This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by van Knippenberg, B. Articles by Wilke, H. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

The Use of Hard and Soft Influence Tactics in Cooperative Task Groups

University of Amsterdam, VanKnippenberg{at}wisseworldcom.nl

Rob van Eijbergen

Leiden University

Henk Wilke

Leiden University

This study focused on the effect of relative competence and confidence in one's own task solution on the use of hard and soft influence tactics. For this purpose a 2 (relative competence: high/low) x 2 (influence tactic: hard/soft) between-subjects design, with the level of confidence generated by task characteristics as within-subjects factor, was employed. Results revealed that high competence individuals were less susceptible to the strength of the available influence tactic than low competence individuals: whereas high competence group members used hard tactics about as often as soft tactics, low competence group members used hard tactics less often than soft ones. However, this effect only showed when the task gave rise to high confidence in one's own task solution. When low competence group members had relatively low confidence, the frequency by which they used soft tactics declined substantially. All in all, the results suggest that people who aim for a positive group outcome employ influence tactics cautiously.

Key Words: influence tactics • social influence • task performance

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. L.T. Leong, M. H. Bond, and P. P. Fu Perceived Effectiveness of Influence Strategies in the United States and Three Chinese Societies International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, April 1, 2006; 6(1): 101 - 120. [Abstract] [PDF]