Social dominance orientation and interpersonal power in work organizations: the mediational role of the need for cognitive closure

The present study was aimed at deepening the interweaving between Social Dominance Theory (SDT) and the Interpersonal Power Interaction Model (IPIM) in organizational work settings. Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) captures the extent of individuals’ desires for group-based dominance and inequality. Aiello, Pratto, & Pierro (2013) highlighted that, within work environments, high-SDO subordinates comply with their supervisors in endorsing specific interpersonal harsh power tactics for preserving hierarchies and stability. In the present study we hypothesized that the association between SDO and subordinates’ acquiescence for the “harsh” tactics used by their supervisors was mediated by need for cognitive closure (NFCC), which is defined as the extent to which individuals are motivated to a clear, an unambiguous, and a stable knowledge about the world in which they live. The study involved a sample of employees from different organizations (e.g., white collar, social workers). Results of mediational analyses with bootstrap method showed that SDO was associated with harsh power tactics via the indirect effect of NFCC. The higher subordinates were in SDO, the more they desired to reduce uncertainty and ambiguity, and thus the acquiescence toward harsh power tactics used by their supervisors for maintaining stable role’s hierarchies. These results demonstrate a cognitive orientation that may also influence how SDO works in political realms. Results discussed regarding power relationships within the workplace.