What does it mean to follow? A critique of the followership literature and a conceptual model of the emergence of downward following
What does it mean to follow? In this paper, we systematically review the followership literature for the period 2017–2021. Our review shows that the followership literature suffers from three major issues that limit its validity. The followership field is dominated by a role-based approach equating...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1072800/full |
| _version_ | 1827809151143641088 |
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| author | Nicolas Bastardoz Sofie Adriaensen |
| author_facet | Nicolas Bastardoz Sofie Adriaensen |
| author_sort | Nicolas Bastardoz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | What does it mean to follow? In this paper, we systematically review the followership literature for the period 2017–2021. Our review shows that the followership literature suffers from three major issues that limit its validity. The followership field is dominated by a role-based approach equating direct reports with followers; empirical studies fail to study actual following behaviors, and there are no studies of downward following, which we define as any behavior or effort aimed at achieving a shared goal, carried out by an individual in a position of formal power who is influenced by one or more individuals in a position of inferior authority. Our manuscript builds on the process approach to study what it means to follow. We argue that the followership field needs to study actual followership behaviors at the micro “interaction episodes” and rely on quantitative behavioral coding. We then propose a conceptual, multi-level model that details antecedents and boundary conditions of the emergence of downward following. We conclude by discussing the organizational implications of our approach and model. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T22:38:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7ac147725c4b486ca03bb0aedee8a0fc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T22:38:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-7ac147725c4b486ca03bb0aedee8a0fc2023-09-22T11:14:17ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-09-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.10728001072800What does it mean to follow? A critique of the followership literature and a conceptual model of the emergence of downward followingNicolas BastardozSofie AdriaensenWhat does it mean to follow? In this paper, we systematically review the followership literature for the period 2017–2021. Our review shows that the followership literature suffers from three major issues that limit its validity. The followership field is dominated by a role-based approach equating direct reports with followers; empirical studies fail to study actual following behaviors, and there are no studies of downward following, which we define as any behavior or effort aimed at achieving a shared goal, carried out by an individual in a position of formal power who is influenced by one or more individuals in a position of inferior authority. Our manuscript builds on the process approach to study what it means to follow. We argue that the followership field needs to study actual followership behaviors at the micro “interaction episodes” and rely on quantitative behavioral coding. We then propose a conceptual, multi-level model that details antecedents and boundary conditions of the emergence of downward following. We conclude by discussing the organizational implications of our approach and model.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1072800/fullfollowerdownward followingupward leadingprocess approachsocial influence processshared goals |
| spellingShingle | Nicolas Bastardoz Sofie Adriaensen What does it mean to follow? A critique of the followership literature and a conceptual model of the emergence of downward following Frontiers in Psychology follower downward following upward leading process approach social influence process shared goals |
| title | What does it mean to follow? A critique of the followership literature and a conceptual model of the emergence of downward following |
| title_full | What does it mean to follow? A critique of the followership literature and a conceptual model of the emergence of downward following |
| title_fullStr | What does it mean to follow? A critique of the followership literature and a conceptual model of the emergence of downward following |
| title_full_unstemmed | What does it mean to follow? A critique of the followership literature and a conceptual model of the emergence of downward following |
| title_short | What does it mean to follow? A critique of the followership literature and a conceptual model of the emergence of downward following |
| title_sort | what does it mean to follow a critique of the followership literature and a conceptual model of the emergence of downward following |
| topic | follower downward following upward leading process approach social influence process shared goals |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1072800/full |
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