Presentation Self-Efficacy: Increasing Communication Skills through Service-Learning [*]

Communication skills are critical to effective job performance, career advancement, and organizational success (Cohen, 1999; Curtis et al., 1989; Flatley, 1990; Messmer, 1999; Roebuck et al., 1995; Warner, 1995). A plethora of research cites communication skills as a core competence for managers (e.g., Bradshaw, 1992; Margerison and Kakabadse, 1984; Prentice, 1984). Previous research has examined relationships between communication skills and employee performance (Roebuck et al., 1995). For example, Scudder and Guinan (1989) reported a relationship between communication competencies and supervisor perceptions of overall subordinate job performance. In particular, oral communication is considered an important competency in hiring decisions (Maes et al., 1997). Employers are increasingly providing training for employees deficient in communication skills (Roebuck et al., 1995). This problem is not unique to high school graduates immediately entering the work force; business school graduates reportedly lack strong communication skills (Hanson, 1987; Knight, 1999). In response to employer needs, business schools have begun to address the quality and quantity of written and oral communication skill development in their curricula (Eckert and Allen, 1986; Roebuck et al., 1995; Smeltzer and Leonard, 1986). Indeed, business students report a need to become more proficient in communication skills and affirm the importance of self-confidence as a critical component of being an effective communicator. In one study, graduate students ranked self-confidence as the most crucial skill for effective communication (Reinsch and Shelby, 1996). Presentation skills, in particular, pose a challenge for business students because of low feelings of competence and high levels of apprehension. Recognizing the importance of effective presentation skills and students' lack of confidence, we propose service-learning as a vehicle to improve students' presentation confidence levels. Generally, business students make presentations in front of peers. Since service-learning requires students to present to outside audiences, it has the potential to increase confidence levels by providing an experience in which students present to diverse groups in terms of age, experience, and knowledge. Thus, this paper seeks to demonstrate service-lear ning as an effective pedagogy for increasing business students' presentation self-confidence. The following section reviews service-learning and self-efficacy and presents the research questions for this study. The next section describes the methods used, and is followed by a discussion of the results. The final two sections provide suggestions for future research and conclude the paper. Theoretical Rationale and Research Questions The Promise of Service-Learning Service-learning is a form of experiential education in which students perform a project for a non-profit agency. It is essential that the content of the project be related to the learning objectives of the course and not just a requirement to do work in the community (Bringle and Hatcher, 1996). Thus, in addition to papers and exams, service-learning provides an opportunity for students to practice the skills that they are learning in class and, therefore, allows for different ways of knowing and learning (Belenky et al., 1986; Gilligan, 1993). Service-learning projects differ by clients, time commitment, and activities. Some classes work with only one non-profit client, while other classes involve multiple clients. Project duration can range from a single day to one day per week or month. Examples include students designing systems for tracking clients in a computer information systems class and students in accounting courses developing payable and receivable control systems (Tucker et al., 1998). Waterman (1997) categorizes student benefits from service-learning activities into four categories. …