A study examined the notion that employees' perceptions of communication between an organization's top managers and its employees influences certain key organizational variables in differing and predictable ways. Specifically, the study investigated whether employees' perceptions of top management communication were related to their job satisfaction and job performance and whether their communication relationships with their immediate supervisors were more strongly related to their satisfaction and performance than their communication relationships with top managers. Subjects, 327 nurses, completed modified versions of the Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Job Description Index, and a job performance evaluation questionnaire. Results indicate that employees' perceptions of top management communication are positively related to their job satisfaction, and to a lesser extent, to their job performance. The findings confirm the belief that employees' perceptions of their communication activities with their immediate supervisors is of primary importance; however, top management communication appears to have a simultaneous and substantial impact on employees' work attitudes and job performance. (FL)