Per-Magnus Thompson is Associate Professor in Organizational Psychology at the Department of Leadership and Organizational Behavior, BI Norwegian Business School. He received his Ph.D. from BI Norwegian Business School.
Thompson is a certified clinical psychologist from University of Oslo, and approved specialist in work- and organizational psychology (NPA). He has extensive experience working as an organizational consultant (e.g., leadership development programs and team development) and clinician (e.g., working with leaders in a therapeutic setting).
His research interests include 'attachment theory', 'leadership', 'the leader-follower relationship' and 'emotions at work'.
He teaches at the Executive MBA programme and the Master of science programme in Organizational Psychology. He also contributes as a consultant on BI Corporate projects.
Thompson is frequently hired to hold invited talks for practitioners on issues such as relational leadership, self-leadership and team development.
From an attachment-theoretical perspective, one would expect insecure attachment styles to have a negative impact on leader–follower relationships. However, a recent review of the literature on attachment style and leader–member exchange (LMX) yielded mixed results. Examining this discrepancy, we applied the principle of attachment-system activation, proposing that when insecurely attached leaders or followers experience more distress at work, attachment style will be a stronger predictor of LMX. Data were gathered from 192 independent leader–follower dyads and analyzed using the actor–partner interdependence model. Like in other studies, investigating the direct link between attachment style and LMX yielded mixed results. However, the link between anxious style and LMX did get stronger when including attachment-system activation in our model, highlighting the relevance of applying key principles from the original theory when studying leadership through the lens of attachment.
Thompson, Per-Magnus Moe; Fosse, Thomas Hol & Skouverøe, Joachim Berntsen (2021)
Leaders That Don’t Care: Investigating Leader Caregiving From an Attachment-Theoretical Perspective
The relationships between transformational leaders and several follower outcomes have been well investigated, but the mechanism through which these leadership behaviors relate to such outcomes is relatively unexplored. By investigating the mediating role of interactional justice, using structural equation modeling analyses, and data collected from supervisors and direct reports at various organizational levels, the present study provides insight into the psychological processes underlying transformational leadership and its effectiveness on follower outcomes. In line with social exchange theory, the main takeaway from the present study is suggesting that leaders, who display transformational leadership behavior in a manner perceived by followers as respectful, fair, and consistent with moral and ethical standards, may expect greater follower organizational attachment as an appropriate response to interactional justice.
Thompson, Per-Magnus Moe; Glasø, Lars & Matthiesen, Stig Berge (2018)
The way I see you. Implicit followership theories explored through the lens of attachment
Building on Bowlby’s (1969/1982) attachment theory, the present study examines the relationship between leaders’ attachment style, mirroring their relational experiences with significant others, and implicit followership theories (IFTs). Drawing on the principle of schema transference, it was hypothesized that both anxious and avoidant attachment styles were related to negative IFTs. Furthermore, investigating the phenomenon of defensive projection, it was proposed that leaders’ perception of own competence level would moderate the relationship between avoidant style and the IFT facet “incompetence,” so that avoidant leaders feeling less competent at work would view followers as more incompetent than other avoidant leaders. Survey data were collected from 258 leaders in a variety of work settings. Hierarchical regression analyses supported both hypotheses. Implications for theory and practice are discussed
Thompson, Per-Magnus Moe; Glasø, Lars & Matthiesen, Stig Berge (2016)
Leader-follower dyads through the lens of attachement theory. Attachment style as a predictor of LMX