The impact of startup CEO communication on employee relational and behavioral outcomes: Responsiveness, assertiveness, and authenticity

Abstract

This study examined how startup CEOs’ communication influences employees’ relational and behavioral outcomes. Specifically, it tested the influence of startup leaders’ communication responsiveness, assertiveness, and authenticity on employee-startup relationships and organizational citizenship behavior. Through an online survey of 744 startup employees across various industries in Mainland China, the study found that startup CEOs’ communication responsiveness, assertiveness, and authenticity all positively influenced employee relationships with the startups; though assertiveness showed much weaker impact on employee-startup relationships than the other two attributes. Assertive communication also showed a small significant positive effect on employees’ organizational citizenship behavior. The quality of employee-startup relationships mediated the effects of startup CEOs’ communication attributes on employees’ organizational citizenship behavior.