THE EFFECTS OF SUPERVISOR-SUBORDINATE PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING AND SUBORDINATE AUTHORITARIAN PERSONALITY ON PERCEIVED POWER EQUALIZATION

DEBRA CHONES PRICE, Purdue University

Abstract

In recent decades, there has been a great deal of writing in the area of supervisory-organizational theory and empirical research supporting the "power-equalization model" in the design of organizational work roles. The literature is unclear regarding the conditions under which perceived power equalization occurs. This study was designed to evaluate the premises that perceived power equalization depends upon the amount of participation the individual has in decision making in combination with certain authoritarian personality characteristics of the individual. The intent was that the study would help to clarify the conflicting findings regarding these effects. Subjects were 135 Purdue University female student volunteers with supervisor-subordinate relationship work experience, who were classified into high, medium, low authoritarian groups based on their authoritarian personality scores. The subjects in each group were randomly assigned to either a high, low, or no participation condition whereby they participated in a decision-making task. Perceived leader, perceived subordinate, desired leader, and desired subordinate influence measures were taken after completion of the decision-making task. The perceived and desired influence were combined into an indicator of perceived power equalization. A factorial ANOVA was used to test the participation/authoritarian personality effects on perceived power equalization. With the revealing of significant main effects and significant interactions, a Test of Simple Effects was used to probe the differences among participation in decision-making at each level of authoritarian personality. The Scheffe procedure was used to probe the differences among the various combinations of means. The statistical analyses of the data revealed significant effects of participation and authoritarian personality on perceived power equalization. Specifically, participation in decision making made a significant difference at each level of authoritarian personality on perceived power equalization. The specific findings were: (1)There was a significant difference (p < .001) among the low authoritarian/high participation group mean, with lower perceived power differentials, indicating more perceived power equalization among the low authoritarian/high participation group mean than the other low authoritarian groups. (2)There was a significant difference (p < .002) among the high authoritarian/low participation group mean, with lower perceived power differentials, indicating more perceived power equalization among the high authoritarian/low participation group than the other high authoritarian groups. (3)And, there was a significant difference (p < .002) among the high authoritarian/no participation group mean, with lower perceived power differentials, indicating more perceived power equalization among the high authoritarian/no participation group than the other high authoritarian groups. It was concluded that, for this experiment, subordinate participation in decision making and subordinate authoritarian personality, in varying combinations, had an effect on perceived power equalization. From the study's results, the following conclusions were posited: (1)In some low authoritarian females involved in a high participative decision making situation, there appears to be greater perceived power equalization than other combinations of participation and authoritarian personality. (2)In some high authoritarian females involved in a low participative decision making situation, there appears to be greater perceived power equalization than other combinations of participation and authoritarian personality. (3)In some high authoritarian females involved in a no participative decision making situation, there appears to be greater peceived power equalization than other combinations of participation and authoritarian personality.

Degree

Ph.D.

Subject Area

Inservice training

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