Interpersonal communicationskills that enhance organisational

commitmentMary Bambacas

University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia, and

Margaret PatricksonInternational Graduate School of Business, University of South Australia,

Adelaide, Australia

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is threefold. First, to investigate the interpersonalcommunication skills that human resource (HR) managers expect managers in supervisorypositions possess. Second, to identify which of these skills HR managers expect managers use toengender subordinate commitment to the organisation. Third, the paper aims to investigate whatinterpersonal communication skills that enhance employee commitment to the organisation are mostlacking in managers in supervisory positions.

Design/methodology/approach – The approach of the study is a series of in-depth interviews with32 senior HR managers in organisations with over 100 staff.

Findings – The paper finds that senior HR managers expected managers to be effective ininterpersonal communication focusing mainly on the clarity and frequency of the messages, theirability to actively listen and the ability to lead in a collaborative way. The way messages were sent,especially their clarity, and a leadership style that engendered trust, was of the highest importancewhen HR managers wanted to enhance employee commitment to the organisation. However, theseskills were also the ones found most lacking.

Practical implications – HR practitioners need to consider more explicitly what behaviours areimportant to promote organisational commitment.

Originality/value – This paper highlights that the interpersonal communication skills that enhanceorganisational commitment and are most valued by organisations are those that are most lacking inmanagers. This paper also provides insight for practitioners to the interpersonal communication skillsareas that managers need to develop so that their interaction with staff may enhance commitment tothe organisation.

Keywords Interpersonal communications, Interpersonal skills, Job satisfaction

Paper type Research paper

IntroductionOver the last three decades, studies on how to encourage organisational commitmenthave been of interest to researchers in the area of organisational communication(Buchanan, 1974; DeCotiis and Summers, 1987; Putti et al., 1990; Reichers, 1985; McGeeWanguri, 1995; Gaertner and Nollen, 1989). Researchers and professionals assume andinvestigations have confirmed that the way managers convey information to their staffhas consequences on the attitudes they develop towards the organisation.

Overwhelmingly, research espouses the positive organisational outcomes thatcommitted employees bring to organisations. Committed employees are believed to bemore productive and less likely to quit (Arnold and Mackenzie Davey, 1999; Arthur,

The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at

www.emeraldinsight.com/1363-254X.htm

Interpersonalcommunication

skills

51

Journal of CommunicationManagement

Vol. 12 No. 1, 2008pp. 51-72

q Emerald Group Publishing Limited1363-254X

DOI 10.1108/13632540810854235

1994; Cohen and Hudecek, 1993; Somers and Bimbaum, 2000; Tett and Meyer, 1993),more dependable (Angle and Lawson, 1994), perform better (Suliman and Iles, 2000),produce more (Tjosvold et al., 1998) and are more involved (Brett and Stroh, 1997). Theevidence overwhelmingly supports the idea that employee commitment is enhanced bygeneral aspects of communication such as satisfaction (Varona, 1996), climate (Guzley,1992; Van den Hooff and de Ridder, 2004), organisational information provision (Nget al., 2006), relationships with upper-level managers (Putti et al., 1990) and quality ofcommunication (Thornhill et al., 1996).

In an era of apparent constant change and “erosion of corporate loyalty”interpersonal communication skills in managers are vital to promoting employeeattachment to the organisation (Brunetto and Farr-Wharton, 2004) However,researchers have paid little attention to the interpersonal communication skills thatmanagers need to enhance their subordinates’ commitment to the organisation. Theaim of this paper is to identify the skills human resource (HR) managers consider to beessential in effective interpersonal communication.

LiteratureInterpersonal communicationA popular view of communication is that it is the process by which information aboutpolicies, procedures, finance and customer feedback (Vandenberg et al., 1999) isconveyed to others in organisations. Yet, it is the medium of interpersonalcommunication or the content and quality of the messages we send to “initiate, define,maintain, or further a relationship” that determines the success of this process (Daintonand Zelley, 2005, p. 51). In other words, communication as “the process by which peopleinteractively create, sustain, and manage meaning” goes beyond the view ofcommunication as another managerial activity (or what needs to be done) to explainingthe how of activities (Dainton and Zelley, 2005, p. 2). Interpersonal communicationexplains “the means” by which organisational activities, such as managing,controlling, planning, and leading are delivered.

Downs and Adrian’s (2004) model of communication draws attention to theprocesses of encoding (decide on what and how to communicate) and decoding(interpret message) while highlighting the filtering of messages which result in theinterpretations of messages that are received. Here, the feedback loop that developstwo-way communication between individuals demonstrates this to be more effectivethan one-way communication. It is this interpersonal communication that may impacton the substance of the message, the relationships between communicators and theircredibility and the resulting interpretation (decoding) of the message received by theindividual (receiver). The interpersonal communication skills that individuals havemay therefore contribute to communication effectiveness (Devito, 1996).

A number of studies have tried to identify interpersonal skills essential in peoplemanagement (Boyatzis, 1982; Whetten and Cameron, 2002). Robbins and Hunsaker(2003) reviewed a large number of studies and synthesised the interpersonal skills thatsurfaced on most lists. Most of these skills belong to three categories – leadership, theprocess of communication and motivation. Interpersonal skills under leadership relateto leadership style, handling conflicts, running meetings, team building and promotingchange. The process of communication includes sending messages, listening andproviding feedback. Similarly, motivating is broken down into goal setting, clarifying

JCOM12,1

52

expectations, persuading, empowering, and providing feedback. Other interpersonalskills include empowering others, persuading, politicking and negotiating

Interpersonal communication has been investigated through a variety of measuresthat touch on interpersonal communication skills. For example, the CommunicationSatisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ), a popular instrument for analysing communicationprocesses in organisations, deals with eight factors that consider communication at theinformational and relational level (Gray and Laidlaw, 2004). Communication at theinformational level is considered as information pertaining to the task-role ororganisational activities. Relationships between superiors and subordinates, horizontaland informal communication and the personal feedback dimension form the relationaldimension. Each dimension considers a number of skills simulatneously. For example,the “relationship to superiors” dimension measures skills such as “openness ofsuperiors to subordinates as well as superior’s ability to listen” (Downs, 1994, p. 115).The personal feedback dimension considered “superiors” understanding of problemsfaced on the job and the clarity of criteria judging employees (Downs and Adrian,2004).

It would appear that literature on communication has investigated general aspectsof interpersonal communication rather than communication skills. A good example isthe study by Brunetto and Farr-Wharton (2004). Brunetto and Farr-Warreninvestigated supervisor communication, corporate communication, personalcommunication and the communication climate of employees from three Australianprivate and public organisations.

Few articles have considered specific interpersonal communication variables(Guzley, 1992; Heffernan and Poole, 2005; Henttonen and Blomqvist, 2005; Penley andHawkins, 1985). Penley and Hawkins for example, considered communicationresponsiveness of supervisors (listening and responding to issues), and personalcommunication (discussed personal issues with subordinate) but more variablesmeasured what information was exchanged rather than how it was exchanged. Inaddition, Guzley (1992) considered superior/subordinate communication (two waycommunication) and employee participation, and both Heffernan and Poole (2005) andHenttonen and Blomqvist (2005) believed that building mutual trust was an essentialelement in building relationships with overseas partners or teams respectively.

