Inspirational Appeals Research Articles

Burnout and managers' tactics of influence.

This research focused on whether perception of burnout, measured by the Cherniss Burnout Scale, is related to managers' self-reported tactics of influence with subordinates. Contrary to expectations, analysis of the scores of 209 managers from 47 organizations indicated rational, ingtratiating, and inspirational appeals, consulation, and exchange tactics of influence were positively correlated with burnout, whereas scores on pressure and legitimacy were negatively correlated with burnout, scores. Limitations of the study were also mentioned.

Antecedents of influence outcomes.

Influence incidents described either by agents or targets were coded for the presence of 9 influence tactics, and the outcome was coded in terms of commitment, compliance, or resistance. Agent power and content factors for an incident were measured with a short questionnaire. This study is the first to show that influence tactics, agent power, and content factors independently affect influence outcomes. Target commitment was more likely when the request was important and enjoyable to implement, and the agent had strong referent power, used consultation, inspirational appeals, or a strong form of rational persuasion, and did not use pressure.

Supervisors' Upward Influence Tactics in Same-Sex and Cross-Sex Dyads

The paper describes 162 male and female superiors' self-reported tactics in successful influence attempts with their male and female managers. Analysis indicated that female supervisors used inspirational appeals and allurement tactics with female and male managers. Male supervisors used pressure, allurement, and rationality tactics with female managers. Contrary to gender-role expectancy, male superiors used inspirational appeals, ingratiation, and liking tactics with male managers. These results were discussed in terms of expectancy theory, which suggests that people develop normative expectations about appropriateness of influence behavior that differ for men and women.

Consequences of influence tactics used with subordinates, peers, and the boss.

A field study was conducted to discover how a manager's use of nine different influence tactics is related to target task commitment and the manager's effectiveness. The variables were measured with a questionnaire filled out by subordinates, peers, and the boss of each manager. The most effective tactics were rational persuasion, inspirational appeal, and consultation; the least effective were pressure, coalition, and legitimating. Ingratiation and exchange were moderately effective for influencing subordinates and peers but were not effective for influencing superiors. Inspirational appeal, ingratiation, and pressure were used most in a downward direction; personal appeal, exchange, and legitimating were used most in a lateral direction, coalitions were used most in lateral and upward directions; and rational persuasion was used most in an upward direction