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Antecedents of leaders' power sharing: The roles of power instability and distrust

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  • Feenstra, Sanne
  • Jordan, Jennifer
  • Walter, Frank
  • Stoker, Janka I.

Abstract

Although previous research has identified various beneficial consequences of power sharing, less research has examined antecedents of leaders’ power sharing. To address this gap, across five studies, the present research identifies important social and psychological barriers to leaders’ power sharing. Studies 1a, 1b, and 2 demonstrate that the instability of a leader’s power position undermines his or her power sharing. Study 3 then demonstrates that distrust acts as a key psychological mechanism that can explain this relationship. Then, in Study 4, we distinguish between two dimensions of distrust and examine the moderating role of subordinates’ seniority. We show that subordinates’ seniority moderates the indirect association between power instability and power sharing, via benevolence and ability distrust, such that this indirect relationship is more pronounced for relatively senior (compared to junior) subordinates. Overall, our findings provide valuable insights into when, why, and with whom leaders are more or less willing to share their power.

Suggested Citation

  • Feenstra, Sanne & Jordan, Jennifer & Walter, Frank & Stoker, Janka I., 2020. "Antecedents of leaders' power sharing: The roles of power instability and distrust," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 115-128.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jobhdp:v:157:y:2020:i:c:p:115-128
    DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2020.01.005
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    Cited by:

    1. Shenghui Wang & Irene E. De Pater & Ming Yi & Yuchen Zhang & Tsung-Pao Yang, 2022. "Empowering leadership: employee-related antecedents and consequences," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 39(2), pages 457-481, June.
    2. Blunden, Hayley & Steffel, Mary, 2023. "The downside of decision delegation: When transferring decision responsibility incurs interpersonal costs," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).

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