Supervisor and subordinate competence and role stress were ex
amined as explanatory variables of the vertical exchange within
supervisor/subordinate dyads. Three hypotheses were proposed to
examine these linkages: (1) subordinate competence is directly
related to the vertical exchange between supervisors and subordi
nates; (2) this competence/exchange relationship is moderated by the
role stress experienced by the parties; and (3) the subordinate
competence/exchange relationship is moderated by the supervisor's
competence. These hypotheses were tested using a heterogeneous
sample of (626) supervisor-subordinate dyads within social service
organizations. Multiple hierarchical regression that included inter
action terms supported the first and third hypotheses. As subordi
nate competence increased, the vertical exchange reported increased.
The results also demonstrated that congruence between supervisor/
subordinate competence resulted in higher level exchanges than did
incongruence in competence levels.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bachman, J.G., Bowers, D.G., & Marcus, P.M. (1968). Bases of supervisory power: a comparative study in five organizational settings. In A. S. Tannenbaum (Ed.), Control in organizations. New York: McGraw-Hill
2.
Bruning, N.S., & Cashman, J.F. (1978a). Initializing the linkage process: A longitudinal study of attitudes, attraction, and leadership dynamics. In D. F. Ray & T. B. Green (Eds.), Toward a renewal in management thought and practice (pp. 86-88). Mississippi State: Mississippi State University Press.
3.
Bruning, N.S., & Cashman, J.F. (1978b). Leadership: Studying the developmental process . Paper presented at the national meetings of the Academy of Management, San Francisco.
4.
Cashman, J.F. (1975). The nature of vertical dyadic linkages within managerial units. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Illinois, Urbana.
5.
Cohen, J., & Cohen, P. (1975). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
6.
Dansereau, F., Jr., Graen, G., & Haga, W. (1975). A vertical dyad linkage approach to leadership within formal organizations: A longitudinal investigation of the role-making process. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 13, 46-78.
7.
Dipboye, R., & Flanagan, M. (1979). Research settings in industrial and organizational psychology: Are findings in the field more generalizable than in the laboratory ? American Psychologist, 34, 141-150.
8.
Flanagan, M., & Dipboye, R. (1980). Representativeness does have implications for the generalizability of laboratoy and field research findings. American Psychologist, 35, 464-466.
9.
French, J.P.P., Jr. , & Raven, B. (1959). Leadership and interpersonal power. In D. Cartwright (Ed.), Studies in social power (pp. 150-167). Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan.
10.
Graen, G. (1976). Role making process within complex organizations . In M. D. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology. Chicago: Rand McNally.
11.
Graen, G., & Cashman, J.F. (1975). A role-making model of leadership in formal organizations: A developmental approach. In J. G. Hunt & L. L. Larson (Eds.), Leadership frontiers. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press.
12.
Graen, G., & Ginsburgh, S. (1977). Job resignation as a function of role orientation and leader acceptance: A longitudinal investigation of organizational assimilation . Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 19, 1-17.
13.
Graen, G., Novak, M., & Sommerkamp, P. (1982). The effects of leadermember exchange and job design on productivity and satisfaction: Testing a dual attachment model. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 30, 109-131.
14.
Hanlan, M.S. (1977). Women in social work administration: Current role strains. Administration in Social Work, 1, 259-265.
15.
House, R., Schuler, R., & Levanoni, E. (1983). Role conflict and ambiguity scales: Reality or artifacts? Journal of Applied Psychology, 68, 334-337.
16.
Jacobs, T. (1971). Leadership and exchange informal organizations . Alexandria, VA: Human Resources Research Organization.
17.
Kim, K., & Organ, D. (1982). Determinants of leader-subordinate exchange relationships . Group and Organization Studies, 7, 77-89
18.
Liden, R., & Graen, G. (1980). Generalizability of the vertical dyad linkage model of leadership. Academy of Management Journal, 23, 451-465.
19.
Morse, J. (1976). Sense of competence and individual managerial performance. Psychological Reports, 38, 1195-1198.
20.
Oldham, G.R. (1975). The impact of supervisory characteristics on goal acceptance. Academy of Management Journal, 18, 461-475.
21.
Price, K.H., & Garland, H. (1981). Compliance with a leader's suggestions as a function of perceived leader/member competence and potential reciprocity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 66, 329-336.
22.
Rizzo, J., House, R., & Lirtzman, S. (1970). Role conflict and role ambiguity in complex organizations . Administrative Science Quarterly, 15, 150-163.
23.
Tracy, L., & Johnson, T.W. (1981). What do the role conflict and role ambiguity scales measure? Journal of Applied Psychology, 66, 464-469.
24.
Wagner, F. & Morse, J. (1975). A measure of individual sense of competence. Psychological Reports, 36, 451-457.
25.
Wexley, K.N., Alexander, R.A., Greenwalt, J.P., & Couch, M.A. (1980). Attitudinal congruence and similarity as related to interpersonal evaluations in manager-subordinate dyads. Academy of Management Journal, 23, 320-330.
