The influence of interpersonal skills of IS leaders on IS employee job satisfaction
Date
2018
Authors
Aboobaker, Yusuf
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Abstract
Information system/technology (IS/T) leaders require varied skills to drive performance and satisfaction of IS/T employees within their departments. One way posited to increase job satisfaction of employees is by changing the characteristics of the workplace about which employees form attitudes. One such set of characteristics on which attitudes are formed is the interpersonal skills of the supervisor themselves. Generally, IS/T leaders have often been criticised as being poor communicators often with stronger technical than social skills. More research into the importance of interpersonal skills among IS/T leaders is needed. But what exactly are the interpersonal skills of supervisors and can they really affect the job satisfaction of others?
The purpose of this research was to answer the above question by specifically preparing an inventory of interpersonal skills and draw on past theories to develop and subsequently test a model of the relationship between employee perceptions of their immediate IS/T leader’s interpersonal skills and their job satisfaction. Specifically, the study hypothesised that the interpersonal skills of IS/T supervisors influences the job satisfaction of the IS/T employee supervised in the presence of commonly known predicators of job satisfaction.
The study employed a deductive, relational design. Data was collected using a survey methodology and employed a structured questionnaire instrument. The sample consisted of 82 IS/T departmental employees from South African organisations in which a permanent IS/T leader heads up the department. Bivariate analysis was performed, and measures were tested for reliability and validity prior to testing the hypothesised model. The model was tested using regression techniques. Results show that interpersonal skill of IS/T leaders significantly influence job satisfaction of IS/T employees, albeit only the sub elements of peer leadership skills and relationship building skills of supervisor’s influence employee job satisfaction. The combined effect of interpersonal skills over commonly known predicators is not significant, however peer leadership skills is.
The originality and contribution of this research to IS/T literature takes the form of contribution by espousing the descriptions of interpersonal skills and furthering the
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understanding of what role perceived interpersonal skills of supervisors can play in creating an effective IS/T department through satisfied employees.
The practical implications of the study may influence educators, students and recruiters to respectively understand, teach, learn and test for interpersonal skills. IS/T supervisors may also work on elements of those skills found lacking in their behavioural repertoire.
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Citation
Aboobaker, Mohammed Yusuf, (2018) The influence of interpersonal skills of IS leaders on IS employee job satisfaction, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, https://hdl.handle.net/10539/26715