Uncertainty Management Theory Research Articles

Managing Anxiety and Uncertainty Through Social Networking Sites, How Effectively Can Youth Communicate Online?

This study examines the usage patterns of social networking sites among Malaysian youths and their Anxiety/Uncertainty Management levels. According to the anxiety and uncertainty management theory, members of a group should be cooperative, trustworthy, tolerant of diversity, and happy in order to affect their membership attitude and behavior. These days, youth choose to spend their time on social networking sites since they provide an effective virtual community platform for communication. Malaysian youths exhibit a nuanced understanding of personal and social identity, motivation to interact, reactions to others, social categorizations, situational processes, connection to others, ethical interactions, and overall communication effectiveness. This study surveyed 600 respondents, the findings highlight a deep-rooted integration of digital communication into the daily lives of Malaysian youths, with a significant majority having extensive experience of 11 to 20 years on SNS platforms. SNS platforms significantly reduced communication uncertainty, fostering positive relationships and smoother communication through active, passive, and interactive strategies. Locality plays a crucial role in anxiety and uncertainty management, with rural youths demonstrating better management compared to their urban counterparts, attributed to stronger social cohesion, tighter networks, and communal lifestyles. The study suggests that addressing anxiety and uncertainty can improve communication quality in virtual settings, particularly in rural areas. Social media can promote cultural integration and acceptance among diverse groups. A balanced approach to communication, emphasizing ethical interactions, can maximize its benefits. The findings can be used to design targeted interventions and promote positive digital engagement practices among Malaysian youths. Keywords: Virtual community, social networking sites, anxiety and uncertainty management, effective communication, digital communication.

Strategi Komunikasi Pekerja Migran Indonesia dalam Mengatasi Culture Shock Selama Bekerja di Jepang

This study aims to understand the communication strategies of Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) in overcoming culture shock while working in Japan. The research utilizes Anxiety Uncertainty Management Theory (AUM Theory) developed by Gudykunst to explain how PMI manage uncertainty and anxiety in cross-cultural communication. The AUM theory is elaborated with the concept of ABC's of Culture Shock by Ward Bochner and Furham to gain a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between cross-cultural communication and culture shock. The research method used is phenomenology. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with six PMI informants who have been working for at least two years in various companies in Japan. The results of the study show that PMI experience various forms of anxiety, including language anxiety, habit-related anxiety, and mindset-related anxiety. Workers manage this anxiety through three strategies: active, passive, and interactive. The active strategy involves continuously adapting to and appreciating Japanese culture. Firstly, the active strategy means that PMI actively seek information about Japanese culture through social media and study it. Secondly, the passive strategy involves self-motivation by understanding that the cultural surprises experienced are a consequence of their work. Lastly, the interactive strategy involves efforts to improve intercultural communication skills by joining Indonesian expatriate communities in Japan and being open to new values encountered while working in Japan.

Co-workers’ reactions to (Mis)Alignment between supervisors’ intentions and Co-workers’ perceptions of I-deal secrecy: An uncertainty management perspective

This study employs Uncertainty Management Theory (UMT) to explore how co-workers respond to supervisors’ communication about idiosyncratic deals (i-deals), specifically comparing secrecy and transparency. We suggest that co-workers’ perceptions of i-deal secrecy, as opposed to transparency, lead to uncertainty. Moreover, misalignment between co-workers’ perceptions and supervisors’ intentions regarding i-deal communication may create a second source of uncertainty. We propose that co-workers cope with this uncertainty by forming moral judgments about the i-deal communication, which subsequently relate to their trust in their supervisor and their turnover intentions. Data were collected from 27 supervisors and 224 co-workers across 27 teams, resulting in 224 matched co-worker-supervisor responses. Polynomial regressions reveal varying outcomes depending on the (mis)alignment between co-workers’ perceptions and supervisors’ intentions. Co-workers’ moral judgments, trust in their supervisor and turnover intentions are optimal when they perceive i-deal transparency, regardless of the supervisor’s intentions. These factors are suboptimal when co-workers’ perceptions of i-deal secrecy align with supervisors’ intentions, and detrimental when co-workers perceive i-deal secrecy while supervisors intend transparency. Our findings highlight the potential consequences of supervisors’ intentions for i-deal transparency, showing they can be positive or negative depending on co-workers’ perceptions. Moreover, supervisors’ intentions for i-deal secrecy are not necessarily problematic as long as co-workers perceive transparency. Yet, once secrecy intentions are revealed, suboptimal co-worker reactions occur.

