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ACTIVE LISTENING: IS IT THE FORGOTTEN DIMENSION IN MANAGERIAL

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 International Journal of Listening

ISSN: 1090-4018 (Print) 1932-586X (Online) Journal homepage: https://tandfonline.com/loi/hijl20

ACTIVE LISTENING: IS IT THE FORGOTTEN

DIMENSION IN MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION?

Inga Jona Jonsdottir & Kristrun Fridriksdottir

To cite this article: Inga Jona Jonsdottir & Kristrun Fridriksdottir (2019): ACTIVE LISTENING: IS
IT THE FORGOTTEN DIMENSION IN MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION?, International Journal of
Listening, DOI: 10.1080/10904018.2019.1613156

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International Journal of Listening, 0: 1–11, 2019
Copyright © International Listening Association
ISSN: 1090-4018 print / 1932-586X online
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10904018.2019.1613156

ACTIVE LISTENING: IS IT THE FORGOTTEN

DIMENSION IN MANAGERIAL COMMUNICATION?
Inga Jona Jonsdottir and Kristrun Fridriksdottir
School of Business, University of Iceland

The study seeks to obtain an understanding of managers’ perceptions of active listening as

a management tool and to explore how they experience their own execution of the phenomenon.
Qualitative research was conducted with eight line managers, from eight different organizations, and
a thematic analysis was performed. Findings reveal positive attitudes towards active listening as an
important management tool. Besides organizational benefit, the managers experienced increased
sense of well-being at work. For them, active listening demonstrates respect and focused attention.
Fairly good knowledge was indicated in preparing and sensing techniques of the active listening
process. The respondents were less skilled and less confident regarding the responding stage.

INTRODUCTION

In the leadership literature, there is consensus that effective communication is a critical factor in
successful management and of particular importance for leading subordinates through changing
and challenging contexts (Barrett, 2010; Heifetz & Linsky, 2002; Lloyd, Boer, Keller, & Voelpel,
2015; Thompson, 2011). Scholars argue that effective leadership communication is an important
part of employees’ work-related well-being, as well as the well-being of managers and specialists
(Ala-Kortesmaa & Isotalus, 2015; Mineyama, Tsutsumi, Takao, Nishiuchi, & Kawakami, 2007).
Purdy (1997) defines communication as a two-dimensional phenomenon: speaking (expression)
and listening (reception). He describes listening as the forgotten dimension of communication
(Purdy, 1997). Thompson (2011, p. 11) remarks: “Communication is such a well-integrated part
of our day-to-day existence that we tend to take it for granted, rarely pausing to consider what it
involves or just how important it is to us.” He also cites Fiske (1990, p viii), who wrote:
“Communication is too often taken for granted when it should be taken to pieces.” Thompson
points out that we need to recognize that communication is a broad term. If we want to construct
effective communication for managing practice and people successfully, we need to take it to
pieces and work with each and every dimension of the phenomenon.
Traditionally, managerial work studies have mainly been focusing on the dissemination of
information, both regarding volume of information and the choice of media channel. In
addition, the focus has been on managers’ spoken communication activities and how much of

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Inga Jona Jonsdottir, School of Business, University
of Iceland, Saemundargata 2, 101, Reykjavik, Iceland. E-mail: ingajona@hi.is
2 JONSDOTTIR AND FRIDRIKSDOTTIR

