Date of Award

Fall 2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

Program/Concentration

Psychology

Committee Director

Debra A. Major

Committee Member

Xiaoxiao Hu

Committee Member

Louis Janda

Call Number for Print

Special Collections LD4331.P68 L58 2014

Abstract

There is abundant evidence that leader-member exchange (LMX) is advantageous for subordinates (e.g., Gerstner & Day, 1997; Ilies, Nahrgang, & Morgeson, 2007). However, a basic tenet ofLMX theory is that LMX levels vary among subordinates (Dienesch & Liden, 1986; Graen & Uhl-Bien, 1995). Male-dominated professions may be a context in which women find it challenging to develop and maintain high-quality LMX. Indeed, gender mismatch within the supervisor-subordinate dyad predicts outgroup status (Duchon, Green, & Taber, 1986), whereas gender match is positively related to important outcomes, such as subordinate performance and reduced role confiict (e.g., Tsui & O'Reilly, 1989). This research aimed to examine the relationships between gender match, LMX, work interference with family (WIF), job satisfaction, and turnover intentions in supervisor-subordinate dyads from information technology (IT), a heavily male-dominated field. This was accomplished by testing two predictions suggested by similarity-attraction theory and social identity theory (SIT; D. E. Byrne, 1971; Tajfel & Turner, 1979; Tsui & O'Reilly, 1989). Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model using data from a sample of 430 information technology employees from 10 high-tech organizations across the U.S. Contrary to both hypotheses supported by relational demography theory, the findings suggest that supervisor-subordinate dyads in IT that include a woman, whether supervisor, subordinate, or both, report higher quality leader-member exchanges than supervisor-subordinate dyads comprised only of men. Given the unanticipated results, it is imperative for future research to reconsider if relational demography accurately describes gender (dis)similarity effects at the dyadic level, and to further examine processes underlying the development of supervisor-subordinate relationships in technology-dominated fields by employing qualitative and longitudinal research methods.

Rights

In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

DOI

10.25777/cvgk-k981

Download

Share

COinS