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RESEARCH PRODUCT

The development of interpersonal communication competence at work

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[Introduction] Many researchers emphasise the importance of interpersonal communication competence in learning, in working life, and in society in general (Daly, 1998; Morreale, Osborn and Pearson, 2000). Changes in the working life (e.g., globalisation, the development of information and communication technology, the increase in abstract, conceptual, and knowledge-intensive work, and the increase in collaborative interaction) have established new challenges to interpersonal communication competence and enhanced the essential role of communication and interaction at work (FinnSight 2015 foresight project, 2006; Huotari, Hurme and Valkonen, 2005; Kostiainen, 2003). Several studies have attempted to define the interpersonal communication competence needed in current working life in general or in specific professions, but many of these efforts remain just fragmented lists of requirements or challenges which individuals may face and should thereby be prepared (Kostiainen, 2003: 111). All in all, there is no wide-ranging consensus regarding the definition of interpersonal communication competence (Segrin and Givertz, 2003: 136). What kind of phenomenon is interpersonal communication competence and how should it be approached? What does it mean, after all, to be competent in the area of communication and social interaction at work? How can one specify when communication and interaction are competent and when they are not? [Continues, please see the article] peerReviewed