Process, Organizational, Relational, and Personal Determinants of Managerial Compliance-gaining Communication Strategies

Abstract

Superior compliance-gaining strategies, subordinate resistance, and superior follow- up strategies were studied in a survey of 176 superior-key subordinate dyads repre senting a wide spectrum of organizations, positions, and hierarchical relationships. Results suggest that process variables (the types of resistance offered by subordinates) are the most important influence on managerial choice of compliance messages. Reasoning was the most frequently employed strategy, and its use was associated with high levels of formalization in organizations. Power was an important influence only on the use of assertiveness, probably because high power over subordinates lowers the costs of using assertiveness so that benefits of use outweigh costs. Other variables had little impact. The findings support a functional rather than a causal model of com pliance message selection in organizations.