Rob has an MBA in management, a BS in marketing, and is a doctoral candidate in organizational theory and design.
The Attribution Theory of Leadership
What We See
You walk into a room and someone yells at you for being late. As you are talking to a person, they seem to not care about what you're saying. Someone that you know seems to be very quiet today and is not as talkative as he usually is. What do all these have in common? Well, when you heard the descriptions of how the people were acting, you began to make an assumption as to why they were acting that way.
This perspective is the foundation of the attribution theory of leadership. The attribution theory of leadership believes that individuals interpret events or happenings around them and this relates to their thinking and behavior.

An error occurred trying to load this video.
Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support.
You must cCreate an account to continue watching
Register to view this lesson
As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you succeed.
Get unlimited access to over 84,000 lessons.
Try it nowAlready registered? Log in here for access
BackYou're on a roll. Keep up the good work!
Just checking in. Are you still watching?
Yes! Keep playing.Attribution Theory Explained
At its very core, attribution theory believes that people will try to understand why people do what they do. Taking that perspective and applying it to leadership, we find that employees will interpret the abilities of a leader by observing how that leader behaves. Conversely, a leader that exhibits the attribution theory of leadership will do the same. The leader will try to understand why the employees do what they do and will develop that opinion by seeing the employee in the work environment.
The good aspect of this is the leader can see a person who does great work and thus develop an opinion of the person from that, or if that same person has a bad day, the leader could develop an opinion from that as well.
The impact of this on organizational behavior is fairly evident. We have leaders in an organization that will form their opinions of employees based on what they see, and the employees will do the same about the leader. We can all agree that sometimes what we see is not what we get, and thus, this aspect of leadership can have a negative impact on an organization.
In many ways, it can develop into a false sense of security or an improper picture of what the organization really has within its walls. This can happen by how the attribution is applied to the person or situation.
Internal and External Views
When we discuss internal attribution, the thought process is that the person is behaving the way they are because of the person's attitude or character. Conversely, when external attribution is used, we view the person's behavior and believe it is due to something about the situation the person is in. As you can see, both of these are assumptions, and they could be correct or incorrect.
However, if we think back to the comments I made when I introduced this lesson, we all thought the people were acting a certain way from the perspective of either something inside of them or something about the situation or their day that made them act that way. Thus, attribution theory attributes behavior to something and is driven by visual cues we pick up when interacting with that person.
Lesson Summary
If we can agree that the attribution theory of leadership believes that individuals interpret events or happenings around them and this relates to their thinking and behavior, then we can see that there could be issues with a leader who deploys this theory. It is based on perspective and assumptions. While they could indeed be correct, they could also be incorrect. Thus, this theory relies on intuition and experience to make the correct assumptions.
Learning Outcomes
After reviewing this lesson, you'll have the ability to:
- Describe the attribution theory of leadership and its potential for negative consequences
- Differentiate between internal and external attribution
To unlock this lesson you must be a Study.com Member.
Create your account
Register to view this lesson
Unlock Your Education
See for yourself why 30 million people use Study.com
Become a Study.com member and start learning now.
Become a MemberAlready a member? Log In
BackThe Attribution Theory of Leadership
Related Study Materials
- Business 110: Business Math
- High School Business for Teachers: Help & Review
- Introduction to Management: Help and Review
- ILTS Social Science - Economics (244): Test Practice and Study Guide
- Business 106: Human Resource Management
- Praxis Marketing Education (5561): Practice & Study Guide
- Business Ethics for Teachers: Professional Development
- Computing for Teachers: Professional Development
- Quantitative Analysis for Teachers: Professional Development
- Intro to Business for Teachers: Professional Development
- CLEP Financial Accounting: Study Guide & Test Prep
- UExcel Introduction to Macroeconomics: Study Guide & Test Prep
- Financial Accounting: Homework Help Resource
- Financial Accounting: Tutoring Solution
- Financial Accounting: Help and Review
Browse by Courses
- Probationary Period of Employment: Policy & Termination
- Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978: Cases & Concept
- Signs of Workplace Bullying
- How to Stop Workplace Bullying
- Project Managers & Emotional Intelligence
- Health Information Exchange: Definition, Forms & Benefits
- Health Information Exchange IT Standards
- Interoperability: Definition, Purpose & Examples
- Reporting & Analysis in Public Health Informatics: Purpose & Process
- Bracero Program: Definition, History & Timeline
- What is Whistleblowing? - Definition & Policy
- Normal Costing vs. Standard Costing
- What is Cost Avoidance? - Definition & Examples
- Cost Avoidance vs. Cost Savings
- What is Decentralization in Accounting? - Definition & Examples
Browse by Lessons
- Computer Science: Help and Review
- General History Lessons
- General Science Lessons
- TExES Science of Teaching Reading (293): Practice & Study Guide
- Next Gen NCLEX-PN Study Guide & Practice
- Musical Instrument Instruction
- Choral Instruction
- Curriculum & Assessment in Music Education
- Strategies for Music Instruction
- Introduction to War
- How to Pass the CDA Test
- What is the CDA Test?
