Supervisor-subordinate Dyad Research Articles

The Trickle-Down Effects of Inclusive Leadership on Employees’ Innovative Behavior: The Joint Moderating Effects of Vicarious Learning and Organizational Inclusion Climate

The supervisor-subordinate dyad has been well articulated in the framework of inclusive leadership and employee outcomes. Applying a multisource dataset from China, the present study develops a trickle-down model of inclusive leadership across three hierarchical levels (i.e., top managers, supervisors, and employees). Building on social learning theory and social exchange theory, the study found empirical support for the assumptions that both top management and supervisory inclusive leadership have a positive effect on employees’ innovative behavior. In addition, the findings support the proposition that supervisor's inclusive leadership mediates the effects of top manager's inclusive leadership on employees’ innovative behavior. The study also verified that vicarious learning and organizational inclusion climate jointly moderate the relationship between the top manager's inclusive leadership and the supervisor's inclusive leadership. The contribution, limitations, and future directions are also discussed.

A Contemporary Issue of Micro-Foundation of CSR, Employee Pro-Environmental Behavior, and Environmental Performance toward Energy Saving, Carbon Emission Reduction, and Recycling.

The contemporary literature has largely addressed corporate social responsibility (CSR) at the macro or institutional level, whereas its effect at the micro-level is largely ignored. In addition, contemporary researchers have also ignored the importance of employee pro-environmental behavior to reduce the environmental footprint of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). With this background, the present study attempts to decrease the environmental footprint of the SME sector of China by implementing CSR at the micro-level through the involvement of employees because employees spend a significant amount of their time at workplaces, and hence their environment-related behavior may significantly contribute to improve the natural environment. In this regard, here we examined the impact of the micro-foundation of CSR on SMEs’ environmental performance with mediating effect of employees’ pro-environmental behavior. The data were collected from the different organizations in China. Our sample constitutes a supervisor–subordinate dyad from which we collected 562 filled questionnaires (281 from each). We used the structural equation modeling technique using AMOS software for data analysis, the results show that CSR, directly and indirectly, through employee’s pro-environmental behavior affects the environmental performance of SMEs, and employee pro-environmental behavior partially mediates this relationship. The findings of the present study are helpful for policymakers of the SME sector of China to address widespread environmental issues caused by their business operations.

My Cup Runneth Over: A Daily Study of the Energy Benefits for Supervisors Who Feel Appreciated by Their Subordinates

In this study we make a shift from research examining factors that influence supervisors’ resource depletion to exploring how supervisors’ energy may be increased. Building from work on appreciation in interpersonal relationships, we examine if feeling appreciated by subordinates positively influences supervisors’ energy resources. We complement research on the supervisor-subordinate dyad that focuses on subordinates’ outcomes by making supervisors’ work experiences our central focus. Using Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, we hypothesize feeling appreciated is positively related to supervisors’ energy and positively affects their personal and work-related outcomes. Further, we predict supervisors’ core self-evaluations (CSE) will moderate this indirect relationship. In a daily diary study of supervisors, we find support for these hypotheses. Supervisors’ felt appreciation was resource enhancing and an indirect influence on supervisors’ life satisfaction, optimism, job satisfaction, withdrawal, and helping behavior. Further, supervisors’ CSE moderated this indirect relationship.

