A Peek Through the Lens of the Competing Values Framework: What Managers Communicate and How

Abstract

This study is an attempt to correlate the message orientations developed by Rogers and Hildebrandt (1993) Rogers, P. S. and Hildebrandt, H. W. 1993. Competing values instruments for analyzing written and spoken management messages.. Human Resource Management Journal, 32: 121–142. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] with what managers actually address in downward communication, not only how they say it. Specifically the study is aimed at (a) confirming the path between the four message orientations and the quadrants of the Competing Values Framework (CVF), (b) demonstrating what managers address across hierarchical levels, and (c) showing preliminary evidence of the shift in emphasis from upper CVF quadrants to lower CVF quadrants in both message orientations and types of messages delivered during changing organizational conditions. Data obtained from a sample of managers with different demographic characteristics were converted into a LISREL compatible format and analyzed using covariance and asymptotic matrices, as recommended by Jöreskog (2002) Jöreskog, K. 2002. Structural equation modeling with ordinal variables using LISREL Retrieved October, 2, 2007, from http://www.ssicentral.com/lisrel/ordinal.htm [Google Scholar]. Our findings of the existence of four message orientations not only match the CVF quadrants but also align similarly in a multidimensional scaling model. The model fit with the data was strong, with a goodness of fit index (GFI) of 0.98 and T values for all paths confirming the existence of the four primary orientations used by managers with those reporting to them. It also quantified the extent of the shift of message orientations to promotional and hierarchical suggesting the influence of environmental conditions on the choice of message orientation and types of messages used during change. Implications for management and directions for future research are also included.