Congruence in Exchange: The Influence of Supervisors on Employee Performance in Family Firms. (March 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: McLarty, Benjamin D.; Vardaman, James M.; Barnett, Tim
• Other Names: Chrisman James J. guest-editor.; Chua Jess H. guest-editor.; Steier Lloyd P. guest-editor.; Zellweger Thomas M. guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Entrepreneurship theory and practice. Volume 43:Number 2(2019)
• Page Start: 302
• Page End: 321
• Publication Date: 2019-03
• Subjects: family business -- organizational behavior -- performance; Small business -- Periodicals; New business enterprises -- Periodicals; Entrepreneurship -- Periodicals; 658.421
• DOI: 10.1177/1042258718796079
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1042-2587

Abstract

A pluralistic focus on economic and noneconomic goals creates dissonance for family firm employees. Drawing on social exchange theory, this study explores the idea that congruence between supervisor familial status and importance placed on socioemotional wealth aids in resolving this dissonance and allows committed employees to translate their efforts into better performance. The three-way interaction results show that committed employees working for congruent supervisors experienced higher task and citizenship performance. Supervisor incongruence resulted in the opposite effect. These findings suggest supervisor genuineness is vital to employee performance because of the dissonance associated with the pluralistic goal orientation in family firms.