In Leaders We Trust: Investigating the relationship between error type and frequency on perceived leader trustworthiness
Open Access
Author:
Plotkin, Macie
Area of Honors:
Psychology
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Alicia Ann Grandey, Thesis Supervisor Greg Edward Loviscky, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Leadership Leader Leader Error Error Type Error Frequency Trust Task Error Relational Error Benevolence Ability Integrity
Abstract:
The present study examines the impact that leader error has on perceptions of trust within the leader-follower relationship. Data was collected from 329 undergraduate students at The Pennsylvania State University, who were given course credit in their introductory psychology course in exchange for participation. This cross-sectional vignette study utilized Mayer and Davis’s (1999) trustworthiness scales to measure the impact of leader errors on participants. Results show that perceptions of leader ability were significantly lower after task errors were committed, in comparison to relational errors or no errors. When analyzing data surrounding relational errors, it was found that perceptions of benevolence did not differ following task or relational errors, although perceptions were significantly lower than when no errors were committed. Perceptions of leader ability were found to have decreased the most following task errors; perceptions of leader ability were highest following a relational error when compared to no errors committed and only a task error committed. Data also shows that as errors are repeated, all facets of trust towards leaders decreased. No support was found for an interaction between error type and error repetition. Implications of this research build upon the present knowledge base and inform industry on the impacts of leader error.