Communication links to commitmentManagers communicate daily with their subordinates typically giving feedback onperformance, executing performance appraisals, providing information and so forth.These actions in turn facilitate developing or negating subordinate organisationalcommitment as it is the way these practices are perceived that influences levels ofcommitment (Meyer and Herscovitch, 2001; Tansky and Cohen, 2001).

The organisational commitment concept is multidimensional in nature (Allen andMeyer, 1990; Angle and Lawson, 1993; Hackett et al., 1994; Meyer et al., 1990; Somers,1993). Meyer et al. (1990) have incorporated three conceptualisations outlined in theliterature (affective, normative and continuance commitment). Affective commitment isconceptualised as identification or attachment, normative commitmentis conceptualised as responsibility to repay a debt or commitment to norms andcontinuance commitment is conceptualised as sacrifice and investment that increasesan individual’s cost of leaving. Organisational commitment is thus made up of these

Interpersonalcommunication

skills

53

three separate components and literature has considered how the decoding oforganisational messages influence different aspects of organisational commitment.

Feelings of attachment and moral obligation have been enhanced by messages thathave been decoded as positive experiences. In other words, individuals who feel thatthey have been supported by the messages sent through organisations have enhancedemployee levels of affective and normative commitment (Meyer and Smith, 2001).Contrary to this, however, Meyer and Smith found that supportiveness did notcontribute to feelings of it being costly to leave the organisation.

Further, the way the message is decoded is dependent on how information iscategorised and interpreted (McShane and Travaglione, 2003). For example,Francis-Smythe and Smith (1997) and Beck and Wilson (1997) concluded that it wasthe quality of the feedback employees received that had a positive relationship to theirlevel of attachment or affective commitment to the organisation.

In general, literature that has considered communication that is linked tocommitment has focused on two areas. First, the focus has been on general aspects ofcommunication such as communication satisfaction (Varona, 1996), communicationclimate (Guzley, 1992; Van den Hooff and de Ridder, 2004), quality of communication(Thornhill et al., 1996), communication systems (Jacobs, 2006) and their links toaffective commitment. Second, specific facets of communication such as,organisational information provision (Ng et al., 2006), relationship with upper levelmanagement (Putti et al., 1990), and their link to affective commitment has beenconsidered.

Interpersonal communication, a specific aspect of communication, the skills withinthis feature and their link to commitment has only been given minimal attention withinthe management literature. While Robbins and Hunsaker (2003) have suggested 14skills under the three major categories of leadership, the process of communication andmotivation literature is limited in relation to these skills and their link to differentcomponents of commitment.

Leadership skills are regarded as key interpersonal skills by most studies (Robbinsand Hunsaker, 2003; Chia, 2005) and promote openness and trust. Schindler andThomas (1993) state that three of the key dimensions underlying trust are openness(being truthful), integrity (honesty), and consistency (reliability in handling situations).Costa (2003) has linked trust and affective commitment while other studies that haveconnected open communication to commitment have related individual voice (freelyspeaking of ones concerns) and argumentativeness (ability to argue the issuesgoverning those concerns) (Gorden and Infante, 1991; Infante and Gorden, 1991) tocommitment.

Even though links between some leadership skills such as trust, openness andaffective commitment have been established, whether other leadership skills such asteam building or conflict handling are linked to commitment is unclear. Theseinterpersonal communication skills are also important as they engender co-operation,reduce conflict which, in turn, increases affective commitment, diminishing thetendency to leave (Morgan and Hunt, 1994)

Skills in the process of communication the second category of key interpersonalskills requires competency in sending messages, listening and providing feedback(Robbins and Hunsaker, 2003). Skills in message clarity, developing and maintainingcredibility and obtaining feedback are essential as they have profound ramifications in

JCOM12,1

54

the coordinating and controlling of the organisation (Downs and Adrian, 2004). Ineffect, it is the nature of the superior-subordinate relationships that influencesemployee attitudes and commitment (Dubinsky and Yammarino, 1992). However, howto measure and improve the interpersonal skills needed to maintain effectivecommunication that ultimately influences commitment to the organisation is less clear.

Active rather than passive listening skills and the way feedback is given influencesthe effectiveness of the message. Listening skills are valued as these do not judge butprobe, reflect and deflect reinforce verbal messages. A review of the literature onrequirements for teamwork reiterates the importance of listening for individual teammembers (Stevens and Campion, 1994). Moreover, Guzley’s (1992) investigation linkedattentiveness and perceptiveness (listening techniques) to affective commitment. Inaddition, literature associates quality feedback (Beck and Wilson, 1997;Francis-Smythe and Smith, 1997) that is timely, job specific and useful (DeCotiis andSummers, 1987) as having a positive relationship to organisational commitment.Although the positive effects of a number of effective interpersonal skills have beeninvestigated (Garside and Kleiner, 1991; Mayer and Davis, 1995) the effect on thedifferent components of commitment have not been established.

Motivating employees, an important element in managing employees to engenderpositive organisational outcomes (Linstead et al., 2004) also considers skills in goalsetting, clarifying expectations, persuading, empowering people and providingfeedback (Robbins and Hunsaker, 2003). Goal setting has been linked to affectivecommitment (Tziner and Latham, 1989) and empowering people is noted as a positivestep toward managerial effectiveness (Pringle, 1986). Aspects to how goal setting isachieved such as how to obtain goal commitment from employees, how to clarifyexpectations, how to persuade (credibility or logical reasoning) and how these skillswill enhance employee commitment to the organisation are areas that have beenoverlooked.

Linking interpersonal communication with the development of normativecommitment has not been the focus of much prior research. In general, earlierinvestigations in management literature have assumed that normative and affectivecommitment is closely allied. Literature on continuance commitment on the other hand,has shown that the way the receiver decodes messages may have a negative effect(high sacrifice to leave, availability of alternatives) on commitment. For example, Allenand Meyer (1990) illustrated that supportive practices such as managementreceptiveness and feedback were negatively correlated to continuance commitment,while Eisenberger et al. (1990) and Smith (1995) demonstrated that perceived supportwas also linked to calculative factors and continuance commitment respectively.

The review of this research stream shows that interpersonal communication skillsas potential determinants of affective, normative and continuance commitment havebeen ignored. This paper by way of contrast deals with this particularly neglected areaof interpersonal communication skills that link to employee commitment to theorganisation.

Aims of this paperThe aims of this paper are, first, to gather information on the interpersonalcommunication skills HR managers expect their managers to have. Second, to identifythe interpersonal communication skills they expect managers to use to engender

Interpersonalcommunication

skills

55

positive perceptions and commitment to the organisation. Third, to find what HRmanagers believe are the interpersonal communication skills most lacking inorganisations needed to improve employee commitment to the organisation.

