Relationships between work values, communication satisfaction, and employee job performance : The case of international joint ventures in Iran

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between work values (cognitive, instrumental, social, and prestige), communication satisfaction (informational and relational), and employee job performance (task and contextual) in the context of international joint ventures (IJVs) in Iran. Design/methodology/approach – Validated measurement items for study variables were adopted from previous studies. Data were collected through surveys using a random sample of employees and their direct supervisors from the two largest IJVs in Iran’s automobile industry. Findings – According to the results, cognitive, instrumental, and prestige work values had significant effects on informational communication satisfaction. All dimensions of work values (cognitive, instrumental, social, and prestige) were significantly related to relational communication satisfaction. Both dimensions of communication satisfaction (informational and relational) were significantly related to both dimensions of employee job performance (contextual and task). Research limitations/implications – Data were collected from two IJVs in Iran, which may limit the generalization of results to non-IJVs in Iran. The results have important implications for IJV managers by providing valuable insights into adopting various effective tools in the workplace. Originality/value – Previous studies have generally considered work values as a two-dimensional construct. This study extends the literature by conceptualizing work values based on four dimensions (cognitive, instrumental, social, and prestige). No study has taken into consideration social and prestige values in an Asian context. In addition, few studies have investigated the relationships between work values and communication satisfaction.