Abstract
The paper describes a study of how three multi-unit service organizations cope with contingent problems in the context of contrasting strategy and structure configurations. The study examines the role of the multi-unit manager through the medium of communication. Six communication variables are measured through a diary method. Both organizational and individual variables were measured. Although the organizations could be differentiated by two communication variables most of the variance was accounted for by the human capital of the multi-unit managers. The portrait than emerges is of a rather messy role which has the task of containing uncertainty and preventing it from rising up the hierarchy.