Follower behavior renders leader behavior endogenous: The simultaneity problem, estimation challenges, and solutions

Güntner, Amelie Verena; Klonek, Florian E; Lehmann-Willenbrock, Nale; Kauffeld, Simone

doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2020.101441

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Güntner, A. V., Klonek, F. E., Lehmann-Willenbrock, N., & Kauffeld, S. (2020). Follower behavior renders leader behavior endogenous: The simultaneity problem, estimation challenges, and solutions. Leadership Quarterly, 31(6), 101441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2020.101441

Abstract

Traditionally, leadership research has focused on unidirectional questions in which leader attributes are considered to determine follower outcomes. However, many phenomena between leaders (x) and followers (y) involve a simultaneous influence process in which x affects y, and y also affects x (i.e., simultaneity). Unfortunately, this simultaneity bias creates endogeneity and is often not properly addressed in the extant leadership literature. In three studies, we demonstrate the challenges of simultaneity bias and present two methodo