Files and links (1)
Choi_So-Young_20251.36 MB
PDF Embargoed Access, Embargo ends: 31 Jul 2027
Dissertation
"Peeling back the onion": an exploration of leader self-disclosure and its effects on employees
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
May 2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00010984
Abstract
Self-disclosure is voluntary behavior whereby people reveal information about themselves to others during interpersonal interactions. Even though individuals are not required or obligated to share their personal information with others at work, they can engage in self-disclosure to build workplace relationships. However, there has been very little research on self-disclosure at work, and scholars have yet to fully examine the theoretical mechanisms by which self-disclosure can help individuals build and develop beneficial workplace relationships. This dissertation builds on prior theoretical and empirical work on self-disclosure to examine four types of self-disclosure in the workplace, namely leader self-disclosure of work achievements, work failures, nonwork achievements, and nonwork failures. Furthermore, drawing from social exchange theory, this study applies the four types of self-disclosure to leader-follower relationships to determine how a leader's self-disclosure can influence social exchange relationships with their followers as reflected by the followers' trust in the leader and subsequent felt obligation to the leader, which in turn, can motivate the followers to engage in their own self-disclosure, improve their task performance, and conduct organizational citizenship behavior toward their leader. Further, I suggest the amount of leader self-disclosure serves as a first-stage moderator by considering how high levels of leader self-disclosure can weaken the positive effects of leader self-disclosure on follower trust in the leader. To test the preliminary effects of self-disclosure, I conducted a pilot study utilizing a team simulation in an undergraduate business course. The results of this study provided empirical evidence that leader self-disclosure influences follower behavioral reactions. Then, to examine the hypothesized relationships, I conducted a time-lagged, field study of full-time working adults. The results supported my predictions regarding the positive indirect effects of leader self-disclosure of work and nonwork-related achievements on follower task performance and organizational citizenship behavior toward the leader through follower trust in the leader and felt obligation to the leader. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Metrics
21 Record Views
Details
- Title
- "Peeling back the onion"
- Creators
- So Young Choi
- Contributors
- Mary Elizabeth Mawritz (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- viii, 145 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Bennett S. LeBow College of Business; Management; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991022057438004721