Relationship Between Communication Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Three Guatemalan Organizations

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between organi zational communication satisfaction and organizational commitment in three Guatemalan organizations. Data were collected using three questionnaires: the Downs's (1990) Communication Audit Questionnaire (CAQ), the Mowday, Porter, and Steers's (1979) Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ), and the Cook and Wall's (1980) Organizational Commitment Instrument (OCI). Results indicated that, first, there was an explicit positive relationship between communication satisfaction and employees' organizational commitment. Sec ond, school teachers were significantly more satisfied with the communication practices and more committed to their organization than were the employees of the other two organizations (a hospital and a food factory). Third, supervisors were significantly more satisfied than were subordinates with overall communi cation practices. Fourth, employees with more tenure were significantly more committed to their organizations. Fifth, the three-factor solution for the Cook and Wall's Organizational Commitment Instrument did not emerge in this sample as theorized by its authors. A two-factor solution for the Mowday, Porter, and Steers's Organizational Commitment Questionnaire emerged as appropriate for the Guatemalan sample. Finally, conflicting findings in the internal reliabil ity and factor analysis of one of the commitment instruments used in this study conducted in Guatemala and in studies conducted in the United States raise several important issues on the use of research instruments in cross-cultural studies.