Leader Prototypicality and Displayed Power in the Police: An Empirical Analysis of the Impact on Leader Endorsement and Trust

Abstract

AbstractThe aim of this article is to advance scholarly knowledge on the impact of leader prototypicality and displayed power on leader endorsement and trust in the police. Drawing on theoretical arguments from psychology and organizational behaviour, we develop eight hypotheses and submit them to an empirical test. In a pre-study, we explore what characteristics are prototypical of police leaders. Based on these findings, we develop vignettes describing different types of police leaders and administer these in an experimental study using a between-subjects design. Our sample consists of 34 German top-level police leaders for the pre-study and 142 German mid-level police leaders for the main study. Regression analyses provide evidence for a positive effect of leader prototypicality on leader endorsement and trust, a positive moderating effect of organizational identification on these relationships, and a negative effect of displayed power on leader endorsement and trust.