Citizens' acceptance of prefabricated housing in China: the role of procedural justice and uncertainty

PurposeThis study explores citizens’ acceptance of prefabricated housing (PH) from the perspective of socio-demographic and psychological factors, aiming to reveal the formation of PH acceptance and realize a sustainable development of PH.Design/methodology/approachThis study proposed hypotheses drawing on procedural justice theory and uncertainty management theory. A survey of 245 respondents was conducted, and the collected data was analyzed in a stepwise multiple regression model. Then, the psychological influencing mechanism was demonstrated using a mediation model.FindingsResults of the data analysis manifested that citizens’ acceptance of PH was influenced by socio-demographic and psychological factors, where psychological factors had more significant effects on acceptance than socio-demographic factors. The psychological mechanism was examined by verifying the mediating role of uncertainty between procedural justice and the acceptance of PH. Furthermore, a scientific strategy for developing PH was proposed based on this empirical study.Originality/valueThis study extends the knowledge of procedural justice theory by investigating people’s acceptance in the PH context. This study is also one of the first studies to unveil the psychological mechanism toward a high-cost product with invisible technological innovation. This study contributes to the literature by introducing uncertainty management theory to a controversial issue, examining and expanding its application in a complicated context. Moreover, results highlight the positive influence of fair processes on controversial issues.

Time to diagnosis for a rare disease: managing medical uncertainty. A qualitative study

BackgroundPeople with a rare disease commonly experience long delays from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis. Rare diseases are challenging to diagnose because they are clinically heterogeneous, and many present with non-specific symptoms common to many diseases. We aimed to explore the experiences of people with myositis, primary immunodeficiency (PID), and sarcoidosis from symptom onset to diagnosis to identify factors that might impact receipt of a timely diagnosis.MethodsThis was a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. Our approach was informed by Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). We applied the lens of uncertainty management theory to tease out how patients experience, assess, manage and cope with puzzling and complex health-related issues while seeking a diagnosis in the cases of rare diseases.ResultsWe conducted interviews with 26 people with a rare disease. Ten participants had been diagnosed with a form of myositis, 8 with a primary immunodeficiency, and 8 with sarcoidosis. Time to diagnosis ranged from 6 months to 12 years (myositis), immediate to over 20 years (PID), and 6 months to 15 years (sarcoidosis). We identified four themes that described the experiences of participants with a rare disease as they sought a diagnosis for their condition: (1) normalising and/or misattributing symptoms; (2) particularising by clinicians; (3) asserting patients’ self-knowledge; and (4) working together through the diagnosable moment.ConclusionsManaging medical uncertainty in the time before diagnosis of a rare disease can be complicated by patients discounting their own symptoms and/or clinicians discounting the scale and impact of those symptoms. Persistence on the part of both clinician and patient is necessary to reach a diagnosis of a rare disease. Strategies such as recognising pattern failure and accommodating self-labelling are key to diagnosis.

Assessing the communicative experience of student orientation leaders: peer and professional

ABSTRACT The value of student peer leadership is consistent with trends in higher education. While extensive research reveals how student peer leaders benefit the overall student experience and contribute to institutional recruitment and retention, little research has considered the communicative experiences of student orientation leaders. This study focuses on the unique communicative experiences and challenges student orientation leaders encounter in their role as students and university ambassadors. Student orientation leaders function as both student leaders and university professionals; they serve as liaisons among incoming university students, parents and families, and the academic institution. This multifaceted role management creates a unique experience for student orientation leaders distinct from other paraprofessionals. Our study focuses on the perceptions of communicative experiences and the uncertainties experienced by student orientation leaders from a midsize southern university. Guided by the uncertainty management theory, the study findings reveal that student peer leaders primarily focused their communicative efforts on developing and managing relationships with fellow students; peer leaders experienced uncertainties when communicating with different groups (e.g., first-year students, transfer students, and family members) who have unique uncertainties and informational needs; finally, peer leaders developed confidence and leadership skills from the communicative interactions they experienced from serving as peer leaders on campus.

