Moderating effects of sex of supervisor and subordinate on relationships between supervisory behavior and subordinate satisfaction.

Abstract

Employees (N = 165) of an academic institution described their supervisors with the Supervisory Behavior Description and completed the Job Descriptive Index. Correlations between supervisory leadership and subordinate satisfaction were examined for four subgroups: female supervisor, male subordinates; male supervisor, female subordinates; male supervisor and subordinates; and female supervisor and subordinates. For all groups, subordinates with supervisors higher in consideration displayed greater satisfaction with work. This relationship was significantly higher for subordinates with female supervisors. Relationships between supervisory structure and subordinate satisfaction were more situational. While most of the relationships between the supervisor's initiating structure and the subordinates' satisfaction were not significant, there was some tendency for male subordinates to have lower satisfaction with female supervisors who were higher in structure.

Does valuing androgyny and femininity lead to a female advantage? The relationship between gender-role, transformational leadership and identification

“…Gender-role congruence affects employees' reactions to their managers and their evaluations of them. For instance, it was found that when women leaders exhibited a considering style which was perceived as gender appropriate, they were more highly evaluated (Bartol & Butterfield, 1976) and their subordinates reported higher levels of satisfaction (Petty & Lee, 1975) than when they exhibited a stereotypic 'masculine style' which was perceived as gender inappropriate. In an extensive meta-analysis Eagly, Karau, and Makhijani (1995) reported that women who used a "masculine" management style were perceived as less effective than 1) women who used a 'feminine' style and 2) men who used a 'masculine' style.…”

The Sex Structuring of Organizations: A Search for Possible Causes

“…The results of the several studies which have investigated this issue show a pattern of few differences in the satisfaction of subordinates of male versus female leaders (3, 5, 7, 40, 55, 57, 60). Petty and Lee (56) reported an interaction effect in which male subordinates with female supervisors re-ported lower satisfaction with two of five satisfaction dimensions in the study: work and supervision.…”

“…Major findings for studies relating to sex differences in leadership style suggest that there may be fewer differences in the leadership behavior or style of males and females than commonly-held stereotypes might suggest (3,7,8,17,18,23,55,56). In most cases, there are either no differences or relatively minor differences between male and female leaders on leadership style, whether the leaders are describing themselves or being described by their subordinates.…”

“…Bartol and Wortman (7) and Osborn and Vicars (55) found essentially no relationship between subordinate job satisfaction and perceptions of leaders as fulfilling appropriate sex role stereotypes. Petty and Lee (56) found some support for the idea that perceived consideration behavior on the part of female supervisors is associated with higher subordinate satisfaction with work, although consideration was related (but less so) to subordinate work satisfaction for male leaders as well. The interactions did not hold for overall job satisfaction or satisfaction with the supervisor.…”

The Practical Side of Research: Studying Administrative Leadership

“…The gender role research suggests, however, that women would be more likely to try open, supportive communications and thus be more likely to generate opportunities for transformational leadership behaviors than men (Petty and Lee, 1975;Loden, 1985).…”