Supported Supervisors Are More Supportive,but Why? A Multilevel Study of Mechanisms and Outcomes

This study examines organizational support theory as it extends to supervisor support by (1) testing two explanations for the relationship between supervisors’ perceived organizational support and their supportive supervision and (2) examining perceived supervisor support in relation to subordinate performance and commitment. Multisource survey data from a correctional facility, with a matched sample of 51 supervisors and 283 subordinates, were collected. Multilevel structural equation modeling was used for analysis. Supervisors were more supportive when they felt supportive treatment was preferred by the organization and less supportive when they felt obligated to help the organization. Perceived supervisor support was associated with subordinate performance and commitment at the subordinate level (i.e., among employees reporting to the same supervisor) but not at the supervisor level (i.e., across supervisor-follower groups). Employees who feel supported by their supervisor perform better and are more committed to their employer. To encourage supervisor support, organizations should both model support to supervisors and communicate the expectation for supervisor support. Supervisors who feel obligated to reciprocate to a supportive organization may be less inclined to support their subordinates. This study examines the prevailing, yet untested, mechanism (felt obligation) used to explain the relationship between supervisor’s perceptions of organizational support and their supportive supervision, as well as an alternative explanation based on social information processing. The study provides a nuanced multilevel analysis of perceived supervisor support as related to subordinate outcomes and extends previous models by including subordinate withdrawal and commitment.     

Anger and Gender Effects in Observed Supervisor-Subordinate Dyadic Interactions

This study investigates the effects of a supervisor's anger and supervisor's and subordinate's gender on evaluations made by observers of interacting supervisor-subordinate dyads. In a laboratory experiment, 370 undergraduates viewed one of eight video-tapes representing the conditions of the 2 (gender of supervisor) × 2 (gender of subordinate) × 2 (presence or absence of anger) design and then completed evaluations of the supervisor and the subordinate. A field study using 265 employees from three organizations replicated the laboratory results. In spite of constant dialogue in the interactions across all eight conditions, supervisors expressing anger were rated lower and female supervisors were rated higher by observers. Subordinates were rated higher when interacting with an angry supervisor and when interacting with a male supervisor. Main effects of supervisor's gender may reflect over-evaluation of unexpected, albeit average, performance. The joint supervisor and subordinate effects are interpreted as reflecting a dyadic rating effect in which high ratings assigned to one member of the dyad are accompanied by lower ratings assigned to the other member.     

The moderating role of subordinate political skill on supervisors' impressions of subordinate ingratiation and ratings of subordinate interpersonal facilitation

Nearly 2 decades ago, social influence theorists called for a new stream of research that would investigate why and how influence tactics are effective. The present study proposed that political skill affects the style of execution of influence attempts. It utilized balance theory to explain the moderating effect of employee political skill on the relationships between self- and supervisor-reported ingratiation. Additionally, supervisor reports of subordinate ingratiation were hypothesized to be negatively related to supervisor ratings of subordinate interpersonal facilitation. Results from a combined sample of 2 retail service organizations provided evidence that subordinates with high political skill were less likely than those low in political skill to have their demonstrated ingratiation behavior perceived by targets as a manipulative influence attempt. Also, when subordinates were perceived by their supervisors to engage in more ingratiation behavior, the subordinates were rated lower on interpersonal facilitation. Implications of these findings, limitations, and future research directions are provided.     

Performance Rating Accuracy: Convergence Between Supervisor Assessment and Sales Productivity

The role of seven variables in predicting supervisor rating accuracy was examined. The study was conducted in natural settings, and the criterion for rating accuracy was the rated salesperson’s productivity in terms of sales. The predictors examined were the supervisor’s gender, the amount of time the supervisor spent working with the subordinate, the length of the supervisor–subordinate relationship, depth of acquaintance, the subordinate’s sensitivity to expressive behavior in others, the ability to modify self-presentation and the subordinate’s age. The participants were 208 supervisors and 268 female salespersons. The results of a discriminant analysis showed that the variables predicting accuracy–inaccuracy were different from those predicting overestimation–underestimation. Accuracy was best predicted by the length of the supervisor–subordinate relationship and by the supervisor’s female gender. The direction of the inaccurate ratings was best predicted by high acquaintance, which pulled the ratings in a positively-biased direction.     

