THE ROLE OF INFORMAL MEMBER LEADERS IN A SYSTEM CONTAINING FORMAL LEADERS

The purpose of this descriptive field study was to explore the process es associated with Be emergence of informal member leaders in a tempor ary system containing formal leaders. Four individuals were identified by their peers as member leaders during a Group Relations Conference. The verbal behaviors of the 4 member leaders were traced throughout t he conference and compared with those of their nonmember peers. Discri minant analyses revealed a number of differences in the interaction pa tterns of member leaders and nonleaders. The findings suggested that m ember leaders in a system containing formal leaders opposed the formal leaders and task. The study concluded that research on the leadership function in groups and organizations should be expanded to investigat e the role of member leaders in creating culture, directing activities , and influencing system outcomes.