Cultural Adaptation of Indonesian Muslim Women Students in Europe

Cultural adaptability in the context of international students' intercultural communication has affected how communication works. Indonesian students, especially those who display their identity as Muslim women, have their challenges in adapting to both academic and social-cultural contexts. This study discusses the cultural adaptation of Indonesian Muslim women students to societies in Europe. All informants who are scholarship awardee students have obstacles in adapting, especially when communicating with the societies. This study aims to discover how Gudykunst’s Anxiety and Uncertainty Management theory interprets the experience phenomena around individuals in adapting to Societies in Europe through intercultural communication. The study uses a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach. Five informants in this research have gone through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation. The results of the study show that the experiences are related to academic and social experiences adapting to the local community’s culture (cultural), adapting to individual personality (sociocultural), and adapting to interpersonal perceptions (psycho-cultural). Indonesian Muslim women students need to be familiar with the local community, open to accepting differences in society, and able to interpret the meaning of accepted in intercultural communication context.

Perceptions of organizational politics and organizational commitment: role of personal motive and ability

PurposeThis study expanded previous studies on the relationship between POP (Perceptions of Organizational Politics) and OC (Organizational Commitment); and it examined the mediating effect of OCM (Organizational Concern Motive) and the moderated mediating effect of PS (Political Skills). Based on the uncertainty management and expectancy theories, the mediating role of OCM was assumed; also, the moderated mediating effect of PS was assumed, because of the effect of the POP on members' motives would vary depending on each individual's ability to respond.Design/methodology/approachTo collect the required data for analyzing the research model of this study, a questionnaire was conducted on employees of South Korean companies and institutions. To verify the hypothesis of this study, the measurement and hypothesized models were analyzed sequentially.FindingsThe results of this study indicated that the OCM mediates the relationship between POP and OC. Furthermore, the mediating effect of OCM is moderated by PS. Specifically the negative effect of the POP on the OCM was mitigated in the group with proficient PS.Research limitations/implicationsTo mitigate the negative effects of POP, this study suggests that managers should provide fair evaluation and reward based on performance, and consider PS as an important factor in employee selection and education/training.Originality/valueThis study is original in that it presents the mechanisms of both variables in terms of an individual's motive towards the organization. Furthermore, this study is valuable in that it suggests ways to mitigate the negative effects of POP through PS.

“Teetering on a Tightrope”: Uncertainty and Information Management During the Cancer Pre-Diagnosis Phase

Facing a potential cancer diagnosis can be rife with dichotomous and chaining uncertainty. This study draws from Uncertainty Management Theory and the Theory of Motivated Information Management to explore patient experiences in the pre-diagnosis phase: the time between when suspicious symptoms are observed and a positive or negative cancer diagnosis is received. Fifty-five interviews were conducted with people who underwent a cancer diagnosis process in the five years prior to the interview. Using thematic analysis, this study highlights the challenges of temporal and testing uncertainties, as well as information management strategies of avoidance, tailored experiential support, and agentic medical research.

How Chronic Pain Patients’ and Physicians’ Communication Influences Patients’ Uncertainty: A Pre- and Post-Consultation Study

Chronic pain is a health problem that is difficult to diagnose, treat, and manage, partly owing to uncertainty surrounding ambiguous causes, few treatment options, and frequent misunderstandings in clinical encounters. Pairing uncertainty management theory with medical communication competence, we predicted that both physicians and patients are influential to patients’ uncertainty appraisals and uncertainty management. We collected pre- and post-consultation data from 200 patients with chronic neck and spine/back pain and their physicians. Patients’ reports of their physician’s communication were a consistent predictor of their post-consultation uncertainty outcomes. Physicians’ reports of both their own and patients’ communication competence were associated with patients’ positive uncertainty appraisals. Physicians’ reports of patients’ communication competence were also associated with reductions in patients’ uncertainty. Findings illustrate how both interactants’ perceptions of communication competence—how they view their own (for physicians) and the other’s—are associated with patients’ post-consultation outcomes.

