Communicator Styles of Powerful Physician-Executives in Upward-Influence Situations

Abstract

This study examines the communicator styles of 200 powerful physician-executives with an attempt to persuade a superior whose own style of communication is attractive or unattractive. Although previous research has studied physician-executives' persuasive message strategies or what they communicate to influence attractive and unattractive superiors, this study focused on the way they communicate with these targets of influence. The results suggest that physicians in management who perceive themselves to be powerful in upward-influence situations are sensitive to and influenced by the communication relationship they share with their superiors. These physician-executives were significantly more likely to utilize the communicator styles of animated, contentious, dominant, and precise to influence an unattractive than an attractive superior, but were significantly more likely to be attentive, dramatic, friendly, open, and relaxed when influencing an attractive superior rather than an unattractive superior.