24 Business Communication Skills: Attitudes of Human Resource Managers versus Business Educators

This study examined the perceptions of human resource managers and business school instructors regarding the importance of 24 specific business communication skills. Previous studies indicated broad agreement regarding the importance of student/employee communication abilities to achieve successful job performance. Yet the literature also suggested that different objectives may elicit dissimilar opinions regarding specific types of skills that constitute the ability to communicate effectively. In response to the need for more precise communication skills characterization, Conrad (2003) developed three skills sets based on the widely accepted communication constructs of organizational, leadership and interpersonal communication abilities. The results from this study show that business leaders and business instructors agree on the importance of overall student/employee communication ability; however, they vary significantly regarding the importance of individual skills.

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