Employee Gender vs. Supervisor Gender: Gender Interaction Effects in Employees’ Upward Influence Behavior in Hotels

Abstract

This study examined gender interaction effects in employees’ use of upward influence tactics. Employee and supervisor genders were paired up in a 2 × 2 design containing four cells. Data were collected from 108 employees in a Dutch hotel. Hypotheses were tested using both the traditional ANOVAs and the more robust Orthogonal Contrasts Approach. Results showed gender interaction effects existed in hard influence tactics. Specifically, assertiveness was used the least by female employees on male supervisors, and coalition was used the most by male employees on female supervisors. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings were discussed.