Message-Response and “Openness” in Superior-Subordinate Communication

Abstract

This study summarizes a field experiment analyzing relationships among “openness” of superior-subordinate communication, and attitudes toward five basic types of message-responses occurring in a dyad: confirmation, disagreement, accedence, repudiation and disconfirmation. Results indicated that regardless of perceived climate of “openness” of communication, subordinates (subjects) predicted (and preferred) that a superior respond to an unfavorable message from a subordinate more often with a confirming or disagreeing response, than with an acceding, or repudiating, or disconfirming response. However, dependent upon the degree of perceived “openness” or “closedness” of the communication relationship with the superior, subordinates evaluated the appropriateness of these responses differently. Moreover, the object (superior or subordinate) of the subordinate's initial message was found to play an important role in determining the superior's and subordinate's later responses. Subjects also predicted that a subordinate would respond to a superior's message with either a confirming or disagreeing response, more often than with an acceding, or repudiating, or disconfirming response.