领导学研究中的下行传递效应:表现、机制与条件

The Trickle-Down Effect in Leadership Research: A Review and Prospect

在领导学研究领域,对下行传递效应的探讨逐渐兴起并取得了一系列进展。下行传递效应是指在组织情境下,领导者的特征和行为通过组织垂直的管理层次自上而下地进行传递,最终引发下属和团队相同特征和行为的过程。从现有研究(50篇实证文献、62个独立研究)来看:(1)研究者主要考察了类状态特征、情感、认知、态度、行为和关系6类下行传递效应;(2)领导-下属/团队间的下行传递效应会进一步影响下属、团队以及其他利益相关者(如顾客)的态度、行为和绩效;(3)下行传递效应主要通过情绪传染和情感事件、社会交换、社会认同、社会学习、社会信息加工机制而发生;(4)下行传递效应的发生具有一定的边界条件,其效应强弱受领导、下属/团队和情境特征影响。未来研究应扩展下行传递效应的研究内容,深入讨论这种效应的影响效果、内在机制和边界条件,并进行跨文化考察。

The inquiry of the trickle-down effect is booming and developing into a new realm in the leadership study. Trickle-down effect refers to a top-down process in which leaders’ trait, cognition, affect, attitude and behavior induce the similar responses of followers and/or groups. Based on 62 independent empirical investigations reported in 50 articles, we found： （1） Trickle-down effect can be classified into six types according to the nature （state-like, affects, cognitions, attitudes, behaviors, relationships） of the transmitted variables; （2）Trickle-down effect can further influence the attitudes, behaviors and performance of followers, teams and other stakeholders; （3）There are mainly five theories explaining the occurrence of trickle-down effect, namely emotion contagion/affective event theory, social learning theory, social exchange theory, social identity theory and social information processing theory; （4） The strength of trickle-down effect depends on some specific leader, follower/team, and contextual attributes.