Implicit Leadership and Followership Theories Among Young Adults in Turkey: A Mixed-Methods Investigation

Format: Hybrid (Online and On-campus)
Number of Interns: 3
Duration of the Internship: 2 months (8 weeks)
Start Date: July 15 (flexible)
Finish Date: August 15 (flexible)  
Application Deadline: June 15
Project Supervisor: Dr. Aybike Mergen

Project Description: This research project investigates the implicit leadership theories (ILTs) and implicit followership theories (IFTs) held by young adults (ages 18-28) in Turkey. ILTs and IFTs are cognitive prototypes that individuals hold about what characterizes leaders and followers, respectively. These schemas shape who is recognized as a leader, what behaviors are expected of followers, and how leader-follower relationships develop in organizations. While ILT research has established robust factor structures in Western contexts, Turkey's unique cultural position (blending collectivist-paternalistic traditions with globalizing and digitalizing influences) raises important questions about the content and structure of these schemas among the youngest cohort entering Turkish workplaces. Existing evidence suggests that Turkish leadership ideals may be shifting toward greater preference for participative and autonomous styles, but no study has systematically examined both leader and follower prototypes among this demographic, nor whether these two sets of schemas are internally consistent. Using a mixed-methods design, this project will administer established ILT and IFT scales (Epitropaki & Martin, 2004; Sy, 2010) alongside demographic and attitudinal controls (socioeconomic background, political orientation, work experience), supplemented by qualitative interviews with a subset of participants to capture culturally specific content. The sample will include both university students and early-career professionals, enabling comparison across organizational exposure. The internship covers literature review, instrument preparation, data collection, and preliminary analysis. The project may continue into the Fall semester as an independent study.

Research Intern Responsibilities:

• Conducting a targeted literature review on ILTs, IFTs, and leadership perceptions in the Turkish and cross-cultural contexts 
• Assisting in the preparation and translation/back-translation of survey instruments, including demographic and control variables 
• Recruiting participants through snowball sampling across university and early-career networks 
• Administering surveys (online) and conducting semi-structured interviews (online or in-person) with a subset of participants under supervision 
• Assisting with data entry, preliminary quantitative analysis (descriptive statistics, scale reliability), and qualitative coding using thematic analysis 
• Contributing to research documentation and preliminary write-up of findings

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Business major with demonstrated interest in organizational behavior, leadership, or management research 
• Completed at least 120 ECTS 
• GPA > 2.70 
• Native or near-native proficiency in Turkish (data collection will be conducted in Turkish) 
• Strong analytical and writing skills in both Turkish and English 
• Familiarity with survey research methods or willingness to learn 
• Interest in qualitative interviewing is a plus

Expected Learning Outcomes:

• Understanding of implicit leadership and followership theories and their cross-cultural applications 
• Experience with mixed-methods research design, including survey administration and qualitative interviewing 
• Skills in data management, scale reliability analysis, and thematic coding 
• Ability to critically evaluate and synthesize academic literature across organizational behavior, cross-cultural management, and social cognition 
• Understanding of research ethics and participant recruitment strategies 
• Exposure to the intersection of culture, societal change, and organizational schemas 
• Research communication and academic writing skills

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