Abstract
While cognitive style congruence has been highlighted as a potentially important variable influencing performance outcomes in work-related contexts, studies of its influence are scarce. This paper examines the influence of leader-follower cognitive style similarity on followers’ organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs). Data from 430 leader-follower dyads were analyzed using polynomial regression and response surface analysis. Results demonstrate that congruence of leader/follower cognitive style is a predictor of follower OCBs. Organizations may therefore benefit from considering issues of similarity of cognitive styles in their attempts to develop effective leader-follower partnerships leading to increased OCBs and concomitant improvements in both individual and organizational level success.
Highlights
Organizations that rely solely on job roles to elicit work related behaviors are at a distinct disadvantage compared with those that focus on eliciting extra role behaviors (Bowler and Brass, 2006)
According to Mello and Rentsch (2015), “trait-like cognitive diversity has broad explanatory power” (p. 638) and, in particular, “cognitive style research yields the most consistent results, but overall there is much more work needed to draw solid conclusions” (Mello and Rentsch, 2015). We extend this line of inquiry by examining the possibility that congruence of cognitive style between leaders and their followers in the workplace may result in improved interpersonal relationships, and, on the basis of social exchange theory, concomitant positive influences on follower organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs)
On the basis that OCBIs are about helping others within organizations through cooperative and affiliative extra-role behaviors, that such behaviors are more reflective of individuals with intuitive rather than analytic cognitive styles, and that deep level similarities in vertical dyads are known to lead to a greater willingness on the part of subordinates to engage in these sorts of behaviors, we hypothesize that: less than ideal circumstances in their work endeavors and will be more inclined to take an active interest in the organization by, for example, attending functions that are considered important even though they may not be mandatory (e.g., Civic virtue)
Summary
Organizations that rely solely on job roles to elicit work related behaviors are at a distinct disadvantage compared with those that focus on eliciting extra role behaviors (Bowler and Brass, 2006). On the basis that OCBIs are about helping others within organizations through cooperative and affiliative extra-role behaviors, that such behaviors are more reflective of individuals with intuitive rather than analytic cognitive styles, and that deep level similarities in vertical dyads are known to lead to a greater willingness on the part of subordinates to engage in these sorts of behaviors, we hypothesize that: less than ideal circumstances in their work endeavors (e.g., sportsmanship) and will be more inclined to take an active interest in the organization by, for example, attending functions that are considered important even though they may not be mandatory (e.g., Civic virtue). On the basis that congruence of cognitive styles between leaders and their subordinates have revealed consistent and lasting positive effects for both dyadic partners (Deluga, 1998) including higher levels of communication satisfaction (Erdil and Tanova, 2015), and that deep-level similarities within vertical dyads will lead to partners being more committed and satisfied with their job experiences (Liao et al, 2008), we would further hypothesize that: H3: Leader-follower congruence at the extreme analytic end of the cognitive style continuum (analytic followeranalytic leader) will lead to higher levels of follower OCBOs being reported by their leaders
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