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Contribution Details

Type Journal Article
Scope Discipline-based scholarship
Title The nature of followership: Evolutionary analysis and review
Organization Unit
  • Contribution from another University/Organization than University of Zurich
Authors
  • Nicolas Bastardoz
  • Mark Van Vugt
Item Subtype Original Work
Refereed Yes
Status Published electronically before print/final form (Epub ahead of print)
Language
  • English
Journal Title The Leadership Quarterly
Publisher Elsevier
Geographical Reach international
Page Range 1 - 15
Date 2019
Abstract Text From an evolutionary perspective, followership is puzzling because it is not clear why individuals would relinquish their autonomy and set aside their personal goals to follow those of another individual, the leader. This paper analyzes followership from an evolutionary perspective and advances three main conclusions that are not yet part of the leadership literature. First, followership evolved as a strategy to solve a range of cooperation and coordination problems in groups (e.g., collective movement, peacekeeping). Second, individuals who lack the physical, psychological, or social capital to be leaders themselves are more likely to emerge as followers. Third, followership styles, behaviors, and engagement result from (a) variations in the relative pay-offs that accrue to followers vis-à-vis their leader, (b) the adaptive goals pursued by followers, (c) the adaptive challenges that select for different followership styles, and (d) the prevailing leadership style. Together, these conclusions have several implications for followership theory, research, and practice.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1016/j.leaqua.2018.09.004
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