Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-jr42d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T07:17:59.338Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Impact of Participation in Decision Making on Job Satisfaction: An Organizational Communication Perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 September 2016

Ying Xia ,
Li Zhang  and
Ning Zhao
Ying Xia
Affiliation:
Harbin Institute of Technology (China)
Li Zhang*
Affiliation:
Harbin Institute of Technology (China)
Ning Zhao
Affiliation:
Harbin Institute of Technology (China)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Li Zhang. Harbin Institute of Technology. (China). Phone: +86–13946039675. E-mail: zhanglihit@hit.edu.cn
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Participation in organizational decision-making has received considerable attention from scholars. Beyond the perspectives proposed in past studies, we offer a new account, based upon a communication perspective, to explain why and when participation in decision-making can influence job satisfaction. Drawing from social capital theory, we examine whether communication openness mediates the relationship between participation in decision-making and job satisfaction. We also investigate how information adequacy moderates this mediated process. Results from a sample of 184 employees in China showed that the four-factor model was the best fitting solution (CFI = .91, GFI = .90, RMSEA = .09). The analyses indicated that employees’ participation in decision-making positively affected their job satisfaction (β = .32, p < .001), and the effect was mediated by communication openness (direct effect became non-significant when communication openness was included: β = .06, n.s.). Results also found that decision-making information adequacy positively moderated the relationship between participation in decision-making and communication openness (β = .13, p < .05). Thus, open communication and the free flow of information within organizations should be encouraged.

Keywords

decision-makingjob satisfactionorganizational communication
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 19 , 2016 , E58
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abu Bakar, H., Dilbeck, K. E., & McCroskey, J. C. (2010). Mediating role of supervisory communication practices on relations between leader-member exchange and perceived employee commitment to workgroup. Communication Monographs, 77, 637–656. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2010.499104 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, R. A., & McDaniel, R. R Jr. (1999). RN participation in organizational decision-making and improvements in resident outcomes. Health Care Management Review, 24(1), 7–16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00004010-199901000-00002 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Appelbaum, S. H., Louis, D., Makarenko, D., Saluja, J., Meleshko, O., & Kulbashian, S. (2013). Participation in decision-making: A case study of job satisfaction and commitment (part one). Industrial and Commercial Training, 45, 222–229. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00197851311323510 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ardichvili, A., Page, V., & Wentling, T. (2003). Motivation and barriers to participation in virtual knowledge-sharing communities of practice. Journal of Knowledge Management, 7(1), 64–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13673270310463626 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ayoko, O. B. (2007). Communication openness, conflict events and reactions to conflict in culturally diverse workgroups. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 14, 105–124. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/13527600710745723 Google Scholar
Bono, J. E., & Judge, T. A. (2003). Self-concordance at work: Toward understanding the motivational effects of transformational leaders. Academy of Management Journal, 46, 554–571. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/30040649 Google Scholar
Brislin, R. W. (1980). Translation and content analysis of oral and written material. Handbook of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 2, 349–444.Google Scholar
Brisman, A. (2013). The violence of silence: Some reflections on access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice in matters concerning the environment. Crime, Law and Social Change, 59, 291–303. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10611-013-9416-3 Google Scholar
Burke, R. J., & Wilcox, D. S. (1969a). Characteristic of effective employee performance review and development interviews. Personnel Psychology, 22, 291–305. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1969.tb00334.x CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burke, R. J., & Wilcox, D. S. (1969b). Effects of different patterns and degrees of openness in superior-subordinate communication on subordinate job satisfaction. Academy of Management Journal, 12, 319–326. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/255179 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burt, R. S. (2009). Structural holes: The social structure of competition. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Cheng, M. M., & Coyte, R. (2014). The effects of incentive subjectivity and strategy communication on knowledge-sharing and extra-role behaviours. Management Accounting Research, 25, 119–130. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mar.2013.07.003 Google Scholar
Coch, L., & French, J. R. P Jr. (1948). Overcoming resistance to change. Human Relations, 1, 512–532. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/001872674800100408 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Correia, A. T., Stokic, D., & Faltus, S. (2014). Mechanisms for communication and knowledge sharing for set-based concurrent engineering. International Journal of Product Development, 19, 328–347. http://dx.doi.org/10.1504/IJPD.2014.064883 Google Scholar