Emotion work in supervisor-subordinate relations: Gender differences in the perception of angry displays

In two studies, subjects were asked to evaluate an angry incident involving a supervisor and subordinate. Collectively, the samples comprised mostly Caucasion subjects with less than 10% of the participants from African-American, Asian, and Hispanic groups. As predicted, females in the role of supervisor judged the angry display as having greater relationship cost and personal cost than males. Moreover, neither the degree of prior provocation nor sex of the target moderated the influence of gender on the perception of normative costs. Gender differences in judgments of anger intensity, controllability, and upsettingness also emerged. These differences and the problem of “managing” sexuality in the workplace are discussed.     

Abusive supervision and subordinate supervisor‐directed deviance: The moderating role of traditional values and the mediating role of revenge cognitions

This study examined the link between abusive supervision and subordinate supervisor‐directed deviance by focusing on the moderating role of traditionality and the mediating role of revenge cognitions directed towards supervisors. The results of analysing 283 supervisor–subordinate dyads in six private electronic companies and 222 supervisor–subordinate dyads in two state‐owned oil and gas companies in the People's Republic of China showed that abusive supervision was positively related to revenge cognitions directed towards supervisors and to supervisor‐directed deviance. In addition, traditionality moderated the above relationships such that they were stronger among low traditionalists than among high ones, while revenge cognitions mediated the main effect of abusive supervision and the interactive effect of abusive supervision and traditionality on supervisor‐directed deviance.     

The association between ethnic congruence in the supervisor‐subordinate dyad and subordinate organizational position and salary

We used a large field sample (N=32,854) to test popular press claims and propositions from relational demography theory that the ethnic congruence of the supervisor‐subordinate dyad is associated with positive employee outcomes. Results indicate that ethnic congruence was positively associated with subordinates' level in the organization and salary. These relationships were moderated by type of compensation system, such that the effects were stronger in merit‐based than in tenure‐based systems. In addition, the extent of the relationship between supervisor‐subordinate congruence differed by ethnic group, supporting previous research that suggests examining unique outcomes by ethnicity. However, although statistically significant, effect sizes were generally smaller than anticipated and implied in the popular press. Practical implications of these findings are discussed.     

The Influence of Autonomy and Supervisor Political Skill on the Use and Consequences of Peer Intimidation in Organizations

Based on social influence theory, we develop a model in which the use of peer intimidation by Machiavellian employees results in greater promotability ratings by supervisors. However, consistent with interdependence theory, we expect that this process is qualified by job autonomy and the political skill of the supervisor making the promotability rating. Based on a sample of 204 supervisor–subordinate dyads, we find that peer intimidation mediates the Machiavellianism–promotability relationship when supervisor political skill is low rather than high, and when job autonomy is high rather than low, thereby yielding a pattern of moderated mediation, and supporting the hypotheses. These results suggest that job autonomy and supervisor political skill represent key interdependent mechanisms that regulate the effectiveness of social influence attempts made with intimidation in organizations.     

Employee Gender, Gender Similarity, and Supervisor-Subordinate Cross-Evaluations

This article examines the relationship between employee gender and gender similarity on the one hand and supervisor-subordinate cross-evaluations and subordinate rewards on the other, using a sample of 651 employees from five midwestern organizations. Data were obtained through structured interviews, supervisor ratings of subordinates, and employee personnel records. Two-way analysis of variance results indicated that (a) evaluations of women are more positive than evaluations of men and (b) opposite-sex evaluations tend to be higher than same-sex evaluations, but (c) men subordinates receive more promotions, and same-sex subordinates more pay increases, than do women subordinates and opposite-sex subordinates respectively.     