MethodThe aim of this paper was to provide some understanding of a relatively unexploredarea. The intention was to speak with senior HR managers in depth regarding theinterpersonal communication skills managers in supervisory roles needed to possess inorder to enhance their subordinates commitment to the organisation. HR managers inthe most senior organisational positions were chosen as these individuals areultimately responsible for selecting and recruiting the staff that the organisation needsto achieve its objectives. These managers are involved in the development of thestrategic direction of the organisation (Brewster and Larsen, 2000) that dictates theresulting skills needed by managerial staff. Interpersonal communication is one of thesets of skills needed by managers to achieve positive organisational outcomes.Therefore, it was important to note their expectations. As they are also responsible forauditing different facets of communication and employee attitudes such ascommitment within the organisation, their understanding of the communicationskills and resulting employee attitude toward these skills was invaluable. The aim ofthis research was to understand their perspective on the interpersonal communicationskills needed by managers in supervisory roles.

In order to achieve our intended goal we sampled the most senior HR managers inmedium to large organisations with more than 100 employees in Southern Australia.The paper presents, empirical findings from 32 qualitative interviews. A total of 32 HRmanagers (12 male and 20 female) in public and private organisations of 100 or moreemployees were interviewed concerning how they select new managers and how theyprepare managerial staff to deliver HR practices. One to one-and-a-half hoursemi-structured interviews were conducted and interview data were analysed usingtemplate analysis (Crabtree and Miller, 1999). This facilitates the understanding of theprocess of engendering positive perceptions and commitment. The interviewsconsisted of in-depth discussions to promote exchange of information and elaborationby the respondent on the prime areas of this investigation (Cooper and Schindler, 1998).Three main themes were addressed:

(1) The interpersonal communication skills HR managers look for in prospectivemanagers.

(2) Interpersonal communication skills senior HR managers expect that managersin supervisory roles use to engender positive perceptions and commitment inemployees. In other words what is important about what and how managerssay what they say.

(3) What is the one most important aspect of interpersonal communication thatleads to employee commitment that needs to be addressed.

Response categories were determined from the interview responses for each of theinterview questions (see the appendix). Responses were tabled according to the numberof times male and female HR managers mentioned each category. As there were agreater proportion of female HR managers in the sample we wanted to note whethergender influenced the categories that were mentioned. In order to identify the

JCOM12,1

56

interviewees, a number notation was allocated to each interviewee (no. 1, no. 2, no. 3. . .), with an indication of their gender (M ¼ Male, F ¼ Female). An example of no. 5Mwould indicate that the fifth interviewee was a male.

Categories used both manifest content (elements that are physically present and arecountable) and latent content (meaning conveyed by the message) (Berg, 1995). Internalreliability was achieved in the manner suggested by Drew et al. (1996). The interviewswere recorded with interviewee permission and coding of the interview questionresponses was checked for accuracy and congruence of perceptions using tworesearchers.

ResultsFirst questionThe first question related to the interpersonal communication skills senior HRmanagers look for in prospective managers when recruiting managers in supervisoryroles. In response to this question, the 32 senior HR managers eluded to a number ofcommunication skills they preferred. There were 99 responses from the 32 practitioners(Table I). The managers’ responses for interpersonal communication skills wereallocated to ten of the 14 categories as suggested by Robbins and Hunsaker (2003). Thetwo main categories concentrated on the way messages were dispatched (36 per cent)and the characteristics of an effective listener (18 per cent).

Senior HR managers conceded that managers needed to articulate their ideasclearly, but even more critically managers needed to clarify the business context byspecifying why the issues were important to them. This need to clarify the businesscontext was seen as more important by the male respondents (four out of six mentions).One HR manager explained the communication skills managers needed in thefollowing words:

the ability to communicate clearly what the business issues are, and to ensure that staffunderstand the business realities, the business context that we’re in, and the ability totranslate those into actions and outcomes that relate to the team [and what] that individualmight be responsible for . . . so it’s the translation of business realities into individualaccountabilities (no. 10M).

Importance was also placed on the credibility of the source sending the message. Onesenior HR manager commented that:

it’s the credibility of the source, its believability, honesty and transparency . . . so I think itcomes down to the credibility of the person giving the message (no. 1F).

Another important factor concerning the way messages were conveyed included thetone and choice of language directed to employees at different levels of theorganisation. One senior HR manager summarised it well when she said that shewanted managers to:

think through issues and then to communicate them back in that simple user friendly, this iswhat it means to me language. I want them to be able to speak in a language that theemployees relate to. I don’t want, you know, jargon and managerial blah, in our case publicservice blah. I want real genuine conversations with people (no. 25F).

Next to be mentioned were HR managers views that it was necessary to show respectwhile communicating “frequently in a variety of ways and in a more user friendly

Interpersonalcommunication

skills

57

genuine basis” (no. 14F). In addition, understanding the individual through “being ableto differentiate their needs and requirements” (no. 4F) were also considered relevantwhen sending messages.

Effective listening skills were the second most important characteristic forprospective managers. This communication skill related to active listening whereindividuals were an active participant of the communication process. Body language,such as being able “to talk to people and to listen to people and make eye contact”(no. 10M) was seen as demonstrating this but was a skill stressed more by male (threeout of five mentions) than female HR managers. The general feeling of HR managerswas that body language was almost as important as:

empathy and trying to help them [employees] as much as you can . . . being able to respond totheir issues and complaints . . . I’m looking for a commitment by managers to improve theworkings of the people below them (no. 24M).

Interpersonal communication skillsFemale

mentionsMale

mentionsTotal

mentions% of totalmentions

Sending messages 36Clarity 8 4 12Business context 2 4 6Credibility/friendly 3 1 4Frequently/regular 2 1 3Choice of language 2 1 3Understand individual 2 2Tone 1 1 2Respect 1 1 2Confident 2 2Listening 18Active listening 6 3 9Body language 2 3 5Empathy 2 2 4Providing feedback 9Goal oriented 5 5Open/honest 2 2 4Goal setting 9Business realities 3 6 9Leading 9Consultative 6 6Trust/honest/transparency 2 1 3Persuading 2 2 6Influencing 1 3 4Running meetings 1 1 6Presentation 3 2 5Clarify expectations 3

3 3Resolving conflict 2

2 2Empowering people 1

1 1Total 62 37 99 99

Table I.Interpersonalcommunication skillspossessed by prospectivemanagers

JCOM12,1

58

The way feedback, goal setting and leading was carried out were the next mostmentioned characteristics in effective communication. The female respondents placedgreater value in the way feedback (seven out of nine mentions) was delivered and theconsultative form leadership (six out of six mentions) took, than the male respondents.Male respondent on the other hand placed greater importance on communication aboutsetting goals for the business (six out of 19 mentions) than their female counterparts.

Goal-oriented feedback was important so that the individual or team understood the“business directional strategy. . .and their contribution to the overall organisation”(no. 3F) while giving:

open and honest feedback so as . . . to be able to say “look I get the feeling that this is what’sgoing on, I could be wrong but I’m just letting you know that this is what I’m concernedabout”. That’s the culture that we’re trying to drive (no. 15F).

When considering goal setting the major focus for the HR managers was on clearlytranslating corporate goals to business reality. The comment of one senior HR managerillustrates this point when he comments on the ability of managers to send the messagethat is understood at all levels of the organisation by:

cascading information effectively . . . [which means] . . . the information from seniormanagement will cascade beautifully down through the ranks to the people in the operationalareas (no. 27F).

