差序式領導主張領導者會依據員工歸類結果,將部屬區分為自己人與外人,並給予不同的資源分配與對待方式。然而,領導者的歸類結果並非一成不變,而是會隨著其接收到的訊息產生變化。換言之,領導者雖具有歸類部屬的主導權,但部屬也可以透過印象管理主動傳送類別訊息,進而與領導者協商。然而,協商過程中,領導者如何解釋部屬的印象管理,以及部屬是否能夠適時的展現良好品質的印象管理,將會是類別協商能否成功的關鍵。因此,本研究將探討部屬印象管理與雙構面差序式領導的關係,並納入領導者自尊與部屬的自我監控為調節變項。本研究採取多來源(主管、部屬及同事)的研究設計,合計蒐集208份有效樣本。研究結果顯示:(1)部屬展現的主管目的印象管理與領導者的情感型差序式領導具有正相關,而部屬展現的自我目的印象管理與領導者的工作型差序式領導具有正相關。(2)部屬展現的主管目的印象管理與領導者的情感型差序式領導的正相關,會受到部屬自我監控的強化。(3)本研究也額外發現,當領導者為低自尊時,部屬展現的工作目的印象管理與領導者的情感型差序式領導具有負相關。本研究初步證實了員工歸類的協商觀點,並點出部屬可以透過印象管理傳遞類別訊息。
Differential leadership advocates that leader will divide subordinate into insider or outsider and then give the insider more resource and good treatment. However, leader's classification category is not static, it can be changed by the message he or she received. Accordingly, subordinate can negotiate the category with the leader by transmitting category messages through impression management. During the negotiation process, how leader explains the subordinate's impression management and whether the subordinate can displays good impression management quality may be the key to the success of the category negotiation. In view of this, this study explores the relationship between subordinate’s impression management and leader’s dual dimensions of differential leadership, and also incorporates leaders' self-esteem and subordinate’s self-monitoring as moderators. Data from 208 valid samples collected from multiple-sources show that: (1) Subordinate’s supervisor-focused impression management is positively related to leader's affect-based differential leadership, and subordinate’s self-focused impression management is positively related to leader's work-based differential leadership. (2) Subordinate’s self-monitoring strengthen the positive relationship of subordinate’s supervisor-focused impression management and leader's affect-based differential leadership. (3) This study also found that subordinate’s job-focused impression management is negatively related to leader's affect-based differential leadership only when leader's self-esteem is low. This study initially confirms the negotiating views of employee categorization and points out that subordinates can pass category messages through impression management.