Rj. Hall et Rg. Lord, MULTILEVEL IN FORMATION-PROCESSING EXPLANATIONS OF FOLLOWERS LEADERSHIP PERCEPTIONS, The Leadership quarterly, 6(3), 1995, pp. 265-287
The information-processing and person perception literatures imply tha
t leadership perceptions will be based on both affective and cognitive
processing strategies. We propose that both affective and cognitive i
nformation-processing mechanisms may work at a variety of levels (indi
vidual, dyad, and group) to determine followers' perceptions of leader
s. Although the role of affective processing in leadership perception
has been little investigated, it plays a key role in the rapid formati
on of a general liking (or disliking) that then sets the basis for mor
e elaborate cognitive and affective processing. Especially interesting
is the possibility that the development of mutual liking depends not
only upon characteristics of individual followers or leaders but also
upon dyadic and group-level influences on affective processing. Cognit
ive processing is also subject to dyad- and group-level effects, as le
ader characteristics have the potential to cue different prototypes in
dyadic relations. Similarly, groups can influence prototype availabil
ity, mood, information used, and other determinants of subsequent lead
ership perceptions.