Head above the parapet: How minority subordinates influence group outcomes and the consequences they face

• Main Authors: OC, Burak, BASHSHUR, Michael R., MOORE, Celia
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2019
• Subjects: Allocation behavior; Minority influence; Powerholders; Upward feedback; Human Resources Management; Organizational Behavior and Theory; Organization Development
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/6020; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/7019/viewcontent/oc_bashshur_moore_sv_2019.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

The vast majority of research on power, social, and minority influence treats those who are recipients of powerholders’ decisions (i.e., subordinates) as an undifferentiated group, overlooking how recipients may respond in unique ways to the decisions that affect them. In this paper we examine the role of minority subordinates in shaping how powerholders allocate resources. We also explore how psychological distance between the minority subordinate and powerholder moderates this relationship, as well as the individual consequences minority subordinates face for articulating their unique opinions. In three experimental studies, we show that even as a lone voice, the feedback of a minority subordinate influences powerholders decisions. We further show that the influence of minority subordinates is stronger when the subordinate is psychologically close to the powerholder. Finally, we find that powerholders reward all subordinates who provide them with positive feedback, but only punish subordinates who provide negative feedback when those subordinates are psychologically distant. Overall, our results suggest that subordinates who risk putting their head above the parapet can improve outcomes for their group members, and can avoid being punished for doing so, as long as the powerholder perceives that they share a salient group membership.