- IAAP CAP Test Day Preparation
- ILTS Test Score Information
- IAAP CAP Registration Information
- IAAP CAP Test Retake Policy
- IAAP CAP Test Score Information
Latest Courses
- Role of the Skin in Homeostasis & Immunity
- Hijab: Definition and Relation to Islam
- Primary Source: The Treaty of Paris
- Ammit: Mythology, Hieroglyphics & Facts
- Foreign Tax Credits for Businesses: Eligibility & Deductability
- One Day When I Was Lost Summary
- Veterinary Plan of Action for Primates
- Quiz & Worksheet - Porfiry Petrovich in Crime and Punishment
- Quiz & Worksheet - What is RNA Editing?
- Quiz & Worksheet - Reconciling Subledger & General Ledger for Accounts Payable & Accrued Liabilities
- Quiz & Worksheet - Positions, Planes & Cavities Terms in Anatomy
- Flashcards - Real Estate Marketing Basics
- Flashcards - Promotional Marketing in Real Estate
- High School Math Worksheets
- 8th Grade Math Worksheets & Printables
Latest Lessons
- ScienceFusion Ecology and the Environment: Online Textbook Help
- CLEP Natural Sciences: Study Guide & Test Prep
- Principles of Microeconomics Syllabus Resource & Lesson Plans
- Algebra I: Credit Recovery
- GACE Physics (530): Practice & Study Guide
- Calculus - Derivatives Calculations & Rules: Help & Review
- Ratios, Proportions and Percents
- Quiz & Worksheet - Significance of Rhythm in Poetry
- Quiz & Worksheet - Balanced Scorecard & Strategic Management
- Quiz & Worksheet - Characteristics of Cryptorchidism
- Quiz & Worksheet - Talking About the Near Future in Spanish Using ~'Ir + a + Infinitive~'
- Quiz & Worksheet - Spanish Practice: Conversations About Pastimes
Popular Courses
- Urine Specific Gravity: Normal Range, Fluctuations, and Causes
- ALGOL: Types & History
- How to Pass a Reading Comprehension Test
- Advanced Regents Diploma Requirements
- Florida Alternative Teacher Certification
- Brain Breaks for Kids in the Classroom
- Best GMAT Prep Course
- Narrative Writing Lesson Plan
- Activities for Kids with Cerebral Palsy
- Common Core Literacy Standards for Science
- What are Professional References?
- Weather Experiments for Kids
Popular Lessons
Math
Social Sciences
Science
Business
Humanities
Education
History
Art and Design
Tech and Engineering
- Tech and Engineering - Videos
- Tech and Engineering - Quizzes
- Tech and Engineering - Questions & Answers
Health and Medicine
- Poor performance in the task assigned to a subordinate is most likely to be attributed to a lack of effort or ability when: a. the manager has prior experience doing the same type of task b. poor pe
- Linda Smircich and Gareth Morgan defined the phenomenon of leadership from the perspective of what?
- Attributional research shows that most people: a. overestimate the effect leaders have on organizational performance; b. underestimate the effect leaders have on organizational performance; c. are abl
- What is the attribution theory of leadership?
- What does consensus refer to in attribution theory?
- Do psychologists still use attribution theory?
- How does attribution theory cause mental health stigma?
- What did Sandra Graham do with attribution theory?
- What does attribution theory suggest about leadership?
- Why is attribution theory important?
Explore our library of over 84,000 lessons
- Create a Goal
- Create custom courses
- Get your questions answered