Followers' work roles: do they matter in perceptions of leader behaviors?

Abstract

Followership has recently emerged as a complementary perspective to existing leadership research. At the same time, research in leadership has shifted its focus from examining mere leadership effectiveness to followers’ perceptions of leadership. Scholars have recently turned their attention to followers’ expectations that can potentially shape their perceptions. Role Theory provides useful theoretical underpinnings to the matter, as it treats roles as expectations held toward a social position. The current study introduces these three streams of re-search and synthesizes them into a Theoretical Framework.

More specifically, the objective of the study is to examine whether holders of two separate work roles would perceive leader behaviors (task vs. person-oriented) differently. The study was conducted in the context of investment banking by focusing on roles of investment banking analysts and associates. Rather than being on a single individual, the level of analysis em-ployed in the study can be defined at the level of a role, thus spanning across multiple individuals. The Research Problem is of exploratory nature and suggests a mixed method re-search strategy. The Thesis is designed into two sub-studies. Study 1 is based on quantitative survey data and uses a Two-Way Repeated Measures ANOVA to detect a potential difference between holders of two roles and their perceptions of leader behaviors. Study 2 utilizes qualitative interviewing and incorporates a Thematic Content Analysis to examine reasons for potential differences found in Study 1.

Results of Study 1 indicate that investment banking analysts rate perceived Leader Initiating Structure (task-orientation) higher than associates. A borderline statistical significance for the difference was detected. However, no difference regarding perceived Leader Consideration (person-orientation) was found. The study suggests that due to differences in work role expectations, analysts and associates are likely to possess different levels of Need for Leadership, which accounts for the differences in perceived Initiating Structure. Moreover, it is suggested that while Leader Initiating Structure is considered as an in-role behavior, Leader Consideration may be deemed as an extra-role behaviour, thus having no impact on followers’ expectations and subsequent perceptions of leadership.

The study concludes by discussing implications of the findings first from the point of view of academia and then from a more practice-based perspective in terms of managerial work.