Abstract

This study is framed in DeRue & Ashford's (2010) theory of Leadership Identity Construction which states that leadership emergence is a mutual-influence process that exists between individuals claiming leadership and the other members of the group granting leadership. Although this theory and subsequent research details how and in what ways leadership claiming behaviors can be made to emerge as a leader, the literature is relatively silent on how (or if) too much or too little claiming behaviors will affect follower's granting of leadership, and if a "sweet-spot" of leadership claiming behaviors exists where followers are most likely to grant leadership. Thus, the purpose of this study is to explore the effects of different frequencies of leadership claiming behaviors, how it impacts follower's leadership granting, and potential individual differences which may moderate this relationship. The study randomly assigned participants to one of three conditions (i.e., high, medium, and low), where in each condition, they were exposed to varying levels of leadership claiming behaviors via participation over four rounds in a business simulation. Findings showed that leadership claiming behavior did not support the hypothesis which predicted a curvilinear relationship; rather, a linear relationship emerged which was in line with the current literature. One moderating variable of passive follower role orientation showed a significant main effect, but again, did not support the proposed hypothesis as it did not interact with leadership claiming. Exploratory analyses were also conducted to explore the potential relationship of the results further. Theoretical and practical implications of this study include addressing important gaps found in the leadership emergence literature and using potential findings to guide organizational behaviors when individuals are looking to emerge as leaders. Limitations and future directions are also discussed.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2022

Semester

Summer

Advisor

Burke, Shawn

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Psychology

Degree Program

Industrial Organization Psychology

Identifier

CFE0009242; DP0026846

URL

https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0026846

Language

English

Release Date

August 2022

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

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