Interpersonal Leadership: The Role Of Perceived Motivation For Self-Disclosure And Self-Disclosure Appropriateness In Employee Affect For Supervisor

Abstract

Previous research has strongly supported the importance of supervisor leadership style in employee satisfaction and productivity in the workplace. Although the use of referent power is a key factor in successful leadership, little research has been conducted to identify specific communicative behaviors that enable a supervisor to establish a referent power base. Given that positive affect, specifically liking, is the basis for the enactment of referent power, this study examines the relationship between a supervisor's selfdisclosure behavior and the extent to which an employee likes his or her supervisor. A sample of working professionals (N=168) was surveyed and asked to respond to several scales that assessed their current supervisor's self-disclosure behavior and one scale that assessed how much they liked that supervisor. A hierarchical regression was conducted and results indicated that both perceived motivation for self-disclosure and self-disclosure appropriateness predicted an employee's liking for his or her supervisor. Implications for practice and directions for future research are offered.