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Article
Publication date: 25 January 2021

Christina Stothard and Maya Drobnjak

The study aims to propose and test how leadership styles (learning-oriented, transformational and transactional leadership) and a new construct, psychological equality, help…

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to propose and test how leadership styles (learning-oriented, transformational and transactional leadership) and a new construct, psychological equality, help overcome the typically negative effect of rank disparity on team learning.

Design/methodology/approach

Militaries have a rigid hierarchy, and rank disparity (hierarchy) inhibits team learning. However, little (quantitative) attention has been paid to understanding the factors that might help overcome the inhibiting effect of hierarchy on military team learning. This study evaluates how learning-oriented leadership helps military teams to learn by improving a sense of psychological equality.

Findings

Learning-oriented leadership supported greater psychological equality and team learning than either transformational or transactional leadership. Additionally, psychological equality significantly improved team learning. Together, learning-oriented leadership and psychological equality were found to support team learning within hierarchical teams. The findings show that team rank disparity does not inevitably stifle team learning.

Research limitations/implications

Cross-sectional archival and self-report data limits drawing causal conclusions; further, longitudinal studies should be undertaken to extend and test the proposed causal relationship modeled in this study.

Practical implications

Generating team learning within the military does not require dismantling traditional military command, communication and control structures; instead, specific leadership behaviors (e.g., sharing information, coaching and avoiding blame or shame) can support psychological equality and increased team learning within military’s established command and control structures.

Originality/value

This study answered recent calls to identify the contingencies shaping team learning; improving psychological equality enhances team learning while maintaining the benefits of a clear hierarchical structure (e.g. military command and control).

Details

The Learning Organization, vol. 28 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-6474

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 July 2021

Anthony J. DiBella

Abstract

Details

The Learning Organization, vol. 28 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-6474

Article
Publication date: 2 December 2020

Christina Stothard

Learning organizations are often theorized at a team level, yet there is a lack of team-level studies. This study aims to evaluate if team-level dimensions of a learning…

Abstract

Purpose

Learning organizations are often theorized at a team level, yet there is a lack of team-level studies. This study aims to evaluate if team-level dimensions of a learning organizational questionnaire (DLOQ) measures are reliable and reflect real team properties and if both individual-level and team-level DLOQ leadership mediates the effect of rank on other DLOQ measures.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical analysis evaluated if team-level DLOQ measures are reliable and reflected real team properties and if DLOQ learning-oriented leadership mediates the effect of rank or team hierarchy on all other DLOQ measures. A novel approach (random group resampling) was used to evaluate if team level measures reflected either a real team property or a statistical artifact. Next, a series of mediation models evaluated if learning-oriented leadership was isomorphic, namely, displays a similar pattern at both individual and team levels.

Findings

The analysis found team-level DLOQ measures reflected real properties of the teams and were reliable and learning-oriented leadership mediates between rank and team hierarchy and the other six dimensions at both individual and team-levels (i.e. DLOQ team and individual level were isomorphic).

Practical implications

The results show that hierarchical teams’ learning capacities can be improved by focusing on the learning-oriented leadership, which overcomes the typically negative effect of hierarchical differences within teams.

Originality/value

This study provides a significant step forward by applying an innovative analysis that shows that the DLOQ team level measures reflect real team properties and DLOQ leadership displays isomorphic characteristics.

Details

The Learning Organization, vol. 28 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-6474

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 November 2020

Ruchi Sinha and Christina Stothard

This paper aims to clarify under which conditions, and via what mechanisms, power asymmetry is likely to affect team learning. This work is part of a two-paper series. Part I…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to clarify under which conditions, and via what mechanisms, power asymmetry is likely to affect team learning. This work is part of a two-paper series. Part I presents the theoretical arguments linking power asymmetry to team learning via egalitarianism and the moderating role of environmental hardship. In Part II, the authors provide an empirical evaluation of the conceptual model presented in Part I.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was gathered on 4,637 military personnel nested in 143 ongoing teams. Multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the proposed moderated mediation model. The results show that under higher levels of environmental hardship, teams with higher power asymmetry (greater hierarchy) show greater team egalitarianism and higher team learning.

Findings

The results show that under higher levels of environmental hardship, teams with higher power asymmetry (greater hierarchy) show greater team egalitarianism and higher team learning.

Research limitations/implications

The empirical examination of the proposed relationships is based on a large sample of military teams in the real world. Future research would benefit from testing the model on different samples across industries and adopting different operationalizations for environmental hardship relevant to each industry.

Originality/value

This work provides insights to help practitioners to preserve the coordination benefits of hierarchy, while still promoting more egalitarianism and team learning in hierarchical teams.

Details

The Learning Organization, vol. 28 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-6474

Keywords

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