Faculty » Thomas Sy

My research is devoted to understanding how the leadership process contributes to high performance at the individual, group, and organizational levels. I am interested in examining the role of leaders as managers of affect in groups, and subsequently, how affect influences group processes and performance. Findings from my research have demonstrated that groups “catch” the mood of their leaders. Once caught, groups’ affective tone impacts group outcomes. I am currently examining factors that influence groups’ susceptibility to leaders’ moods, and developing a theoretical model of how leaders generate, change, and regulate affect in the workplace.

Another area of my research examines leadership within cultural contexts. I am interested in how culture shapes perceptions of leadership prototypes and its consequences for individuals leading in multicultural contexts. Each culture has its own ideal prototype that defines and represents leadership, and these prototypes differ across cultures, and even across companies within a national culture. The broader aim of this stream of research is to develop global leaders capable of leading in multicultural contexts. The ability to lead in a multicultural context is particularly important as more workers from diverse cultures increasingly come into contact because of globalization. The concept of the global leader is a burgeoning field of research. A key focus of my research is to expound on the attributes of the prototypic global leader, and identify the key success factors for leading in a multicultural context.

Selected Publications

Sy, T., Tram, S. & O’Hara, L. A. (2006). Relation of employee and manager emotional intelligence to job satisfaction and performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 68, 461-473.

Sy, T., Cote, S. & Saavedra, R. (2005). The contagious leader:  Impact of leader’s affect on group member affect and group processes. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 295-305.

Sy, T. & D’Annunzio, L.  (2005). Challenges and strategies of matrix organizations: Top-level and mid-level managers’ perspectives. Human Resource Planning Journal, 28, 39-48.