Assessment of Assertive Behavior in Managers′ Communication Techniques

Research background: The problem of assertiveness in managers' communication is the foundation of the theoretical framework we have addressed. The tactic of assertiveness involves practicing clear, calm, unaffected, and decisive responses to unwarranted or unacceptable requests, without feeling guilty. Assertiveness facilitates interpersonal communication and reduces manipulation. Purpose of the article: The aim of article was to enhance understanding of assertiveness issues within various communication techniques used by managers. We specified the mutual differences and connections of the examined problems through selected questionnaires. When examining issue, we took into account the respondents' age, years of work experience, type of organization they belong to, type of research and suggested methods of assertive behavior that the respondents should implement. Methods: A questionnaire was used to collect data, which examined assertive behavior, emotions, manipulation and aggression in managers. We used descriptive statistics to describe the studied set and mathematical statistics, where we analyzed the obtained data more deeply, looking for mutual differences and connections between selected properties of the statistical set, based on which we drew conclusions. Three hypotheses were formulated based on data from the questionnaire survey and statistically tested. Findings & Value added: The results showed that respondents from the public sector have better skills in asserting their own rights and higher levels of assertiveness compared to respondents from the private sector. At the same time, correlations between the age of respondents and selected assertiveness factors in communication were demonstrated, specifically in the factors of defending one's own rights, skill in asserting one's rights, and violating the rights of others. Similarly, correlations between the number of years of work experience and selected assertiveness factors in utilizing communication techniques were confirmed, particularly in the factors of assertiveness, emotions, manipulation, and aggression.