A Social Identity Theory of Leadership

Abstract

A social identity theory of leadership is described that views leadership as a group process generated by social categorization and prototype-based depersonalization processes associated with social identity. Group identification, as self-categorization, constructs an intragroup prototypicality gradient that invests the most prototypical member with the appearance of having influence; the appearance arises because members cognitively and behaviorally conform to the prototype. The appearance of influence becomes a reality through depersonalized social attraction processes that make followers agree and comply with the leader's ideas and suggestions. Consensual social attraction also imbues the leader with apparent status and creates a status-based structural differentiation within the group into leader(s) and followers, which has characteristics of unequal status intergroup relations. In addition, a fundamental attribution process constructs a charismatic leadership personality for the leader, which further empowers the leader and sharpens the leader-follower status differential. Empirical support for the theory is reviewed and a range of implications discussed, including intergroup dimensions, uncertainty reduction and extremism, power, and pitfalls of prototype-based leadership.

Cite this

Michael A. Hogg (2001). A Social Identity Theory of Leadership. Personality and Social Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327957pspr0503_1

@article{a2001a,
  title  = {A Social Identity Theory of Leadership},
  author = {Hogg, Michael A.},
  year   = {2001},
  journal = {Personality and Social Psychology Review},
  doi    = {10.1207/s15327957pspr0503_1}
}

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