scholarly journals Considering the Issue of Purpose in Leadership: A Review of Literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 279-296
Author(s):  
Megan Vercueil ◽  
Angelo Nicolaides

This article reviews and integrates the findings of academic leadership studies to guide leaders as they deal with practical implications of “purpose” in leadership at the workplace. This paper offers a theoretical analysis of trait, situational, and value-based leadership theory and presents a philosophically informed theoretical examination of purpose in leadership. Although there is great enthusiasm around the topic of purposeful leadership, much of the knowledge is based on qualitative studies rather than empirical evidence. We hope this article could usefully inform leadership by bringing academic knowledge to the fore to support the enterprise leadership environment. To date, limited empirical research on the role and importance of “purpose” in leadership is available. Our study fills this gap and is unique in that it analyses existing literature and proffers guidance irrespective of the leadership style of those towards whom it is directed. Keywords: Leadership, individual, mission, organisation, purpose, values, vision.

2017 ◽  
pp. 339-354
Author(s):  
Celeste Mack ◽  
Ike Udechukwu ◽  
Bahaudin G. Mujtaba

Workplace spirituality or spirituality in the workplace is about employees search for meaning, purpose, and interconnectedness in the workplace. Similarly, transformational leadership is a leadership style that encourages a higher level of moral maturity and performance standard for followers. In this chapter, through a review of literature and propositional analysis, the authors demonstrate that transformational leadership has the capacity to drive employees towards meaning, purpose, and interconnectedness with the organization's goals and values. Researchers agree that transformational leadership inspires, motivates, and also attempts to connect with followers. Thus, while workplace spirituality is a potent ingredient in the modern workplace, transformational leadership is the driving force that actually transforms the workplace. Thus, the authors conclude by proposing that transformational leadership can potentially encourage and sustain workplace spirituality. Suggestions and recommendations for future empirical research are provided.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 404-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna-Maija Hietajärvi ◽  
Kirsi Aaltonen ◽  
Harri Haapasalo

Purpose Project alliancing – a project delivery model used in delivering complex projects – demands new organizational capabilities for successful project implementation. The purpose of this paper is to define the concept of project alliance (PA) capability and to identify the elements that constitute an organization’s PA capability. Design/methodology/approach This study provides empirical evidence of PA capability based on an investigation of participants’ experiences of Finnish construction and infrastructure alliance projects. The adopted research approach is qualitative and inductive. Findings The paper conceptualizes PA capability and defines the elements that constitute an organization’s PA capability, including important activities in the pre-formation, development and post-formation phases of PAs and the contractual, behavioral, relational, and operational skills that organizations need for successful alliance project initiation and implementation. Practical implications The identified alliance project activities are targets for routinization and best practices that organizations can deploy from one project to another. The identified skills indicate areas in which organizations should build and develop expertise. Originality/value There is limited empirical research on the elements defining an organization’s capability to bid, manage and operate in alliance projects. This study presents some preliminary thoughts to augment knowledge of the successful initiation and management of alliance projects and to suggest why some organizations may be more successful than others in alliance projects.


Author(s):  
Celeste Mack ◽  
Ike Udechukwu ◽  
Bahaudin G. Mujtaba

Workplace spirituality or spirituality in the workplace is about employees search for meaning, purpose, and interconnectedness in the workplace. Similarly, transformational leadership is a leadership style that encourages a higher level of moral maturity and performance standard for followers. In this chapter, through a review of literature and propositional analysis, the authors demonstrate that transformational leadership has the capacity to drive employees towards meaning, purpose, and interconnectedness with the organization's goals and values. Researchers agree that transformational leadership inspires, motivates, and also attempts to connect with followers. Thus, while workplace spirituality is a potent ingredient in the modern workplace, transformational leadership is the driving force that actually transforms the workplace. Thus, the authors conclude by proposing that transformational leadership can potentially encourage and sustain workplace spirituality. Suggestions and recommendations for future empirical research are provided.


