Document Type : Original Article (Quantified)
Authors
1
PhD Student, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education & Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
2
Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education & Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
3
Professor, Department of Communication, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, Kenya
Abstract
Abstract
The present study was conducted with the aim of analyzing the antecedents of organizational communication satisfaction model in employees of the National Southern Oil Fields Company. The research sample consisted of 381 official employees of this company selected using a stratified random sampling method. To measure the variables, questionnaires on satisfaction with organizational communication, transformational leadership, perceived interactional justice, employee voice, and emotional intelligence were used. Data analysis was performed using the structural equation modeling (SEM) method and with the help of SPSS and AMOS version 25 software. The proposed model had a good fit, and the results of the study showed that transformational leadership, perceived interactional justice, employee voice, and emotional intelligence have a positive and significant effect on satisfaction with organizational communication. Also, the indirect path of transformational leadership through perceived interactional justice on satisfaction with organizational communication was confirmed. The findings indicate that simultaneous attention to the leadership style of managers, observance of justice in interactions, provision of conditions for employees to express their opinions, and strengthening the emotional intelligence of employees can lead to increased communication satisfaction and improved quality of organizational relationships. Accordingly, it is recommended that managers of organizations prioritize strengthening these variables in designing their training and management programs.
Introduction
Organizational communications, as a key mechanism in linking organizational members and information flows between different channels, play a fundamental role in improving efficiency, decision-making, and employee satisfaction (Huang & Li, 2024; Kiura & Leach, 2024). Satisfaction with organizational communication, which is an emotional-social consequence of the relationship between employees and the organization, increases in an organization with effective communications. Satisfaction with communication is a degree of perceived satisfaction in informational and job relationships in the communication environment (Yilmaz, 2023), which plays an important role in achieving goals and maintaining organizational relationships. Satisfaction with organizational communication can lead to increased job satisfaction (Alsayed, 2022; Pongton & Suntrayuth, 2019), job performance (Sivanaga Devi & Kamaraj, 2022; Dalal et al., 2023; Alsayed, 2022; Pongton & Suntrayuth, 2019), organizational commitment (Barresi, 2025; Dalal et al., 2023), organizational citizenship behavior (Chan & Lai, 2017; Alsayed, 2022), and reduced burnout (Vermeir et al., 2018; Doleman et al., 2025) and turnover intention (Tingfeng et al., 2023; Abdien, 2019; Doleman et al., 2025). Therefore, identifying the factors affecting satisfaction with organizational communication and addressing them in organizations is essential to create a healthy and successful work environment. One of the factors affecting satisfaction with communication is transformational leadership, which plays an important role in promoting communication satisfaction in the organization by strengthening interpersonal relationships (Archon, 2020). Also, transformational leadership through perceived interactional justice also affects satisfaction with organizational communication. Transparent and supportive interaction from transformational leaders causes employees to evaluate their interpersonal relationships with them as satisfactory and constructive; which in itself will be an appropriate response to the perception of interactional justice (Thompson et al., 2021). In addition, employee voice is also one of the important occupational predictors of satisfaction with organizational communication (Jamaludin et al., 2025). Employee opinions make it easier for employees to understand organizational issues, express their thoughts and ideas, share their knowledge with others, and help colleagues (Yilmaz, 2023). One of the individual variables affecting satisfaction with communication is emotional intelligence; studies have shown that people with high emotional intelligence are better able to recognize and respond appropriately to the emotional changes of the other party and usually feel more satisfied with their communications with others in the workplace (Petrovici & Dobrescu, 2014). According to the research conducted, satisfaction with organizational communication is of great importance for effective organizations, and identifying the factors affecting it can help to better understand the mechanisms of creating effective communications. However, most of the research has focused on the consequences of satisfaction with communication, and examining its antecedents has received less attention. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to analyze the model of antecedents of satisfaction with organizational communication in employees of the National Southern Oilfields Company.
Theoretical Framework
Satisfaction with Organizational Communication
Downs & Hazen (1977) consider communication satisfaction as a multidimensional concept that includes eight dimensions of communication climate, communication with supervisors, corporate information, horizontal and informal communication, personal feedback, media quality, organizational cohesion, and communication with subordinates (Ciavolino et al., 2024).
Transformational Leadership
Bass (1985) defines transformational leadership as a process in which a leader, through idealistic influence, inspirational motivation, rational stimulation, and individual consideration, motivates employees to strive for group goals over individual goals (Bakker et al., 2023).
Perceived Interactional Justice
Colquitt (2001) defined perceived interactional justice with interpersonal and informational components. Informational justice refers to sharing sufficient information about procedures with employees and explaining decisions about procedures. Interpersonal justice refers to managers treating employees with goodwill, dignity, and respect in this process (Richards et al., 2024).
Employee voice
Barry & Wilkinson (2016) defined employee voice with five areas of communication/ exchange of opinions, bottom-up problem solving, group meetings, participation, and having ideas and solutions to problems (Prouska et al., 2023).
Emotional intelligence
Goleman (1995) defined emotional intelligence with four components of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management (Aamir, 2023).
