SOCIAL Leadership Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is leadership?
Chemers, 2001: ‘a process of social influence through which individual enlists and mobilises aid of others in attainment of collective goal.
=social influence/ compliance, exercise of power, conformity to norms, groups rather than interpersonal process.
Are leaders born or made?
-some evidence leaders more confident, talkative, more physically attractive, more extroverted, open, conscientious, have above average intelligence.
=but inconsistent findings, and weak correlations, no personality trait universally associated with effective leadership.
What is the link between dark triad of personality and leadership.
-dark triad of personality= narcissism, psychopathy, Machiavellianism. -> associated with dark side of leadership.
-autocratic leaders scored significantly higher than non-autocrats on dark triad of personality. (Nai & Toros, 2020).
Outline the idea that it is the situation not the personality that makes a good leader?
-maybe extreme to say personality has no part, but situational factors seem to contribute too.
-Simonton 91988) outcomes of battles depended on situational factors (e.g. army size) and leaders’ attributes (e.g. experience).
-Carter & Nixon (1949): different people emerge as leaders in different situations.
How does leadership style effect leadership?
-effect of leadership style on group atmosphere moral, leadership effectiveness.
-trained confederate to lead groups of school children in 3 distinct leadership styles.
=autocratic: remained aloof + focused on organising groups activities and giving out orders.
=democratic: very hands on, discussed plans with group members + made feel part of decision making.
=Laissex-faire: little interest in groups activities, left group to organise + carry out activities on own.
-Lippit & White study showed democratic was the best.
What did Bales and Slater detail as the two types of leadership?
Task focused: concerned with achieving aims and goals of group by focusing on tasks needed to achieve those goals.
Socioemotional: concerned with group dynamic and ensuring group members form cohesive and friendly group.
Added these to Lipitt & White leadership styles.
How does a task oriented leader compare to a socioemotional leader?
-developed least preferred co-worker (LPC) scale to measure leadership sytle.
-LPC rated positively: socioemotional leader.
-LPC rated negatively: task-oriented leader.
How do situation control and leadership styles compare?
=Low control: group needs guidance to achieve this goal, less time for building relationships with group members-> task oriented.
=High control: leader- member relations already positive, leader instead focus on achieving groups goals-> task oriented.
=Moderate control; leaders don’t have total control of group, or task structure is unclear-> socioemotional.
What is some evaluation of the contingency theory?
-leadership styles and personalities are not consistent through life.
-ignores 20% of population who score between 57-64 in LPC scale. Kennedy (1982): people in middle may be most effective leaders regardless of situational control.
What is the contingency theory?
Ide there is no correct way to set out a corporate company.
What is the glass ceiling?
Underrepresentation of women/ minorities in leadership positions could be due to what is referred to as ‘glass ceiling’.
=metaphor to represent invisible and systematic barriers preventing women + other minorities rising to leadership positions within organisations.
What is the glass cliff?
Women + minorities more likely to be appointed when position in bad state. More dangerous and precarious.
E.g. Theresa May, Humza Yousaf.
What is some evidence for the glass cliff?
Morgenroth et al, 2020: meta-anyalsis.
Experimental studies:
-ppt given vignette about company either performing well of bad. Have to select best candidate for leadership (different qualifications but also different genders). And have to rate traits desirable or characteristics of leaders of successful and unsuccessful companies and men/women.
Women ranked more suitable + more likely to be selected for leadership than men in times of crisis.
Also conducted an archival study: analysed the relationship between company performance + appointment of female/ minority CEO’s etc.
Women more likely to attain leadership positions in times of crisis.
What is behind the glass cliff?
Stereotypes: ‘beliefs about characteristics, attributes, behaviours of member of certain social group’
Pre lecture activity:
-rated given traits as characteristics of men, women + successful leader.
Detail Ryan, Haslam, Heresby, Bongiorno’s study into ‘think manager- think male’.
Ppt asked to rate Schein’s Descriptive Index as characteristics either the manager of successful company or manager of unsuccessful company.
-traits rated as characteristics of men also rated as characteristics of successful managers.
-men also unlikely to be seen as leaders of unsuccessful companies.
Detail Ryan, Haslam, Heresby, Bongiorno’s study into ‘think crisis- think female’.
Ppt asked to rate Schein’s Descriptive Index on desirability for ideal manager of successful company or ideal manager of unsuccessful company.
Think crisis- think female: traits rated as characteristics of women were also rated as desirable for managers of unsuccessful companies.
-> modest, sympathetic, sentimental, intuitive, aware of feelings of others.
Are women better at handling crisis?
Ppt had to rate desirability of stereotypical feminine or masculine traits for managerial position in poorly performing department.
Managerial role active or passive.
BUT actually think crisis- think female is context dependent:
-feminine traits rated more desirable than masculine traits for passive management role.
-active management roles (e.g. improve performance, be a spoke-person) masculine traits were preferred.
What is prejudice?
Defined as ‘negative evaluation of social group or individual that is significantly based on individual’s group membership.
Is the glass cliff limited to just women?
NO, also observed for racial and ethnic minorities.
Politics:
Conducted archival analysis of UK general elections 2000-2011.
Individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds overrepresented in constituencies with hard to win seats- explained lack of electoral success.
Business:
Analysis of Fortune 500 companies over 15 years.
Comparison to white men, ethnic minorities + women more likely to be promoted to CEO in firms with worse performance.
Basketball:
Racial + ethnic minority coaches more likely to be promoted to losing college basketball trach. Then replaced by white coaches when unsuccessful.
What are the implications of a glass cliff?
W/M in leadership positions face uphill battle and may inherently fail.
Failure might be attributed to personal attributed rather than situational factors, further perpetuating stereotypes and inequality around leadership. Position that set minority leaders up for failure can have detrimental impacts on career but also mental wellbeing.
