the text around five core communication principles, offering a practical and accessible framework. These principles are explored through real-world applications, such as workplace relationships, interviewing, teamwork, and presentations. Students gain a deeper understanding of their own communication habits, learn to craft clear and impactful verbal and nonverbal messages, develop strong active listening skills, and refine their ability to adapt communication strategies to meet the needs and styles of others. The Fourth Edition features updated research and pedagogy, including insights on modern technologies like AI, equipping students to meet the communication and leadership challenges of the modern workplace.

This text is offered in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Unparalleled in its ease of use and built for dynamic teaching and learning, Vantage offers customizable LMS integration and best-in-class support.

 
Preface
 
Acknowledgments
 
About the Authors
 
Part 1: Communication Principles and Skills for Leadership
 
Chapter 1: Communicating and Leading at Work
Communication and Leadership

 
Communication: Making Sense and Sharing Sense

 
Leadership: Influencing Others Through Communication

 
Leading Others: Applying Communication Principles at Work

 
Chapter Summary in Brief

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 2: Being Aware of Communication at Work
Being Aware of Organizational Leadership Approaches

 
Being Aware of Organizational Culture

 
Being Aware of Organizational Power

 
Being Aware of Organizational Change

 
Be Aware of Organizational Ethical Chal-lenges

 
Chapter Summary in Brief

 
Key Terms:

 
 
Chapter 3: Using Verbal and Nonverbal Messages
Communicating Clear Verbal Messages

 
Communicating Supportive Verbal Messages

 
Understanding How Nonverbal Messages Function

 
Using and Interpreting Nonverbal Messages

 
Chapter Summary in Brief

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 4: Listening and Responding
The Power of Listening

 
Identifying Listening Problems

 
How to Improve Your Listening Skills

 
How to Improve Your Responding Skills

 
Chapter Summary in Brief

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 5: Adapting to Differences
Adapting to Social Style Differences

 
Adapting to Cultural Differences

 
Adapting to Sex and Gender Differences

 
Adapting to Generational Differences

 
Chapter Summary in Brief

 
Key Terms

 
 
Part II: Relating to Others
 
Chapter 6: Relating to Others at Work
Understanding Relationships at Work

 
Managing Conflict at Work

 
Negotiating Solutions at Work

 
Managing Bullying at Work

 
Chapter Summary in Brief

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 7: Preparing for Your Career
Exploring Career Opportunities

 
Interviewing Others to Gather Information

 
How to Prepare Your Resume and Other Career-Seeking Material

 
How to Create and Maintain Your Online Presence

 
How to Prepare For an Employment Interview

 
Chapter Summary in Brief

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 8: Interviewing Principles and Skills
Participating in the Employment Interview

 
Conducting Employment Interviews

 
Conducting Appraisal Interviews

 
Interviewing Ethics

 
Chapter Summary in Brief

 
Key Terms

 
 
Part III: Collaborating With Others
 
Chapter 9: Collaborating in Teams
Elements of Teamwork

 
Working in Virtual Teams

 
Understanding Team Dynamics

 
Improving Team Dynamics

 
Approaches to Enhancing Teamwork

 
Chapter Summary in Brief

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 10: Enhancing Team Meetings
Meeting Essentials: Balancing Structure and Interaction

 
How to Give Meetings Structure

 
How to Plan Problem-Solving Meetings

 
How to Develop Creative Solutions in Meetings

 
How to Manage Meeting Interaction

 
Chapter Summary in Brief

 
Key Terms

 
 
Part IV: Presenting to Others
 
Chapter 11: Developing Professional Presentations
How to Confidently Communicate to Others

 
Consider Your Audience

 
Select and Narrow Your Topic

 
How to Generate Your Main Ideas

 
Support Your Presentation

 
Organize Your Presentation

 
Chapter Summary In Brief

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 12: Delivering Professional Presentations
Methods of Delivering Your Presentation

 
Effective Delivery Strategies

 
Responding to Questions

 
Using Presentation Aids

 
Tips for Developing and Delivering a Team Presentation

 
Chapter Summary in Brief

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 13: Informing, Persuading, and Making Special Presentations
Informing Others

 
Persuading Others

 
Making Special Presentations

 
Chapter Summary in Brief

 
Key Terms

 
 
Part V: Writing to Others
 
Chapter 14: Writing for Business
Developing Business Writing Skills

 
Writing Business Messages

 
Creating Business Documents

 
Chapter Summary in Brief

 
Key Terms

 
 
Chapter 15: Writing for Digital Media
Writing with Technology

 
Crafting Effective Email Messages

 
Writing Effectively Across Digital Formats

 
Strategies for Using AI Effectively and Ethically

 
Chapter Summary in Brief

 
Key Terms

 
 
Appendix A: Managing Time: Managing Life
 
Appendix B: Crafting and Delivering Mediated Presentations

This textbook is very well written and covers a variety of topics. Some of the greatest strengths include coverage of the remote aspect of business for both leadership and presentations, effective virtual communication, and application of electronic communication strategies.

Louis Falk
University of Texas–Rio Grande Valley

When addressing leadership, one needs to remember that one cannot be a leader of others until he/she can lead themselves. Self-leadership is so important for students to understand. In addition to the emphasis on leadership, this textbook focuses on the here and now while also keeping the foundations and core principles of business and professional communication.

Diana Cooley
Lone Star College

This text dives deep into American corporate culture, trends within the workplace, and how to find one's vocational calling. Students get valuable insight into today's marketplace (domestically and abroad) and Beebe et al provides cutting edge research on how to make students more marketable, critical thinkers and personal branding skills to land dream careers.

Karley Goen
Tarleton State University

Strengths include enhanced research on the new ways of communicating at work, especially with technology.

Toby Rabbin
Montgomery College
Key features
NEW TO THIS EDITION:
  • The new edition is available in Sage Vantage, an intuitive learning platform that integrates quality Sage textbook content with assignable multimedia activities and auto-graded assessments to drive student engagement and ensure accountability. Unparalleled in its ease of use and built for dynamic teaching and learning, Vantage offers customizable LMS integration and best-in-class support.
    • Flashcards and note-taking tools help students better prepare for class.
    • NEW! Audiobook Player allows students to listen to text content, boosting comprehension and retention. It offers flexible, on-the-go access, engaging both reluctant readers and auditory learners, improving the overall reading experience.
    • The Offline Reading option in the Student Dashboard offers greater accessibility to Vantage’s reading content, regardless of where students are or how strong their internet connection may be.
  • Incorporates major updates to research and pedagogy to include current information on modern technologies, work from home, and online interviewing.
  • New co-author Seth S. Frei brings valuable experience and perspective to the text, including expertise in using communication technology in modern business and professional contexts.
  • New chapter on "Writing in a Digital Age" and new appendix on "Virtual Presentations" emphasize the importance of building up new skills in the evolving workplace.
  • AI coverage interweaved throughout.
KEY FEATURES:
  • Focuses on the core concepts and skills of business and professional communication through a practical, skills-based approach and an emphasis on leadership for today's global workplace.
  • Leading by Example chapter opening vignettes feature case studies and examples to highlight real world scenarios exhibiting exemplary leadership.
  • Applying Communication Ethics at Work boxes encourages students to apply chapter concepts to become ethical communicators at work.
  • Using Social Media, Technology, and AI at Work boxes highlight new applications of technology, including video, digital, and online.
  • Developing Your Career boxes investigate the connection between successful careers and mastery of communication skills.
Vantage Reference: 
Business and Professional Communication - Vantage Learning Platform

Sage College Publishing

You can purchase or sample this product on our Sage College Publishing site:

Go To College Site