Determinants of Front-Line Supervisor Effectiveness in Engineering Team-Based Organizations

Abstract

This study presents a structural equation model for understanding the determinants of front-line supervisor effectiveness in engineering team-based organizations. The study uses partial least squares to evaluate and quantify the interrelationships between the front-line supervisor effectiveness determinants. Nine hypotheses are proposed and tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that the organizational context has a direct and positive influence on skill variety, which in turn, has a direct and positive influence on front-line supervisor effectiveness. Similarly, adaptive performance has a direct and positive influence on front-line supervisor effectiveness. The study provides useful insights for refocusing front-line supervisors’ development initiatives, improving front-line effectiveness, and selecting candidates for front-line supervisor roles in engineering team-based organizations.