Topic: Communication Climate and Organizational Commitment
Author(s), Title and Publication
Trombetta, J. J., & Rogers, D. P. (1988). Communication Climate, Job Satisfaction, and Organizational Commitment: The Effects of Information Adequacy, Communication Openness, and Decision Participation. Management Communication Quarterly, 1(4), 494-514.
Summary
This study investigated the impact of communication on employees’ organizational commitment (i.e., employee loyalty). Job satisfaction was examined as a mediator between communication climate and organizational commitment. Based on survey data from 521 nurses in four general care hospitals in Western New York, relationships were analyzed among communication variables (participation in decision-making, communication openness, and information adequacy), demographic variables (age, tenure, position, and shift), job satisfaction, and organizational commitment.
Results showed that employees tended to commit to their organization when they were allowed to participate in the decision-making process, were well informed about the organization (communication openness), and perceived the information received was adequate. This study also found that older employees were more likely to be committed to their organization than younger ones. Though communication was found to affect both employees’ organizational commitment and their job satisfaction, a significant relationship between job satisfaction and organizational commitment was not identified.
Implications for Practice
Managers interested in increasing their employees’ organizational commitment could focus on increasing job-related information and providing opportunities for participation in job-related decisions. Managers who want to improve employees’ job satisfaction could focus on increasing communication openness and providing more job-related information.
Location of Article
The article is available online at: http://mcq.sagepub.com/content/1/4/494.abstract (abstract free, purchase full article)
