Interpersonal Behaviour – Significance and Training and Development Programme Assessment

Abstract

Purpose – Attempts to draw attention of human resource professionals towards the need, significance and gaps in the area of interpersonal behaviour at the workplace. Addresses the need of Human Resource professionals to understand the dynamics of interpersonal behaviour at the workplace and demonstrate how interpersonal behavioural training and development programmes can be validated for their effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach – Uses self-evaluation of perception of employees towards their interpersonal behavioural skills and abilities. Findings – Describes a positive and significant change in the perception of interpersonal behavioural skills and abilities of employees as a result of interpersonal behavioural training and development programme. Practical implications – Highlights the importance of interpersonal behaviour, competence in interpersonal behaviour at workplace. Throws light on what impacts the interpersonal behaviour at work, what is impacted by the interpersonal behaviour, skills and abilities of employees and interpersonal conflict and deviance at the workplace. Enables personnel and training department of organisations to justify the expenditure incurred on interpersonal behavioural training and development programmes. Social implications – Advances the view that considering employee's perception of their own behavioural skills and abilities results in activation of evaluative self-influence without which no interpersonal behavioural training and development programme can be successful in bringing the change in an organisation. Originality/value – Argues that the lack of a systematic procedure to assess the effectiveness of interpersonal behavioural training and development programme often results in inadequate allocation of resources for the purpose and provides a solution to this problem.