Enhancing the communication skill of education managers in vinh phuc provinec basis for a training program

ix 3 Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Respondents 4 Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Respondents’ 5 Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Respondents Profile in terms

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BASIS FOR A TRAINING PROGRAM

_

A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School Southern Luzon State University, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines

in Collaboration with Thai Nguyen University, Socialist Republic of Vietnam

ii

The Dissertation of

HOANG VAN BINH

entitled

ENHANCING THE COMMUNICATION SKILLS OF EDUCATIONAL

MANAGERS IN VINH PHUC PROVINCE:

BASIS FOR A TRAINING PROGRAM

Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT

A program offered by Southern Luzon State University,

Republic of the Philippines in collaboration with

Thai Nguyen University, Socialist Republic of Vietnam

has been approved by Oral Examination Committee

SUSANA A SALVACION, PhD APOLONIA A ESPINOSA, PhD

BELLA R MUELLO, EdD

CECILIA N GASCON, PhD

Chairman

RICARYL CATHERINE P CRUZ, EdD SUSANA A SALVACION, Ph.D

Accepted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Management

_ WALBERTO A MACARAAN, Ed.D

Date Vice President for Academic Affairs

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iv

The researcher wishes to extend his most sincere gratitude to the following people who made this research study possible

Dr Cecilia N Gascon, President of Southern Luzon StateUniversity,

Republic of the Philippines, who helped forge a linkage with Thai Nguyen University through its president , Dr Dang Kim Vui,which eventually led to the offering of a doctorate program in Education Management, through the ITC-TUAF;

Dr Dang Kim Vui,the President of Thai Nguyen University, who made

the linkage with Southern Luzon StateUniversity, Republic of the Philippines and the offering of a doctorate program in Education Management, through the ITC-TUAF;

Dr.Ricaryl Catherine P Cruz, for her support and supervision

throughout my graduate study program Her kindness and daily instructions in the last three years are greatly appreciated and this dissertation is as much her work as mine;

Prof.NordelinaIlano, Director, Office for International Affairs of SLSU

for her support to the Ph.D.Ed.M students;

Dr Tran Thanh Van, the Dean of the Graduate School of Thai Nguyen

University for his assistance and encouragement to pursue this study;

Dr Nguyen ThanhHai, the Vice Director of International Training

Center, for his assistance and encouragement to pursue this study as Ph.D.Ed.M Class Manager;

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throughout my graduate studies in Thai Nguyen University, Vietnam;

To his ever dearest friends for their kindness and remarkable support;

To my family,my greatest source of inspiration, for their support and encouragement which made his career a success

HVB

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This piece of work is dedicated to my family

HVB

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PAGE

TITLE PAGE ……… i

APPROVAL SHEET ……… ii

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY ……… iii

ACKNOWLEDGMENT ……… iv

DEDICATION ……… vi

TABLE OF CONTENTS ……… vii

LIST OF TABLES ……… ix

LIST OF FIGURES……… x

LIST OF APPENDICES ……… xi

ABSTRACT ……… xii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ……… 1

Background of the Study ……… 2

Objectives of the Study ……… 3

Hypothesis of the Study ……… 5

Significance of the Study ……… 5

Scope and Limitation of the Study ……… 6

Definition of Terms ……… 6

II REVIEW OF LITERATURE ……….……… 8

Research Paradigm ……… ….……… 24

III METHODOLOGY Locale of the Study ……….……… 26

Research Design ……….……… 26

Population of the Study ……….… ………… 27

Research Instrument ……… …….…….… 28

Data Gathering Procedure ……… 28

Statistical Treatment …….……… 29

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Respondents’ Perception on Communication Skills of

Educational Managers ……… 33

Proposed Training Program ……… 44

V SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary……….……… 63

Findings ……… 63

Conclusions ……… 64

Recommendations ……… 64

REFERENCES ……… 66

APPENDICES ……… 69

CURRICULUM VITAE ……… 81

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3 Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Respondents

4 Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Respondents’

5 Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Respondents

Profile in terms of Educational Qualification 32

6 Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Respondents

Profile in Terms of Length of Work Experience 32

7 Frequency and Percentage Distribution of Respondents

Profile in terms of Number of Years in Management 33

8 Mean Distribution of Respondents Perception in Terms of

9 Mean Distribution of Respondents Perception in Terms of

12 Mean Distribution of Respondents Perception in Terms of

13 Mean Distribution of Respondents Perception in Terms of

Problem Solving Skills in Communication Process 39

15 Correlation of the Profile with the Communication Skills of

16 Correlation of the Profile with the Communication Skills of

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1 Input-Process-Output of the Communication Skills of

