The effects of task performance information on leader-subordinate interpersonal communication in an organizational setting :

Abstract

An a posteriori analysis was conducted on the dependent measures according to high versus low levels of participation. Results indicated that the level of subordinate reported participation was quite possibly a very influential intervening variable.

The prediction of interpersonal perception of the extent of other's levels of anger was supported. In the high performance condition, leader-subordinate views of the other's anger was not significantly correlated. In the low performance condition, leader-subordinate views of the other's anger was significantly correlated and the leader reports of true feelings being known was negatively correlated with both leader anger at subordinates and subordinate anger at the leader. That is, the more anger the leader reported toward subordinates or the more anger the subordinates reported toward the leader, the more the leader reported his/her true feelings were not known.

Person perception has been shown to be a crucial component of interpersonal communication. Of interest to this study is how prior task performance information affects interpersonal perception and behavior in an organizational context. Maier's Change of Work Procedure was employed as the task, and leaders of the 3-person work groups were randomly assigned to either high or low performance conditions prior to interaction. Results did not support the prediction that leaders in the high performance condition would be seen by their subordinates as exhibiting more consideration behaviors and leaders in the low performance condition would be seen by their subordinates as exhibiting more initiating structure behaviors. There were very few significant differences between treatment groups on these measures.