Oral presentation and communication skills in workplace environment among engineers and engineering students in Pakistan

Abstract

This study aims to determine the significance of oral communication for engineers at workplace and oral presentation barriers that hindered oral presentation performance of engineers and engineering students. Employers value effective oral communication and presentation skills of engineers at workplace. However, it remains unclear which barriers hinder oral presentation performance of engineers and engineering students. A mixed method research was employed to collect data from engineers and engineering students using questionnaire survey, recording of oral presentations and semi structured interviews from 2 engineering organizations and 3 engineering universities of Pakistan. A total of 30 engineers and 287 engineering students participated on the quantitative part of the study. Besides that, on the qualitative part 6 engineers and 25 engineering students participated in oral presentations. Among oral presentation participants, 2 engineers and 7 engineering students were interviewed to gain in depth information on significance of oral communication for engineers at workplace and barriers that hindered oral presentation performance of engineers and engineering students. Oral presentations were video recorded and semi structured interviews were taped. Questionnaire data were analysed using Statistical package for Social Sciences (SPSS, 15.0) to draw percentages for variables included in the questionnaire pertaining to significance of oral communication at workplace and oral presentation barriers that hindered oral presentation performance of engineers and engineering students. Qualitative data of recorded oral presentations and semi structured interviews were analysed using oral presentation assessment rubric and data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification and content analysis approach. Meanwhile, data from oral presentation assessment rubrics were quantified and analyzed using quantitative approach to draw descriptive statistics based on frequencies and percentages on oral presentation barriers of engineers and engineering students and communication strategies that they employed to overcome communication deficiencies during oral presentations. Findings indicate that oral communication plays a paramount role for engineers at workplace and oral presentation barriers for instance, poor oral communication skill, poor knowledge, low self confidence, stress and nervousness and low motivation hindered oral presentation performance of engineers and engineering students. The findings of this study can be used as a guideline to overcome oral presentation barriers of engineers and engineering students in order to prepare them to be productive engineers and to increase productivity in the workplace.