Educational Managers in VinhPhuc Province 24

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Title of Research : ENHANCING THE COMMUNICATION SKILLS OF

EDUCATIONAL MANAGERS IN VINH PHUC PROVINCE:BASIS FOR A TRAINING PROGRAM

Researcher : HOANG VAN BINH (PEACE)

Degree Conferred : DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN EDUCATIONAL

MANAGEMENT Name and Address

of Institution

: Southern Luzon State University Lucban, Quezon, Philippines and Thai Nguyen University, Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Adviser : Dr Ricaryl Catherine P Cruz

Year Written : 2013 - 2014

The primary intent of this study was to investigate the communication skills of the educational leaders on the proposed training program.Two hundred forty-three (243) educational leaders participated as respondents in this study The communication skills covered the interpersonal communication skills, emotional skills, sensitivity skills, flexibility skills, persuasive communication skills and the problem-solving skills in the communication process Measurement of the communication skills of educational leaders was limited in the use of checklist questionnaire primarily developed for the study from April 2013 to October 2013 As a result, mean distribution of perceived communication skills indicators showed the following in terms of interpersonal communication skills, emotional skills, sensitivity, flexibility, persuasive and problem solving skills WM = 3.42, good respectively by district; high school WM= 3.22, fair respectively; and primary/secondary WM = 3.30 fair respectively

In this context, the thesis proposes a system consisting of a set of criteria to evaluate the communication skills of education managers in

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communication skills of education managers in VinhPhuc province Furthermore, it uses multivariate regression equation to determine the influence of communication skills of educational managers Based on the findings, the following conclusions are drawn: (1) that the majority of educational managers are matured females with higher educational attainment and management experience; (2) that the communication skill of the educational leaders at VinhPhuc province is just normally observed; and that a training program is developed; (3) that the proposed training program should be implemented to ensure a continuous succession of educational leaders in the hierarchy of the Department of Education; (4) that there is more room for improvement of the communication skills indicators like interpersonal communication skills, emotional skills, sensitivity skills, flexibility skills, persuasive communication skills and the problem solving skills of educational leaders; and (5) there might be other sensitive variables or factors in communication that could be used in future researches along with educational management;

Wherefore, considering all premises, it is therefore highly recommended to the higher authority in the Education Department to implement the proposed training program

Keywords: Education, Ability, Leaders, Skills, Interpersonal, Emotional,

Sensitivity, Flexibility, Persuasive, Problem Solving

Chapter I INTRODUCTION

The strong relationship between effective communication and effective management has been recognized since the 1950s (Reinsch& Shelby, 1997) Over the past few decades, countless studies have found that the communication skills, especially in the field of education, prove to be one of the most desired and essential skills required of an effective manager (Weiss, 1999; Greger&Withiam, 1991) Recently, however, organizations are discovering that a completely different kind of leader – one with more than just traditional, strong communication skills – is necessary for career success Indeed, education globalization, the expansion of type of education on a worldwide scale, and the resulting diversity of today’s teachers and students, necessitate development communication skills of educational managers

The educational managers’ role has evolved over the past two decades with the accountability demands that are forcing changes in education practices In the age of school reform, the educational managers of the twenty-first century must provide the structure; resources and support that schools need to succeed Research indicated that successful educational managers make important contributions to the improvement of student learning (Leithwood&Riehl, 2003).One common trait identified that educational managers consistently demonstrate when exercising leadership is highly developed communication skills (Gurr, Drysdale, &Mulford, 2006) Some educational managers are finding it increasingly difficult to meet the needs of all teachers and students, reduce the achievement gap, find viable

strategies for reaching adequate yearly progress, and have chosen to address these critical concerns by implementing school reform models

In management, the psychological contact between officials or managers (to communicate) and the major management objects - individual and collective (communication objects) is management communication which

is the basic content of the management To establish relationships with management objects, to deal with management tasks, to maintain management functions, management staff should possess the psychological traits and communication ability basic in any kind of management In fact, there have been no studies yet on communication ability among the education leaders in VinhPhuc province Hence, such study focusing on communication skills of educational leaders is extremely of vital import

Faced with the changing trends in management, officials need to be trained regularly on business theory and management (including thematic communication management), to standardize all aspects especially communication skill in management With the research "Enhancing the Communication Skill of Education Managers in VinhPhuc Province: Basis for

a Training Program", the researcher would like to contribute a small part of the theory and practice in building communication skills for educational leaders

