Leadership and group performance: a positive relationship in academic research units

Abstract

In a recent paper (Knorr et aI., 1976b, and Chapter 3 of this volume), we have shown that supervisory status within a research laboratory is associated with higher productivity in terms of the quantity of published articles and books; in fact, position seems to be the major explanatory variable accounting for productivity differences in :icademic research settings. Although that analysis showed the differential advantages in terms of productivity associated with supervisory status for the supervisors, the present analysis addresses the somewhat complementary question as to how-and in which respects-supervisory scientists matter for those who are supervised by them. Switching the attention from the gain supervisors experience from their status to the gain scientists supervised experience from their supervisor implies that we no longer focus on individual data, but on group data, and that we have to introduce quality ratings of supervisory behavior in order to differentiate leadership effects. Leadership differences, as measured by the subordinates' satisfaction, will be analyzed in terms of the impact they have on work organization, working climate, and group productivity, and will be discussed in the light of the controversial evidence on the meaning of the results.