The influence of motivational language in the technologically mediated realm of telecommuters

摘要

The purpose of the current study was to extend organisational communication scholarship by examining the use of motivating language by supervisors of telecommuters and how motivating language influences telecommuters' perceptions of their supervisors' communication competence and their own communication satisfaction, job satisfaction, and organisational commitment. Participants included 177 full-time telecommuters from a number of organisations across the US. The current findings indicate that supervisors of telecommuters tended to use the motivating language of direction giving (task oriented) most frequently followed by empathetic and meaning-making language. Direction-giving language was also indicated as the greatest predictor of communication and organisational outcomes. A discussion of the current findings coupled with options for future research is also offered.