People who perceive society as a ruthless survival struggle are significantly more likely to view ruthless leaders as competent and assertive, study says. — Photo: Ole Spata/dpa
People who see society as a fight for survival are significantly more likely to view ruthless leaders as competent and assertive, according to a new study.
But if you see the world as cooperative and benevolent, you are more likely to view tough leaders as being overwhelmed or unqualified, say researchers.
They wanted to find out why some people perceive aggressive leadership behaviour as a strength, while others interpret it as a weakness.
Your personal view of the world plays a central role in the way you see leaders, say scientists.
If you see life as a tough competition, you are more likely to evaluate dominant, intimidating or confrontational behaviour positively.
But if you have a cooperative view of the world, you are likely to regard friendly and caring behaviour as a leadership strength.
"Why do some people see antagonistic behaviour in leaders — especially when it’s particularly mean or forceful or disagreeable — as a sign of incompetence, while others view it as a mark of savvy leadership?" asks researcher Christine Nguyen.
"We suspect the answer might be not only about the leaders, but also about the people evaluating them and how those people see the world," she says.
"People who see the world as a competitive jungle may forgive, or even credit, leaders for being aggressive and heavy-handed. Those who see the world as a collaborative place may see such leaders as obnoxious, ineffective or naive," says social psychologist and co-author Daniel Ames.
They spoke with more than 2,000 people in the United States about CEOs such as Apple boss Tim Cook and General Motors boss Mary Barra alongside fictional work environments with tough supervisors.
People with a competitive view of the world not only tend to work under antagonistic leaders but also stay with them longer, the scientists say.
"When we asked employees about their current managers, we found that employees higher in competitive jungle beliefs currently had more antagonistic managers compared with those lower in competitive jungle beliefs," Nguyen says.
They are less likely to leave such leaders and are more inclined to attribute their behaviour to professional success, she adds.
Further studies of this area could ask the same questions in other social and cultural contexts, such as perceptions of politicians, say the scientists who are based at Columbia University in Manhattan, New York, in their study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Toxic leaders may be perceived as competent and effective by some, but previous research has shown they create unhealthy environments and have negative effects on employee satisfaction, motivation and mental health. – dpa
