Aggressive Superior-Subordinate Communication as a Predictor of Occupational Outcomes among Roman Catholic Sisters and Priests in India

ABSTRACT

The research reported here responds to two calls for research: 1) to study organizational communication in religious settings, and 2) to extend the study of communication beyond WEIRD samples (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic). In answering those calls, we examined aggressive superior-subordinate communication in ecclesiastical occupations (EO) in the Roman Catholic Church in India. Consistent with prior research, superior verbal aggressiveness predicted negative subordinate responses and was a stronger predicter than superior argumentativeness, which predicted positive subordinate responses. These patterns, however, were qualified by the interactions observed. Specifically, superior aggressive communication was a stronger predictor of responses among priests than sisters, and it predicted more positive job outcomes for priests (e.g., higher job satisfaction), but more negative ones for sisters (e.g., lower job satisfaction). Furthermore, the positive verbal aggressiveness-occupational outcomes relationships run counter to US-based aggressive communication theory and empirical research, as does the positive correlation observed between argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness. Results of this research underscore the importance of testing the generalizability of communication knowledge originating from WEIRD samples to non-WEIRD populations.

KEYWORDS:

• Organizational communication
• verbal aggression
• argumentativeness
• job satisfaction
• motivation
• Roman Catholic Church
• priests
• nuns

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Consistent with prior work (Chory et al., 2020; Hoffman, 2002), we use “sister” and “nun” interchangeably.

2. Some scholars (e.g., Hample & Anagondahalli, 2015; Kapoor et al., 2003) assert it is transitioning into individualism.

3. The original data collection included participants in India and the USA. In the USA, paper questionnaires were also used. A total of 1,100 online and paper questionnaires were sent to participants and 453 were returned, for a response rate of 41%. After screening for missing data, 64 questionnaires were discarded, resulting in 391 usable questionnaires (N = 246 from India and N = 145 from the USA). The US sample’s findings were previously reported in Chory, Horan, and Raposo, 2020.

4. β_DP×VA: Standardized regression coefficient for the Diocesan priest × Superior VA interaction; β_RP×VA: Standardized regression coefficient for the Religious Order priest × Superior VA interaction; comparisons should be made relative to the Sister × Superior VA interaction standardized regression coefficient.

5. β_DP×VA: Standardized regression coefficient for the Diocesan priest × Superior VA interaction; β_RP×VA: Standardized regression coefficient for the Religious Order priest × Superior VA interaction; comparisons should be made relative to the Sister × Superior VA interaction standardized regression coefficient.

6. Β_RP×ARG: Standardized regression coefficient for the Religious Order priest × Superior ARG interaction; comparisons should be made relative to the Sister × Superior ARG interaction standardized regression coefficient.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sean M. Horan

Sean M. Horan (PhD, West Virginia University) is Professor and Chair of the Department of Communication at Fairfield University.

Rebecca M. Chory

Rebecca M. Chory (PhD, Michigan State University) is Professor of Management at Frostburg State University.

Peter Raposo

Father Peter Raposo (PhD, Ohio University) was a Catholic priest of the Society of the Missionaries of St. Francis Xavier and communication doctoral student at Ohio University. He died unexpectedly on March 13, 2015, at the age of 43 and was posthumously awarded a PhD in 2016.