Exploring Superior-Subordinate Communication From the Perspectives of African American and Latino American Subordinates

Abstract

Utilizing phenomenology, this research presented the salient themes which emerged from interviews with 37 professionals who were African American and Latino American men and women from various organizations. Several themes surfaced from the interviews, but the most notable was that employees regarded supervisors as friends or non-friends/professionals. Employees who reported being friends with their bosses seemed to also report having more rewarding superior-subordinate interactions. These relationships with bosses sometimes created other opportunities for employees in their respective organizations, opening doors employees may not, otherwise, have been able to open. This study explored some of the advantages and disadvantages of reporting to various bosses, and it detailed a plethora of experiences along the way as they related to race and gender.