Directives and Dialogue: Examining the Relationship Between Participative Organizational Communication Practices and Organizational Identification Among IT Workers

Abstract

This study explores how the dialogue—or lack thereof—between employees’ opinions and organization-wide communications relates to employees’ identification with the organization. Using survey data from a sample of 111 IT workers, we performed cross-level tests to explore how employee voice, the perceived adequacy of organization-wide downward communication, and job satisfaction related to employees’ organizational identification. The results of the hierarchical regression and mediation analyses revealed that higher levels of employee voice were associated with higher levels of organizational identification and fully mediated by job satisfaction. Similarly, higher levels of organization-wide communication adequacy were associated with higher levels of organizational identification and partially mediated by job satisfaction. The findings suggest that inclusive and participative organizational communication practices are most likely to foster organizational identification when they are viewed favorably by employees and positively impact their job experiences.

Effect of Communication Practices on Volunteer Organization Identification and Retention

“…Research on the impact of organization identification has been extensive in the employee literature, with this variable shown to have a positive effect on a wide variety of factors which benefit organizations [13]. Employees who feel a strong connection and sense of oneness with their organizations, as embodied in organization identification, are more likely to be intrinsically motivated [17], engage in beneficial decision-making [18], display a customer orientation [19], and show organizational citizenship [20].…”

“…Numerous studies in the employee literature show that different communication channels have a positive effect on organization identification among employees [13]. They reveal that the content of communication to employees enables identification because it cites the organization's goals, values, and achievements [27].…”

“…Atouba et al [13] demonstrate the importance of organizational communication adequacy as a driver. This concept captures the degree to which an organization informs its employees via communication methods such as objectives, policies, job descriptions, procedures, intranet content, and leader communications.…”

“…Third, our study is to the best of our knowledge the first research in the volunteer literature to use sampled data from nonprofits to evaluate the effect of discrete communication factors on organization identification. Some studies in the employee literature have investigated general communication practices between workers and organizations [13], but not the specific factors influencing organization identification.…”

Integrity Advisors and the Development of Administrative Communication Culture

“…317-326). This sounds quite simple from a theoretical point of view, but most often in communication situations occurring in practical life, it causes most of the problems (Atouba et. al., 2016;Braun et.…”