This field study was conducted to investigate the impact of factors relating to supervisor-subordinate affective relationship and work relationship, supervisor job tenure, and subordinate performance level on supervisor attributions of subordinate performance. The results indicate that the length and nature of supervisor-subordinate work relationship and supervisor job tenure significantly affect supervisor attributions of subordinate performance to internal or external causes. The results for supervisor-subordinate affective relationship and subordinate performance level conflict with previous, predominantly laboratory-based, research. Reasons are discussedfor these results. Implications for practice are also offered.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bernardin, H.J., & Villanova, P. (1986). Performance appraisal. In E. Locke (Ed.), Generalizing from laboratory to field settings (pp. 43-62). Lexington, MA.: Lexington Books.
2.
Bradley, G.W (1978). Self-serving biases in the attribution process: A reexamination of the fact or fiction question. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36, 56-71.
3.
Cardy, R.C., & Dobbins, G.H. (1986). Affect and appraisal accuracy: Liking as an integral dimension in evaluating performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71, 672-678.
4.
Cunningham, J.D., Starr, P.A., & Kanouse, D.E. (1979). Self as actor, active observer, and passive observer: Implications for causal attributions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 371146-1152.
5.
Ferris, G.R. (1984, August). Causalfeedback and perceivedfairness and accuracy ofperformance appraisal. Paper presented at the meeting of the Academy of Management, Boston, MA.
6.
Galper, R.E. (1976). Turning observers into actors: Differential causal attributions as a function of "empathy."Journal of Research in Personality, 10, 328-335.
7.
Greenwalt, A.G. (1980). The totalitarian ego: Fabrication and revision of personal history. American Psychologist, 35, 603-618.
8.
Hanson, R.D., & Donoghue, J.M. (1977). The power of consensus: Information derived from one's own and others' behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35, 294-302.
9.
Hanson, R.D., & Lowe, C.A. (1976). Distinctiveness and consensus: The influence of behavioral information on actors' and observers' attributions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 34, 425-433.
10.
Hanson, R.D., & Stonner, D.M. (1978). Attributes and attributions: Inferring stimulus properties,. actors dispositions, and causes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36, 657-667.
11.
Heider, F. (1958). The psychology of interpersonal relations. New York: Wiley.
12.
Jones, E.E., & Davis, K.E. (1965). From acts to dispositions: The attribution process in personal perception. In L. Berkowitz (Ed). Advances in experimental social psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 219-266). New York: Academic Press.
13.
Jones, E.E., & Nisbett, R.E. (1972). The actor and the observer: Divergent perceptions of the causes of behavior. In E. Jones, D. Kanouse, H. Kelley, R. Nisbett, S. Valins, & B. Weiner (Eds.), Attributions: Perceiving the causes of behavior (pp.79-94). Morristown, NJ: General Learning Press.
14.
Larson, J R. (1984). The performance feedback process: A preliminary model. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 33, 42-76.
15.
Liden, R.C., & Mitchell, T.R. (1985). Reactions to feedback: The role of attributions. Academy of Management Journal, 28, 291-308.
16.
McArthur, L.A. (1972). The how and what of why: Some determinants and consequences of causal attribution. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 22, 171-193.
17.
Miller, D., & Ross, M. (1975). Self-serving biases in the attribution of causality: Fact or fiction. Psychological Bulletin, 82, 213-225.
18.
Mitchell, T.R., Green, S.G., & Wood, R.E. (1981). An attributional model of leadership and the poor performing subordinate. In L.L. Cummings & B.M. Staw (Eds.), Research in organizational behavior (Vol. 3, pp. 197-234). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
19.
Mitchell, T.R., & Kalb, L.S. (1982). Effects of job experience on supervisor attributions for a subordinate's poor performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 67, 181-188.
20.
Mitchell, T.R., & O'Reilly, C.A. (1982). Managing poor performance and productivity. In K.M. Rowland & G.R. Ferris (Eds.), Research in personal and human resources management (Vol. 1, pp. 201-234). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
21.
Mitchell, T.R., & Wood, R.E. (1980). Supervisor's response to subordinate power performance: A test of an attributional model. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 25, 123-138.
22.
Nisbett, R.E., & Wilson, T.D. (1977). The halo effect: Evidence for unconscious alteration of judgment. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35, 250-256.
23.
Porac, J.F., Ferris, G.R., & Fedor, D.B. (1983). Causal attributions, affect, and expectations for a day's work performance. Academy of Management Journal, 26, 285-296.
24.
Regan, D.T., Strauss, E., & Fazio, R. (1974). Liking and the attribution process. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 10, 385-397.
25.
Regan, D.T., & Totten, J. (1975). Empathy and attribution: Turning observers into actors. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 32, 850-856.
26.
Storm, M.D. (1973). Videotape and the attribution process: Reversing actors' and observers' point of view. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 27, 165-175.
27.
Wegner, D.M., & Finsteum, K. (1977). Observers' focus of attention in the simulation of self-perception. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35, 56-62.
28.
Wolfson, M.R., & Salanick, G.R. (1977). Observer orientation and actor-observer differences in attributions for failure. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 13, 441-451.
29.
Zuckerman, M. (1979). Attributions of success and failure revisited, or: The motivational bias is alive and well in attribution theory. Journal of Personality, 47, 245-287.
