Impact of Effective Communication on Institutional Performance: Case Study in Higher Learning Institutions

Abstract

Effective communication is crucial for institutional success as the globe becomes a smaller and more interconnected community. In recent times, Information technology has significantly improved how employees and employers interact with each other. Effective and efficient communication is achieved when institutions adopt new and faster technologies that improve the performance of employees. This research empirically tests the impact of effective communication on institutional performance in the educational sector, specifically in Bayelsa Medical University, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. Questionnaires were administered to sample respondents which comprised of Principal officers, Deans, Directors, Heads of Departments, academic and senior non-academic staff. ANOVA and factor analysis were used to assess the structural relationship between the variables at a 5% level of significance. A total of 180 respondents (25 academic staff and 155 non-academic staff members) from fourteen (14) different departments/units participated in this study. The findings of this study revealed that effective communication via the studied variables has a significantly positive effect on employee performance Four key variables (Communication Process (t = 4.003, β = 1.786, p = 0.00); Culture/Climate (t = 3.316, β = 1.483, p = .001); Verbal and Non-verbal Cues (t = 1.990, β= .832, p = .047); and Communication Techniques (t = 5.092, β = 1.808, p = .000)) were determinants of employee effective communication in an institution. The findings revealed that effective communication process were significantly related to organizational performance. The researchers recommends that every institution should make an effort to incorporate effective communication into its management strategies, as doing so will help reduce organizational conflict, clear up misunderstandings, and improve cordial relationship between management and workforce.