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Impact of Participation in Decision Making on Job Satisfaction: An Organizational Communication Perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 September 2016

Ying Xia ,
Li Zhang  and
Ning Zhao
Ying Xia
Affiliation:
Harbin Institute of Technology (China)
Li Zhang*
Affiliation:
Harbin Institute of Technology (China)
Ning Zhao
Affiliation:
Harbin Institute of Technology (China)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Li Zhang. Harbin Institute of Technology. (China). Phone: +86–13946039675. E-mail: zhanglihit@hit.edu.cn
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Abstract

Participation in organizational decision-making has received considerable attention from scholars. Beyond the perspectives proposed in past studies, we offer a new account, based upon a communication perspective, to explain why and when participation in decision-making can influence job satisfaction. Drawing from social capital theory, we examine whether communication openness mediates the relationship between participation in decision-making and job satisfaction. We also investigate how information adequacy moderates this mediated process. Results from a sample of 184 employees in China showed that the four-factor model was the best fitting solution (CFI = .91, GFI = .90, RMSEA = .09). The analyses indicated that employees’ participation in decision-making positively affected their job satisfaction (β = .32, p < .001), and the effect was mediated by communication openness (direct effect became non-significant when communication openness was included: β = .06, n.s.). Results also found that decision-making information adequacy positively moderated the relationship between participation in decision-making and communication openness (β = .13, p < .05). Thus, open communication and the free flow of information within organizations should be encouraged.

Keywords

decision-makingjob satisfactionorganizational communication
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 19 , 2016 , E58
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2016 

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