Who Are the Political Leaders We Are Looking for? Candidate Positioning in Terms of Leadership Style. A Cross-Cultural Study in Goleman’s Typology

Abstract

In the “age of manufactured images” recognition and response to voters’ needs might be crucial. Candidate positioning requires from political marketers constant monitoring of electorate’s perception and preferences. The aim of the study was to find the profile of ideal president in terms of his leadership style. The study was conducted in two countries of different democracy maturity (Poland and Georgia). The results show voters’ perception regarding real political figures and preferences of ideal president’s style on two dimensional perceptual map, built by agency and communion. Discussed issues broaden research on the role of leadership features in candidate image creation.

Keywords:

• leadership
• political leadership style
• business
• democracy
• candidate positioning
• image

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Wojciech Cwalina

Wojciech Cwalina, Ph.D., is Professor in the Department of Marketing Psychology at the SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland. His publications include numerous articles on political marketing, social psychology and media psychology, as well as chapters and books. He is the author of Television Political Advertising (2000; in Polish) and co-author of four books including: A Cross-Cultural Theory of Voter Behavior (2007) and Political Marketing: Theoretical and Strategic Foundations (2011). He is a member of the editorial board in Psychologia Społeczna (Social Psychological Bulletin) and Journal of Political Marketing.

Milena Drzewiecka

Milena Drzewiecka, Ph.D., is psychologist and journalist. She teaches political marketing at SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland, where she combines theoretical knowledge and practical experience gained as a political news reporter and parliamentary correspondent. Her research focuses on political leadership and image creation. Apart from academic activity, she currently cooperates with international media, including German Public TV ZDF and serves think-tanks with her expertise on political communication.