Leadership attribution theory

Question 1

Basis of attribution theory

Answer 1

• This perspective proposes that what matters is not the traits or competencies a leader has, but what leadership competencies followers attribute to them
• For example, you might think you have many leadership competencies, but if followers disagree, you by definition are not a leader.
• Similarly, you might not think of yourself as a leader, but if followers attribute leadership competencies or capabilities to you and decide on that basis to follow you, then you by definition are a leader.

Question 2

Theory explained

Answer 2

Following the occurrence of an event, individuals will attempt to explain why it occurred. The cognitive process of assigning causes to events is called the attribution process.

This conceptualisation views leadership merely as an attribution that people make about other persons – not as a set of traits or behaviours. In other words, a person is a leader (good or bad) because others say so.”

Question 3

what does it focus on

Answer 3

• The leadership expectations of followers (i.e. what they demand or expect from leaders)
• How they form opinions about leaders (i.e. how they process information about leaders and where they get the information from – directly or indirectly).

Question 4

Social constructionist perspective

Answer 4

• From the social constructionist perspective, leadership cannot be studied in the same way as the physical world can be
• Social constructionist approaches therefore typically use qualitative methodologies to study the process of interaction between leaders and followers (e.g. using observation) and the process of interpretation of what leadership means (e.g. using interviews or studying texts):

Question 5

expectations of a good leader can be:

Answer 5

• Irrational (e.g. because they are not objectively related to leader performance) e.g. height
• Dysfunctional (e.g. because they can create problems for the organisation, such as the selection of people with narcissistic personalities prone to hubris)
• Immoral (or morally questionable and unjust) (e.g. because they relate more to forms of prejudice than characteristics that are actually related to job performance)

Question 6

role of context and culture (Alvesson)

Answer 6

• in some countries (such as Sweden) a more relationship-oriented and participative leader is seen as acceptable and necessary. In other countries (such as the US), this approach would be seen as weak and a tougher results-oriented leader would be called for
• times of uncertainty the appeal for a ‘strongman’ leader is increased
• Highly gendered and discriminatory concept: excludes women and certain types of men who reject stereotypical notions of being ‘macho’

Question 7

Indirect social attribution processes

Answer 7

In some leadership situations, followers can directly observe and evaluate the behaviour of the leader because they interact with her or him face-to-face on a regular basis (e.g. employee and manager)

In other situations, followers do not have any direct contact with leaders and have to form opinions from indirect cues (e.g. reading their email or watching their speech without having worked directly with them) or from a social and/or mediated processes (e.g. having conversations with others about their opinions or seeing, hearing or reading opinions of leaders in the media)

This social process of sharing and circulating leadership attributions takes place in many contexts: in large organizations, in the military, in social movements, and in politics

Question 8

‘Image’ in the media

Answer 8

• Can impact the perception of their ability as a leader (ed Miliband)