Examining the Effects of Leadership Style on the Follower's Self-Concept

Abstract

The current study examines the impact of leadership style on the follower's self-concept. Research has shown that certain types of leadership have motivational effects on followers. Specifically, charismatic leadership has been shown to elicit high levels of commitment, personal sacrifice, and performance beyond expectations (Shamir, House, & Arthur, 1993). Furthermore, previous research has suggested that these effects occur through activation of the follower's self-concept (Shamir, House, & Arthur, 1993), while more recent research has suggested that the visions that are communicated by charismatic leaders may serve to activate the follower's future-oriented component of the self-concept, known as the possible self (Stam, van Knippenberg, & Wisse, 2010). This study examined this latter suggestion by looking at the change in possible selves after an intervention in which the participant viewed a leader's speech classified as transactional, transformational, or charismatic. A one-way ANOVA on the difference scores of each group was conducted. Results showed that type of speech had no significant effect on change in possible selves. The implications of these results and the potential explanations for it are considered.