Five‐factor model traits and the prototypical image of the effective leader in the Confucian culture

Abstract

The association between the “five‐factor model” of personality and the prototypical image of the effective leader, and the extent to which that image was linked to the features of transformational leadership were examined in a questionnaire study that involved a sample of 101 Chinese origin individuals in Hong Kong. High levels of extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, emotional stability and openness were perceived as characterizing effective leaders. In line with research on leader emergence in the Anglo‐Saxon culture but contrary to expectations, extraversion was the trait most potently associated with the prototypical notion of the effective leader. And that notion was linked to the features of transformational leadership. The findings also suggested that men and women may partly differ in the criteria they utilize to evaluate leaders. Additional research is necessary, but the findings imply that most of the conclusions on the relationship between personality traits and leader emergence drawn with Anglo‐Saxon samples are generalizable in Confucian societies.