Another HR manager adds that the way the goals are communicated when discussingthe business context is also paramount. He said that we need managers who are:

committed to the organisation’s goals and therefore able to articulate them, and show someenthusiasm and passion towards the goals, rather than articulate stuff (no. 24M).

These findings are summarised in Table I.A leadership culture of collaboration and consultation was favoured by the female

senior HR managers (six out of six mentions). As noted by one of the female HRmanagers working towards a consultative style, meant working towards a more:

democratic culture, introducing effective consultation. In the beginning the feeling was . . . oh,I don’t have time for that, oh, its going to be inefficient, its going to be taking over too muchtime, everyone’s going to get all crazy, but I think they’ve slowly learnt that, you can actuallyhave targeted consultation . . . you can still be clear about what you want to achieve, but letstaff have a say (no. 22F).

In general female HR managers felt that the participative leadership style “engage[d]people so they become champions of the idea” (no. 17F). The general feeling was alsothat leadership needed to “build trust and honesty” (no. 2F) which translates intorespect rather than leadership of intimidation which has the opposite effect.

Second questionThe second question asked HR managers how they encouraged supervisors to transmitinformation to their subordinates, in other words, what did they say and how did theysay it, so as to encourage employees’ commitment to the organisation. The way inwhich information was transmitted to employees influenced their commitment.Commitment was described as feelings of attachment and wanting to stay, feelings ofobligation to stay or feelings that they had to stay.

Interpersonalcommunication

skills

59

Senior HR managers in this sample considered that seven out of the 14 interpersonalcommunication skills needed for effective management (Robbins and Hunsaker, 2003)were important in enhancing subordinate commitment (Table II). Yet, thesecommunication skills differed from the set that HR managers used to selectmanagers in supervisory roles. Three of the communication skills, such as runningmeetings, resolving conflict and empowering people were not considered in the set ofcommunication skills that HR managers gauged would enhance commitment.

The majority of respondents agreed that the way messages were sent and the styleof leadership was influential in enhancing employee commitment. From the HRmanager responses, 46 per cent focused on skills required to send messages, while 25per cent focused on leadership skills (Table II). Presenting messages clearly andmaintaining the consistency of the message throughout the different levels of theorganisation was of the utmost importance. The belief was that individuals whoreceived the same consistent message would have a greater understanding of the valueof what they were doing helping to connect them to the organisation. The female HRmanagers’ felt the clarity of messages were of the utmost importance (11/13 mentions)and commented that supervisors needed to be clear on:

what the corporate message and decision [was] . . . [so that] . . . people in the organisation[were] not getting two or three different messages . . . [otherwise] . . . like the Chinese whisper,what start[ed] at one end and what you g[o]t at the other end c[ould] be a quite differentmessage (no. 14F).

Interpersonal communication skillsFemale

mentionsMale

mentionsTotal

mentions% of totalmentions

Sending messages 46Clarity/consistent 11 2 13One–on-one 5 3 8Two-way communication 3 3 6Respect 5 5Feel valued – fulfilling needs 3 2 5Credibility/friendly 2 2Leading 25Trust/honest/transparency 11 4 15Consultative/collaborative 3 1 4Decision making involvement 2 2Clarify expectations 12In business context 8 2 10Listening 7Active listening 2 2 4Empathy 2 2Goal setting 4Feedback 1 1Clear/realistic 2 2Persuading 4Use logic 3 3Providing feedback 2Individual 2 2Total 61 23 84 100

Table II.Interpersonalcommunication skills thatencourage organisationalcommitment

JCOM12,1

60

Conveying the message directly to individuals was the next most preferred method forHR managers to send messages that would enhance employee commitment. One HRmanager summarised it well when he commented:

It’s the one-on-one contact that people have . . . they are always on the move, and so you knowtrying to get them to sit down for an hour’s meeting is just about impossible. And so the bestway is one-on-one, like today. I’ll go out to the site and I’ll spend a good last half of the dayoutside just catching up and seeing how everyone’s going (no. 6M).

Two-way communication which takes into account skills for obtaining feedback wasalso illustrated in the HR managers’ responses. Testimony to this was comments suchas:

The how is about expecting a two-way communication so making themselves [supervisors]available for giving feedback, for other ideas, or what ifs (no. 20F).

Sending messages that illustrated to employees that they were valued was also animportant communication skill that HR managers felt enhanced employeecommitment. Managers that support employees by addressing their needs werenoted by HR managers. Participants believed that:

If they’re valued by the supervisor then efforts will be made to communicate in a way thatwill encourage them to stay . . . [discussions by managers that attempt to find employee needsfacilitate commitment] . . . what are you looking for? Why are you going? If it’s promotion canwe offer something? If it’s about development can we offer that? (no. 24M).

Another major consideration for the female HR managers when sending messages wasbeing respectful (five out of five mentions) when responding to others. This focused onthe interaction between managers and their subordinates. This aspect of sendingmessages was not part of Robbins and Hunsaker’s (2003) classification of skills forsending messages, however rated highly amongst our female interviewees. As one ofthe female HR managers noted:

It’s not what you say it’s the way you say it. What we’ve been talking about is thatcommunicating it with measures of respect . . . in other words think about what they’resaying before they share (no. 25F).

Skills in leading were considered the next most important skill to enhance employeecommitment (Table II). The dimension most valued was honesty and truthfulnesswhich builds trust. The female HR managers considered this communication skill(11/15 mentions) to be very important in enhancing employee commitment as thissignifies recognition in the messages managers send. One HR manager acknowledgedhow being open and honest resulted in employee commitment:

Honesty and consistency in action and in words . . . Share information with those who need toknow, protect confidential information, so that also shows integrity . . . [and builds trust andas a result] . . . our employee surveys actually rate their [employee] commitment to theirimmediate leaders quite high.

Respondents were also clear on how leadership engendered commitment. Aconsultative style meant that managers would consult and include subordinates inthe decision making process. One HR manager highlighted the importance ofcollaboration saying:

Interpersonalcommunication

skills

61

My experience has been the more you involve your staff in the decision making process andgive them the full picture [while] saying this is us doing this together, the more committedthey are to it and the more they understand what we’re trying to do (no. 1F).

Skills in clarifying expectations and in listening were also considered to be part ofimproving employee commitment. Female HR managers placed great importance onclarifying expectations (eight out of ten mentions) as they did for sending clearmessages (11/13 mentions). Clarifying expectations added to the clear message thatneeded to be sent. It specified each person’s role within the organisation. One femaleHR manager explained that managers needed to clarify how and where the individualsat within the organisation so that they would want to continue with the currentorganisation:

That they keep the macro view persistent and not drive straight to the detail, so as toreinforce the linkages . . . [and] . . . exhibit the individual’s role in alignment with theorganisational structure . . . [so managers] . . . provide the business context so that people cansee the bigger picture (no. 8F).

