Effect of future anxiety and locus of control on power strategies used by military and civilian supervisors

The authors tested two hypotheses (1) supervisors scoring high vs, low on F uture Anxiety (FA) will tend to use more legitimate and harder power to inf luence their subordinates (2) the supervisors with external locus of contro l (LOC) will also use the harder power strategies. Two groups of supervisor s took part in the research: the supervisors in civilian institutions e.g. banks, and higher rank officers on a military air force bases. The followin g measurement methods were used: Zaleski's (1996) Future Anxiety Scale, Rav en Power Basis Questionnaire and Rotter Locus of Control Questionnaire. The results confirmed the assumption, with the exception of the military group in which there is no relationship between locus of control and use of part icular power strategies. The results are discussed within the frame of copi ng with personal unknown future and in reference to the specificity of mili tary training and functioning as an institution.