Competing values instruments for analyzing written and spoken management messages

Abstract

This article revieios research leading to a Competing Values Model for Management Communication and provides instruments for evaluating managerial writing and speaking based on that model. Developed through empirical research by Quinn, Hildebrandt, Rogers, and Thompson (1991), the Competing Values Model for Communication illustrates the interplay between contrasting qualities in management messages. Instruments based on this model allow users to analyze the extent to which these qualities characterize their written and spoken presentations. By collecting analytical data from superiors, subordinates, and peers, a manager may compare his/her self-assessment with the assessments of others. Methods for interpreting the data include suggestions for developing action plans. The article concludes with a discussion of other potential applications of the instruments to communication research and pedagogy in managerial contexts. © 1993 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.