Dyadic Distance in the Supervisor-Subordinate Relationship

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.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Labor and Industrial Relations

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Napier, Barbara Jean

Contributors dc:contributor

• Ferris, G.,

• Business Administration, Management
• Psychology, Industrial
• Sociology, Industrial and Labor Relations

Identifier

(UMI)AAI9329118

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/72592