RELEVANCE OF SOCIAL SKILLS IN THE TRAINING OF ADMINISTRATORS. A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS BASED ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between social skills and academic performance among business administration students in Peru, focusing on regional differences between two universities: one public and one private. The research adopted a quantitative approach with a sample of 187 students. The 2-Del-Prette Social Skills Inventory measured social skills, while academic performance was assessed based on averages. Descriptive analyses were conducted, and the Spearman coefficient was calculated. The findings reveal a moderate positive correlation between social skills and specific skills but not with overall academic performance. Significant differences were found in social skills and academic performance between students from the coast and those from the jungle, with the latter scoring lower. The absence of a significant correlation suggests that developing social skills alone may not be enough to ensure high academic achievement, indicating that these skills may not be sufficiently integrated and evaluated in educational programs. It is recommended that educational programs incorporate social skills in ways that support and improve academic performance, and that future research explore other mediating variables that could influence the relationship between social skills and academic success.