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Benefitting or suffering from a paradoxical leader? A self-regulation perspective

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  • Fürstenberg, Nils
  • Booth, Jonathan E.
  • Alfes, Kerstin

Abstract

Why do followers’ reactions to perceived paradoxical leader behavior (PLB) differ? To answer this question, we draw from self-regulation theory and argue that making sense of a paradoxical leader’s seemingly contradictory behavior can pose a challenge for followers and requires specific cognitive traits and abilities that enable them to navigate such complex and dynamic environments. We propose that followers who lack these cognitive traits and related abilities find it more difficult to make sense of and navigate their paradoxical leader’s behavior, thereby perceiving them as behaviorally unpredictable. This, in turn, impairs followers’ self-regulation when working with such leaders, and leads to lower well-being. Conversely, followers endowed with appropriate cognitive traits can make sense of PLB and thrive in these environments. To test our propositions, we conducted two multi-wave field studies. In Study 1, we examine the role of followers’ trait cognitive flexibility in interpreting PLB; whereas Study 2 explores the role of followers’ trait self-regulation. The findings from these studies support our hypotheses, with an important implication: the efficacy of PLB may not only solely depend on a leader’s ability to enact these behaviors but also on their followers’ ability to interpret and make sense of them.

Suggested Citation

  • Fürstenberg, Nils & Booth, Jonathan E. & Alfes, Kerstin, 2023. "Benefitting or suffering from a paradoxical leader? A self-regulation perspective," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 120369, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
  • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:120369
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/120369/
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Booth, Jonathan E. & Park, Tae-Youn & Zhu, Luke (Lei) & Beauregard, T. Alexandra & Gu, Fan & Emery, Cécile, 2018. "Prosocial response to client-instigated victimization: the roles of forgiveness and workgroup conflict," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 85632, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Andreas Klein & Helfried Moosbrugger, 2000. "Maximum likelihood estimation of latent interaction effects with the LMS method," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 65(4), pages 457-474, December.
    3. Soane, Emma & Booth, Jonathan E. & Alfes, Kerstin & Shantz, Amanda & Bailey, Catherine, 2018. "Deadly combinations: how leadership contexts undermine the activation and enactment of followers’ high core self-evaluations in performance," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 87353, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Jan Schilling & Birgit Schyns & Daniel May, 2023. "When Your Leader Just Does Not Make Any Sense: Conceptualizing Inconsistent Leadership," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 185(1), pages 209-221, June.
    5. Kate Tchanturia & Amy Harrison & Helen Davies & Marion Roberts & Anna Oldershaw & Michiko Nakazato & Daniel Stahl & Robin Morris & Ulrike Schmidt & Janet Treasure, 2011. "Cognitive Flexibility and Clinical Severity in Eating Disorders," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(6), pages 1-5, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    leader unpredictability; paradoxical leader behavior; self-regulation; sensemaking; well-being;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J50 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - General

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