Background of the Study

Scientificrevolutionandmoderntechnologyhaveacceleratedthepaceofglobalization, creatingbreakthroughs for humanity to walk into the new millennium It is said that globalizationisaninevitable trendinthe developmentofhuman society

With therapidchanges in a divergent society, communication behavior

in general, andculture behaviorinparticular are important issues betweenthecommunityandschool management Lack of language proficiency and communication skills definitely can create barriers towards community growth and development within the context of social mobility and political governance

VinhPhucis anewlyre-established province that had rapidly developed

as a dynamic business area especially during the period ofindustrializationand integration stressing that theeducationalmanagersmust havevision, depth, managership, communication skills to setthe right policies, topromoteeducation andsocio-economic development that has gained more focusin recent years; however, there are some inevitableweaknesses Therefore, improving thecommunication skills for educationalmanagers has, indeed, become mandatory or imperative.Recognizing the problem, the researcher decided to conduct a study on communication skills of educational managers to point out the strengths and limitations He also gives solutions to improve the psychological quality, managership, and communication skills of educational managers to spearhead rapid development in VinhPhuc Province towards the path of industrialization and international integration

Objectives of the Study

This study was conducted to assess the communication skills of the educational managers in Vinh Phuc Province with an end in view of designing

a training program

Specifically, it aims to:

1 Describe the profile of the respondents as to:

1.1 Age

1.2 Gender

1.3 Educational qualification

1.4 Length of work experience

1.5 Number of years in management

2 Determine respondents’ perception about communication skills of the educational managers in VinhPhuc province in terms of:

2.1 Interpersonal communication skills

2.2 Emotional skills

2.3 Sensitivity skills

2.4 Flexibility skills

2.5 Persuasive communication skills

2.6 Problem solving skills in communication process

3 Ascertain the relation of the profile of the educational managers with their communication skills in terms of:

3.1 Interpersonal communication skills

3.2 Emotional skills

3.3 Sensitivity skills

3.4 Flexibility skills

3.5 Persuasive communication skills

3.6 Problem solving skills in communication process

4 Develop a training program derived from the study

Hypothesis of the Study

There is significant relationship between the profile of the educational managers and the communication skills in term of:

• Interpersonal communication skills

• Emotional skills

• Sensitivity skills

• Flexibility skills

• Persuasive communication skills

• Problem solving skills in communication process

Significance of the Study

Educational managers can improve their communication skills

Teachers will be aware of the different types of communication which

will eventually help them learn more teaching techniques in language skills development

Studentswho are the main concernand beneficiaryof educators will

benefit from the language program because it will create a positive effect on the teaching and learning process

The concepts and theories that can be drawn from this research study maybe able to help future researchers

This study could provide references for future proponents who wish to venture into a similar study of this nature Thus, basic tenets on managementstyles and other dimensions on instructional variables could serve as resources for other studies

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The primary intent of this study was to further investigate the communication skills of educational managersin relation to the proposed training program Two hundred forty-three (243) educational managers participated as respondents in this study

The communication skills are:interpersonal communication skills,emotional skill,sensitivity skills,flexibility skills,persuasive communication skills and problem-solving skills in communication process

Measurement of the communication skills of educational managerswas limited in the use of questionnaires particularly the checklist questionnaire which was developed for the purpose of the study covering a one-year period from April 2013 to April 2014

Definition of Terms

For clarity and better understanding of the study, the following terminologies are hereby defined conceptually and operationally According to Harper, Douglas (2013) and Donald Clark (2013), definition about communication and its aspect can be summed up below:

Communication skillsincludeinterpersonal communication skills, emotional

skills, sensitivity skills, flexibility skills, persuasive communication skills, and problem solving skills in communication processand communication skill in English

Emotional skills refer to a person's skills to deal with, manage, express and

control his or her emotional states, including anger, sadness, excitement, anxiety and joy

Flexibility skills refer to skills that can readily respond to altered

circumstances or conditions In layman’s language, it may refer to a person’s readiness and ability to change in order to adaptto circumstances obtaining at the moment

Interpersonal skillsinvolvean exchange of information between two or more

people It is also an area of study Related skills are learned and can

be improved During interpersonal communication there

is message sending and message receiving using both direct and indirect methods Successful interpersonal communication happens when the message senders and the message receivers understand the message

