Leadership in Human-Robot Teams: Analyzing the Impact of Leadership Styles on Team Dynamics and Perceptions

Abstract

Social robots are increasingly capable of taking on complex roles and it is anticipated that they may serve as leaders in human-robot teams. While research in human-robot interaction (HRI) has demonstrated that robots can influence people and, in some contexts, even be preferred over human leaders, limited studies have explored how a robot leader’s personality traits shape perceptions of leadership. In human leadership research, dark triad and light triad traits significantly impact leader behavior and team dynamics. However, little is known about how these traits affect robotic leadership. This study contributes to HRI research by investigating the effects of dark and light triad leadership styles in robot leaders. Using a between-subjects in-person experiment (N = 40), participants engaged in a collaborative and competitive tower-building task, guided by a robot programmed to display dark or light triad leadership styles. The findings revealed that a dark triad leader significantly increased participants' negative affect, task performance, and eye gaze engagement, whereas the light triad leader had a significant impact on moral trust and leadership effectiveness. However, no significant effects were found on positive affect, task engagement, performance trust, conversational engagement, or the number of exchanged ideas. The results of this study suggest a complex relationship between personality traits and leadership perceptions in HRI. The mixed findings highlight the importance of considering both triads when designing social robots to optimize leadership dynamics in human-robot teams.