The influence of subordinate age on managerial actions: An attributional analysis

The present research examined the effects of employee age on managers' attributions and actions toward subordinates. The major prediction was that managers' attributions would mediate the effects of age on managerial actions. One-hundred and twenty-four undergraduate management students pa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of organizational behavior 1991-09, Vol.12 (5), p.367-377
Main Authors: Dedrick, Esther J., Dobbins, Gregory H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Age distribution
Comparative studies
Effects
Employee supervision
Employees
Hypotheses
Job performance
Job performance evaluation
Job training
Managers
Older workers
Organizational behavior
Regression analysis
Subordinate personnel
Subordinates
Training
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Summary:The present research examined the effects of employee age on managers' attributions and actions toward subordinates. The major prediction was that managers' attributions would mediate the effects of age on managerial actions. One-hundred and twenty-four undergraduate management students participated in a laboratory experiment in which subordinate age (30 versus 60 years) and performance (high versus low) were manipulated. A laboratory study was conducted so that subordinate credentials and performance levels could be controlled. Analyses indicated that poor performance by older subordinates was attributed more to stable factors than similar performance by younger subordinates. In addition, job simplification was rated as more appropriate and training was recommended as less appropriate for older subordinates. A series of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the differences in managerial actions were a function of subjects' attributional patterns. Implications of the findings for practice and future research are discussed.
ISSN:0894-3796
1099-1379
DOI:10.1002/job.4030120502