Verdict Pending: Understanding Leadership Role Identity for North Carolina Judges and Lawyers

• Published in: Public personnel management Vol. 48; no. 2; pp. 252 - 279
• Main Authors: Jacobson, Willow S., Paynter, Sharon R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.06.2019; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Attorneys; Case studies; Collaboration; College professors; Courts; Government (Administrative Body); Human Capital; Human resource management; Identity; Job Performance; Judges; Judges & magistrates; Lawyers; Leaders; Leadership; Leadership Role; Legal Responsibility; Local government; Motivation; Polls & surveys; Private Sector; Public administration; Public policy; Public sector; Public Service; Responsibilities; Role Perception; Self Actualization; North Carolina; United States > US; motivation theory; leadership; values
• ISSN: 0091-0260; 1945-7421
• DOI: 10.1177/0091026018814566

This article examines precursors to leadership practice, specifically through the lens of role identity. The assumption explored is that people are unlikely to engage in the hard work of leadership if they do not see that challenge as part of who they are and what they do, especially collaborative or system-level leadership. Role identity is, then, a critical building block in developing a deeper understanding of leadership intentions and actions especially in collaborative settings. Multiple judicial players, termed here “public service lawyers,” are investigated in this single-state case study that examines individuals’ view of their role and primary focus. Factors are examined that contribute to the construction of role perception. Results reveal that leadership training, the position one holds, and motivational orientation all influence the extent to which public service lawyers develop a view of their role that includes a broader system or collaborative orientation.