Seeing Eye to Eye: Can Leadership Training Align Perceptions of Leadership?

International Public Management Journal, Forthcoming

125 Pages Posted: 8 Jul 2020

See all articles by Seung-Ho An

Seung-Ho An

University of Arizona - School of Government and Public Policy

Ulrich Jensen

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Louise Bro

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Lotte Bøgh Andersen

Aarhus University

Jacob Ladenburg

The Rockwool Foundation Research Unit

Kenneth J. Meier

American University; Cardiff University; Leiden University - Institute of Public Administration

Heidi Salomonsen

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Date Written: 2020

Abstract

There is a huge gap between how employees see leaders’ behavior and how leaders see themselves regardless of sector and functional area. Because this gap can be a serious problem in managing organizations, scholars have investigated how the gap can be reduced. This article focuses on leadership training and tests whether and under what conditions it narrows the gap. Using quantitative and qualitative data from a randomized field experiment with several hundred Danish leaders from public and private organizations, we find that a yearlong leadership training course decreases the differences between leader and employee perceptions of transformational and transactional leadership behaviors in public sector organizations but not in private organizations. The findings imply that leadership training can be one way for public organizations to align perceptions of leadership.

Suggested Citation

An, Seung-Ho and Jensen, Ulrich and Bro, Louise and Andersen, Lotte Bøgh and Ladenburg, Jacob and Meier, Kenneth J. and Salomonsen, Heidi, Seeing Eye to Eye: Can Leadership Training Align Perceptions of Leadership? (2020). International Public Management Journal, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3625768 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3625768

Seung-Ho An (Contact Author)

University of Arizona - School of Government and Public Policy

315 Social Science Building
Tucson, AZ 85721
United States

Ulrich Jensen

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Louise Bro

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Lotte Bøgh Andersen

Aarhus University ( email )

Nordre Ringgade 1
DK-8000 Aarhus C, 8000
Denmark

Jacob Ladenburg

The Rockwool Foundation Research Unit ( email )

Kenneth J. Meier

American University ( email )

4400 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20016
United States

Cardiff University ( email )

Aberconway Building
Colum Drive
Cardiff, Wales CF10 3EU
United Kingdom

Leiden University - Institute of Public Administration ( email )

P.O. Box 13228
Den Haag, 2501 EE
Netherlands

Heidi Salomonsen

affiliation not provided to SSRN

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