Abstract
Unpredictable leaders provide an intimidating face to their group’s opponents. However, within their own team, the effects of leader unpredictability on intrateam dynamics and outcomes are not yet fully understood. Here we investigate the possibility that unpredictable leaders may create intrateam power struggles and harm individual and team performance, especially when teams have low interdependence. In a first laboratory study, we find support for this notion that leader unpredictability causes followers to engage in intrateam power struggles, which impede their individual task performance. These effects are most likely when team goal interdependence is low. In a second field study of 245 bank branch offices, we find that the offices of more unpredictable leaders have higher internal power struggles, and thereby lower office financial performance, especially when team task interdependence is low.
Published Version
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