How national leaders keep us safe: A longitudinal, four-nation study exploring the role of identity leadership as a predictor of adherence to COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions

Frenzel S.B. Haslam S.A. Junker N.M. Bolatov A. Erkens V.A. Häusser J.A. Kark R. Meyer I. Mojzisch A. Monzani L. Reicher S.D. Samekin A. Schuh S.C. Steffens N.K. Sultanova L. Van Dijk D. Van Zyl L.E. Van Dick R.
10 May 2022 BMJ Publishing Group

BMJ Open
2022 #12 Issue 5

Objectives To investigate whether citizens adherence to health-protective non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) during the COVID-19 pandemic is predicted by identity leadership, wherein leaders are perceived to create a sense of shared national identity. Design Observational two-wave study. Hypotheses testing was conducted with structural equation modelling. Setting Data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic in China, Germany, Israel and the USA in April/May 2020 and four weeks later. Participants Adults in China (n = 548, 66.6% women), Germany (n = 182, 78% women), Israel (n = 198, 51.0% women) and the USA (n = 108, 58.3% women). Measures Identity leadership (assessed by the four-item Identity Leadership Inventory Short-Form) at Time 1, perceived shared national identification (PSNI; assessed with four items) and adherence to health-protective NPIs (assessed with 10 items that describe different health-protective interventions; for example, wearing face masks) at Time 2. Results Identity leadership was positively associated with PSNI (95% CI 0.11 to 0.30, p<0.001) in all countries. This, in turn, was related to more adherence to health-protective NPIs in all countries (95% CI 0.03 to 0.36, 0.001≤p≤0.017) except Israel (95% CI -0.03 to 0.27, p = 0.119). In Germany, the more people saw Chancellor Merkel as engaging in identity leadership, the more they adhered to health-protective NPIs (95% CI 0.04 to 0.18, p = 0.002). In the USA, in contrast, the more people perceived President Trump as engaging in identity leadership, the less they adhered to health-protective NPIs (95% CI -0.17 to -0.04, p = 0.002). Conclusions National leaders can make a difference by promoting a sense of shared identity among their citizens because people are more inclined to follow health-protective NPIs to the extent that they feel part of a united us. However, the content of identity leadership (perceptions of what it means to be a nations citizen) is essential, because this can also encourage people to disregard such recommendations.

COVID-19 , Health policy , Public health

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Department of Social Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Department of Biochemistry, Astana Medical University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
Department of Social Psychology, Justus Liebig University Gießen, Gießen, Germany
Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
Business School, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
School of Management Studies, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Western Cape, South Africa
Psychology Department, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
Ivey Business School, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
School of Liberal Arts, M Narikbayev KAZGUU University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management, China Europe International Business School, Shanghai, China
Faculty of Psychology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Branch in Tashkent, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Department of Health Systems Management, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences, University of Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Optentia Research Unit, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
Department of Human Resource Management, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands

Department of Social Psychology
School of Psychology
Department of Psychology
Department of Biochemistry
Department of Social Psychology
Department of Psychology
Business School
School of Management Studies
Psychology Department
Ivey Business School
School of Psychology and Neuroscience
School of Liberal Arts
Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management
Faculty of Psychology
Department of Health Systems Management
Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences
Optentia Research Unit
Department of Human Resource Management

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