Year: 2017
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Research on employee engagement has found that it can both positively and negatively affect organizational performance, including recruitment, retention, customer service, and profitability.Hence, businesses are investigating how to increase engagement and in turn their bottom line.Several studies have concluded that effective organizational communication practices can enhance employee engagement.However, the way that information is distributed within organizations is now becoming increasingly complex with globalization.This has led to the increase use of information communication technologies (ICTs) to communicate since leaders and employees are not often in the same location.While ICTs are more efficient and cost effective, they can lead to miscommunication and lack of engagement when used to communicate important information.Based on the link between leadership communication and engagement and the increased use of ICTs in organizations, this quantitative study attempted to measure employee engagement and what, if any, relationship exists frequency of communication, richness of communication channels, quality of leader-member exchange relationship, and perceived satisfaction with organizational communication.In order to examine the relationship between these variables, 265 full-time employees completed a survey made of four instruments-Dennis Communication Climate Inventory (1974), Leader-Member Exchange-7 (1984), Communication Channel Instrument (1999), and the Schaufeli and Bakker's (2004) Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES).The results of this study revealed that perceived organizational communication satisfaction has the most significant relationship with employee engagement, followed by the quality of leader-member exchange relationship.However, the frequency of lean, moderate, and iv rich communication channels did not have a significant impact on employee engagement.This includes ICTs categorized within these three channels.The frequent use of the virtual technologies also did not have a significant relationship with employee engagement.However, the regression data revealed that rich face-to-face communication channels does affect organizational communication satisfaction.Finally, one of the most surprising results of the study was that being collocated with one's manager did not affect employee engagement or organizational communication satisfaction.Therefore, as employees continue to be spatially distributed, this will not affect employee engagement compared to perceived organizational communication satisfaction and LMX.v This dissertation is dedicated to the hardest worker I know, my dad, Michael Barhite.My dad became sick in the middle of my doctoral journey, first with cancer and then with a mysterious illness that attacked his brain causing him to lose control of his speech and motor skills.Many days I say by his hospital bed working on my research.When he was still able to talk, I vividly remember my dad lying in a hospital bed, and proudly telling his sister that I would be the first "doctor" in the Barhite family.I bashfully told my father to stop and it was not a big deal, but I could see the pride on his face.Unfortunately, my dad did not live long enough to see me become a doctor, but I know he has been with me throughout the process.While my dad ended his life with an awful illness, he lived his life as a strong, wonderful father, husband, coworker, and friend.My dad taught me to work hard, but also do to the job right.He was a kind, intelligent man that was a role model to many.I would be proud if I could leave a mark on this Earth like my dad.That would truly be an accomplishment.Thank you dad for teaching me the value of hard work, learning, and dedication."The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand." -Vince Lombardi vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I want to thank my chair, Dr. Chris Willis.Thank you so much for taking the time to guide me through the dissertation process, as well as multiple doctoral classes.I know you have been busy researching, teaching, advising and now running the Leadership Studies program, so I appreciate your positive energy and support.Dr. Matthew Lavery, thank you so much for guiding me through the methodology of my dissertation.I am grateful for the direction and education you provided me as I worked through hours of statistical data.I truly could not have done it without you.Your quick and thorough responses helped me keep moving forward on this fantastic journey.Dr. Judith Jackson May, I truly appreciate your energy and passion for the Leadership Studies program.I appreciate your support throughout my entire three years and the opportunity to train the other cohorts on the Color Code
Author: Brittany Lynn Barhite
Institution: Bowling Green State University
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2758489431