It's the thought that counts: How managers' beliefs shape the effects of monitoring

Matthew Bidwell; M. Diane Burton

doi:10.5465/ambpp.2007.26523099

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It's the thought that counts: How managers' beliefs shape the effects of monitoring

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Matthew Bidwell, M. Diane Burton

2007 Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings Conference paper Cited by 0

Abstract

We argue that the effects of managerial practices can be experienced as either coercive or enabling, depending upon the intentions with which managers implement those practices. We demonstrate how the effect on subordinates of a basic managerial practice - monitoring - varies from positive to negative depending on managers' beliefs. Using a matched survey of managers and subordinates in a hightechnology engineering firm, we find evidence that monitoring reduces subordinate job satisfaction and job challenge when managers believe workers are extrinsically motivated. However, monitoring increases job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job challenge when managers believe that subordinates have low extrinsic motivation.

Affiliations

INSEAD, Singapore 138676, 1 Ayer Rajah Avenue, Singapore; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, United States

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