scholarly journals Beyond unsustainable leadership: critical social theory for sustainable leadership

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 418-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jem Bendell ◽  
Neil Sutherland ◽  
Richard Little
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Social Theory ◽  
Critical Social Theory ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Leadership Studies ◽  
Sustainable Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Critical Leadership ◽  
Critical Leadership Studies ◽  
Critical Social

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to prepare the conceptual groundwork for the future study of leadership for sustainable development. The paper demonstrates the relevance of Critical Leadership Studies to future research on sustainable development policies and practices. A critical approach is also applied to concepts of sustainable development, with three paradigms of thought described. Design/methodology/approach The approach taken is an extensive literature review in fields of leadership and sustainable development, with a focus on some of the broad assumptions and assertions in those literatures. Findings A key finding is that leadership studies drawing from critical social theory can provide important insights into future research and education on leadership for sustainability. This literature shows that some assumptions about leadership may hinder opportunities for social or organisational change by reducing the analysis of factors in change or reducing the agency of those not deemed to be leading. These limitations are summarised as “seven unsustainabilities” of mainstream leadership research. Research limitations/implications The paper calls for the emerging field of sustainable leadership to develop an understanding of significant individual action that includes collective, emergent and episodic dimensions. The paper then summarises key aspects of the papers in this special issue on leadership for sustainability. Practical implications The implications for practice are that efforts to promote organisational contributions to sustainable development should not uncritically draw upon mainstream approaches to leadership or the training of leaders. Originality/value The authors consider this the first paper to provide a synthesis of insights from Critical Leadership Studies for research in sustainability.

Context and conditions matter: Stress and strain in the exercise of leadership power

Leadership ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jörg Krauter
Keyword(s):  
Future Research ◽  
Stress And Strain ◽  
Conservation Of Resources ◽  
Leadership Studies ◽  
Business World ◽  
Workplace Organization ◽  
Self Assessments ◽  
Critical Leadership ◽  
Critical Leadership Studies ◽  
Leader Role

Current research shows that a significant number of leaders suffer from strain which effects their application of power. This is a highly relevant leadership issue in today’s challenging business world. This study applies conservation of resources theory and the critical leadership studies approach to re-think leadership dynamics such as stressors and strain factors and their influence on power-related behaviour. The leader role, leader–member relations, workplace, organization and environment can be identified as resource passageways which create, maintain or limit the development of resources such as power-related behaviour. Research on the self-assessments of 43 German leaders from private sector shows that strain factors, leader role and leader–member relations can influence power-related behaviour. The data also show the importance of clarifying demands and expectations to prevent resource loss, otherwise overtaxed leaders are highly likely to use negative forms of power-related behaviour. The results demonstrate the need to improve understanding of the leader role with its increasing demands to be more flexible, agile and ambidextrous, but also to accept the human limitations of those who take on senior positions. Hence, the study findings demonstrate that context and conditions shape the situation in which leaders are embedded and therefore how to handle power is not only a problem for leaders themselves. The article also discusses the limitations of these findings and outlines possible directions for future research.

scholarly journals O REGRESSO DO DESENVOLVIMENTO HUMANO: um sintoma da pandemia de Covid-19?

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 182
Author(s):  
Carla Alessandra da Silva Nunes
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Human Development ◽  
Social Theory ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Social Indicators ◽  
Critical Social Theory ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Documentary Sources ◽  
Exploratory Survey ◽  
Critical Social

O artigo objetiva problematizar a perspectiva do desenvolvimento humano cujo risco de regressão é apontado como uma consequência do período pandêmico deflagrado com a COVID-19. Por meio de um levantamento exploratório baseado em fontes documentais apresenta indicadores sociais que demonstram os desafios do desenvolvimento humano ao longo das últimas décadas, particularmente no Brasil. Reforça quea reflexão orientada pela teoria social crítica marxiana e marxista aponta que os desafios para sustentar as conquistas do desenvolvimento humano para todos não podem ser atribuídos exclusivamente ao coronavírus SARS-Cov-2, porque antes mesmo da crise sanitária, os lentos, mas importantes avanços conquistados já se mostravam insustentáveis na ordem social capitalista, cuja superação é condição para um real e sustentável desenvolvimento da humanidade, na perspectiva da emancipação humana.THE REGRESS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT: A SYMPTOM OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC?AbstractThe article aims to problematize the perspective of human development whose risk of regression is pointed out as a consequence of the pandemic period triggered by COVID-19. Through an exploratory survey based on documentary sources, it presents social indicators that demonstrate the challenges of human development over the last decades, particularly in Brazil. It reinforces that the reflection guided by the Marxian and Marxist critical social theory points out that the challenges to sustain the achievements of human development for all cannot be attributed exclusively to the SARS-Cov-2 coronavirus, because even before the health crisis, the slow but important advances already achieved proved unsustainable in the capitalist social order, whose overcoming is a condition for a real and sustainable development of humanity, in the perspective of human emancipation.Keywords: Human development. Human emancipation. Pandemic

