Previous research on charismatic leadership has demonstrated that leaders exhibiting charismatic behaviors can have a significant impact on followers' attitudes, behaviors, and performance. This study attempted to extend charismatic leadership theory by investigating the relationship between charismatic leadership and group level concerns such as perceptions of group drive, group cohesiveness, and group performance within interacting workgroups. / In a laboratory setting with manipulated independent variables, a total of 199 college students were randomized into approximately 34 six member groups to complete a simulated group decision making task. Each of the 34 workgroups were "charge" with completing a group decision making task by an organizational leader portraying either charismatic behaviors or noncharismatic behaviors. The role of the organizational leader was portrayed by two male actors trained to deliver a group charge in both a charismatic and noncharismatic manner. / Results indicated that subjects exposed to a charismatically communicated group charge did not report significantly higher levels of group drive, group cohesiveness, or group performance than those subjects exposed to a noncharismatically communicated group charge. Contrary to what was expected, noncharismatically charged subjects reported significantly higher levels of cohesiveness and performed better as a workgroup than those subjects exposed to a charismatically communicated charge. Exploratory analysis also reveals that while charismatically charged subjects did not report significantly greater levels of group drive, cohesiveness, or perform better, they did report significantly more positive attitudes and perceptions toward the leader. This suggests that while charismatic leaders may have individual level effects as predicted by charismatic leadership theory, the strength of that effect may not be strong enough to overcome the interaction patterns and norms that develop within interacting workgroups. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 57-04, Section: A, page: 1392. / Major Professor: C. E. Wotring. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1996.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77695 |
| Contributors | Rothschild, Philip Clayton., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 142 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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