Persuasive communication skill is the process of guiding people toward

theadoption of an idea, attitude, or action by rational and emotional means

Problem- solving skills consist of using generic or ad hoc methods, in an

orderly manner, forfinding solutions to problems

Sensitivity skills create give-and-take relationships which enhance

understanding and mutual respect, acknowledge the needs and feelings of others being aware of how one’s own behavior affects other people, and focus on the positive aspects of conflict and values differences

Training programis designed for enhancing and reinforcing the specific skills

of educational managers

ChapterII REVIEW OF LITERATURE

This chapter deals with the review of related literature and studies, conceptual/ theoretical framework and the research paradigm where the study

is builtaroundcommunication skills, interpersonal communication skills, emotional skills, sensitivity skills, flexibility skills, persuasive communication skills, and problem solving skills in communication process

Communication

By studying the etymology of the word communication it appears that it comes from the Latin verb "communicare" meaning to share, divide out, impart, unite, join, in other words “to make common” However, today, it is used to refer to the process of exchanging information, sharing symbols and meaning, transmitting ideas, knowledge etc The emergence of communication as a field of research gained recognition during the second half of the 19th century The science of communication as we know it today was primarily influenced by two main streams: the humanities and the social sciences

Concerning the influence of the humanities we should go back in time and mention the ancient Greek arts and rhetoric and the contribution of other disciplines such as aesthetics, hermeneutics and linguistics that were among the traditions developed in the early 19th century The second stream that influenced the field of communication emerged a century later and included experimental psychology and the social sciences According to Abbott (2001) the system of social science disciplines that crystallized in thatperiod included

anthropology, economics, political science and sociology but not communication Communication as a science emerged as a result of research and findings in various fields At first sight, all this variety might create the idea that communication is a ragbag of concepts and theories that differ from one another Concerning this point, Craig (1989) agrees that the terrain is confusing if we insist on looking for some kind of grand theoretical overview that brings all communication study into focus, but he also suggests that communication theory is a coherent field when we understand communication

as a practical discipline He identifies seven main traditions where communication theory is based, which are as follows: rhetorics, semiotics, phenomenology, cybernetics, social psychology, socio-cultural theory and critical theory (Craig, 2011)

Having good communication skills or communicating effectively with other people was specifically identified as an employer expectation of new hires It became an increasingly important part of getting and retaining a job

Maureen Carrig(1999) shared an Office Team study in the Treasury Management Association Journal According to a research project conducted

by the international staffing firm Office Team, by the year 2005, technology's transformation of the workplace will not only place a premium on technical competencies, it will also put employees' people skills to their greatest test In fact, your interpersonal and communication skills could make or break your career success (p 53)

Carrig (1999) went on to suggest specific communication skills that would be of increased importance Technologyput a new emphasis on writing skills Electronic mail required employees to draft documents sentto multiple

customers simultaneously Negotiation and persuasion skills would be required of those utilizing audio and video teleconferencing technology

The Journal of Marketing Education published an article by Callum J Floyd and Mary Ellen Gordon (1998) This piece compared the employer’s, student’s, and staff’s perceptions of the most important skills required to be successful in a career This publication catered to marketing professions, but stated that "communication skills have been found to be important in most studies" (p 103) of employer skill preferences Special emphasis was placed

on the necessity of understanding customer requirements The customers, in this case, were the student, the educational funding source, and employers

Geoff Maslen (2000) of The Times Higher Education Supplement relayed the attitudes shared by a group of Australian employers When surveyed regarding the preparation of students graduating from Australia's universities and technical colleges, the most frequently cited deficiencies were

in the areas of communication and interpersonal skills

Theoretical Contributions on Communication Theory

Given this variety of traditions and research areas, scholars’ perceptions and definitions of communication have been numerous, and as

we shall see further, have seen numerous changes over time Some researchers present an abstract perspective on communication, others define

it more specifically, and othertheorists provide a rather narrow definition, and

so on So it is clear that we cannot find a uniform definition that will bring together researchers and produce a single view on communication as a science Consequently, we will consider various definitions and viewpoints expressed by well-known personalities in the field of communication

According to Shannon and Weaver (1949, 95) "Communication is all of the procedures by which one mind can affect another." It is clear that this definition is too broad and general Miller K (2002, 5) argues that Weaver's definition includes virtually everything, and therefore does not help us to distinguish communication from other forms of human activity In order to illustrate this point she brings the following example: "If one person decided to plant a flower and another person noticed it, this would count as communication." (ibid)

