Activation of the subordinate's fear system in the relationship with the supervisor

Abstract

This study examines the activation of the fear system in subordinates in situations perceived to be critical (difficult and/or problematic) in their relationship with their supervisor. The goal was to identify supervisor behaviours likely to activate this innate behavioural system, and to analyse whether attachment style is associated with the type of behaviour adopted by the subordinate in these situations. Based on the basic defence or protection strategies of the self (Heard, Lake, & McCluskey, 2009) – fight, flight, freeze, and submission/dominance modes – we also identified subordinate behaviours corresponding to each of these strategies and the impact of these situations.

To do this, the Critical Incident Technique (CIT, Flanagan, 1954) and Hazan and Shaver's attachment Three-Category Measure (1987) were applied to 15 subordinates in a local public administration organisation during an interview. We conducted a content analysis using Nvivo 10.0, with an intercoder agreement of 94.48%.

The results indicate the presence of two types of supervisor behaviour which activate the subordinate's fear system: verbal behaviour and physical behaviour. The first type can be direct (such as threatening or intimidating, being rude, undermining subordinates or their work) or indirect (e.g., compromising their adjustment or damaging them), whereas the second type can be active (such as gesturing) or passive (e.g., avoiding contact). The subordinate reacts to these behaviours adopting one or more defence strategies simultaneously, with flight being the most common strategy, followed by freezing. Participants associated positive and negative consequences to the critical situations identified, which manifested in two levels: in the subordinates themselves and in their relationship with the supervisor. The most frequently mentioned consequences are subordinate emotional instability or distress and perceived sense of failure or lack of motivation.

These findings should be seen as a starting point for future research, and our conclusions should be further analysed through deductive testing. In order to determine whether an association between subordinate attachment style and the behaviour displayed when the fear system is activated exists, it might be relevant to use other measures to assess the subordinates’ attachment style, particularly with respect to their relationship with the supervisor.

This article adds to the research on leadership and well-being in the workplace by describing situations between supervisors and subordinates which are likely to activate the subordinate's fear system when perceived as critical and problematical. This work underlines the need for leadership awareness of the negative impact of certain behaviours (such as those identified here) on their subordinates and on the relationship with their supervisors, affecting their well-being and, as a result, the well-being of the organisation.

These results also highlight the importance of considering behavioural dynamics within organisations, and of defining strategies capable of reducing potential critical episodes. The role of psychologists in the workplace and of human resources in doing this is pivotal.

The strong point of this study is its focus on an unexplored issue to date – the activation of the fear system in subordinates in their relationship with their supervisors and the defence strategies subsequently adopted by them. It also turns to attachment theory in order to understand the dynamics of the dyadic relationship between supervisor and subordinate.