Teams as substitutes for leadership

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to address teams as substitutes for leadership. The article makes use of juridical foundations as a normative basis for addressing substitutes for leadership. Together with the means of management and leadership, the juridical foundations constitute the background for defining sufficient and good supervisory work, which is used as an assistant instrument in addressing the research question: can teams act as substitutes for leadership?

Design/methodology/approach

In this article, substitutes for leadership theories are used to analyze the status of teams. The article includes a preliminary empirical study in a timber procurement organization and ideas for further investigations are provided.

Findings

Teams often do not act as internal supervisors or as sources of feedback and incentives, even though they are expected to do so. Some team members experience feelings of abandonment. Although planned as substitutes or supplements, teams can instead become neutralizers.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to recognizing the status of teams and to research questions concerned with explanations for the problems of teams.

Citation

Huusko, L. (2007), "Teams as substitutes for leadership", Team Performance Management, Vol. 13 No. 7/8, pp. 244-258. https://doi.org/10.1108/13527590710842556