Informal Leaders

CBA NAU
•

College of Business Administration
Northern Arizona University
Box 15066 Flagstaff AZ 86011

Formal vs. Informal Leading: A Comparative Analysis
Working Paper Series
00-04 — Sept 2000

C. Dean Pielstick
College of Business Administration Northern Arizona University 3714 W Church St Thatcher AZ 85552 Tel: [phone] X26 FAX: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail]

CBA NAU
•

College of Business Administration
Northern Arizona University
Box 15066 Flagstaff AZ 86011

Formal vs. Informal Leading: A Comparative Analysis
C. Dean Pielstick

I. INTRODUCTION
Informal leadership has been recognized as an important factor in organizational behavior (Bass, 1990a; Doloff, 1999; Hall, 1986; Han, 1983; Robins & Zirinsky, 1996; Senge, 1996; Sink, 1998; Weiss, 1978; Wheelan, 1996; Whitaker, 1995). Nevertheless, a search of the literature reveals very little beyond a few references to informal leadership in small groups. For example, in his exhaustive review of the literature, Bass (1990a) identifies research on informal leadership only in the context of leading group discussions. Confirming this are similar findings from Bass & Steidlmeier (1999) and Wheelan (1996). Two organizational behavior textbooks (Kreitner & Kinicki, 1998; McShane & Von Glinow, 2000) include no mention of informal leadership and only brief discussion of informal groups. There is very little information available that compares these two processes of leading in leadership research. In fact, most research is done on formal leaders, those in a “position” of leadership. This complicates the analysis of the process of leading due to ways that these leaders may use the various forms of authority and power (Bass & Steidlmeier, 1999; Fairholm, 1998; French & Raven, 1959) available to persons in these positions: legitimate, coercion, and reward (specifically extrinsic reward). In other words, the formal authority of persons in positions of leadership may mask the process of

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