The influence of structural aspects of a leadership scenario on individual mental evaluation processes

Abstract

AbstractThere is little emphasis in leadership research on the relationship between structural aspects of a scenario and individual mental processes leading to certain leadership behavior. The authors present results from two empirical studies analyzing the influence of structural variables such as time pressure, danger, and formalization on internal mental processes evaluating the perceived impact of factors influencing leadership behavior. Results from both studies indicated that the effects of structural differences in a scenario (high or low time pressure, danger, and formalization) lead to systematically different evaluations of the perceived impact of important factors influencing leadership behavior. These findings underline the relevant influence of structural aspects of a leadership scenario on internal mental processes and shed light into the black box between the cause‐and‐effect relationship of structural aspects leaders are exposed to and their behavior.