Helicopter Bosses: Clarifying and Demystifying Micromanagement in the Workplace

The John Gokongwei School of Management invites you to a Brown Bag Session on "Helicopter Bosses: Clarifying and Demystifying Micromanagement in the Workplace". Our presenter is Dr Catherine Deen, Senior Lecturer of Human Relations and Organisation Behaviour at the University of New South Wales Canberra School of Business, Australia.

This will be held on Wednesday, 2 October 2024 from 12:00 - 1:30PM at the Cabochan Room, SOM 307 and online via Zoom.
Please register here: https://bit.ly/jgsombrownbag2oct2024

Brief Description of the Topic:
Micromanagement (MM) is a popular topic in management circles, where its negative reputation is palpable. Surprisingly, academics have not shared this interest, resulting in a deficient understanding of MM marred by disjointed definitions and paradoxical views. Our research addresses this gap through a programmatic series of five studies that: (1) define the MM construct, (2) develop a psychometrically reliable and valid measure, and (3) validate a preliminary nomological network. Using combined deductive and inductive approaches, we establish a construct definition of MM. Subsequently, we develop and validate a 17-item Micromanagement Scale (MMS-17). Drawing on data from 10 distinct samples encompassing 2,098 individuals from diverse industries, we found that: (a) MM is a hierarchical construct with three key attributes (i.e., controlling, close monitoring, detail focus) and three key features (i.e., excessive, sustained, unnecessary), (b) the MMS-17 demonstrates discriminant validity vis-à-vis other leadership constructs (i.e., abusive supervision, authoritarian leadership, directive leadership, empowering leadership, initiating structure, participative leadership), and (d) the MMS-17 exhibits nomological validity through significant relationships with theorized antecedents (e.g., trust, leader-member exchange) and consequences (e.g., turnover intentions). We discuss the implications of the MMS’s availability for the study of micromanagement with special focus on future research directions.

About the Speaker:
Dr. Catherine M. Deen is Senior Lecturer of Human Relations and Organisation Behaviour at the University of New South Wales Canberra School of Business. Caths’ research focuses on the dark side of human behavior in organizations, gendered victimization at work, and the plight of vulnerable workers. Specifically, she investigates how control experiences such as micromanagement and work-related intimate partner aggression impact people’s careers. Her research has been published in top-tiered journals such as Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Journal of Management, and The Leadership Quarterly. Before entering academia, Caths served in various educational leadership roles and served on boards for government and non-government institutions. She received international grants and awards including the US State Department’s International Visitor’s Leadership grant for inclusive higher education and the 2023 Alvah Chapman, Jr. Outstanding Dissertation in Leadership award. She also recently won the “Best Paper with Practical Implications” award from the Managerial and Organisational Cognition Division of the Academy of Management 2024.