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Title- An analysis of employees’ reaction to supervisors’ influence behaviors

1.1 Problem statement-

In Sri Lankan apparel sector most of immediate supervisors use demands, threats, or
persistent reminders(pressure) to influence the employees to full fill the job task stating that
with the limited education and socio-cultural factors demands this sort of influencing methods.
So this study is design with the aim to understand how various type of influencing
methods(rational persuasion,inspirational appeal,personal appeal,pressure)affects to various
employee out comes( Affective commitment toward supervisor,Affective commitment toward
organization ,Turnover intention,Emotional distress)

2.Background of the study-

The Apparel industry plays a pivotal role as a key driver of the national economy and has
grown to be the most significant contributor to the country’s economy over nearly three decades
of its existence. It is the largest industry accounting for roughly 40% of industrial production
and two thirds of industrial exports. The industry employs nearly 340,000 workers directly and
twice as many indirectly. Total employment is estimated to be in the region of 15% of the
country’s eligible workforce. While the industry recorded a remarkable growth in a protected
market
environment it faces a series of challenges which have come to the fore in the post
quota situation, notably:

a. Development of Preferential Arrangements

The global development of trade blocs and regional preferential arrangements are a
threat to the industry as Sri Lanka is not included in any such arrangement and does
not enjoy the so called “level playing field” except the EU/GSP Scheme which offers
very limited benefits due to the stringent rules of origin.

b. Price Competitiveness

Price continues to be an important factor in the global apparel industry. Sri lanka is
not competitive as it should be due to poor labour productivity, insufficient
technology advancement, heavy dependence on imported inputs etc.

c. Faster Lead Times

Manufacturing lead times in countries geographically closer to the US and EU are

shorter than for Sri Lanka which does not have this advantage.
 d. Weak raw material base

The raw material base in Sri Lanka is weak. The apparel industry currently imports
over 40% of its raw material requirements comprising woven fabrics and
accessories. The development of apparel zones with fabric mills, washing plants,
printing facilities etc vital to sustain the industry are still not fully developed.

e. Full Service Offering

Many global players are equipped to deliver the basic customer expectations of
price, quality and speed. Therefore, Sri Lanka needs to differentiate herself from the
competition through the provision of enhanced services. A total service comprises of
having the raw material base, superior product development, efficient
manufacturing capability, logistical efficiency and providing the buyer with
assistance in the way of marketing, design or legal know-how. This aspect needs
particular attention. A recent report published by the US International Trade

Commission has concluded that “sourcing in Sri Lanka will decline if local
producers are unable to provide full service packaging and local inputs such as
fabric and trim”.

f. Access to Market

The effects of the final phase out of the quotas are now beginning to be felt across
the entire spectrum of the industry. A shake out in terms of suppliers is already
taking place with buyers moving for consolidation based essentially on
competitiveness. Prices and lead times are getting further squeezed which would
( Omar.A. And Cooray.T.,Apparel Cluster, National Council for Economic
Development(NCED).

Sri Lanka has to uplift it's apparel industry up to the standards of other rivals in term of
efficiency and effectiveness. In deciding the effectiveness and efficiency of an organization first
line managers or supervisors role is paramount important. So this study aims to understand the
effect of supervisors influencing methods to employees in Sri Lankan apparel Industry
Despite all the changes over the past decade in how organizations are designed and
managed, the role of the first-line manager or supervisor remains crucial. Surveys have shown
that today, just as 20 years ago, supervisors are regarded as more central to effective
organizational performance than anybody else,Especially in manufacturing
companies, supervisors are typically felt to have more influence,for both good and bad, than
other groups of employees on such outcomes as absenteeism, product quality, cost

reduction and labor relations. Despite this,the role of supervisor has suffered marked decline
over this period.
Supervisors role is some what ambiguous according to Druker [2],much of this confusion
and ambiguity emanates from the fact that the position is an amalgamation of earlier and
essentially different roles. That of a master craftsman and of a foreman(seldom forewoman)one
forerunner of the master craftsman of the past. Such a person was not only an
entrepreneur,responsible for securing work and organizing it ,but also an expert in how the work
should be done .besides talking personal responsibility for costs and revenues associated with
various jobs,the master craftsman employed his skill and knowledge in ensuring the others
completed the job properly. The other root of this position is the foreman of a gang of workers
performing manual labor ,The “lead man” serving as the example for the other worker in the
team or crew. Unlike the master craftsman,the lead man did not stand apart from the actual work
,but did it along side the rank and file workers,typically setting the pace and carrying out the
procedures in an exemplary manner. Although part of the work team or crew,the foreman of the
past was responsible to the owner-managers for the performance of every one on the crew or
team. As Druker[2] has made it clear,it is because supervisors have inherited what is expected of
them from the master craftsman of the past,but their actual duties and requirment from
foreman,that there is so much ambiguity in their roles. The fact that the position of supervisor
has its roots in two different past jobs rather than from a single job can help to explain why their
is a mismatch in many cases between what is expected from supervisors and what they can
actually deliver,given the demands of their jobs. This has made it more difficult for supervisors
to satisfy others in their organizations and has created a confusing picture of their jobs.
( Orpen.C. Empowering the Supervisory Role,Business School, Bournemouth
University,Bournemouth.)
When a supervisor wants an employee to do something, the supervisor might provide a
rationale along with a request, or offer a favor in exchange for compliance, or simply ask the
employee to do the task. Employees’ reactions to supervisors’ influence behaviors have been
suggested to depend on interpretations that employees make about the nature of their
relationship with the supervisor, and upon the implications of these interpretations for
perceived social standing and for the prospects for need satisfaction in the workplace. (Michela
and Greenstein, in press).
This study seeks to demonstrate that employees’ reactions to their supervisors’ influence
behaviors are governed by meanings inferred from the behaviors. Based on the research done
by John L. Michela University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada. To asses the its applicability to
Sri lankan context (original research is changed in various aspects for practical reasons).

