Skip to main content
Log in

The interactive effect of influence tactic, applicant gender, and type of job on hiring recommendations

  • Brief Report
  • Published:
Sex Roles Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The effects of influence tactic, applicant gender, and job type were examined in the selection context. A male or female applicant used either an assertive, rational, or exchange influence tactic in a simulated job interview script for either a sales representative or cost accounting position. Three hundred four managers, (271 male and 26 female, predominantly white) evaluated the applicant and indicated the likelihood that they would recommend hiring the applicant. Results indicated that tactics were differentially effective in generating favorable hiring recommendations and ratings of the applicant, depending on whether the tactic was used by a male or female applicant and on the job type sought.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

References

  • Bhatnagar, D. (1993). Evaluation of managerial influence tactics.Journal of Managerial Psychology, 8 3–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Bigoness, W. (1976). Effect of applicant's sex, race, and performance on employers' performance ratings: some additional findings.Journal of Applied Psychology, 61 80–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Broverman, I., Vogel, S., Broverman, F., Clarkson, F., & Rosenkrantz, S. (1972). Sex-role stereotypes: A current appraisal.Journal of Social Issues, 28 59–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dalrymple, P. (1985).Sales management (2nd ed.), New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dockery, T., & Steiner, D. (1990). The role of the initial interaction in leader-member exchange.Group and Organization Studies, 15 395–413.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dreher, G., Dougherty, T., & Whitely, W. (1988). Influence tactics and salary attainment: A study of sex-based salary differentials. in Hoy, F. (ed.),Academy of Management Proceedings, Anaheim, CA.

  • Dubinsky, A., & Ingram, T. (1983). Important first-line sales management qualifications: What sales managers think.Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 3 21–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (1991).Job patterns for minorities and women in private industry (EEO-1 report). Washington DC: Government Printing Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Falbe, C., & Yukl, G. (1992). Consequences for managers of using single influence tactics and combinations of tactics.Academy of Management Journal, 35 638–652.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamner, W., Kim, J., Baird, L., & Bigoness, W. (1974). Race and sex as a determinant of ratings by potential employers in a simulated work sampling task.Journal of Applied Psychology, 59 705–711.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heilman, M., & Stopeck, M. (1985). Attractiveness and corporate success: Different causal attributions for males and females.Journal of Applied Psychology, 70 379–388.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson, D., Peacock, A., & Holden, R. (1982). Professional interviewers' trait inferential structures for diverse occupational groups.Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 29 1–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, N. & Scandura, T. (1994). The effect of mentorship and sex-role style on male-female earnings.Industrial Relations, 33 263–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kipnis, D. & Schmidt, S. (1988). Upward-influence styles: Relationship with performance evaluations, salary, and stress.Administrative Science Quarterly, 33 528–542.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kipnis, D., Schmidt, S. & Wilkinson, I. (1980). Intraorganizational influence tactics: Explorations in getting one's own way.Journal of Applied Psychology, 65 440–452.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paunonen, S., Jackson, D., & Oberman, S. (1987). Personnel selection decisions: Effects of applicant personality and the letter of reference.Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 40 96–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schlenker, B. (1980).Impression management. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schriesheim, C., & Hinkin, D. (1990). Influence tactics used by subordinates: A theoretical and empirical analysis and refinement of Kipnis, Schmidt, & Wilkinson's subscales.Journal of Applied Psychology, 75 246–257.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shilit, W., & Locke, E. (1982). A study of upward influence in organizations.Administrative Science Quarterly, 27 304–316.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vecchio, R. & Sussman, M. (1991). Choice of influence tactics: Individual and organizational determinants.Journal of Organizational Behavior, 12 73–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yukl, G., & Falbe, C. (1990). Influence tactics and objectives in upward, downward, and lateral influence attempts.Journal of Applied Psychology, 75 132–140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yukl, G., Falbe, C., & Youn, J. (1993). Patterns of influence behavior for managers.Group and Organization Management, 18 5–28.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

We would like to thank the Graduate Research Council at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for grant support for this project.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Buttner, E.H., McEnally, M. The interactive effect of influence tactic, applicant gender, and type of job on hiring recommendations. Sex Roles 34, 581–591 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01545034

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01545034

Keywords

Navigation