Rachel E. Frieder

Abusive Supervision: A Meta-Analysis and Empirical Review:

We conducted a meta-analysis and empirical review of abusive supervision research in order to derive meta-analytic population estimates for the relationships between perceptions of abusive supervision and numerous demographic, justice, individual difference, leadership, and outcome variables. The use of psychometric correction enabled us to provide weighted mean correlations and population correlation estimates that accounted for attenuation due to measurement error and sampling error variance. Also, we conducted sensitivity analyses that removed the effects of large samples from analyses. Then, we conducted subgroup analyses using samples drawn from the United States to provide population correlation estimates that corrected for attenuation due to measurement error, sampling error variance, and indirect range restriction. Finally, we examined measurement artifacts resulting from various adaptations of Tepper’s abusive supervision measure. The results reveal that although the associations between perceptions of abusive supervision and outcome variables appear to be universally negative, the magnitude of the relationships between perceptions of abusive supervision and antecedent and outcome variables varies according to the design features of studies. Contributions to theory and practice, strengths and limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.

Leader Advancement Motive, Political Skill, Leader Behavior, and Effectiveness: A Moderated Mediation Extension of Socioanalytic Theory

We examine socioanalytic theory from a leadership perspective and extend this research to examine the mediating mechanisms through which leader getting ahead motive and social competence influence leader effectiveness outcomes. A first-stage moderated mediation model was tested and supported, positioning the Leader Motive to Get Ahead × Political Skill interaction as influencing perceived institutional effectiveness and follower satisfaction with one’s leader through leader initiating structure behavior. This research both supports the relevance of socioanalytic theory for predicting leadership outcomes and extends socioanalytic theory to examine a mediating mechanism through which the interaction of the leader getting ahead motive and social competencies affects relevant performance outcomes. Contributions, strengths and limitations, directions for future research, and practical implications are discussed.

The Role of Interpersonal Influence in Counterbalancing Psychopathic Personality Trait Facets at Work

The purpose of this study was to examine the relations of two facets of psychopathic personality (i.e., self-centered impulsivity and fearless dominance) with interpersonally directed counterproductive work behavior (CWB-I) and contextual performance (CP). Consistent with research on psychopathy, our hypothesis suggested that self-centered impulsivity (i.e., behavioral impulsivity characterized by disregard for rules and responsibilities) would be positively related to CWB-I and negatively related to CP. Using socioanalytic theory, we further suggested that fearless dominance (i.e., an egotistical personal style characterized by self-promotion and prioritization of one’s own needs before those of others) would be negatively associated with interpersonal performance (i.e., high CWB-I and low CP) only when individuals indicated low levels of interpersonal influence (i.e., a dimension of political skill reflecting an ability to adapt one’s behavior in subtle, sophisticated, and situationally effective ways). Results provided strong support for the differential relations of the psychopathic personality dimensions with the criteria of interest. Implications for theory, practice, and future research are provided in light of a number of notable strengths and limitations.

Linking Job-Relevant Personality Traits, Transformational Leadership, and Job Performance via Perceived Meaningfulness at Work: A Moderated Mediation Model.

By integrating the fundamental principles of the theory of purposeful work behavior (TPWB; Barrick, Mount, & Li, 2013) with cognitive-affective personality system (CAPS) theory (Mischel, 1977; Mischel & Shoda, 1995), we examine how and when salespeople’s job-relevant personality traits relate to their performance. We argue that individuals with personality traits that fit outdoor sales jobs (i.e., conscientious, extraversion, openness to experience) will perceive their work as more meaningful and as a result achieve heightened performance. Moreover, drawing from TPWB and CAPS theory, we expect that as an important element of the social context, transformational leadership moderates the indirect effect of salespeople’s job-relevant personality traits on their job performance via enhanced perceptions of meaningfulness at work. Results based on data from 496 outdoor salespeople and their 218 supervisors and regional managers provide support for the hypotheses pertaining to conscientiousness and openness, but not extraversion. Specifically, the conditional indirect effects of conscientiousness or openness on performance through perceived meaningfulness are more positive under low, rather than high, levels of transformational leadership. Implications for research and practice are discussed along with study limitations and future research directions.

Creating One’s Reality: The Interaction of Politics Perceptions and Enactment Behavior

ABSTRACT The current study investigated the previously unexamined relationship between politics perceptions and employee enactment behavior. Consistent with previous job stress and sense-making research, we hypothesized that individuals reporting low levels of enactment behaviors would be more adversely affected by politics perceptions than those who engaged in high levels of enactment behavior. Results across two samples provided strong support for the hypothesized relationships. Specifically, employees who reported low levels of enactment behavior experienced less satisfaction, less person–environment fit, and reported lower levels of effort when faced with highly political environments. Conversely, levels of satisfaction and person–environment fit perceptions of individuals reporting high levels of enactment behaviors were largely unaffected by highly political contexts. Implications of these findings, strengths and limitations, and avenues for future research are provided.

Political skill, leadership and performance: the role of vision identification and articulation

While previous research has found that transformational and transactional leader ship b havior mediate the leader political skill ─ leader effectiveness relationship (Blickle et al., 2013; Ewen, Wihler, Blickle, Oerder, Ellen, Douglas, & Ferris, 2013; Ewen, Wihler, Frieder , Blickle, Hogan, & Ferris, 2014), the purpose of this study is to specify which facet(s) of transfor mati nal leadership play(s) the most important role in this mediated relationship. Base d on a political lens of leadership processes (Ammeter, Douglas, Gardner, Hochwarter & Ferri s, 2004) and the social/political influence theory of organizations (Ferris, Treadway, P errewé, Brouer, Douglas, & Lux, 2007), we argue that politically skilled leaders should be more effective as a result of their superior abilities to identify and articulate visions. Moreover, we also e xamine the moderating effect of leaders’ positional power as a leader characteri sti capable of reinforcing politically skilled leaders’ use of vision identification and articulation behavior s. Consistent with argumentation that politically skilled leaders can more effectively use vision articulation to strategically direct, unify, and mobilize followers, results indicated that l eaders who were both politically skilled and positionally powerful were perceived by followers t o engage in greater amounts of vision identification and articulation behaviors, and these behaviors, in turn, predicted leader effectiveness. As such, this study builds on the small body of re search that links leader political skill to leader effectiveness through leader behavior and draw s on insight from previous research regarding the interactive effects of multiple sources of leader power. We discuss how this study contributes to the existing literature with an eye tow ards the future of leadership and politics research.

Political Skill, Behavioral Integrity, and Work Outcomes Test of a Multistage Model

This research examines the relationship of leader political skill to subordinate effectiveness through subordinates’ perceptions of leaders’ behavioral integrity, trust in leader, and subsequent work effort. Results among a sample of enlisted military cadets provided support for the majority of study hypotheses. Specifically, subordinates’ perceptions of behavioral integrity mediated the relationship between leader political skill and trust; moreover, while subordinates’ trust in their leader was not significantly related to their work effort, work effort was significantly related to objective performance. Our contributions to the political skill and behavioral integrity literatures are discussed in light of this study’s noteworthy strengths and limitations.