The Effect of Organizational Communication and Job Satisfaction on Organizational Commitment in Small Businesses ABSTRACT Ali Talip Akpinar (Corresponding Author) Assistant Professor of Management and Organization Kocaeli University, Business Administration on Civil Aviation, Arslanbey Campus, Kocaeli, Turkey e-mail: atakpinar@kocaeli.edu.tr Ehlinaz Torun Assistant Professor of Agricultural Administration and Marketing Kocaeli University, Arslanbey Campus, Kocaeli, Turkey e-mail: ehlinaz.torun@kocaeli.edu.tr Mehmet Emin Okur Assistant Professor of Management and Organization Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey e-mail: mokur@marmara.edu.tr Onur Akpinar Lecturer at Tourizm College Kocaeli University, Derbent Campus, Kocaeli, Turkey e-mail: onur.akpinar@kocaeli.edu.tr Organizational communication, job satisfaction and organizational commitment are crucial factors to enhance organizational performance. In this paper, we evaluated the impacts of organizational communication and job satisfaction on organizational commitment. In our study, data obtained from 234 employees working for 118 Small Businesses in Kocaeli Province in Turkey were tested the hypotheses by Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. Our results reveal that there is a positive relationship (r=.597; p=.01) between the employees perceptions of organizational communication and organizational commitment. The results of our study depict that there is a positive relationship (r=.757; p=.01) between the employees perceptions of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Our findings are similar to those in organizational behavior literature. The study reveals that job satisfaction is an antecedent of organizational commitment rather than organizational communication. According to the results of the multiple regression analysis, organizational communication and job satisfaction are significant determinants, predicting 78.5% of the variation in organizational commitment (F = 122.470; p =.000 β =.163, β =.567, respectively). Therefore, organizational communication and job satisfaction have a strong effect on organizational commitment in Small Businesses in Turkey. Keywords : Organizational Communication, Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, Small Businesses INTRODUCTION Employees are the most important production factor to endure their existance and success for organizations. The main objectives of human resource management department of businesses are to make employees to work effectively and efficiently. Satisfaction and motivation of the employees is an imperative need for efficiency and productivity of businesses (Akpınar, 2007). Businesses are aimed to be successful to pay attention of the most talented employee, to motivate and hold them. Therefore, organizational communication, job satisfaction and organizational commitment are crucial factors to enhance organizational performance. In addition, the common essentials of the successful organizations are commitment in each and to be a strong identical relationship. It has seen that, to have employee who feels strong commitment with each other and his/her organization, is necessary to overcome the changing billow(akpınar, 2007). According to the point of view, it is obvious that, if communication and job satisfaction level gets higher in the organizations, organizational commitment gets higher too. 72
Concepts of job satisfaction, organizational communication and organizational commitment have been examined extensively in organizational behavior literature, however, relationships and effects of job satisfaction and organizational communication on organizational commitment have received scarce attention for Small Business employees. This paper carries on with definitions of organizational communication, job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Relationships and effects within them explain and determine the hypothesis in accordance with the literature. Finally, the paper concludes with the presentation and discussion of the results. Organizational Communication Communication is one of the most crucial factors in organizational functioning and it is known that employees devote a considerable portion of their workday to collect and disseminate information concerning crucial matters such as company policy, performance feedback, role expectations, and task instructions (Frone and Major, 1988: 123-140). Communication plays a vital role in designing rules, regulations and responsibilities, and presenting to the members of the organization. Organizational communication is a dynamic process and involves complex communication techniques, networks and channels (Ali and Haider, 2012: 38-44). Effective organizational communication is key to organizational accomplishment (Hargie et al.,2002: 414-436; Azhar, 2006: 330-333). Organizational communication is crucial to get involved into better relationships within an organization, to transmit information, to have trust on and cooperation with each other, to understand and co-ordinate the work, to improve communication climate and learning, and hence to increase overall workplace satisfaction and also an individual s job satisfaction (Ali and Haider, 2012: 38-44). SO Organizational communication is a necessary antecedent for cooperation and leads to a constructive behavior that is vital for relationships. Organizational communication is interrelated with attitudinal and behavioral characteristics of employees and organizations. Job Satisfaction Job satisfaction is one of the most investigated topics in organizational