Repertoire of Language Needs for Effective People Engagement Culture: A Social Technology on Transformative Communication Climate

Abstract

The human interface mediates between input and output processes while the system’s algorithm performs the calculation. This principle inspired state-funded institutions in the Philippines to harness their potential and transform into people-centric organizations, with the social interaction abilities of frontline employees as a key factor. This transformation creates a positive communication climate through leadership commitment, community engagement, workforce development, individual engagement, socio-cultural context, language services, and health literacy. These elements create a high communication climate that naturally occurs in an environment where employees possess high language skills, without disparities, regardless of representation, role, or rank.  Recognizing the pivotal role of language, its cognition and interpretation, as well as the communication landscape that shapes the communication atmosphere, a sample of 155 randomly selected frontline employees thoroughly analyzed and evaluated the system. A three-phased mixed-methods design profiled, audited, and designed to address the language needs of the university, and three sets of questionnaires were used to collect the quantitative and qualitative data employing researcher-made, standardized, and adapted questionnaires. Subsequently, a focus group confirmed the significant collective behaviors at the university. It is a combination of specific and open responses that were coded and transcribed, which determined the positive correlation using Pearson’s r test and predicted the values of variables that affect confirming relationships with the other variables. Moreover, an independent T-test run recorded no significant difference in gender, age, education, or position in language skills and communication climate across units consistently. As a result, the study concluded that since the communication climate in state universities is high, the language skills are also high, except during information collection and performance evaluation; hence, people create a positive communication ability brought about by interaction among the people on the campus and outside through their language skills, which is an ideal atmosphere that forms good habits. However, since two of the variables were identified as negative, solutions must be employed to neutralize behaviors, such as standardizing the information collection methods, uniform coding systems for mapping demographics and their communication needs, regular monitoring of performance, and appropriate adjustments relative to evaluations about each of the prior content areas using structure, process, and outcomes measures. In contrast, the perceived language skills of the employees do not accurately describe their proficiencies, but rather the language used to perform work-related functions, which is commonly non-standardized and non-authentic. Notably, the current positive atmosphere must be sustained through social technology, a culture-specific data analytics that integrates systems, to predict language patterns for interaction. Thus, state universities must use data analytics that use high language skills and create a consistent positive atmosphere.