Implicit Leadership Theories

Transcription

1 Implicit Leadership Theories Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke A. Shaughnessy No copying, photographing, video recording allowed. Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy. Institute for Leadership and Organization (ILO). LMU Munich. All rights reserved. No part of this material (including verbal presentations of it) may be recorded, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photographing, scanning, photocopying, video recording, or otherwise without prior written permission. To order copies or request permission to reproduce materials, e mail ilo@bwl.lmu.de. Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 1 Agenda What are Implicit Leadership Theories (ILTs)? History of ILTs Theories behind ILTs Why are ILTs relevant? Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 2

2 Implicit Leadership Theories (ILTs) Implicit Leadership Theory Cognitive structures or prototypes specifying the traits and abilities that characterize leaders (Epitropaki et al., 2013; Lord, Foti & De Vader, 1984; Lord & Maher, 1991) Implicit Followership Theory Cognitive structures and schemas about the traits and behaviors that characterize followers (Epitropaki et al., 2013; Sy 2010) Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 3 ILT: Prototype matching process Prototype of effective leadership Intelligent High Verbal Skills Fair Good interpersonal Skills Observed Leadership Behaviors Intelligent High Verbal Skills Fair Prototype matching Leader Evaluation My boss is a good leader Rating Behaviors (using global impressions) Question: Does your boss have good social skills? Answer: Yes, he s a good leader so he must have good social skills

3 Explicit leadership theories Constructions of a leader based on data and scientific observations Strive to portray an objective reality (Sternberg, 1985) Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 5 Why understand ILTs? ILTs set up an interpretive framework through which information is processed (Chiu, Hong & Dweck, 1997) Part of the sensemaking process (Weick, 1995) Implicit beliefs play an overwhelming role even in the face of scientific evidence (Lewandowsky, Oberauer & Gignac, 2013) Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 6

4 History behind ILTs Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 7 The Evolution of Leadership Research 1900: Traits approaches 1950: Behavioral theories 1990s 1960: Contingency theories

5 History of ILTs 1975 Source of bias in leadership measurement 1980s Focused on the effect this bias had on leadership perceptions Through 1990s Content and measurement (but in the lab) 1990 onwards Applied settings were used and explicitly addressed the content of real manager follower dyads Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 9 Theories behind ILTs How do we form these implicit beliefs? Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 10

6 Implicit Leadership Theory We Know a Leader When We See One Leadership categorization People observe behavior Quickly compare it to their cognitive category of a leader Leadership prototype A person s cognitive image of leader traits and characteristics Leadership exemplar A specific person regarded as a leader Why implicit? These systems may operate automatically, outside of conscious awareness People respond to their internal representation of the world A useful mechanism to explain curious findings Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 12

7 What is implict in ILTs? (1) Lay beliefs Our perception of the world is unavoidably influenced by our beliefs about the world (Feyerabend, 1965; Nisbett & Wilson, 1977). Beliefs that provide some manner of explanation, definition, or assumption that allows navigation of the social world They are basic and unscientific theories about how the world is or works Folk theories, common sense theories, implicit theories Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 13 What is implict in ILTs? (2) Lay Beliefs Lack of impact awareness Unaware that a schema is even activated Do not realize that the schema involved is impacting behavior or actions Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 14

8 Top down cognition People rely on ways to simplify cognition (i.e., schemas) to cope with complex information (Galambos et al., 1986; Lord & Maher, 1991) Fill in the gaps (i.e., I _ant ch_co_ate ic_ cr_am) Schemas Cognitive framework to organize and interpret information Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 15 How do we form implicit beliefs? Schemas are developed: Through socialization Prior experiences with a leader or a follower Schemas are activated: When interacting with someone resembling that category (i.e., leader or follower) Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 16

9 Social categorization theory The classification of persons into groups on the basis of common attributes (Turner et al., 1987) A cognitive process Depends upon social situation Helps us form impressions quickly Uses past experiences to guide new interactions Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 17 Information processing and Leadership Rational Model Expert Model Information Processing and Leadership Cybernetic model Limited capacity model Lord & Maher, 1991 Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 18

10 Limited capacity model Relies on principles of cognitive simplification Effective responses in limited information situations depend on schemas Effective = Satisfactory Most impactful example: Leadership categorization approach Lord & Maher, 1991 Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 19 Leadership categorization Organizational members, through socialization and past experiences with leaders develop ILTs Cognitive structures or prototypes of leader vs. non leader Recognition based process On the basis of the perceived match Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 20

11 Leadership categorization (2) Prototype approach Perceivers compare individual/current leader with an abstract idea of a leader Exemplar view Perceivers compare individual/current leader based with a person most representative of the category Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 21 Current vs. Ideal leader Subordinates actively engage in this implicit processing (van Quaquebeke et al., 2011) Cognitively comparing their current leader with their ideal leader A.K.A. Good leadership is in the eye of the beholder Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 22

12 Current vs. Ideal Leader (2) van Quaquebeke et al., 2011 Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 23 Connectionist perspective Leadership is inherently dynamic and complex Explains how perceptions can be fluid and context sensitive, yet consistent and stable (Foti et al., 2008) Leadership categories vary both within and between individuals Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 24

13 Romance of leadership Leadership best understood as a social construction Exists mainly in the mind of the perceivers Leaders as larger than life Overemphasized emphasis on heroic, personal qualities Implicit theories simplified our understanding of leadership Such that we pinpointed the causal factors to the individual, not the organization or environment (Meindl, 1995) Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 25 Romance of leadership (2) Overally attribute collective performance to leadership especially when a clear success or failure A successful team or poor performance as signs of good and bad leadership, respectively (Meindl, 1995) Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 26

14 Why are ILTs relevant? Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 27 Please imagine a leader you would describe as a very typical leader. Understanding Sincere Helpful Hard Working Pushy Dominant Manipulative Demanding Energetic Inspiring Enthusiastic Intelligent Strong Bold Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 28

15 Identify types of leaders Certain facial features may be thought to be indicative of good leadership or a good fit for a leadership role Might be seen as more legitimate when possessing these characteristics Olivola et al Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 29 Distinguish Leader vs. Manager Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 30

16 Where do Ifit in? Our image of our selves (Keller, 1999) Tend to say prototypical leaders are similar to our self view However, Romance of Leadership can create lofty, distant images of leadership > Junior Prof. Dr. Brooke Shaughnessy 31