Preliminary communication
FACTORS AFFECTING PREFERRED SOURCES OF INFORMATION: EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF TRUST, JOB SATISFACTION AND COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVENESS
Rachid Zeffane
Abstract
The paper draws on longitudinal survey data involving 824 employees from a small food processing organization operating in NSW (Australia). It explores the impact of job attitudes (including aspects of job satisfaction and commitment), communication and trust on preferences of three types of information sources : (1) “Grassroots/Consultative Channels” (i.e. colleague co-workers, unions and the consultative committee as helpful sources of information and feedback channels); (2) “Management Channels” (i.e. supervisors, mid-level and senior management as helpful sources of information and feedback channels) and (3) “Workplace-wide Channels” (i.e. the company newsletter and the notice board as helpful sources of information and feedback channels). The results show that there were common as well as specific predictors of choice/preference for each of the three channels. In particular, preferences for grassroots/consultative channels of information were most strongly influenced by trust/faith in colleagues and peers. In contrast, helpfulness of management channels was most strongly predicted by perceived effectiveness of communication with management as well as by the degree of faith/trust in senior managers. Perceptions of the existence of participation and teamwork in the workplace also seem to impact access to management as sources of information and feedback channels. Quite interestingly, preference for workplace-wide channels seems to be mainly affected by job satisfaction. It is worth noting that tenure also had a moderate impact on choice of grassroots/consultative as well as workplace-wide channels. In the case of management channels, perceptions of the effectiveness of communication with management were also a very significant factor in the ratings. The paper culminates with discussions of the implications of these findings for future research and for management practice.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
19149
URI
Publication date:
20.12.2006.
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