Muammar Gadaffi is known as one of the longest-ruling leaders in the world with the 42 years of ruling the Lybian Arab Republic since the military coup on 1 September 1969. Ban dura’s social cognitive theory can be implemented for explaining certain episodes of this motivated and charismatic person as well as the preconditions for the heights which he achieved on his life path.
A triadic reciprocal causation model can be useful for explaining the combination of Gadaffi’s personal and behavioral characteristics and the environmental context as the cluster of influential factors which allowed him not only to get the power, but also maintain it for 42 years and contribute to the development of the country.
On the one hand, organizing the military coup and becoming its leader can be defined as a fortuitous event in his life. On the other hand, these were his personal traits of a leader and a strategist as well as his courage which allowed Muammar to get the power.
Self-efficacy was another influential factor which allowed Gadaffi to make responsible decisions for his country. His success required strong faith in his own abilities and talents. Though becoming a leader of a country requires certain favorable situational context, Gadaffi believed in his power to rule the country and take the responsibility for the destinies of the whole nation.
For instance, in 1981 Gadaffi invalidated the US passports for travel in Lybia because he was insulted by Reagan. It caused the American ban or the import of Lybian oil. This situation can be viewed through the lens of a triadic reciprocal causation model because it was not only situational context but also Gadaffi’s personal qualities that triggered the political decision of this charismatic leader.
Reference
Feist, G. (ed.). (2009) Theories of personality. New York: McGraw-Hill.