TY - JOUR
T1 - Testing the babble hypothesis
T2 - Speaking time predicts leader emergence in small groups
AU - MacLaren, Neil G.
AU - Yammarino, Francis J.
AU - Dionne, Shelley D.
AU - Sayama, Hiroki
AU - Mumford, Michael D.
AU - Connelly, Shane
AU - Martin, Robert W.
AU - Mulhearn, Tyler J.
AU - Todd, E. Michelle
AU - Kulkarni, Ankita
AU - Cao, Yiding
AU - Ruark, Gregory A.
N1 - Funding Information:
The research described herein was sponsored by the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, Department of the Army (Grant No. W911NF-17-1-0221). The views expressed in this manuscript are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, DOD, or the U.S. Government.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2020/10
Y1 - 2020/10
N2 - The large, positive correlation between speaking time and leader emergence is well-established. As such, some authors have argued for a “babble hypothesis” of leadership, suggesting that only the quantity of speaking, not its quality, determines leader emergence. However, previous tests of this notion may have been problematic. Some studies have asserted a causal effect of speaking time on leader emergence based on experimental studies, but have limited participant communication, access to reliable information, or both. Other studies have used more ecologically valid designs, but have not always controlled for relevant participant traits or roles, suggesting potential endogeneity effects. Testing the babble hypothesis thus requires a study that is both ecologically valid and supports strong inference. The current study fills that gap and finds that speaking time retains its direct effect on leader emergence when accounting for intelligence, personality, gender, and the endogeneity of speaking time.
AB - The large, positive correlation between speaking time and leader emergence is well-established. As such, some authors have argued for a “babble hypothesis” of leadership, suggesting that only the quantity of speaking, not its quality, determines leader emergence. However, previous tests of this notion may have been problematic. Some studies have asserted a causal effect of speaking time on leader emergence based on experimental studies, but have limited participant communication, access to reliable information, or both. Other studies have used more ecologically valid designs, but have not always controlled for relevant participant traits or roles, suggesting potential endogeneity effects. Testing the babble hypothesis thus requires a study that is both ecologically valid and supports strong inference. The current study fills that gap and finds that speaking time retains its direct effect on leader emergence when accounting for intelligence, personality, gender, and the endogeneity of speaking time.
KW - Babble hypothesis
KW - Individual differences
KW - Leader emergence
KW - Speaking time
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U2 - 10.1016/j.leaqua.2020.101409
DO - 10.1016/j.leaqua.2020.101409
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85081954569
SN - 1048-9843
VL - 31
JO - Leadership Quarterly
JF - Leadership Quarterly
IS - 5
M1 - 101409
ER -