Skills for goal setting, persuading and providing feedback that would enhanceemployee commitment were also mentioned by the respondents. Participantscommented that initially goals needed to be clear and realistic as well as makingsure that feedback was provided to staff:

You need to know if you’ve achieved your goals at the end of the day, when you go home, youshould know that you’ve had a good day or you’ve had a reasonable day or you’ve had a darnbad day. If you haven’t achieved your goals you should know why and you should knowwhat you’ve gotta do (no. 10M).

The male HR managers also placed importance on the skill of persuasion (three out ofthree mentions) in improving employee commitment. Persuading individuals to changetheir behaviour by presenting a logical argument and giving feedback were illustratedby one HR manager when he commented also given some consideration as thecomments below attest:

Your [manager] job is to influence their [employee] decision. If you’re talking to a subordinate. . . you’ve gotta talk to them in a way that will change their behaviour, you’ve got to logicallyargue the point (no. 9M).

The second part of the question required that managers report their feelings towardsthe organisation as a result of this communication. The way messages were sent wascrucial to employee commitment to the organisation. The feeling was that it was theway messages were sent and the way employees were led that mattered the most. Forexample, one respondent summarised it well when she said:

You can at least make them feel that ok, I’ve been listened to, I’m actually valued, I am a partof this business, and I’m an important part too, and they know that they have beenacknowledged and want to stay (no. 5F).

The collaborative leading category relating to interpersonal communication meant thatthe organisation:

was providing an avenue to actually demonstrate the organisations commitment to theindividual, [which] would in turn make that staff member more loyal to the organisation, [in

JCOM12,1

62

other words the employee] would feel that the organisation had an interest in them and wasinterested in their future and wanted to do these things to retain them (no. 8F).

Commitment to managers due to the way messages were sent “was quite high” (no. 2F).The two-way communication on the one-to-one basis assisted in clarifyingexpectations and the individual wanting to remain with the organisation. One HRmanager from a public sector organisation noted that a supervisor who found out overa casual discussion with a subordinate that:

They were looking at going to another organisation, a private sector organization ’cos theydidn’t think the government was moving quickly enough in XYZ [the public sectororganisation] and their manager told them about a you beaut new program that was about tobe kicked off and that gave them the incentive to stay (no. 1F).

Feelings of obligation to stay (normative commitment) were not related to theinterpersonal communication skills managers possessed. Rather, the obligation thatwas felt was due to the interpersonal relationships built within communities:

I think employees who feel obligated are those out in our branches . . . because they are sointertwined with the community that they feel that if they were to leave that community, thefarmers who depend on them [managers] for advice and support, that they would be lettingdown an aspect of the community . . . I guess that’s a sense of moral obligation for them(no. 16F).

They felt that employees thought it would be costly to leave as the perceived a limitedavailability of jobs elsewhere (continuance commitment) which was again not due tothe interpersonal communication skills but due to the situation. One HR manager’scomments summed it up well when she noted that employees:

feel they have to stay ’cos they’re not gonna get another job, or if they’ve got a lot of pressurebecause they’ve got a mortgage and they’ve gotta leave, they feel they have to stay (no. 30F).

Third questionFor the last question, HR managers needed to choose the one thing they could do toimprove the way something was communicated that would improve employeecommitment. In essence, this question considered the improvement that HR managersneeded to make in their managers’ communication skills so that employee commitmentwould improve. Interestingly, the interpersonal communication skills HR managersvalued and expected managers in supervisory roles to possess in order to enhanceemployee commitment (Table III) were the very skills that were problematic. Forexample, the area that respondents revealed needed most attention was skills forsending messages (59 per cent). This was the case for both males and females. Whileskills in leading rated a little lower (25 per cent) then for sending messages, it was thesecond most valued communication skill by HR managers as well as thecommunication skill needing most attention for both genders. As in the previousquestion, the clarity and consistency of the message had the highest focus for females.One HR manager’s comment summarised it well when he said:

The trick for me is how do you get that same message from David to Jenny? We’ve all done[it], you know, tell a person one story and move it round the room to a different story at the

Interpersonalcommunication

skills

63

end . . . .So how do we nail getting consistent information [relayed with] the same level ofenthusiasm and commitment that the CEO has, right down to [every person]? (no. 18M).

Part of the importance of the way messages were sent was the importance of thetwo-way communication between managers and employees:

Having managers take the time to sit down and talk to their staff on a regular basis . . .

understanding what drives staff . . . this regular pattern of communication, this is what wetalk about [which suggests to] a staff member, that “all these managers are interested, and he[manager] is committed to my development and he’s interested in what I’m doing and whereI’m heading” (no. 4F).

Skill in leading was the next most important communication skill HR managersthought managers needed to improve so that employee commitment would beenhanced. HR managers felt that the recent changes that organisations hadexperienced made the leading role important. Here, communication needed to be madeby the highest-ranking member of the organisation to reinforce transparency and buildtrust and commitment. One respondent noted that:

We’ve just gone through a change of ownership [so] the managing director is visiting all thesites, speaking to each work site about the change of ownership followed up with a sort ofquestion and answer sheet (no. 10M).

In view of the changes that were being experienced in their organisations a smallnumber of female HR managers considered clarifying employee expectations to be veryimportant in improving employee commitment. Unless expectations at the senior levelsof the organisation were clearly conveyed at all level of the organisation commitmentto the organisation would not be achieved. One HR manager concluded that:

I think it is improving the linkage between the corporate formal communication and theone-on-one. [In other words clarifying] the workgroup/manager level of expectations andmaking sure those messages are in sync and supportive of the ones at the organisation level(no. 1F).

Interpersonal communication skillsFemale

mentionsMale

mentionsTotal

mentions% of totalmentions

Sending messages 59Clarity/consistent 7 4 11Two-way communication 3 3 6Credibility/friendly 1 1Leading 25Trust/honest/transparency 3 2 5Situational leadership 1 1 2Consultative/collaborative 1 1Clarify expectations 13Business context 4 4Listening 3Active listening 1 1Total 20 12 32 100

Table III.HR managers’ choice ofthe one communicationskill they would like toimprove so as to enhanceemployee commitment

JCOM12,1

64

DiscussionThe intention of this paper was threefold. First, to gather information on theinterpersonal communication skills managers are expected to have. Second, to identifythe interpersonal communication skills managers are expected to use to engenderpositive perceptions and commitment to the organisation. Third, to find theinterpersonal communication skill most lacking in organisations needed to improveemployee commitment to the organisation.

In general, the interpersonal communication skills considered important in therunning of organisations and in improving employee commitment focused on specificskills under the three categories suggested by Robbins and Hunsaker (2003)(leadership, the process of communication and motivation). Interestingly, theproblematic interpersonal communication skills that these HR managers felt neededattention in order to improve employee commitment were the ones considered essentialin improving employee commitment. This signalled a potential disparity between theinterpersonal communication skills that HR managers desired managers insupervisory roles possess compared to the reality.

