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Love Me or Hate Me: Exploring Controversial Sociometric Status

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Leading Through Conflict

Part of the book series: Jepson Studies in Leadership ((JSL))

Abstract

Research on sociometric status among youth and adolescents offers a new framework within which to explore outcomes for individuals who are at the center of conflict in the groups and organizations to which they belong. In particular, individuals who are both well-liked and disliked—so-called controversials—may occupy a unique and previously unrecognized role in organizational life. In this chapter, we explore controversial sociometric status. Drawing mainly upon psychological and organizational research, we consider personality, behavioral, and structural antecedents that may contribute to the formation and maintenance of controversial sociometric status and advance propositions regarding socioemotional and performance-related outcomes for individuals with controversial sociometric status. Lastly, we report and reflect upon insights gained through a series of interviews we conducted among 15 executives.

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Authors

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Dejun Tony Kong Donelson R. Forsyth

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© 2016 Inga Carboni and Tiziana Casciaro

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Carboni, I., Casciaro, T. (2016). Love Me or Hate Me: Exploring Controversial Sociometric Status. In: Kong, D.T., Forsyth, D.R. (eds) Leading Through Conflict. Jepson Studies in Leadership. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-56677-5_6

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