Perception of communication satisfaction and its impact on employee organizational commitment in two multinational supermarkets chains: an Argentine case

Purpose This study aims to examine the relationship between communication satisfaction experienced by employees in two leading multinational retailers operating in Argentina and their organizational commitment. Specifically, it identifies which communication approaches best explain or predict employees’ affective and continuance commitment to their organization. Design/methodology/approach The research model combines an adapted and translated version of Downs and Hazen’s communication satisfaction questionnaire as the independent variable and the affective and continuous components of organizational commitment based on Meyer and Allen´s three-component model as the dependent variables. This empirical and causal study surveyed 372 store employees from a French and a Spanish international supermarket chains in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires. Findings The results indicate that formal communication management has the greatest impact on affective commitment (AC), while communication with supervisors is also significant, albeit to a lesser extent. Furthermore, these insights reveal that improving formal communication practices is a key resource for managers seeking to influence store employees’ AC in Argentina’s dynamic and challenging retail landscape. Originality/value This pioneering study fills a knowledge gap in organizational communication literature, offering valuable region-specific insights to improve communication satisfaction and commitment among Latin America retail store employees, thereby informing evidence-based management practices.