Basic Values, Ideological Self-Placement, and Voting : A Cross-Cultural Study

The current study examines the contribution of left-right (or liberal-conservative) ideology to voting, as well as the extent to which basic values account for ideological orientation. Analyses were conducted in 16 countries from five continents (Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Oceania), most of which have been neglected by previous studies. Results showed that left-right (or liberal-conservative) ideology predicted voting in all countries except Ukraine. Basic values exerted a considerable effect in predicting ideology in most countries, especially in established democracies such as Australia, Finland, Italy, United Kingdom, and Germany. Pattern of relations with the whole set of 10 values revealed that the critical trade-off underlying ideology is between values concerned with tolerance and protection for the welfare of all people (universalism) versus values concerned with preserving the social order and status quo (security). A noteworthy exception was found in European postcommunist countries, where relations of values with ideology were small (Poland) or near to zero (Ukraine, Slovakia).Peer reviewe

Do voters get it right? A test of the ascription-actuality trait theory of leadership with political elites

Are the traits preferred by voters also associated with success in political office? Drawing on the ascription-actuality trait theory of leadership the present study examines whether traits ascribed to politicians predict leadership outcomes differently to the actual traits they possess. We collected self-ratings of politicians’ personality (N=138) using the NEO-PI-R (actual traits) and observer ratings of politicians’ facial appearance (ascribed traits) to examine their relationship with (a) leadership emergence, measured using share of vote in election, and (b) in-role leadership effectiveness, rated anonymously by political and local authority colleagues. Facial appearance predicted leadership emergence but not effectiveness. Personality had a more nuanced relationship with leadership outcomes. Conscientiousness predicted effectiveness but not emergence, and Agreeableness revealed a trait paradox, positively predicting emergence and negatively predicting effectiveness. These findings suggest a need to understand the contested nature of political leadership and qualities required for different aspects of political roles

The Contribution of Religiosity to Ideology:Empirical Evidences From Five Continents

The current study examines the extent to which religiosity account for ideological orientations in 16 countries from five continents (Australia, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Greece, Finland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States). Results showed that religiosity was consistently related to right and conservative ideologies in all countries, except Australia. This relation held across different religions, and did not vary across participant’s demographic conditions (i.e., gender, age, income, and education). After controlling for basic personal values, the contribution of religiosity on ideology was still significant. However, the effect was substantial only in countries where religion has played a prominent role in the public sphere, such as Spain, Poland, Greece, Italy, Slovakia, and Turkey. In the other countries, the unique contribution of religiosity was marginal or small

The Contribution of Religiosity to Ideology:Empirical Evidences From Five Continents

The current study examines the extent to which religiosity account for ideological orientations in 16 countries from five continents (Australia, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Greece, Finland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States). Results showed that religiosity was consistently related to right and conservative ideologies in all countries, except Australia. This relation held across different religions, and did not vary across participant’s demographic conditions (i.e., gender, age, income, and education). After controlling for basic personal values, the contribution of religiosity on ideology was still significant. However, the effect was substantial only in countries where religion has played a prominent role in the public sphere, such as Spain, Poland, Greece, Italy, Slovakia, and Turkey. In the other countries, the unique contribution of religiosity was marginal or small

Reflections on the labyrinth: Investigating Black and Minority Ethnic leaders' career experiences. Human Relations

