Emergent Leadership in the Workplace

Abstract

This study uses Leader-Member Exchange theory to examine how three follower outcomes--creative performance, task performance, and citizenship behavior--are impacted by low-high quality relationships between appointed leader-follower and emergent leader-follower. Employees that have an emergent leader or 'go-to other' reported to be significantly more creative and more willing to give back to the organization (via extra-role behavior) than employees that only reported having an appointed leader. Furthermore, there was a stronger relationship (i.e. higher correlation) with LMX-emergent leader in regard to followers' extra-role performance as compared to LMX-appointed leader and the same outcome. Results have potentially significant implications for employees, managers, and the organization as a whole.