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1 – 10 of 972Xian Zheng, Xiao Hu, Chunlin Wu and Ju Bai
Although researchers have long recognized the importance of participating organizations’ (POs) relational behavior for mega construction projects (MCPs) performance, relational…
Abstract
Purpose
Although researchers have long recognized the importance of participating organizations’ (POs) relational behavior for mega construction projects (MCPs) performance, relational behavior may not be executed by POs without effective leadership from project owners. However, little is known about the mechanisms linking owners’ leadership styles to POs’ relational behavior. This study draws on full range leadership theory and role theory to examine the relationships between owners’ leadership styles (i.e. transformational and transactional) and relational behavior. POs’ role orientations (i.e. normative and economic) are considered as potential mediators.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 175 managers deeply involved in MCPs. Hierarchical regression model and bootstrapping methods were performed on the data to examine the direct effects of owners’ leadership on POs’ relational behavior and the mediating effects of POs’ role orientations.
Findings
The results revealed that both owners’ transformational and transactional leadership positively affect POs’ relational behavior, despite the former being higher than the latter, and indirectly influence relational behavior via POs’ normative and economic role orientation, respectively.
Practical implications
This study provides a clear picture of how owners’ leadership can motivate POs’ relational behavior to achieve high-quality inter-organizational relationships in MCPs. The findings can guide owners’ top manager selection by prioritizing those with transformational leadership, which is beneficial to achieving high-level relational behavior of POs. The results also imply that owners should pay greater attention to cultivating POs’ normative role orientation by encouraging teamwork and open communication to enhance their implementation of relational behavior.
Originality/value
Unlike previous research focusing more on intra-organizational leader–follower relationship within one PO, this study is one of the first to empirically confirm owners’ leadership as a critical antecedent of POs’ relational behavior, thus enhancing the theoretical understanding of inter-organizational relationship management in MCPs. Based on role theory, this study considers a novel organizational psychology mechanism, i.e. POs’ role orientations, as the mediator to unravel how owners’ leadership affects POs’ relational behavior, which was rarely invoked in MCP leadership literature.
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Qurat-ul-Ain Burhan and Muhammad Asif Khan
Empowering leadership has a wide range of positive individual employee-related outcomes. However, a limited number of research studies are available emphasizing the overall…
Abstract
Purpose
Empowering leadership has a wide range of positive individual employee-related outcomes. However, a limited number of research studies are available emphasizing the overall organization-related outcomes. The major aim of this study is to delve into the function of organizational identification and intellectual capital (structural, relational and human) in mediating the relationship between empowering leadership and organizational innovativeness. Depending upon the resource-based view theory, this study comprehensively investigates the sequential effects of empowered leadership on the mediating roles of organizational identification and intellectual capital in organizational innovativeness.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were gathered through a self-administered questionnaire, which got 337 responses from telecom employees. To evaluate the hypotheses, the data were analyzed in SEM-M-Plus using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.
Findings
The findings demonstrate that empowering leadership impacts organizational innovativeness with the sequential mediation of organizational identification and intellectual capital (structural, human and social).
Practical implications
Organizations can identify and encourage leaders who exhibit empowering behaviors such as delegating responsibilities, providing autonomy and fostering a sense of ownership among employees. Also, organizations can foster intellectual capital by providing opportunities for learning, training and development. Additionally, knowledge sharing and collaboration can help to enhance the intellectual capital of employees.
Originality/value
While much research has been conducted on empowering leadership, the continued development of knowledge and the emergence of new perspectives related to identification and intellectual capital highlights the importance of exploring alternative paths that have been overlooked. Therefore, there is a pressing need to conduct research that takes into account these additional factors.
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The purpose of this study is to review literature on the relationship between leadership and workplace learning, to critically analyze and discuss findings and to suggest future…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to review literature on the relationship between leadership and workplace learning, to critically analyze and discuss findings and to suggest future research paths based on the synthesis.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applied a refined literature review process leading to a selection of 40 articles, which originated from 14 internationally acclaimed journals.
