INFLUENCE TACTICS USED FOR DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES WITH SUBORDINATES, PEERS, AND SUPERIORS

Only a few studies have examined the relationship between influence ta ctics and objectives, and the results were inconsistent. The present s tudy employed two different research methods to determine how often pe ople use nine influence tactics to attain five influence objectives wi th subordinates, peers, and superiors. One method was a survey on whic h managers reported their use of each tactic for each type of objectiv e. The other method was a content analysis of incidents in which influ ence attempts in a variety of organizations were described from the pe rspective of the agent or target The results showed that managers seek different things from subordinates, peers, and superiors. A different pattern of influence tactics was used for each type of influence obje ctive, and the pattern varied by direction. Implications for managers were discussed.