Exploring the Communication Process Model
Date
2025-08
Authors
Omojuwa, Boluwatife Andrew
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Publisher
Mount Saint Vincent University
Abstract
In this thesis I conduct a systematic content analysis to assess the communication process model portrayal and presentation in undergraduate business textbooks over time. To accomplish this, I analyze 32 undergraduate textbooks published between 2000 and 2025 that feature the communication process model. The goal of the research is to: (1) identify communication theories inserted in undergraduate student business textbooks; (2) observe the evolution of the communication process model in text; and (3) determine the manner and extent of which the communication process model is modified or simplified in business undergraduate student textbooks. The findings reveal a widespread reliance on the Shannon-Weaver model, often presented as a simple sender-receiver communication flow, with limited or no representation of noise (either visually or textually). Where noise is addressed, it is often substituted with vague terms like ‘interference.’ These findings show the oversimplification of the communication model for learners and the need for an up-to-date consistent model in pedagogical materials in business communication.