Subordinate evaluations of high-performance managers

PurposeThe study investigated the factors considered by subordinates when evaluating the productivity of their managers, in addition to how those factors influenced such feedback.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey was conducted among participants. The results were processed using a cluster analysis (K-means method), the Mann–Whitney U test and the χ2-Pearson test.FindingsThe survey results were used to categorize managers as highly productive, moderately productive, or lowly productive. Recommendations for how to increase productivity were then determined.Research limitations/implicationsThe implication of our study in perspective research lies in particular in showing the mediating character of constructive feedback in subordinates' viewing manager efficient. As for practice, knowing subordinates' feedback makes it possible for an organization to influence the quality of supervisor-subordinate dyad. DTEK company has already put into practice the results of our study into corporate education and learning. In particular, recommendations for how to increase productivity (through giving constructive feedback, time to talk in private to an employee and expressing gratitude for good work) are discussed.Practical implicationsThe results indicated that highly productive managers tended to professionally develop both themselves and their subordinates. They provided subordinates with constructive feedback as well as the opportunity to talk in-person. These managers were also experts in the activities performed by their subordinates and showed gratitude for their accomplishments.Originality/valueThis study examined managerial efficacy as reviewed by subordinates. A theoretical analysis was conducted to outline the factors typically associated with managerial productivity (e.g. interpersonal skills, synchronizing projects, technical knowledge and handling work-related frustration).

The relationship between abusive supervision and unethical pro-organizational behavior: linear or curvilinear?

PurposeBased on social exchange theory and research on proactive personality, this study aims to explore the relationship between abusive supervision and unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB), taking proactive personality as a boundary condition.Design/methodology/approachThis study conducted a two-wave questionnaire survey and used data from 353 Chinese employees of a diversified company to test the research hypotheses.FindingsThe relationship between abusive supervision and UPB varied with proactive personality. Specifically, abusive supervision had an inverted U-shaped effect on UPB when proactive personality was high, while abusive supervision was negatively related to UPB when proactive personality was low.Research limitations/implicationsMore research are encouraged to replicate our study in different cultural contexts. Besides, future research can gather data from dyads (e.g. supervisor–subordinate dyad and coworker–subordinate dyad) so as to increase the objectivity and validity of the data.Practical implicationsManagers should reduce abusive supervision and elevate proactive employees' moral awareness.Social implicationsThis study hopes that the authors’ findings will help practitioners to devote greater attention to managing proactive personality, abusive supervision and UPB in the organization.Originality/valueFirst, this study enriches the abusive supervision literature by identifying UPB as a consequence of abusive supervision. Second, this study provides a better understanding of the coping tactics used to combat abusive supervision. Third, this study uncovers a dark side of proactive personality by verifying the moderating effect of proactive personality.

Supervision Incivility and Employee Psychological Safety in the Workplace.

Much of the supervision incivility research has focused on the supervisor-subordinate dyad when examining the effects of supervision incivility on employee outcomes. Our study examines a trickle-down effect of supervision incivility across three hierarchical levels, i.e., from the department leader (middle manager), through group leader (supervisor), and to group members (employees), and how it affects group psychological safety. Drawing on a sample of 346 employees and 78 group leaders in 78 work groups, our research found a negative relationship between department leader incivility and group psychological safety, and that this negative relationship was mediated by group leader incivility and moderated by group leader attribution for performance-promotion or injury-initiation motives. We further discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

Too unsafe to voice? Authoritarian leadership and employee voice in Chinese organizations

Our study aims to explore whether subordinate psychological safety mediates the relationship between authoritarian leadership and subordinate voice and whether supervisor–subordinate guanxi moderates this mediating effect. Using survey research, we obtained supervisor–subordinate dyad data in Taiwan amounting to 171 valid observations. The results reveal that subordinate psychological safety mediates the relationship between authoritarian leadership and subordinate voice and that this mediating effect is weaker for high supervisor–subordinate guanxi than for low supervisor–subordinate guanxi. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and further research directions of this study.

Relational costs of status: Can the relationship between supervisor incivility, perceived support, and follower outcomes be exacerbated?

