Formal Structural Characteristics of Organizations and Superior-Subordinate Communication

This study attempted to determine the effects of several structural characteristics of organizations (i.e., organizational size, organizational level, and span of control) on subordinates' perceptions of openness in superior-subordinate communication. Data were collected from 15 different organizations and over 800 subordinates. While not accounting for a large amount of variance, results indicate that subordinates in the lowest levels of their organizational hierarchies perceive significantly less openness in superior-subordinate communication than subordinates at the highest levels of their hierarchies. In addition, although not statistically significant, the findings of the investigation suggest that subordinates in very large organizations perceive less openness than subordinates in small organizations. Implications of findings are discussed and recommendations for future research provided.