Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-30-2023

Publication Title

British Journal of Management

Volume

35

Issue

3

Pages

1296-1312

Publisher Name

John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Abstract

The complexity of performance evaluation and the insufficiency of objective measures to make informed performance decisions is an ongoing challenge. We suggest that extracting supportive information from social cues during supervisor–subordinate interactions can aid in navigating these complexities. The current study assesses how signals transmitted during supervisor–subordinate interactions play a crucial role in providing additional information for evaluations. We propose the ‘signalling chain’ concept based on signalling theory, which elaborates on the reciprocal exchange of signals between the sender and receiver, ultimately mitigating information asymmetry for both parties. We collected data from 253 matched supervisor–subordinate dyads to study the proposed relationships and analysed the data using structural equation modelling techniques. The findings show that the supervisor's signals of liking and relational fairness from interpersonal affect and interactional justice positively influence the subordinate's organizational commitment. The findings also suggest that subordinates reciprocate their obligation to the supervisor by being committed to the organization that counter-signals involvement and identification to supervisors and aid in performance evaluation. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our study and offer future research directions.

Comments

Author Posting © The Author(s), 2023. This article is posted here by permission of John Wiley & Sons Ltd for personal use. This article was published open access in British Journal of Management, VOL. 35, ISS. 3, (July 2024), https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12758.

Included in

Business Commons

Share

COinS