A role perception transactional process model for organizational communication-outcome relationships

Abstract

This study presents a role perception transactional process model for organizational communication to understand and predict the relationships among organizational communications and employee satisfaction and performance. This transactional process model, being based on role perceptions, also represents a means by which to bridge organizational communication and organizational behavior. Dimensions of organizational communications, consistent with those used elsewhere, were used in this study in two organizations. In one organization data were collected on a longitudinal basis. Relationships among four dimensions of organizational communication, role perceptions and employee satisfaction and performance were examined. It was hypothesized that these variables would be reciprocally related and that role perceptions would intervene in the communication-outcome relationship. The results supported the hypothesized reciprocal relationships among these variables and the intervening effect of role perceptions. The results, therefore, generally supported the role perception transactional process model for organizational communication and the existence of vicious cycle phenomena in organizational communications and behavior.