Findings
When explaining leadership influence regarding individual and team learning, the concepts of role modeling behavior, relational support and negotiation of meaning is significant. If leaders provide support, show exemplary behavior and negotiate individual arrangements with employees, workplace learning development is positively affected.
Research limitations/implications
Future studies should focus on empirical cases further illustrating how the leader–employee relationship is formed in practice, to further understand differences in leadership influence on employee workplace learning.
Practical implications
The gathered knowledge implicates that carefully designed leadership training programs and personalized work arrangements between leader and employees are beneficial for leader’s ability to influence employee workplace learning.
Originality/value
The reviewed studies were solely published in top management journals, which resulted in an original literature selection. This study also discusses implicit or articulated assumptions about the view of learning in the selected studies, offering additional understanding about the underlying learning views in leadership–workplace learning research.
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Aurelia Engelsberger, Jillian Cavanagh, Timothy Bartram and Beni Halvorsen
The purpose of the study was to maximize team members' collaboration and develop relationships in a newly formed team to engage with internal and external partners to achieve open…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study was to maximize team members' collaboration and develop relationships in a newly formed team to engage with internal and external partners to achieve open innovation (OI) in product development. The authors examine the role of collaborative human resource management (HRM) and relational leadership (RL) in this process.
Design/methodology/approach
The study took a two-stage qualitative methodological approach to examine relational leadership as it emerges in a newly formed cross-functional team at a large German fashion house. In stage one, 10 interviews were conducted with members of the new project team over three months and in stage two six external knowledge exchange partners were interviewed.
Findings
Collaborative HRM promotes greater social exchange, trust and commitment of team members internal and external to the organization to support the emergence of RL, which is critical for OI. The authors found that collaborative HRM practices such as team-based recruitment, team-based training, team-based performance management with rewards systems and job design support the emergence of RL. Moreover, RL practices such as congruence and commitment towards team goals subsequently promoted the development of knowledge sourcing and sharing (KSS) to support OI.
Originality/value
The study is the first to demonstrate how collaborative HRM enables RL practices to help newly formed teams overcome challenges with achieving KSS to successfully engage with internal and external partners for OI. The authors contribute to HRM theory development of the relationship between HRM and OI by conceptualizing the OI process as a social construction through collaborative HRM and relational leadership.
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Leila Afshari, Muhammad Shakil Ahmad and Talha Mansoor
This paper investigates the relationships between responsible leadership and employees' knowledge sharing behavior and performance in the healthcare sector. The present study…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper investigates the relationships between responsible leadership and employees' knowledge sharing behavior and performance in the healthcare sector. The present study provides deeper insights into those relationships by uncovering the mechanisms through which relational and ethical dimensions of responsible leadership influence knowledge sharing outcomes. Drawing on the social exchange theory, this study examines the mediating role of trust in the leader and leadership support.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 445 healthcare professionals in Pakistan. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the data.
Findings
The study findings revealed that responsible leaders enhance knowledge worker performance and knowledge sharing behavior through enhancing trusting relationships with followers and providing support. Furthermore, the authors investigated the moderating role of goal orientation, and the results showed that the effect of responsible leadership on knowledge worker performance was stronger for highly goal-oriented employees.
Practical implications
This research suggests that human resource managers interested in fostering knowledge sharing behaviors, must focus on cultivating responsible leadership behavior within their organizations. Furthermore, this study findings propose that HRM practices should foster employee goal orientation in order to enhance knowledge workers' performance.
Originality/value
This study makes a novel contribution to the literature by shifting the research focus from the traditional view of leadership to a leadership style more responsive to the reciprocity nature of the relationships between employees and leaders. By shifting the focus to a relational-ethical based leadership style, the current study was able to fully uncover the underlying mechanisms linking responsible leadership to knowledge sharing outcomes.