Research methodology
The present study was a correlational study conducted with a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. The statistical population consisted of official employees of the Southern Oilfields Company. Out of 9,000 people, 618 people were selected as a sample using a stratified random sampling method. Finally, 410 questionnaires were returned, and after removing incomplete and irrelevant data, 381 questionnaires were used for the final analysis. Also, in order to examine the validity of the measurement tools in the present study, a sample of 200 people was selected. The research tools included standard questionnaires on satisfaction with organizational communication (Downs & Hazen, 1997), transformational leadership (Carless et al., 2000), perceived interactional justice (Colquitt, 2001), employee voice (LePine & Van Dyne, 1998), and emotional intelligence (Weisinger, 1998), whose reliability and validity were confirmed in this study. The questionnaires were distributed in two ways, according to the conditions of each organizational unit; in some units, a printed version of the questionnaire was provided to the participants manually, and in other units, an Excel version of the questionnaire was sent through the employees' electronic workbook to enable them to complete and send the responses in a precise and structured manner. In order to ensure the accuracy and correctness of the participants' responses, five attention-checking questions were included in the present questionnaire. Responses that had unusual response patterns in these questions were considered invalid data and were excluded from the final analysis. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation test, and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data of the present study. SPSS and AMOS version 25 software were used to analyze the research data.
Research findings
In this study, among 381 participants, 122 (32%) were female and 259 (68%) were male. In terms of marital status, 90 (23.6%) were single and 291 (76.4%) were married. In terms of education level, 15 (3.9%) had a diploma, 119 (31.2%) had a bachelor's degree, 205 (53.9%) had a master's degree, and 42 (11%) had a doctorate. Also, in terms of organizational position, 13 people (3.4%) were senior managers, 52 people (13.6%) were middle managers, 92 people (24.1%) were supervisors, 121 people (31.9%) were operational employees, and 103 people (27%) were administrative employees. The mean and (standard deviation) age of the participants were 44.52 and (8.68) and work experience was 16.63 and (8.43). The results of structural equation modeling showed that the proposed research model has a good fit (χ²/df=3.04, GFI=0.91, IFI=0.96, TLI=0.95, CFI=0.96, and RMSEA=0.07). Transformational leadership, perceived interactional justice, employee voice, and emotional intelligence all have a positive and significant effect on satisfaction with organizational communication. Also, the indirect path of transformational leadership through perceived interactional justice on satisfaction with organizational communication was confirmed.
Conclusion
The first finding of the study shows a positive relationship between transformational leadership and satisfaction with organizational communication, which is consistent with the results of previous research (Wardani & Eliyana, 2020). Transformational leaders provide the basis for improving satisfaction with organizational communication by creating an environment in which employees more easily engage in informal and horizontal communication with each other and group participation increases (Archon, 2020). The second finding of the study shows a relationship between transformational leadership and perceived interactional justice, which is consistent with the results of previous research (Akter et al., 2024). Transformational leaders provide the basis for active participation of employees in organizational decision-making and processes by providing transparent, timely, and honest information. This approach strengthens employees' trust in leadership and increases their perception of informational justice and involvement in organizational processes (Akter et al., 2024). The third finding of the study indicates the relationship between perceived interactional justice and satisfaction with organizational communication, which is consistent with the results of previous research (Köksal & Yeşiltaş, 2021). The perception of interactional justice, especially through the experience of respectful behaviors and receiving clear, accurate, and timely information, directly affects employees' attitudes toward the quality of communication in the organization (Köksal & Yeşiltaş, 2021). The fourth finding of the study indicates the relationship between employees' right to express their opinions and satisfaction with organizational communication, which is consistent with the results of previous research (Jamaludin et al., 2025; Mubashra & Saleemi, 2025; Prouska et al., 2023; Yilmaz, 2023). In explaining this finding, it can be stated that the right to express opinions of employees acts as a tool for creating constructive communication at the individual level and allows employees to convey their demands and opinions to management to make changes in the organization with their internal motivations. In other words, creating open channels for expressing views and receiving feedback plays an important role in promoting satisfaction with organizational communication (Özbolat & Şehitoğluc, 2018). The fifth finding of the study indicates the relationship between emotional intelligence and satisfaction with organizational communication; which is in line with the results of previous research (Alsayed, 2022). By regulating their emotions, people with high emotional intelligence gradually strengthen their communication skills and increase their ability to express and interact effectively with others, which also improves their satisfaction with communication (Yang & Wang, 2024). Finally, the sixth finding of the study suggests that perceived interactional justice mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and satisfaction with organizational communication; when employees consider participation in developing the organization’s vision legitimate and this participation is accompanied by friendly and considerate behavior, they will perceive justice from their leader. Transparent and supportive interaction from transformational leaders causes employees to evaluate their interpersonal relationships with them as satisfactory and constructive (Thompson et al., 2021).
Based on the research findings, designing and implementing frameworks that support employees’ right to express their opinions, strengthening transformational leadership behaviors, and developing emotional intelligence components can provide a favorable environment for the formation of constructive interactions in the workplace. However, one of the limitations of this study is its cross-sectional nature. It is suggested that future research, using longitudinal or experimental designs, examine the dynamics and direction of the relationships between variables more closely.
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