Crossroads on the Silk Road: accounts of a U.S.-American faculty member’s culture shock and adaptation in Uzbekistan

ABSTRACT The knowledge of and experience with culture shock and intercultural communication come under analysis in this autoethnography of a U.S.-American faculty member’s Fulbright teaching experience in Uzbekistan. As a relatively new country couched under the blanket of Russian and Chinese influence, Uzbekistan strives to shift its economy, language, and geopolitical connections toward the West. Cultural knowledge about Uzbekistan is likewise still hidden behind the Uzbek and Russian languages, leaving English speakers from the West with few resources to engage in predeparture uncertainty reduction. This manuscript chronicles the early days of a sojourn of a faculty member who had cognitive knowledge of intercultural communication concepts but had no immersion experiences in which to test her abilities to adapt. Anxiety uncertainty management theory offers some insight into the culture shock and adaptation experienced by this faculty member. The study benefits teachers who may enter this or similar cultures, teachers who instruct with an interpreter, and anyone seeking cultural information about Uzbekistan.

Bridging the expatriate and host country national knowledge transfer gap: managing interaction anxiety and uncertainty

PurposeIntegrating anxiety and uncertainty management (AUM) theory and theory of organizing, this study aims to contribute to the knowledge management literature by examining the interdependent and bidirectional nature of knowledge transfer between expatriates and host country nationals (HCNs). Specifically, the authors investigate how receivers’ cognitive response to senders’ behaviors during their interactions becomes an important conduit between senders’ behaviors and the successful transfer of knowledge.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used the actor partner interdependence model to analyze data from 107 expatriate-HCN dyads. The authors collected the responses of these expatriate-HCN dyads in Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong, Vietnam, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and India.FindingsReceivers’ interaction anxiety and uncertainty, as a response to senders’ relationship building behaviors, mediate the relationship between senders’ relationship building behaviors and successful knowledge transfer. When senders are expatriates, senders’ communication patience and relationship building behaviors interact to reduce the direct and indirect effects of both receivers’ interaction anxiety and uncertainty. However, when senders are HCNs, the moderation and moderated mediation models are not supported.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the knowledge management literature by investigating knowledge transfer between expatriates and HCNs using an interpersonal cross-cultural communication lens. The authors make refinements to AUM theory by going beyond the sender role to highlighting the interdependence between senders and receivers in the management of anxiety and uncertainty which, in turn, influences the effectiveness of cross-cultural communication. The study is also unique in that the authors underscore an important yet understudied construct, communication patience, in the successful transfer of knowledge.

An Examination of Visually Impaired Individuals’ Uncertainty Management

ABSTRACT Being visually impaired or legally blind (having vision that is uncorrectable or cannot be corrected to a legally acceptable level) is inherently uncertain. Although uncertainty can result in positive, negative, or neutral consequences, little is known about how uncertainty is experienced and negotiated in this understudied population. Thus, through in-depth, semi-structured interviews of 24 individuals with a visual impairment, we apply uncertainty management theory (UMT) to examine the communication strategies visually impaired individuals used to manage the personal, vision-related, and social uncertainty they experienced. Many participants appraised the uncertainty negatively and consequently aimed to reduce it by seeking social support and information, using instrumental strategies, and proactively disclosing their visual impairment. Interviewees who preferred to remain uncertain maintained it by avoiding thinking about their visual impairment or worsening vision and/or by concealing their low vision and passing as sighted. Last, some participants, particularly those who were born with low vision or had been visually impaired longer, learned to adapt to the uncertainty through reframing and accepting, self-care, and by turning to God. The study also uncovered that some participants’ uncertainty management was limited by ableist constraints, such as inadequate support systems, systemic barriers, and stigma. The study also underscores the universal and fluid nature of uncertainty and uncovers tangible ways individuals with visual impairment can navigate uncertainty within a pervasive cultural biomedical model of disability.

