Beyond Behaviors: The Role of Perception in Social Skills Reputation

This dissertation investigates the formation of Social Skills Reputations in the workplace by examining perceptions of behaviors during structured virtual interviews. Drawing on Heggestad et al.'s (2023) Social Skills Framework, this research introduces the concept of Social Skills Impression (SSI), a building block for understanding the collective impressions that form Social Skills Reputations. By analyzing the impact of verbal, nonverbal, and vocal behaviors on SSI, the study identifies a 'just right' effect, where both excessive and insufficient behaviors can detrimentally impact SSI, underscoring the need for balanced social skill behavioral displays. The research method involved judges assessing mock virtual interviews for behavioral appropriateness, followed by separate evaluators rating interviewees’ perceived social skills. The findings indicate that perceptions of nonverbal behaviors are the most predictive of SSI and challenge the traditional emphasis on behavior frequency over execution. These insights contribute to the literature by elucidating the complex dynamics of SSI in professional settings and suggest directions for future research to explore these phenomena across diverse contexts and cultures.