Date of Award
5-2011
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Specialization
Communication and Leadership
School or Department
School of Leadership Studies
First Advisor
Dr. David Givens
Abstract
Soft lies—including white lies, creative rephrasing, and withholding information—are common in personal life but also affect workplace relationships. Drawing on uncertainty reduction theory and cognitive dissonance, this thesis examines how soft lies influence trust and the leader-follower relationship, including when followers may consider them acceptable. Survey results from students in Gonzaga University's Organizational Leadership and Communication and Leadership master's programs indicate that soft lies generally damage leader-follower relationships, although followers were more accepting when the lie did not affect them personally or when they understood the leader's reasoning. Leaders who used soft lies to encourage, protect, or preserve a follower's feelings were viewed more favorably, but further research across broader demographics is needed.
Recommended Citation
Fitch, Kashmere Alicia-Ann, "Allowing a Lie: A Study of the Impact of Soft Lies on the Leader-Follower Relationship" (2011). Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses. 421.
https://repository.gonzaga.edu/comlead_etds/421
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.