The current status of productivity and motivation research, particularly as they relate to communication studies and climate studies, is delineated in this paper, largely by a review of literature in these areas. In the section following the introduction, the problems of defining productivity and its relation to performance and communication are addressed. The next section discusses the various theories of motivation, including arousal, expectance, and equity theories. The following section reviews the three major perspectives on corporate climate. The final section makes several recommendations for future research that focuses upon the relationships among motivation, productivity, and climate and calls for the consideration of some factors often neglected by researchers. (JL)