Impact of Employees’ Interpersonal Skills on their Performance in the selected Divisional Secretariat, Nuwara Eliya District, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Interpersonal skills are essential for cultivating productive workplace relationships, fostering collaboration, and ensuring the smooth functioning of public institutions. This study examines how interpersonal skills, specifically communication, teamwork, leadership, and conflict resolution, impact employee performance within the selected Divisional Secretariat, situated in the Nuwara Eliya District of Sri Lanka. The main objective of this research is to assess the extent to which these skills contribute to employees’ overall performance in the public sector context. A quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional research design was adopted. The unit of analysis for this study is the individual employee working within the selected divisional secretariat, allowing for a detailed understanding of how each person’s interpersonal abilities influence their job performance. Data were collected from a sample of 86 staff members using a structured questionnaire, selected through a simple random sampling technique, and supported by institutional records. The total population consisted of 110 employees. The data were analysed using SPSS software to identify the impact of interpersonal skills on job performance. The reliability of the measurement scales was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha, ensuring internal consistency. Analytical procedures included both descriptive statistics and inferential techniques such as correlation analysis and multiple regression. Despite existing studies on interpersonal skills, a significant research gap persists regarding context specific investigations in unique public sector environments. There is limited understanding of how these skills interact and influence performance over time, particularly within culturally diverse and rural administrative settings. The findings indicate that strong interpersonal skills are positively associated with enhanced employee performance. These insights underscore the need for targeted training initiatives and policy interventions aimed at strengthening interpersonal competencies to boost organizational effectiveness in public service delivery.