A two‐way approach of congruent behavior between leaders and staff in the employeeship concept : Test of model, questionnaires, and influence on climate

Purpose – The authors have developed the Leadership‐Employeeship‐Relationship Model and a questionnaire following their conceptualization of the employeeship concept. It is possible to separately study leadership, peer employee, and interactive leader‐follower behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the conceptualization and operationalization, as well as between the model and psychological climate. Design/methodology/approach – In total, four organizations operating at an airport participated. The quantitative approach involved data gathered from expected leadership and employee behaviors and psychological climate attitude questionnaires. The leadership and peer employee variables are separately based on the leadership and employeeship questionnaires, whereas the leader‐follower variable is based on the results of both questionnaires. All analyses were made on the variable level. Findings – The results show that expected leadership, peer employee, and congruent leader‐follower behaviors all have a positive correlation with psychological climate. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that congruent leader‐follower behavior had augmented value to leadership behavior and its relationship to psychological climate. Practical implications – Congruent leader‐follower behavior plays an important role in the overall improvement of psychological climate. Steps toward congruent behavior are to allow followers to participate in leadership development and that the issue of shared responsibilities and authority is best managed in collaboration between management and staff. Originality/value – The paper is the first to demonstrate empirically the relation between the interactive leader‐follower employeeship perspective based on the expected behaviors of both leaders and followers and psychological climate.