A shift in perspective: Examining the impact of perceived follower behavior on leaders. Issue 2 (June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gesang, Elena; Süß, Stefan
• Is Part Of: Scandinavian journal of management. Volume 37:Issue 2(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-06
• Subjects: Leader -- Followership -- Follower -- Followers' impact -- Followers' behavior; Industrial management -- Periodicals; Industrial management -- Scandinavia -- Periodicals; Gestion d'entreprise -- Périodiques; Gestion d'entreprise -- Scandinavie -- Périodiques; 658
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scaman.2021.101156
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0956-5221

Abstract

Highlights: Followers' behavior affects leaders on emotional, attitudinal and behavioral levels. Recurring patterns in positively/negatively perceived interactions with follower. Evidence for two leader extreme types: the empathetic and the self-centered leader. Equal hierarchy could be main mechanism for intense impact of follower behavior. Abstract: This study shifts the prevailing perspective of leaders effect on their followers to look at how leaders perceive the behavior of their followers and how this perceived behavior affects them. Therefore, leaders were interviewed about particularly positively/negatively perceived interactions with a follower. We discover that followers' behavior affects leaders to varying degrees on emotional, attitudinal, and behavioral levels, as well as influences leaders' occupational effort. We find similar patterns in positively/negatively perceived interactions and detect two leader extreme types, the "empathetic" and the "self-centered" leader. Finally, we reveal that an equal hierarchy could be the main mechanism for an intense impact of perceived follower behavior. Our study adds to current knowledge on the richness and extent to which follower behavior affects leaders.