The interpersonal communication skills in the process of communication category(Robbins and Hunsaker, 2003) were given the greatest emphasis in selection and withregard to enhancing affective commitment. In particular, the skill of maintainingclarity and consistency of messages was rated as having the utmost importance. HRmanagers considered this skill as key in their selection of managers in new supervisoryroles, key in enhancing commitment and key to any communication behavioursneeding attention in the organisation. This suggests that sending clear and consistentmessages were an important element in interpersonal communication yet difficult toachieve. This is consistent with Downs and Adrian’s (2004) total environmentcommunication model which highlights the importance of the dynamic context inwhich message exchange occurs. As well as interactions being shaped by externaldeterminants such as the culture, economy, and competitiveness, messages are alsofiltered through individual differences such as listening habits, motivation andperceptions.

Clarity and consistency of messages throughout all the levels in the organisationmeant that the message that was sent needed to be received and decoded maintainingthe understanding intended by the source (Downs and Adrian, 2004). Consequently,Clampitt (2001, p. 83) highlighted the difficulty of managing information effectivelyand noted that “effective information management lies in supervising the knowledgebase as well as the processing mechanism”.

The difficulty of maintaining message clarity and consistency impacts on employeecommitment to the organisation and has repercussions for organisational outcomesthat draw attention to the training managers receive regarding this aspect ofcommunication. Our findings suggest that in order to enhance affective commitment,delivering the message needs to focus on the individual receiving the message so thatthe message is coherent, engaging and above all is interpreted as it was intended(Blundel, 2004). This was accentuated by the respondents who suggested that in orderto improve commitment managers needed to be aware of and fulfil individual needs,maintain a two-way communication, be credible, respectful and value others whileencouraging one-to-one communication. These interpersonal communication skills

Interpersonalcommunication

skills

65

send messages to employees of respect and being valued which ultimately leads toemployee affective commitment (Chang, 1999; Whitener, 2001).

Although listening skills, from the process of communication category, wereconsidered to be the second most important criteria in the selection of new staff(Table I), it was skills in leading that mattered the most next when employeecommitment to the organisation was considered. This may be due to the changes theseorganisations were experiencing at the time of the interview and in line with theimportance placed on leadership style when managing change (Howard, 1995).

Even though HR managers believed a consultative leadership style was importantwhen selecting and participative decision making was essential for them to enhancecommitment to the organisation, to be trusted was rated higher. Trust, characterisedby honesty and transparency (Robbins and Hunsaker, 2003) was the next mostimportant skill in achieving an affectively committed workforce. This confirmsliterature that promotes a link between attentiveness and perceptiveness (Guzley,1992), openness and trust (Dubinsky and Yammarino, 1992) and affective commitment.HR managers felt trust was important given the prevalence of changing circumstancesfor organisations. In line with Kouzes and Posner’s (1987) they felt that change madetrust an essential element in assisting leaders to maintain relationships with followersthat ensured they remained committed to the leader’s vision.

This has implications for HR managers and the importance of developing trustthrough openness and truthfulness in addition to being competent in their job andconsistent in handling situations (Schindler and Thomas, 1993). Although thedistinguishing characteristic in developing trust was integrity or in other wordshonesty and truthfulness, credibility of the source gained importance with changingconditions. As a result interpersonal communication skills were needed at the highestlevel. The level of the source delivering the message influenced the credibility,minimised filtration and encouraged trust and amplified affective commitment to theorganisation. Respondents who experienced the opposite so that people inorganisations at the highest level such as managing directors and CEOs were notprepared to communicate the proposed changes to employees both moral and affectivecommitment to the organisation dropped. This is in line with change managementliterature that proposes top-down strategies (Dunphy and Stace, 1990), increasing thestrength of the driving sources (Lewin, 1951) and not only setting goals and vision forchange but enthusing people for change (French and Bell, 1983).

Clarifying employee expectations, in the motivating category (Robbins andHunsaker, 2003), was the next most important skill in interpersonal communicationwhen employee commitment was considered. This is an important aspect fordeveloping employee commitment as it deals with managing expectations in the areaof employer-employee psychological contract (Clutterbuck, 2005). Breaching thepsychological contract can result in negative outcomes including decliningorganisational commitment (Restubog et al., 2006). Interestingly, this area waslinked to the clarity of the message sent to employees and the need for improvement. Itwas clear that there were problems in trying to link organisational expectations, theorganisational vision, to those of the individual at different levels of the organisation.This coincided with the two-way communication problem that was continuouslyvoiced by the respondents.

JCOM12,1

66

This has implications for HR managers and the development of skills linked toclarifying and managing employee expectations. It is important with workforcediversity, highlighted by changing workforce demographics, that sharing mutualexpectations is an ongoing process that facilitates understanding by minimisingambiguity and uncertainty (Osland et al., 2001). In addition minimising ambiguityenhances affective commitment. For example, Clinebell and Shadwick (2005) foundthat increased ambiguity lowered levels of affective commitment, job satisfaction, andjob involvement, for bank employees in branch offices from three different banks with28 branches.

Affective commitment was the major commitment component that was linked to theinterpersonal communication skills. Feeling obligated to stay with the organisation(normative commitment) and feeling that it would be too costly to leave theorganisation (continuance commitment) were only considered with the situationalfactors. So feeling obligated to stay related to the debt they felt they needed to pay tothe local community and the cost of leaving related to mortgage repayments and noperceived job alternatives that kept them at their current employment rather than thelevel of interpersonal skills illustrated by their managers. This implied that affectivecommitment, a desired aspect of commitment that is valued by organisations for thebenefits it provides (Arnold and Mackenzie Davey, 1999; Somers and Bimbaum, 2000;Suliman and Iles, 2000), is reinforced by the way managers communicate to theirsubordinates.

ConclusionsAlthough there has been some research on communication skills and how theseinfluence employee commitment to the organisation, there is limited research oninterpersonal communication skills and their influence on employee commitment. Ourresults demonstrate that some interpersonal communication skills more than othersare considered to be important in enhancing employee commitment. These findingssupport current literature and extend them. The findings propose that affectivecommitment may develop from messages from managers who can be clear andconsistent in what they say. Being truthful, open and honest is also a skill thatengenders trust and encourages followers to accept the leader’s vision committingthemselves to the goals of the organisation.

Given the changing organisational circumstances and the need for organisations tohave a committed workforce, there is a need for continued research into the linkbetween interpersonal communication skills and organisational commitment.Managers and organisations achieve objectives through people. In order to beeffective communicators one of the aspects of communication that has beenoverlooked, interpersonal communication needs further attention. Future researchshould devote attention to how interpersonal communication skills can contribute topositive perceptions and commitment.

LimitationsThe findings from this study cannot be generalised. However, the number of in-depthinterviews with the most senior HR managers in the organisations provides a valuableinsight into the interpersonal communication skills that are needed in organisations inorder to enhance organisational commitment.

Interpersonalcommunication

skills

67

Future research could use the present research to construct a survey, which, oncesent to managers and their subordinates, could establish the skills that may improvelevels of commitment in organisations.

References

Allen, N.J. and Meyer, J.P. (1990), “The measurement and antecedents of affective, continuanceand normative commitment”, Journal of Occupational Psychology, Vol. 63, pp. 1-18.

Angle, H.L. and Lawson, M.B. (1993), “Changes in affective and continuance commitment intimes of relocation”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 26 No. 1, pp. 3-15.