Social Explanation: Structures, Stories, and Ontology. A Reply to Díaz León, Saul, and Sterken

Disputatio ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (50) ◽  
pp. 245-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Haslanger
Keyword(s):  
Social Theory ◽  
Critical Social Theory ◽  
Social Agency ◽  
Metaphysical Explanation ◽  
Gender And Race ◽  
Social Explanation ◽  
Critical Social

Abstract In response to commentaries by Esa Díaz León, Jennifer Saul, and Ra- chel Sterken, I develop more fully my views on the role of structure in social and metaphysical explanation. Although I believe that social agency, quite generally, occurs within practices and structures, the relevance of structure depends on the sort of questions we are asking and what interventions we are considering. The emphasis on questions is also relevant in considering metaphysical and meta-metaphysical is- sues about realism with respect to gender and race. I aim to demon- strate that tools we develop in the context of critical social theory can change the questions we ask, what forms of explanation are called for, and how we do philosophy.

The identity crisis of sustainable development

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catalin Ratiu ◽  
Beverlee B. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Identity Crisis ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Larger Sample ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – There are many different conceptualizations to sustainable development and these different approaches may have led to confusion amongst the public. The purpose of this paper is to explore the identities of the term and how the confused identity may be leading to problems for sustainable development efforts. Design/methodology/approach – The design is exploratory, using both secondary and primary data to understand the different sustainable development concepts. Findings – There is no consistent understanding or use of the term “sustainable development” among various groups. Research limitations/implications – Future research should include a larger sample that is more representative of people from different backgrounds and geographical areas. Practical implications – The public is generally willing to support only projects that it understands. Without a clear understanding of sustainable development, the public will be less inclined to support these efforts. Originality/value – This study examines the perceptions and understandings of the term by the general public representing different generations.

An Approach for Humanizing Leadership Education: Building Learning Community & Stakeholder Engagement

2021 ◽  
pp. 105256292110413
Author(s):  
Shaista E. Khilji
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Stakeholder Engagement ◽  
Common Good ◽  
Mutual Influence ◽  
Leadership Education ◽  
Leadership Studies ◽  
Leadership Development Programs ◽  
Critical Leadership ◽  
Critical Leadership Studies

In recent years, scholars have become critical of mainstream leadership development approaches. In particular, Petriglieri and Petriglieri refer to the dehumanization of leadership, whereby leadership breaks its ties to identity, community, and context. The purpose of this paper is to present an approach for humanizing leadership using the case example of George Washington University’s Organizational Leadership & Learning (OLL) program. Embedded in the critical leadership studies (CLS) approach, the humanizing principles, and the humanistic leadership paradigm, the OLL program’s leadership learning approach focuses on building a learning community and stakeholder engagement. I describe its pedagogical goals and instructional strategies that help promote a psychologically safe space where learners build trusting relationships, integrate diverse perspectives through respectful dialogues, and develop a sense of the “common good” and culture of equity through issue-centered learning. Using classrooms as “identity spaces” and “leadership learning laboratory” allows learners in the program to practice the co-construction of ideas through mutual influence and interactions. This paper makes a valuable contribution to developing future leadership development programs.

So what is new about leadership-as-practice?

Leadership ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 384-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Collinson
Keyword(s):  
Structuration Theory ◽  
Leadership Studies ◽  
Critical Leadership ◽  
Critical Leadership Studies

This paper returns to the original focus of my earlier 'Leading Questions' article (Collinson, 2017) which questioned Joe Raelin’s (excessive) claims that LAP is a distinct ‘movement’, particularly new and supercedes post-heroic perspectives and is more critical than critical leadership studies. Arguing that Raelin's claims overstate the value of LAP, this rejoinder draws on Giddens’ structuration theory to illustrate my points about structure, practice and resistance in relation to the foregoing responses from Leadership As Practice (LAP) contributors (Raelin et al, 2018).

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