CHANGING THE GUARD - HOW ORIGIN OF NEW LEADER AND DISPOSITION OF EX-LEADER AFFECT GROUP-PERFORMANCE AND PERCEPTIONS

Nearly all groups face a change of leaders at some point in their exis tence. Hort et er, there is little agreement about the impact of leade rship turnover on the group, or the conditions that create the most po sitive transition. In a 2 x 2 factorial design, groups that had worked on one task under one leader were assigned a new lender who either ca me from within the group (origin of new leader) or form outside the gr oup. The ex-leader either remained as a member of the group or exited (fate of ex-leader). The groups then worked on a second task tinder th e new leader The results indicated that leadership turnover per se did not have a significant effect on group performance. However; when tur nover occurred, performance was highest when rite new leader came from within the group and rite ex-leader remained. Members indicated that the internal leader adopted a more people-oriented approach when the e x-leader remained in the group than when he or she left. However, the presence (or absence) of the ex-leader had no effect on the perceived style of the outside leader. Although, members were more attracted to the group wizen leadership, turnover occurred than when it did not, th ere was no difference in attraction between the various turnover er co nditions..