ABSTRACT
Verbal communication is a primary vehicle organizations use to maintain contact with their internal and external environments. Through the use of oral and written language, organizations-and all of their subsystemscoordinate, control, lead, and manage individual and group behavior. Verbal communication provides the tools needed to obtain, transfer, and store information and knowledge. "The competitive advantages achieved by those who use information well are formidable" (Wind & Main, 1998, p. 28). Even though they are referring specifically to cutting-edge tech niques and technology, the conclusion applies to everyone in an organi zation. Verbal communication has always been critical to organizations but the shifts toward service, information, and knowledge work com bined with the increasing use of modern technology places an even greater emphasis on the use of language and symbols. The digital age uti lizes electronically transferred symbols increasing our reliance on various forms of written communication.
