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Leader, Follower, Team Player, Thief: An Exploration of Managers' Performer Categories

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Abstract

This study examined propositions relevant to the quantity, development, and content of managers' cognitive categories for their subordinates, which are thought to be an important source of performance judgments and other managerial decisions. Interviews with a sample of bank managers revealed their categories for tellers, which appeared to be based on such attributes as performance level, behaviors, demographics descriptors, and situational factors. Results showed that the categories identified by experienced bank managers were significantly more numerous and more enriched than those identified by inexperienced managers. Some of the categories appeared to be shared across managers while other categories appeared to be idiosyncratic.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wichita State University, USA

    Martha M. Sanders

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  1. Martha M. Sanders
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Sanders, M.M. Leader, Follower, Team Player, Thief: An Exploration of Managers' Performer Categories. Journal of Business and Psychology 14, 199–215 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022979022308

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