Search results

In this chapter, we integrate recent theories on followers’ self-concept and transformational leadership theory in order to develop a conceptual framework for understanding the exceptional and diverse effects transformational leaders may have on their followers. We propose that transformational leaders may influence two levels of followers’ self-concept: the relational and the collective self thus fostering personal identification with the leader and social identification with the organizational unit. Specific leader behaviors that prime different aspects of followers’ self-concepts are identified, and their possible effects on different aspects of followers’ perceptions and behaviors are discussed.

Purpose – This chapter reviews the authors’ research on group procedural justice and group-serving behavior. It makes the case that fairness and unfairness can both motivate group-serving behavior; the former makes group members feel good about their identity, leading them to “reward” the group, and the latter indicates a group shortcoming, leading members to “repair” the group.

Design/methodology/approach – The chapter describes several studies published elsewhere. Correlational research with employees and students examines the relationship between group procedural fairness and group members’ positive affect, which should translate into group-serving behavior. Experimental research with students investigates whether group procedural unfairness can result in group-serving behavior (measured via self-report and observed helping). Complementary findings from other authors are briefly described and discussed in support of a developed theoretical model of group procedural justice and group-serving behavior.

Findings – Group procedural fairness was more strongly related to arousing positive affect for strongly identified group members. Separately, strongly identified group members engaged in more group-serving behavior when their group had unfair rather than fair procedures.

Research limitations/implications – Possible boundary conditions for the motivating effects of unfairness are discussed (e.g., group permeability, time frame, and anonymity of unfairness). Suggestions for future research are proposed (e.g., examine the effect of justice information on group-serving behavior when group members can also modify group procedures).

Practical implications – Better understanding the effects of group procedural unfairness should influence how organizations and societies promote group-serving behavior.

Originality/value – Research on the motivating effects of both group procedural fairness and unfairness are synthesized into one theoretical model.

The purpose of this study was to extend current work on corporate entrepreneurship by investigating factors that motivate group entrepreneurial behavior. Specifically, we proposed and tested a theoretical model that examined managers' regulation of emotion (ROE) influences on group entrepreneurial behavior. Data were based on middle managers and their immediate subordinates from traditional organizations. Results using Bayesian path analysis indicated that middle managers' ROE has a significant indirect effect on group entrepreneurial behavior via group-perceived manager's ROE and group job satisfaction. Additionally, evidence was found for the moderating effect of group diversity so that manager's perceived emotion regulation had a greater effect on job satisfaction and entrepreneurship in more diverse teams. We interpreted this as evidence in support of theoretical models that consider creativity at a group level and ultimately affect-laden processes (Zhou & George, 2003). Recommendations for further research are discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the proportional representation of men and women in a group, along with the gender‐orientation of the group's task, can impact member displays of helping behavior.

The paper draws on the gender role socialization approach, the structural approach to gender differences, as well as the social psychology‐based perspective embedded in status characteristics or expectation states theory. Elements taken from each of these models permits assessment of the impact of gender, group gender composition and the gender orientation of the task on helping behavior in a group context.

There is ample evidence to confirm the critical importance of member citizenship behavior in contributing to overall team performance.

Given the presence of increasingly demographically diverse teams, it is vital to understand those factors that may enhance or inhibit helping behavior in the group context. This theory paper presents a model which examines how the gender composition of a team, as well as the gendered nature of the team's work, can influence citizenship behavior among team members who are in the numerical minority.

This paper offers a unique and novel approach to understanding the dynamics behind helping behavior in mixed gender teams.

Based on dual organizational theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between transformational leadership and innovative behavior in groups. The authors proposed that group innovative behavior was influenced by transformational leadership as a group-level construct which was moderated by dual organizational change that represent organization-level resources. Furthermore, the authors identified two organizational change-related situational variables-radical change and incremental change and examined their effects on group innovative behavior.

The authors collected data from full-time employees working in groups in 43 companies, located in five cities in China including Beijing, Yantai, Chengdu, Xi’an, and Chengde. These enterprises were from a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, financing, information technology, and geological exploration. The authors chose a middle- or senior-level manager from each company to act as chief survey respondent, who were asked to contact managers and employees from a list they had provided and invite them to participate in a web-based survey (via an e-mailed link) or a paper-and-pencil survey. A total of 192 managers and 756 direct subordinates from 112 groups completed the survey.

Results found that transformational leadership was positively related to group innovative behavior, and this relationship was moderated by radical change, but not incremental change; radical change and incremental change were also positively related to group innovative behavior.

This study adopts a cross-sectional study design, which is insufficient for deriving causal inferences. Future research may adopt a longitudinal study design to investigate causal impacts. Besides, some unmeasured variables could be related to transformational leadership and innovative behavior.

The paper includes implications for adopting appropriate leadership style to motivate innovative behavior, promoting dual organizational change to boost innovative behavior, and generating greater innovative behavior for transformational leaders in times of radical change.

This cross-level study contributes to the relationship between transformational leadership and group innovative behavior in the context of dual organizational change.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the influence of transformational leadership (TL) on job satisfaction by using the business perspective of the balanced scorecard.

