Effective maintenance communication in superior‐subordinate relationships

Abstract

This study explored (a) how frequently subordinates utilized communication strategies to maintain work relationships with their superiors in escalating, deteriorating, and routine situations; (b) how perceptions of effectiveness in relationship maintenance affected the use of such strategies; and (c) how relational attributes (i.e., quality of leader-member exchange, relationship length, and gender) influenced ways in which subordinates in varying degrees of perceived effectiveness enacted such strategies. Findings suggest significant variations in the use of maintenance communication strategies in all situations. Moreover, perceptions of effectiveness in relationship maintenance were strongly associated with strategy use. Relational attributes did not affect the use of maintenance communication strategies regardless of the extent to which the respondents perceived their effectiveness in relationship maintenance.

Promoting Character At Institutions Of Higher Education And In Their Academic Units

“…However, at the end of the day, if a person"s character drives an appropriately developed strategy and its execution, most objectives will be met. 7 Future research may explore how, as educators, we can promote character virtues in our students in the same fashion (lecture, readings, group practice cases, and discussion) we promote scholarship. The recognition and promotion of good character should be as important an institutional priority as scholarship and performance.…”

Looking down from above: Measuring downward maintenance communication and exploring Theory X/Y assumptions as determinants of its expression

“…Subordinate self-efficacy appears to be positively associated with subordinate display of personal and direct upward maintenance communication. For example, Lee (1998a) found that subordinates who perceived themselves to be effective at upward maintenance communication reported using more supportiveness, positive regard, and small talk, but less avoidance than subordinates who perceived themselves to be ineffective. Additionally, Waldron and Hunt (1992) found that subordinate position power (i.e., the power to supervise) was a positive predictor of subordinate use of direct tactics.…”

Using Mentoring Enactment Theory to Explore the Doctoral Student-Faculty Member Mentoring Relationship

“…Extra-contractual behaviors are subordinates' attempts to establish challenging goals and to exceed their supervisors' expectations (Tepper). Lee and Jablin (1995) (Lee, 1997(Lee, , 1998a(Lee, , 1998bLee & Jablin). The use of these behaviors suggests that subordinates manage both positive and negative emotions when interacting with their supervisors, which serves not only to facilitate task accomplishment but also to stabilize and sustain the relationship (Waldron, 1994(Waldron, , 1999(Waldron, , 2000.…”

“…Subordinates tend to consciously select specific behaviors to maintain their relationships with their supervisors based on their perceptions of their relationship status (Lee, 1998a(Lee, , 1998bLee & Jablin, 1995 (Lee, 1998a). Thus, these relational maintenance behaviors are enacted to keep the relationship at specific state or condition as discussed by Dindia and Canary (1993).…”