Professor age and research assistant ratings of passive-avoidant and proactive leadership

The Role of Age-Related Work Concerns and Age Stereotypes

Bibliographic Data

ID4096661
AuthorsHannes Zacher (0000-0001-6336-2947, The University of Queensland, corresponding author), P Matthijs Bal (0000-0002-6955-2837, Erasmus University Rotterdam)
Year2012
Volume37
Issue7
Pages875-896
Publication date2012-11-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueStudies in Higher Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0307-5079 • E-ISSN: 1470-174X
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/03075079.2011.557829
OpenAlexW2147709373
LanguageEN
Citations received10
References cited63

Recent research has shown that, in general, older professors are rated to have more passive-avoidant leadership styles than younger professors by their research assistants. The current study investigated professors' age-related work concerns and research assistants' favorable age stereotypes as possible explanations for this finding. Data came from 128 university professors paired to one research assistant each. Results show that professors' age-related work concerns (decreased enthusiasm for research, growing humanism, development of exiting consciousness and increased follower empowerment) did not explain the relationships between professor age and research assistant ratings of passive-avoidant and proactive leadership. However, research assistants' favorable age stereotypes influenced the relationships between professor age and research assistant ratings of leadership, such that older professors were rated as more passive-avoidant and less proactive than younger professors by research assistants with less favorable age stereotypes, but not by research assistants with more favorable age stereotypes

Empowerment · Enthusiasm · Generativity · Aging and Gerontology Research · Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior · Psychology · Retirement, Disability, and Employment · Social Psychology

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