Birds of a Feather...?: How Supervisor-Subordinate Dissimilarity Moderates the Influence of Supervisor Behaviors on Workplace Attitudes

This study explored the moderating role of subordinate-supervisor demographic dissimilarity on the relationship between supervisor behaviors and employee outcomes among a sample of middle- and upper-level managers working in Japanese-owned firms in the United States. As predicted, demographic dissimilarity moderated the relationship between supervisory behaviors and trust and organizational commitment such that the relationships were stronger under conditions of demographic dissimilarity. Implications of the results for demography research and suggestions for future research are addressed.