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Chee Hua Chin, Siew Chen Sim, Jun Zhou Thong and Ying Sin Chin
This study aims to address existing gaps in the literature and theories by investigating the influence of responsible leadership traits on employees’ sustainable performance…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to address existing gaps in the literature and theories by investigating the influence of responsible leadership traits on employees’ sustainable performance (E-SuPer) in the Malaysian service sector. Specifically, the authors focus on three key responsible leadership traits: relationship building, relational governance and sharing orientation. Additionally, the authors explore how these traits interact with leader-member exchange (LMX) and whether gender plays a role in this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 235 usable responses were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Multi-group analysis (MGA) was employed to examine the moderating impact of gender.
Findings
The results showed that both relationship building and relational governance significantly affect E-SuPer among organisations in the service industry. LMX was found to be a significant moderating condition influencing the association between responsible leaders’ sharing orientation and E-SuPer. Interestingly, the MGA results suggest that the effect on male employees was greater than on female employees across the relationships examined. The findings suggest that responsible leadership traits are essential for sustainable employee performance, but there is room for improvement in how these traits are perceived by female employees.
Social implications
The present study contributes to gender equality agenda, supports the sustainable development goals, adds to the growing body of knowledge on the relationship between responsible leadership traits and E-SuPer within one of the most important economic sectors in Malaysia and sheds lights on the moderating effect of LMX.
Originality/value
This study investigates how responsible leadership traits affect E-SuPer in the service industry, particularly among male and female employees. Moreover, this study is one of the early investigations into the significance of responsible leadership within Malaysian service sector and offers valuable information for industry actors to improve their management approaches.
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Juan Meng, Po-Lin Pan, Michael A. Cacciatore and Karen Robayo Sanchez
The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a significant impact on several aspects of public relations practice. By adopting the theoretical framework of adaptive leadership, this…
Abstract
Purpose
The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a significant impact on several aspects of public relations practice. By adopting the theoretical framework of adaptive leadership, this research is designed to explore how an organization’s top leadership can support related adaptive action in strategic communication. Particularly, we hope to explore whether the application of adaptive leadership could facilitate a higher level of communication transparency as well as deliver a sense of caring and empathy in COVID-19 communication.
Design/methodology/approach
An international online survey was designed and conducted for this study. The first sample consists of 776 full-time communication professionals in the United States of America with 435 women (56.1%) and 341 men (43.9%). The second sample consists of 268 full-time communication professionals in Canada, with 110 women (41.0%) and 158 men (59.0%). The two samples were merged into the final sample of 1,044 for the data analysis.
Findings
Results confirmed that the perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic increased communication professionals’ challenges in building trust. It also drives adaptive changes in their coping actions in strategic communication. More importantly, the top leadership within the organization played a key role in this adaptive leadership environment by demonstrating commitment to transparency in COVID-19 communication and delivering a sense of empathy during the pandemic.
Originality/value
This study contributes to our understanding of strategic communication in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 global pandemic, by focusing on the adaptive nature of communication leadership. More importantly, our study confirms the important roles of two leadership attributes (i.e. the sense of empathy and the commitment to communication transparency) in supporting adaptive leadership, which eventually influences trust building.
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Xiuyu Wu, Qinzhen Qian and Meng Zhang
Leaders' behavior has a critical impact on workers' safety behavior. However, previous studies have shown contradictive views on the effect of different leadership styles on…
Abstract
Purpose
Leaders' behavior has a critical impact on workers' safety behavior. However, previous studies have shown contradictive views on the effect of different leadership styles on safety behavior. One reason may be that the effectiveness of leaders' behavior varies according to diverse contexts. This study examines the effect of transformational and transactional leadership (TsL) on the safety behavior of on-site workers under different levels of social capital in construction projects.
Design/methodology/approach
Safety behavior is divided into three types: safety compliance (SC), organizational-oriented safety participation and individual-oriented safety participation (ISP). Questionnaire survey data were collected from 302 construction workers in the Chinese construction industry.
Findings
The results indicate that the positive effect of transformational leadership (TfL) of frontline supervisors on the two types of construction workers' safety participation is enhanced when social capital is high, although TfL has no significant effect on SC behavior. In contrast, TsL can promote construction workers' SC behavior and organizational-oriented safety participation and social capital positively moderating these relationships. TsL has no significant effect on ISP, but its interaction with safety behavior is positively related to ISP.
