Abstract:

Leadership transitions present contextual challenges for boards, particularly when uncertainty and ambiguity shape succession decisions. This study examines how dual process theory and heuristic reasoning influence symbolic leadership perceptions in CEO selection. It proposes that appearance-based leadership attributions serve as heuristics that help reduce uncertainty during both voluntary and involuntary transitions. The study further argues that successor origin may shape reliance on these cues, as external candidates may evoke stronger first-impression effects than internal candidates, whose track records are known. To test these propositions, a 2×2 between-subjects experiment will be conducted, manipulating the type of organizational change (voluntary vs. involuntary) and successor origin (internal vs. external). The study predicts greater reliance on appearance-based leadership cues in voluntary transitions and when evaluating external successors, where intuitive processing and uncertainty reduction motives are expected to play a stronger role in board-level decision-making.

Please choose your submission type: Developmental Paper

Primary Track: Leadership and Leadership Development

Keywords: Traditional paradigms of leadership, including traits, behaviour and contingency approaches;Strategic leadership;Emerging leadership theories

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Prof Christian Hopp