Rebecca A. Thacker

An Examination of the Relationship Between Upward Influence Tactics and Assessments of Promotability

The study investigates the importance of subordinate influence tactics and individual differences on supervisors’ perceptions of promotability. Influence tactics were assessed by supervisors’ perceptions of subordinate use of three influence tactics (ingratiation, reasoning, and assertiveness), as well as subordinates ’self-reports. The four individual difference variables examined were education, organizational tenure, race, and gender. Results indicated the importance of both influence tactics and individual differences on assessments of promotability.

Training students to become effective workplace team leaders

Employers often comment on the lack of good team leadership skills exhibited by newly graduated business students. While an understanding of the factors that contribute to effective communication in workplace teams does exist, are we certain that the factors influencing quality of communication between student team leaders and team members are the same as the factors influencing quality of communication in workplace teams? To investigate this issue, students were surveyed. Results indicate that student team leaders mirror workplace team leaders in all but one important factor: the use of exchange as a tactic of influence. Use of supportive influence tactics and recognition that assertive tactics are not effective was consistent with workplace team leader tactics. As with workplace team leaders, trust was an important determinant with satisfaction with the team leader’s communication. Implications and suggestions for training students to become effective team members in the work world are discussed.

Emotional and Psychological Consequences of Sexual Harassment: A Descriptive Study

The emotional and psychological consequences of sexual harassment were investigated. On the basis of previous empirical evidence concerning the correlates of sexual harassment, the role of the working relationship between harasser and target, type of harassment, gender composition of the work group, duration of the harassment, and gender were examined in relation to two psychological states: feelings about work and emotional/physical condition.

Team leader style: enhancing the creativity of employees in teams

Shows that the communication style that team and project leaders use to enhance team creativity is of paramount importance in trying to promote creativity in the workplace. Team leaders need to be trained to exhibit a communication pattern that enhances team creativity, but they should be trained in such a way that team members perceive accurately the message the team leader is portraying. Explains how team leaders can be trained to exhibit a consultative/team‐oriented communication style to enhance team creativity, as opposed to a directive/assertive style, such that team members perceive the team leader’s message accurately. Describes a follow‐up evaluation process, including sample questions for a survey of team members’ perceptions of leader style.

Revising the HR Curriculum: An Academic/Practitioner Partnership.

In an effort to revise an undergraduate human resource management (HRM) curriculum and improve the relevance of the students’ learning, a collaborative effort between human resource management practitioners and HRM faculty was launched. The result was the design of a project‐based, action learning curriculum blending the knowledge acquisition that has historically been the outcome of university classroom training with the application that is so critical to effective functioning in the HRM work world. The paper provides guidance for others planning to improve the relevance of their curricula. The template presented in this paper emphasizes practitioner input, a willingness to adopt creative approaches to student learning, development of specific measurable outcomes, observable demonstrations of the learning of those outcomes and the creation of relevant, appropriate projects. Follow‐up comments after one year of experience with the newly revised curriculum are also included.

PERCEPTIONS OF TRUST, UPWARD INFLUENCE TACTICS, AND PERFORMANCE RATINGS

This study examined the intervening role that a perceptual variable, supervisors perceptions of trust in a subordinate, plays in mediating the direct relationship between influence tactics and performance ratings. Employing a sample of 105 supervisors, the data showed that the effect of the cognitive marking from the subordinates use of influence tactics is direct and significant on performance ratings for two influence tactics, assertiveness and higher authority. For 3 influence tactics, ingratiation, reasoning, and exchange, perceptions of trust mediated that relationship. Also, the direct effect of perceptions of trust on performance ratings was significant regardless of the influence tactic employed by the subordinate.

Influence Tactics as Signals of Fit and Precursors of Turnover: An Exploratory Study

A major premise of this paper is that organizational values are likely to be expressed in the type of influence tactics successful individuals employ. The purpose of this study is to explore the notion that individuals can gauge their fit with the organization according to their perception of the influence tactics they think are important for success. Specifically, this research is premised upon the assumption that individuals, over time, acquire a sense ofthe influence tactics they believe are important, and gauge their fit with the organization accordingly. This study is longitudinal in nature, and includes a measurement of turnover, permitting further exploration of the individual’s perception of fit with the organization. This study is unique in that no research to date has explored the relationship between turnover and individuals’ perceptions of those tactics they think are important for success.