Predictors of successful leadership development: What do follower proactivity, work engagement, and leader-member exchange quality (LMX-quality) in a blue-collar setting bring to the table

Denzin, Josefine (2017): Predictors of successful leadership development: What do follower proactivity, work engagement, and leader-member exchange quality (LMX-quality) in a blue-collar setting bring to the table. Dissertation, LMU München: Fakultät für Psychologie und Pädagogik

Abstract

The present thesis is a single case research in the automobile production in Germany. The aim of this case analysis is to identify predictors of successful leadership development, whereby especially the quality of leader-member exchange is investigated. The importance of leadership development in production increases due to progressive globalization, the development of blueprints as well as increasing span of controls and group diversity. In the light of changing contextual requirements for leaders and followers, a high-quality exchange relationship between the leader and the talent is a possible answer. To some extent, this thesis closes the research gap on predictors, which positively contribute to the leader-member exchange (LMX) relationship in production. In the first study (Chapter 2), a qualitative method was applied with a deductive and inductive approach to develop a model of expected short-term and long-term behaviors of three different roles which are involved in leadership development. These roles are: Followers, leaders, and HR. Follower in this case study are identified talents or those who fulfill the conditions in terms of a professional education or show engagement “on-the-job” (e.g., a group speaker or process supporter role). Leaders are team leader in production, validating the potential of followers towards a further development for a first leadership position. HR represents HR Business Partners. Those are consultants of followers and leaders, process facilitators of the personnel development of talents in production, and responsible for concept and process implementation. Verbal, paraverbal, and nonverbal predictors for future successful leadership behavior of talents were identified in assessment centres. The second study (Chapter 3), a cross-sectional one, showed that employee proactivity is a short-term mediator, partially mediating the relationship between absorbed followers and high-quality exchange with leaders. “Absorption” is one of the three characteristics of work engagement, along with “dedication” and “vigor” (Schaufeli, Salanova, González-Romá, & Bakker, 2002), describing a state of full concentration and deepening in one’s work whereby time passes quickly (p. 75). By applying a further model, the absorption level of followers in a longitudinal design was investigated. The partial mediation effect in Study 2 could not be replicated in a longitudinal design (Study 3). It could be indicated that followers with high absorption levels have a direct long-term impact on their LMX. However, no reciprocal effect could be found. In Chapter 4, specific recommendations for practice are discussed by applying the developed model from Chapter 2. The application of the developed model, which shows the expected behaviors of the three roles and raises the awareness of expectations increases the quality of LMX and thus contributes to a successful leadership development in the long-term. Furthermore, the application of the model opens new ways of leadership development research, which are pointed out.

• Dokumententyp: Dissertationen (Dissertation, LMU München)
• Keywords: leadership development (LD), leader-member exchange (LMX) quality, work engagement, blue-collar worker, case study
• Fakultäten: Fakultät für Psychologie und Pädagogik
• Sprache der Hochschulschrift: Englisch
• Datum der mündlichen Prüfung: 13. Juli 2017
• 1. Bericht­erstatter:in: Spieß, Erika