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Core Self-Evaluations, Self-Leadership, and the Self-Serving Bias in Managerial Decision Making: A Laboratory Experiment

Author

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  • Matteo Cristofaro

    (Department of Management and Law, University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’, 00133 Rome, Italy
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Pier Luigi Giardino

    (Faculty of Economics, University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’, 00133 Rome, Italy
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Abstract

The self-leadership construct has received great attention from scholars over the last 40 years due to its capacity to influence personal effectiveness. However, despite strongly influencing individuals’ self-efficacy, performed studies did not determine whether self-leadership is connected, and how, with the Core-Self Evaluation (CSE) trait—a complex personality disposition based on self-efficacy, self-esteem, locus of control, and emotional stability—that has been found impacting decision-making processes within organizations. Moreover, it has not been identified whether individuals with a high level of self-leadership are more prone to be victims of some cognitive biases in decision-making processes, such as the internal attribution of successes and external attribution of failures (i.e., Self-Serving Bias, SSB) that are usually led by the strong belief of individuals in their own capacities. The outlined gaps can be substantiated by the following two research questions: “How is self-leadership related with CSE?” and “How does self-leadership influence the attribution of successes/failures?”. To answer these questions, the following were identified and analyzed for 93 executives: (i) the tendency in the attribution of successes and failures, (ii) the CSE, and (iii) their self-leadership level. Results show that: (i) a high level of CSE is connected with high levels of self-leadership; (ii) high levels of self-leadership bring individuals to the internal attribution of successes and external attribution of failures. This work reinforces the stream of (the few) studies that considers a high level of CSE and self-leadership as not always being desirable for managerial decision-making processes and consequent performance. This paper aims to enrich the debate concerning the relations between, on the one hand, self-leadership and, on the other hand, personality traits between self-leadership and decision making.

Suggested Citation

  • Matteo Cristofaro & Pier Luigi Giardino, 2020. "Core Self-Evaluations, Self-Leadership, and the Self-Serving Bias in Managerial Decision Making: A Laboratory Experiment," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-23, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:10:y:2020:i:3:p:64-:d:408427
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Richard A. Oxarart & Jeffery D. Houghton, 2021. "A Spoonful of Sugar: Gamification as Means for Enhancing Employee Self-Leadership and Self-Concordance at Work," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-16, April.

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