Another researcher, Hoben (1954) believes that "communication is the verbal exchange of a thought or idea." What is interesting in this definition has

to do with the fact that here the success of the exchange of ideas or thought is considered achieved Meanwhile, Berelsonet.al (1964, 254) does not focus

on the success of communication He provides the following definition:

"Communication [is] the transmission of information, ideas, emotion, skills etc., by the use of symbols - words, pictures, figures, graphs etc It is the act

or process of transmission that is usually called communication." In this case,

we understand that the information is transmitted, but not necessarily received

or understood by the other person

According to Littlejohn and Foss (2005), a variety of terms are used to define communication, such as symbols, parole, understanding, process, transmission, channel, meaning and situation But more specifically this is found in Crystal (2003:85) who supports the idea that "communication refers

to the transmission of information (a ‘message’) between a source and receiver using a signaling system: in linguistic contexts, source and receiver are interpreted in human terms, the system involved is a language, and the

notion of response to (or acknowledgement of) the message becomes of crucial importance In theory, communication is said to have taken place if the information received is the same as that sent."

Another leading figure in the field of communication, Pearce W (1989) comes up with the idea that we live in communication and not outside communication and use it for our purposes However, King S (1989, 1) presents a more social dimension of communication She emphasizes that effective communication between people is central to personal, social and natural harmony Understanding of oneself, family, friends and the surrounding environment requires communication However, further on, we will examine the theoretical contributions of some influential researchers in this field since our main goal is to present the main viewpoints on communication theory

Earlier studies on the theory of communication were concentrated on the language and the ways in which the latter expresses meaning Among the first who contributed in this area was the French linguist Ferdinand de Saussure, with the semiotic theory in early 1900 Among others, he suggested that the language is a system of signs where the words are used to mark objects In the same line are Baylon et al (2003, 22) according to whom: "The prototype of linguistic sign is the word, but we rarely talk with separate words The words themselves are made to be used in compound sentences, which are macro signs," It is important to emphasize here that Saussure was the first who made the distinction between language and speech According to Saussure (1916) through the spoken or written word it is possible to use linguistic systems in real life situations

Pierce's model, though more complex than the one presented by Saussure, bares many similarities with the latter Cobley (1996) maintains the opinion that the main difference between them lies in the fact that Saussure's model is based only on linguistics, whereas Pierce’s model apart from linguistics, is based on theories of mathematics, philosophy and logic Despite the differences, both scholars put forward a line of thought that considers language as a system of signs functioning according to certain rules So, referring to English language (since we are studying this one), we can say that the rules take the grammar form of this language On the other hand, both of them consider language as consisting of separate units, such as words, sentences, etc., which can be studied independently of each other, separated from the context

After Saussure and Pierce ( ), various theories were developed about the science of communication One of them was information theory, developed by Claude Shannon and Warren Weaver in 1949 and inspired especially by systems theory and cybernetics It plays an important role in the field of telecommunications, but concerning research on human communication, its role is limited This is due to the fact that its primary goal is the transmission of information regardless of its content According to Littlejohn and Foss (2007, 64) despite the unquestionable influence on the development of communication theory, this model has a number of shortcomings They argued that this model, does not take into consideration the impact of contexts and environments in communication This partial effect

is observed not only in the understanding of communication in general, but

also in the specific forms of communication such as: speaking, reading, writing and listening

Another interesting but somewhat less developed branch of communication science is Pragmatics of Communication Its object of study is related to a series of problems in human communication Unlike the theories outlined above, this theory was elaborated by a group of doctors (Paul Watzlawick, Janet HelmickBeavin, and Don Jackson, who aimed to study the effects of communication on behavior In a broader context, pragmatics deals with social interaction and more specifically with aspects of effectivecommunication Their model of communication was introduced in

1967 in the book Pragmatics of Human Communication Their model was presented by means of five axioms which are as follows:

1 One can always communicate

2 Every communication has a content and a relationship aspect, so that the latter determines the former and thus is a metacommunication

3 The nature of a relationship depends on how both parties punctuate the communication sequence

4 Human beings communicate both digitally and analogically

5 All communication is either symmetrical or complementary

These axioms give us a complete picture of the way communication is accomplished and through them it clarifies the role of Watzlawick and his colleagues in the field of interpersonal communication

However, this analysis would be incomplete if we left out the contribution of the linguist Roman Jakobson According to Lanigan (1991, 1)

“for most of the 20th century Roman Jakobson’s name will have been synonymous with the definition of communication as a human science.” He developed a communication model that is widely used to analyze both verbal and nonverbal communication although initially he aimed only for the former Jakobson (1960, 353) identified three basic factors (the addresser, the addressee and the message) and three other factors (context, contact, code) But to communicate does not mean that you simply send a message to the addressee; a common code should exist for those who take part in communication, as well as a channel through which the message is sent Each of these factors has a different communicative function Sorensen (1987:179) is of the opinion that the communication model introduced by Jakobson can be used in every field ranging from natural sciences to the humanities, but to be applicable it must be accompanied by further explanations."

