Perceived Random Leader Selection in Work Groups

Different methods of selecting a leader for work groups have been shown to have significant effects on the group\u27s overall performance (Henningsen, et al., 2004). It has been suggested that systematic selection of leadership is detrimental to a group\u27s performance and cohesiveness in certain cases (Haslam et al., 1998). This has been supported by many studies (Haslam et al., 1998; Henningsen et. al., 2004). In such cases it may be more beneficial to pick a leader in a random fashion instead of picking one due to leadership abilities. It was hypothesized that it is even more beneficial in these cases if the leader is picked due to credentials (systematically selected) but the leader is perceived by the rest of the group as being randomly selected. The hypothesis was tested with four groups creating a building model out of drinking straws. No significant effects were found in terms of group performance or group cohesiveness