A1 Journal article (refereed)
“No Worries, there is No Error-Free Leadership!” : Error Strain, Worries about Leadership, and Leadership Career Intentions among Non-Leaders (2022)
Auvinen, E., Aycan, Z., Tsupari, H., Herttalampi, M., & Feldt, T. (2022). “No Worries, there is No Error-Free Leadership!” : Error Strain, Worries about Leadership, and Leadership Career Intentions among Non-Leaders. Scandinavian Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 7(1), Article 6. https://doi.org/10.16993/sjwop.166
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Auvinen, Elina; Aycan, Zeynep; Tsupari, Heidi; Herttalampi, Mari; Feldt, Taru
Journal or series: Scandinavian Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology
eISSN: 2002-2867
Publication year: 2022
Volume: 7
Issue number: 1
Article number: 6
Publisher: Stockholm University Press
Publication country: Sweden
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.16993/sjwop.166
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Open Access channel
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/81806
Abstract
The growing body of research suggests that leadership is not among the most attractive career goals, especially for the younger work force. However, the need for leadership has not diminished. To shed light on the “problem of supply”, this study addresses the question of why high-potential individuals (i.e., non-leaders) do not pursue leadership positions by focusing on worries about leadership (WAL) and error-related strain. We had two aims: (1) to identify different profiles of WAL among highly educated professionals, and (2) to explore whether their error strain and leadership career intentions differ among the identified WAL profiles. Data were gathered from 955 highly educated Finnish employees representing different sectors. WAL was measured by a three-dimensional scale consisting of worries about failure, work-life imbalance, and harming others. Based on the Latent Profile Analysis, six WAL profiles emerged: (1) Average-WAL (37% of respondents), (2) Low-WAL (34%), (3) High-WAL (6%), (4) Failure-sensitive (9%), (5) Imbalance-sensitive (4%) and (6) Harm-sensitive (11%). Professionals in the Low-WAL profile reported the lowest error strain, whereas employees in the profiles of High-WAL and Failure-sensitive reported the highest error strain. Employees in the Low-WAL profile were more willing to pursue a leadership career in an unfamiliar organization compared to employees in other profiles. In addition, employees within the Low-WAL profile were more willing to pursue a leadership career in an unfamiliar organization compared to their home organization. Implications of our findings and future directions are discussed.
Keywords: leadership (activity); leadership (properties); conceptions; employees; academic degree holders; career; occupational psychology
Free keywords: error strain; worries about leadership; leadership career intention
Contributing organizations
Related projects
- Johtamisen pelko vaativissa asiantuntijatehtävissä: Mitä se on, mistä se johtuu ja mitä siitä seuraa?
- Feldt, Taru
- Finnish Work Environment Fund
Ministry reporting: Yes
VIRTA submission year: 2022
JUFO rating: 1
- Psychology (Department of Psychology PSY) PSY
- School of Resource Wisdom (University of Jyväskylä JYU) JYU.Wisdom
- Behaviour change, health, and well-being across the lifespan (University of Jyväskylä JYU) BC-Well
- School of Wellbeing (University of Jyväskylä JYU) JYU.Well
- Emergent work in the digital era (University of Jyväskylä JYU) EWIDE