Communication skills training in workplaces: Workshop programs in industrial environments

Communication processes in business environments are crucial for organizations to survive. However, these processes must be highly professional, which is difficult within structures with various academic and cultural backgrounds. Thus, many organizations often develop educational programs that help employees to increase their communicative performance, following literature recommendations on the positive effect of communication skills training in workplace environments. Nevertheless, the body of knowledge on these learning settings has not evolved within the communication sciences literature. Taking this into account, a program of workshops on communication skills was implemented in a factory of the multinational Bosch company in Portugal. Afterwards, a study was developed to answer a research question: What is the most suitable training model for the acquisition of communication skills in a workplace environment? The authors point out that the most appropriate model implies human communication knowledge and motivation for change, but also practical strategic communication skills