The paper is based on an empirical study of the top four life insurance firms in Taiwan – Cathay, Nan Shan, Shin Kong, and Cumshaw Post Company – that held more than 50 percent of Taiwan's overall market share. The sales employees of these four firms were selected for empirical testing, since in these firms, emphasis is placed on leadership and on how the employees' job satisfaction is reflected in the reduction of internal process costs.

Consistent with earlier predictions, the authors attained significant results, but they did find that group maintenance, group goal achievement behaviors, and their complementarity truly helped enhance employee job satisfaction. This suggests that group maintenance and group goal achievement behaviors, including their complementarity, will provide a more accurate prediction of the relation between intrinsic and extrinsic components of employee job satisfaction and achieving the objective of an internal business advantage.

Only four firms have been examined in this study. It would be worthwhile to see whether the inclusion of other firms would show similar results. When these four firms are placed in a dynamic environment, TL is a key source for providing an internal business advantage: employee capability to react positively to change provides a very important advantage. Although the integration of both TL and change‐oriented action by the TL and employees to provide employee job satisfaction has not been tested before, it would be useful for future researchers and practitioners to do so.

This paper is of both theoretical and empirical value. Theoretically, it has tried to make use of the business perspective of the BSC. Empirically, this paper has demonstrated the influence of TL in gaining an internal business advantage. There is a dearth of research on how firms successfully integrate the business perspective of the BSC to gain an internal business advantage. The paper investigated the effects on intrinsic and extrinsic components of employee job satisfaction of group direct behaviors as motivated by transformational leadership (TL), including examining group maintenance, group goal achievement, and the interaction between the two (their complementarity).

The purpose of this paper is to fill important gaps by using the belongingness theory and examining the effects of individual-level workplace ostracism on members’ voice behavior and the effects of group-level workplace ostracism.

The authors used samples of 77 groups from a high-technological company.

Individual-level workplace ostracism is detrimental to group members’ promotive and prohibitive voice behavior, and group members’ belongingness mediates such effect; and group-level workplace ostracism is negatively related to group cohesion. The influence of group members’ perception of ostracism on their voice behavior is contingent on overall level of ostracism.

Despite of a growing body of studies on workplace ostracism “the extent to which an individual perceives that he or she is ignored or excluded by others at workplace”, the effects of workplace ostracism on individual’s voice behavior in group settings have received scant attention.

This study clarifies the factors that foster individual innovative behaviour in the public sector by examining the effects and roles of empowering leadership, work group cohesiveness and individual learning orientation. This study also explores the direct effect of empowering leadership on work group cohesiveness and individual learning orientation, the influence of work group cohesiveness on individual learning orientation and the mediating roles of work group cohesiveness and individual learning orientation.

Data were collected from an online survey of respondents working in a public sector organization. Partial least squares structural equation modelling and mediation analysis by the bootstrap method were used for the data analysis.

Empowering leadership and individual learning orientation had significant direct effects on individual innovative behaviour. Both empowering leadership and work group cohesiveness have significant direct effects on individual learning orientation. Empowering leadership was positively related to work group cohesiveness. The mediation analysis revealed that individual learning orientation mediates the relationships between empowering leadership and individual innovative behaviour and between work group cohesiveness and individual innovative behaviour.

The study focuses on three factors that foster individual innovative behaviour in a public sector organization.

This study offers new insights into the factors that foster individual innovative behaviour in the public sector. The findings reveal the importance of using a balanced leadership style and encourage learning in the workplace for individual innovativeness by public leaders.

Recent work concerning the effects of time on group behavior suggests that individuals’ time‐oriented behaviors may act as a catalyst or pacing mechanism for subsequent group behaviors. Other work suggests that group polychronic behavior (the group’s performance of multiple tasks simultaneously) has significant effects on both individual and group outcomes. In this paper, we examine the relationship between individuals’ time‐oriented behavior and group‐level polychronic behavior. Based on results from a laboratory simulation involving 26 small groups, we conclude that the presence of time‐urgent group members increases group‐level monochronic (versus polychronic) behavior and has a positive effect on groups’ primary task activity.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the underlying process of a relative leader–member dyadic communication behavior linking association between ethical leadership and organizational identification in Malaysia’s diverse workplace.

Based on relational dyadic communication, social comparison and social identity theories, the authors develop a mediation model. The model illustrates the link between the relative leader–member dyadic communication behavior processes, ethical leadership and organizational identification. The model was tested on a sample of 273 group members from 58 groups working in large government link corporations in Malaysia.

Results of hierarchical regression analysis provide support for the model. The authors found that ethical leadership was positively related to relative leader–member dyadic communication behavior based on the norms and values of budi context. Budi is a social norm in the Malaysian context that helps employees to know how they should interact with others. Budi is manifested through the use of language and should be used or present in the interactions or conversations with others.

The relative shared norms and values of budi mediate the relationship between ethical leadership and organizational identification after controlling for the perception of individual leader–member dyadic communication behavior on norms and values of budi.