Resistance and Cooperation: A Response to Conflict Over Job Performance

Research literature on job performance from bothmanagement oriented and industrial relations/sociologyof work models is synthesized to produce a morecomprehensive understanding of how supervisors manage employee performance problems. Two assumptionsare derived from the synthesis: (1) employees are activein accepting and resisting definitions of performanceissues made by supervisor; (2) informal interactions regarding the interpretation of performanceissues are pivotal in understanding how performanceproblems are resolved. In a study of university librarysupervisors we focus on the informal exchanges and characterize them as negotiations over thedefinition of job performance. We report results from aqualitative study of supervisors' interactions withemployees identified as having performance problems. Three types of interactions in informalnegotiations are found. We label the supervisors'interpretations of their interactions with employees asconformist, confrontational, or rebellious, designating how supervisors enact their role as agents ofthe organization.