a communication

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milan2003_07

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Hi,



"How subordinates view a communication from their manager is affected by their evaluation of the manager"


This sentence has been taken from a book about relationships between employees and employers. I'd like to ask you what "communication" means here and why it is used as a countable noun with an article. Is it the same as "message" written on paper and containing some information? What does "view" mean here? The same as "think about"? Does "evaluation" mean "attitude"?



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SoothingDave

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A communication in this sense is any form of information exchange with the manager. Email, verbal, written, etc.

What this is saying in fancy words is that how employees feel about getting a message from the boss depends on their thoughts and opinions about the boss.

With a good manager, you might welcome his thoughts on any subject. With a bad manager, you might see his name on an email and think to yourself "what does this bozo want now?"
 

azcl

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***Not a teacher***

Hi,
"How subordinates view a communication from their manager is affected by their evaluation of the manager"

You have asked three questions. Firstly:

I'd like to ask you what "communication" means here and why it is used as a countable noun with an article.

In my opinion, it could refer to any means by which the manager has communicated with the subordinate. It could be email, text, a written message, possibly even voicemail etc. I believe an exception to this is direct speech - I don't think this would be referred to as 'a communication', but I am not totally sure and would appreciate other members of the forum commenting on this.

Secondly:
What does "view" mean here?

I would take this to mean 'whether the employee considers the communication favourably, unfavourably etc'. Or simply, how they 'feel' about it.

Thirdly:
Does "evaluation" mean "attitude"?

Not quite. It means their assessment of the manager. For example, if the subordinate considers his or her manager to be kind, thoughtful, annoying, professional, worthy of respect etc. These opinions would constitute their 'evaluation' of their manager.

Ade
 

milan2003_07

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Secondly:

I would take this to mean 'whether the employee considers the communication favourably, unfavourably etc'. Or simply, how they 'feel' about it.

Thirdly:

Not quite. It means their assessment of the manager. For example, if the subordinate considers his or her manager to be kind, thoughtful, annoying, professional, worthy of respect etc. These opinions would constitute their 'evaluation' of their manager.

Ade


So can I say that "evaluation" is "opinion"? Their evaluation of the manager is their OPINION about him?
 

azcl

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So can I say that "evaluation" is "opinion"? Their evaluation of the manager is their OPINION about him?

Yes, although I would say that an evaluation is their opinion based on an assessment of their manager's qualities. In other words 'evaluation' carries with it a sense of working something out (you can, for example, evaluate a mathematical sum). The subordinate observes their manager's qualities and in the light of these, comes to an opinion based on the evidence.

Ade
 
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