Superior-Subordinate Relationships: Communication Style, Leader-Member Exchange Status, and Communication Satisfaction
This study sought to determine if subordinates' and superiors' communication style orientation similarity contributed to subordinates' Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) status and communicatiaon satisfaction. Twenty-three superiors and 93 subordinates completed a survey; subordinates' and superiors' style orientations, and subordinates' LMX status and communication satisfaction were assessed. The importance of perceived and true relational-orientation similarity between subordinates and superiors was prevalent. Relational-orientation similarity contributed to subordinates' LMC status and communication satisfaction. Training may help ensure subordinates share at least partial style similarity with their superiors. Subordinates' communication satisfaction appears to display a curvilinear relationship with tenure, with most urgent intervention apparently needed by subordinates with 6 to 10 years' tenure.
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations