Toward a clear understanding of self-monitoring and its relationship with leadership
File(s)
Author(s)
Lei, Linghe
Type
Thesis
Abstract
The self-monitoring construct has generated substantial research in social psychology and management. However, research has predominantly focused on the positives of self-monitoring, including its association with leadership. This dissertation seeks to address this imbalance.
Chapter I introduces the self-monitoring research, the motivation, and the outline of my thesis.
Chapter II conducts a comprehensive review of fifty empirical papers on self-monitoring, with a focus on LSMs. The review generates three key findings: an overemphasis on the positives of self-monitoring, a relative ignorance of LSMs, and an unclear understanding of LSMs. This chapter also outlines a research agenda aimed at balancing the self-monitoring literature.
Chapter III presents a meta-analysis (9,029 individuals across 55 samples) that concentrates on the relationship between self-monitoring and six leadership variables: leadership emergence, leadership effectiveness, authenticity leadership, transformational and transactional leadership, and managerial leadership. Although self-monitoring typically exhibits a positive main effect with these variables, the relationships are largely non-significant when leadership is assessed through subordinate ratings. Moreover, correlations vary based on the measurement scales used to assess self-monitoring, indicating the differential impact of self-monitoring motivation and ability on leadership.
Chapter IV conducts a longitudinal study to unravel the puzzle that self-monitoring is positively related to leadership emergence but non-significantly related to leadership effectiveness. This study measured the leadership emergence score of 95 MBA students twice: initially and after three months. The results show a marginally significant decline in the relationship between self-monitoring and leadership emergence over time, alongside an increased leadership emergence score for LSMs.
These findings contribute to a nuanced and dynamic view of the self-monitoring leadership relationship. Theoretical and practical implications, along with future research avenues, are discussed in each paper. Finally, Chapter V concludes the dissertation, summarizing the key findings and implications.
Chapter I introduces the self-monitoring research, the motivation, and the outline of my thesis.
Chapter II conducts a comprehensive review of fifty empirical papers on self-monitoring, with a focus on LSMs. The review generates three key findings: an overemphasis on the positives of self-monitoring, a relative ignorance of LSMs, and an unclear understanding of LSMs. This chapter also outlines a research agenda aimed at balancing the self-monitoring literature.
Chapter III presents a meta-analysis (9,029 individuals across 55 samples) that concentrates on the relationship between self-monitoring and six leadership variables: leadership emergence, leadership effectiveness, authenticity leadership, transformational and transactional leadership, and managerial leadership. Although self-monitoring typically exhibits a positive main effect with these variables, the relationships are largely non-significant when leadership is assessed through subordinate ratings. Moreover, correlations vary based on the measurement scales used to assess self-monitoring, indicating the differential impact of self-monitoring motivation and ability on leadership.
Chapter IV conducts a longitudinal study to unravel the puzzle that self-monitoring is positively related to leadership emergence but non-significantly related to leadership effectiveness. This study measured the leadership emergence score of 95 MBA students twice: initially and after three months. The results show a marginally significant decline in the relationship between self-monitoring and leadership emergence over time, alongside an increased leadership emergence score for LSMs.
These findings contribute to a nuanced and dynamic view of the self-monitoring leadership relationship. Theoretical and practical implications, along with future research avenues, are discussed in each paper. Finally, Chapter V concludes the dissertation, summarizing the key findings and implications.
Version
Open Access
Date Issued
2023-08-02
Date Awarded
01/01/2024
Copyright Statement
Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial Licence
License URL
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Advisor
Pinto, Jonathan
Publisher Department
Business School
Publisher Institution
Imperial College London
Qualification Level
Doctoral
Qualification Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)