Journal article

On the origins of informal hierarchy: The interactive role of formal leadership and task complexity


Authors listOedzes, Jacoba J.; Van der Vegt, Gerben S.; Rink, Floor A.; Walter, Frank

Publication year2019

Pages311-324

JournalJournal of Organizational Behavior

Volume number40

Issue number3

ISSN0894-3796

eISSN1099-1379

Open access statusHybrid

DOI Linkhttps://doi.org/10.1002/job.2330

PublisherWiley


Abstract
Informal hierarchies are a common and important feature of many groups, yet we know little about the antecedent conditions that determine the strength of such hierarchies. Building on theory that has depicted hierarchy as a mechanism for reducing uncertainty and creating structure, we posit that informal hierarchies emerge most strongly in situations that are ambiguous, ill-defined, and unstructured. Three independent studies confirm this notion, demonstrating that groups develop particularly strong informal hierarchies in situations characterized by both a lack of strong formal leadership and high task complexity. These findings support the theoretical notion that formal and informal hierarchies are closely related, but only under conditions of high task complexity in which the structuring functions of hierarchies are most crucial.



Citation Styles

Harvard Citation styleOedzes, J., Van der Vegt, G., Rink, F. and Walter, F. (2019) On the origins of informal hierarchy: The interactive role of formal leadership and task complexity, Journal of Organizational Behavior, 40(3), pp. 311-324. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2330

APA Citation styleOedzes, J., Van der Vegt, G., Rink, F., & Walter, F. (2019). On the origins of informal hierarchy: The interactive role of formal leadership and task complexity. Journal of Organizational Behavior. 40(3), 311-324. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2330


Last updated on 2025-10-06 at 10:58