Analysis of the relationship between the tradesman's communication abilities and problem solving skills

Tradesman are representatives of small-scale businesses that are the lifeblood of society. In addition to their economic contribution, these small businesses also add a unique character to local communities by combining with their social and cultural fabric to strengthen social bonds. In this context, it has become important to determine the situation within professions that require constant communication and where problems are likely to arise. The research population consists of 322 volunteer tradesmen participants registered to the Küçükçekmece Chamber of Tradesmen and Craftsmen. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the relationship between communication skills and problem solving skills of tradesmen. In addition, it was also examined whether there are differences between the correct communication skills and problem solving skills experienced in interpersonal relationships in social life and business life according to the socio-demographic variables of the tradesmen. The research was prepared in accordance with the descriptive study method. Thus, relational hypotheses were tested without any manipulation on variables and sample. In order to collect data, the scales were made with face-to-face interviews and the Communication Skills Inventory, a 5-point Likert-type scale consisting of 45 items, and the Problem Solving Scale, a 6-point Likert-type scale with 35 items, were used. The data obtained from the collected scales were manually entered into the SPSS-25 program and analyzed. Independent Groups t-Test and One-Way ANOVA were used for differences between groups. The results of the study showed that there is a positive interaction between communication skills and problem solving skills; age, gender, educational status and marital status are important variables that can affect individuals' communication and problem solving skills.