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Data from 302 employees were used to assess the moderating influences of accuracy of information, communication underload, and communication overload on the association between individual-job congruence and job performance/satisfaction. Moderated regression analysis did not support the expected moderating effects. However, results did provide some justification for accuracy of information as a predictor of both performance quality and job satisfaction. Data patterns reveal that other factors may account.for changes in the research variables.
Introduction
Communication is vital to all functions of organizations. To be operationally meaningful, however, a specific perspective of the organizational importance of communication is needed. Roberts and O'Reilly (1979) have indicated the need for specificity in investigating communication in organizations by stating that "theories relevant to communication in organizations cannot be developed until facets of organizational communication are specified and some of their correlates identified" (p. 42). Accordingly, this study has one basic thrust: To investigate three specific aspects of organizational communication-accuracy of information, communication under(oad and communication overload-and their moderating effects on the individual-job congruence association with job performance and job satisfaction, popularly known as the Job Characteristics Model (JCM).
The Job Characteristics Model (Hackman and Oldham, 1976, 1980), suggests that high levels of performance and satisfaction should result from a match between the growth needs of an individual and the motivating characteristics of the job being performed. Thus, high levels of performance and satisfaction are predicted for high growth need strength individuals in high scope jobs and low growth need individuals in low scope jobs. The JCM has received some research support (Graen, Scandura, and Graen, 1986; Fried and Ferris, 1987).
Several studies exist that indicate that certain variables moderate the relationship between the individual-job congruence and either job performance or job satisfaction. Oldham, Hackman, and Pearce (1976) found that pay, security, interpersonal relations, and supervision influenced individual-job congruence association with job performance. Pierce, Dunham, and Blackburn (1979) discovered that higher levels of performance and satisfaction occur among workers with strong growth needs in complex jobs and in organic organization units. And Clayton (1981) determined that subordinate needs for independence, intrinsically satisfying tasks, and cohesive, interdependent work groups moderated individual-job congruence and job satisfaction. This study contends that certain aspects of organization communication may moderate the individual-job congruence model...