Revisiting a nebulous construct: Exploring the impact of relational communication competence on job performance

The relational model of communication competence describes three essential components: motivation to communicate, knowledge of communication and context, and skilled communicative behavior. Competence models are rarely applied in their entirety and are often studied strictly within an interpersonal context. This research tests a relational model of communication competence within the organizational context.; This exploratory study was conducted with a large health management corporation. Phase one included data collection on employee motivation, skill, and job performance in employee-report form. Phase two surveys were administered to the supervisors of participants from phase one. Supervisors completed a communication skill and job performance survey on his/her employee. The scales were refined and variables tested using a factorial design. Main effects were established for communication skill on supervisor report of job performance, but no significant two or three-way interactions were found. Employees with high levels of communication skill had higher job performance ratings. When employee-report of job performance was used as the dependent variable, a main effect was found for motivation, and a significant two-way interaction was found between motivation and skill. The components of the relational model were also tested to determine the impact of motivation and knowledge on communication skill, and a significant two-way interaction was found. Interestingly, 41, employees high in motivation and low in knowledge displayed higher levels of communication skill.; This study supports the relational model of communication competence; however, the connection between job performance and the entire competence model is skewed by the rater. Supervisors who feel their employees have high levels of communication skill rate employees' job performance higher. But, employees who rate their communication motivation high, rate themselves as higher in job performance. Interestingly, no significant relationship was found between supervisor and employee-report of job performance. This research partially supports the relational model and its components. Specifically, high levels of motivation and knowledge lead to higher skill levels which in turn relates to higher levels of job performance ratings. Future application of relational communication competence in the workplace should include supervisor and employee ratings of each component.