3.Objectives of the study-

The objectives of this study is to investigate,

• Extent to which rational persuasion,inspirational appeal,personal appeal,pressure

influential methods used by the first line supervisors in Brandix Casual wear plant
in Rathmalana and Brandix intimates Plant in Koggala.

• To asses the level of Affective commitment toward supervisor,Affective

commitment toward organization ,Turnover intention,Emotional distress of
employee's in Brandix Casual wear plant in Rathmalana plant and Brandix
intimates Plant in Koggala.
 • To Investigate Whether Influential Methods( rational persuasion,inspirational
appeal,personal appeal,pressure) Significantly relate to Employee out
come(Affective commitment toward supervisor,Affective commitment toward
organization ,Turnover intention,Emotional distress)

4.Conceptual Model-
4.1 introduction
Categorizing influence behaviors
By definition, leadership implies influence of the leader over the
follower. In interactions when a manager or supervisor wants a subordinate to act in
particular way, there is either an implicit or explicit appeal by the supervisor for compliance.
A widely-known scheme for categorizing some of these appeals in various leader-follower
dyad was developed by Yukl and his colleagues (e.g. Yukl and Tracey, 1992).

The categories in this and related schemes (e.g. Kipnis et al., 1980) are often termed“tactics”
for influence. The conception is that the supervisor or other “agent” of influence is aware that
the subordinate (or other “target”) might not be inclined to
comply unless the appeal provides a basis for compliance (Raven, 1993). For example,
the appeal might cite the agent’s legitimate authority to make the request, or offer some
reward in return for compliance.

Past research in this area (e.g. Erez et al., 1986; Kipnis et al., 1980; Yukl and Falbe,1990;
Falbe and Yukl, 1992) has given rise to specific categorizations of influence tactics and
evidence of the consequences of the particular tactics used with employees. Results of these
studies consistently show that some tactics, including consultation(e.g. involving an employee
in a decision) and inspirational appeal (e.g. a supervisorarouses enthusiasm by appealing to
values), are relatively effective for eliciting commitment (Yukl and Tracey, 1992; Yukl and
Falbe, 1990).
These tactics are thought to be even more effective when used in combination with
rational persuasion (a supervisor uses logic and facts to persuade employees to undertake a
task) (Yukl and Tracey, 1992). Tactics such as pressure (persistent reminders), coalition
(recruiting others to help a supervisor to convince an employee to do something) and
legitimating (expressing the authority to tell an employee to do something) are not very
effective for eliciting commitment, although they may result in compliance (Yukl and Tracey,
1992).

Potential consequences of employees’ responses to influence attempts

What meanings matter and why do they matter? The answer most likely depends on the
consequences or outcomes that are of concern. For example, in the determination of work
stress, personal control has been found to be a key factor (Karasek and Theorell, 1990). Thus,
employees may be buffered from symptoms of stress, such as emotional distress, when their
supervisors give up control, such as through employee involvement as a means of inducing
employee compliance with requests. Stress and burnout have been found to relate more
generally to the employee’s perception of supervisor consideration (Seltzer and Numeroff,
1988), so inconsiderate means of influence (such as deceptive or manipulative ones) may be
expected to predict greater symptoms of stress, with considerate and respectful ones predicting
lesser symptoms. The employee’s wish to maintain membership in the organization, as
indicated by turnover intention, is another key outcome that can be affected by employees’
perceptions of their supervisors’ influence behaviors. Extensive research on employee
turnover (e.g. Mobley, 1982) points to the likely impact of employees’ inferences concerning
whether or not they are treated respectfully or with due consideration. The employee’s basic
attitudes toward the supervisor and his or her employing organization also may be expected to
be affected by perceptions of the supervisor’s influence behaviors. These basic attitudes have
been conceptualized and operationalized as affective commitment to the supervisor and
affective commitment to the organization, and have been found to be influenced by aspects of
interactions with supervisors (Hellriegel et al., 1992). These commitments are believed to be
important to other outcomes involving motivation and performance (Mowday et al., 1979).