Interpersonal communication skills

According to Brennan, J (1974), Interpersonal communication is typically defined as communication between a few (approximately 2-5) people It is often referred to as a “transactional process,” which means that the communicators act as both senders and receivers of messages

Messages are the material being communicated Senders use signs and symbols, such as words and actions, to create messages to which the receiver assigns meaning There are two dimensions to these messages: content dimension and relational dimension The content dimension is what the message actually says The relational dimension, on the other hand, is the way that the phrasing defines the relationship between communicators; formal

phrasing may imply a professional relationship, while words such as “honey”

or “sweetie” may imply an intimate relationship On the other hand, “honey” and “sweetie” can also be used in a sarcastic, degrading manner—this is why

it is important to understand the relational context of messages The structure

of the conversation varies differently depending on these dimensions (Brennan, J 1 974)

There are five main areas that contribute to the meaning of a message outside of the words which are spoken These are kinesics, haptics, proxemics, oculesics, and vocalics Kinesics is the use of the body Smiling, listening with an open mouth, and tensing or relaxing your body can all contribute to the way a message is interpreted.Haptics is the use of touch; obviously touching someone while speaking can convey intimacy, earnestness, or any other number of things Proxemics is the use of space when talking to someone; the appropriate amount of space varies with culture, but usually the closer one is, the greater the level of intimacy in the relationship Oculesics is the use of your eyes when communicating In any beginning public speaking course you are taught to make eye contact with your audience There is a different amount of eye contact “appropriate” to any situation, and failure to meet those requirements often has a negative effect

on the receiver’s impression of the sender Often we attribute a lack of eye contact to lying or lack of confidence, both which can be detrimental in a relationship (Carrig, M 1999)

In order to be considered a competent communicator, you must be able to follow the “Rules.” Rules exist for any given situation within a culture For example, there are both rules of friendship and rules for conflict Rules

governing friendship include the exchange of news and support, mutual intimacy and trust, defense and tolerance when dealing with third parties, and respect for each other’s differences Rules for conflict address mutual understanding, rationality, conciseness, and respect and consideration To ignore or break any one of these rules would make you appear to be a poor communicator (Carrig, M 1999)

In addition to following these rules of communication, you must also know what to communicate in order to do it effectively You must be able to choose the knowledge that, if communicated, would most effectively contribute to the conversation with the desired result You must also understand how to communicate that knowledge There are two main processes that contribute to communicating your knowledge: planning and action assembly.Planning involves anticipating and planning possible strategies for accomplishing some goal or goals Planning does not have to

be entirely conscious; however, planning is almost always efficient There are three principles used to ensure that a plan is as efficient as possible: competence (will the plan accomplish the goal as satisfactorily as possible?), prior success (has a similar plan worked before in a similar situation?), and simplicity (the fewer steps, the fewer chances for mistakes) With experience,

a communicator will gradually add to a plan to prepare for all possible situations and challenges along the way (Carrig, M 1999)

Action assembly is the process by which different behaviors are put together into actions in pursuit of a goal Communicators must choose action sequences that they believe will be most effective in accomplishing their goal They must choose the correct phrases, the right tone of voice, the body

posture, when to pause, who to look at, whether to smile as they introduce themselves or wait until the other person has introduced himself We choose which sequences to use based on the same criteria with which we judge our plans: competence, prior success, and simplicity These decisions are usually made through split-second play-it-by-ear decisions, which is why a thorough plan is necessary to be a fully competent communicator (Carrig, M 1999)

There are three major challenges to becoming an effective communicator: social anxiety and shyness, goal complexity, and oversimplification of self and others

Social anxiety and shyness can have a negative effect on communication in a number of ways Sometimes they can prevent a person from communicating altogether if their fear is that severe Less severe cases can prevent behaviors that typically indicate a competent speaker, such as eye contact or a strong, audible voice If you are shy, consider taking a public speaking class in order to better handle your reservations when it comes to speaking in public