the managers’ work time it took up (Arman, Wikström & Dellve, 2013; Mintzberg, 2009;
Tengblad, 2006). According to Sharifirad (2013), listening has been taken for granted as an
aspect of managerial communication and interaction between supervisor and subordinates.
Further, Welch and Mickelson (2013) maintain, on the basis of their research, that listening
competencies are critical in effective managerial communication.
Recently, the term active listening or active-empathetic listening, in relation to managers or
supervisors and their subordinates, has received increased attention among researchers (Arman,
Wikström & Dellve, 2013; Lloyd et al., 2015). At its core, active listening is a higher form of
listening to gain a deeper understanding of the message and the context. It has been used
effectively in a wide variety of disciplines such as counseling, therapy, and health care
(Fassaert, van Dulmen, Schellevis, & Bensing, 2007). Following previous literature,
Drollinger, Comer, and Warrington (2006) adapted and applied the concept to salespeople.
However, Lloyd et al. (2015) argue that there is a deficiency of empirically based literature on
managers’ implementation of active listening in various managerial work practices. A review of
the literature revealed that most of the empirical studies to be found regarding managers’ or
supervisors’ active listening to their subordinates were quantitative studies about the impact of
supervisors’ active listening and subordinates’ mental health and well-being at work. Purdy
(2010, p. 36) argues that to understand the phenomenon of listening we require qualitative
research projects which explore human experience “in situations of receptivity or listening”.
Our study seeks to obtain an understanding of managers’ attitudes and perceptions of active
listening as a management tool and explore their narratives of how they experience their own
execution of the phenomenon. The study examines implications that might contribute to
a foundation for further research on managers’ listening-centered communication skills in the
role of leading and handling human resource management (HRM) and conflict management.
Further, the implications might help a workplace to design strategic training and development
programmes which will support managers’ active-empathetic listening skills.

ACTIVE LISTENING – A TWO-SIDED PHENOMENON

Most definitions of active listening or active-empathetic listening build on Rogers‘ (1959, p. 210)
definition of active listening, which was “…the ability to perceive the internal frame of another with
accuracy, and with the emotional components and meanings… as if one were the other person”.
Purdy (1997, p. 8) uses the words conscious and effective listening which could be
translated to active listening. He writes about the power this kind of listening can provide in
interacting with others in personal and professional situations, stating:
We all learn to listen naturally with little striving as we mature, but learning to listen consciously
takes extra effort. Becoming a conscious listener will make you more sensitive to the needs of the
listener (audience) and hence, improve your competence as a speaker (p. 2).

Mineyama et al. (2007) use the term active listening in relation to supervisors’ listening-
centered communication. They define active listening as a two-sided phenomenon. Firstly,
active listening is based on attitude, stemming from the listener’s perspective or conviction.
Secondly, active listening is the use of certain technical skills. They describe the attitude which
shapes conduct and behavior during active listening as an interest in the speaker’s ideas and
 ACTIVE LISTENING 3

messages together with respect and empathy towards the speaker. One example of what they
consider technical aspects is physical expression, such as eye contact to create relationships and
transmit messages of interest and caring. Another example is the use of open, demanding
questions to obtain clearer, more precise descriptions from the speaker and persuade him or her
to consider and explain. Technical skills also involve the use of silence, which may encourage
further communication, contemplation, repetition, and revision, which may ensure correct
understanding and direct attention to certain aspects.

The stages of the active listening process

Brownell (1994, 2010, 2013) formulated the main points of the process of listening-
centered communication in a model she calls HURIER. According to that model, the
process of active listening has six stages. The first stage begins when the individual has
to decide where to focus his/her attention and to exclude potential interference or
disturbance. He/she must hear what the speaker says. The next stage is to comprehend
the speaker’s message as a whole. This involves listening to what is being said to the
end without interrupting while at the same time ensuring a correct interpretation of the
utterance. The third stage is to be able to recall information contained in the message,
which places a strain on both short-term and long-term memory. Various aids can be
used at this stage, such as jotting down memos or making use of visual memory. At the
fourth stage of active listening, messages are interpreted. The non-verbal elements are
noted, reading between the lines or assessing what has been left unsaid. Here, social
sensitivity and empathy may be put to the test. The fifth stage is evaluating the message.
Judgment and experience are helpful when assessing the precision and correctness of the
information carried in the message, such as fundamental premises, the credibility of the
source, logic, and reasoning. A special effort should be made to maintain objectivity and
minimize the impact of emotional appeal (of the speaker to the listener). The last stage
in the process of active listening is the outcome, or the result: how the supervisor as
a listener decides to respond to the speaker.
Drollinger et al. (2006) wrote about three stages of active listening in the context of salespeople.
The first stage, according to Drollinger et al. (2006), is the sensing stage. Here the words are heard,
but the listener also implies that he/she is truly listening through the use of body language, gestures,
and other nonverbal acknowledgments. The second stage, the interpreting stage, is the processing
stage where cognitive operations of the one who is listening are maintained. Here, the listener
evaluates the true meaning behind the received message and has to do this at the same time as the
message is being sensed. The last stage is the responding stage, where the listener indicates to the
speaker that the message has been received and how events will continue.
Taking a stand in the review of previous literature, especially the conceptual frame-
work of Brownell’s HURIER model, we will explore managers’ experiences of what
many consider to be a neglected dimension in managerial communication. The aim is to
further our understanding of managers’ attitudes and behavior when performing active
listening in management and HR practices. For this purpose, the following two research
questions guide our research:
4 JONSDOTTIR AND FRIDRIKSDOTTIR