2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 140-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raimonda Alonderiene ◽  
Modesta Majauskaite

Purpose – Although leadership is found to have impact on the followers’ attitudes and performance there is a gap in leadership studies in HEIs, especially having Lithuania in mind. The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of leadership style on job satisfaction of faculty in higher education institutions (HEI). Design/methodology/approach – In order to investigate before mentioned problem, the representative quantitative empirical research was conducted in 2013. It includes 72 faculty members and ten supervisors from Lithuanian public and private universities. The survey was conducted to check how leadership styles of supervisors influence faculty job satisfaction and compare the opinion of supervisors and subordinates. Findings – The empirical research revealed significant positive impact of leadership style on job satisfaction of faculty where servant leadership style has been found to have the highest positive significant impact on job satisfaction of faculty while controlling autocrat leadership style has the lowest impact. Research limitations/implications – There are several implications for further research. It can be expanded whether geographically (e.g. comparative analysis in different countries) or institutionally (e.g. in other educational institutions, such as schools or pre-schools). Practical implications – Practical implications reveal that supervisors have the power to increase the levels of job satisfaction of their faculty members, by defining their role as a leader, demonstrating certain leadership behaviors. Originality/value – This survey covers the area which lacks academic research, namely, the impact of leadership on HEI faculty. Previous leadership studies in HEI focus on particular leadership style demonstrated (van Ameijde, 2009), the impact of leadership on culture (Asmawi et al., 2013), organizational effectiveness (Siddique et al., 2011) and other factors. However, very few of them (one of the examples is the study of Webb, 2009 in USA) investigate the direct managers’ leadership style and faculty job satisfaction. Besides, the previous surveys have not covered as many leadership styles as this one does.


Author(s):  
Ilona SKAČKAUSKIENĖ ◽  
Anastasija BUSARĖVA

Purpose – to evaluate the efficiency of the credit provision process of Lithuanian banks, to submit suggestions for improvement. Research methodology – after the theoretical analysis of the efficiency of the credit granting process was developed, an empirical research using the methods of questionnaire survey and analysis of financial indicators was carried out. Findings – efficiency is usually lost at the stages of consideration of application, conclusion of credit portfolio and risk assessment. These factors were distinguished from all efficiency reducing factors: time consuming processes, not automatized stages, insufficiently informed customer. Research limitations – methods of analysis of scientific literature are limited, but they enable the analysis and identifi- cation of the efficiency of credit provision within the research. Practical implications – the article evaluates the efficiency of credit provision by selected banks and proposes measures to streamline the process. By applying the proposed measures, banks could increase the efficiency of the credit granting process. Originality/Value – previously, the effectiveness of credit granting process in Lithuanian banks has not been assessed.


2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 583-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Cheng-Fei Tsai ◽  
Chih-Ting Shih

AbstractThis study examines whether a responsible downsizing strategy and employee-oriented leadership are complementary in strengthening firm performance after downsizing. This study investigated 154 firms that have used an organizational downsizing strategy with surveys and follow-up focus groups. Results of both the empirical evidence and qualitative data demonstrates that for firms adopting an employee-oriented leadership style, the level of responsible downsizing strategy is high and firm performance is significantly increased. Specifically, the results of the focus groups indicate that a responsible downsizing strategy deepens the loyalty and faith of employees to their employer. These theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-31
Author(s):  
Shane Pill ◽  
Deboraha Agnew

This article reports the findings of a scoping review of the use of small-sided games (SSGs) as a teaching or coaching pedagogy across four game categories. The selection criteria included empirical research available online, published after January 1 2006 and prior to December 31, 2016, in an academic journal. The data were analysed through an inductive thematic approach which generated two themes: Development and Practical considerations. This review found that SSGs can be used as a deliberate pedagogy to elicit physiological responses for a training effect. Given that the variables associated with SSGs include pitch size, game intensity, and number of players, a key determining factor in the implementation of SSGs includes the objective of the practice activity.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 431-440
Author(s):  
Santi Retno Sari

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships to which leadership style (task and relations oriented leadership) moderate the impact of conflict on employee performance. Data were collected from 92 employees in different job levels. Partial least squares variance-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the relationship in the models. The results showed that task and relation conflict was associated with employee performance. The research findings also showed that leadership styles moderated the relationship between conflict and employee performance. This study offers implications for managerial practices. Practical implications and suggestions described in the paper Keywords: leadership style, conflict, performance.


Author(s):  
Hugh Lafollette

Valuable armchair arguments are shaped by significant reservoirs of knowledge, albeit knowledge that lies in their background, rather than the foreground. So understood armchair arguments are essential to any serious investigation of the issue of gun control. They help establish the burden of proof: they show what it is reasonable to believe if the rights-based arguments and the empirical evidence are less than compelling. They inform the arguments about the serious right to bear arms. They are essential in seeking and evaluating empirical evidence: they enable researchers to know how to structure empirical research and how to interpret their findings.


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