Ethically treated yet closely monitored: Ethical leadership, leaders' close monitoring, employees' uncertainty, and employees' organizational citizenship behavior

SummaryDrawing on uncertainty management theory, we propose that employees' uncertainty is a distinct key mechanism explaining the relationship between ethical leadership and employees' organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). We contend that ethical leadership, by promoting a work environment governed by moral principles, reduces employees' sense of uncertainty and thereby fosters their OCB. However, we suggest that leaders' close monitoring, which ethical leaders may utilize to be informed about employees' adherence to their moral standards, nullifies these positive implications of ethical leadership. To test these contentions, we conducted an online vignette study (Study 1) and a field study (Study 2). In Study 1, we found a significant and negative main effect of ethical leadership on employees' uncertainty, but this effect was negated when leaders' close monitoring was high. In Study 2, we replicated the findings—ethical leadership was negatively related to employees' uncertainty and this relationship became nonsignificant when leaders' close monitoring was high. In addition, uncertainty was negatively related to employees' OCB toward the organization (OCBO) but not their OCB toward individuals (OCBI). Consequently, uncertainty mediated the relationship between ethical leadership and OCBO, and this mediation was moderated by close monitoring. However, such mediation and moderated mediation did not occur for OCBI. Taken together, our research reveals that close monitoring is not a viable strategy to be implemented alongside ethical leadership for managing employees' uncertainty and fostering their OCB.

The effect of interpersonal conflict on employee behaviors: the role of perception of politics and competence uncertainty

PurposeConflict, between individuals and groups, in organizations is a common phenomenon and can have varied implication for the employee and the organization. This paper aims to determine whether experiencing interpersonal conflict drives employees to engage in prosocial behavior (prohibitive voice) and antisocial behavior (interpersonal deviance). Using Stressor–Emotion Model, Uncertainty Management Theory and Impression Management Motives, this study examines the relationship and explores competence uncertainty as a mediator and perception of politics as a moderator.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a cross-sectional design where data collected is from 386 employees working in nine different public sector enterprises in India. Structural equation modeling using SPSS AMOS was used to analyze the hypothesized relationships.FindingsThe results show that interpersonal conflict leads to both prohibitive voice behavior and interpersonal deviance. However, the mediating role of competence uncertainty is valid only for the effect of conflict on interpersonal deviance. Also, the perception of politics strengthens the positive relationship between interpersonal conflict and competence uncertainty.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first empirical studies to have validated prosocial and antisocial work behavior as outcomes of interpersonal conflict. Again, this is one of the first few studies to examine the mechanism through which interpersonal conflict impacts interpersonal deviance.

The Effect of Perceived Environmental Uncertainty on University Students' Anxiety, Academic Engagement, and Prosocial Behavior.

Uncertainty, as the predominant characteristic of the contemporary landscape, poses significant challenges and exerts profound influence on individual decision making and behaviors; however, there remains a limited understanding of its impact on university student behavior. Building upon the uncertainty management theory, this study presents a conceptual framework to investigate the impact of perceived environmental uncertainty on university students' anxiety levels and behaviors, including academic engagement and prosocial behavior. Additionally, our model proposes that the intolerance of uncertainty moderates a mediating effect on anxiety. These hypotheses are empirically tested using a sample of 221 Chinese university students. The results reveal a positive relationship between perceived environmental uncertainty and anxiety among university students; subsequently, anxiety exerts a negative influence on both academic engagement and prosocial behavior. Furthermore, we find that anxiety serves as a psychological mediator between perceived environmental uncertainty and both academic engagement and prosocial behavior. This research also underscores the significance of the intolerance of uncertainty in shaping university students' involvement in academic pursuits when confronted with anxiety stemming from perceived environmental uncertainty. Consequently, these findings have practical implications for facilitating university students' adaptive coping strategies in uncertain contexts and mitigating the negative effects of anxiety on their behavioral responses.

