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Concept Paper
on
Pygmalion Effect or Self-fulfilling prophecy
Submitted By Submitted to
Janak Dhakal Madan L. Pradhan
MBAe, Section “A” Course Instructor
OBL
Q1. What is Pygmalion Effect or Self-fulfilling prophecy?
Pygmalion effect is an interpersonal motivational phenomenon that begins
with high leader expectations. Conveyed to followers orally or nonverbally via
leader behavior, the leader’s high expectations augment the followers’ self-
expectations and self-efficacy (i.e., their belief in their ability to perform
better), boosting motivation and effort, and culminating in enhanced
performance. Often, this improved performance reinforces the leader’s high
expectations, thus extending an interpersonal exchange to an upward spiral
of high expectations sparking high performance and justifying continued high
expectations that produce still higher performance.
Robert Rosenthal defined the Pygmalion effect as “the phenomenon
whereby one person’s expectation for another person’s behavior comes to
serve as a self-fulfilling prophecy” (American Psychologist 58.3 [November
2003], p. 839). The Pygmalion phenomenon characterizes many leader-
follower relationships. The “leader” can be a manager or supervisor, a
