Back to my home page

Recent articles
Antonakis, J., & Dalgas, O. (2009). Predicting elections: Child's play! Science, 323(5918), 1183. (free download of paper)
Abstract: In two experiments, children and adults rated pairs of faces from election races. Naïve adults judged a pair on competence; after playing a game, children chose who they would prefer to be captain of their boat. Children's (as well as adults') preferences accurately predicted actual election outcomes.

Extended Podcast discussion on our paper with Prof. Hoffrage available in English and French

Summary of the paper.

Podcast interview in Science.

Science press release English1, English2, French, Chinese.

University Press release in French and German

The TSR (Swiss TV) challenge--I was asked to design an experiment, using children, to predict the governmental elections in the state of Neuchâtel. See how it went: http://www.tsr.ch/tsr/index.html?siteSect=500000&bcid=660584#bcid=660584;vid=10540469
(you can jump forward to 23mins 20secs)

Participation in the program "Histoires des Savoirs":
http://www.tsr.ch/tsr/index.html?siteSect=500000&bcid=707617#vid=11359058

Other papers
Liden, R. C., & Antonakis, J. (2010): Considering context in psychological leadership research. Human Relations, 62(11), 1587-1605
Abstract: Despite Lewin’s identification of the importance of context in behavioral research over 70 years ago, leadership psychology tended to ignore the context. Only in the past 10 years has context been more routinely included in psychological leadership research. We provide examples of leadership research that has explored the context, introduce the special issue articles, and provide suggestions for future research on the context of leadership.

Antonakis, J., Ashkanasy, N. M., & Dasborough, M. (2010).
Does leadership need emotional intelligence? Leadership Quarterly, 20(2), 247-261.
Abstract: Interest in emotional intelligence has bloomed over the last few years. That it has become a standard concept in general and applied psychology, as well as in applied business settings, is indubitable. Is this popularity warranted? Casting a shadow over the concept of emotional intelligence are concerns about its meaningfulness and the construct and predictive validity of its various measures. The following series of letters explores various issues surrounding emotional intelligence and leadership including: whether emotional intelligence is theoretically needed for leadership, the types of emotional intelligence tests that may hold the most promise, methodological standards for testing whether emotional intelligence matters, evidence from the neuroscience literature on emotions and intelligence, and evidence regarding the links between leader emotional intelligence and follower outcomes.

Antonakis, J., & Lalive, R. (2008). Quantifying scholarly impact: IQp versus the Hirsch h. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 59(6), 956-969.
Calculate your IQp: download file
IQp calculator (note: enable macros for the excel file)
Abstract: Hirsch's (2005) h index of scholarly output has generated substantial interest and wide acceptance because of its apparent ability to quantify scholarly impact simply and accurately. We show that the excitement surrounding h is premature for three reasons: h stagnates with increasing scientific age; it is highly dependent on publication quantity; and it is highly dependent on field-specific citation rates. Thus, it is not useful for comparing scholars across disciplines. We propose the scholarly index of quality and productivity (IQp) as an alternative to h. The new index takes into account a scholar's total impact and also corrects for field-specific citation rates, scholarly productivity, and scientific age. The IQp accurately predicts group membership on a common metric, as tested on a sample of 80 scholars from three populations: (a) Nobel winners in physics (n = 10), chemistry (n = 10), medicine (n = 10), and economics (n = 10), and towering psychologists (n = 10); and scholars who have made more modest contributions to science including randomly selected (b) fellows (n = 15) and (c) members (n = 15) of the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology. The IQp also correlates better with expert ratings of greatness than does the h index.

De Treville, S., & Antonakis, J. (2006). Could lean production job design be intrinsically motivating? Contextual, configural, and levels-of-analysis issues. Journal of Operations Management, 24(2), 99-123.
Abstract: Are lean production jobs intrinsically motivating? More than 20 years after the arrival of lean production, this question remains unresolved. Generally accepted models of job design such as the Job Characteristics Model (JCM, (Hackman, J.R., Oldham, G.R. 1976. Motivation through the design of work: test of a theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 16, 250–279.)) cannot explain the occurrence of worker intrinsic motivation in the context of lean production. In this paper, we extend the JCM to the lean production context to explain the theoretical relationship between job characteristics and motivational outcomes in lean production. We suggest that a configuration of lean production practices is more important for worker intrinsic motivation than are independent main effects, and that motivation may be limited by excessive leanness. We conclude that lean production job design may engender worker intrinsic motivation; however, there are likely to be substantial differences in intrinsic motivation under differing lean production configurations.