The Relationship Between Attributional Charismatic Leadership and Organizational Citizenship Behavior

This study examined the relationship between attributional charismatic leadership and subordinate organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Survey data were collected from 63 supervisor-subordinate dyads employed in the Engineering Division of a manufacturing firm. Hierarchical regression analysis supported the prediction that subordinate attributions of supervisor charismatic leadership would be positively associated with supervisor reports of subordinate OCB. The findings were interpreted in terms of how subordinate personal identification and internalization processes induced by charismatic leadership may activate OCB.     

Influence of role and gender on the use of distributive versus procedural justice principles

Differences in perceptions of fairness may result from differential emphasis on distributive and procedural justice. The author found that organizational role and gender influenced the extent to which distributive and procedural justice principles were used when participants allocated and evaluated pay raises. When participants took the role of a supervisor, they were more likely to use procedural justice principles; when they took the role of a subordinate, they were more likely to use distributive justice principles. Also, men were more likely to use distributive justice than procedural justice principles when allocating and evaluating raises. These findings suggest that organizations should become aware of individual and role-based differences in emphasis on justice-related factors that could potentially lead to perceptions of unfairness.     

上下级工作场所精神性匹配与下级主动行为的关系

基于上下级匹配理论,本研究探讨了上下级工作场所精神性匹配与下级主动行为的关系。采用多项式回归与响应面分析技术,对收集的129对“领导者?员工”配对数据进行分析,结果表明：（1）在上下级工作场所精神性一致的情况下,上下级工作场所精神性一致程度与下级主动行为呈倒U型关系;（2）在上下级工作场所精神性不一致的情况下,当下级工作场所精神性高于上级时,下级会表现出更多的主动行为。     

Is subordinate's loyalty a precondition of supervisor's benevolent leadership? The moderating effects of supervisor's altruistic personality and perceived organizational support

Based on Cheng's differential leadership theory, we investigated the relationship between a subordinate's loyalty to a supervisor (SLS) and the supervisor's benevolent leadership in Chinese organizations. We also explored two moderators of this relationship, the supervisor's altruistic personality and perceived organizational support (POS). Using survey research, we collected data from supervisor‐subordinate dyads in Taiwan and made 167 valid observations. The results showed that SLS positively relates to the supervisor's benevolent behaviours; however, this relationship is diminished by the supervisor's altruistic personality and POS. That is, when the supervisor has a high level of altruistic personality or POS, the association of SLS with the supervisor's benevolent leadership is weaker.     

PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF SUBORDINATE RATINGS OF MANAGERIAL PERFORMANCE

The purpose of the present study was to compare the psychometric properties of subordinate ratings of managerial performance to those of supervisor and self ratings. Subordinate ratings (n = 365), self-ratings (n = 80) and supervisor ratings ( n = 80) were obtained on eight performance dimensions for middle level managers in a multinational corporation. Multitrait-multimethod analysis of variance indicated significant effects for convergent validity, halo error, and discriminant validity. Comparisons between rating sources indicated that subordinate ratings are more similar to supervisor ratings than to self ratings in terms of convergent validity and leniency effect. A comparison of the present results to other studies indicated less convergent validity, more discriminant validity, and less halo error than found by others.     

Supervisor Trustworthiness and Subordinates' Willingness to Provide Extra‐Role Efforts1

A laboratory experiment was used to determine the separate and joint effects of behaviors denoting supervisor trustworthiness on subordinate willingness to provide the supervisor with extra‐role efforts. Results indicate that a supervisor's demonstration of benevolence toward the subordinate outweighed the supervisor's work‐relevant ability and his or her benevolence toward the subordinate's peers in positively influencing subordinate willingness to provide the supervisor with extra‐role efforts. Also, benevolence toward the subordinate's peers moderated the effect of benevolence toward the subordinate, whereby benevolence toward the subordinate had a reduced positive effect when the supervisor was not benevolent toward the subordinate's peers.     

