Supervisor-Subordinate Directional Age Differences and Employee Reactions to Formal Performance Feedback: Examining Mediating and Moderating Mechanisms in a Chinese Sample

Abstract

As a result of changing demographic trends in today's workforce, employees of all ages can now be found in all career stages. Consequently, the pairing of a younger supervisor with a relatively older employee is becoming increasingly more common. Research in the United States has shown that such demographically -non-normative‖ pairings have negative implications for employee attitudes and behaviors, and thus for employee performance management. However, little is known about the effects of such pairings in other nations and cultures, despite the fact that these demographic shifts are occurring on a global level.As such, this study examined the effects of these pairings on employee reactions to formal performance feedback episodes in a large organization in China, due to the nation's similarly shifting demographic trends and its economic power in today's global economy. A series of path analyses showed that being paired with a relatively younger supervisor did predict reduced employee feedback satisfaction and perceptions of feedback utility; but, contrary to the proposed model, these effects did not occur because of reduced interactional justice perceptions or reduced perceptions of leader-member exchange (LMX).Further, LMX did not moderate the study outcomes, demonstrating that having a DIRECTIONAL AGE DIFFERENCES IN CHINA ii better relationship with one's supervisor did not alleviate the effects of supervisor relative age on employee feedback reactions.The conceptual and practical implications of these results are discussed in light of a rapidly changing workforce, and of cultural differences, in China. DIRECTIONAL AGE DIFFERENCES IN CHINA iii DedicationThis dissertation is dedicated to the next generation of workers, whose work experiences of tomorrow will depend largely on the decisions we make today. I also dedicate this dissertation to one little worker bee in particular: my endlessly intelligent and curious nephew, Anderson George Cosmas, who gives me good reason to try to make the world a better place. DIRECTIONAL AGE DIFFERENCES IN CHINA iv Acknowledgments

Investigating the Employee Acceptance towards Women Leadership in Public Sector

“…Female and male leaders are all human thus they are very sensitive with welfare of their employees. This finding was contrast with Burlacu (2013); Chow (2005) that between female and male leaders involved with emotional friction that give bad impact to the relationship of leader and follower as well as their working productivity. The level of employees' acceptance towards female and male bosses using femininity and masculinity perspective affected the leader to adjust their leadership style (Voicila et al, 2018).…”