4.2 Variables of the study;

Independent Variables-
Influential Methods are considers as independent variable in this study, which includes

1.Rational persuasion- supervisor uses logic and facts to persuade employees to

accomplishment of the task
2.Inspirational appeal- supervisor arouses your enthusiasm by appealing to employee's
values and aspirations, or by increasing their confidence that they can do it
3.Personal appeal- supervisor appeals to employee's feelings of loyalty and friendship
toward him/her before asking employee's to do something
4.pressure-supervisor uses demands, threats, or persistent reminders to influence employees to
do what he/she wants

Dependant variables:-
Employees outcomes are considers as Dependent variables, Which includes

1.Affective commitment toward supervisor-refers to the employees' emotional attachment

towards supervisor
2.Affective commitment toward organization-refers to employees ' emotional attachment to
organization
3.Turnover intention- The employee’s unwillingness to maintain membership in the
organization
4.Emotional distress-Individuals’ detrimental reactions (“strain”) to stressful life events.

Dependant variable Dependant Variables

(Influential methods) (Employee outcomes)
Rational persuasion Affective commitment toward supervisor
Inspirational appeal Affective commitment toward organization
Personal appeal Turnover intention
Pressure Emotional distress
5.Research Methodology
Sample of this study will consist of employees from Brandix Casual wear plant in
Rathmalana And employees from Brandix Essentials Plant in Koggala These firms are
selected because of large number of employees of manufacturing nature who are
continuously supervised by first line supervisors can be found conveniently. 10 employees
will be selected from each production line randomly and a questioner will be given to them
for the assessment.

5.1 Measures of influence tactics.

A survey questions are used to measure influence tactics for this study Are designed as,
Instructions were to “rate (by circling the number on the scale) how often your immediate
supervisor uses the following methods to try to get you to do something or to give you
directions for your work.”
The four influence tactics shown in Each influence tactic was rated on a five-point scale
ranging from “never” to “always.” These tactics were taken directly from Yukl and
Tracey’s (1992) study.

5.2 Measures of Out comes.

Out come variables are also wiling to be asses by using a questioner from the same sample
group. Measures of outcome variables will be measured by
allowing employees to rate their agreement (1 strongly disagree, 5 strongly agree)
affective commitment toward the
organization (ACO), affective commitment toward the supervisor (ACS), emotional
distress (ED), and turnover intention (TOI). Responses were factor analyzed to identify
an internally consistent subset of
items to use to measure each of these four variables.

5.3 Data analysis.

Statistical methods will be use to analyze data. Average will be calculated for the each
influential tactics to determine the influential methods most used in the sample.
Average value will be calculated for each of the out come variables mentioned
statistical methods will be used to understand whether their is a correlation with each
influential tactic and the out come value of employees.

6. Structure of the Final Report

Chapter 01 - Introduction to the study, Problem statement,Problem Justification,The

proposed objectives are as follows, Significance of the study,Project scope and limitations
will be mentioned

Chapter 02- Literature review

Chapter O3- Research framework, Conceptual Framework,Operationalisation

Chapter 04- Methodology, Population and Sampling, Sample size ,Data collection ,Data
analysis techniques will be mentioned

Chapter 05- Presentation of data and data analysis, Summary of the chapter

Chapter 06- Discussion and findings

Chapter 07- Conclusion, Recommendations

Chapter 08- References and bibliography, References, Bibliography,Appendix

7. Reference:
John L. M., Understanding employees’ reactions to supervisors’ influence behaviors,
University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada

Christopher. O., Empowering the Supervisory Role,Dorset Business School, Bournemouth

University,Bournemouth.

Thierry C. P.,Integral leadership: a research proposal, HEC Montreal, Montreal, Canada

and Fielding Graduate University,Santa Barbara, California, USA.

Ashrof .O . & Tuli .C. APPAREL INDUSTRY – PRIVATE SECTOR PERSPECTIVE,

Apparel Cluster, National Council for Economic Development(NCED)

Kevin M, Acquiring knowledge and skills for twenty-first century supervision,Oak Harbor
Freight Lines, USA.

Ali. H.M.A.M & Opatha. H.H.D.N.P.,Performance Appraisal System And Business

Performance,Sri lankan Journal of Human Resources Management Vol.2,No.1 2008.
 Research Proposal of
“An Analysis of Employees’
Reaction to Supervisors’ Influence
Behaviors”

Aruna Shantha Weliange,

MC- 57980
 CPM-5854
Departmant of Human Resourses Management
University Of Sri Jayewardenepura
Sri lanka.