Goal complexity can be just as detrimental to one’s communication skills as shyness If you have multiple, sometimes competing goals, accomplishing just one of them can be next to impossible In order to solve this problem, you must begin to analyze your many goals Decide which among them is most important and why; for those that are less important, determine why they were ever a goal at all Perhaps they developed from an underlying principle which does not necessarily compete with your other goals

Finally, there is the oversimplification of self and another By assuming that you completely understand your own personal goals or those of another person, you put yourself at a serious disadvantage People are difficult to understand and almost never constant in their goals and motivations You must constantly analyze and attempt to understand another person’s goals and motivations, and never assume that they are the same from day to day If you are not aware of changes, your communication will be both incompetent and ineffective (Carrig, M 1999)

Emotional Skills

Emotional intelligence or emotional skillis defined as an ability of a person to observe and distinguish his own and the others’ feelings and use this as a guide for his thoughts and behavior (Salovey& Mayer, 1990; Salovey&Grewal, 2005) It is also defined as awakening oneself, continuing his way despite difficulties, delaying the satisfaction by controlling his urges, balancing his moods, avoiding troubles to get in the way of thinking, putting himself into someone’s place and growing into hope (Goleman, 2007)

A person who has high emotional skills takes notice around quickly, controls his urges, uses his will, is inclined to teamwork, approaches the problems by combining his cognitive and emotional powers, does not deny his love and respect to people in relation with him, sees his faults , adapts and corrects them On the other hand, a person with low emotional intelligence can be the slave of his urges, cannot control these urges, can manage his personal life in a bad way, can fail in his career or can act improperly to social

principles and cultural values (Başaran, 2000) Emotional skills level affects directly both self-sufficiency and business success

The people having developed emotional maturity have great contributions in the success of institutions Managers or workers who know their emotions and can control them are sensitive to other people’s needs ,can establish relationships based on confidence and say their ideas directly They can prompt themselves and the people they are working with towards desired results, can also provide high motivation by developing ideal thoughts

By this means, they resolve conflicts and problems in a more positive and solution-oriented way (Baltas, 2006; Barbuto&Burbach, 2006; Çetinkaya&Alparslan, 2011; Skipper & Brandenburg, 2013)

Communication skills involve concepts such as establishing meaningful relationships with their surroundings, recognizing themselves and other people, becoming aware of their own feelings and recognizing the feelings of others, self-actualization and coping with problems effectively (Kuzu&Eker, 2010) Communication is one of the most necessary processes in business life Living and making business of people and grouping together depend on the success of a well-established communication system Communication is

an important process that connects people’s activities to each other and provides them with opportunities to work conformably in a group The communication abilities of people with each other identify their success in their jobs and private lives (Can et al., 2006)

In establishing accurate and effective communication, communication skills have an important role related with speaking, writing, reading, listening

and thinking The communication skill of an individual is crucial to success and is seen as an important advantage in many job specifically when it relates to management because it gains a special importance.Therefore, managers must be equipped with the ability to listen, communicate and transfer ideas clearly Also they must establish good relations with peoplefrom all walks of life.(Toy, 2007)

In the service-producing institutions, such as health care, it is thought that having effective communication skills and emotional skills competencies are also necessary and important for the managers (Freshman &Rubino, 2004) As it is seen, the concepts of emotional skills and communication skills are closely related to each other As the properties of communication skills and emotional skills are used as an important and a determiner measurement

in functions of human resources management such as recruitment process, performance management, career development (Cetin kaya&Alparslan, 2011), it is believed that the university students educating healthcare management should be developed and trained in emotional skills and communication skills fields before starting a business life (Freshman &Rubino, 2004; Anderson et al., 2000)

Leaders have always played a primordial emotional role Whether tribal chieftains or shamans, these leaders earned their place largely because their leadership is emotionally compelling Throughout history and in cultures everywhere, the leader in any human group has been the one whom others look up to for assurance and security when facing uncertainties or threats, or

when there is a job to be done; “the leader has always acted as the group’s

emotional guide” (Goleman, Boyatzis& McKee, 2002:5-7) In the modern

organization, this primordial task has been largely invisible and perceived as insignificant for the success of an organization’s communication and performance However, in today’s business environment, in order to understand the effects of a leader’s and employees’ moods and emotions, it

is vital to take into account the leader’s level of emotional intelligence or emotional skills Therefore, possessing high levels of emotional skills, permits

individuals to have a closer understanding of people and their surroundings (Pool and Cotton, 2004)

