Communication Proficiency and Future Training Needs of the Female Professional: Self-Assessment vs. Supervisors' Evaluations

Abstract

This research investigates the perceptions supervisors have of their female employees' communication proficiency, assuming, as has been repeatedly discussed in the literature, that communication skills are a critical component of organizational effectiveness and promotability. In particular, comparisons were made between evaluations of supervisors on a variety of communication competencies and female employees' self-evaluations. Similar comparisons were made between the supervisors' assessment of the importance of future training in each skill and the females' own assessment of their need for future training. While this research is exploratory in nature, the results demonstrate striking and potentially important differences between the perceptions of female professionals and their supervisors.