Motivating Language: Exploring Theory with Scale Development

Traditional conceptualizations of leader-worker oral communication have beenunidimensional among management theorists (Yukl, 1989). Despite urgings byacademics and managers for more research, little investigation has been conducted into the specific roles that language plays in strategically transmittingleader behavior. In response, recent leadership theory has called for moresophisticated models to explain leader-worker communication processes, theirrelationships with desirable outcomes, and potential areas for improvement(Conger, 1991; Daft & Wiginton, 1979; Fairhurst & Chandler, 1989; Jablin, 1985;Jablin & Krone, 1994; Scandura & Graen, 1984; Sullivan, 1988; Waldron, 1991).The present study addresses this need in two ways: first by developing themotivating language scale, and then by testing it for reliability and validity.This scale is based on motivating language theory (MLT) (Sullivan, 1988),which proposes that strategic managerial application of all three speech actswill have a significant and positive effect on employee performance and processoutcomes. Research implications and future directions are also discussed.