The Moderating Role of Subordinate Political Skill on Supervisors' Impressions of Subordinate Ingratiation and Ratings of Subordinate Interpersonal Facilitation

• Published in: Journal of applied psychology 2007-05, Vol.92 (3), p.848-855
• Main Authors: Treadway, Darren C, Ferris, Gerald R, Duke, Allison B, Adams, Garry L, Thatcher, Jason B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Attitude; Behaviourism; Biological and medical sciences; Empirical research; Employee Performance Appraisal; Employment - manpower; Facilitation; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Human; Humans; Impression Management; Impressions; Influence; Ingratiation; Interpersonal Influences; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Occupational psychology; Organization; Organization and management. Professional relation; Organizational behavior; Political aspects; Politics; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Retailing industry; Samples; Social Facilitation; Social influence; Social Perception; Social psychology; Social research; Studies; Subordinates; Supervisor Employee Interaction; Supervisor-Subordinate interactions; Supervisors
• ISSN: 0021-9010; 1939-1854
• DOI: 10.1037/0021-9010.92.3.848

Nearly 2 decades ago, social influence theorists called for a new stream of research that would investigate why and how influence tactics are effective. The present study proposed that political skill affects the style of execution of influence attempts. It utilized balance theory to explain the moderating effect of employee political skill on the relationships between self- and supervisor-reported ingratiation. Additionally, supervisor reports of subordinate ingratiation were hypothesized to be negatively related to supervisor ratings of subordinate interpersonal facilitation. Results from a combined sample of 2 retail service organizations provided evidence that subordinates with high political skill were less likely than those low in political skill to have their demonstrated ingratiation behavior perceived by targets as a manipulative influence attempt. Also, when subordinates were perceived by their supervisors to engage in more ingratiation behavior, the subordinates were rated lower on interpersonal facilitation. Implications of these findings, limitations, and future research directions are provided.