Factor-analytic examination of managerial credibility

Abstract

In response to increasing ethical dilemmas throughout organizations, there is a need to understand and enhance one's managerial credibility. The purpose of this research was to investigate the dimensionality of this phenomenon. Managerial credibility is defined as "the degree to which a manager is perceived to be trustworthy, dependable, reliable, and competent; the degree to which he/she has the ability to inspire others to believe in him/her and his/her visions and ideas." As a result of a review of the literature, it was proposed a priori that there were three components of a manager's perceived credibility: "trustworthiness," "consistency," and "competence." An exploratory factor analysis was conducted using questionnaire data gathered from 325 managers across two large manufacturing organizations. Specifically, it was found that: (1) five distinct factors (one strong and four of low strength) emerged which influence one's credibility; (2) while different managers use similar factor structures when perceiving and assessing a colleague's credibility, they use these factors to a different extent depending on their status level; and (3) different raters exhibit moderate to no agreement concerning a target individual's perceived credibility. Finally, findings, business implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Notes

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Graduation Date

1989

Semester

Summer

Advisor

Wooten, William

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Format

PDF

Pages

81 p.

Language

English

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Identifier

DP0026948

Subjects

Arts and Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic; Dissertations, Academic -- Arts and Sciences

Accessibility Status

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