psychology. Importance of job satisfaction has been emphasized in boosting the efficiency of employees in organizational activities and performance. Job satisfaction has been characterized as essential to organizational performance (Mathieu, 1991: 607-628; Ostroff, 1992: 963-974). One of the most extensively used theoretical definitions of job satisfaction is done by Locke, who theorized the concept as pleasurable or positive emotional stage resulting from the appraisal of one s job or job experience (Locke, 1969: 309-336). Job satisfaction defined as An attitude that individuals have about their jobs. It stems from their perception of their jobs and the degree to which there is a good fit between the individual and the organization. Job satisfaction is a personal attitude towards work and a positive emotional situation when employees reach their expectation on their work and careers (Ivancevich et al., 1997). Locke and Latham, argued that job satisfaction arises when job offer what employees want or value (Locke and Latham, 1990: 240-246) and moreover an employee who has a higher level of job satisfaction can develop positive attitudes toward their job and the organization he/she worked for (Tuzun, 2013: 1-5). Organizational Commitment Organizational commitment is defined as "the strength of an individual's identification with, and involvement in, the goals and values of the organization, a strong desire to maintain membership in the organization, and a willingness to exert considerable effort to serve the organization " (Porter et al., 1974: 603-609). Organizational commitment refers to the employees emotional attachment to, identification with and involvement in the organization (Allen and Meyer, 1990). Organizational commitment means harmony and interaction between individual values and objectives of the employees and those of the organization. In other words, organizational commitment is a situation which defines the relation between employees and the organization and which helps them to decide to keep on staying with the organization (Meyer & Allen, 72
1997: 41-60). High level of organizational commitment reveals itself as adoption of organizational goals and values, willingness to show big efforts for the organization and the desire to be within the organization (Meyer and Allen, 1991). Relationships and Effect among Organizational Communication, Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment In many studies, the importance of organizational communication has been discussed as the efficiency of behaviour of the individual and the efficiency of group and organizational activities. Employee communication satisfaction is also imperative because it plays a central role for employees organizational effectiveness. Contrarily, if organizational communication is inadequate (employee communication satisfaction is supposed as low) it begets low organizational commitment, more absenteeism, greater employee turnover, and more less productivity (Hargie et al., 2002: 414-436). Different studies have implicated that effective communication is related to organizational commitment (Nuss, 2006; Varona, 1996: 111-140; Potvin, 1991). Organizational communication affects satisfaction, commitment, trust and justice within organization. Perceptions of communication and job satisfaction in the organization are a decisive indicator of organizational commitment. According to a meta-analysis by Mathieu and Zajac organizational characteristics, motivation and job satisfaction can enhance organizational commitment (Mathieu and Zajac,1990:171-194). High levels of job satisfaction are positively and causally linked with organizational commitment. So researchers reveal that job satisfaction is a significant antecedent of organizational commitment (Allen and Meyer, 1996; Iverson and Roy, 1994: 15-41). It seems to be logical to expect that employees job satisfaction levels will affect the organizational commitment (Michaels, 1994: 42-67; Taunton et al., 1989: 14-19; William and Haze, 1986: 219-231). Consequently, job satisfaction and organizational communication are crucial factors to impact on organizational commitment. METHODOLOGY The study aims to find out antecedents of organizational commitment. The model used in this study (figure 1) proposes that organizational communication and job satisfaction are related and both affect organizational commitment. This study seeks to test the following hypotheses. Hypothesis 1 There is a positive relationship between employees perceptions of organizational communication and organizational commitment. Hypothesis 2 There is a positive relationship between employees perceptions of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. Hypothesis 3 There is an effect of organizational communication and job satisfaction on organizational commitment. To test these hypothesis, 824 questionnaires were sent to 118 Small Businesses in Kocaeli Province in Turkey. 234 questionnaires were returned to the researchers representing a responce rate of 28.39%. The sample consisted of 141 (60.25%) male respondents and 93 (39.75%) females. Respondents mean of ages is 29.26 years. The data obtained from this study were evaluated by using SPSS 18.0. Questionnaire contains the following three scales: - Organizational communication: Nine items were used to measure organizational communication. The scale s alpha reliability in this study was.926. - Job Satisfaction: twenty items from the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire scale were used to measure employees job satisfaction in this study. The cronbach s alpha in this sample was.901. - Organizational commitment: Eighteen items were used to measure organizational commitment in this study. The cronbach s alpha is this sample was.914. Each scale had satisfactory reliability with coefficient alpha above.70. All items of measures were modified to fit into four-point Likert-scale format. 72
