Publication Date

Summer 2019

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

Advisor

Howard Tokunaga

Keywords

Computer-Mediated Communication, Gender, Leadership, Perception

Subject Areas

Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine how perceptions of a leader using computer-mediated communication (CMC) change based on leader gender, communication style, and gender of the recipient. This study had two research questions: whether perceptions of a leader change as a result of congruity or incongruity between the leader’s gender and the leader’s communication style, and whether perceptions of a leader using congruent or incongruent communication styles vary based on the gender of the recipient. This study utilized a 2 (gender of leader: male vs. female) x 2 (communication style: masculine vs. feminine) x 2 (gender of recipient: male vs. female) between-subjects design and data from 278 upper-division business and psychology students to answer the posited questions. There was no interaction between leader gender and communication style; however, the introduction of the recipient gender produced a significant interaction. The results of this study suggest that all three factors (leader gender, leader communication style, and recipient gender) must be taken into account in order to determine what influences the perception of a leader through CMC.

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