Age and education differences in superior-subordinate dyads: Testing relational norms and attraction similarity influences on role ambiguity, affect, and communication satisfaction

The primary purpose of this study was to examine superior-subordinate dyads which violate relational norms and produce status inconsistency. Specifically, within the context of supervisor age and education, occupational norms suggest that employees expect their supervisor to be older and have a higher level of education. In the face of growing demographic diversity, more emphasis is being placed on superiors to build skills to effectively interact with a heterogeneous set of employees. This study proposed to test whether superior-subordinate dyads which are diverse in terms of age and education, influence employees\u27 attitudes towards their supervisor, the satisfaction with the communication between the dyad members, and employees\u27 perceived clarity of job expectations. 190 participants responded to a paper based survey