Developing leaders through rotational programs: What is the cost to followers?

Abstract

The complex nature of today's global organization has led to the adoption of rotational leadership programs to ensure leaders have the necessary skills to succeed in a global landscape. However, this strategy fails to account for what happens to organizational followers when leaders are rotated to new positions. This research aimed to explore followers' experiences when exposed to rotating leadership. A sequential explanatory research mixed‐methods design was used to identify the types of followers in the global organization and their perceptions of this leadership phenomenon. Phase 1 collected data from 302 members of a global organization and identified participants by follower type. Phase 2 included semi‐structured interviews with 29 participants identified in Phase 1 and explored the followers' lived experiences when subjected to frequent changes in leadership. This study advances previous research that explores employee behavior and organizational change and presents new findings about follower perceptions of frequent leadership changes. First, this study found that followers exposed to fewer leaders were more likely to identify themselves as exemplary followers. Second, the perceptions and experiences of rotating leadership varied by follower type. Third, this study found varying perceptions among followers when compared by job function but found frustration the most common among all follower types and job functions. Finally, regardless of type or job function, all followers shared negative experiences and effects of the leadership rotation phenomenon. Based on these results, we discuss theoretical and practical implications for the global organization and offer recommendations for practice and continued exploration.