CRA Inc

31 Oct 02 @ 5:21 pm

Is Your Upward Communication Process Missing The Most Important Content?

“A particularly telling finding was the relatively low level of dissent expression to managers, supervisors, and coworkers about issues related to ethics and preventing harm.”–Kassing & Armstrong, Management Communication Quarterly, Vol. 16, No. 1, August 2002 39-65

Not long ago, the standard practice for fostering upward communication in most organizations was to establish a suggestion box. With rise of information technology, however, we’ve seen the channels for fostering upward communication expand to include telephone hot lines, e-mail, and employee feedback intranet sites. But do these channels really capture the key information that internal communication strategists and leadership need to proactively respond to issues before they become crises? Recent research published in Management Communication Quarterly suggests not.

In the August, 2002 Issue (Vol. 16, Issue 1) Jefferey W. Kassing and Todd A. Armstrong of Arizona State University West present an interesting study on how the sources of employee discontent relate to how employees express that discontent. A key finding from the research: that employees appear to be significantly less likely to express concern or discontent to managers, supervisors, or coworkers when the topic that aroused their discontent involved concern over unethical practices or things that may be endangering employees or customers.

The authors call for communication processes that “layer” feedback tools such as e-mail boxes and Town Halls with others that further encourage openness. These might include anonymous “tip” lines, Ombudsman programs, or–an idea we often use–informal “pulse” networks that regularly provide employees with the opportunity to share sensitive information with other employees while retaining a measure of anonymity.

posted in category(s): From The Journals