My Brother's Keeper? CEO Identification with the Corporate Elite, Social Support among CEOS, and Leader Effectiveness

This study examines factors influencing CEOs' willingness to provide social support to fellow CEOs who are experiencing significant personal problems (e.g., marital difficulties) and the benefits of support for CEOs who receive it. Our theoretical model suggests that CEOs who are more strongly identified with the corporate elite provide more support to fellow CEOs and that CEOs who receive more support engage more frequently in important leadership behaviors and are ultimately more effective as corporate leaders. Analyses of our unique data set, which includes survey responses from a large sample of CEOs, provide consistent support for our theory.