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Table 1 show the means, standart deviations, Cronbach s alphas and Pearson correlations among the variables for this study, respectfully. A preliminary examination of the correlations indicates that organizational commitment and most of its antecedents are significantly correlated. In addition, organizational communication positively correlates job satistaction. This result is fully in accordance with the literature and the authors' expectations. Our results show that the correlation between organizational communication and organizational commitment is.597 (significant at the 0.01 level). As suggested in Hypothesis 1, there is a positive relationship between the employees perceptions of organizational communication and organizational commitment. Organizational communication will reinforce employees' commitment to their organization. Different studies have implicated that effective communication is related to organizational commitment (Varona, 1996: 111-140; Nuss, 2006; Potvin, 1991). Thus, These findings are similar to results in organizational behavior literature. Our results reveal that the correlations between job satisfaction and organizational commitment is.757 (significant at the 0.01 level). The results depict that there is a positive relationship between the employees perceptions of job satisfaction and organizational commitment as suggested in Hypothesis 2. The findings are similar to results in organizational behavior literature. Job satisfaction was strongly correlated with organizational commitment (Iverson and Roy, 1994: 15-41). Emprical studies in different settings have provided evidence for a positive relationship between job satisfaction and organizational commitment (Michaels, 1994: 42-67; William and Haze, 1986: 219-231). According to the results of this study, employees both perceptions of organizational communication and organizational commitment is relate to organizational commitment. This study reveals that job satisfaction is a better predictor of organizational commitment than organizational communication. The results of the regression analysis presented in Table 2 show that organizational communication and job satisfaction are significant determinants, predicting 78.5 % of the variation in organizational commitment (F = 122.470; p =.000 β =.163, β =.567, respectively). Thus, as suggested in Hypothesis 3, there is an effect of organizational communication and job satisfaction on affective commitment. Perceptions of the employees organizational commitment depend on their perceptions of organizational communication and job satisfaction. Therefore, organizational communication and job satisfaction are primary antecedents of organizational commitment. This result is fully in accordance with the literature and the authors' expectations. CONCLUSION This study endeavors to make both a theoretical and practical contribution to existing literature. It enhances our understanding of antecedents of organizational commitment of employees of Small Businesses. In particular, this is the first study scrutinizing the relationship between employees perceptions of job satisfaction, organizational communication and organizational commitment at Small Businesses in Turkey. In these Businesses, investigation of job satisfaction, organizational communication and organizational commitment, and the relationships among them are important research subjects. Measuring and assessing level of communication, job satisfaction and organizational commitment is crucial for organizational success. Job satisfaction, organizational communication and organizational commitment are effective factors to enhance organizational performance. Increasing organizational communication and job satisfaction of employees would enhance their organizational commitment to their organizations. Employees with organizational commitment demonstrate a willingness to exert considerable effort to serve the organization. The success of organizations is closely related to perceptions of employees' job satisfaction and organizational communication, and their organizational commitment to the organization. According to the findings of this study, perceptions of job satisfaction and organizational communication play an imperative and antecedent role in the formation of organizational commitment. Perceptions of the employees organizational commitment are a correlate of job satisfaction. Perceptions of the employees' organizational communication has positive correlation with their perceptions of employees' organizational commitment. In addition, there is a positive effect of job satisfaction and organizational communication on organizational commitment. It has been shown that higher levels of organizational commitment were 03
