Communication Role Specializations and Perceptions of Leadership

Abstract

Researchl supports ani attributional theory of leadership: that people judge as leaders those who matchi an implicit set of valued leadership behaviors. This study explores whether such value bases or whether distor-ted perceptions of procedural, task or analytical, or socialemotioncal communication behaviors occur. Results indicated that 150 subjects chose a proceduiral specialist 85.33% as leader and selected a task or analytical specialist as most influenitial 63.33% in smnall group decision-making discussion. Chi-square analyses on the choices and an analysis of variance and t tests on ratings of specialists'behaviors indicated that no perceptUal distortion seemed to occur and suggested support for the value-based, or attributional, theory of leadership.