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Promoting fairness in the face of conflict: the moderating effect of social control

Chris P. Long (McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA)

Leadership & Organization Development Journal

ISSN: 0143-7739

Article publication date: 4 July 2016

624

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe how superior-subordinate conflicts stimulate managers to promote fairness. The theory proposes that managers’ efforts to apply social controls (i.e. training and socialization activities that promote emotional connection and value congruence) moderate the influence of superior-subordinate conflicts on managers’ efforts to promote fairness. When conflicts are experienced by managers who apply social controls, those managers increase their efforts to promote fairness. Because managers who apply social controls need subordinates to endorse their directives, they promote fairness in the face of conflict to demonstrate that they manage subordinates in ways that are appropriate and deserving of their cooperation.

Design/methodology/approach

These ideas are tested in two studies: a survey of managers and their subordinates and a scenario-based experiment.

Findings

The results obtained from these studies demonstrate that when managers who apply social controls encounter superior-subordinate conflicts, they more actively work to fairly distribute rewards and responsibilities (i.e. promote distributive fairness) and accurately and consistently implement organizational procedures (i.e. promote procedural fairness).

Practical implications

This paper demonstrates how managers who are engaged in important sets of behaviors use fairness to address conflicts with their subordinates.

Originality/value

By identifying when superior-subordinate conflicts stimulate managers to promote fairness, this paper contributes to research on how individuals use fairness and controls together to maintain their positions of authority within social contexts (e.g. groups, units, organizations).

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank the participants of the 2014 International Conference on Management, Leadership and Governance and the anonymous journal reviewers for their helpful comments during the preparation of this submission.

Citation

Long, C.P. (2016), "Promoting fairness in the face of conflict: the moderating effect of social control", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 37 No. 5, pp. 593-608. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-09-2014-0175

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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