Methods of Investigating Leadership and Selecting Leaders: A Survey of Psychological Literature

摘要

This survey has been compiled for the purposes of (1) finding out what research has been accomplished in selecting and identifying leaders and (2) reviewing the methods or theoretical approaches used with an eye to their applicability in the development of instruments for the selection of military leaders. The survey will not include a review of the definitions of 'leadership' since the author feels that this is not a prerequisite to an understanding of the relevant research. The survey covers the literature from 1930 to 1950, and is arbitrarily divided into two major sections, the first section covering applied research on leadership (both nonmilitary and military), and the second section covering theoretical or basic research on leadership. The author has avoided the inclusion of articles and reports which neither present research data nor suggest methodology pertinent to this area of research. The literature reported does not include those studies conducted by the Personnel Research Section of The Adjutant General's Office, Department of the Army.