Communication and Academic Staff responsiveness to duty in the College of Education and External Studies in Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

Abstract

The study sought to establish the relationship between communication and academic staff responsiveness in College of Education and external studies Makerere University. The study aimed at achieving the following specific objectives; to investigate the relationship between written communication, verbal communication, electronic communication and academic staff responsiveness in College of Education and external studies Makerere University. The study employed across sectional survey design which enabled to obtain both qualitative and quantitative study findings. The study population included; members of academic staff and students, while the study sample was 90 respondents, who included 5 college leaders purposively chosen, 85 members of staff randomly selected. Data was entered into the computer using SPSS, Quantitative data was analysed and presented in form of frequency tables, frequency and percentages. Qualitative data was thematically analysed. Pearson correlation was used to test the relationship between communication and academic staff responsiveness. The study findings revealed that: written communication was significantly related to academic staff responsiveness in the college of education and external studies Makerere University. Verbal communication was significantly related to academic staff responsiveness and electronic communication was significantly related to academic staff responsiveness in College of Education and external studies Makerere University. The study concluded that: written communication, verbal communication and electronic communication enhance academic staff responsiveness in the college. The study recommends: need to make written communication clear, easily accessible and open up all communication sources to both staff and students, improve on verbal communication by formulating and implementing policy that enable college members to freely express their views without fear and provide enough computers and other electronic communication devices, train both university staff and students to access and utilize electronic communication sources.