Research identifies pleasure, affection, escape, relaxation, control, and inclusion
as motives explaining why people communicate interpersonally. These motives
are examined, along with a duty motive, in organizational relationships. Investi
gated are employees' motives for communicating with coworkers or with superiors
and their satisfaction with work, satisfaction with superiors, and commitment.
Full-time workers (N = 202) report high satisfaction with superiors, as well as
moderate satisfaction with work and commitment, when communicating with
superiors from pleasure, affection, and inclusion needs but not for escape.
Employees report high work satisfaction, along with moderate satisfaction with
superiors and commitment, when communicating with coworkers for affection
but not for escape. Females, more than males, communicate with their bosses for
affection and relaxation. Males communicate with coworkers more from control
needs, while females communicate for affection. Both communicate more with
coworkers versus superiors on all of the motives except for duty. Females commu
nicate more from the duty motive with superiors versus coworkers.
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