The Influence of Communication Skills on Employee Performance in Public Organisations: The Case of Morogoro Municipal Council

Abstract

This study examined the influence of communication skills on employee performance in public sector organisations, where effective communication is essential for navigating bureaucratic systems and engaging diverse stakeholders in service delivery. A descriptive case study design with a quantitative approach was employed at Morogoro Municipal Council in Tanzania, where data were collected using structured questionnaires from 112 employees selected through simple random sampling, and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results indicate that employees possess a high level of communication competence (M = 4.03, SD = 0.76) alongside a high level of employee performance (M = 4.09, SD = 0.72). The correlation analysis revealed a significant positive association between communication skills and employee performance (r = 0.61, p < 0.01), while regression results indicate that communication skills significantly predict employee performance (β = 0.61, p < 0.001), explaining 37 per cent of the variance (R² = 0.37). The study concludes that communication skills play a significant role in shaping employee performance in public organisations and recommends that public organisations invest in communication skills development through training, feedback mechanisms, and supportive environments to enhance performance and improve public service delivery.