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Communicating virtually in a global organization

Céleste M. Brotheridge (ESG UQAM, Montréal, Canada)
Derrick J. Neufeld (Richard Ivey School of Business, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada)
Bruno Dyck (I.H. Asper School of Business University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada)

Journal of Managerial Psychology

ISSN: 0268-3946

Article publication date: 9 November 2015

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to consider the extent to which changes in communication media are associated with changes in the nature of manager-expatriate employee communications. Using an affordance lens, the authors explore how hierarchical level and communication medium interact to influence status dynamics manifested in communication attributes.

Design/methodology/approach

The hypothesis was tested with a 2 (hierarchical level)×3 (communication media) multivariate analysis of covariance (experience level) in a sample of 1,193 messages that were transmitted between managers and field employees in a global organization over a ten year period.

Findings

The authors found significant interaction effects between communication media and hierarchical level on communication attributes such that changes in communication media intensified status differences between managers and their employees.

Research limitations/implications

Communications media may be appropriated differently depending on one’s hierarchical level.

Practical implications

Managers should adopt new communication media more consciously given their potential influence of how people communicate.

Originality/value

Unlike many computer-mediated communications (CMC) effects studies that compare face-to-face communications with CMC or employ self-report questionnaires or laboratory designs with student samples, this study examines a complete set of manager-employee communications over an extended period of time.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Funding for this research was received from the Centre for International Business Studies and the I.H. Asper School of Business at the University of Manitoba, and the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. The authors also wish to thank the Mennonite Central Committee for providing access to the data, previous reviewers of this manuscript for their helpful feedback (Deborah Compeau, Abhijit Gopal, and Sandy Staples), as well as Monique Grimard, Vern Klassen-Wiebe and Brenda Doerksen for their outstanding research assistance.

Citation

Brotheridge, C.M., Neufeld, D.J. and Dyck, B. (2015), "Communicating virtually in a global organization", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 30 No. 8, pp. 909-924. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-06-2013-0191

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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