The Impact of Top-Down Communication on Career Satisfaction

Eylem Simsek 1 *
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1 Turkish Air Forces, Turkey
* Corresponding Author
Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, Volume 6, Issue 3, pp. 196-210. https://doi.org/10.29333/ojcmt/2564
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ABSTRACT

Organizational communication includes both interpersonal relationship and information exchange process by different levels. As an independent variable, organizational communication influences both organizations and individuals. This study aimed to investigate the impact of top-down communication on career satisfaction. The sample consisted of 205 office managers, executive assistants and secretaries working in different sectors in Istanbul. 16 cases were excluded due to missing data. The data form 189 participants were analyzed. Career Satisfaction Scale (Greenhaus, Parasuraman & Wormley,1990) and Top-Down Communication Scale (Downs & Hazen, 1977) were data collection instruments. The quantitative paradigm, including descriptive, relational, and comparative models was employed. In analyzing data, a set of correlation, analysis of variance, and multiple regression techniques were employed. Results reveal that top-down communication is positively and significantly correlated with career satisfaction (r = .457, p< .01). Top-down communication explains 20.9 % of the variance on career satisfaction. Institution explains additionally 4.7% variance on career satisfaction. Top-down communication was categorized as low and high top-down communication scores. When top-down communication groups compared, significant mean differences of career satisfaction were found. As age, occupation, institution, educational level and years in the present group differ, significant mean differences both on top-down communication and career satisfaction is found.
Various interactions of organizational communication dimensions with individual and organizational factors are found out day by day. It is clear that organizational communication contributes not only to the performance and effectiveness of the organization but also the attitudes, values, behaviors of the individuals within the organization (Simsek, 2011). Organizational communication consists of both individual and interpersonal communication levels. This study aims to evaluate organizational communication in terms of interpersonal hierarchical relationship. Organizational communication forms employee’s attitudes towards the organization. This study examined whether top-down communication affects employees’ career satisfaction evaluations.
Keywords: organizational communication, top-down communication, career satisfaction

CITATION

Simsek, E. (2016). The Impact of Top-Down Communication on Career Satisfaction. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 6(3), 196-210. https://doi.org/10.29333/ojcmt/2564

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