RQ1: How do managers as supervisors perceive and interpret active listening as part of their
managerial communication?
RQ2: What are managers as supervisors doing when they consider themselves to be using
active listening?

METHOD

Design and procedure

The study has been conducted as a qualitative case study of eight line managers from eight
different organizations. A qualitative research approach was well suited as we wanted to
explore the phenomenon of active listening from the viewpoint and lived experiences of
those being researched, i.e., the line managers responsible for people management and super-
vision of their subordinates (Creswell, 2007; Merriam, 2009). We wanted to explore the active
listening process as they described it and analyze it through the lens of conceptual and
theoretical frameworks, such as the definition of Mineyama et al. (2007), Brownell’s (2013)
HURIER model and the three-stage model of Drollinger et al. (2006).
The selection of the eight participating line managers was purposeful. Differences in gender,
age, and experience as manager were sought, and we also decided to cover both private and
public sector organizations. It was a convenience sampling as the participants were chosen from
organizations in the capital area of Iceland which made access to them advantageous for the
researchers. To request their participation in the research, the target managers were initially
contacted by email, after which the research project was then formally explained to them in an
introductory letter. Complete confidentiality and professionalism were promised in the handling
of and writing about interview data.
Five managers worked in public organizations, within health care, social services, and
a research unit, and one was head of a finance department. Three were managers in privately
owned companies, i.e., two worked in finance companies and one was a manager in an export
company. Two were senior line managers, five were middle line managers and one was a front-
line manager. The participants were four women and four men, aged 35 to 62. All had an
academic educational background. Formal learning or training in active listening was not
a criterion in the choice of the participants. However, it appeared during the interviews that
some managers had academic knowledge of the phenomenon from a formal education, though
only one had attended a programme where some training had taken place. Some had attended
brief communication courses, where active listening did not feature as a specific topic. Most of
the participants were experienced managers, averaging nearly six years in their position. The span
of control was from 10 up to 40 subordinates. When the interviewees’ comments are brought up
and referred to in analysis and writing, the researchers decided to use the following pseudonyms
to secure confidentiality: Anna, Bjarni, Dora, Elin, Finnur, Gudny, Helgi and Ingvar.
Data were collected with semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The interview framework was
constructed on the basis of the two research questions. It included open-ended questions which
provided the interviewed managers with the opportunity to describe their own perception and
 ACTIVE LISTENING 5

experiences of the phenomenon (e.g., how they understood and defined active listening, the
importance of active listening in their job and for themselves, and the possible barriers they
experienced when performing it) and simultaneously to reflect on those experiences and to
discuss their ideas and opinions (Brinkmann & Kvale, 2015; Esterberg, 2002). Then, we asked
the interviewees to describe and give examples of their own actions when dealing with people
management, when they considered themselves to be using active listening. Here, we asked
follow-up questions guided by Brownell’s HURIER model.
All the interviews were conducted by one of the two researchers from February to
April 2017. They were recorded and then transcribed by the same researcher. Each interview
lasted approximately 45 to 60 minutes. They were conducted at the interviewees’ workplaces
during working hours, either in their office or in a meeting room.

