Self-disclosure in Unequal-power Dyads

Abstract: Social connection plays a vital role in organizations. People often build social connection via self-disclosure, but we propose that the power asymmetries frequently present in organizations may impede this process. Our research addressed two questions: whether deep self-disclosure enhances social connection between individuals differing in power, and how much individuals differing in power engage in deep self-disclosure when they interact with one another. Across four studies with newly formed dyads and pre-existing unequal-power work relationships, we found that deep self-disclosure increased social connection in unequal-power relationships more than shallow self-disclosure regardless of who did the disclosing (Study 1), yet high-power individuals were less likely to engage in deep self-disclosure than low-power individuals (Studies 2-4) because they perceived less value in the relational rewards brought by self-disclosure (Study 4). Our research suggests that high-power individuals’ tendency towards shallow self-disclosure may hinder the development of social connections in unequal-power relationships.

Keywords: Keywords: unequal-power relationships; self-disclosure; social connection; social power