Newcomers’ reactions to unfulfilled leadership expectations: An attribution theory approach |
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Institution: | University of Kassel, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Human Resource Management and Organization Studies, Nora-Platiel-Str. 4, 34109, Kassel, Germany |
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Abstract: | This paper examines newcomers’ reactions when facing unfulfilled leadership expectations. Although leaders are ascribed a key role in newcomers’ socialization, very little is known about newcomers’ expectations of leadership and their subsequent behaviors when these expectations are not fulfilled. Against the background of a follower-centered perspective, we develop a differentiated model of newcomers’ leadership attributions. As general attribution theory has recently shown, causal links are not always made in clear-cut ways. Thus, there may be several steps between the attribution and non-attribution of leadership. As our qualitative empirical study in Germany reveals, different unfulfilled leadership expectation types lead to equally different leadership attribution levels, with various behavioral consequences for newcomers. We suggest a dynamic model, starting with investing in a relationship before newcomers choose refusing reactions such as confrontation or withdrawal. |
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Keywords: | Leadership Newcomer behavior Leadership attribution Follower behavior Implicit leadership theory Attribution theory |
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