Cotton, J. L., Vollrath, D. A., Froggatt, K. L., Lengnick-Hall, M. L., & Jennings, K. R. (1988). Employee participation: Diverse forms and different outcomes. Academy of Management Review, 13(1), 8–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/AMR.1988.4306768 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dachler, H. P., & Wilpert, B. (1978). Conceptual dimensions and boundaries of participation in organizations: A critical evaluation. Administrative Science Quarterly, 23, 1–39. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2392432 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Driscoll, J. W. (1978). Trust and participation in organizational decision-making as predictors of satisfaction. Academy of Management Journal, 21(1), 44–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/255661 Google Scholar
Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44, 350–383. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2666999 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Edwards, J. R., & Lambert, L. S. (2007). Methods for integrating moderation and mediation: A general analytical framework using moderated path analysis. Psychological Methods, 12, 1–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/1082-989X.12.1.1 Google Scholar
Eisenberg, E. M., & Witten, M. G. (1987). Reconsidering openness in organizational communication. Academy of Management Review, 12, 418–426. http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/AMR.1987.4306557 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Evans, B. K., & Fischer, D. G. (1992). A hirearchical model of participatory decision-making, job autonomy, and perceived control. Human Relations, 45, 1169–1189. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/001872679204501103 Google Scholar
Evans, S., Huxley, P., Gately, C., Webber, M., Mears, A., Pajak, S., ... Katona, C. (2005). Mental health, burnout and job satisfaction among mental health social workers in England and Wales. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 188(1), 75–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.188.1.75 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fiske, S. T. (2010). Interpersonal stratification: Status, power, and subordination. Handbook of Social Psychology, 3, 26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9780470561119.socpsy002026 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fried, Y., & Ferris, G. R. (1987). The validity of the job characteristics model: A review and meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 40, 287–322. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.1987.tb00605.x Google Scholar
Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1976). Motivation through the design of work: Test of a theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16, 250–279. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(76)90016-7 Google Scholar
Hodson, R. (1989). Gender differences in job satisfaction: Why aren’t women more dissatisfied? Sociological Quarterly, 30, 385–399. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1533-8525.1989.tb01527.x Google Scholar
Humphrey, S. E., Nahrgang, J. D., & Morgeson, F. P. (2007). Integrating motivational, social, and contextual work design features: A meta-analytic summary and theoretical extension of the work design literature. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 1332–1356. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.92.5.1332 Google Scholar
Jackson, S. E. (1983). Participation in decision-making as a strategy for reducing job-related strain. Journal of Applied Psychology, 68(1), 3–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.68.1.3 Google Scholar
Jia, L., Shaw, J. D., Tsui, A. S., & Park, T. Y. (2014). A social–structural perspective on employee–organization relationships and team creativity. Academy of Management Journal, 57, 869–891. http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/amj.2011.0147 Google Scholar
Kim, W. G., & Brymer, R. A. (2011). The effects of ethical leadership on manager job satisfaction, commitment, behavioral outcomes, and firm performance. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 30, 1020–1026. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2011.03.008 Google Scholar
Latham, G. P., Winters, D. C., & Locke, E. A. (1994). Cognitive and motivational effects of participation: A mediator study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 15(1), 49–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/job.4030150106 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Le Mare, L., & Audet, K. (2011). Communicative openness in adoption, knowledge of culture of origin, and adoption identity in adolescents adopted from Romania. Adoption Quarterly, 14, 199–217. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10926755.2011.608031 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
LePine, J. A., & van Dyne, L. (2001). Voice and cooperative behavior as contrasting forms of contextual performance: Evidence of differential relationships with big five personality characteristics and cognitive ability. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 326–336. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.86.2.326 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lischeron, J. A., & Wall, T. D. (1975). Employee participation: An experimental field study. Human Relations, 28, 863–884. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/001872677502800906 Google Scholar
Locke, E. A., & Schweiger, D. M. (1979). Participation in decision-making: One more look. Research in Organizational Behavior, 1, 265–339.Google Scholar
