Doctoral Dissertation Research: Effects of Conflictng Leader Identity on Group Performance

博士论文研究：领导者身份冲突对团队绩效的影响

• 批准号: 0601897
• 负责人: Lisa Troyer
• 金额: $ 0.73万
• 依托单位: University of Iowa
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-05-01 至 2008-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0601897&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Effects; Conflictng

SES-061897Lisa TroyerChristabel RogalinHow do conflicting cultural expectations for a female leader affect group performance? Researchers have found that when women are in leadership positions, they are in a situation in which they must either behave in ways inconsistent with being a woman or in ways inconsistent with being a leader. For example, leaders are expected to be assertive and dominant. Yet, women who behave in dominant, assertive ways are often thought of badly, since society generally expects women to be nurturing, less confrontational, and supportive of others. Thus, women leaders and the groups they lead may be faced with conflicting cultural expectations. This project proposes that that these conflicting cultural expectations may negatively affect group performance. This effect arises through a series of interrelated steps. First, if group members experience conflicting expectations that arise from being led by a female, then they may begin to feel that the female leader is less competent. If the group members do not view the female as competent, then they may be less likely to support and adhere to her efforts to direct the group and to comply with her efforts to keep them focused on their tasks. If members of a group are less likely to focus their efforts on the task, then the group's performance will be hampered. While much research on female leadership has investigated the effects of gender on leaders, very little has attended to the effects on group members. This project is the first to focus on how a leader's gender affects group performance. This project's focus on the process through which a leader's gender affects group performance also leads us to a solution for this important social problem. We propose that training materials that legitimize females as leaders can undermine the development of conflicted expectations for female leaders, and thus, can remove deleterious effects on group performance. That is, if group members receive training that emphasizes the competencies women bring to the group's task and to the leadership role, then group performance will not be threatened. To test these ideas, an experiment will be conducted at the Center for the Study of Group Processes at the University of Iowa that addresses 1) how conflicting expectations for female leaders affect group performance; and 2) whether training that legitimizes female leadership minimizes the hypothesized negative effects of female leadership on group performance. This study draws on both sociological and psychological theories, opening the door for bridging the disciplines of sociology and psychology. This study could potentially contribute to existing sociological research on how conflicting expectations for a leader affect group performance. Broader Impact. This project is an assessment of the effect of conflicting expectations that confront leaders, with a particular focus on female leaders. Knowledge from this research may increase the participation of underrepresented groups (e.g., women) in leadership and enhance understanding for current women leaders by facilitating a better understanding of the dynamics that affect women leaders' individual situations. This project also affords an opportunity for undergraduate students to participate in research. This project will also enhance educational opportunities by enabling the training of an undergraduate research assistant, which will allow her an opportunity to learn more about scientific research in the social and behavioral sciences.

SES-061897 Lisa TroyerChristabel Rogalin对女性领导者的文化期望冲突如何影响团队绩效？ 研究人员发现，当妇女担任领导职务时，她们的行为要么与妇女的身份不符，要么与领导人的身份不符。例如，领导者应该自信和主导。 然而，那些表现得强势、自信的女性往往被认为是不好的，因为社会通常期望女性能养育他人，少一些对抗性，支持他人。 因此，妇女领导人及其领导的团体可能面临着相互冲突的文化期望。 本研究提出，这些相互冲突的文化期望可能会对团队绩效产生负面影响。 这种效果是通过一系列相互关联的步骤产生的。 首先，如果团队成员对女性领导者的期望产生冲突，那么他们可能会开始觉得女性领导者能力较差。如果小组成员不认为女性有能力，那么他们可能不太可能支持和坚持她领导小组的努力，也不太可能服从她让他们专注于任务的努力。 如果一个小组的成员不太可能把精力集中在任务上，那么这个小组的表现就会受到阻碍。 虽然许多关于女性领导力的研究都调查了性别对领导者的影响，但很少关注对团队成员的影响。 这个项目是第一个关注领导者的性别如何影响团队绩效的项目。 这个项目的重点是通过领导者的性别影响团队绩效的过程，也导致我们对这个重要的社会问题的解决方案。 我们建议，培训材料，合法化的女性作为领导者可以破坏发展的冲突的期望，女性领导者，因此，可以消除有害影响的群体绩效。 也就是说，如果小组成员接受的培训强调妇女对小组任务和领导作用的能力，那么小组的业绩就不会受到威胁。 为了验证这些观点，爱荷华州大学的团队过程研究中心将进行一项实验，研究内容包括：（1）对女性领导者的期望冲突如何影响团队绩效;（2）使女性领导力合法化的培训是否能最大限度地减少女性领导力对团队绩效的负面影响。 本研究借鉴了社会学和心理学的理论，为社会学和心理学学科的桥梁打开了大门。 这项研究可能有助于现有的社会学研究，对领导者的期望冲突如何影响群体绩效。 更广泛的影响。 该项目评估了领导人面临的相互冲突的期望的影响，特别关注女性领导人。 这项研究的知识可能会增加代表性不足的群体的参与（例如，通过促进更好地了解影响妇女领导人个人情况的动态，加强对现任妇女领导人的了解。 该项目还为本科生提供了参与研究的机会。 该项目还将通过培训本科研究助理来增加教育机会，这将使她有机会更多地了解社会和行为科学方面的科学研究。