Research shows about 1 in ? people have a diagnosable phobia of public speaking.
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Studies suggest that anxious speakers:
Focus too much on themselves and their mistakes during speeches
Often have a negative attributional style
Show high sensitivity to punishment
what is negative attribution style
blaming bad events on stable, internal flaws (“I’m terrible and always will be”) rather than temporary or external factors.
what is sensitivity to punishment
being more deterred by possible embarrassment than motivated by potential rewards (like success or admiration).
‘choking under pressure’
explains that anxiety makes us hyper-focused on our own performance, which disrupts skills that normally come naturally, like speaking smoothly.
anxious speakers:
Appear more nervous (gestures, stuttering, pauses, reliance on notes).
Are rated worse by audiences not because of poor content, but because of visible anxiety.
Qualities of effective public speaking:
Clear, forceful communication
Delivery matters more than content—enthusiasm is key.
Charismatic speakers use:
More first-person pronouns (I, we, our)
Occasional complex words
Louder volume
Faster (but not rushed) pace
Principles of effective organizational communication (Marques):
- Timely – information must arrive when it’s useful.
- Clear – easy to understand; confusion can be worse than silence.
- Accurate – messages must be correct.
- Pertinent – relevant to the situation.
- Credible – both message and source must be believable.
Additional qualities valued by employees:
Responsibility – consider wording, medium, and receiver’s perspective.
Concision – avoid unnecessarily long or vague messages.
Professionalism – accurate, respectful, and appropriate emotional tone.
Sincerity – honesty builds trust and prevents hypocrisy.
Workplace bullying
Forms include:
- Threats to professional status
- Threats to personal standing
- Isolation
- Overwork
- Destabilisation
- Relational bullying
Protective factor of workplace bullying
Social support from colleagues and managers reduces the negative effects of bullying.
Emotional labour
performing emotions (usually positivity) as part of paid work. Common in service jobs (healthcare, retail, teaching, hospitality, call centres, etc.).
Surface acting
faking emotions outwardly while feeling differently inside.
Linked to negative outcomes: exhaustion, depersonalization, burnout, worse relationships, depression, anxiety, and higher turnover intentions.
Deep acting
trying to genuinely feel the required emotions (like method acting).
Linked to positive outcomes: sense of accomplishment, better performance, customer satisfaction.
surface acting leads to
→ job strain, impaired wellbeing, reduced satisfaction, higher stress.
deep acting leads to
→ higher personal accomplishment, better job performance, customer satisfaction.
emotional labour and gender divide
Emotional labour more common in women’s work → due to stereotypes about women’s “communal” communication.
Transformational leaders:
Inspire through charisma, vision, optimism, intellectual stimulation, and individualized support. Effective but demanding.
Transactional leaders
Motivate via clear expectations, rewards, and punishments (active or passive). Linked to satisfaction and performance, often overlapping with transformational style.
Laissez-faire leaders
Absent, avoid decisions, linked to poor outcomes (low satisfaction, low motivation, ineffective leadership).
best vs worst leadership styles
transformational and transactional = best
laissez-faire = worst
power and communication
Power reduces perspective-taking and emotional sensitivity.
Powerful people may misinterpret kindness as manipulation.
