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  • © 2018

Motivating Language Theory

Effective Leader Talk in the Workplace

Palgrave Macmillan
  • Provides an integrated view of leader communication through a strong and well-tested research model
  • Integrates management and linguistic theories to offer a powerful understanding of how motivating language use increases workplace production
  • Articulates a coherent strategy that links leader communication to valuable employee and organizational outcomes
  • Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

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Table of contents (11 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xi
  2. Introduction

    • Jacqueline Mayfield, Milton Mayfield
    Pages 1-7
  3. A Few Words to Get Us Started

    • Jacqueline Mayfield, Milton Mayfield
    Pages 9-22
  4. Fitting into the Big Picture: Meaning-Making Language

    • Jacqueline Mayfield, Milton Mayfield
    Pages 23-34
  5. Speaking from the Heart: Empathetic Language

    • Jacqueline Mayfield, Milton Mayfield
    Pages 35-48
  6. Clarity Is Key: Direction-Giving Language

    • Jacqueline Mayfield, Milton Mayfield
    Pages 49-63
  7. Motivating Language Coordination

    • Milton Mayfield, Jacqueline Mayfield
    Pages 65-73
  8. Motivating Language and Workplace Outcomes

    • Milton Mayfield, Jacqueline Mayfield
    Pages 75-94
  9. Strategic Motivating Language

    • Milton Mayfield, Jacqueline Mayfield
    Pages 95-109
  10. Measurement and Generalizability

    • Milton Mayfield, Jacqueline Mayfield
    Pages 111-135
  11. Future Directions

    • Milton Mayfield, Jacqueline Mayfield
    Pages 137-144
  12. Hands, Heart, and Spirit

    • Jacqueline Mayfield, Milton Mayfield
    Pages 145-159
  13. Back Matter

    Pages 161-163

About this book

This book presents the findings, applications, and theoretical underpinnings of a unique leadership communication model: motivating language theory. Drawing from management, social science, and communication theories, motivating language theory demonstrates how leader-to-follower speech improves employee and organizational well-being and drives positive workplace outcomes (such as employee performance, retention, and job satisfaction) in a wide array of settings. It presents an integrated model based on empirical findings and theoretical developments from the past three decades to explore the three dimensions of motivating language: direction giving language, empathetic language, and meaning-making language. It will be a comprehensive source for its empirical relationships, generalizability, theoretical basis, and future directions for research and practice. 






Authors and Affiliations

  • Texas A&M International University , Cotulla, USA

    Jacqueline Mayfield

  • Texas A & M International University , Cotulla, USA

    Milton Mayfield

About the authors



Jackie Mayfield is a Professor of Management in the Sanchez School of Business at Texas A&M International University, USA. She specializes in leadership communication research, and has published over 80 journal articles and conference proceedings in such outlets as International Journal of Business Communication, Human Resource Management, and Development and Learning in Organizations.


Milton Mayfield is a Professor of Management in the Sanchez School of Business at Texas A&M International University, USA. He specializes in leadership communication research, and has published over 80 journal articles and conference proceedings in such outlets as Human Resource Management, International Journal of Business Communication, and The Encyclopedia of Creativity (2nd ed.).




Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access