In existing research, followership has been explored predominantly with quantitative methods. While quantitative research is valuable, it cannot provide in-depth exploration and understanding of the phenomenon. Despite a call by Uhl-Bien and colleagues for more balance in methodological and philosophical perspectives as early as 2014, there is still a dearth of qualitative research that provides insights into the basic understanding of followership. In the last years, a growing number of PhD students researching followership have applied qualitative methods. However, more such research is needed to achieve methodological balance. This symposium aims to present examples of current, high-quality qualitative research and provide insights to the methodological choices made and obstacles encountered in the process.
