Leader group prototypicality and reactions to leader transgressions

Abstract

Leader group prototypicality-the extent to which a leader embodies and represents the group-is a characteristic that typically engenders favorable attitudes toward the leader. The present research examines how leader group prototypicality shapes group member reactions to leaders who commit wrongful acts, that is, transgressions. In three studies, I propose and demonstrate that outsiders' knowledge of leader transgressions moderates how leader group prototypicality influences group member reactions to transgressing leaders. Specifically, when leaders commit transgressions that are known to outsiders, leader group prototypicality leads to more punitive reactions by eliciting an acute threat to the group image. Furthermore, punitive responses against transgressing leaders driven by group image threat are more pronounced among highly identified group members. The current research shows when and why the oft-observed advantage of leader group prototypicality might be reversed.