An Examination of the Relationship between Communicative Work Dependency and Response Satisfaction.

The studies reported here examined the relationship between various indicators of communicative work dependency and response satisfaction. Study One was conducted on a retail store using a scale developed by Jablin and Study Two, conducted in a warehouse, included variables traditionally examined in the framework of the ICA Communication Audit. The results of Study One established a linkage between satisfactory supervisory relationships and variables dealing with supervisor understanding and getting the information needed to perform ones job. In Study Two overall communication satisfaction related strongly with the need for information from specific others. The results of both studies emphasized the importance of horizontal communication relationships for response satisfaction. The results of this research point to the complex interrelationships among these conceptual variables which are embedded in two different overarching theoretical perspectives. AN EXAMINATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMMUNICATIVE WORK DEPENDENCY AND RESPONSE SATISFACTION This research focuses on the relationship between communicative work dependency and response satisfaction. Work dependency is a structural variable which influences individual information processing needs, while response satisfaction is a relational variable which is related to the communication climate of organizations. Since these variables are embedded in the overarching pe'spectives of systems and human relations respectively; this study represents an attempt to synthesize critical areas in such a way as to contribute to the growth of our understanding of organizational communication processes (Jablin, 1980; Redding, 1979; Reynolds & Johnson, 1982). Response satisfaction reflects an interactant's subjective perceptions of a positive affective tone associated with an information.source. This concept is similar to Thayer's (196) notion of communication satisfaction which he defined as the personal satis-faction inherent in successfully communicating to someone or in successfully being communicated with. Thus response satisfaction refers to the quaiity of communication links and represents a more purely relational or climatic factor, although at a much more concrete level of analysis. Work dependency refers to the degree to which individuals perceive they rely on others in the organization for the accomplishment of their assigned tasks. It is thus directly related to the systemic concerns of the organization and the basis for work dependency becomes access to needed task-related information. Atkin (1973) has suggested that individual information-seeking strategies 2 generally are based in part on the utility of the information for fulfilling specific needs. Thompson (1967) has asserted that work dependency determines communication channels in an organization to a greater degree than scch factors as affiliation, influence, and status. Naturally work dependency and response satisfaction may be closely tied since the rnore crucial the work related information provided, the more satisfied an individual should be with a particular source. However, unliKe work dependency which focuses on the content of information transmitted, response satisfaction focuses on a receiver's perceptions of the manner in which a source delivers a message. hict onl: will individuals seek out work related information, they will also be concerned with the manner in which information is given to them. Thus they will tend to develop relationships with individuals who provide them with positive affective responses which promote their self-esteem (Roberts & O'Reilly, 1979), as well as developing relationships with individuals who provide needed work related information. Because of the central place of these variables in two majoi. , overarching theoretical perspectives it behooves us to more precisely examine the complex interrelationships among them. This research attempts such a comprehensive exploration of their interrelationships through the use of multiple methods and the examination of different organizations. Study One examined a retail store and used indicators drawn from the ICA Communication Audit network analysis instrument and a battery of questions originally developed to examine supervisor-subordinate relationships. Study Two was conducted in a warehouse and used indicators drawn exclusively from the comprehensive ICA Communication Audit. This approach allows