Trust differences between supervisors and subordinates: Examining the role of race and gender

This study examined trust differences between supervisor and subordinate dyads that differ in race or gender as well as in dyads that were similar. The results of 301 (the sample consisted of 241 whites and 41 blacks, 216 were women and 86 were men) respondents indicated gender and race do affect trust. More specifically, the highest level of trust was found between female subordinates reporting to male supervisors. It was also found that whites reporting to whites perceived significantly less trust than blacks reporting to blacks, but significantly greater trust than whites reporting to blacks. The results also indicated that whites reporting to blacks and blacks reporting to whites perceive significantly less trust than blacks reporting to blacks. A discussion of these results is also included.     

Implications of Racial Diversity in the Supervisor-Subordinate Relationship

This study addresses the impact of race on the supervisor-subordinate relationship. The purpose is to examine this relationship with minority subordinates reporting to both majority and minority group members. Using the subordinates needs framework identified by Baird and Kram (1983), 5 areas were addressed: supervisory support, developmental opportunities, procedural justice, acceptance or assimilation, and discrimination. The results indicated that African American subordinates with White supervisors experience less supervisory support, developmental opportunities, procedural justice, assimilation, and more discrimination than African American subordinates with African American supervisors.     

Examination of supervisory satisfaction in traditional and nontraditional gender-based reporting relationships

Supervisory Satisfaction relates to satisfaction with supervision rather than other conditions or agents in the work place. The supervisor-subordinate relationship is becoming increasingly important given the shift from managing work to managing people. Six variables were theorized as influencing satisfaction. Developing a parsimonious model to predict the variance in supervisor satisfaction, this empirical study examined 202 traditional supervisory relationships (subordinate reporting to a male supervisor) and 48 nontraditional supervisory relationships (subordinates reporting to a female supervisor). The sample was predominantly whites. Four of the five variables theorized, predicted a high level of variance in supervisory satisfaction in both traditional and nontraditional relationships. However the predictors were not different for the two groups.