Attitudes and Behavior of Black and White Supervisors in Problem Solving Groups.

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to provide information concerning the attitudes and behaviors of black and white supervisors in simulated problem solving groups. Subjects were 12 black and 12 white students who were assigned randomly to supervise three different racially mixed dyads of subordinates; all black, mixed, and all white. The results emanating from our comparison of the frequency with which black and white leaders used the different Bales categories revealed that, in the aggregate, white leaders asked for more opinions and suggestions than their black counterparts. There were no other significant differences in the use of these categories. Likewise, no significant differences were found between black and white supervisors' duration of speech, expressed self-esteem, or satisfaction with their tasks and subordinates. Finally, although supervisors were found to vary their leadership style, these variations were traced to differing task demands rather than supervisors' race. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1972
Accession Number
AD0753263

Entities

People

  • John A. Ruhe
  • Walter A. Hill

Organizations

  • University of Florida

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Behavior And Behavior Mechanisms
  • Behavioral Disciplines And Activities
  • Behavioral Sciences
  • Cooperation
  • Frequency
  • Group Dynamics
  • Leadership
  • North Carolina
  • Psychology
  • Social Psychology
  • Supervisors

Fields of Study

  • Psychology

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science / Meteorology, specifically Wind Wave Turbulence.
  • Gender and Food Studies
  • Organizational Psychology.