How a Manager's Communication Style affects an Employee's Job Satisfaction within the Workplace

Abstract

This research study gains a better understanding and examines the type of communication style that a manager uses to motivate their employees to improve job satisfaction within the workplace. This study uses both a mixed methods approach of close-ended surveys administered with Qualtrics. Due to the COVID pandemic and challenges meeting face-to-face with the participants in the in-depth interviews, the interviews were facilitated through the use of a video technology platform such as Zoom to support the hypotheses and answer the research questions pertaining to how employees’ perceptions of their manager’s communication styles shape their job satisfaction within the workplace.Close-ended survey results showed that the passive communication style was negatively associated with job satisfaction, whereas the assertive communication style was positively associated with job satisfaction. Also, thematic analyses of qualitative in-depth interviews showed that leading by example in communication, communicating expectations clearly to subordinates, openness in communication, and managers supporting their employees were factors that helped employees to feel satisfied in their jobs. Implications of these findings are discussed.