Duration And Depth: The Effects Of Leader-follower Relationship Quality On Observer Ratings Of Leadership Performance

Abstract

Previous research has shown that the duration and depth of the leader-follower relationship influences how followers rate their leaders. However, no studies were found that asked whether this relationship influenced how leader-supervisors rated leaders. This study investigated how the closeness (duration and depth) of the leader-follower relationship affected supervisor ratings. Based on previous research, this study expected to find a negative relationship between leader-follower closeness and supervisor ratings of overall performance, advancement potential and risk of career difficulty. Although the duration of the leader-follower relationship marginally supported this hypothesis, duration and depth together (closeness) did not.