Data analysis

Analysis of the data was supported by coding and developing themes (i.e., a general patterning
of meaning). Thematic analysis is based on a number of steps (Clarke & Braun, 2016). We first
identified coding categories by moving iteratively between our chosen conceptual and theore-
tical framework and our interview data. Then, we used open coding to identify the key elements
(concepts and quotations) relevant to our research questions and the dimensions of the
theoretical framework. After that, each researcher earmarked potential themes, and then we
worked together in order to reduce, refine and finally select which themes should appear in our
final analysis and writings.

FINDINGS

The meaning of active listening to the managers

Our first research question focused on how the interviewed managers understood and assessed
active listening as a management instrument in their job when dealing with HRM. When asked
to define and talk about their understanding and meaning of active listening to their subordi-
nates, three themes emerged: focus, respect, and objectivity. Helgi expressed it like this:
… you are really paying attention to what the person is saying, but not thinking of something
else … I feel this shows a certain kind of respect … and it is this active listening, giving people the
opportunity to express themselves, and not cutting them short by changing the subject or something
like that.

As Helgi points out, focused attention is seen as a sign of respect. Bjarni felt the same way and
said it was important for a manager to be aware of his/her own situation and trying to
understand other people’s point of view. Elin made the point that understanding the person
you are talking to does not necessarily mean that you agree with him/her. Finnur was of the
same opinion, saying that active listening involved allowing the person concerned “… to
express his or her feelings, regardless of what you think”. In the same vein as Finnur, both
Anna and Elin mentioned that sometimes conversations with subordinates were mainly about
listening to them to help them find relief from anxiety. Elin made the point that in staff
6 JONSDOTTIR AND FRIDRIKSDOTTIR

interviews the topics were often of an emotional nature, “… people often need to … just get
things off their chest so that they can get back to work”. Anna put this well when she said: “…
sometimes people just need to find an outlet … when they realize that you are really listening …
this is sometimes enough, you don’t have to do anything.”

The benefit from active listening

All the participants agreed on the importance of active listening for the organizational
activity in general. Some commented that active listening was significantly underestimated in
the context of management. Ingvar said:
… managers are of course involved in a lot of communication …
this is all about cooperation and people working together …
all communication should include active listening, it has a key role
in all companies.

Finnur mentioned that active listening is constantly gaining value in times of digital technology,
where face-to-face contact is in retreat. He said:
… in a world where there is a lot of electronic communication, the [face-to-face] conversations you
have become more precious all the time, considering that there you have the opportunity of
interpreting much more than merely the spoken word, but how it is … and there you can respond
right away.

What was important for some of the interviewed managers was their own sense of well-being at
work when listening attentively to their subordinates and allowing them to express their
feelings and opinions. Dora pointed out that active listening helped her to become better
informed about personnel issues and thus made her more competent to deal with work-
related tasks. Elin said she felt that the better informed she was, the more control she has
over circumstances:
I just generally feel better if I understand things better .. then I feel I am in control … know what is
going on and I can make plans, both subconscious plans and the plans one must make at work.

What are managers doing when they consider themselves to be using active listening?

Eliminate interruptions and use body language

When the interviewees described and reflected upon how they perform active listening with
their subordinates, most of them emphasized the importance of eliminating all kinds of inter-
ference or interruption in their surroundings so that they could focus completely on the speaker. “I
put an ‘engaged’ sign on the door,” one said, or “I close the office door,” said another, as a sign of
not wanting to be disturbed. One interviewee also brought up never turning towards the computer,
as a sign that your full attention is on the speaker and the conversation. These points refer to the
sending of non-verbal messages. Some also mentioned that their open, relaxed posture made it
both easier for them to focus on the speaker and signaled that they were listening.
 ACTIVE LISTENING 7

