Intergroup Leadership: Two Paths to Encourage Positive Intergroup Behaviours
Abstract
An intergroup context can lead to decreased intentions to engage in positive intergroup behaviours. The current study examined the effect of a leader promoting an intergroup relational identity when there are potential tensions between groups. I used randomized between-subject experimental procedures. Participants (N = 281) were randomly assigned to work with outgroup members under a “collective” or “intergroup” leader. The main manipulation controlled for leader rhetorical focus. In the collective condition, the leader emphasized similarities. In the intergroup condition, the leader acknowledged contributions from both groups. Results showed that in the intergroup condition, participants were more likely to engage in organizational citizenship behaviours. Furthermore, being perceived as promoting an intergroup relational identity was positively associated with knowledge-sharing intentions, organizational citizenship behaviours-individual and organizational citizenship behaviours-organizational. Trust in leader mediated such relationships. My thesis highlighted the effective practice of recognizing each subgroup in intergroup contexts and the central role of trust.