Status has a central role in workplace incivility research. Although status is associated with a variety of benefits at work, we draw upon the relational model of authority and the status maintenance argument to propose that individuals with high status are more strongly affected by the experience of supervisor incivility than those with lower status. We tested this hypothesis by examining the relationships between supervisor incivility and turnover intentions, organizational deviance, and task performance, and proposed that the exacerbating effect of status could be explained by the extent to which employees feel that they are valued, cared for, and supported by their organization and supervisor (i.e., perceived organizational and supervisory support [POS and PSS]). Based on the structural equation modelling (SEM) analyses of supervisor–subordinate dyad data collected from a large organization in Thailand, our findings confirmed that the adverse effects of supervisor incivility on follower outcomes were more pronounced among those with higher status. The results also showed that these effects were differentially mediated by POS and PSS. Whereas POS mediated the effect of supervisor incivility on turnover intentions and organizational deviance, it was found that PSS mediated the effect of supervisor incivility on task performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.Practitioner points Managers should pay particular attention to the type of relationships they develop with their employees. Our work suggests that rude behaviours from authority figures can contribute to employee turnover intentions, deviant behaviours, and poor performance. Despite the benefits associated with having high status in the workplace, our findings suggest that high‐status employees are more strongly affected by the experience of supervisory incivility. To buffer these effects, organizations should create a work environment in which employees feel valued, cared for, and supported. Our findings indicate that the negative aspects of these perceptions are partly responsible for the effects of supervisor incivility.

Trust in the subordinate and deference to supervisor in China

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to illuminate the mechanism which can explain and predict subordinates’ deferential behaviour in China.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using mail surveys. The study used two sources of data (supervisor and subordinate) obtained via two separate sets of surveys. In total, 600 questionnaires were distributed to subordinate–supervisor dyads employed in a variety of organizations, and 441 dyad-level questionnaires were collected.FindingsThe paper revealed that supervisors’ political mentoring (PM) moderated the strength of the mediated relationships between a supervisor’s trust in the subordinate and the subordinate’s deference to supervisor via supervisor–subordinate guanxi. Furthermore, the direct interaction effect of a supervisor’s trust and PM influenced the subordinate’s deference to supervisor only when the level of PM was low.Originality/valueThis study clarifies the mechanism by which supervisor’s specific behaviours affect subordinate’s deference to supervisor, and explores how supervisor–subordinate dyad creates a reciprocal relationship. The research indicates the unique effect of supervisor’s PM in Chinese organizations, and reinforces the importance of considering supervisor’s trust in the subordinate.

In female supervisors male subordinates trust!? An experiment on supervisor and subordinate gender and the perceptions of tight control

Little attention has been directed towards the role of gender in the supervisor–subordinate dyad that is the very fundament of management control. We argue that gender roles and the roles implied in the supervisor–subordinate relationship are powerful concepts that need to be incorporated in research to better understand the reactions and perceptions of management controls. The article contributes to this line of research by developing and testing hypotheses related to gender differences in supervisor–subordinate dyads and the resulting perceptions of evaluation fairness and trust in management under a tight control regime. In a vignette experiment where only the name of the supervisor was changed to a typical female or male name for female and male subordinates (respondents)(2 times 2), we find that female (male) subordinates demonstrate more negative (positive) attitudes towards evaluation fairness and that male subordinates with a female supervisor put more trust in management than males with a male supervisor and females with a female supervisor.

Supervisor-subordinate guanxi and managers’ feedback-seeking behavior

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of supervisor-subordinate guanxi (SSG) on managers’ feedback-seeking behavior in the context of Chinese organizations, especially the mediating role of psychological expectations and the moderating role of political skill.Design/methodology/approach– The study sample comprised matched surveys from 252 supervisor-subordinate dyad in the People’s Republic of China. The subordinate managers completed measures of SSG, performance enhancement expectations, impression management expectations and political skill. The supervisors were asked to rate managers’ feedback-seeking behavior.Findings– Result show that SSG was positively related to managers’ feedback-seeking behavior. Performance enhancement expectations and impression management expectations partially mediated supervisor-subordinate guanxi’s influence on managers’ feedback-seeking behavior. Political skill positively moderated the relationships between SSG and managers’ feedback-seeking behavior in such a way that the relationships were stronger for managers higher in political skill than lower.Research limitations/implications– The paper not only helps for deeper understanding of managers’ feedback-seeking behavior but also provides a new perspective for exploring effective governance of Chinese local managers.Originality/value– This study provides preliminary evidence of the mediation effect of psychological expectations and the moderating effect of political skill in the relationship between SSG and managers’ feedback-seeking behavior. Additionally, the findings highlight the necessity of study on managers’ feedback-seeking behavior in the context of China to help advance the theoretical understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the effect of SSG on managers’ feedback-seeking behavior.