Research limitations/implications
This study explains the inconsistent findings of previous research related to the role of leadership in safety behavior by introducing the social capitaltheory and distinguishing safety participation into two typesThis study is confined to one specific country, future research may benefit from investigating whether the conclusions of this study will be different in other nations with diverse cultures.
Practical implications
The findings of the study provide frontline supervisors with new insights into improving workers' safety and the efficiency of leadership in safety management.
Originality/value
This study explains the inconsistent findings of previous research related to the role of leadership in safety behavior by introducing the social capital theory and distinguishing safety participation into two types.
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Robin Alison Mueller, Harrison Campbell and Tatiana Losev
The purpose of our research is to better understand inquiry-based pedagogy in the context of leadership education. Specifically, we sought to learn about how leadership learning…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of our research is to better understand inquiry-based pedagogy in the context of leadership education. Specifically, we sought to learn about how leadership learning is characterized in an immersive inquiry course, and how inquiry-based pedagogy is experienced by students engaged in interdisciplinary leadership learning.
Design/methodology/approach
We used a case study approach as an overarching methodology. The research methods employed to collect data were World Cafe and episodic narrative interview. Further, we used collocation analysis and systematic text condensation as analytical strategies to interpret data.
Findings
Our findings led us to four primary conclusions: (1) inquiry-based learning helps to foster an inquiry mindset amongst leadership education students; (2) the challenges and tensions associated with inquiry-based learning are worth the learning gains for leadership students; (3) the opportunity to learn in relationship is beneficial for leadership development outcomes and (4) students’ experiences of inquiry-based learning in leadership education often included instances of transformation.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations of the research were: (1) it is a case study situated within a unique, particular social and educational context; (2) demographic data were not collected from participants, so results cannot be disaggregated based on particular demographic markers and (3) the small sample size involved in the study makes it impossible to generalize across a broad population.
Practical implications
This research has enabled a deep understanding of structural and relational supports that can enable effective inquiry-based learning in leadership education. It also offers evidence to support institutional shifts to inquiry-based pedagogy in leadership education.
Social implications
Our research demonstrates that use of inquiry-based pedagogy in leadership education has long-lasting positive effects on students' capacity for applied leadership practice. Consequently, participants in this type of leadership learning are better positioned to effectively lead social change that is pressing in our current global context.
Originality/value
There is scant (if any) published research that has focused on using inquiry-based pedagogies in leadership education. This research makes a significant contribution to the scholarship of leadership education.
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Nuala F. Ryan, Michelle Hammond and Sarah MacCurtain
The purpose of the study is an in-depth exploration of the processes through which a leader develops their leader identity in strength, meaning and integration, with resulting…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is an in-depth exploration of the processes through which a leader develops their leader identity in strength, meaning and integration, with resulting enrichment outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
Using multi-domain leader identity theory, this study provides an in-depth exploration of the processes through which a leader develops their leader identity. Set in a healthcare context, 26 participants took part in an 18-month multi-domain leadership development program.
Findings
Findings indicate a typology of leader identities, capturing the dynamic nature of leader identity based on combinations of strength and meaning. Our research also suggests that as the leader develops, their leader identity can change from a differentiated identity as a leader to a more integrated leader identity, with resulting enrichment outcomes.
Research limitations/implications
The results suggested value in inherently multi-domain focus using event-based reflection and, as such, are useful in leader identity development programs. We recommend future research generalize to other settings and a larger population.
Practical implications
By taking a multi-domain approach to leader identity development, the leader has the opportunity to learn and develop in a more holistic way. They are encouraged to reflect on and learn from leadership experiences throughout their entire lives, adding breadth and depth that are often overlooked in development programs.
Social implications
Developing leaders who understand who they are and are capable of critical self-reflection and learning is a fundamental requirement for the positive advancement of society.
Originality/value
The value of the study lies in the first longitudinal, work-based empirical study taking an explicitly multi-domain approach to leader identity development.
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