Abstract
Romance of leadership refers to the tendency to attribute organizational performance outcomes to leadership as opposed to other factors. Prior evidence of romance of leadership has been found in the U.S. and other Western countries. The present study examines this phenomenon in China. We hypothesize that the Chinese romanticize their business leaders too but to a less degree than their American counterparts due to cultural and individual differences regarding power and control. Scenario-based survey data were collected from American and Chinese business students. Results show a similar pattern across the two groups of attributing organizational performance to leaders more than to other competing factors. However, Chinese participants’ leadership attribution is less strong than American participants and such difference is partly accounted for by the romance of leadership belief and personal initiative taking. Contributions and implications of the study are discussed.
Published Version
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