Superior and Subordinate Gender and the Acceptance of Superiors as Role Models

Abstract

This study investigates the criteria for acceptance of an employee's superior as a role model, with special attention placed on the effect of superior/subordinate gender. The data for the study were collected from 1579 senior managers from three large Canadian public and quasi-public organizations. While significant gender differences were found, they were relatively unimportant determinants of role model acceptance. By far the most important determinant of subordinate acceptance of a superior as a role model is the subordinate's perception of the superior's performance.