Angle, H.L. and Lawson, M.B. (1994), “Organizational commitment and employees’ performanceratings: both type of commitment and type of performance count”, Psychological Reports,Vol. 75, pp. 1539-51.

Arnold, J. and Mackenzie Davey, K. (1999), “Graduates’ work experiences as predictors oforganisational commitment, intention to leave, and turnover: which experiences reallymatter?”, Applied Psychology: an International Review, Vol. 48 No. 2, pp. 211-38.

Arthur, J.B. (1994), “Effects of human resource systems on manufacturing performance andturnover”, Academy of Management, Vol. 37 No. 3, pp. 670-87.

Beck, K. and Wilson, C. (1997), “Police officer’s views on cultivating organizational commitment:implications for police managers”, Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategy andManagement, Vol. 20 No. 1, pp. 175-95.

Berg, B.L. (1995), Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences, 2nd ed., Allyn and Bacon,Needham Heights, MA.

Blundel, R. (2004), Effective Organisational Communication: Perspectives, Principles andPractices, Prentice Hall, London.

Boyatzis, R.E. (1982), The Competent Manager: AModel for Effective Performance, John Wiley &Sons, New York, NY.

Brett, J.M. and Stroh, L. (1997), “Jumping ship: who benefits from an external labor market careerstrategy?”, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 82 No. 3, pp. 331-41.

Brewster, C. and Larsen, H.H. (2000), “Responsibility in human resource management: the role ofthe line”, in Brewster, C. and Larsen, H.H. (Eds), Human Resource Management inNorthern Europe: Trends, Dilemmas, and Strategy, Blackwell, Oxford.

Brunetto, Y. and Farr-Wharton, R. (2004), “Does the talk affect your decision to walk: acomparative pilot study examining the effect of communication practices on employeecommitment post-managerialism”, Management Decision, Vol. 42 Nos 3/4, pp. 579-600.

Buchanan, B. II (1974), “Building organizational commitment: the socialization of managers inwork organizations”, Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 19 No. 4, pp. 533-46.

Chang, E. (1999), “Career commitment as a complex moderator of organizational commitmentand turnover intention”, Human Relations, Vol. 52 No. 10, pp. 1257-78.

Chia, J. (2005), “Is trust a necessary component of relationship management?”, Journal ofCommunication Management, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 277-85.

Clampitt, P. (2001), Communicating for Managerial Effectiveness, 2nd ed., Sage, Thousand Oaks,CA.

Clinebell, S. and Shadwick, G. (2005), “The importance of organizational context on employees’attitudes: an examination of working in main offices versus branch offices”, Journal ofLeadership and Organizational Studies, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 89-100.

JCOM12,1

68

Clutterbuck, D. (2005), “Communication and the psychological contract”, Journal ofCommunication Management, Vol. 9 No. 4, pp. 359-64.

Cohen, A. and Hudecek, N. (1993), “Organizational commitment-turnover relationship acrossoccupational groups: a meta analysis”, Group and Organisation Management, Vol. 18No. 2, pp. 188-213.

Cooper, D.R. and Schindler, P.S. (1998), Business Research Methods, 6th ed., Irwin McGraw-Hill,Singapore.

Costa, A.C. (2003), “Work team trust and effectiveness”, Personnel Review, Vol. 32 No. 5,pp. 605-22.

Crabtree, B.F. and Miller, W.L. (1999), “Using codes and code manuals: a template organizingstyle of interpretation”, in Crabtree, B.F. and Miller, W.L. (Eds), Doing QualitativeResearch, 2nd ed., Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA, pp. 163-78.

Dainton, M. and Zelley, E.D. (2005), Applying Communication Theory for Professional Life, SagePublications, London.

DeCotiis, T.A. and Summers, T.P. (1987), “A path analysis of a model of the antecedents andconsequences of organizational commitment”, Human Relations, Vol. 40 No. 7, pp. 445-70.

Devito, J.A. (1996), Messages; Building Interpersonal Communication Skills, 3rd ed., HarperCollins College Publishers, New York, NY.

Downs, C.W. (1994), “Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire”, in Rubin, R.B., Palmgreen, P.and Sypher, H.E. (Eds), Communication Research Measures: A Source Book, The GuilfordPress, New York, NY.

Downs, C.W. and Adrian, A.D. (2004), Assessing Organizational Communication: StrategicCommunication Audits, The Guilford Press, New York, NY.

Drew, C.J., Hardman, M.L. and Hart, A.W. (1996), Designing and Conducting Research Inquiryinto Education and Social Science, Allyn and Bacon, London.

Dubinsky, A. and Yammarino, F. (1992), “Superior-subordinate relationships: a multiple level ofanalysis approach”, Journal of Human Relations, Vol. 45 No. 6, pp. 575-92.

Dunphy, D. and Stace, D. (1990), New Management: Australian Organisations in Transition,McGraw-Hill, Sydney.

Eisenberger, R., Fasolo, P. and Davis-LaMastro, V. (1990), “Perceived organizational support andemployee diligence, commitment, and innovation”, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 75No. 1, pp. 51-9.

Francis-Smythe, J. and Smith, P.M. (1997), “The psychological impact of assessment in adevelopment center”, Human Relations, Vol. 50 No. 2, pp. 149-67.

French, W. and Bell, C. (1983), Organisation Development: Behavioural Science Interventions forOrganisation Improvement, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

Gaertner, K.N. and Nollen, S.D. (1989), “Career experiences, perceptions of employment practicesand psychological commitment to the organization”, Human Relations, Vol. 42 No. 11,pp. 975-91.

Garside, S.G. and Kleiner, B.H. (1991), “Effective one-to-one communication skills”, Industrial andCommercial Training, Vol. 23 No. 7, pp. 24-8.

Gorden, W.I. and Infante, D.A. (1991), “Test of a communication model of orgnanizationalcommitment”, Communication Quarterly, Vol. 39 No. 2, pp. 1-7.

Gray, J. and Laidlaw, H. (2004), “Improving the measurement of communication satisfaction”,Management Communication Quarterly, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 425-48.

Interpersonalcommunication

skills

69

Guzley, R.M. (1992), “Organizational climate and communication climate: predictors ofcommitment to the organization”, Management Communication Quarterly, Vol. 5 No. 4,pp. 379-402.

Hackett, R.D., Bycio, P. and Hausdorf, P.A. (1994), “Further assessments of Meyer and Allen’s(1991) three component model of organizational commitment”, Journal of AppliedPsychology, Vol. 79 No. 1, pp. 15-23.

Heffernan, T. and Poole, D. (2005), “In search of the vibe: creating effective internationaleducation partnerships”, Higher Education, Vol. 50 No. 2, pp. 223-45.

Henttonen, K. and Blomqvist, K. (2005), “Managing distance in a global virtual team: theevolution of trust through technology-mediated relational communication”, StrategicChange, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 107-19.

Howard, A. (1995), The Changing Nature of Work, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA.

Infante, D.A. and Gorden, W.I. (1991), “How employees see the boss: test of an argumentative andaffirming model of supervisors’ communicative behavior”, Western Journal of SpeechCommunication, Vol. 55 No. 3, pp. 294-304.