Reciprocity of trust in the supervisor–subordinate relationship: The mediating role of autonomy and the sense of power

This article develops and tests a model of reciprocal trust between supervisor and subordinate. Drawing from literature on trust and control and on the approach/inhibition theory of power, the authors present a model in which supervisor trust is suggested to enhance subordinate reciprocal trust through increased work-related autonomy and a heightened sense of power. The mediator analysis using the two-level full structural model confirmed that the relationship between supervisor trust and subordinate trust was partially mediated by the suggested chain of variables. The article responds to a call for empirical studies on reciprocal trust and offers a complementary mechanism for trust building beside characteristics and relationship-based approaches.     

Supervisor Humor and Employee Outcomes: The Role of Social Distance and Affective Trust in Supervisor

Purpose

To examine how social distance and affective trust in supervisor affect the relationships between supervisor humor and the psychological well-being and job performance of subordinates.

Design/Methodology/Approach

A survey was conducted among 322 matched supervisor–subordinate dyads in 14 South Korean organizations. Multi-level analyses were performed to test the research hypotheses, including the moderating effects.

Findings

Self-enhancing humor of supervisors was positively associated with the psychological well-being and job performance of subordinates. Affiliative humor was positively associated with psychological well-being, whereas aggressive humor was negatively associated with psychological well-being. In addition, supervisor humor was indirectly related to the psychological well-being of subordinates via social distance. Moreover, affective trust in supervisor significantly moderated the relationship between supervisor humor and social distance, such that the relationship between affiliative humor and social distance was stronger when affective trust in supervisor was high rather than low.

Implications

These findings are important in developing and refining humor theory on the responses of employees to various types of supervisor humor. Moreover, they provide practical implications for organizations. For example, organizations should note that supervisor humor may not always produce good results, and thus should encourage managers to use constructive humor. Similarly, supervisors should build a high-trust relationship with their subordinates to increase the effectiveness of their constructive humor.

Originality/Value

This study is one of the few studies that has examined the mechanism and boundary conditions of the effects of supervisor humor on employee outcomes.

     

THE ROLE OF LOCUS OF CONTROL IN LEADER INFLUENCE BEHAVIOR1

This study investigated whether the leader's locus of control moderated the relationship between perceived leader influence behaviors and certain subordinate outcome variables. The results showed that locus of control did significantly moderate the effect of supervisor influence on productivity and subordinate satisfaction with supervision. The difference in satisfaction with supervision was more extreme at high levels of subordinate perceived supervisor influence on productivity. Implications for supervisor training are discussed.     

Status Incongruence and Supervisor Gender as Moderators of the Transformational Leadership to Subordinate Affective Organizational Commitment Relationship

Grounded in role congruity theory, we examine how status incongruence (when the subordinate is older, has more education, work experience, and/or organizational tenure than the supervisor) in subordinate–supervisor dyads affects transformational leaders’ ability to foster affective organizational commitment among their subordinates. Across two field studies, our findings show that the relationship between transformational leadership and subordinate affective organizational commitment is less positive when status incongruence is high. Furthermore, in both field studies we found a 3‐way interaction among transformational leadership, status incongruence, and supervisor gender predicting subordinate affective organizational commitment. Specifically, in Study 1 (pink‐collar employees in Turkey), low status incongruence strengthened the positive relationship between transformational leadership and subordinate affective organizational commitment for male leaders. In Study 2 (pink‐collar employees in the United States), low status incongruence strengthened the positive relationship between transformational leadership and subordinate affective organizational commitment for female leaders. Furthermore, Study 2 also revealed that collective identity was a mediator of both the significant 2‐ and 3‐way interaction effects on subordinate affective organizational commitment.