Merlo, O., Bell, S. J., Mengüç, B., & Whitwell, G. J. (2006). Social capital, customer service orientation and creativity in retail stores. Journal of Business Research, 59, 1214–1221. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2006.09.021 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, K. I., & Monge, P. R. (1986). Participation, satisfaction, and productivity: A meta-analytic review. Academy of Management Journal, 29, 727–753. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/255942 Google Scholar
Monge, P. R., & Miller, K. I. (1988). Participative processes in organizations. Handbook of Organizational Communication, 21329, 68.Google Scholar
Morgeson, F. P., & Campion, M. A. (2003). Work design. Handbook of Psychology. 17, 423–542. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/0471264385.wei1217 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morgeson, F. P., Delaney-Klinger, K., & Hemingway, M. A. (2005). The importance of job autonomy, cognitive ability, and job-related skill for predicting role breadth and job performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 399–406. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.90.2.399 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nahapiet, J., & Ghoshal, S. (1998). Social capital, intellectual capital, and the organizational advantage. Academy of Management Review, 23, 242–266. http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/AMR.1998.533225 Google Scholar
Nahrgang, J. D., Morgeson, F. P., & Hofmann, D. A. (2011). Safety at work: A meta-analytic investigation of the link between job demands, job resources, burnout, engagement, and safety outcomes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96(1), 71–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0021484 Google Scholar
Parker, S. K., & Wall, T. D. (1998). Job and work design: Organizing work to promote well-being and effectiveness (Vol. 4). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pearson, C. A. L., & Duffy, C. (1999). The Importance of job content and social information on organizational commitment and job satisfaction: A study in Australian and Malaysian nursing contexts. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 36, 17–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/103841119903600303 Google Scholar
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88, 879–903. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879 Google Scholar
Poertes, A. (1998). Social capital: Its origins and applications in modern society. Annual Review of Sociology, 24, 1–25.Google Scholar
Redding, W. C. (1992). Response to professor Berger’s essay: Its meaning for organizational communication. Communication Monographs, 59(1), 87–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03637759209376251 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberson, Q. M., Moye, N. A., & Locke, E. A. (1999). Identifying a missing link between participation and satisfaction: The mediating role of procedural justice perceptions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84, 585–593. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.84.4.585 Google Scholar
Rogers, D. P. (1987). The development of a measure of perceived communication openness. Journal of Business Communication, 24, 53–61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/002194368702400404 Google Scholar
Rosenfeld, L. B., Richman, J. M., & May, S. K. (2004). Information adequacy, job satisfaction and organizational culture in a dispersed-network organization. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 32(1), 28–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0090988042000178112 Google Scholar
Russ, T. L. (2013). The influence of communication apprehension on superiors’ propensity for and practice of participative decision-making. Communication Quarterly, 61, 335–348. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01463373.2013.776989 Google Scholar
Sagie, A., Zaidman, N., Amichai-Hamburger, Y., Te’eni, D., & Schwartz, D. G. (2002). An empirical assessment of the loose–tight leadership model: Quantitative and qualitative analyses. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23, 303–320. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/job.153 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scott-Ladd, B., Travaglione, A., & Marshall, V. (2006). Causal inferences between participation in decision-making, task attributes, work effort, rewards, job satisfaction and commitment. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 27, 399–414. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/01437730610677990 Google Scholar
Seeger, M. W., & Ulmer, R. R. (2003). Explaining Enron communication and responsible leadership. Management Communication Quarterly, 17(1), 58–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0893318903253436 Google Scholar
Seibert, S. E., Kraimer, M. L., & Liden, R. C. (2001). A social capital theory of career success. Academy of Management Journal, 44, 219–237. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3069452 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Siu, O. L., Cooper, C. L., & Donald, I. (1997). Occupational stress, job satisfaction and mental health among employees of an acquired TV company in Hong Kong. Stress Medicine, 13, 99–107. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1700(199704)13:2%3C99::AID-SMI723%3E3.0.CO;2-I Google Scholar
Siu, O. L., Donald, I., & Cooper, C. L. (1997). The use of the occupational stress indicator (OSI) in factory workers in China. International Journal of Stress Management, 4, 171–182.Google Scholar
Siu, O. L., Phillips, D. R., & Leung, T. W. (2004). Safety climate and safety performance among construction workers in Hong Kong: The role of psychological strains as mediators. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 36, 359–366. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0001-4575(03)00016-2 Google Scholar
