Production employee performance at a furniture manufacturer: The importance of supportive supervisors

Individual employee performance has been shown to play an important role in the overall performance of organizations. One of the factors influencing production employee performance appears to be the direct supervisor; however, these relationships are not fully understood. This paper presents the findings of a study investigating means by which supervisors influence the work-related performance of their hourly subordinates. We categorized employee performance into both in-role and extra-role behaviors and tested multiple predictors of performance using data from supervisors and hourly employees at two plants owned by a large furniture manufacturer. Results indicate that supervisors can have a direct influence on subordinate performance and work-related withdrawal behaviors. We also found that a large percentage of employees report engaging in behaviors that could reduce efficiency, quality, etc. Findings imply that manufacturing management would be well advised to develop the communication and interpersonal skills of their supervisory staff in order to bolster organizational performance.