Young Leaders for Change? Age Bias in Leadership Perceptions of Traditional versus Change-Oriented Leadership

Abstract

Age bias against younger leaders is a persistent phenomenon in many organizational settings, yet its impact may depend on who evaluates them and when they are evaluated. Drawing on leadership categorization theory and the connectionist model of leadership perception, we investigate the role of evaluator age and an organizational change context in the effects of age-related biases on leadership perceptions. In an archival study of 1,573 newly appointed CEOs from 2000 to 2020, we find that younger CEOs are more frequently appointed during periods of organizational change, especially when supervisory boards are older (Study 1). In two experimental studies, we elucidate the underlying mechanism: younger leaders are perceived as less prototypical in traditional leadership roles but are comparatively less penalized in change-oriented leadership roles (Study 2: N = 658; Study 3: N = 552). Therefore, using a multimethod approach, we show that (1) age bias against younger leaders is less pronounced among younger evaluators and (2) such bias is mitigated in change-oriented leadership contexts, particularly for older evaluators. Overall, our research highlights the dynamic and complex nature of age and leadership perception.