1. Self-construal and Leadership Developmental Readiness:
An investigation into the relationship between self-construal and motivation to lead
Abstract
Based on extant literature, the antecedents of leadership developmental readiness were
investigated in the context of self-construal. Learning goal-orientation, leadership self-
efficacy and motivation to lead are important in assessing how ready an individual is to
benefit from leadership development activities. Past research has demonstrated the
importance of individual differences in leadership, however no previous research has
investigated the possible link between self-construal and leadership development. The
present research set out to investigate the potential relationship between self-construal and
developmental readiness. Specifically, I investigated whether one’s motivation to lead and
developmental readiness are affected by an independent or interdependent self-construal. I
also tested the mediating effects of leadership self-efficacy and learning goal-orientation on
the relationship between self-construal and motivation to lead. Individuals with both
independent and interdependent self-construals should be motivated to lead for different
reasons (affective, social-normative, and non-calculative). Similarly, level of self-construal
will differentially impact leader self-efficacy and learning goal-orientation.
An independent self-construal is associated with greater developmental readiness than an
interdependent self-construal. Additionally, when leadership self-efficacy is accounted for,
those with an independent self-construal are more likely to be motivated to lead for affective
reasons (e.g., ‘I am the type of person who likes to be in charge of others’), while people with
an interdependent self-construal are more likely to be motivated to lead for social-normative
reasons (e.g., ‘I feel that I have a duty to lead others if I am asked.’). Individuals with an
independent compared to interdependent self-construal are also more likely to have a
learning goal-orientation. The present research contributed to the field of leadership
developmental readiness by demonstrating the significance of self-construal, and calls for
more individualized leadership development. Recommendations are made based on the
implications for organizations in developing effective leaders.