Dyadic Distance in the Supervisor-Subordinate Relationship
Napier, Barbara Jean
This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/72592
Description
Title
Dyadic Distance in the Supervisor-Subordinate Relationship
Author(s)
Napier, Barbara Jean
Issue Date
1993
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Ferris, G.,
Department of Study
Labor and Industrial Relations
Discipline
Labor and Industrial Relations
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Business Administration, Management
Psychology, Industrial
Sociology, Industrial and Labor Relations
Abstract
There is perhaps no construct that is so fundamental to interpersonal interactions in organizations, yet so incompletely understood, than distance. Part of the difficulty in developing a comprehensive and informed understanding of the role distance plays in organizations is that theory and research in this area have been quite fragmented, focusing on narrow aspects of the construct, and lacking the integration necessary to build a more general knowledge base. For example, Graen (1976) has contributed greatly to our understanding of one aspect of distance, presenting a model based on role theory whereby in-group and out-group members are hypothesized to enjoy different rewards, benefit from different leadership behaviors, and experience different levels of satisfaction and performance ratings based on relative closeness to (or distance from) the supervisor. Other researchers have explored the phenomena of psychological distance (Rothaus, Morton, & Hanson, 1965), spatial distance (Kerr & Jermier, 1978; Ferris & Rowland, 1985), and physical distance (Sundstrom, Burt, & Kamp, 1980; Sundstrom, 1986) in the supervisor-subordinate relationship. This research, although a good starting point, does not adequately define or integrate the various aspects of distance in organizations. This dissertation represents an effort to develop a broader and more extensive understanding of the role distance plays in organizations by integrating the various types of distance into a theoretical model. A model of Dyadic Distance in the supervisor-subordinate relationship is presented and tested that develops the new constructs of Dyadic, Psychological, Structural, and Functional Distance. The process dynamics among these constructs are examined as well as their effects on subordinate performance, withdrawal, and satisfaction. LISREL results indicate that the proposed model fits the data fairly well, providing preliminary support for the proposed relationships. Needed directions for future research in this important area are discussed.
Use this login method if you
don't
have an
@illinois.edu
email address.
(Oops, I do have one)
IDEALS migrated to a new platform on June 23, 2022. If you created
your account prior to this date, you will have to reset your password
using the forgot-password link below.