What is known about emotional skills today is grounded primarily in psychobiology and modern neuroscience One of the first to point out the distinction between intellectual and emotional capacities was a Harvard psychologist, Howard Gardner, who introduced his theory of “multiple intelligences” back in 1983 His research identified seven kinds of intelligences- including math and verbal abilities- as well as two personal varieties he identified as “knowing one’s inner world” and “adeptness” (Kemper, 1999) The concept of emotional skills, as it is referred to today, was formally conceptualized in 1990 by two American psychologists, John Mayer and Peter Salovey According to Mayer and Salovey, emotional intelligence reflects not a single trait or ability but, rather, a composite of distinct emotional reasoning abilities: perceiving, understanding, and regulating emotions

Perceiving emotions consists of recognizing and interpreting the meaning of

various emotional states, as well as their relations to other sensory

experiences Understanding emotions involves comprehension of how basic

emotions are blended to form complex emotions, how emotions are affected

by events surrounding experiences, and whether various emotional reactions

are likely in given social settings Regulating emotions encompasses the

control of emotions in oneself and in others An individual’s emotional skill is

an indication of how he or she perceives, understands, and regulates emotions In sum, according to Mayer and Salovey, emotional intelligence

skills is a form of intelligence that involves “the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions” In other words, a person with

emotional skills is aware of their own feelings and those of others, and is able

to communicate both positive and negative emotions and internal experiences when appropriate and have an impact on other people’s moods While technical skills and core competencies are essential for sustainable competitive advantage, the ability to outperform other organizations largely depends on how employees manage their relationships with others (Twigg, Pinos& Olson, 2006) On a larger scale, in terms of the organization at whole, research suggests that emotional intelligence helps an organization to commit

to a basic strategy, build relationships inside and outside the organization that offer competitive advantage, promote innovation and risk taking, provide a platform to shared learning, maintain balance between the human side and financial side of the company’s agenda, and develop open communication and trust building among employees and leaders

Research Paradigm

Figure 1.Input-Process-Output of the Communication Skills of Educational

Managers in VinhPhuc Province

INPUT

PROCESS OUTPUT

The input includes the profile of the respondents in terms ofage, gender, educational qualifications, length of work experience and number of years in management and communication skills ofeducational managers inVinhPhuc Province in terms of interpersonal communication skills, emotional skills, sensitivity skills, flexibility skills, persuasive communication skills and problem solving skills in the communication process The process covers

Analysis Interpretation

Development of the Training Program

PROPOSED TRAINING PROGRAM

theuse of questionnaire, data collection, analysis interpretation and finally the output of the study which is the proposed training program for educational

managers

Chapter III METHODOLOGY

This chapter deals with the locale of the study, research design, population and sampling, data gathering procedures, and statistical treatment used in the study

Locale of the Study

The study was conducted at VinhPhuc Province in the Red River Delta Region of Northern Vietnam

Deltaareaofnorthernmidlandandis mountainous, with coordinates: 21°08' (at DaoTruCommune, Tam Dao District) to21°19' (Trang Viet Commune, Me Linh District, Hanoi) north latitude; 105°109' (Bach LuuCommune, Song Lo District)

to 105°47' (Ngoc ThanhCommune, Phuc Yen town) east longitude Natural area is 1231.76km²andapopulationof1,014,488people, includingnineadministrative units:Vinh Yen City, Phuc Yen townand7 districts: LapThach, Song Lo,TamDuong, BinhXuyen, Tam Dao, VinhTuong, YenLacwith113 communes, 24wardsandtownships VinhPhucissituated on top

of theRed River Delta, somewhere inthemiddleof NorthernVietnam, thetransition zonebetweenmountains andplains behindthreeeco-regions: theplainsouthoftheprovince, in themidlandNorthernprovinces, mountainsinTamDao District

Research Design

The descriptive method was used in the study It is descriptive since the study used to obtain information concerning the current status of the

phenomena to describe "what exists" with respect to variables or conditions in

a situation (Sevilla et al, 1998) The variables considered in this study were the criteria to assess communication skills with data sourced mainly from the

questionnaire, the vital instrument in this study

Population of the Study

The table below shows the distribution of respondents (educationalmanagersat all levels) :

Table 1

Distribution of Respondents

Provincial and District Department of Education and

The Educational Managers included Provincial and District Department

of Education and Training (28); High School Training (35) and Primary and Secondary School Training (180) The educational managers in the high school, secondary and primary schools are principals and vice-principals

Research Instrument