experienced only when employees had higher levels of perceived organizational communication and job satisfaction. Measurement and evaluation of employees satisfaction and commitment is very useful tool to accomplish the objectives of businesses. Thus, with these findings, management can adjust or redesign the organization s policies and systems to achieve desired outcomes. Managers may play pivotal roles in increasing employees attitudes toward them and the organization. Especially in Small Sized Businesses As managers communicate clearly and make fair decisions and procedures, employees trust them more and feel emotional attachment to their organization. If managers grasp this effect and their role in developing and fostering it, they may contribute to increase their organizational performance. This study is limited to employees of Small Businesses in Kocaeli Province in Turkey. It cannot be generalized to all of the Kocaeli Province since other businesses are out of context of this study. A more comprehensive study can be carried out on a much wider scale for further study. REFERENCES 1. Akpınar A.T. (2007). Örgütsel Öğrenme ile Örgüte Bağlılık Arasındaki İlişki (Relationship Between Organizational Learning and Organizational Commitment) Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Marmara University. 2. Ali, A. and Haider, J. (2012). Impact of Internal Organizational Communications on Employee Job Satisfaction - Case of some Pakistani Banks. Global Advanced Research Journal of Management and Business Studies,1,38-44. 3. Allen, N. J., & Meyer, J. P. (1990). The Measurement and Antecedents of Affective, Continuance, and Normative Commitment to the Organization, Journal of Occupational Psychology, 63, 1 18. 4. Allen, N. J. & Meyer, J.P. (1996). Affective, Continuance and Normative Commitment to the Organization: An Examination of Construct Validity, Journal of Vocational Behavior, 49, 252-276. 5. Azhar, A. (2006). Auditing Communication Satisfaction Among Academic Staff: An Approach to Managing Academic Excellence, The Business Review, 5, 330-333. 6. Frone N. and Major P. (1988). The effect of Communication Quality on Job Satisfaction Among Nurses, Group and Organization Studies, 23, 123-40. 7. Hargie, O., Tourish, D. & Wilson, N. (2002). Communication Audits and Effects of Increased Information: A Follow-Up Study, The Journal of Business Communication, 39, 414-436. 8. Iverson, R.D. & Roy, P. (1994). A Causal Model of Behavioral Commitment: Evidence from a Study of Australian Bluecollar Employees. Journal of Management, 20(1), 15-41. 9. Ivancevich, J.M., Olekalns, M., & Matteson, M.T. (1997). Organizational Behavior and Management. Sydney: Irwin. 10. Locke, E. (1969). What is job satisfaction? Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, vol. 4, 309-336. 11. Locke E. and Latham G. P. (1990). Work Motivation and Satisfaction: Light at the End of the Tunnel, Psychological Science, vol. 1, 240 246. 12. Mathieu, J.E. (1991). A Cross-level Nonrecursive Model of the Antecedents of Organizational Commitment and Satisfaction, Journal of Applied Psychology, 76(5), 607-628. 13. Mathieu, J. E. and Zajac, D. M. (1990). A Review and Meta-Analysis of the Antecedents, Correlates, and Consequences of Organizational Commitment, Psychological Bulletin, 108(2), 171-194. 14. Meyer, J.P. & Allen, N.J. (1991). A Three-Component Conceptualization of Organizational Commitment, Human Resource Management Review, Vol 1 (1), 61 89. 15. Meyer, J.P. & Allen, N.J. (1997). Commitment in the Workplace: Theory, Research, and Application. Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage Publishing, Inc. 16. Michaels, P. (1994). An Expanded Conceptual Framework on Organizational Commitment and Job Satisfaction for Sales Force Management. Journal of Business and Society, 7(1), 42-67. 17. Nuss, M. D. (2006). A Longitudinal Case Study of Organizational Commitment And Communication Satisfaction In A Police Department, University of Kansas, UMI Dissertation Service. 18. Ostroff, C. (1992). The Relationship Between Satisfaction, Attitudes and Performance: An Organisational Level Analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77, 963-974. 03
19. Potvin, T. C. (1991). Employee Organizational Commitment: An Examination of Its Relationship to Communication Satisfaction and Evaluation of Questionnaires Designed to Measure The Construct, Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Kansas, UMI Dissertation Service. 20. Taunton, R., Krampitz, S. & Woods, C. (1989). Manager Impact on Retention of Hospitality Staff, Journal of Nursing Administration, 19(3), 14-19. 21. Tuzun I. K. (2013) Organizational Levels of Analysis of Communication Satisfaction and Identification in Relation to Job Satisfaction, Journal of Economics, Business and Management, 1, 1-5. 22. Varona, F. (1996). Relationship Between Communication Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Three Guatemalan Organizations, The Journal of Business Communication, 33, 111-140. 23. Williams, L.J. & Hazer, J.T. (1986). Antecedents and Consequences of Job Satisfaction in Turnover Models: A Reanalysis Using Latent Variable Structural Equation Methods, Journal of Applied Psychology, 71(2), 219-231. Organizational Communication Organizational Commitment Job Satisfaction Figure 1 : Our proposed model on the relationship among organizational communication, job satisfaction and organizational commitment Table 1: The Means, Standard Deviations, Cronbach s alphas and Correlations Among Variables Standart Variables Mean 1. (OCO) 2. (JS) 3. (OC) Deviation 1. Organizational Communication(OCO) 2.1227.89288.926 a 2. Job Satisfaction (JS) 2.7146.68696.614*.901 a 3. Organizational Commitment(OC) 2.7809.80154.597*.757*.914 a a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the variable. * Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed) Table 2: Regression Result Independent Variables Dependent Variable Organizational Commitment β Sig. Organizational communication.163.004 Job Satisfaction.567.000 Model F 122.470 Model R 2.611 07