Are You Listening? The Effects of Challenge and Hindrance Stressors on Effective Communication

Abstract

Drawing upon the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, we examined the effects of challenge and hindrance stressors on effective communication and the jointly moderating effects of supervisor communication and employee’s active listening. Results from a sample of 238 employee and their 50 supervisors indicated that challenge stressors were positively related to effective communication and this positive effect was amplified by supervisor communication. Moreover, hindrance stressors were negatively related to effective communication, and this negative effect was buffered by supervisor communication. More importantly, the buffering effect of supervisor communication was amplified when employees’ active listening was high. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.