Explaining interpersonal communication facilitators in educational managers and staff at the university of medical sciences: A qualitative study

Background & Objective: Interpersonal communication has been constantly been taken into consideration in recent years and has been considered an important requirement for successful job performance in organizations. This study aimed to explain the experiences and views of managers and staff of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran, on interpersonal communication skills. Materials & Methods: The present qualitative study was conducted with a conventional content analysis approach. The participants (n=10) were selected from the educational managers and staff of Zanjan University of Medical Sciences using the purposive sampling method and taking into account the maximum diversity in demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, education level, and job position. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews until reaching saturation and analyzed simultaneously. Qualitative data analysis was performed manually. Results: Based on the participants' experiences, 160 initial codes were extracted, which were eventually classified into two main categories, including facilitators and inhibitors, of which only the facilitators were examined in this study. The main category of facilitators was summarized in 19 subcategories and 6 categories, including the facilitator's personal and professional characteristics, quality of work life, organizational structures, organizational civic behaviors, communication skills and channels, and attention to ethical and ideological principles. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that from the point of view of managers and employees of medical education, paying attention to the facilitators of interpersonal communication was one of the most important factors in interpersonal communication, and addressing them would strengthen effective interpersonal communication, lead to better interactions between employees, increase satisfaction, and improve the quality of work.