At the core of followership – identification of followership behaviors

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine what behaviors are core to effective followership in the workplace and the facilitators and inhibitors of those behaviors. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative research method has been adopted by conducting 63 in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Findings – The findings of this study revealed that followership behaviors can be categorized as core and that non-core behaviors contribute to followership when core behaviors are present. The study also identified what followers and leaders can do to facilitate and inhibit core followership behaviors in the workplace. Research limitations/implications – The research is based on interviews with public sector followers and leaders. In order to develop the research further, other sectors and research methods (such as observational studies) would be helpful. The identification of core followership behaviors and the exploration of their facilitators and inhibitors provide valuable insights. These findings can help organizations better understand and develop effective followership, which is an area that has not been extensively covered in previous research. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the field of followership by identifying core followership behaviors and distinguishing these from related constructs and by clarifying the distinction between implicit followership theories (IFTs) and followership orientations. This differentiation is crucial as it moves the understanding of followership beyond traditional subordinate roles and highlights the dynamic, co-constructed nature of leader–follower relationships in modern organizations. The paper provides further theoretical and practical value by identifying what facilitates and inhibits core followership behaviors.