Ensure a common understanding

The interviewees all agreed on the importance of ensuring the joint understanding of both
partners in an interview. They mentioned the use of open questions to elicit certain information
and guide the conversation in the right direction. Some mentioned that they sought further
clarification by asking for the other person’s opinion. Elin and Ingvar said they had experienced
situations where they thought the parties had arrived at a common understanding, until the
opposite dawned on them. Elin said she was amazed by the kinds of misunderstanding that
could occur. She emphasized the importance of strategic questions to sharpen the shared under-
standing. Anna said: “It is absolutely incredible how differently people experience situations,
depending on who they are and where they come from.” Dora and Finnur said it was especially
important to ensure full comprehension when dealing with employees from abroad.

Reading between the lines, estimating and responding

All the participants said that when having face-to-face conversations or interviews with their
subordinates they paid attention to the body language and conduct in order to interpret the
message. Many of the interviewees pointed out how important it was to listen for what was not
directly said when interpreting the entire meaning of a message. Bjarni put it this way: “I both
listen to how the person concerned expresses himself/herself and I listen to what the person has
to say … but I also listen for what is left unsaid.”
Most of the managers agreed that when assessing arguments and truthfulness, building on
one’s earlier acquaintance, information and own experience regarding an interviewee was to be
recommended, especially with regard to behavior patterns and general ability. Anna mentioned
that in certain cases she investigated an interviewee’s relationship with others. Finnur agreed.
He said he tried to evaluate arguments and trustworthiness on the basis of an overall assessment
of the person concerned and what he knew about the matter under discussion.
However, the interviewees found it hard to assess their own objectivity. They spoke of trying
to maintain objectivity and remain aware of their own position. Finnur said he sometimes had
a subjective attitude until he was able to acquaint himself with the matter. He said he was,
however, willing to listen to different points of view and that he tried to be flexible in his views
if arguments pointed in a certain direction. Dora admitted having problems remaining objective
towards employees who were constantly causing trouble. She was critical of herself, however,
and said she realized she must tread carefully in such relationships.
The managers agreed that circumstances affected their responses to employees’ messages.
Finnur said:
… in a difficult interview with a subordinate, you need to assess the situation to a certain degree on
each occasion; what is the emotional state of the person in question, is this a highly serious
interview and how does the person involved react? This all depends on how you control the
individual in question if you feel things are getting too emotional.

Dora said it could depend on the person concerned how she reacted, especially in difficult
cases. Helgi agreed: “It has something to do with your experience of the person concerned …
and depends to a certain extent on your relationship with the staff member in question.” Some
mentioned that it also depended on circumstances whether their response was characterized by
8 JONSDOTTIR AND FRIDRIKSDOTTIR

firmness or caution. They said that in certain situations it was necessary to show firmness and
place limits upon subordinates. Helgi stated: “My responses are rather cautious and this is
based on long experience. If I consider it necessary to criticize some aspect I go about it in
a cautious manner.”

