Utara Management Journal

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SUPERVISORSUBORDINATE COMMUNICATIOK AND WORKING RELATIONSHIP

Hassan Abu Bakar Bahtiar Mohamad
Faculty of Communication and Modem Language Unive rsi ti Uta ra Malaysia

Abstract
This study examined the relationship between supervisor-subordinate communication behaviors and working relationship. Result of this stud)) reveals that there is a significant positive relationship between supervisor-subordinate communicatiori and working relationship. Multiple regressions show that job-relevant communication and negative communication relationship is the major predictor of working relationship.

Introduction
In daily operations of an organization, the members involved cannot avoid from communicating. Through communication, members of the organization exchange information for progress of their task and to achieve organizational goals. Without conimunication, organization cannot survive and continue their operation (Hickson, Stacks & Greely, 1998). One of the important elements in organizational communication research is the study on supervisor-subordinate communication, which is also known as supervisory communication. Various researches have shown that effective supervisory communication can help clrganization members to achieve job satisfaction and to fully commit to their organization. Communication scholars believe that an effective superior-subordinate communication in organization can also contribute to its effectiveness (Lee & Jablin, 1995). The supervisor-subordinate communication is a social system that works within the larger system of work group and is a form of dyadic communication. This type of communication focuses on how supervisors communicate with their subordinates in order to maintain their relationship. A majority of scholars agrees that supervisor-subordinate communication could provide an overall picture of communication pattern in the organization (Jablin, 1987; Lee & Jablin, 1995). Schanke, Dumler, Cocharan and Barneet (1 990) maintain and emphasize the importance of supervisor-subordinate communication with research that indicates 50%90% of supervisor time in office is used to communicate with their subordinates. Jablin (1 979) defines supervisor subordinate communication as an exchange of information and influence between organizational members, at least one who has formal authority to direct and evaluate the activities of other organizational members. Clampitt and Downs (1 994) expanded this definition with the concept of upward and downward communication, where the supervisor is 17