Smidts, A., Pruyn, A. T. H., & van Riel, C. B. M. (2001). The impact of employee communication and perceived external prestige on organizational identification. Academy of Management Journal, 44, 1051–1062. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3069448 Google Scholar
Smylie, M. A., Lazarus, V., & Brownlee-Conyers, J. (1996). Instructional outcomes of school-based participative decision-making. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 18, 181–198. http://dx.doi.org/10.3102/01623737018003181 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Somech, A. (2010). Participative decision-making in schools: A mediating-moderating analytical framework for understanding school and teacher outcomes. Educational Administration Quarterly, 46, 174–209. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1094670510361745 Google Scholar
Spector, P. E. (1986). Perceived control by employees: A meta-analysis of studies concerning autonomy and participation at work. Human Relations, 39, 1005–1016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/001872678603901104 Google Scholar
Spector, P. E. (1997). Job satisfaction: Application, assessment, causes, and consequences (Vol. 3). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Spiker, B. K., & Daniels, T. D. (1981). Information adequacy and communication relationships: An empirical examination of 18 organizations. Western Journal of Speech Communication, 45, 342–354. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10570318109374055 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stashevsky, S., & Elizur, D. (2000). The effect of quality management and participation in decision-making on individual performance. Journal of Quality Management, 5(1), 53–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1084-8568(00)00012-2 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thoits, P. A. (1994). Stressors and problem-solving: The individual as psychological activist. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 35, 143–160. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/2137362 Google Scholar
Thomas, G. F., Zolin, R., & Hartman, J. L. (2009). The central role of communication in developing trust and its effects on employee involvement. Journal of Business Communication, 46, 287–310. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0021943609333522 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, M. A., & Kahnweiler, W. M. (2002). An exploratory investigation of learning culture theory and employee participation in decision-making. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 13, 271–288. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.1031 Google Scholar
Trombetta, J. J., & Rogers, D. P. (1988). Communication climate, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment the effects of information adequacy, communication openness, and decision participation. Management Communication Quarterly, 1, 494–514. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0893318988001004003 Google Scholar
van der Westhuizen, D. W., Pacheco, G., & Webber, D. J. (2012). Culture, participative decision-making and job satisfaction. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 23, 2661–2679. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2011.625967 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
vanYperen, N. W., van der Berg, A. E., & Willering, M. C. (1999). Towards a better understanding of the link between participation in decision-making and organizational citizenship behavior: A multilevel analysis. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 72, 377–392. http://dx.doi.org/10.1348/096317999166734 Google Scholar
Wagner, J. A., & Gooding, R. Z. (1987). Shared influence and organizational behavior: A meta-analysis of situational variables expected to moderate participation-outcome relationships. Academy of Management Journal, 30, 524–541. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/256012 Google Scholar
Wall, T. D., Clegg, C. W., Davies, R. T., Kemp, N. J., & Mueller, W. S. (1987). Advanced manufacturing technology and work simplification: An empirical study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 8, 233–250. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/job.4030080305 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
West, M. A. (2002). Sparkling fountains or stagnant ponds: An integrative model of creativity and innovation implementation in work groups. Applied Psychology, 51, 355–387. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1464-0597.00951 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Witt, L. A., Andrews, M. C., & Kacmar, K. M. (2000). The role of participation in decision-making in the organizational politics-job satisfaction relationship. Human Relations, 53, 341–358. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0018726700533003 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, T. A., & Bonett, D. G. (2007). Job satisfaction and psychological well-being as nonadditive predictors of workplace turnover. Journal of Management, 33, 141–160. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0149206306297582 Google Scholar
Zhang, X., & Bartol, K. M. (2010). Linking empowering leadership and employee creativity: The influence of psychological empowerment, intrinsic motivation, and creative process engagement. Academy of Management Journal, 53(1), 107–128. http://dx.doi.org/10.5465/AMJ.2010.48037118 Google Scholar
Zhu, Y., May, S. K., & Rosenfeld, L. B. (2004). Information adequacy and job satisfaction during merger and acquisition. Management Communication Quarterly, 18, 241–270. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0893318904267722 Google Scholar