DISCUSSION

This study demonstrates an answer to the overall underlying question, i.e., whether active-
empathetic listening is the forgotten dimension or “taken for granted” side of managerial
communication in business organizations (see for example Purdy, 1997; Sharifirad, 2013;
Thompson, 2011). Our data clearly show that this may not be the situation today. The
interviewed line managers’ attitudes were positive and so was their notion of active listening
as an important people management tool. For them, active listening to subordinates demon-
strates first and foremost respect and focused attention. Referring to a changing work context,
with increasingly digital communication, diversity, and virtual teamwork, the interviewees
pointed out that face-to-face communication, where active listening plays a key role, enhances
understanding and builds relationships, trust and support in search of problem solutions. One of
the interviewed managers concluded that active listening skills should be emphasized in all
companies. This change is in line with arguments of scholars like Brownell (2013) and Purdy
(1997) who emphasized that the appropriate cognitive attitude towards listening plays a key
role and makes it part of an effective and conscious communication.
Besides organizational benefit, the managers also recognized their own private benefit as
an increased sense of well-being at work. As one manager said: “I just generally feel better if
I understand things better… then I feel I am in control… [I] know what is going on and I can
make plans…” This is in line with Ala-Kortesmaa and Isotalus (2015), who found indications
of a positive relationship between professional listening competence and attorneys’ subjective
sense of well-being at work. The line manager’s job involves now increased scope of
responsibilities and demands (McConville, 2006; Whittaker & Marchington, 2003).
However, too few studies have focused on managers’ work-related well-being (Bernin,
2002; Björklund, Lohela-Karlsson, Jensen, & Bergström, 2013), especially in relation to
managerial communication style.
Our second research question focuses on what managers are doing when they consider
themselves to be using active listening. Our findings paint the picture of a manager with a fairly
good knowledge and technical skills when it comes to what Drollinger et al. (2006) referred to
as the sensing stage of active listening. Looking through the lens of Brownell’s HURIER
model, which was our primary guide for our interviews and interpretation, the managers’
narratives indicate technical skills in eliminating all kinds of distractions and interruptions,
using eye contact and body posture, asking questions and taking notes, i.e., in the process of
hearing, understanding and remembering. By allowing the employee (the subordinate) to
express his/her feelings and messages, while keeping their own preconceived opinions and
prejudice under control, the managers reveal sensitivity and the desire to be empathetic
 ACTIVE LISTENING 9

listeners. These are noteworthy cognitive attempts and correlate with the interpreting stage or
component in the HURIER model. However, it is difficult from our data to certify whether the
managers follow those cognitive operations intentionally.
We detected some signs of the interviewed managers’ critical listening as an attempt to
investigate arguments, behavior patterns and relationships in order to evaluate the speaker’s
credibility. Furthermore, according to Brownell (2013), the responding process is chiefly
determined by two main factors, i.e., the circumstances and the purpose of listening. The
interviewed managers agreed that circumstances and previous knowledge about the person
in question affected their response and reaction. Brownell (2013) pointed out that the choice
of response style is of critical importance, because this relates to how the employee’s or
subordinate’s judgment is formed regarding the quality of the manager’s listening. Our data
give reason to conclude that the interviewed managers are to some extent less knowledge-
able, less skilled and therefore also less confident with regard to the important responding
stage. We found similar indications when it comes to the evaluating component in the
active listening process.
Scholars assume that attitude and technical skills may be enhanced by means of strategic
learning and competence development (see for example Brownell, 2010, 2013; Cooper, 1997;
Lloyd, Boer, Kluger, & Voelpel, 2015). Only limited research has been carried out with regard to
strategic training of managers in active listening or relevant learning methods (Brownell, 2010;
Cooper, 1997; Kubota, Mishima, & Nagata, 2004; Nishiuchi, Tsutsumi, Takao, Mineyama, &
Kawakami, 2007; Wolvin & Coakley, 1991).
The appropriate willingness, consciousness and skilled behavior of a manager as an active
listener is not something that can be taken for granted. Purdy (1997, p. 2) wrote that “…learning to
listen consciously takes extra effort”. Our findings suggest that organizational support (e.g., training
and development programmes) could help to enhance a manager’s consciousness and technical
listening-centered skills in all components of the HURIER model. Following this suggestion, the
organizations could reap effective communicators, which according to Brownell (2013) are first
and foremost effective listeners.
The limitation of this research is that it is only based on data from eight interviews with
line managers. Although this qualitative case-study approach and interview data can provide
us with a valuable insight into what line managers perceive when reflecting on this
frequently overlooked side of communication, the interviewees’ perceptions and self-
reported active listening performance might present some drawbacks. They might use
theoretical knowledge to improve their descriptions of real situations and perhaps hide
their own inadequacy or insecurity. Richer data from additional qualitative research
approaches, such as participation observations or shadowing line managers in certain HR
practices, will provide some of the missing parts needed to enlarge and complete the
picture.

ORCID

Inga Jona Jonsdottir http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3755-5152

10 JONSDOTTIR AND FRIDRIKSDOTTIR

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