Finally, when the second project was completed, all students, managers and members alike, were asked questions regarding their performances and their perceptions of their manager-member relationships. In Study 2, supervisors and their subordinates completed different versions of a survey. Measures for the study were the same as those in Study 1, only that questions were worded appropriately to reflect the respondent's role. At the initial stage, supervisors and subordinates will size up each other based on visible and easily identifiable factors such as age, race, gender, educational background and level, and country of birth. Previous studies in the last two decades suggest that individuals have a collective awareness of themselves as belonging to various groups that share common identities.
People tend to like each other if they share similar characteristics.
Xin found this to be true in her studies. The second phase begins when the pair starts to interact. During this stage, interpersonal behavior comes into play. Three types of interpersonal behaviors are considered to be most important. The effect of self-disclosure will be more favorable if the substance of the information disclosed is positive rather than negative.