Distributed Leadership in Collegiate Esports

Abstract

Background. Current research supports the use of recreational games in higher education settings for student development. Team-based esports in collegiate settings offer leadership experiences analogous to other organizational contexts. Distributed leadership reflects leader roles shared dynamically with multiple points of salience and dynamic or absent hierarchy. Aim. This study looked at elements of distributed leadership claimed among collegiate esports teams and whether esports play contributed to distributed leadership development. Methods. This phenomenological deductive qualitative research study used themes from distributed leadership theory to examine the experiences of focus groups composed of competitive collegiate esports participants on three teams from three different popular esport games, respectively. Results. Researchers found that ample comparisons across respondent team interviews corresponded with the leadership theory and found that the more static influence of credibility seemed to mediate team-based communications and behaviors. Conclusion. Implications for distributed leadership both in esports and in other organizations include considerations for intentionality behind how hierarchies are enacted and how credibility may inform an understanding of power distribution within teams.