How and when does authentic leadership reduce employee resistance to change? An explanation from uncertainty management theory

PurposeIn the period of organizational change and transformation, the attitude of employees towards change has become a key factor in the success of organizational change. Based on the uncertainty management theory (UMT), the paper considers authentic leadership as an important antecedent of employee resistance to change and explores the mediating role of perceived uncertainty and the moderating role of uncertainty avoidance between authentic leadership and employee resistance to change.Design/methodology/approachThe paper conducted a questionnaire survey study and a scenario experimental study. In study 1, the authors collected two stages of data from 256 employees in Central China, one month apart. In study 2, the authors designed a scenario experiment and invited 130 Chinese adults to participate.FindingsThe authors find that authentic leadership can effectively reduce employee resistance to change by reducing employee perceived uncertainty. In addition, for individuals with a higher (vs lower) degree of uncertainty avoidance, the direct impact of authentic leadership on perceived uncertainty and the indirect impact of authentic leadership on resistance to change through perceived uncertainty are both stronger (vs lower).Originality/valueThe presented results reveal the mechanism between authentic leadership and employee resistance to change from cognitive perspective and depict an important step toward understanding how authentic leadership and employee uncertainty avoidance interact and how they interact with employee resistance to change.

Moderating Effects of Perceived Fairness between Job Insecurity and Outcomes in Sport during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions throughout the sport and recreation industry. Given the heightened levels of stress and uncertainty brought by the pandemic, the purposes of the current study were to (a) examine the structural relationships among job insecurity, job satisfaction, and turnover intention and (b) test the moderation effect of perceived fairness toward governmental policies and actions during the COVID-19 pandemic among these variables for employees in the sport and recreation industry. The conceptual model, including four latent variables—job insecurity, perception of fairness, job satisfaction, and turnover intention—was developed based on uncertainty management theory. A total of 321 sport and recreation managers in South Korea participated in the online survey. Results of structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that job insecurity had a partial mediating effect on turnover intention through job satisfaction. The results of the moderated mediation analysis indicated a significant difference for the path from job insecurity to job satisfaction between the group with high fairness perceptions and the group with low fairness perceptions. However, the direction of the effect was contrary to expectations. These results provided an opportunity for empirical examination of the psychological and mental health conditions of sport service employees and relevant implications for governmental policies and actions under conditions of uncertainty, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vaccine confidence in New Zealand: understanding the influences of demographic characteristics and patient self-advocacy

ABSTRACT Based on uncertainty management theory, this study examined the extent to which demographic factors and patient self-advocacy predict COVID-19 vaccine confidence in New Zealand. Based on a nationally representative sample of 1852 New Zealanders, the results revealed various demographic factors and belief in one’s ability to get vaccinated were significant predictors of vaccine confidence. Additionally, patient self-advocacy was a significant predictor of confidence, with individuals who seek out more information having more confidence and those who are more prone to nonadherence to provider instructions having less confidence. Implications for uncertainty management theory, vaccine confidence, patient self-advocacy, and public communication campaigns during pandemics are discussed.

Navigating uncertainty: exploring festival and community events’ crisis management in three North American countries

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic affected many industries, including the organisation of community events. One of the main consequences of the pandemic has been ongoing uncertainty. Defining and managing uncertainty is complex and has been explored from different angles; however, little has been written from the perspective of event and festival organisations. This study employs qualitative interviews with festival organisers in Mexico, the United States and Canada at two points during the pandemic. Based on Uncertainty Management Theory, we conducted a thematic and comparative analysis where the main objective was to explore how event organisers experienced uncertainty, which allowed us to identify causes, feelings, management, and consequences of uncertainty experienced by interviewees. We identified four pathways that describe the ways event organisers experienced uncertainty. The knowledge gained may provide insight into uncertainty in various recreation and tourism management contexts.