Reference
Liegl, S., Maran, T., Moder, S., & Furtner, M. (2023). Sometimes you actually are what your wear: How attire shapes followers' perceptions of their leader. International Journal of Psychology, 58(S1), 683-684. (ABS_2021: 1)
Publication type
Article in Scientific Journal
Abstract
Each day we spend a considerable amount of time thinking about how to dress. We aim to present ourselves in a certain way, that we think suits our personality or signals characteristics we do or do not possess, expresses status, affiliation to groups, values, attitudes, and affect. Our attire therefore acts as a nonverbal communication cue and is able to transport a great share of information about the wearer to the perceiver. However, in literature clothing has so far not been regarded as a cueing strategy to form charismatic impressions, even though scholars argue that charismatic leaders signal their motivation to lead through their choice of cloth. Hence, this study aimed to examine whether the style of clothing can be employed as a cueing strategy to signal leadership abilities. Pictures displaying a leader wearing three different styles of attire were rated by 62 participants on established leadership questionnaires. The findings reveal that perceivers rated the leadership abilities of the person wearing a more formal attire as more prototypical for their station. This implicates, that aspiring and acting leaders should pay close attention to their style of cloth, when they aim to seem more suited for their station.
Persons
Organizational Units
- Liechtenstein Business School
- Entrepreneurship & Leadership