ABSTRACT
The study examined communication skills (strategies and styles) as predictors of administrative effectiveness of Heads of Department in Universities in Edo State. The study covered Heads of Academic Department in both public and private universities in Edo State. While the content covered communication styles, communication strategies and administrative effectiveness. The study, adopted the xprrelational research design. The population of this study was made up of all the two hundred and eighty-six (286) Heads of Department in the seven public and private universities in Edo State during the 2019/ 2020. A sample size of one hundred and sixty-seven (167) Heads of Department was drawn from the population of Heads of Department using Taro Yamane (Yamane, 1967) formula with 95% confidence level. Meanwhile, one thousand, three hundred and forty-nine (1,349) lecturers in the selected universities were used to assess the administrative effectiveness of the Heads of Department.
The instrument for data collection was an adapted questionnaire, titled 'Communication Variables and Administrative Effectiveness of Heads of Departments Questionnaire' (COVAEHODQ). The questionnaire was adapted from 2 questionnaires titled 'Principals' Communication Styles Questionnaire for Teachers' (PCSQT) developed by Akinwale and,.,0kotoni (2018) and 'Heads of Department Administrative Effectiveness, Questionnaire' developed by Omoike (2007). The instrument was validated by the researcher with.the assistance of the researcher's supervisors and other experts. The Cronbach's alpha reliability method was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument which yielded an alpha value of 0.84. Data collected were analysed using mean (x), standard deviation (SD) and regression analysis.
Based on the results of this study, it was concluded that communication variables significantly predicted the administrative effectiveness of academic Heads of Department in public and private universities in Edo State. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made: Heads of Department should maintain the use of open, inclusive and assertive communication styles which have positive relationship with their administrative effectiveness in order to promote the achievement of the university's goals, Heads of Department should endeavour to avoid aggressive communication but influence members who may seen) difficult through persuasion by adjusting their communication style for positive outcome and for Heads of Department to be effective and meet the current global competitiveness and changing situations where face-to-face communication is being minimized, they must fully adopt the use of ICT in passing vital information to staff and students as well as to perform other administrative duties.