A TRICKLE‐DOWN MODEL OF ABUSIVE SUPERVISION

Much of the abusive supervision research has focused on the supervisor–subordinate dyad when examining the effects of abusive supervision on employee outcomes. Using data from a large multisource field study, we extend this research by testing a trickle‐down model of abusive supervision across 3 hierarchical levels (i.e., managers, supervisors, and employees). Drawing on social learning theory and social information processing theory, we find general support for the study hypotheses. Specifically, we find that abusive manager behavior is positively related to abusive supervisor behavior, which in turn is positively related to work group interpersonal deviance. In addition, hostile climate moderates the relationship between abusive supervisor behavior and work group interpersonal deviance such that the relationship is stronger when hostile climate is high. The results provide support for our trickle‐down model in that abusive manager behavior was not only related to abusive supervisor behavior but was also associated with employees’ behavior 2 hierarchical levels below the manager.

How Employees See Their Roles: The Effect of Interactional Justice and Gender

This study examines whether the perceived boundary between in-role and extra-role behaviors varies depending on workplace conditions, emphasizing how interactional justice influences an employee’s role definitions. We collect data through a questionnaire survey and adopt Tobit regressions for hypothesis testing. The study results indicate that perceived interactional justice enlarges the breadth of an employee’s role definitions. In addition, the positive impact of interactional justice on an employee’s role definition is strong when a supervisor-subordinate dyad comprises different genders.

The Impact of Gender Similarity, Racial Similarity, and Work Culture on Family-Supportive Supervision

This study examines the relationship between demographic similarity in the supervisor-subordinate dyad and family-supportive supervision. The authors found that supervisors provided more family support to subordinates who were similar in either gender or race than to those subordinates who were dissimilar. In addition, family-supportive supervision was highest when subordinates were similar to supervisors in both gender and race. A family-supportive organizational culture was positively related to family-supportive supervision, although contrary to what was predicted, it did not attenuate the effects of gender similarity and racial similarity on family-supportive supervision. Implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.

ANTECEDENTS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT BREACH: THE ROLE OF SIMILARITY AND LEADER-MEMBER EXCHANGE.

This research examines the role that the supervisor-subordinate relationship plays in predicting psychological contract breach. Using a sample of 234 African-American, Hispanic-American and White-American employees working in professional positions, the results indicate that supervisor-subordinate similarity in terms of cognitive style is negatively related to the subordinate's perception of psychological contract breach. Moreover, the quality of the supervisor-subordinate relationship (measured in terms of leader-member exchange) mediates the relationship between perceived similarity and psychological contract breach. However, neither gender nor race differences in the supervisor-subordinate dyad were associated with breaches of the psychological contract. Implications of this study and directions for future research are discussed.

The Impact of Same‐Sex LMX Dyads on Performance Evaluations

AbstractNumerous studies have found that supervisors rate women lower than men for similar levels of performance, suggesting that for female employees, performance alone may not be able to guarantee fair ratings. What is not clear is whether this disparity is a function of the gender composition of the supervisor–subordinate dyad or simply a case of male supervisor rating behavior. Based on data from supervisor–subordinate dyads in four organizations, we found that after controlling for performance, both male and female supervisors exhibit a positive bias toward subordinates of the same sex and rate members of the same gender higher. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Effects of sex on commitment and conflict resolution.

Supervisors rated 106 subordinates' use of 5 conflict resolution strategies identified by R. R. Blake and J. S. Mouton (1964). The relationship between the commitment measures and conflict resolution strategies depended on the sexual composition of the supervisor-subordinate dyad. For example, males reporting to females used smoothing, compromise, and confrontation when they were committed to the position.