Antonakis, J. (2006). Leadership: What is it and how it is implicated in strategic change? International Journal of Management Cases, 8(4), 4-20. Download the full paper here.
Abstract: In this article, I focus on the role of leaders and how they affect social change. The importance of leadership, as a strategic process, will become evident from two points of view: those of leaders and followers. I highlight the importance of the latter because leadership theories are generally leader-focused and ignore central questions like "why do some individuals emerge as leaders and how they are attributed charisma?" "Why are some individuals influential as leaders whereas others are not?" "Why do followers trust some leaders more than they do others?" It is important that leaders understand how they are legitimized because as it will become evident, leaders must reflect the collective aspirations of their constituencies (followers)--whether these aspirations are follower or leader induced--in order to influence them toward a common ideal while instituting veritable social change. Leadership does not exist in a void. Therefore, looking at the leadership process from the eyes of followers will be addressed in various aspects of this article. Also based on a universalist-generalist perspective not tied to any particular domain (e.g., political, military, sport, educational, etc.), I will also focus on what leaders do, or more specifically what leaders should do, by reviewing what leadership is in terms of its antecedents and consequences. My review will be rooted in various competing but complementary research traditions that have dotted the historical landscape of leadership research, culminating in a brief analysis of the 2004 U.S. presidential race.

De Treville, S., Antonakis, J., & Edelson, N. M. (2005). Can standard operating procedures be motivating? Reconciling process variability issues and behavioral outcomes. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 16(2), 231-241.
Abstract: It is generally agreed that requiring employees to perform their tasks according to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) can improve production outcomes in the context of repetitive manufacturing. Attempts to link SOP use to intrinsic motivation – a requirement for creativity – have, however, resulted in controversy. In this paper, we discuss the relationship between required SOP use and worker creativity, as mediated by worker intrinsic motivation, and suggest that the relationship between required SOP use and intrinsic motivation and creativity is moderated by (a) availability of accurate process documentation and (b) employee participation in developing of process documentation.
Download the full paper here.

Antonakis, J. (2004). On why "emotional intelligence" will not predict leadership effectiveness beyond IQ or the "big five": An extension and rejoinder. Organizational Analysis, 12(2), 171-182. Download the full paper here.
Abstract: Emotional intelligence (EI) has been embraced by many practitioners and academicians without clear empirical support for the construct. In this rejoinder and extension of an earlier comment, I highlight the importance of using methodologically defensible scientific criteria for conducting or evaluating research. I review literature demonstrating that EI models are beset with problems concerning their validity and show that Prati et al's support for the EI construct is based more on tangential speculation than on empirical findings. Although I find some common positions with EI researchers such as Prati et al., I underline contradictions and inconsistencies in their arguments and cast doubt on the necessity of EI for understanding and predicting leadership effectiveness.

Antonakis, J., Avolio, B. J., & Sivasubramaniam, N. (2003). Context and leadership: An examination of the nine-factor Full-Range Leadership Theory using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ Form 5X). Leadership Quarterly, 14(3), 261-295.
Abstract: In this study, we examined the validity of the measurement model and factor structure of Bass and Avolio's Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) (Form 5X). We hypothesized that evaluations of leadership—and hence the psychometric properties of leadership instruments—may be affected by the context in which leadership is observed and evaluated. Using largely homogenous business samples consisting of 2279 pooled male and 1089 pooled female raters who evaluated same-gender leaders, we found support for the nine-factor leadership model proposed by Bass and Avolio. The model was configurally and partially metrically invariant—suggesting that the same constructs were validly measured in the male and female groups. Mean differences were found between the male and female samples on four leadership factors (Study 1). Next, using factor-level data of 18 independently gathered samples (N=6525 raters) clustered into prototypically homogenous contexts, we tested the nine-factor model and found it was stable (i.e., fully invariant) within homogenous contexts (Study 2). The contextual factors comprised environmental risk, leader–follower gender, and leader hierarchical level. Implications for use of the MLQ and nine-factor model are discussed. Download full paper here.

