Leadership effects as a function of follower's personality characteristics

Abstract

The present study aimed at investigating the interpersonal relationships between the leaders and followers in senior high school soccer teams. Based on the followers' estimate for the captain's leadership style, all of the teams were divided into four groups (PM. Pm. pM. pm). According to our hypothesis, more of the members belonging to the team of each type were to desire to take the leadership similar to their captain's. As a resalt of our analysis, significant relationships between them were found and the effects of leadership was mediated by the follower's individual personality charachteristics. For example, while the members scoring high on the inferiority scales had more friendly relations with their leader, they were found to be full of complaints. Interestingly, even if the maintenance function of leadership was superior, the members who scored low in their coordinative ability expressed more complaints and rejection of their captains under a strong administrative or inspective management lacking technical guidance. We interpreted such results as a suggestion to their sensitivity to interpersonal relationships. © 1989, The Japanese Association of Educational Psychology. All rights reserved.