How Managers Influence Subordinates: An Empirical Study of Downward Influence Tactics
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-1-1988
Publication Title
Leadership and Organizational Development Journal
DOI
10.1108/eb053645
ISSN
0143-7739
Abstract
An empirical study of managerial influence tactics is described using a structured interview process. Two hundred and fifty‐seven usable narrative accounts of downward influence attempts were obtained using this approach. Respondents also reported the nature of the influence attempt, the reasons for success or failure, whether other people were used, and the long‐term consequences of the influence attempt. These categories derived, described successful and unsuccessful attempts by a wide variety of managers in both private and public sector organisations, large and small. Influence tactics were organised into 17 categories by a systematic and well‐established process. One way chi‐square tests were used to analyse categorised responses. Generally it was found that influence tactic success was more likely when associated with the initiation of new tasks or goals and more likely to fail when trying to eliminate subordinate violation of rules, procedures, or policies. There was a trend for more threatening tactics to be more closely associated with unsuccessful than successful influence attempts. The data suggest that short‐term influence tactic success may be obscured in the research by the use of multiple tactics and by long‐term relationships and that unsuccessful influence attempts may result in the deterioration of interpersonal relationships.
Recommended Citation
Dosier, Lloyd N., Thomas L. Case, J. Bernard Keys.
1988.
"How Managers Influence Subordinates: An Empirical Study of Downward Influence Tactics."
Leadership and Organizational Development Journal, 9 (5): 22-28: Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
doi: 10.1108/eb053645 source: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/eb053645/full/html
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/management-facpubs/83
Copyright
Copyright 1988, Emerald Group Publishing Limited