Asian Americans' and Caucasians' implicit leadership theories: Asian stereotypes, transformational, and authentic leadership

Kimberly Burris, Roya Ayman, Yi Che, Hanyi Min

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This study evaluated how both Caucasians and Asian Americans characterize successful managers and how this compares to general perceptions of Asian American and Caucasian managers. Ninety-three Asian Americans and 94 Caucasians provided their perceptions of 1 of 3 different manager types (Asian American, Caucasian, or successful) and comparisons were explored using models of effective leadership (i.e., transformational and authentic leadership) and Asian stereotypes. Results showed that for Caucasian respondents, a higher degree of resemblance was found between their descriptions of Caucasian managers and successful managers than between their descriptions of Asian American managers and successful managers. Specifically, Caucasians perceived Asian American managers as equally competent, yet less sociable, less transformational, and less authentic than Caucasians. Asian Americans also endorsed the antisocial stereotype of Asian American managers. In addition, Asian American respondents perceived Caucasian managers as less authentic leaders. The discussion explored the complex experiences of the Asian American minority group and the enduring need to foster understanding of ethnic differences in the workplace.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)258-266
Number of pages9
JournalAsian American Journal of Psychology
Volume4
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2013
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Asian American
  • Authentic leadership
  • Implicit leadership theory
  • Stereotype
  • Transformational leadership

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Psychology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Asian Americans' and Caucasians' implicit leadership theories: Asian stereotypes, transformational, and authentic leadership'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this