Managers Give Additional Work To Employees Who Like Them More (vs. Less)

Authors:

Abstract: Despite the supervisors’ desire for equitability, fairness and productivity, they may make decisions based on irrational fears of rejection and disliking, driven by reputational goals. The results of three experiments with 1,359 participants indicate that managers tend to assign more tasks to employees who like them more (vs. less). This task allocation is influenced by managers' reputational concerns and trust in the employees, rather than expected compliance. Managers’ and workers’ alignment with expectations and delivery at work directly links performance (Van de Vliert & Smith, 2004), and this research uncovers one reason why managers and workers are misaligned with sensing emotions interpersonally.

Track: DEC

Keywords: warmth, task allocation, inter-personal perception