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How long should we follow the leader? Using latent growth models of longitudinal leadership performance change to predict leader outcomes.

A paucity of research has examined longitudinal performance and the predictive ability of performance change on important outcomes. In addition, few studies have investigated the effects of rater variables on performance over time and the effect of rater group composition or rater perspective on longitudinal performance ratings. The purpose of this research was to investigate consequences related to rater characteristics including rater context, perspective and composition in the measurement and prediction of longitudinal performance. Results suggested that longitudinal self-ratings, boss ratings, and direct report ratings were equivalent. The results of this study also concur with earlier findings about the dynamic nature of performance (Thoreson, et al., 2004). Longitudinal change in performance was found for every leadership performance factor in ratings from every rater group. Latent growth curves for all rater groups were remarkably similar although boss ratings showed the most consistent longitudinal change. Adding sector and/or subdivision covariates to the models improved model fit for each rating source group. Using growth mixture modeling with the rater context covariates allowed the estimation of latent classes that clarified the direction of leadership performance growth. Results also indicated the importance of rater composition. Direct reports who consistently rated the same leader tended to rate those leaders more highly than the direct reports who rated different leaders. Adding the composition moderator variable to the boss rating models improved model fit for four of the five leadership performance models. The composition covariate also significantly predicted the intercept and slope for boss ratings of Ethics and Character, suggesting that obtaining leadership performance ratings from consistent bosses plays an important role in detecting linear change in leader performance, especially for ratings of Ethics and Character. Leaders with positive development on Ethics and Character had higher consensus performance scores, confirming past research showing that integrity and ethical behavior are important characteristics in successful managers (Posner & Schmidt, 1984; Mortensen, Smith, & Cavanagh, 1989).

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:NCSU/oai:NCSU:etd-03152007-090353
Date06 April 2007
CreatorsMullen, Torrey Rieser
ContributorsMark A. Wilson, Lori Foster Thompson, Samuel B. Pond, S. Bartholomew Craig
PublisherNCSU
Source SetsNorth Carolina State University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext
Formatapplication/pdf
Sourcehttp://www.lib.ncsu.edu/theses/available/etd-03152007-090353/
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