Critical Communication Skills: Developing Course Competencies to Meet Workforce Needs

The impact poor communication skills can have on a business includes a tarnished brand image, decreased employee productivity, ineffective or erroneous decision-making, misinterpretations, and mismanagement. Dialogue about the consequences of poor communication is not new (Fielden, 1982; Patterson, 1997; Quible & Griffin, 2007). For decades, surveys have sought to measure employer perceptions about new hires' mastery of communication skills (Ingram & Frazier, 1980; Quible, 1991). Such surveys typically measure employer satisfaction (Stevens, 2005), perceived importance (Ulinski & O'Callaghan, 2002), or both (Gray, 2010; Jones, 2011). Numerous regional (North Carolina Workforce Development Boards, 2012; St. Louis Community College and Workforce Solutions Group, 2013) and national (American Management Association, 2010; Minton-Eversole, 2012) surveys have consistently revealed employer concerns about communication and other "soft skill" deficits among the younger members of the workforce.The costs associated with underdeveloped communication skills are a concern not only in industry, but also academia. Faculty who prepare students for careers in business have focused on business communication skills in both teaching and research literature (Lentz, 2013; Russ, 2009). Academicians have also conducted market research to ensure curriculum aligns with workforce needs (Rehman, 2010). Additionally, research has sought to identify inconsistencies between faculty, student, and employer perceptions about various skills' importance and acquisition (Hall & Berardino, 2006; Sundberg, et al., 2011). Discrepancies found in faculty, student and employer perceptions have prompted calls for an increased dialogue about curriculum and course competencies between university faculty and employment managers.This study is a locally-focused response to the ongoing outcry from employers about communication skills deficits among newer employees (American Management Association, 2010; Minton-Eversole, 2012; North Carolina Workforce Development Boards, 2012; St. Louis Community College and Workforce Solutions Group, 2013). This study also recognizes the need for market research to establish consistent values and priorities between the faculty who prepare students for the workforce and the employers who hire the students. In an effort to help business students maximize their value on the local job market, as well as help regional employers who hire recent business graduates minimize costly communication errors, this research study aims to accomplish three things:* examine the consistency between undergraduate business students, business school faculty, and local employers of the perceived importance of various specific oral and written communication skills;* identify which oral and written communication skills are most valued by employers who routinely recruit, hire, and supervise new business undergraduates; and* examine the current level of satisfaction with new hires' communication skills among local employers and identify skills gaps.Research QuestionsBy studying a variety of stakeholders (e.g., students, instructors, and local employers), common perceptions about which oral and written communication skills are most valued and vital to success among newly hired business, economics, and accounting graduates can be identified. Furthermore, data revealing misconceptions or inconsistencies in stakeholder perceptions about employers' values and needs regarding communication skills can reveal aspects of communication course curriculum that are not meeting employer needs or expectations. To that end, the following research questions have been identified:1. In what ways do regional employer perceptions about the importance of various communication skills in the workplace differ from those of students and instructors?2. Which communication skills are perceived to be most important among area employers? …