Upward Influence in Contemporary Chinese Organizations: Explicating the Effects of Influence Goal Type and Multiple Goal Importance on Message Reasoning and Politeness

Abstract

This study reports a goal-based analysis of how Chinese employees engage in upward influence with their supervisors. Results indicate that the types of influence goals (personal vs. organizational) must be studied in conjunction with the importance attributed to multiple goals (e.g., clarity, relationship maintenance) to explain message features. Chinese employees who recalled pursuing a personal upward influence goal placed greater importance on relationship goals, expressed more approval for their supervisor, and mixed personal- and work-focused reasons to a greater extent than did those who recalled pursuing an organizational goal. For both types of influence goals, relationship goal importance significantly predicted message politeness while clarity goal importance predicted number of reasons given. Future research exploring general and cultural-specific aspects of upward influence is proposed.