Connson Chou Locke

  
 
  CV | Research | Teaching |
 
  My research seeks to understand interpersonal perceptions in organizations. In particular, I am interested in how leaders and followers form judgments of each other and how those judgments affect their workplace behavior. Drawing from social and cognitive psychology, my work contributes to the research on power, nonverbal behavior, and stereotypes, and is inspired by extensive industry experience in both the U.S. and Asia.

Unintended consequences of leadership style: The effects of leader demeanor on follower voice

My dissertation, which was awarded the Schwabacher Dissertation Fellowship, examines the leader’s nonverbal behavior as a barrier to upward communication. Leaders are encouraged to exhibit a powerful demeanor (e.g., dynamic gestures, eye contact) because it enhances followers' perceptions of their competence, effectiveness, and even charisma. Although most research focuses on the benefits of a powerful demeanor, my dissertation exposes a negative consequence. Namely, the more powerful the leader’s demeanor, the more the leader stifles communication from followers – a particularly important problem, given that upward communication can improve decision making, reduce errors, and increase innovation. Thus the leader is faced with a dilemma: how to reap the benefits of a powerful demeanor without stifling follower voice. My dissertation demonstrates evidence of this leadership dilemma, examines the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon, and explores a solution to the dilemma.

Education

  • Ph.D. candidate, Business Administration, Organizational Behavior and Industrial Relations, Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley, expected May 2008

  • M.S. Business Administration, Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley, 2005

  • B.A. Sociology, cum laude, Harvard College, 1987

I will join the Department of Management at the London School of Economics in August 2008.