Grounded in the relational view of leadership, this dissertation explores the dynamics of the leader/follower relationship in the context of a collective using a social networks approach. Specifically, I build on DeRue and Ashford’s (2010) work that focuses on dynamic, socially constructed leadership relationships within a dyad to focus on such relationships within a collective. In doing so, I conceptualize collective leader endorsement – receiving a grant of leader identity from a collective of followers – and examine the implications of collective leader endorsement. As a dynamic relationship, collective leader endorsement can change as individuals give and receive grants of leader identity. I draw on relational models of leadership theory and appraisal theory to examine how contextual situations (i.e., identity jolts) prompt change in collective leader endorsement at the network level and how such change can influence individual functioning at the individual level. As a socially constructed relationship, collective leader endorsement creates the potential for disagreement among members of the collective regarding grants of leader identity. I draw on social comparison theory and appraisal theory to suggest that agreement (or lack thereof) can influence the individual’s perceived demands and overall functioning within the collective. Using data from 106 individuals on a collegiate football team in the United States over 12 consecutive weeks, I find significant changes in collective leader endorsement and the associated leadership network over the course of the season. Specifically, I find that challenging situations prompted a reevaluation of leader identities and shifted the patterns within the leadership network. In addition, change in an individual’s level of collective leader endorsement prompted additional perceived demands and lowered well-being. This relationship was attenuated if the individual had a supportive coach to help him cope with additional leadership demands. Finally, (lack of) agreement regarding the individual’s leader identity also influenced the individual’s well-being. Specifically, the individual experienced enhanced perceived demands (and associated lower well-being) if the individual’s perception of who should receive grants of leader identity was incongruent with the collective’s perception of collective leader endorsement.

This project examines the secretive world of the Venture Capital Industry specifically focusing on the ideology of gender inequality. Through research it has been found that females within the industry at the partnership level have actually decreased. By completing a literature review, we found that there were several biases and stereotypes that are prevalent within the industry and could be contributing factors for the decreasing participation. Following our literature review, we focused on a sample of 100 from the LPJ Index, and gathered data on all individuals listed, those at the partnership level and all other individuals within the industry. Through analyzing our data we found that female participation at the partner level is low and more importantly that 68% of firms do not even have a female partner in their ranks. We found that male and female partners have relatively the same education and the same areas of interest, which should suggest that they are on the same playing field, which is clearly not represented in the partnership composition, where males are dominating the industry. These findings lend credence to some of the deep rooted stereotypes that are facing females in the Venture Capital Industry and could explain why there are not many opportunities for them. Through future research and participation from firms to actively help increase the opportunities for women, the gender inequality that is facing the Venture Capital Industry can begin to narrow.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the existing bodies of research on the validity and value of cognitive intelligence and emotional intelligence in relation to top management teams (TMTs) and how those relate to TMT integration and firm performance. The approach of this paper is an aggregation and summary of empirical research to propose a theoretical model of how emotional intelligence directly relates to firm performance. Findings of several researchers show that cognitive intelligence matters to individual performance across the board and that emotional intelligence matters to leadership, team integration, and firm performance in various contexts. Practical implications are higher levels of emotional intelligence lead to high firm performance by augmenting high cognitive intelligence levels that executives already have. The unique context of top management teams provides original insight into the value of high emotional intelligence when trying to achieve TMT integration in order to reach better firm performance. Propositions and future research directions give way to further solidification of the thesis.

I develop and test theoretical hypotheses for how employees' authenticity at work influences their motivational, relational, and effectiveness outcomes. These hypotheses are grounded in the idea that when individuals feel they display their true selves at work, they can more fully employ their physical, cognitive and emotional energies in their work roles, which in turn leads to higher levels of employee effectiveness (e.g., task performance, perceived value to the organization, and promotability). In addition to this personal motivational process, individuals who are more authentic also develop high-quality relationships with their coworkers, thereby receiving more instrumental support and minimizing the antagonistic encounters they have with their colleagues. Both types of coworker interactions should, in turn, also influence the focal individual's effectiveness at work. Finally, I hypothesize that the relationships between authenticity and these relational and effectiveness outcomes are moderated by certain personality traits, such that when an individual is highly narcissistic, has very low self-esteem, or has strongly held values or beliefs generally perceived to be negative or deviant, the relationships change: authenticity's positive influence on coworker instrumental support becomes less positive, and authenticity's negative influence on coworker incivility becomes less negative. These moderation effects are expected for employee effectiveness as well. The sample used to test these hypotheses consisted of 102 employees and their 16 supervisors from two private companies headquartered in the Southwest United States. Authenticity was found to be positively associated with employee engagement, coworker instrumental support, and employee effectiveness, and negatively associated with coworker incivility. Once other factors were controlled for, significant relationships remained with employee engagement and coworker support. Contrary to expectations, neither engagement nor coworker interactions mediated the authenticity-employee effectiveness relationship. A dark side of authenticity was found for two of the three personality traits: self-esteem moderated the relationship between authenticity and coworker instrumental support, such that when self-esteem was low, the relationship between authenticity and coworker support was significantly weaker. Additionally, narcissism moderated the relationship between authenticity and employee effectiveness such that when narcissism was low, the relationship between authenticity and effectiveness was positive, but when narcissism was high, the relationship became negative.