The Subordinate's Exposure of Organizational Vulnerability to the Superior: Sex and Organizational Effects

Abstract

Sixty male and 60 female undergraduates evaluated eight randomly presented messages which were both important for organizational effectiveness and personally threatening to the subordinate. The following hypothesized effects were found both for organic, compared with mechanistic settings, and for female subordinates, compared wih male subordinates: (a) a perception of greater appropriateness of disclosing such information to one's manager, (b) the expectation of fewer harmful consequences from such discussions and (c) a greater willingness to disclose such information to one's boss. Managers in the organic, compared with those in the mechanistic, work environment were rated as more trustworthy. A mixed-sex disclosure hypothesis was not supported. No sex-title effects were found.