Research in leadership, self, and identity: A sample of the present and a glimpse of the future

doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.06.006

The Leadership Quarterly

Volume 16, Issue 4, August 2005, Pages 495-499

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.06.006 Get rights and content

Abstract

Researchers in leadership effectiveness are paying increasing attention to the role of follower self-concept and identity as a mediator and moderator of the effectiveness of leadership. In this introductory article, we provide a short outline of this rapidly growing field of research, briefly introduce the articles presented in this special issue on leadership, self, and identity, and highlight key themes for future research that we feel emerge from these studies. These themes include greater attention to the dynamic interplay between leaders and followers, the incorporation of theories of fairness, and the role of leader self-concept.

Section snippets

Leadership, self, and identity

Core to the self and identity approach to leadership effectiveness is an understanding that the way that we perceive ourselves, our self-concept or identity (note that the terms are used interchangeably) strongly informs our feelings, beliefs, attitudes, goals, and behavior (Leary & Tangney, 2003). This has two important implications for leadership effectiveness. First, leadership that is able to influence follower self-conception may influence follower attitudes and behavior (Lord et al., 1999

The current studies and some implications for future research

First, as is nicely illustrated by the study by Pierro, Bonaiuto, Cicero, van Knippenberg, and Kruglanski, the social identity analysis may be fruitfully developed and extended. As we touched on above, the social identity analysis points to follower identification as an important moderator of leadership effectiveness and to leader group prototypicality and leader group-orientedness as important determinants of leadership effectiveness (Hogg, 2001, Hogg & van Knippenberg, 2003, van Knippenberg &

References (14)

D.V. Day
Leadership development: A review in context
The Leadership Quarterly
(2000)
M.A. Hogg et al.
Social identity and leadership processes in groups
D. van Knippenberg et al.
Leadership, self, and identity: A review and research agenda
The Leadership Quarterly
(2004)
D. De Cremer et al.
Cooperation with leaders in social dilemmas: On the effects of procedural fairness and outcome favorability in structural cooperation
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
(2003)
M.A. Hogg
A social identity theory of leadership
Personality and Social Psychology Review
(2001)
M.R. Leary et al.
Handbook of self and identity
(2003)
R.G. Lord et al.
Leadership processes and follower identity
(2004)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (75)

Reconciling identity leadership and leader identity: A dual-identity framework
2022, Leadership Quarterly
Research exploring the powerful links between leadership and identity has burgeoned in recent years but cohered around two distinct approaches. Research on identity leadership, the main focus of this special issue, sees leadership as a group process that centers on leaders’ ability to represent, advance, create and embed a social identity that they share with the collectives they lead—a sense of “us as a group”. Research on leader identity sees leadership as a process that is advanced by individuals who have a well-developed personal understanding of themselves as leaders—a sense of “me as a leader”. This article explores the nature and implications of these divergent approaches, focusing on their specification of profiles, processes, pathways, products, and philosophies that have distinct implications for theory and practice. We formalize our observations in a series of propositions and also outline a dual-identity framework with the potential to integrate the two approaches.
CEO environmentally responsible leadership and firm environmental innovation: A socio-psychological perspective
2021, Journal of Business Research
Citation Excerpt :
CEOs instill a sense of collective identification by acting in more inclusive ways (e.g., using “us” rather than “me” language) (Shamir et al., 2000). Extending the research by Van Knippenberg, Van Knippenberg, De Cremer, and Hogg (2005) on leadership and social identification and the research on responsible leadership, we argue that environmentally responsible CEOs tend to desire that employees prioritize environmental interests over profit for the benefit of society (Maak & Pless, 2006). CEOs can enact this social identification process by providing situational cues that help followers understand organizational values and vision and cultivate strong identification with the organization (Hogg & Van Knippenberg, 2003), thus fostering their engagement in corresponding activities.
Manufacturing firms face increasing pressure to seek innovative solutions to environmental perils. Addressing such challenges requires responsible leadership that embraces a normative and stewardship approach for environmentally sustainable system. However, the question of whether and how CEO environmentally responsible leadership can drive firm environmental innovation has yet to be addressed. We develop and test a serial mediation model that specifies socio-psychological mechanisms through which environmentally responsible CEOs influence firm environmental innovation. To test the model, we use a two-wave multi-source dataset of top- and middle-level managers in 125 manufacturing firms in China. We find that environmentally responsible CEOs drive environmental innovation by developing a sense of collective environmental identification, which facilitates middle-level managers’ engagement in the organizational citizenship behavior associated with a more sustainable environment. Our research delineates the power of CEOs’ responsible leadership and its potential to help organizations that face growing pressure to increase environmental innovation.
Deterrence Effects: The Role of Authoritarian Leadership in Controlling Employee Workplace Deviance
2020, Management and Organization Review
The impact of board ethnic diversity and Chief Executive Officer role on corporate social responsibility
2024, Accounting and Finance
How firms leverage corporate environmental strategy to nurture green behavior: Role of multi-level environmentally responsible leadership
2024, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management
Self-Sacrificial Leadership, Social Support, and Expatriates’ Organizational Commitment Amid Crises: The Mediating Role of Cross-Cultural Adjustment
2023, SSRN

View all citing articles on Scopus

View full text

Research in leadership, self, and identity: A sample of the present and a glimpse of the future

Abstract

Section snippets

Leadership, self, and identity

The current studies and some implications for future research

The Leadership Quarterly

The Leadership Quarterly

Cooperation with leaders in social dilemmas: On the effects of procedural fairness and outcome favorability in structural cooperation

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

A social identity theory of leadership

Personality and Social Psychology Review

Handbook of self and identity

Leadership processes and follower identity