SUPERVISORS INFLUENCE TACTICS FOR HANDLING MANAGERS RESISTANCE

This study examined perceptions of superiors' upward-influence tactics in response to managers' resistance attempts described in 1980 by McL aughlin, Cody, and Robey. Based on influence tactics identified by sev eral researchers, a questionnaire was developed to investigate supervi sors' use of ''hard'' and ''soft'' upward-influence tactics in respons e to descriptions of perceived resistance from target managers. Respon ses were obtained from 167 supervisors involved in the management of t echnical and support staff personnel of four health-care organizations and submitted to stepwise regression. Soft upward-influence tactics w ere positively associated with attempts to justify resistance. Hard up ward-influence tactics were negatively related to resistant negotiatio n.