Managers often give feedback to employees to help them change and improve their job performance. Today’s best managers know that employees may be resistant to change when they don’t have a good relationship with their manager. Employees tend to accept negative feedback when it comes from a person that they like, they trust, and who they think has good intentions. However, when employees don’t have a good relationship with their manager, they tend to resist change if the manager tries to force change or threatens them with punishment if they don’t change.
Source: Furst, S. A., & Cable, D. 2008. Employee resistance to organizational change: Managerial influence tactics and leader-member exchange. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93, 453-462.
