Playing Favorites: The Influence of Leaders' Inner Circle on Group Processes and Performance

Leaders frequently form stronger relationships with certain subordinates moreso than others, creating an inner circle of close friendships and an outer circle of more distant relationships. Three studies examine the effects of inner-circle membership on group dynamics and interpersonal influence in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Personality & social psychology bulletin 2009-09, Vol.35 (9), p.1244-1257
Main Authors: Burris, Ethan R., Rodgers, Matthew S., Mannix, Elizabeth A., Hendron, Michael G., Oldroyd, James B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Affect
Attention
Communication
Cooperative Behavior
Culture
Decision Making
Department stores
Feedback, Psychological
Friends - psychology
Friendship
Friendships
Government agencies
Group decision making
Group dynamics
Group Processes
Hierarchy, Social
Humans
Information processing
Leaders
Leadership
Loyalty programs
Safety
Self Concept
Social Identification
Social Perception
Subordinates
Teams
Trust
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Summary:Leaders frequently form stronger relationships with certain subordinates moreso than others, creating an inner circle of close friendships and an outer circle of more distant relationships. Three studies examine the effects of inner-circle membership on group dynamics and interpersonal influence in hierarchical teams. Study 1 finds that, compared to outer-circle members, inner-circle members feel safer and participate in the group discussion more, and leaders recognize them as making a greater contribution and allocate a larger bonus to them. Consequently, inner-circle members influence the groups' decisions more, and team decision quality improves when inner-circle members possess expert knowledge. Study 2 finds that leaders attended to and recalled suggestions from their inner circle more regardless of argument strength, suggesting heuristic information processing. Study 3 replicates these findings using intact teams in a large governmental agency. Implications for leadership and group decision making are discussed.
ISSN:0146-1672
1552-7433
DOI:10.1177/0146167209338747