Innovation credit: when can leaders oppose their group's norms?
Two preliminary studies and 5 experiments examined judgments of leaders who challenge their group's norms. Participants viewed information about group members whose attitudes were normative or deviated in a pronormative or antinormative direction. The antinorm member was identified as (a) either a nonleader or an established leader (Study 1), (b) an ex-leader (Studies 2 and 5), or (c) a future leader (Studies 3, 4, and 5). Antinorm future leaders were judged more positively and were granted greater innovation credit (license to innovate and remuneration) relative to antinorm members, ex-leaders, and established leaders. Results are discussed in terms of the idea that leadership can accrue from prototypicality and can also confer the right to define prescriptive norms. However, innovation credit is only granted in the case of future leaders.
Abrams
Dominic
D
Centre for the Study of Group Processes, University of Kent, Canterbury, England. D.Abrams@kent.ac.uk
de Moura
Georgina Randsley
GR
Marques
José M
JM
Hutchison
Paul
P
D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003405:Creativity; D003657:Decision Making; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D007857:Leadership; D012718:Set, Psychology; D012922:Social Change; D012925:Social Conformity; D012928:Social Desirability; D012933:Social Identification