On “followers” and the inability to define

Purpose: Scholars’ ability to do research based on the notions of “follower” and “followership” is questioned when studying formal leadership in organizations. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach: Critical comments are presented on the usefulness of the notions of followers and followership. Findings: There are no evidence that followership exists other than some scholars’ perception of something that they have been unable to define. The conclusion is that the inability to define these notions is tantamount to the inability to research them. Research limitations/implications: The literature review contains no new empirical data. Originality/value: The paper stresses that study objects which are not theoretically and empirically defined cannot be investigated.