SUPERIOR-SUBORDINATE COMMUNICATION - THE STATE OF THE ART

Based on a review of the literature, empirical research in the area of superior-subordinate communication (SSC) is classified into 9 topical categories. Inspection suggests that researchers have focused the majority of their attention on (a) the effects of power and status on SSC, (b) trust as a moderator of SSC, and (c) semantic-information distance as a source of misunderstanding in SSC. It is concluded that future research should increasingly be developmental and longitudinal in nature and should take into greater consideration the effects situational variables have on communication in the superior-subordinate dyad. (6 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1979 American Psychological Association.