In simple definition followership means:
1. the ability or willingness to follow a leader.
2. a group of followers or supporters; following.
Followership is the actions of someone in a subordinate role. It can also be considered as a specific set of skills that complement leadership, a role within a hierarchical organization, a social construct that is integral to the leadership process, or the behaviors engaged in while interacting with leaders in an effort to meet organizational objectives.[1] As such, followership is best defined as an intentional practice on the part of the subordinate to enhance the synergetic interchange between the follower and the leader.
In organizations, “leadership is not just done by the leader, and followership is not just done by followers.” [2] This perspective suggests that leadership and followership do not operate on one continuum, with one decreasing while the other increases. Rather, each dimension exists as a discrete dimension, albeit with some shared competencies.[3]
The study of followership is an emerging area within the leadership field that helps explain outcomes. Specifically, followers play important individual, relational, and collective roles in organizational failures and successes.[4][5][6] “If leaders are to be credited with setting the vision for the department or organization and inspiring followers to action, then followers need to be credited with the work that is required to make the vision a reality.”[7]
The term follower can be used as a personality type, as a position in a hierarchy, as a role, or as a set of traits and behaviors. Studies of followership have produced various theories including trait, behavioral attributes, role, and constructionist theories in addition to exploring myths or misunderstandings about followership.
<span>Colonial control of countries in Southeast Asia produced
mixed with mixed results. New technology
was introduced by European colonizers who established businesses and
trade. This increased world trade as
more raw materials were now being exported and traded in the east and west. Western
education was introduced as well as western political administrations to govern
over the colonies. Unfortunately there
negative effects the people were exploited by colonizers and were turned into
second-rate citizens and in some cases even slaves in their own countries. Their resources were being stripped by their
European masters and eventually this led to some countries revolting against
colonial rule.</span>