華人的組織上行影響研究：檢視台灣組織中的上行影響模式

A Study of Chinese Upward Communication in Organizations: An Examination of Taiwan's Organizations

學者Waldron（1999）對近廿多年來上行影響策略之研究進行了詳細之檢閱，Waldron在此份文獻回顧中指出了未來上行影響研究應走的方向，他發現在這廿多年來之上行影響研究中，主要理論及影響模式皆是建構於西方文化的架構上，而這些上行影響之概念及理論模式是否適用於其他文化是值得研究的方向。本研究的主要目的是從中國文化的觀點檢視台灣組織中部屬所採用的上行影響策略及其影響因素。本研究採用深度訪談的方式來收集資料，共訪談了101個台灣組織中的部屬，研究結果導出了以下三個結論：（1）就本研究所預期的，本研究的受訪者很少採用負面的上行影響策略，可是當受訪者必須採用負面的上行策略時，大部分時候都不會單獨使用而是搭配正面的上行策略一起使用，以求在說服的過程中沒有犧牲了上下司之間的關係。（2）本研究的受訪者使用正面的上行影響策略其頻率遠大於負面的上行影響策略，然而，本研究發現，受訪者在使用正面的上行影響策略時，其種類更為多樣，而且使用的模式更為細緻，這樣的發現與華人屬於高情境文化的價值觀頗為吻合。（3）如本研究的假設所預測，受訪者使用理性／邏輯策略的頻率與西方社會一樣的頻繁，然而，如同使用正面的上行影響策略時一樣，其種類更為多樣而使用的模式更為細緻，而且，不少在理性／邏輯這一大類的策略是西方文獻所從未出現的策略。整體而言，本研究發現，文化價值觀確實深深導引著組織成員的上行影響行為。

In adopting the Chinese cultural perspective, the objectives of this study are to examine the upward influence strategies adopted by the Chinese in Taiwan's organizations, as well as how the use of influence strategies is affected by the importance of the influence episodes. 101 intensive interviews were conducted, from which 112 upward influence episodes were identified. Three conclusions are reached: (1) Even though Chinese rarely adopted negatively- oriented strategies solely in upward communication, they are often used in combination with other positive strategies to ensure that the relationship with superiors is not jeopardized. (2) The fact of the Chinese preferred to use positively-oriented strategies in upward communication is confirmed by the high frequency of positive strategies used in the study. The results furthermore indicated that not only a greater variety of positive strategies have been used, but also these strategies have been applied in a more delicate manner, which is consistent with the situation-centered characteristic of the Chinese culture. (3) As expected, the strategies of logic used in upward communication are just as often as in the Western societies; however, some specific strategies in the logic group have never been discussed in previous Western literature.