Abstract

This paper proposes a quantitative investigation of workplace communication as a determinant of employee stress and job satisfaction in Indian organizations, with psychological well-being positioned as a mediating variable. Drawing primarily on Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) theory and Hofstede’s cultural dimensions framework, the study extends a direct-effects model by proposing that communication quality may influence employee outcomes partly through psychological well-being. Inadequate, ambiguous, delayed, or overly demanding communication is conceptualised as a job demand that can increase strain, whereas clear, supportive, participative, and feedback-oriented communication is conceptualised as a job resource that can strengthen psychological functioning and job attitudes. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey is proposed involving 280 full-time employees from manufacturing, information technology, and service organizations in India. Workplace communication will be assessed using an adapted Downs and Hazen Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire; stress using the Perceived Stress Scale; job satisfaction using an adaptation of Spector’s Job Satisfaction Survey; and psychological well-being using a validated multidimensional measure based on Ryff’s framework. Data will be examined through descriptive statistics, reliability and validity assessment, correlations, regression, and mediation analysis using bootstrapped indirect effects. The proposed model tests whether psychological well-being mediates the relationships between workplace communication and employee stress and between workplace communication and job satisfaction. The study contributes an integrated, culturally informed framework linking communication, psychological well-being, stress, and job satisfaction in Indian organizations.