Antonakis, J. (2003). Why "emotional intelligence" does not predict leadership effectiveness: A comment on Prati, Douglas, Ferris, Ammeter, and Buckley. The International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 11(4), 355-361. Download the full paper here.
Abstract: This article provides a commentary on the article "Emotional intelligence, leadership effectiveness, and team outcomes" by Prati, Douglas, Ferris, Ammeter, and Buckley. The role of emotional intelligence (EI) as a construct in organizational behavior is addressed by discussing (a) the boundary conditions of theories in organizational behavior; (b) the relative importance of EI, g and personality in leadership effectiveness; (c) whether EI is needed for leadership effectiveness; (d) the degree EI is a unique construct versus a part of normal psychological functioning; (e) the relationship between EI and levels of analyses in organizations; and (f) whether EI is important for charismatic leadership. This discussion concludes with a cautionary note about premature excitement over the use of EI in the workplace.

Antonakis, J., & Atwater, L. (2002). Leader distance: A review and a proposed theory. Leadership Quarterly, 13(6), 673-704.
Abstract: The concept of leader distance has been subsumed in a number of leadership theories; however, with few exceptions, leadership scholars have not expressly defined nor discussed leader distance, how distance is implicated in the legitimization of a leader, and how distance affects leader outcomes. We review available literature and demonstrate that integral to untangling the dynamics of the leadership influencing process is an understanding of leader–follower distance. We present distance in terms of three independent dimensions: leader–follower physical distance, perceived social distance, and perceived task interaction frequency. We discuss possible antecedents of leader–follower distance, including organizational and task characteristics, national culture, and leader/follower implicit motives. Finally, we use configural theory to present eight typologies (i.e., coexistence of a cluster or constellation of independent factors serving as a unit of analysis) of leader distance and propose an integrated cross-level model of leader distance, linking the distance typologies to leader outcomes at the individual and group levels of analysis.

Other chapters
Antonakis, J. (in press).
"Emotional intelligence": What does it measure and does it matter for leadership?. In G. B. Graen (Ed). LMX leadership--Game-Changing Designs: Research-Based Organizational Change Strategies (Vol. VII). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.

Abstract: Intuitively, "emotional intelligence" (EI) may seem like necessary condition for productive leader-member relations or effective leadership, as many writers have suggested. I show that this link does not hold up to empirical scrutiny when using strong methodological tests. I reanalyze secondary data and show that both trait (EQi and WLEIS) and ability (MSCEIT) models of EI are linearly dependent on intelligence and/or personality (with multiple r's ranging from .48 to .76 depending on the measure used). Also, controlling for personality and general intelligence I show that emotional intelligence either does not predict or negatively predicts leader-member relations (LMX). As concerns predictors of leadership, the concept of EI has to be either reformulated or abandoned as I have suggested on repeated occasions. Download pre-print publication here.

Antonakis, J., & House, R. J. (2002). An analysis of the full-range leadership theory: The way forward. In B. J. Avolio & F. J. Yammarino (Eds.) Transformational and charismatic Leadership: The road ahead, (pp. 3-33). Amsterdam: Elsevier Science/JAI.

Abstract: In this chapter we briefly trace the history of the neo-charismatic movement and review Bass and Avolio's full-range leadership theory (FRLT). We present the FRLT as the flame bearer of the movement, and argue that it should be used as a platform to integrate similar leadership theories. We identify conditions that may moderate the factor structure of the FRLT, and review the validity of the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire-the instrument underlying the FRLT. Furthermore, we identify theoretical deficiencies in the FRLT and propose the addition of a broad class of behaviors labeled instrumental leadership, which we argue is distinct from transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership. Finally, we discuss the utility of dispositional variables in predicting the emergence of leadership.

