Capturing hearts and minds: The influence of relational identification with the leader on followers' mobilization and cardiovascular reactivity

摘要

The influence of relational identification (RI) on leadership processes and the effects of social identity leadershipudon followers' responses to stress have received scant theoretical and research attention. The present researchudadvances theoretical understanding by testing the assertion that high RI with the leader drives follower mobilization of effort and psychophysiological responses to stress. Two experimental scenario studies (Study 1 andudStudy 2) support the hypothesis that being led by an individual with whom followers perceive high RI increasesudfollower intentional mobilization. Study 2 additionally showed that high (vs. low) RI increases follower resourceudappraisals and cognitive task performance. A laboratory experiment (Study 3) assessing cardiovascular (CV)udreactivity showed that, compared to neutral (i.e., non-affiliated) leadership, being led by an individual withudwhom participants felt low RI elicited a maladaptive (i.e., threat) response to a pressurized task. In addition,udrelative to the low RI and neutral conditions, high RI with the leader did not engender greater challenge or threatudreactivity. In conclusion, advancing social identity leadership and challenge and threat theory, findings suggest that leaders should be mindful of the deleterious effects (i.e., reduced mobilization and greater threat state) of low RI to optimize follower mobilization of effort and psychophysiological responses to stress.