Date

4-25-2023

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Kate Andrews

Keywords

introvert, leader, leadership, phenomenological, study, extravert

Disciplines

Leadership Studies | Psychology

Abstract

Society is comprised of individuals with different personality types who are frequently referred to as extraverted or introverted. Research has suggested individuals fall somewhere along the continuum of extraversion to introversion. Based on statistics, introverts are thought to comprise between 33% to 50% of the greater population, but introverts only comprise 4% of the management teams leading companies. The literature has vast amounts of information about leadership and extraversion but limited information about introversion and leadership. From the literature, what is not clear is how the introspective tendencies of introverted leaders may influence the strategic planning, decision making, or other associated business practices of companies. Knowing how to study the impact introverted leaders may have on business practices begins with understanding how the introverted leaders experience the workplace. This phenomenological study was conducted to describe the experiences introverted leaders have of their work environments. The study involved recorded interviews with introverted leaders of companies. The transcribed interview videos were coded which led to the identification of four themes, which are received positive feedback, were quality focused, understood the importance of relationships, and had knowledge of others' different expectations. Introverted leaders can use the findings from this study to initiate discussions about their experiences with their colleagues. Businesses and organizations can use the findings from this study to evaluate the range of potential characteristics that actual leaders possess regardless of the leaders' personality type.

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