The Relationship between Self-Awareness and Leadership : Extending Measurement and Conceptualisation

Type of content
Theses / Dissertations
Publisher's DOI/URI
Thesis discipline
Psychology
Degree name
Master of Science
Publisher
University of Canterbury. Psychology
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
Date
2011
Authors
Condon, Ryan Joseph
Abstract

Psychological research focusing on the relationship between self-awareness and leadership has subsequently attracted criticism, regarding both the conceptualisation and measurements used therein. Specifically, the previous use of difference scores to measure self-awareness has become associated with issues of reliability and the conceptualisation of self-awareness within the emotional intelligence paradigm has been considered a limitation. To study the relationship between self-awareness and leadership while acknowledging the need for improved methods, the current research conceptually extended self-awareness to include recognition of cognitive and social intelligence as well as emotional intelligence within the self. In addition, the current study tested a newly proposed correlational method for measuring self-awareness. The leader-follower relationship was represented by seventy two managers who were each paired with one of seventy two respective subordinate employees. Each manager rated their own cognitive, social and emotional intelligence at two points in time, two weeks apart, and their respective employee subordinate rated the manager on twelve Leader Behaviours. As predicted, the managers’ mean self-ratings were associated with employee-rated Leader Behaviour. Inconsistent with the literature and against prediction, correlational scores taken between the managers’ two self-rating times were not associated with Leader Behaviour. In addition, results were inconsistent with the prediction that difference scores between the managers’ two rating times would be associated with leader behaviour. The current study contributed to the scientific understanding of the association between social intelligence and leadership as well as the relationship between self-awareness and leader behaviour. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in reference to organisational leadership.

Description
Citation
Keywords
leadership, self-awareness, psychology, social intelligence, emotional intelligence, cognitive ability
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Rights
Copyright Ryan Joseph Condon