Community leaders play a functional role in aiding problem-solving, decision-making, and resource mobilization, in a community while also sharing knowledge, facilitating, and guiding members toward a better social life. Given relentless socio-economic challenges that disrupt people's social lives, such as pandemics, natural disasters, and man-made crimes, the role of community leaders has become increasingly significant in recent times. This has made the identity of leaders within their respective environments a critical requirement and a determinant of their actions' effectiveness. Importantly, the community should fully embrace the identity of community leaders. Therefore, the role of community members in shaping the identity of their leaders must not be underestimated. While existing research generally explains the role of leaders in constructing their identities, the process of community members constructing the identity of community leaders has been overlooked. The present study explores how the affect control theory (ACT) and perceptual control theory (PCT) can address this gap. According to the ACT, individuals construct identities of others during interactions based on their perceptions, actions, and emotional experiences in a given situation. PCT posits that individuals manage their perceptions in a process of comparing the actions of interactants, identifying discrepancies, and (re)shaping perceptions accordingly. In this study, these two theories are employed to propose a conceptual model illustrating how community members shape the identities of their leaders in various situations. By combining these two perspectives—community leadership and member involvement in identity construction—support is provided for the expansion of community leadership theory and leadership development.

Authors:
Kumudinei Dissanayake, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka

About the Presenter(s)
Professor Kumudinei Dissanayake is a University Professor/Principal Lecturer at University of Colombo in Sri Lanka

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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