ISSN 1671-3710
CN 11-4766/R

Advances in Psychological Science ›› 2019, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (2): 370-380.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1042.2019.00370

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Do leaders and followers see eye to eye? Leader-follower fit in the workplace

PENG Jian1, WANG Zhen2(), HOU Nan3()   

  1. 1 School of Management, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
    2 Business School, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing 100081, China
    3 School of Business Administration, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110169, China
  • Received:2017-07-02 Online:2019-02-15 Published:2018-12-25
  • Contact: Zhen WANG,Nan HOU E-mail:wangzhen@cufe.edu.cn;qq94177758@126.com

Abstract:

Leader-follower fit, which plays a crucial role in facilitating a harmonious interaction in leader-follower dyads, has attracted considerable attention in the academic circle recently. Leader-follower fit refers to the compatibility between a leader and a follower that occurs when their characteristics are well matched. Generally, we could measure leader-follower fit using direct measurement approach and indirect measurement approach. To data, the existing research on leader-follower fit mainly focused on five perspectives, such as personality fit, cognition fit, psychological experience fit, work behavior fit, and relational factor fit. Psychological and interactive processes usually capture the mechanism through which leader-follower fit affects work outcomes. Moreover, personal and situational characteristics usually moderate the consequence of leader-follower fit. Future research could examine the consequence of leader-follower congruence in some indigenous psychological characteristics (e.g., traditionality and face consciousness) and explore some novel underlying or contingency mechanisms in the Chinese context.

Key words: leader-follower fit, person-supervisor fit, leadership, followership

CLC Number: