Aggressive Superior-Subordinate Communication as a Predictor of Occupational Outcomes among Roman Catholic Sisters and Priests in India

ABSTRACT The research reported here responds to two calls for research: 1) to study organizational communication in religious settings, and 2) to extend the study of communication beyond WEIRD samples (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic). In answering those calls, we examined aggressive superior-subordinate communication in ecclesiastical occupations (EO) in the Roman Catholic Church in India. Consistent with prior research, superior verbal aggressiveness predicted negative subordinate responses and was a stronger predicter than superior argumentativeness, which predicted positive subordinate responses. These patterns, however, were qualified by the interactions observed. Specifically, superior aggressive communication was a stronger predictor of responses among priests than sisters, and it predicted more positive job outcomes for priests (e.g., higher job satisfaction), but more negative ones for sisters (e.g., lower job satisfaction). Furthermore, the positive verbal aggressiveness-occupational outcomes relationships run counter to US-based aggressive communication theory and empirical research, as does the positive correlation observed between argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness. Results of this research underscore the importance of testing the generalizability of communication knowledge originating from WEIRD samples to non-WEIRD populations.