Books
Antonakis, J., Cianciolo, A. T. & Sternberg, R. J. (Eds.).
(2004). The nature of leadership (448 pages). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
Book description: Leadership scholars have made many inroads in understanding leadership. However, making sense of thousands of studies and hundreds of books is a difficult endeavor, which is why many still incorrectly think that leadership is an elusive phenomenon. The Nature of Leadership is the first concise and integrated volume that addresses current issues in leadership research, including emerging topics such as gender, culture, and ethics. More than ever before, leadership is seen as critical for the proper functioning of societies and social institutions. Written by a team of leading experts, The Nature of Leadership will provide compelling answers to the most vexing questions surrounding leadership: Is leadership measurable? Are there traits that reliably distinguish leaders from nonleaders? Does the situation matter? Are there differences in women’s and men’s leadership styles? Is ethical leadership effective leadership? Are elements of leadership culturally bounded whereas other elements are universal? Does vision really matter? Can leadership be developed? Editors John Antonakis, Anna T. Cianciolo, and Robert J. Sternberg have compiled a landmark volume that addresses all of the above (answers to all of which are “yes”) and much more. As Warren Bennis notes in the book’s conclusion, in our time, we witness scandals, bankruptcies, war, misery, and suffering mostly because of corrupt and immoral leadership. Beginning with an introduction from the editors, and ending with Bennis’s concluding chapter, The Nature of Leadership takes students, scholars, and practicing managers through every facet of leadership from the perspective of the world’s leading experts. For more information on the book visit Sage or Amazon.

Download chapters (other chapters also available from the Sage site): Antonakis, J., Cianciolo, A. T. & Sternberg, R. J. (2004). Leadership: Past, present, and future. In J. Antonakis, A. T. Cianciolo, & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.). The nature of leadership, (pp. 3-15). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Antonakis, J., Schriesheim, C. A., Donovan, J. A., Gopalakrishna-Pillai, K., Pellegrini, E. K., & Rossomme, J. L. (2004). Methods for studying leadership. In J. Antonakis, A. T. Cianciolo, & R. J. Sternberg (Eds.). The nature of leadership, (pp. 48-70). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Recent conference presentations
Antonakis, J., Angerfelt, M., & Sivasubramaniam, N. (2005).
When she was good she was very good indeed but when she was bad she was horrid! Biasing effects on ratings of leadership. Women as Global Leaders Conference, Zayed University, Dubai, UAE. Download full paper here.
Abstract:We examined rater heuristic judgment processes, manipulating leader sex, job sex-typing, and organizational performance outcomes. Participants rated a target individual's leadership style, personality, and whether organizational outcomes were attributable to the individual. As expected, the female leader was seen less favorably than the male was when organizational outcomes were bad and the context male sex-typed-unexpectedly, she was seen more favorably under good performance outcomes (the male leader was rated in the same way in a feminine context). Independent of other conditions, the female leader was rated as being more neurotic than was the male. Furthermore, leader personality ratings were predictive of leadership style. Finally, participants overblamed out-of-context leaders independent of performance outcomes. Our results provide new understandings regarding situational cue effects on leader ratings, concordant with the "shifting standards" theory.

Antonakis, J., & House, R. J. (2004). On instrumental leadership: Beyond transactions and transformations. Paper presented at the Gallup Leadership Institute Conference, University of Nebraska. Download the full paper here.
Abstract: We extend the full-range leadership model by adding "instrumental leadership." We suggest that instrumental leadership represents the strategic and follower work-facilitation functions essential for sustainable organizational and follower performance. This highly proactive class of leadership is predicated neither on ideals or emotional appeals (i.e., transformational leadership) nor on quid pro quo approaches (i.e., transactional leadership). Instrumental leadership is authentic to the extent that it is vital for sustainable organizational performance and might actually help foster the transformational effect. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis show that instrumental leadership can be measured reliably. Furthermore, instrumental leadership explains unique variance in an effectiveness measure beyond the variance accounted for by transformational and transactional leadership (measured by the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire). Finally, we demonstrate that the five factor personality model (measured by the NEO PI) can explain variance in the "extended" full-range leadership theory.

Note: for paper reprints, please send me an e-mail at john.antonakis@unil.ch