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. . . And some men have leadership thrust upon them
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|March 1, 1975
Summary
This study shows how situational factors and follower behavior influence leadership. Leadership self-concept moderates how individuals respond to follower influence, impacting group dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Organizational Behavior
Background:
- Leadership is influenced by situational factors, individual traits, and follower responses.
- Leadership self-concept may play a role in how individuals enact leadership behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interplay between situational factors, follower behavior, and leadership self-concept.
- To examine how followers' altercasting influences a leader's behavior and perceptions.
Main Methods:
- 64 subjects with high/low leadership self-concept and high/low task stake were appointed leaders of three-man groups.
- Subjects experienced two conditions: followers alter-casting them to lead, and followers alter-casting them to follow.
- Multivariate analyses of variance were used to analyze behavioral and perceptual data.
Main Results:
- Follower behavior significantly impacted subjects' behavior and perceptions.
- When pushed to lead, subjects exhibited more leadership behaviors; when pushed to follow, they increased socioemotional activity.
- Leadership self-concept moderated the effects of follower behavior, particularly with passive followers.
Conclusions:
- Follower behavior is a critical determinant of leadership enactment.
- Leadership self-concept influences the response to situational and follower-driven role demands.
- Role incongruity may explain the observed interactions between leadership self-concept and follower behavior.