Relationship between Leadership Competency and Communication Competency in an Assessment Center Using Canonical Correlation Analysis

Assessment centers and competency models are modern approaches in organizational human resource processes. This research is an applied and descriptive study, and the aim is to investigate and analyze the relationship between two key competencies—leadership and communication—in an assessment center using canonical correlation analysis. In this study, from a population of 210 managers in an industrial company, 46 individuals were selected through purposive sampling and entered into the assessment center. The tools used to assess these two competencies were group discussion and group exercises, which have appropriate reliability and validity (Thornton, Rupp, 2006). The resulting data were analyzed using SPSS 23 software. This research showed that the canonical correlation coefficient between these two competencies was .441 and was significant (P .05). As a result, the research hypothesis was confirmed, indicating a relationship between leadership and communication competencies. Additionally, as secondary objectives, the group discussion tool was identified as the most effective tool for assessing leadership competency with an in-canonical correlation of .669, and the group exercise was identified as the most effective tool for assessing communication competency with an in-canonical correlation of .926.