Understanding the Theoretical Strongholds and Future of Business Communication in Management Education Programs

Business communication is often perceived as a peripheral subject in MBA programs, limited toetiquette, letter-writing, or presentation skills. This view neglects its theoretical depth and centrality to managerialsuccess. This paper traces the development of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and explains how English forBusiness Purposes (EBP) emerged as a vital branch responding to global business needs. Building on Hutchinsonand Waters (1987) and Dudley-Evans and St John (1998), it emphasizes the role of Needs Analysis in aligningcurricula with learner and workplace demands. The paper discusses key pedagogical approaches like,Communicative Language Teaching, Genre Analysis, Discourse-Pragmatics, Intercultural Communication, andMultimodal Literacy to understand the theoretical framework behind building business communication course.Drawn from the examples of management education pertaining to India, the paper argues for positioning businesscommunication as an integral and core component of MBA curricula.