A special gift we bestow on you for being representative of us: Considering leader charisma from a self-categorization perspective
Authors: Platow, Michael J.1; van Knippenberg, Daan2; Haslam, S. Alexander3; van Knippenberg, Barbara4; Spears, Russell5
Source: British Journal of Social Psychology, Volume 45, Number 2, June 2006 , pp. 303-320(18)
Publisher: British Psychological Society
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Abstract:
Two experiments tested hypotheses, derived from social identity and self-categorization theories, regarding the attribution of charisma to leaders. In Experiment 1 (N=203), in-group prototypical leaders were attributed greater levels of charisma and were perceived to be more persuasive than in-group non-prototypical leaders. In Experiment 2 (N=220), leaders described with in-group stereotypical characteristics were attributed relatively high levels of charisma regardless of their group-oriented versus exchange rhetoric. Leaders described with out-group stereotypical characteristics, however, had to employ group-oriented rhetoric to be attributed relatively high levels of charisma. We conclude that leadership emerges from being representative of `us'; charisma may, indeed, be a special gift, but it is one bestowed on group members by group members for being representative of, rather than distinct from, the group itself.Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1348/014466605X41986
Affiliations: 1: The Australian National University, Australia 2: Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands 3: University of Exeter, UK 4: Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 5: Cardiff University, UK
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