Consequences of restrictive and promotive managerial control among American university professors

Purpose While managerial influence has received much research attention, Scholl has presented a fairly new approach to examining such influence. This approach distinguishes between restrictive (pushing one's wishes through, although they may run counter to the interests of another) and promotive control (influencing another in a way that is in line with his or her interests). The current research intends to offer a preliminary investigation into the relationships between these control tactics, leader‐member exchange, and organizational commitment. Design/methodology/approach University faculty members (n=46) completed measures of restrictive and promotive control, leader member exchange and organizational commitment in relation to their department chairs. Findings Statistical analysis indicates relationships exist between all variables of interest, but that leader‐member exchange mediates several managerial control‐organizational commitment relationships. Research limitations/implications The main limitation for this study is its relatively small sample size. As a result, implications of the results are discussed with an emphasis on future research. Originality/value The distinction between restrictive and promotive control is important because it offers a highly parsimonious way of viewing influence and leadership.