Abstract Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) employees appear to experience more difficulty reaching senior leadership positions than their white counterparts. Using Eagly and CarliÕs (2007) metaphor of the labyrinth our aim was to give voice to black and minority ethnic managers who have successfully achieved senior management roles, and compare their leadership journeys with those of matched white managers. This paper used semi-structured interviews and attribution theory to examine how 20 black and minority ethnic and 20 white senior managers, from a UK government department made sense of significant career incidents in their leadership journeys. Template analysis was used to identify facilitators and barriers of career progression from causal explanations of these incidents. Although BME and white managers identified four common themes (visibility, networks, development, and line manager support), they differed in how they made sense of formal and informal organisational processes to achieve career progression. The findings are used to theorise about the individual and organisational factors that contribute to the leadership journeys of minority ethnic employees. suggests an increasingly urgent need to understand and support BME employees on their leadership journeys. Keywords Although several possible barriers to BME leadership progression have been identified by researchers, remarkably little attention has been paid to the voices of BME individuals in questioning prevailing assumptions about the factors that influence their leadership journeys and whether these adequately reflect lived career experiences Our research responds to calls for more psychological research into the individual experiences of BME employees. In a review of psychological literature on ethnicity in the workplace, Kenny and Briner (2007: 450) point to a Òdistinct lackÓ of qualitative research Investigating BME leadersÕ career experiences and argue that ÒThe type of qualitative research that is needed is that which seeks to gain a better understanding of how the individual has experienced/is experiencing the workplace and what impact that might have on their perceptions and career decisionsÓ. We address this gap using attribution theory, which can provide insight into how individuals make sense of, and make decisions in response to, important career experiences Template analysis is used to identify similarities and differences in the spontaneous causal explanations made for these career experiences (i.e. events that interviewees believe have helped or hindered their efforts to progress to senior positions at work), and the findings are used to theorise about the individual and organisational factors that contribute to differential leadership journeys. Using a case study approach, we contribute to the existing literature by giving voice to BME senior managers to examine how they make sense of significant career experiences. Whilst being mindful of the specific context of this research, we explore the implications of the findings and identify mechanisms by which barriers and facilitators operate over the course of leadership journeys. Ethnicity, differential leadership journeys and the ÔlabyrinthÕ It has been proposed that whilst women face a Ôglass ceilingÕ in their efforts to achieve senior roles, BME employees more typically encounter a Ôconcrete ceilingÕ -a barrier that is both denser and less easily shattered (Davidson, 1997). However, Eagly and Carli (2007) suggest that these metaphors focus on absolute barriers to leadership positions that occur at the penultimate stage of individualsÕ careers and therefore fail to encompass the Investigating BME leadersÕ career experiences complexity and variety of barriers faced by individuals throughout their leadership journeys. Instead, they advocate using ÔlabyrinthÕ as a metaphor to describe the elaborate maze that individuals must navigate in order to reach the prize at the centre: achievement of a leadership role. Eagly and Carli argue that Òpassage through a labyrinth is not simple or direct, but requires persistence, awareness of oneÕs progress, and a careful analysis of the puzzles that lie aheadÓ (pp. 63). Moreover, as labyrinths may have several viable routes to the centre, each individualÕs experience of navigating the complex paths will be unique because it reflects their efforts to understand and deal with the dead-ends they encounter, by backtracking and trying different routes. Consequently, although the ÔlabyrinthÕ has mostly been discussed in relation to women seeking leadership roles, we argue that it is equally relevant for understanding the leadership journeys of BME employees; with the barriers they experience representing the complex twists and turns of the labyrinth. In common with the career literature more generally (Khapova and Arthur, 2011), existing research on barriers to leadership progression experienced by BME employees is largely driven by discipline. Much of this research takes a sociological perspective and focuses on the social structures that BME employees are required to navigate on their leadership journeys. For example, researchers using social network analysis have found that BME employeesÕ relationship networks, or ÔtiesÕ at work, tend to be concentrated at lower organisational levels compared to those of their white colleagues Evidence from in-depth qualitative studies supports this assertion, indicating that BME individuals feel excluded from important social networks A second related area of research on occupational segregation has been explored predominantly by economists and sociologists. These researchers argue that BME employees are often channelled or segregated into less prestigious work roles (e.g., roles that focus on Ôblack issuesÕ or Ôdiversity workÕ) due to managersÕ stereotypes about their aptitude, motivation or interes

Using 360-Degree Review to Determine Stakeholder Perceptions of Political Leadership

This paper describes a study that aimed to determine whether different stakeholder groups share a latent mental model of behaviors associated performance in political roles. A 360-review questionnaire based on a role analysis to identify competencies and behavioral indicators for Parliamentary candidates was developed from for a major U.K. political party. Candidates selected to fight seats in the 2010 general election completed an on-line self-review questionnaire derived three months pre-election (n = 225) and three months post-election (n = 510). 360-degree ratings were also provided post-election by Local Party Chairs, political agents and nominated campaign members (n = 1047). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of data from these groups found good evidence for a shared model of political leadership with five factors: ‘leadership’, ‘representing others’, ‘building support’, ‘resilience’, and ‘analytical skills’