Jacobs, G. (2006), “Communication for commitment in remote technical workforces”, Journal ofCommunication Management, Vol. 10 No. 4, pp. 353-70.

Kouzes, J. and Posner, B. (1987), The Leadership Challenge, Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA.

Lewin, K. (1951), Field Theory in Social Science, Harper and Row, New York, NY.

Linstead, S., Fulop, L. and Lilley, S. (2004), Management and Organization, Palgrave Macmillan,New York, NY.

McGee Wanguri, D. (1995), “A review, an integration, and a critique of cross-disciplinaryresearch on performance appraisals, evaluations, and feedback”, The Journal of BusinessCommunication, Vol. 32 No. 3, pp. 267-95.

McShane, S. and Travaglione, T. (2003), Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim,McGraw-Hill, Roseville.

Mayer, R.C. and Davis, J.H. (1995), “An integrative model of organizational trust”, Academy ofManagement Review, Vol. 20 No. 3, pp. 709-34.

Meyer, J.P. and Herscovitch, L. (2001), “Commitment in the workplace: toward a general model”,Human Resource Management Review, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 299-326.

Meyer, J.P. and Smith, C.A. (2001), “HRM practices and organizational commitment: test of amediation model”, Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 319-31.

Meyer, J.P., Allen, N.J. and Gellatly, I.R. (1990), “Affective and continuance commitment to theorganisation: evaluation of measures and analysis of concurrent and time-laggedrelations”, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 75 No. 6, pp. 710-20.

Morgan, R.M. and Hunt, S.D. (1994), “The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing”,Journal of Marketing, Vol. 58, July, pp. 20-38.

Ng, T.W.H., Butts, M.M., Vandenberg, R.J., Dejoy, D.M. and Wilson, M.G. (2006), “Effects ofmanagement communication, opportunity for learning, and work schedule flexibility onorganizational commitment”, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Vol. 68 No. 3, pp. 474-89.

Osland, J.S., Kolb, D.A. and Rubin, I.M. (2001), Organizational Behavior: An ExperientialApproach, 7th ed., Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Penley, L.E. and Hawkins, B. (1985), “Studying interpersonal communication in organizations: aleadership application”, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 28 No. 2, pp. 309-26.

Pringle, C.D. (1986), “Seven reasons why managers don’t delegate”, Management Solutions,November, pp. 26-30.

JCOM12,1

70

Putti, J.M., Aryee, S. and Phua, J. (1990), “Communication relationship satisfaction andorganizational commitment”, Group and Organization Studies, Vol. 15 No. 1, pp. 44-52.

Reichers, A.E. (1985), “A review and reconceptualization of organizational commitment”,Academy of Management Review, Vol. 10 No. 3, pp. 465-76.

Restubog, S.L., Bordia, P. and Tang, R.L. (2006), “The effects of psychological contract breach onperformance of IT employees: the mediating role of affective commitment”, Journal ofOccupational and Organizational Psychology, Vol. 79 No. 2, pp. 299-306.

Robbins, S.P. and Hunsaker, P.L. (2003), Training in Interpersonal Skills: Tips for ManagingPeople at Work, 3rd ed., Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Schindler, P.L. and Thomas, C.C. (1993), “The structure of interpersonal trust in the workplace”,Psychological Reports, Vol. 73 No. 2, pp. 563-73.

Smith, C.A. (1995), “Human resource practices and policies as antecedents of organizationalcommitment”, unpublished thesis, University of Western Ontario, London.

Somers, M.J. (1993), “A test of the relationship between affective and continuance commitmentusing non-recursive models”, Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology, Vol. 66No. 2, pp. 185-93.

Somers, M. and Bimbaum, D. (2000), “Exploring the relationship between commitment profilesand work attitudes, employee withdrawal, and job performance”, Public PersonnelManagement, Vol. 29 No. 3, pp. 353-64.

Stevens, M.J. and Campion, M.A. (1994), “The knowledge, skill and ability requirements forteamwork: implications for human resource management”, Journal of Management,Vol. 20, pp. 503-30.

Suliman, A. and Iles, P. (2000), “Is continuance commitment beneficial to organizations?Commitment-performance relationship: a new look”, Journal of Managerial Psychology,Vol. 15 Nos 5/6, pp. 407-26.

Tansky, J.W. and Cohen, D.J. (2001), “The relationship between organizations; support, employeedevelopment, and organizational commitment: an empirical study”, Human ResourceDevelopment Quarterly, Vol. 12 No. 3, pp. 285-300.

Tett, R.P. and Meyer, J.P. (1993), “Job satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover intentionand turnover: path analyses based on meta-analytic findings”, Personnel Psychology,Vol. 46 No. 2, pp. 259-93.

Thornhill, A., Lewis, P. and Saunders, M.N.K. (1996), “The role of employee communication inachieving commitment and quality in higher education”, Quality Assurance in Education,Vol. 4 No. 1, pp. 12-20.

Tjosvold, D., Sasaki, S. and Moy, J.W. (1998), “Developing commitment in Japanese organizationsin Hong Kong”, Small Group Research, Vol. 29 No. 5, pp. 560-82.

Tziner, A. and Latham, G.P. (1989), “The effects of appraisal instrument, feedback andgoal-setting on worker satisfaction and commitment”, Journal of Organizational Behavior,Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 145-53.

Vandenberg, R.J., Richardson, H. and Eastman, L. (1999), “High involvement organizations: theirantecedents and consequences”, Groups and Organization Management, Vol. 24,pp. 300-39.

Van den Hooff, B. and de Ridder, J.A. (2004), “Knowledge sharing in context: the influence oforganizational commitment, communication climate and CMC use on knowledge sharing”,Journal of Knowledge Management, Vol. 8 No. 6, pp. 117-30.

Interpersonalcommunication

skills

71

Varona, F. (1996), “Relationship between communication satisfaction and organizationalcommitment in three Guatemalan organizations”, Journal of Business Communication,Vol. 33 No. 2, pp. 111-40.

Whetten, D.A. and Cameron, K.S. (2002), Developing Management Skills, 5th ed., Prentice Hall,Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Whitener, E.M. (2001), “Do ‘high commitment’ human resource practices affect employeecommitment? A cross-level analysis using hierarchical linear modeling”, Journal ofManagement, Vol. 27 No. 5, pp. 515-35.

Further reading

Downs, C.W. and Hazen, M. (1977), “A factor analytic study of communication satisfaction”,Journal of Business Communication, Vol. 14 No. 3, pp. 63-73.

Appendix

(1) What interpersonal communication skills do you look for in prospective managers thatassist in generating employee perceptions and employee commitment?

(2) When supervisors transmit information to their subordinates so as to encourage theircommitment, what do you consider important about what your managers say and howthey say it?

(3) If there is one thing you could do to improve the commitment of employees by improvingthe way something is communicated what would it be?

Corresponding authorMary Bambacas can be contacted at: mary.bambacas@unisa.edu.au

JCOM12,1

72

To purchase reprints of this article please e-mail: reprints@emeraldinsight.comOr visit our web site for further details: www.emeraldinsight.com/reprints