Phillip G. Clampitt

Employee Perceptions of the Relationship Between Communication and Productivity: A Field Study

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between communication and productivity. Specifically, we had two aims: (a) to determine employee perceptions of the impact of eight dimensions of communication satisfaction on productivity, and (b) to understand how the type of organization may moderate the link between communica tion and productivity. Two businesses, representative of service and manufacturing or ganizations, were investigated by administering the Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire and interviewing all employees. The results showed that communica tion was perceived to have an impact on productivity that varied in both kind and magnitude. Moreover, a number of intriguing differences emerged between these two companies. The findings suggest that the link between communication and produc tivity is more complex than previously assumed.

Organizational Communication An Examination of Four Instruments

This chapter looks at interpersonal and group communication, especially as they relate to professional settings. Interpersonal communication refers to one-on-one or small group interactions. Research generally suggests that this type of communication is influential in changing opinions, dealing with resistance and apathy to issues, and generally maintaining harmony in social situations – more so than its opposite, mass communication. The main features of interpersonal media are:

Effective Performance Appraisal: Viewpoints from Managers.

Although volumes of material have been written and published on performance appraisal, few articles have tried to ascertain the perspective of the practicing manager in problems that he or she faces in dealing with performance appraisal systems. The authors interviewed over 60 managers who administered performance appraisal in a large Fortune 500 service organization. They found that managers expressed four problems with existing schemes of performance appraisal. First, multiple uses of appraisal documentation caused validity problems in ratings of performance. Second, most ratings schemes were subjective and inflated, with few guidelines for objectivity. Third, objectives for effective performance were not clearly defined, and finally, information about performance appraisal was not always communicated clearly to employees.

Embracing uncertainty: The executive's challenge

How can executives create and sustain an organisational climate that welcomes, utilises and exploits uncertainty? This research programme addressed this issue after the discovery that employees who work in organisations that embrace uncertainty tend to be more satisfied with their jobs and committed to their companies. Further investigation revealed that executives can address this challenge by recognising different working climates and understanding how organisational practices unwittingly suppress uncertainty. The paper concludes with a discussion of three basic uncertainty-embracing competencies: (1) cultivating awareness of uncertainty, (2) communicating about uncertainty, and (3) catalysing action during uncertain times.